No Belly I did not miss the point at all- Tony Abbot's policy will NOT actually offend many other countries at all, as again, the US, the EU and most countries in East Asia are not to far away- or possibly already there- and as the level of popularity for such proposals is pretty high in every one, I doubt there will be much public backlash singling us out either.

So I'm asking, which countries are we going to worsen ourselves to?

Horus, thanks for the quotes. It is always nice to see the original words.

The Howard policy was very similar to what Tony Abbott is saying now. Boats of refugees were towed back to Indonesian territorial waters, had most of their fuel removed so Australian was completely out of range, then released. I don't know whether they towed them once they hit Australian waters, but I can't see why they would not.

That policy is the principle reason the flow of boat refugees dried up during the Howard era.

There is no doubt in my mind it is completely against the spirit of the UNHRC. Whether you support the UNHRC depends on your politics I guess, but remaining signatory while wilfully ignoring it as Howard did and Abbott is proposing to do strikes me as a bit rich.

rstewart you understand I never said it don't you?
But horris adds to the list of people who claim my views are slanted by my party affiliations.
Now that is rude, blind, and unintelligent, I need not quote again at least ten threads that kick my party my threads.
I need not again say Gillard will never lead, nore have my support.
Need I say Rudd is doing a good job, that I am proud of him, but one is enough?
This I know, the bitterness at boat people, the idea they jump ques, even that we should stop them, should never be by this stupidity.
Abbott is a clown, tell me will his rants win one uncommitted vote back.
And will it not cost him ten for every one it wins?
The current opposition has only one policy, oppose for oppositions sake, and use fear if and when you like.
In government, the thought is funny, Abbott would never implement this policy
Politics in this election year will bring, and end to Abbott's career, self inflicted wound.
a start on truly rebuilding conservatives after Rudd's increased majority.
And just maybe a migration policy that is not driven by such blindness by both sides.

Years ago now I sat in on a

*Carmen "I can't remember" Lawrence*
(another bogus plastic politician, though note I found this place by way of her website)

pow wow on refugees. Carmen's response to what appeared to be the expression of a lot of genuine concern for the Asylum Seekers from her constituents was something like:

" ... Well we feel for them but you can't expect us to commit electoral suicide. ... "

Hmmm ...

Of course, me being a heckling smart _rse who Luv's to do the occasional quip, chirped up:

"VOTE FOR BOB BROWN - HE'LL FIX IT!"

HaHaHa

..

Aaah, the simple pleasures of tossing my 2c in as a part time apprentice watermelon farmer.

HaHaHa

Yay Team! Wooop, Wooop, Wooop!

;-)

Belly: "rstewart you understand I never said it don't you?"

Yes, but I find discussing hearsay is often a waste of time because people often hear the most unlikely things. Horus provided good citations, putting your topic on a firm basis.

Horus's point about it being a political discussion with you presenting your sides viewpoint was just a statement of the bleeding obvious. Everybody here is doing that. Even Horus was doing that while he attacked you for doing the same thing.

Posted by rstuart, Sunday, 3 January 2010 11:25:45 AM

" ... "

I thought you made some good and valid points in amongst it here
*RStuart*

The reality to me on this issue though is this. As a nation, we are far better off from a security perspective, especially as it applies to those countries renowned for corruption, grabbing a boat load of people and screening them pre Oz entry ourselves, than we are in risking real threats who arrive on fictitious identity documents and a wallet full of dirty loot.

Further, let the boaties come for the reason of giving the coast guard something to do other than play with their joysticks.

The plain fact of the matter is that the likes of Captain Plastic et al simply do not want the boaties because they are usually poor and uneducated, and they simply do not want the associated cost of integrating them.

Sooner the likes of *Captain Plastic* would have unchecked agents of corruption and subjugation come in and buy up our land and businesses with their ill gotten gains simply because they can afford it.

..

VOTE1 anyone other than the Blue or the Red of politics if you want people to be valued on a basis other than the size of their wallet.