Mikk,
You really need to distinguish between fairy tale themes, found in publications by such groups as the BROTHERS GRIMM or GETUP, and reality.

1<<The crux of the matter is you lot dont recognise or comprehend what a refugee is>>

Your own words out you as having no comprehension as to what a refugee is,and even less understanding of the real world situation.

2<< Bear in mind how it will make our extremely lucky and wealthy country>>

Us being wealthy should have nothing to do our obligation under the convention. Under the convention that you appeal to, a “refugee” is someone seeking shelter from persecution ( not someone seeking to upgrade from economy class to first class!) . So whether that shelter is afforded by a five star location or a one star location should have NO bearing .

[ and lets face it –and while we’re at it, defuse your predictable knee jerk response -- even in the poorest location/shelter their upkeep costs are provided largely by the UN or NGOs which derive their funds from the “extremely lucky and wealthy “ countries]

If you are talking about AID –then, that is another issue ,but you are not – you are talking about a REFUGE or SAFE HAVEN!

So please stop the extortionist / manipulatory reference to us being an “ extremely lucky and wealthy country” and therefore bond to …

3 << look in the eyes of the world to be turning our backs on people in need>>

Again, you’ve spouting fairy tale lines.Though in your defence it is a common delusion that many “advocates” suffer from (it must be contagious!)

Australia provides its share of assistance to the needy, via peace keepers in such places as East Timor and the Solomon’s, scholarships to third world students (and even backdoor citizenship if they have skills in the vital & strategic industries of hair dressing or cooking!) , and straight AID.

With regard to the refugees scam. The reality is, there is hardly a country in the world that is keen on accepting refugees (see footnote 1,below) . And in most countries the processes are a lot,lot,lot tougher, and a lot less accommodating (read less naïve) than those found in OZ.

When you get a moment have a read of this –it may help

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10669#177567

Footnote 1 : Please exclude the Mikks, who afflict every nation, and the careerists aspiring to UN positions, for such are not representative of their nations–and in most cases such beings are not even real people.

Belly,
You say "Labor, with my support, tried a softer approach. It failed"

Good on you, it takes guts to admitt a mistake. Sometimes it seems cruel to be kind. Peeople do not like to be conned and our generosity being taken advantage of. That is what happened, this last two years.

CJ calls me racist and Mikk claims I lack emphathy, but I do feel for the 160 or so that drowned in the last couple of years trying to get here and I feel for the thousnds sitting in rotten camps while those with money come here uninvited. There are those here who encourage the gate crashers. These people just cannot seem to grasp that the boat people are frauds and cheats.

I just hope your party is sincere in their changed policy and I know you will work to convince your party members that the policy change is needed.

Your attitude is in some danger of becoming outdated, Horus.

>>Us being wealthy should have nothing to do our obligation under the convention... So please stop the extortionist / manipulatory reference to us being an “ extremely lucky and wealthy country”<<

Even the world's billionaires have realized that their wealth is not solely the result of their innate brilliance, and have pledged to give some back.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/04/us-billionaires-half-fortune-gates

"We're hoping America, which is already the most generous society on earth, becomes more generous over time," said Warren Buffet

Being a miserly dog-in-the-manger, and muttering mealy-mouthed complaints about not being obligated, might soon go out of fashion entirely.

Who knows.

Pericles, it's fine for those who are well off to be generous with their money, it is not, however for them to be generous with some one else's, particularly when many of those who are well off,

1/ Don't think they are.

2/ Don't have much idea of how the other half have to live.

Public servants, teachers, nursers etc are always agitating for more money, but they are very well paid, compared to many. A check out chick, a labourer, a counter jumper in the local hardware store, or a pensioner, would think they had gone to heaven, if they had that kind of income. A number of pensioners i know only take their prescription medicine every second day, because it's that, or eat every second day.

I think it's about time the generous among us stopped wanting to spend other peoples money, so they feel better. When it comes to charity, try the old one, & spread a bit around at home, where it should begin.

The half a million each of these boat people cost us is ridiculous, when the elderly can't get the hip replacement, because of no budget.

If you generous ones want to help, you do so, but at your own cost. Instead of wanting all of us to pay for your desire, you sponsor a refugee yourself. Pick up the tab, & feel good. Stick them in your spare bedroom if you like, but leave me out of it. I have other areas where my generosity is aimed, & it sure ain't que jumper illegals.

Boazy: << The point most of you are blissfully ignoring is that 'boat people' contribute numerically to a class of population which is easily exploitable by communists, and don't think they don't know it (The communists) >>

OMG, it's reds under the beds! And there I was thinking that McCarthyism had died out in the 1950s. Mind you, boat people as fodder for communism is one of the more originally disingenuous disguises for xenophobia that I've seen lately. Stop the boats - they're full of wretched souls who'll join the alienated proletariat and foment revolution! Man the barricades! The Bolsheviks are coming - by boat!

Banjo: << CJ calls me racist >>

I haven't called you anything in this thread, but your persistence in vilifying boat arrivals as "illegal" and as "frauds and cheats" is evidence of deep-seated bigotry. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that bigotry is racist in nature.