This is disguised racist dribble. Take another look at the last line ..."the way to resolve it, is not to impoverish ourselves, but to use whatever leverage we may have to insist that the refugee burden be shared among regional countries, with religious affinity being a deciding factor on where asylum seekers, as distinct from legal immigrants, are settled."

So refugees impoverish us?? In the long terms migrants aid economic growth. Also, asylum seekers are "legal immigrants" if accepted. So there is no need for a distinction.

But my favourite line here is when she says that religious affiliation should decide where asylum seekers are settled .... whatever could a member of the Liberal Party mean by this?? Reading between the lines she means that the Muslim refugees should be settled in Muslim countries ... like Indonesia.

We can never trust the Liberals on questions of race or immigration. Maybe its best if Helen Dehn left Australia and went back to Germany? Australia is located in the Asia-Pacific. we are a multiracial and multicultural country. Get used to it Helen Dehn or get lost!!

Helen, I think you got it mostly right.
One point where I disagree is that the call for less immigration to
limit the population is not driven by asylum seekers but by an
understanding that the country cannot support 35 million people.
We are in water trouble now, just for one resource.
We have to take steps to stop our population exceeding 22 million.
We will not have the liquid fuels, gas and coal unless we stop exports
and keep it for our present population.
Asylum seekers alone won't make that much difference at their present
rate of arrival, but it seems a certainty that they will progress
to much larger ships.
The only way to stop that is to imprison the crews for 20 years.
That will stop it dead.

The problems with boat people in Italy is getting far worse than it
is here, but the writing is on the wall.

David took you to task for suggesting aligning settlement countries
with the culture/religion of the applicants.
Amazing how very sensible suggestions like that get up the nose of
the mad trendies and political correct.

John Howard got it right. He said that we (Australians) should decide who comes here. UN policies have managed to stuff most of Europe especially Britain and France. I think most fair minded Australians are happy to give most a fair go but most are not not in favour of having people come here and poop on our country and make it like most Muslim nations.

We are a multi-racial and multicultural country. Deal with it or move on.

We have a rapidly aging population and we need more immigrants. And frankly more immigrants from other Asia-Pacific nations is in our long term strategic and economic interests.

Well said David. Helen Dehn would have us accept that religous affiliation should over-ride humanitarian concecern. You are right to latch onto her 'solution', it is little short of racism.
Muslims look after muslims, etc., but hey, who looks after Catholics? Not George Pell, there are 30 Catholics on the boat in Merak harbour and the Catholic Church heirarcy and Tony, the Monk, Abbott do not give a fig for their welfare.
Back to the history books and the bible Helen, at the end of the day its all about compassion.
And water, plenty of it, just badly managed and uitilised in a most profligate manner by people who have no understanding of the complex Australian environment.
Bruce Haigh

Australia needs to step up to the mark. We are boarding the 'White Australia' policy.
We drag our heels on the real issues facing the world unless it is convenient, wrapped in a ribbon matched with potential one-sided promises of ideal worship for economic gold.

Your comment on reply to this article is appropriate David Jenning.

Facing complex problems regarding the wellbeing of "people" is better than dragging them out across political durations.

We do this internally as well.

Negating the social-economic needs of all those outside the full-time urban geared work force exclusively will creep up and bit us badly. We are marginalising a majority of the population of the world be in inside Australia or across the underdeveloped world.

The idea of Community as well as our moral goodwill as a nation appears to be noticeable shrinking.

This way we sell ourselves and our children out.

The Millennium Goals must be global rather than used as a song to feel good over the compromise of persisting hot air!

We have a reality of world issues to address. Some are internal and some are external. If reform is the key I suggest we get on with it.

http://www.miacat.com/