"Why does stopping the boats have to involve keeping people in such horrific conditions? I thought the idea was to stop boats before they reached the mainland, not to subject them to cruel and unusual punishment for making the attempt. What's wrong with detaining them humanely? Animals in zoos are detained more humanely and we're talking about people here. And why do we need to detain women and children at all?"

They're not in horrific conidtions, they'are not being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. They're not being detained inhumanely. Your sexist bigotry is completely out of order and an abuse of human rights. And "we" aren't detaining them: the government is.

So once we subtract out the facile dishonesty, hysteria, state-worshipping fables and fictions, and bigoted sexism and double-standards of the ALP/ABC/moron approach, there's nothing left.

Tony, according to you and Kellie, rights are whatever the government says they are, remember? Why don't you offer to pay for the refugees to be kept at the standard you say they should be kept at? Try to understand that other people get sick of your fakery.

The biggest thing holding women in Australia up is the attitude of men. Hard headed businessmen are more likely to be against the progression of women because they have not yet arrived into the 21 st century.

They see women’s work as tasks that are more readily replaceable, rather than front-line positions.

American women are far better accepted in top positions than women are in Australia. It’s the boy’s club attitude, and has nothing to do with capabilities.

Will there ever be change, incredibly slow coming, unless some sort of legislation can be formulated to assure women a 50% roll in top jobs.

Forced change would then become the norm, as virtually everything now is decided by men.

Doog, yep, sounds like a recipe for failure to me and since the failure of Liberal Democracy is in everyone's interests I'm all for gender equality at the government level. So give women 50% of the political appointments and watch the country burn to the ground, nothing says "failed state" like having women calling the shots.

JKJ said: They're not in horrific conidtions, they'are not being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. They're not being detained inhumanely.

Well Amnesty International and the UNHCR disagree - but what would they know? They found conditions were not safe or humane in these detention centres.

What we know about facilities on Nauru - People sleep in tents with limited furniture - bunks, no chairs or tables. The tents are oppressively hot and leak when it rains. Water floods through tents. Tents not able to keep out mice and rats. Little privacy. On an island where there is high humidity and temperatures in 30s and 40s people get 30 second showers. Lack of clothing and shoes. Thongs wear out quickly on the rough rocky ground in the compound - difficult to walk on. It is very glarey with little shade. Staff get given sunglasses and hats, detainees do not. People complain of physical and sexual assault, but no action taken.

Manus - poor facilities. Described by Amnesty as resembling a combination of a prison and a military camp. Poorly maintained ablution blocks - dirty water on floor, not regularly cleaned. Overcrowding. Lack of clothing and shoes. Poor sanitation. Inadequate access to drinking water in location of high heat and humidity. Food of poor quality staff reported worms and flies baked into bread - causing health problems like diarrhea. Lack of shade. Insufficient facilities, lack of toilet paper. Lack of proper medical facilities. Two people died here in 2014.

Appalling. I saddened and sickened. Not even reports of sexual abuse of children are enough to stop the deliberate cruelty and take action. Our former PM's first response when told of these allegations “Occasionally, I daresay, things happen” Would he be so philosophical about it if it were his children stuck in one of these camps?

I tried to get a copy of the Morris report but it doesn't seem to be available online.

Here are some others
Forgotten Children Report
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/forgotten-children-national-inquiry-children-immigration-detention-2014/12-children#a12-18

Amnesty International 2013 - Manus Island
http://www.amnesty.org.au/refugees/comments/33587/

UNHCR Report 2013 Manus Island
http://unhcr.org.au/unhcr/images/2013-11-26%20Report%20of%20UNHCR%20Visit%20to%20Manus%20Island%20PNG%2023-25%20October%202013.pdf

Senate Report - 2014 Manus Island
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/Manus_Island/Report

Amnesty International: now there's a lovely bunch, almost entirely responsible for Robert Mugabe.

Well Miss Kellie

It just shows that in your flagging Whitlam's respect for Mao's China you forget how Whitlam undid himself by selling out East Timor to Indonesian invaders.

In a meeting with Suharto in Yogyakarta, Java, 6 September 1974 Whitlam told the Indonesian President that East Timor was too small to be independent and that, "independence would be unwelcome to Australia, to Indonesia and to other countries in the region".
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=16916

You also forget that the ALP's eventual refugee record and current refugees policies are very similar to the Turnbull Government's.

Which leaves you with one or two Green ladies as mates and no-one else.

It also leaves you with the latte chatterati of overpaid Sydney lawyers who have a few causes for show.

But in saying that I seperate myself from the ruck of knuckle dragging OLO dom. For they are Commoners all.

Yours

Poida
Footman to Malcolm the Charming