I have to admit to not having heard of this Bill. Could that be because it was another slippery, secretive trick perpetrated on the Australian public?

We are told that the introduction of this Bill – which will mean further encouragement for people smugglers and illegals to come to Australia if passed – is the result of “numerous recommendations” in “parliamentary and UN reports”. Has anybody heard of those ‘reports’? Just how much is the United Nations dictating to Australian politicians?

And, the really ‘wonderful’ thing is that Australia is now in line with “…the European Union, Canada, the United States and New Zealand, not to mention international law.” That’s alright then! - if you like the idea of a corrupt organisation like the United Nations over-ruling, or being allowed to overrule, Australian sovereignty with UN officials wanting to offload more people onto Australia. And, if you overlook the fact that Australia also takes off-shore processed refugees, whereas you have to actually reach the other countries we are now in line with. And, it won’t be long before we follow Latin America and Africa in using a “…wider concept of “refugee” than is (now) applied in Australia.” Who on earth would want to escape to Latin America or Africa; the inhabitants from those two countries are coming to Australia!

The author’s observation that previously Australia has been UNABLE to guarantee that people who might face dangers if returned to their own countries would be allowed to stay here is ridiculous. The weak Rudd government doesn’t need the ‘permission’ of the UN or another Bill to allow anyone it likes to stay here, as their record so far shows. I suppose, though, this new Bill might have raised it’s ugly head to get the Prime Minister off the hook following ASIO’s report on the four unsuitable Tamils that Rudd’s complete mishandling of border protection saw (the Tamils) being taken to Christmas Island.

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If we thought that Rudd’s removal of the border protection we had, and his total botch up of what is left couldn’t get any worse, well it certainly has got worse. Not, of course, for the bleeding hearts like Jane McAdam or the increasing number of illegals who will be coming here – especially if the widened definition of a ‘genuine’ asylum seeker is brought in, which the young lady clearly supports.

Don’t be surprised if Rudd engages people smugglers to provide return services for those of us he wants to be rid of so that he can bring even more ‘asylum seekers’ here to make him look good in the eyes of his global masters

I would like to add to Jane's issue of the clash between allowing dangerous refugees into the country vs the absolute stance of not returning them to harm is to simply make the absolute stop precisely where even the slightest threat to the security or wellbeing of the Australian community may present itself.

The problem with an absolute stance of protection is that it may very well mean that back in the cold war, Australia would be required to provide sanctuary to members of the Taliban simply because the Soviets were persecuting them as an enemy political force.

I don't like the idea of indefinite detention- it is a massive expense to burden Australians with if it is solely for the purpose of sitting on the fence of a clash of contradictory legal policies that no public figure wants to touch with a 20 foot pole.

What about where the country or origin is Australia and the torture is inflicted by one of Australia's allies?

John, in the event of an Australian citizen being a security risk at home but being illegally held abroad and subject/threatened with such things as the article said, I would probably still insist that the safety of the public takes precedent than our government's obligation to demand an extradition.

Although I'm aware of David Hicks turning into no threat on his return- and the irony that he had to "confess" he was guilty and therefore a threat before he would be RETURNED and SET LOOSE in Australia solely to save face of the Liberals to both advocacy mobs expecting either side to be swayed.