The Age

Former defence minister Peter Reith and senior defence officials will be called before a Senate inquiry into the allegations that asylum seekers threw children overboard in a premeditated attempt to subvert efforts to turn their boat back to Indonesia.

Labor has drawn up terms of reference for a Senate inquiry into the incident last year, an incident seized on by the Federal Government during the election campaign.

The Democrats, Greens and independent senator Shane Murphy have supported the inquiry, providing the numbers for it to be established next week and to report by May.

Under the terms of reference drawn up by Labor, the Senate inquiry will be narrowly focused on the alleged incident and the government's knowledge and presentation of the events. The release by Mr Reith of navy photographs purporting to show the incident will be closely examined by the "Select Committee on a Certain Maritime Incident".

It will also investigate the role of Commonwealth agencies in the interception of the boat people, the flow of information and the use of reports, videotapes and photographs of the incident last October.

In a series of public and private statements, navy personnel have claimed the photographs of children in the ocean were taken during a later incident when asylum seekers jumped overboard as their ship was sinking.

At the time, Mr Howard said the incident, if true, showed that those aboard were not the sort of people who should be allowed to enter Australia.

Democrats immigration spokesman Andrew Bartlett said his party would support the inquiry, but would also push for a broader examination of the so-called Pacific solution's impact and cost.

Senator Bartlett said Mr Reith was expected to be called to give evidence. "We would certainly have the capacity to call (Mr) Reith now he is out of parliament," he said.

Senator John Faulkner, opposition leader in the Senate, completed details of the inquiry in a meeting with party leaders yesterday. His spokesman said a witness list would be determined by the committee when it was established.

One senior Labor figure said it was "100 per cent certain" that Mr Reith would be asked to appear, although it was uncertain whether the inquiry would subpoena him if he refused.

Greens leader Bob Brown said he would support the inquiry but would move to expand it to "a much wider look at the boat people issue".

Senator Murphy said he would support the narrow inquiry, which, he said, was likely to demonstrate that the government had misled the public, although a broader inquiry would be more desirable.

He said he wanted to be a member of the inquiry and that Mr Reith would be "a key witness", who should be subpoenaed if necessary.

Mr Reith told The Age he was no longer a public figure, but would consider any request to appear before the inquiry. Defence Minister Robert Hill would not say if he would try to prevent defence personnel from appearing before the inquiry. "I will look at the precedent and assess the public interest," he said.

News of the inquiry came as Prime Minister John Howard said in Jakarta that he did not want everyone who demanded access to the Woomera detention camp to be accommodated, continuing his refusal to guarantee the United Nations access to the detention centre. Commenting on a request by UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson to send an envoy to Woomera, he said: "The government does not intend a situation to develop where anybody can, on demand, simply say `I want to go and have a look at Woomera'."

Cabinet will consider the request on Monday.

Australia is seeking a position on the UN Human Rights Committee at its May election, but non-government organisations, including the Catholic Church, said they would lobby foreign countries to vote against Australia if Mrs Robinson's envoy is not allowed to visit Woomera. Former human rights commissioner Chris Sidoti said the government's policies on asylum seekers had offended traditional UN allies who would vote against Australia.

Meanwhile, Treasurer Peter Costello yesterday flagged the government's policy on asylum seekers, including its Pacific solution would cost "a little bit more" than the $103 million budgeted for in the October mid-year review - but not much more because the number of boats had diminished.