'What does our treatment of asylum seekers say about national character?'

Long Answer: It tells us we're greedy, self absorbed, with no empathy.

Short Answer: We're arseholes.

Valley Guy - You might be an A-hole but because I do not want a country to have to support for life thousands of economic refugees, sexual deviants, rioter who cause $60 million dollars damage to infrastructure and who have an entitlement complex the list can go on.

We have tens of thousands of homeless Australians but not ONE homeless refugee.

Foxy and Co will be along soon to support your cause.

Yep I agree with your self assessment Valley Guy... you certainly are.

The article states "Australia is also the best country in the world to grow up in, with consistently high measures across citizen participation, economic opportunity, education, health, and safety, or so says the Global Youth Wellbeing Index."

I totally agree and I want to keep it that way, so I am not in favour of an open border policy. Personally I believe many other places in the world are envious of Australia, not just for our standard of living but also on our brave stance regarding border protection.

Once you lose control of the borders and mass immigration of unskilled/uneducated/un-assimilating migrants has reached an unacceptable level (e.g. Italy 2015) it will be too late to reverse the long term negative impacts.

We need to stand firm, be selective, and consider the future.

Personal character determines public policy. Justine has fallen prey to the propaganda of those claiming 'social' conscience. There are unlimited opportunities for individuals and nations to support the poor, needy and disadvantaged. Unfortunately socialist generally will only do it with other peoples money and when it furthers there cause. If the focus was on those waiting in camps rather than paying smugglers to come here Justin might have an arguement. To reopen and encourage the 'trade'is stupidity and displays a lack of character rather than what Justine suggests.

I am sure that if Justine was to move to Cabramatta he would not allow every stranger in his house. I would of thought that being from the Public Centre for Christianity that you would be a little more thoughtful before writing such nonsense.

There is nothing to say about "national character" because there isn't and never was such a character - the concept of "nation" is a fiction, it doesn't exist!

But perhaps the way asylum seekers are treated can say something about those who propagate this myth. In any case we cannot speak about "OUR treatment of asylum seekers" because neither myself nor probably anyone else in this forum ever gets a chance to treat asylum seekers this way or the other.

More left wing tripe. Asylum seeking has always been a racket encouraged by the United Nations, and swallowed by by gullible Australians and abetted by treasonous Australians. Tim Winton should stick to writing bad fiction.