Okay, let's run through it again.

There are sixty million refugees around the world, and maybe another twenty million displaced persons.

By all means, double the annual refugee intake.

Many of us have deep compassion for the 'line-of-sight' boat-people. Many of us say, let's welcome them to Australia. But let's look at the logic of that position:

* if we should take all those who arrive here by leaky boat, having paid exorbitant fees to smugglers, then what about people arriving on quite sea-worthy boats after having paid fairly reasonable fees to smugglers ?

* If that's okay, then why put people to the trouble of getting on a boat ?

* If that's okay, then why can't we just accept whoever comes here by plane, after paying the standard economy fare ?

* And not just from Jakarta, but from anywhere ?

After all, there are probably only ten million, out of those sixty million genuine refugees, who could rake up the standard economy fare from their friends and relatives ?

OR - should policy focus on those refugees in the most dire of circumstances, regardless of whether or not they can pay ? Like the Rohingya, Syrians, people in those vast desolate camps in Africa ?

There's fifty million of them. But I suppose, as long as they stay out of sight.

Good policy means hard choices.

Shorten announcing that the labour party should now support the boat turn back policy was a classic example of how not to pursue politics. The best approach would have been to say, we don't know if the boat turn back policy is working due to the lack of information coming out of the present government. Therefore if the labour party were to be elected at the next election they should say we will review all the information before making any changes to the current arrangements.

Shorten by coming out in favour of the boat turn back policy all he has done is alienate some voters on the left who may now decide to vote green. Although there are may be a number of voters who voted liberal at the last election who have had it with the Abbott government It is unlikely that this issue will be significant for any previous liberal voters thinking of voting for labour,

Always funny to read an Lib/Nat talk about Labour, you get no insight into labour but plenty into the LIb/Nat.

The fact is any group of people are going to have a range of views. When you put yourself forward as a poly then you should be will to argue your point of view on it merits. You will not win the day every time.

Whats unfortunate about this piece is this young Lib/Nat has already got into the mode of operating that has cheapened our view of government. The idea isn't important, the outcome isn't important, it the way it's done. Ie any good change has to have your brand on it, any bad change has to have your opponents name on it.

That's while we see political groups support different views based on political convenience

How on earth anyone can bother disussing what Labor might or might not do is beyond me. We all know that if Labor, in its current form, is ever re-elected, we will have a carbon tax, a return of illegal boat arrivals, hick-Irish homosexual "marriage", and an economy on a par with Greece's. How many attacks of Labor politics you need before the penny drops?

At least Labor asks what the nation wants in terms of policy, not like the Abbott regime. Who did you say was the dictator.

All aspects have to be up for discussion in a truthful way of course, not like the last case of blatant fraud.
With expenditure we are not allowed to know about, It would be impossible to know what lies behind that policy, until it is busted open it is impossible to say if it is cost effective or not.
With 100 billion of new debt in 2 years we are blind at what cost overseas detention is costing.
We know Cambodia got 40 million for five refugees, 40 million goes a long long way there.
The boats are stopping, but not quite, we keep a supply of boats made in Vietnam in Darwin just in case. It will take an indepth enquiry into the whole shambols to get to the real cost's involved.

'At least Labor asks what the nation wants in terms of policy, not like the Abbott regime'

true Doog. Everyone wants more money, less taxes, more holidays, a good looking wife/husband, to be above the law, unlimited immigration as long as someone else pays, less hours of work, more expensive cars, more Government handouts, free medical, free education, more high paid abc jobs, no gaols, no crime.

Yep as long as you sell the public these things like Greece has for 40 years it shows you have 'vision'. Dream on.