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April 10th, 2013 
IMMIGRATION Minister Brendan O’Connor has accused WA Premier Colin Barnett of whipping up hysteria over the arrival of an asylum seeker boat in the busy port of Geraldton.
Mr Barnett described the arrival of 66 Sri Lankan asylum seekers aboard a rickety fishing vessel at one of Australia’s busiest regional ports yesterday as “shocking” and signalled an alarming breach of national security.
Mr O’Connor, who was in WA last week to visit the remote Curtin Detention centre, said the premier’s words were not helpful – and not true.
“It is not unprecedented; there were 11 boats that arrived in WA during the Howard years alone,” Mr O’Connor told Fairfax radio.
“The premier is wrong in his language. His language is bordering on hysteria, as it has happened many times before.
“This is rare and it won’t happen often, and I think it is unfair and unreasonable for the premier to describe it (that way).”
The asylum seekers have been taken to Northam and Perth before a planned transfer to Christmas Island.
The federal government says it will investigate how the fishing boat eluded border security long enough for them to get with 420km of Perth.
Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare also said they had contacted Mr Barnett in a bid to address his concerns.
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