Fed: Crean calls on govt to release all boatpeople photos

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Fed: Crean calls on govt to release all boatpeople photos

CANBERRA, Feb 18 AAP - Opposition Leader Simon Crean today called on the governmentto release all the photographs it had of asylum seekers fleeing a sinking ship in Octoberlast year.

The government released two photos during the election campaign to back up its claim- later proved to be false - that the boatpeople had thrown children overboard.

But Defence Minister Robert Hill has confirmed five photographs were sent to the officeof his predecessor, Peter Reith, showing people in the water because the boat was sinking.

Mr Crean said the government had to release all the photos and let the public makeup their own mind.

"What the government has to do is tell us what those photos were, release them, sothat people can make up their own minds as to (whether) what minister Reith released wasselective," he said.

The photos were sent to departmental liaison officers in Mr Reith's office, and MrCrean said it was incomprehensible that they would not have passed the information on.

He said reports today that a senior adviser to Prime Minister John Howard, Miles Jordana,had been warned the children overboard claims might be wrong cast further doubt on MrHoward's story.

Mr Howard has said he did not know the claims were wrong.

"The prime minister started to have doubts - the trouble is he never told the Australianpublic, he was prepared to have the story continue to run," Mr Crean said.

"He wants you to believe that he was never told - well, I don't believe him and I thinkit's important that the inquiries get to the bottom of it."

Departmental officials will be quizzed on the case at Senate committee hearings thisweek and a separate Senate inquiry is expected to start by next week.

AAP kmh/daw/ph/bwl

KEYWORD: BOAT CREAN