Labor has so totally stuffed up on this issue, it is no wonder that they have become an absolute no-goer at the next election, despite the quite terrible alternative.

Rudd’s stuffing around of Howard’s very effective asylum seeker policy was one of the stupidest and most inept political moves in the history of this country. And yet, he still looms as a likely leader and future PM !! !!

How can any thinking person possibly stomach this??

But I think Labor’s cause is not lost.

As I have said many times on OLO, what they need is to pretty profoundly reinvent themselves, and the way to do this is to get right away from Gillard, forget Rudd and bring someone new into the leadership, with the obvious person being Bob Carr.

They then need to embrace sustainability, which in the first instance requires a big reduction in the immigration rate.

And as far as asylum seeking and refugees go, they should simply put their misplaced pride aside and embrace Howard’s policies and implement mandatory detention, offshore processing and TPVs, and move to decisively shut down onshore asylum seeking.

At the same time, they should be espousing the big part that this country has always played in offshore refugee issues and the highest (or thereabouts) per-capita intake of refugees that we’ve accommodated for many years via our formal immigration program.

This should be increased somewhat and our international aid should be refined to deal more with refugee and sustainability issues.

If this is done well, Labor can convince most Australian citizens that we are indeed a highly compassionate country, that our precious aid money is being well-spent and that onshore asylum seeking will stop forthwith.

And Bob Carr, who is very knowledgeable in foreign affairs and sustainability issues, is just the person to do this!

What other alternative does Labor have?

Ludwig,you have to be kidding.Bob Carr is a Globalist and friend of Henry Kissenger who wants one world Govt and our CO2 taxes to finance it.

I don't trust the Coalition but Labor have totally sold us out. They cannot re-invent themselves when they have no moral or sound economic base to work from.They are totally devoid of any allegiance to the people of Aust and their well being.This party is finished.

There is another couple of aspects as well

First of all Labour has along history of doing things for spiteful reasons..both at the personal level and against the country.Rudd would have known exactly what he was doing when he unilaterally scrapped the working and functional Howard Govt policy.

A rational and pragmatic person would have said that it is working and not creating any angst so why change. Pure spite to suit their small minded egoes and petty thieveries.

Secondly, what Labour has done has played straight into the hands of Islamists, who have an agenda that is common all sects, of converting the world to their ummah, and Australia is their most fervent wish.

How do I know? well go and talk to the Imans in Indonesia and Malaysia.

There are is an unlimited amount of money in Islamic charities for expansion of the ummah by any means..so work it out for your self.

Good article Graham,
Big Mal, you said, "A rational and pragmatic person would have said that it is working and not creating any angst so why change. Pure spite to suit their small minded egoes and petty thieveries."

That is quite right, and is the same reason that the government will not revert to the previous position. Despite hundreds of deaths and it costing Ausssie taxpayers billions.

Any compedent government would swallow their pride and implement policies that would prohibit the illegals from coming, starting with the previous situation.

Australia deserves better.

People know that it is self interest by Labour that has got us in this mess. Mr Rudd tried to suck up to the UN and it came unstuck.Ms Gillard's pride has prevented the change back leading to hundreds of deaths. Many false teardrops but no apology for changing something that was working so well. Labour is without principle despite still having the arrogrance to claim the high ground. Their self interest is their undoing. Almost every decision this party has been made has been self interest. The carbon tax lie was about keeping power, the border control about trying to prove Howard wrong, the 'stinulus 'spending about trying to win votes. Nothing in the national interest just self interest. With so many feminist and trade unionist who have lived a life of entiltlement on other peoples money its no wonder.

We know what we want? Wot!

This depends on which day of the week it is, which cycle the moon is in, what's happening in the star constellations, whether the Eurozone is improving or getting worse, which war the Americans are getting ready to start next, what our mining billionaires say, whether Julia is getting her earlobes shrunk, whether we win a few more Gold medals, how our hormones are, whether we are suffering from constipation, what orders we receive from the White House, and whether our MSM actually print something truthful for a change.