Spindoc
"An opinion poll initially showed 92% support for halting illegal entry".

Now who's looking foolish? I don't know which is more so.
- the banality of the comment.
- your understanding of polls, 92% of whom?
- lack of understanding of the political realities, 2-5% change in voters changes the government therefore 92% of Aust is ridiculous.
- knowledge of the law, What illegal entry? read the 1951 covenant on refugees, no mention of transit methods.
- or the infantile anti intelligence rhetoric. Are you admitting that you're stupid?
- or do you underrate the average Aussie that the 'howling ..." would have that much influence.

The missus
Neurosis or mental illness (fear of hoons) is hardly a justification for anything except your own failings.

Leigh, Ozzie et al
Have you tried breathing into a paper bag? such breathless hysteria convinces no one. All the Facts even the inconvenient ones please.
Abuse and Godwin's law only confirm you have little knowledge or understanding of the situation.

NB Mob rule isn't democracy its simply fear and prejudice run amock.

Perhaps you all need to widen your reading material and broaden your utterances from sloganeering and parroting mindless urban prejudices. Try putting up a coherent analysis... something that represents cogent, on topic, discussion that shows both understanding and reasoned thought.
Then again I believe most people can if they try.

very strange that many who argue that we are overpopulated (not enough water blah blah) then want us to accept illegal immigrants. I think priority should be given to those who come here by legal means. The left really hate any rules other than there own (probably explains why they endorse queue jumping). The sad part is that many of them then pull out the compassion badge while pouring out their vile on our previous Prime Minister of 12 years. The hypocrisy is clear to anyone who thinks.

it's amazing how many people on this thread are yelling that they're being forcibly shut up. they're the loudest mutes i've ever heard!

>> Ruddock and Howard did what Australians wanted done

yes, indeed. much to australia's shame.

Yikes Sykes, you're almost as bad as CJ Morgan!

Extremist to the extreme in your intolerance of those who you brand as being intolerant (and all manner of much stronger terms)!

You've completely skittled any credibility that you might have had with your two one-liner, hate-filled, substanceless posts.

Hey CJ, say hello to Sykesie. Looks like he's your new best friend!

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'Philip Ruddock's policies led to some of the grossest abuses of human rights in Australian history.'

What an extroardinary crock of crap, Greg Barnes!

Ruddock and Howard did what had to be done at the time of the Tampa incident. It is just a pity that they didn't act earlier.... so that the terribly emotive chapter that followed the Tampa could have been avoided.

But I have no doubt that if Beazley and Labor had been in power at the time, they wouldn't have acted anywhere near as decisively and the whole issue would have blown out into a much bigger debacle.

Why the hell can't you Greg and everyone in your school of thought concentrate on how to improve our offshore legal refugee program, which concentrates on the most needy refugees, instead of getting so hung up on supporting the haphazard illegal terribly emotive onshore asylum-seeker people-smuggling route?

I just don't get it. Could you please proffer and answer.

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Leigh, I've got a spare sock or two as well!

Ahhh fungus!

That should have read;

'could you please proffer an answer'

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Hey runner

Well said!!

Examinator, I don’t know who was polled, ask Newspoll following the Tampa incident. What is your point? The public lack (your) understanding of the political realities? We are “looking foolish”, we lack (your) “knowledge of the law”, we are “stupid”, we suffer “infantile anti intelligence” and mistake average Aussie gut opinion for “intellectual howling”.

I’m sorry that we Aussies fail to meet your ideological expectations, which brings me nicely to the point, since when where you appointed as the conscience of the average Aussie?

When I suggested that we need to have our heads sorted out by the “intelligentsia”, I was specifically referring to people like you. It is mind boggling that on the one hand you suggest we represent “fear and prejudice” whilst you run amock with: let me guess? Ah, yes! Fear and prejudice. You just don’t get it do you?

A self opinionated, dysfunctional elitist who sees no good in any perspective that is not yours. You and your like are those who create that which you seek to avoid. Genuine asylum seekers must curse you as the roadblock to the freedom they deserve. You are a true blight on all things humanitarian.