@Shadow Minister. Here's what you say I said:

"Similarly your claim that Operation Sovereign borders is costing $200m per month is blatantly disingenuous"

Here's what I ACTUALLY said:

"...compared to the $200 million a month we're spending on Sovereign Borders AND OFFSHORE DETENTION"

How can I debate people who can't even read, let alone argue a point properly?

Immigration detention and military border protection are inhumane and exceptionally costly. But don't ask me (about the latter), ask the Department of Immigration and Border Protection forward estimates:

http://www.immi.gov.au/about/reports/budget/budget13/paes/2013-14-paes-05-sec1-overview-resources.pdf

More than $1.9 billion for 2014-15, for detention ALONE. That's $160 million a month without any Defence spending factored in whatsoever. Community processing is much, MUCH cheaper and more humane (not that dehumanising bigots like you care about the latter). And if we allowed asylum seekers to work it would be cheaper still. But this isn't about money, it's about keeping out 'The Muslim Peril'!

@SPQR We're getting closer! You've provided a link to a report someone else posted. But did you read the report? (I know, I know, it's got some big words in it). The original poster totally warped the findings in their comments. Here's a pertinent extract:

"In Australia, most immigrants are net contributors to fiscal balances over their lifetimes, with skilled immigrants
making the greatest contribution (PC 2011f). This is primarily because immigrants tend to be young adults and enter the labour force soon after arrival, compared to native-born Australians who are net recipients of government services early in their lives."

At the very worst, their impact is neutral, with the benefit that we as a rich nation of immigrants ourselves could help people (a tiny minority of whom have fled persecution and torture) make a better life for themselves and their families in our huge country at no cost to us.

Instead, we have decided to disgracefully treat them like animals at a MASSIVE cost to us, because of unthinking racist drones like yourselves. Shame.

An odd perception of what is severe, 200 not dead that would have been. That is 200 bodies that are not bloated with decomposition gasses so they float, with the eyes eaten out by small fish and crustaceans, maybe a leg consumed by a friendly Great White and a face locked in a rictus of horror.

All such "Caring tm" types are Sophists of the lowest order making "Ambulance Chasing" lawyers seem honourable. At least such Lawyers don't kill those they pretend to care about.

Yuyutsu, you did not understand my point regarding the analogy. And you clearly do not understand that there are different kinds of thinking a growing brain learns to do, from neonate to young adult a brain develops. There is quite a body of work on the different levels of moral thinking humans are capable of doing as the brain matures, though not all people develop as much as a few rare people have. Nelson Mandela is an example of a human who had great capacity.

I'm not clear what you are implying with your comment regarding education in Australia. Do you think education in Australia brainwashes pupils? Learning to think and questioning what others, especially those in authority, are saying is contrary to the concept of brainwashing I hope you realize.

Uhmmm Individual, who do you think has caused the refugee problem?

And what do you mean with do-gooders? Why has the terms do-gooders become a derogatory epithet? Especially when bandied about by conservative types who love the whole judea-christian heritage that we in Australia are supposedly to love and fight for?

It is very, very weird. Isn't the Christian ethos about kindness and caring as espoused by Christ?

Many of you have so much more in common with the Taliban. Full of hate and wanting to destroy anybody who does not dance to your tune, delighting in the suffering of anybody who is 'other'.

Speegster: it's about keeping out 'The Muslim Peril'!

& you don't think the problems they have caused themselves in their homeland won't follow them here. You are sadly in need of a reality check.

Speegster: because of unthinking racist drones like yourselves. Shame.

I beg to differ. We have watch what has unfolded in the ME due to their archaic religious beliefs & anyone who disagrees with those beliefs. We have decided that it's not a religion that we should support in Australia in any great numbers because of the fanaticism that accompanies it. It's not a racist call at all it a call against the religion.

Yvonne: Why has the terms do-gooders become a derogatory epithet?

It's an Oxy-moron. Do-gooders are people that want to wrap everything in cotton-wool. The trouble The nut cases jump on the band wagon & they all try to out do one-another, so instead of doing good, it all turns to shite. What they try to protect gets turned on its head & everyone loses out.

Despite the ABC, Hanson-Young, boat chasing immigration lawyers, idealists and civil libertarians the current policy towards the so called burnt and badly treated boat people is working well. Congratulations to the Abbott government, they have earned my vote. The Indonesians have observed a dramatic decrease in the arrival of people in Indonesia on their way to Australia. THIS IS ALL GOOD. The ABC should resist its 5th column role in the boat people issue; they are quickly losing respect and viewers.