Cultural compatability should be considered.

Money is not what life should be about.

Put cultures together that clash then issues can last decades, even centuries.

People only live once and the priority should be where they are going to be the happiest, not the richest.

Racism everyday, everyday we are racist and so much energy, so much time and so much nonsense over non issues while we have real race issue being with Indigenous that we ignore. They are the only culture we should concern ourselves with.

Before multi-culturalism life was happier. Integration worked really, really well. So well we went in to bat for multi-culturalism because that was such a great feeling but it is a massive fail. I mean where are any signs of success? I mean succes meausered by culturally inclusive, sense of community and nto this living inside and nto mixing. So lonely.

Life is not all about money but more about community, well was once.

If good hearted Australians that wanted to welcome all people with open arms are routinely accused of racism, are told even if they do not know it they are, are told they are evil, are told it is all their fault. Well, if people who think they want to love everyone doesn't really, then we should admit it and end this cruel social experiment that is a form of cultural genocide (all for money). Seems NOBODY is happy with this arrangement except rich people.

One of the reasons Australia is “highly attractive” to illegals is that the people smugglers have different rates for Australia, the US and Europe.

And, guess what. Australia is the cheapest, not to mention the fact that we have had no border protection since Rudd dismantled the working system of protection introduced by the previous government. Another boat arrived today, and was escorted to Christmas Island. - almost 60 boats in 2009, with a good start of 4 already for 2010.

The way to resolve the problem is NOT Helen Dehn’s way; the only way to resolve the problem is to tow people smugglers’ boats and their cargoes out of Australian waters and see them on their way

Well said,Leigh. You other blathereres who know "better" please...
ask yourselves why asylum seekers and refugees want to settle in Australia ONLY. Those who are Muslims have the UAE,Iran,Pakistan, Malaysia, Borneo,Sarawak and Indonesia to pick from.These are all friendly Muslim states after all.Why dont they? Why Australia?
Someone suggested that its the cheapest.
Singapore is wealthier than we are so why not try to get there?
They say they love our country, love our lifestyle and the peace and harmony and our beautiful laws, Then when they are let in and settle down they begin to change their minds. Suddenly they arent too taken with our secular democratically generated laws through our popularly elected Parliament. Their imams stir them up and they say they dont recognise any other law other than what the Koran has for them, they want sharia law only and so on.
I've had a gut full of those who fall into my descriptio of whinging Muslims, BUT - ...NOT ALL Muslims. Some are educated and are happily culturally suitable. I'd love to meet with them and have them as friends. I have no objections to them becoming Australians. They have a lot to offer us.

socratase

I think the solution is not to try to secretly hassle our neighbours to take the asylum seekers we don't want (alienating these countries, and ignoring the fact that they also don't want them either) is to accept the fact that Australia doesn't seem to want to comply with the refugee laws some dead guy signed us up for, and ask to have our signature removed from the convention, and publicly declare we will no longer make any attempt to offer sanctuary.

This at least I'm sure most Australians will agree is appropriate.

What we do if they arrive anyway is follow through the usual checks and processes (authenticity, criminality, mental/emotional/cultural suitability/safety around Australians)- and only if absolutely zero suspicious or negative traits come up do we let them in- but secretly so as not to broadcast ourselves.

And the declining population is rubbish- our population is clearly increasing a lot, and last time I checked there seems to be a lot of new technologies and industries as well as environmental policies that 'threaten jobs'- so, naturally, if we don't need these jobs, and nobody is going to replace these jobs, and we have upcoming technologies that make these jobs unnecessary, then connect the dots.

Australia does NOT need 32 Million people- I'd just love one person to tell me where the extra 10 million are supposed to live.

Well said King Hazza.
Brilliant.
Why cant others see this point so lucidly exprssed?

socratease

I've long thought that the kind of racist thinking expressed in this article is what's behind Coalition policy towards asylum seekers and other refugees. While the racism's quite appalling, it is refreshing to see a Liberal being honest for a change.