<< There's something disturbingly neocolonial about the way the Australian government regards its neighbours with respect to asylum seekers. >>

No, I can’t agree CJ. Australia is not << fobbing people who seek asylum here off on to struggling developing countries >>, it is working with others to develop an asylum seeker policy that is mutually beneficial.

Nauru had to agree to Howard’s suggestion for a detention centre there and didn’t do so until it had secured a good deal. Nauru has indicated just recently that it would be willing to do it again, as they did benefit a lot out of that arrangement.

It won’t happen in Timor Leste unless the Timorese can see a significant benefit in it. If it happens, it will essentially be a good bilateral arrangement, not a matter of a big bullying Australia unduly pressuring little East Timor to accede to its wishes.

<< It's not me that's being "premature" here, Ludwig - I'm waiting and seeing, and it just seems to get worse. >>

Doesn’t seem to me as though you are waiting and seeing. It seems as though you are levelling constant vehement criticism.

Gillard’s efforts to deal with the asylum seeker issue, that Rudd so profoundly stuffed up, have been commendable. And yet you completely condemn her for it.

I can’t quite imagine what she’d have to do in order for you to think of her as a good PM, short of opening our borders to a much greater arrival rate of asylum seekers or something like that, which would incur such outrage that she’d get the boot out the back door like Rudd real quick.

In the first hours of Gillards leadership I went on record here.
I do so again ,she will win the election,govern well, be popular.
And I will never trust her.
She however will stop the boats,,,because she must.
She let me down by putting the ETS of the table for 2 years,because she wants to be elected.
I know all about the taming of the shrew, find the title has nothing to do with it.
Garrets foolishness in every move he makes is hardly Julia's fault, he will take a back bench seat post election.
Gillard it is said is considering giving another of Lathams lost supporters a return, the very lost, very much harmed by his own actions Joel [air waster] Fitzgibbons.
Along with Crean Julia and this clown?
Bring Bill Shorten out of the cupboard please set him free.

There once was a redhead named Julia
Many find her slightly peculiar
Not a typical dame
Plays the game without shame
Her ambition is going to rule her!

There once was a polly called Tony
Whose torso was hairy and bony
His rival, Queen Red
Roared, "Off with his head"
To counter his phony baloney

Anything with 'green' in it.. involves socialist re-construction of society and the redistribution of wealth....by force. (or in this case..by stealth)

//The review, conducted by former Victorian chief bureaucrat Patricia Faulkner and consulting firm KPMG, found 96 per cent of the procurements examined were done without open competition.//

double DUH.... rolls eyes.... haven't I been YELLING about these green/watermelon networks for the past few months ?

The Green watermelons in America are quite open about this.. their plans to direct 'stimulus/green' money into 'jobs' for migrants and blacks and latino's is nothing more than that.

Even the uber capitalist/socialists like Gore and Strong are neccessarily promoting this, ...in Gore's case he HAS to have Democrat support for his 'High efficiency grid' and his carbon trading scams.. heck..he is playing with by now BILLIONS of investors/hedgefund dollars from people who expect a payoff!

Gore....Democrat Connections... Latino and Black vote...= power and wealth for a small number.(of white watermelons)

Julia is just copping the tail end of all this. Green loans ? :) hahahahahah.... yeaaaahhhhRIGHT. You can bet it will just take some digging to see the 'networks'.

There once was a PM called Rudd
Who turned out to be a total dud
Everything he touched turned to crud
People were out for his blood

As time began to pass
His leadership became a farce
So his party gave him the arse
And now his name is mud (:>(