Incredible Judy! Your examination of this issue is so so SO narrow!

What about the need to stop the boats? The need to have a firm stance so as to present a strong deterrence factor? The need to stop people dying at sea on unseaworthy boats?

What about the potential for Australia to be subjected to a massive rate of onshore asylum seekers arrivals if we show that we are as accommodating as we were under Rudd and Gillard? What about the social disruption and enormous expense that that would lead to?

What about the quite commendable effort that Australia is putting into international aid and refugee issues and has for decades? What about our quite reasonable intake of refugees as a formal part of our immigration program?

What about the fact that many asylum seekers destroy their papers and deliberately try to obfuscate the process, in the hope that with the lack of tangible information about them they will be given the benefit of the doubt and be allowed to stay.

What about the increased time that it takes to sort out applications when papers have been destroyed?

What about the inherent unrest that most detainees have, and would still have even if they were given five-star accommodation in detention?

What about the problems of abscondment and perhaps the development of an underclass if we were to allow asylum seekers to live outside of detention in the community while their claims were being processed? What would happen when they get told that their claims have been rejected if they are not in detention?

And many many more questions.

Bottom line: Abbott is doing the right thing. At last this horrible mess, created by Rudd; our worst-ever PM, is being decisively dealt with.

Good stuff, Ludwig.
Well said!

‘morning Judy,

We would have to assume that you supported the Rudd/Gillard open door policy on asylum seekers.

We have to assume you accept the unintended consequences of such policies resulting in the tragic loss of some 1,200 men, women and children.

I would be prepared to debate you on your claims against the current government when you are prepared to acknowledge your culpability for the deaths your policies inflicted.

We can then extrapolate just how many lives have been saved by current policies.

I would love to know how you sleep at night?

A couple of hundred march in outrage? Well they were upset because they did'na hae a piper and therefore, did'na keep in step, but rather trod on toes etc!
Resulting in many new highland dances?
Accompanied by much high pitched merriment? Och aye the noo!
It's hard to know who are the parents, (mum and dad) or the bairns? Maturity is'na guide? [Nor the tilt in the kilt!]
I guess the mum and dad, would be the the ones with children? [Hopefully, occasionally?]
A good protest march usually produces enough numbers, [or even just a very busy pedestrian crossing,] to block some traffic?
I hope the author wasn't confusing gushing royalty watchers, with the so-called protest, made most notable by the huge overwhelming silent majority who stayed at home, in both cases.
We take genuine asylum seekers, and there could be scope to take many more.
In fact, if those currently trying to make there way here by illegal means, just kept their papers, then flew here as regular tourists, they'd probably be less likely to drown at sea, need far less money as return airfares and reasonable expenses, than currently handed over to organised crime.
Yet be still able to claim asylum and much more rapid processing, once landed!
The facts are, no genuine asylum seeker is prevented from traveling here, unless they drown at sea! [That'll usually do it!]
And if they'd just hang on to their identifying papers, [well they do need them to get as far as Malaysia or Indonesia,] their claims, if legitimate, could be processed far more quickly!
But that's nae the real goal is it?
I mean, who's going to trash their own identifying documentation, once relatively safe inside another country?
Arguably only those with something to hide? Och aye!
If this issue had any legs or currency, the great silent majority, would have voted very differently.
And, there are new state elections just around the corner!
The ballot box or millions marching is the only way to force change, and that just ain't happening!
Rhrosty

Oh dear oh dear. More self-righteous moral entrepreneurs misrepresenting the truth about illegal immigrants so they can see themselves as better than 'other people'.

This kind of moral status display is much worse than conspicuous consumption. The Wolf Wall Street, a moral cesspit, at least limits his greed to what he can consume himself.

These moral entrepreneurs will not rest until they scrape the very thoughts from inside our heads; their cupidity to take our freedom and our right to our own ideas will never sleep; their is nothing of other people's possessions or freedom they will not give up to satisfy their moral busybodying.

How many of these people have any idea what a thousand lost lives cost? They are dead because Kevin Rudd pandered to the moral posturing of refugee advocates. How do these nosy parkers making false claims about the people smuggling business feel about five billion dollars cost to manage their spilled milk? That is five hundred dollars stolen from EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN AUSTRALIA! Even Julia Gillard said it was their fault for opening the borders, we find, though she denied it in public.

Go away you busybodies. Form a circle, point at yourselves and say: Its my fault.

Then get lost.

Two side to this argument and both seem wrong and avoiding the real problems, 1. Why are they fleeing there native countries 2nd why doesn't
Indonesia stop them at there boarders.
People shouldn't be allowed in illegally by boat or any other method period. Last report I seen the plane numbers made the "boaties" look like a joke.But stop the boats made a better catch phrase.
We should respect Indonesian boarders If they where doing the right thing, So step up the pressure on Indonesian to lift its gain