The 'boat people' thing has been perplexing me for years, until this morning. Now it just annoys me.

This issue could be fixed in an afternoon and everyone knows it. The issue is full to over flowing with misinformation. It's a fact that the amount of illegals from the boats barely register a BLIP on the overall picture of illegal immigration. Asylum seekers ... well ... we created half of them.

Why is then, that the government don't just fix it and run a campaign on educating the masses on the reality of what's actually on the boats?. What if they don't want to?.

Who exactly would the spotlight turn on if they actually fixed 'the boats' issue - which they could tomorrow - with some basic steps in place?.... wait for it .... waaaait .... tourists. The vast majority of illegals come off of expired visas. In order to gain ANY visa you have to prove you can sustain yourself for the period of your stay based on your type of visa. This means money. This money gets pumped straight back into the Australian economy until they run out of money then a huge percentage of the people on visas leave; a chunk don't.

Boat illegals come here with nothing. They are a cost from the get go. IF governments went completely right wing on the REAL illegal problem, how much tourism would we lose?. Illegal immigration from boats has so many red flag issues associated with it that it makes an EASY distraction from the REAL ineptitude of border defence. They CANNOT defend the border from individuals on holiday and working visas. But they can be seen to ATTEMPTING to defend the border from fishing boats.

Reverse psychology from the gubbermint. By being seen as struggling to fix the boat people 'problem' it distracts from the absolute inability to fix the illegals problem on the whole. Interesting thing.

WOW, that is an exceptional insight.

It's not often I learn something from the banality that constitutes the majority of OLO. But when it happens it's great..

I think you are definitely on to something there.

Thanks StG.

You are quite right StG. The visa-overstayers part of this issue could be so easily fixed if the will was there.

But no, our illustrious powers-that-be are quite happy to let a situation exist whereby federal law is being seriously infringed in an ongoing manner.

It stinks and it makes a complete mockery of the stated desire to stop the boats.

Of course, the boats should be stopped, our borders secured and our humanitarian efforts directed (and considerably increased) into our offshore refugee programs.

But at the same time, visa-overstayers and any longer term illegal immigrants that come via this path, need to be clamped right down, despite some resultant economic losses. Either that or the law has to be changed so that visa-overstayers are not breaking the law…. or some intermediate position reached whereby the rule of law is upheld and the economic losses are minimised.

Whatever the case, it wouldn’t be difficult…. if our government just had a few basic scruples.

... Thats a pretty big "if"...

Often a problem is created in order to sell a cure, but here there seems to be no cure and quite likely, not really a problem...

If you look on the internet, when the top tax falls below 45%, there is most likely a recession in the country, when it gets below 35% there is a depression, and things are not very great for people who are earning less than the average wage. You would have to look up on the internet, "tax in countries around the world", and you will see how the countries stand. Many of the countries don't have to have that low top tax, Australia, US, UK, and most of the countries don't have to have that low tax. It is a system of bastardry by idiots or rich corrupt treasurers to make the rich richer, and the poor poorer, and the people in the poorer countries know that if they get into a country that has resonable prospects, even through the people handling the tax system are pure bastards, they will still be better off. The higher the top tax ie the 66.6% in Australia from 1950 to 1970, was great, unfortunately you are not allowed to shoot them when they go feral and stupid, the authorities don't like it, pity, there are about 10 or so since 1970 who don't deserve any better than that, but they get away with a superannuation about 5 or 6 times more than those people who work for their living. Look up "tax history of Australia", "Tax history of US", and even "Tax history of UK". This last one will only tell you what level they had to take the tax up to to stop obscene incomes after the war.

You are missing the point entirely.

Anti boat people mania isnt about doing something about illegal immigration. It is about dog whistling to racists and scaring otherwise good Australians into thinking like racists in order to hold onto power. Divide and rule does not get more despicable and blatant than this.

It is only an issue because the Liberals and Murdoch et al make it so. If they shut up then there would be no issue. Ten or even twenty thousand refugees coming here by boat is nothing in the overall total and as past experience has shown almost all boat arrivals ARE genuine refugees and entitled to protection and sanctuary according to OUR OWN LAWS. Unlike so many visa overstayers who likely rip off our tax system and use our medical services and who knows what else just because it was a bit nippy in good old England or Canadia and they felt like an extended holiday downunder.

Abbott should be shamed and humiliated for his slogan "stop the boats" not almost made Prime minister.
Australia should be ashamed that we let this miscreant and his cronies deliberately inflame these negative tendencies in the Australian populace.
We need leaders who lead and set an example of tolerance and honesty not poll following morons filled with bigotry and hatred.