Well Leigh, just when you've announced my big no-show, I've happened to check in and find this thread still going. And with such vengeance! Tempered fortunately by some calm and reason from Mahatma Duck, sneekeepete and a few others.

Here as mentioned earlier are a couple of sites that may give you some idea of this government's cruelty towards people legitimately seeking asylum here. http://tonykevin.com/ gives an insight into the regular ADF practice of turning boats back towards Indonesia, with no regard as to whether or not they will actually make it and with no follow-up of what happens to them if they do. http://baxterwatch.net/ gives some insight into the hell-hole which is the Baxter detention centre.

The expense we go to to keep asylum seekers out is just not worth it. Not only is it counter-productive but it only leads to us being resented by the countries concerned. The numbers of people seeking asylum here are small and most of them are young which is just the demographic needed by an aging population. Think of the contribution they could have made to our society by now if they hadn't been left to languish for years in indefinite detention. Instead, most of them are now battling insanity.

Australia will be a safer place for us all if we stop demonising people of middle eastern descent. Doing the right thing by a few thousand asylum seekers would be a good start, not to mention pulling out of Iraq, increasing overseas aid and developing a more independent and regionally-focused foreign policy.

Fighting fire with fire as we are doing now is just breeding more contempt. For every would-be suicide bomber we lock up, we just arm another thousand with enough anger to want to step up and take their place. We've got to get a bit smarter than that.

By the way, contrary to your assertion, I'm not a regular contributor. Not that it matters. It's just another thing you've got wrong that's all.

Redneck

"I'll bet that Bronnie did not earn her living cutting sandwiches in a takeaway shop either. Working and disadvantaged class women have a more jaundiced and realistic view of human nature. Bronwyn's sentiments are typical of a cashed up person who appears to have a neurotic need to continuosly display their moral and intellectual superiority over the Great Unwashed."

It is ignorant of you to assume that those holding an opposing view to your own are cashed-up silver-spooners. True, I have received a good education, but at public institutions and well before Little Johnnie came along and destroyed the concept of universal education. Apart from that, I have absolutely nothing in common with the class to which you have so arrogantly assigned me.

I've worked intermittently and mostly casually and my life is far from the easy street existence that you imply. I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the working class and with any other group struggling to find acceptance in this harsh dog-eat-dog world. There are many others like myself who do the same and your accusations of snobbery and elitism are just so wide of the mark that it only destroys further the little credibility you might have.

Compassion, fairness and inclusiveness will always win out over hatred, divisiveness and intolerance. Try it for a change -you'll feel better immediately!

Bronwyn

"Australia will be a safer place for us all if we stop demonising people of middle eastern descent."

Previously it was easy to label someone as a loony right-winger when they would go on about terrorist cells with in the western muslim population, until London. Now it seems as if we had been right. Also warnings about Europe been so stuffed by islam colonisation and perversion of the PC laws have been foo-fooed for years by the left. Are you reconsidering Europe yet?

How about they and your multi cult stop demonising us? Have you no respect for Australian opinion?
Your attempts to stereotype us as racist are just plain rude.

Hard-core refugee activist Bronnie, I would rather 'middle easterners' feel resentful towards us on the other side of the ocean than in our community. The cameraman brawlers illustrate my point.

What you say looks good on paper, but in the real world is quite ugly. A bit like multiculturalism in France.

Arjay, in my 44 years in this mortal coil I’ve never found financial status to be an indicator of intelligence.
Redneck, I live & grew up in the Bankstown area. Haven’t been shot yet, although the local speed camera is a little ballistically-scarred!
My point is that the “Business visa” system is overly valued by the powers-that-be.
Government (& Redneck) obviously like immigrants using this pathway to Oz- on the surface, it appears to be of benefit, but it contradicts what this country truly needs – skilled, average workers.
My observations indicate we seem to have two classes of immigrant - the wealthy with the means and desire to uproot from their native lands to live in a place like Oz, and the true refugee, who can no longer live in their home country, for whatever reason.
I’ve found that the refugee, in general, values highly the opportunities offered in Oz in the way of real employment etc, while the business immigrant often provides little long term benefit to Oz society. Would a wealthy Malaysian family come to Oz to employ people? I think not. It’s much cheaper to set up manufacturing biz (for example) in SEA than Oz.
To be fair (to the immigration system), ones education & skills are taken into account on application for Oz residency. The problem is that financial status takes precedence. The wealthy, uneducated will win a spot on the boat or plane over the educated, skilled, yet poor person every time

Oh dear,

Arjay: "We need those who have money because on average they also have intelligence.Good genetics means better intelligence and hence prosperity." Jamie Packer, anyone?
Redneck (as usual): "the most reliable guide to a persons (sic) cultural values, and therefore their attitudes and behaviour, just happens to be the colour of their skin. " Geez, then let's just forget about trying the blond, fair-skinned, blue-eyed alleged Sydney jihadist - he's clearly One Of Us.
Sage: Good work on your use of charientism. Proof, if proof were needed, that possession of a thesaurus doesn't confer liberal values.