I agree with others here that Kevin Rudd is trying as he often does to have it both ways on this.

It might play well electorally to describe people smugglers as the scum of the earth, but as with most of these populist phrases it's an overly simplistic reading of events. Many of those involved are doing no more than providing a service and attempting to make a living. A lot of them are Indonesian fishermen who've had their livelihoods taken from them as Australia has ramped up the patrolling of 'its' waters and cracked down on 'illegal' fishing.

"Fishing boats have been setting out south from West Timor and nearby islands for centuries. It's never been a lucrative trade, but Australian Customs are now closing off this traditional source of food and income for Indonesian fishermen. Australian authorities have also sought prison terms for those caught fishing illegally, and confiscated boats. The result is that Indonesian fishermen are more inclined than ever to take the large sums on offer by people-smuggling syndicates.

'There's a tendency for the fishermen now to hope for someone to rent their boat to smuggle people, because if they get caught fishing across the border, they are facing the same consequences anyway,' said Rudenim, an official at the immigration detention facility in West Timor. The chances of completing the journey and returning home without being detected are slim, but Rudenim said poor fishermen believe it's a risk worth taking.

'Before leaving, the fishermen tell their family it might be four to six months, depending on when they get deported,' Rudenim said. "But with the money they make and leave behind, it's enough to cover their families' cost of living, and even some left, until they are back."

Millions of Indonesians work overseas, often staying away for years before being reunited with their families. A stretch in an Australian prison for a couple of years is not viewed as particularly harsh compared with dangerous jobs on construction sites in, say, the Middle East."

http://www.theage.com.au/national/fishermen-offer-boats-to-smugglers-20090416-a8zf.html

Kevin Rudd needs to differentiate between bigtime syndicates and smalltime fishermen.

INTERESTING post [all].. as a dutchie i thought a search was in order[re the dutch wind tax]
found plenty of intersting stuff under the search
http://books.google.com/books?id=cc0tUyvoYfkC&pg=PA248&lpg=PA248&dq=dutch+kings+wind+tax&source=bl&ots=ykQ-DGwZhK&sig=JNswy62vI31GFIDyAVpLT6s6h_4&hl=en&ei=yRnpSf36BpKIkQXZuKymCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10

as well as the dutch east india company[the first colenisation corp]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company

that became the basis of other corperations scooping up natives resources, who used bonds and civil acts to rule the roost over the various occupied terror-tories of the world[controled by the london law society and the multinational; bankers who monetised their bonds]..

much like the current defacto govts are run under british acts called constititions..[lol]..set up to control govt acts yet some how used to create contracted civil juristictions,..via the matitime rules of war and invasion,where we are acorded a berthing [birth] certificate as landed[emerged from the watters]..civilians/serfs and bonded shattles of the corperate state to be sucked dry via uinconstitutional taxes fees duties and statuted controles and civil implied and contracted obligations ,msubserviant to the state..lol

using our all caps names we have become subjected to contract law[civil]law,..not criminal law that requires a victim[to gain superior standing in court,

civil juristiction ;allowing govts to percicute as criminal statuted law, via obtaining our written oath[please sign here..lol]that makes us subject to their acts[subject to traffic laws , statutes ,etc,

via application..[apply means beg] ..simply via applying for a driving licence[or marage certification [or birth[berth] vehicle;registration

[by regestering we lose our freeman standing thus falling under contractual obligation,via contracted civil authority[not democrative rule]because we signed a contractual bond[read aplication to fall subject to their unconstiututional acts

but hey such is a system we allowed the lawyer/banker elites to develop,over us all..[as well as all we think we own..lol

such is as the means by which the elites lording it over us ignorants,who beg for them to rule over us,rule over[and over rule]it over us all...lol

anyhow its too deep to explain it in 350 words,and still havnt confirmed the dutch kings wind tax ,...lol

I agree with mikk.

If people smugglers are only "business people,"
as Yabby states, catering to the "market."
Then so are drug dealers, pimps, slave-traders,
war-lords, and others. And according to the
argument of his thread - none should be condemned,
except for our Prime Minister, who said,

"They trade on the tragedy of others and that's
why they should rot in jail, and in my view, rot
in hell..."

I don't think you've thought this one through Yabs.

Ah Mikk, perhaps you have not thought about this one too well,
or you would realise that it is your comparison which is silly.

We can agree that taking drugs is not healthy. Are you
comparing the taking of drugs with seeking asylum?

Clearly not, for the Govt has agreed that genuine
asylum seekers should be welcomed, not treated like drug
addicts and locked up in jail.

If genuine asylum seekers are welcome, then explain to
me why helping them is a bad thing

Our so-called border protection (navy, customs etc.) is working hand in hand with people smugglers. When the boats break down – or even when they are sighted chugging along in our waters – our ‘protectors’ simply help them to get to Christmas Island, where they will be kept for a while then, almost automatically, granted visas to live in Australia.

Instead of giving illegals a helping hand, our authorities should be turning them back.

Let’s not forget that 10 Australian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan while these free-loaders from that country roll up expecting to live here. Let’s not forget, either, that there are Afghans of military age already living here who should be back in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban instead of letting Australian soldiers do it for them

Dear Yabby,

You asked how "helping" asylum seekers is a bad thing?

Setting fire to their boat when they become a
liability wouldn't count as a "good" thing
would it?