Christmas Island back in business with more staff arriving

Specialist medical workers and detention centre staff are expected to arrive on Christmas Island in coming days as locals complain their community is being used by the Morrison Government for political gain.

The Sunday Times understands medical services provider IHMS put out a general call for doctors and medical staff to work on the island, amid expectations hundreds of detainees could soon be transferred there from Nauru and Manus Island.

A charter jet arrived on Christmas Island on Friday night carrying an advance party of Serco staff and IHMS workers to start taking the giant North West Point detention centre out of mothballs. Another charter arrived on the island yesterday carrying a handful of staff.

Rows of accommodation blocks in the town centre that had been empty for months were again being opened up as the advance parties of staff trickled into the island.

Christmas Island shire President Gordon Thomson complained the Morrison Government was trying to re-run the 2001 election, which was defined by fiery debate around asylum seekers.

“This is very obviously a political strategy for re-election, one that you would hope does not work,” Mr Thomson said.

Mr Thomson and shire CEO David Price said some businesses would be happy about an influx of Federal Government cash. But ultimately locals fear its economy will suffer as the island reputation is forever tarnished as a prison island.

The Government says the passing of a Bill backed by Labor and independents to give asylum seekers easier passage off Nauru and Manus for medical reasons risks encouraging the people smuggling trade.

It has suggested transferees could be moved direct to the North West Point detention centre.

The detention centre has been kept in pristine condition. Although it has been empty for months even a large soccer pitch has been kept mowed, with its boundaries and goal lines marked.

Prime Minster Scott Morrison yesterday said he had been “forced” to reopen the detention centre, with the move likely to cost taxpayers $1 billion.

Yesterday one Australian media outlet reported people smugglers were already considering new voyages to Australia to test a Labor government if it was elected.

Mr Morrison claimed the people smugglers were preparing “as we speak”.

“That’s not me saying it. That’s them saying it,” he said.

“That’s people smugglers going back up the chain to Pakistan. We have other people who are ready to put boats again out of Indonesia talking openly about it.”

Mr Morrison said he wanted to make clear his “fury” at re-opening the detention centre.