Scott Morrison has defended the treatment of refugee children on Nauru claiming they get better medical treatment that our own indigenous children in remote communities in Australia.

Dismissing claims that Nauru was “a hellhole” the Prime Minister said it was disrespectful to the Pacific nation.

“They actually get more medical help than many local Naurans do and they get more medical help than a lot of Australian indigenous people get in remote communities as well,” Mr Morrison told Studio 10.

There are more medical staff on Nauru than there are children.



“How would we feel if someone called where we live a hellhole? I think that is a very offensive view to Naurans. They live there. It’s their home.”

Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine told The New Daily there was no doubt in his mind that some Aboriginal kids were worse off.

“That’s true. They get a better deal than the Aboriginal community people Iin some remote communities,” he said.

“People are talking as if the refugees on Nauru are in some sort of torture chamber and they are not.

“There are some places that only have fly in, fly our services if they are lucky. This is where you get all the issues with dental problems and heart problems and issues that in the cities we would find weird. You’ve got communities with 400 people that only have fly in, fly out.”

Mr Mundine is a former ALP President and continues to advise the Morrison Government on economic development in indigenous communities.

The Prime Minister also noted he had never formally said that he would get all children off Nauru by Christmas.

While Mr Morrison is loathe to send a signal to people smugglers, senior ministers insist that government is aiming to get all children off the island before Parliament resumes in late November.