http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2010/s3057133.htm

What is frustrating is that after promising tough action on asylum seekers, Julia Gillard has not taken a single step to discourage them, in fact quite the opposite. At the behest of the greens, the detention conditions have been relaxed.

As far as the off shore processing center is concerned, other than a chat or two to various Presidents the diplomatic activity is virtually nil. Two months down the line, and there is no evidence of any intention to actually keep her election promise, as that might jeopardize her relations with the greens.

Apart from winning the support of the independents to form government, Julia Gillard has failed to deliver a single policy win since toppling Rudd, and seems to feel that if she ignores the asylum seekers the public will forget.

This is not going to happen.

I am glad to see that the government are showing a little compassion to these people. This is Australia and apparently we are caring and decent people, so it is a relief that after a decade of treating these most unfortunate people like the scum of the earth we are showing a conscience. children don't belong in prison.
As for the real problem here, being people smuggling i have to agree SM. The concept of a regional processing centre involving the countries that have an interest in this problem was a good one. But as you point out we have had the gross total of nothing done about it other than some tokenisms by Julia. We are somewhat in a policy vacuum at the moment, i wonder what back room deals are going on?

The Labor Government has the remedy to the down-turn in tourism to Australia, Asylum seekers & a large %age of non-genuine refugees. Let's print some brochures to send over to the swamp-the-world with muslims countries. Surely there has to be some very short-term benefit ?

Nairbe your opinion that “the concept of a regional processing centre involving the countries that have an interest in this problem was a good one," is a flawed one.

No other nation around us has "an interest" as you so succinctly put it to the extent we do. The fact that these illegal’s enter these countries legally with passport and travel documents mean that the issue of illegality does not surface until they overstay their visas, and they don't, they move onto the boats and then to Australia.

Half of our population is the product of first and second generation Australians from the past 50 years, so compassion for those who need a stable, flourishing, safe home is not new, we were compassionate, we are still compassionate, but we have a population half filled with imbeciles who spout the rhetoric of the fashionable and compassion runs second to political ideology.

Shadow, I imagine that blackmail by preferenced parties may well be the driving force behind this issue; unless Gillard will prove she will take a stand; after all, it would be prioritizing political tactics and the will of party "allies" than the will of the actual voters.

Niarbe- I imagine the loss of compassion comes from the consideration of how much compassion was shown to us by some of our more extreme recent refugee arrivals over the past couple of decades, and unwillingness anymore to make room for people who would only reward us with hostility, crime and religious fanaticism.

Prove to the electorate that such people are going to be effectively barred regardless of otherwise refugee stance, I'm sure everyone would be more compassionate to the rest indeed.
Of course, if you were to lie and do nothing- then everyone would demand a blanket ban to be safe, knowing that the government cannot be trusted to impose these standards.

no wonder hotel/motel rates are climbing. Many owners are making a mint from this totally incompetent Government.