excellent greg, we need to hear this stuff as often as we can to offset the mindless hate and racism that is constantly touted by the bigots in all political parties.

Put a sock in it, Barns. Ruddock and Howard did what Australians wanted done: they halted illegal entry.

Rudd is going to have to do the same thing eventually, and if you feel ashamed, that's your problem.

No illegals should set foot on Australian soil.

and right on time, with the same old moronic hate speak...the bigots start to appear....

Here he comes again. Its E Hitler Sykes. You have been very bad Leigh. Don't you know that you must agree to everything that E Hitler Sykes says, otherwise you will be shouted down and called defamatory names without any logical argument. Leigh, you must agree with E Hitler Sykes, you are allowed no other options. Most of all you are not allowed to think for yourself. What do you think this is, some kind of democracy, get real. E Hitler Sykes is in charge of all correct opinions. You are a bigot Leigh, please stop expressing your own opinions ( on onlineopinion ), this simple should not be allowed. How dare you point out what many people think. Who do you think you are?

I'm sorry that we cannot have a divergence of opinion without name calling. I'm not a bigot, racist or xenophobe despite what labels people try to apply and I do accept that people arriving on ricketty boats have been pushed to unacceptable levels to take such huge risks but I don't accept that they should automatically be accepted ahead of potential immigrants who are churning through the legal processes to get here.

The very definition of 'asylum seeker' needs to be given some perspective. When people arrive on boats, they are illegal immigrants, just because they ask to come to Australia we then label them as asylum seekers but in reality, it is only refugees that we have an ethical and moral responsibility to accept.

Despite the childish labels that will be applied to me I do have an open mind and I'm keen to listen to solutions to the worldwide problem of people movement but this article does nothing to enlighten me. Instead it relies on colourful language to inflame opinion while offering no alternatives. Should we simply open our borders and allow anyone to come here despite national shortfalls in potable water and forecast shorfalls in food production? I doubt that anyone would advocate that sort of anarchic approach to immigration. In that case we have to apply some criteria to people wanting to live here, no matter how open we wish to be.

To suggest as this article does that asylum seekers 'never have and never will' produce a threat to Australia is pure sylogysm. Arrivals by boat have posed no harm, we accept anyone arriving by boat, therefore the millions of people seeking a better life in Australia should be welcomed. Oh, and if you dare to disagree we will label you as a bigot.

Well said Greg.
Apparently Howard left a lot of his clothes, including underwear, at the Lodge and Rudd was in such a rush to take over that he grabbed these clothes and put them on, including the underwear which was unwashed. Apparently he liked the cut of them so much that he continues to wear them, still unwashed.
Leigh you are a cruel and abusive character, go and seek help before you do yourself or someone else harm. Oh, and look up the Migration Act, you will see that refugees are not classified as illegal. Should I presume that you believe in the rule of law or do you flaunt it, run red lights,slip the odd quid under the bed?
Bruce Haigh