Australia has a responsibility as a developed country - I agree.

But I also say that other countries have the responsibility to put behind them the tribalism, superstition, hostility to others and backward ways of looking to attempt to become the sort of countries that will lead people to want to stay rather than leave.

This includes acceptance of the need for birth control programs, for acceptance of democratic principles, for the rule of law and the outlawing of cronyism, patronage and coprruption, and for universal suffrage.

If necessary the peoples of those countries need to rise up and tell their ruling class that the current situation cannot continue.

So it is a two way street, Australia should meet its responsibilities, at the same time that other countries meet theirs.

We shouldn't have refugees coming to Australia - they are coming only because people in other countries refuse to act as people in Australia act.

Just so frustrating at times. We have asylum seekers turning up in the Torres Strait. ok. We do not even go there without an invitation unless TI or Horn.

We have articles here crying that in some detention centres they do not get DEET, when we don't either. We have doctors saying the rate of malaria and TB is high among asylum seekers so they need better health care.

We had one visitor from Indonesia that resulted in 700 cases of dengue fever up here. Now tourists usually stay in highly toxic hotel rooms where survival of mosquito is low, and where war is declared on the baby crocodile in their room aka gecko. Yet see what happens when one stays in the suburbs? never mind the Island or wherever else they may turn up.

So then because we inflicted disease on Indigenous people before ...well then it is just fine to do it again?

I am sorry, ask an Aboriginal? Sorry to burst any lollypop bubble you may live it. But hello? Anyone home?

What the author and many readers do not take into account with this interesting topic is not just that a significant number of Australians strongly oppose illegal immigration, but they are mainly from Labor's heartland. In addition, I would think that the opposition to this would be more important to them than any other issue except possibly paying tax. If Rudd does not wish to be immolated at the next election he will make sure that the will of the people prevails in this matter. Territoriality is such a basic urge that it is older than humankind, with many animals being strongly territorial. Entry without leave constitutes invasion. It is as simple as that. Only a few weeks ago persons of muslim immigrant background were duly convicted of a terrorist conspiracy. This is a fundamental issue of security, and politicians will meddle with it at their peril.

As for myself, it is not so important, as I oppose ALL immigration on environmental lines. Any country that exceeds its sustainable population level is at peril, and nature's solution usually involves four horsemen. The measure of the world crisis that we are in is that there's really only one problem in the world, from which all other problems flow. The problem is overpopulation. The whole world should be forced to implement a one child policy, with the problem of ageing populations being dealt with by steadily increasing the retirement age. This, of course, will not be done, and that is why we face such a terrible future.

Howard’s much quoted few words about Australia actually deciding who is allowed to come to Australia had nothing to do with “Scare mongering”. Howard’s assertion was just common sense and perfectly right; all countries should be deciding who is allowed in, and they generally do. It’s just when people of cultures who have no understanding of the West and its ways and rule of law start trying to breach our borders as if they had a perfect right to do so that that Australians start taking exception.

Scare-mongering has nothing to do with objections to illegal entry to Australia.

And, whether or not illegal arrivals are “miniscule” as many people other than this author like to tell us, the number of people attempting to gain entry to Australia when compared with Europe and other places is entirely irrelevant. Just because we have fewer illegals arriving than another country somewhere else in the world does not mean that we should not be concerned and try to keep them out. We have a far too large immigration programme as it is, and we also have an orderly refugee programme. We do not need any more people who are of no use to us. This author and others bleating about ‘inhumanity’ can always go to the countries the illegals are coming from and try to improve their lot there, if they are such wonderful, caring people.

The author’s claim that the Rudd Government should do what he and other soft-headed do-gooders should do as he wishes because the ALP got 58% of the vote, while the Coalition gained only 42%, is daft. Nobody in his or her right mind thinks that the Government won office because it was softer than the Coalition on illegals; and nobody could claim that the vote would remain at 58% if the Government started listening to the loony-left. They want to get back in next election.

The ‘ one-third’ of people who would turn back illegal boats is a little on the wild side too! The last Newspoll showed 75% of voters for turning them back.

Nice sentiments, K. C, Boey.

Unfortunately, they attract the usual "I'm alright Jack" haters, who post the same old misanthropic crap that they always do. Sometimes I'm ashamed to be an Australian, and I find the current actions of the Rudd Government and its excuse for an Opposition, not to mention the heartless muttering of this mob quite depressing.

I'm going fishing with friends for the weekend. I really couldn't be bothered with any more of this hatefest for a few days.

The obligations of a developed economy, would be to have fair,
intelligent and cost effective policies, without risking the
trashing of our own country in the longer term.

That is certainly not the case right now and the present situation
just highlights the fact that the Geneva Convention is 50 years out of
date and needs updating.

The present 78 people rescued, when they rang Australia for help
and now refuse to leave the ship, clearly shows that they hold
us for the suckers which we seem to be. If I was being persecuted
in fear of my life, I would frankly be relieved that I had
escaped the persecutors. Clearly this is not the case with this
lot, who are now country shopping for an Australian aka cushy
lifestyle.

Meantime genuine refugees in refugee camps around the world, will
have to wait, as we give preference to a corrupt boat race system
and whoever has the money to pay. A developed country would have
more intelligent policies then that.

Nobody here has argued that we should take no refugees. Australia
should take its quota, whatever the nation agrees on, but in an
orderly and fair way, taking the most deserving, not those
who seemingly want to hold our country to ransom because we are
seen as a soft touch.