Ludwig, I don't accept that. A different leader could have easily handled the issue in a way that did not divide Australians.
There was no excuse for Howard stating "I express my anger at the behaviour of those people and I repeat it. I can't comprehend how genuine refugees would throw their children overboard.", given the knowledge he had at the time.

Indeed, even if it *were* true that asylum seekers had been deliberating throwing their children over board, this is an unhelpful, spiteful comment.

Howard made these statements well aware of the political power they would have - he made them during an election campaign, and significantly shored up his support from a section of the population who still harbour xenophobic tendencies.

Ludwig: "CJ I’m not willing to simply accept that we have an irreconcilable difference. I value your opinion and I would like to nut out just exactly what the differences are if we can."

Sure Ludwig - but you might have to give me a day or two to get back to you. I'm in Brisbane right now, about to drive back to the bush where I'll be absurdly busy for a couple of days.

Undoubtedly I'll think about your ideas with respect to road rules on the drive home :)

Dnicholson, obliviously I need to ask you how you think a different leader could have handled these issues in a less divisive manner while upholding the very strong need to deter asylum seekers and people smugglers and prevent these sorts of events occurring.

I’m not sure that Howard made statements for political power-play reasons. I think it is quite incidental that these events happened in the lead-up to an election. Would Howard have said anything different if they had happened mid-term? I can’t see that he would have.

If he had made statements for political reasons, with the election in mind, would it necessarily have been a bad thing? I mean, what’s the difference between political expediency and the desired goal of stopping people-smuggling operations outright? He was striving for that goal, and of course he was going to sell the concept to the Australian public, especially when relevant issues were in the media.

I don’t like what Howard said, as you quote him above. But I’m not willing to condemn him for it.

I’m not sure that these events could have been handled significantly better. But I am sure that they could have been handled a whole lot worse.

Crikey, they are extremely sensitive affairs. The chances of them being handled really well, without any complications, would be minute.

“…and significantly shored up his support from a section of the population who still harbour xenophobic tendencies.”

I would say that Howard’s actions over the Tampa, etc significantly shored up his support amongst the Australian populace that could see that an escalation in asylum seeker arrivals, or even a continued trickle, was clearly a highly undesirable thing, with xenophobia sensu stricto having scant little to do with it.