Bravo Flo, well said. Your posts are always well-reasoned and logical.
I enjoy reading them.

Unfortunately Flo your assessment is incorrect.

The high court ruled that the northern Australian islands excised by Howard's legislation such Christmas Island could not exclude detainees from access to the courts. As Nauru was not being used at the time, it was not considered in the judgement.

The Australian courts only have jurisdiction over Australian territory. As Nauru is not Australian territory, the high court has no jurisdiction whatsoever, and here the detainees would have no access to the Australian, Canadian or any other courts than those of Nauru.

If you don't believe me look it up.

Shadow Minister:

The following website may help put things into perspective for you
about the "success" of the Pacific Solution and Nauru:

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/pacific-solution-no-real-answer-20100917-15gb9.html

I found your link Lexi interesting, if we divert to that subject it will be a long thread.
That 60% who want Howard's policy's is a reality, wrong if you wish, but real.
I offer this story in todays Australian.
Just one , not all migrants but surely proof some one must look closer at who comes here.
An Australian born Indian girl, her mum and dad find much wrong with our culture.
She was not allowed to take part in it clothing, habits contacts.
long story but dad bashed her, tricked her in to returning to India to wed a man she never knew, so she could not wed the one she loved.
Threats included raping that young mans family, killing his parents.
60% NO MINORITY VIEW HERE.
Are we to be blinded to the refugee problem world wide, its impacts on the cultures of country's excepting them?
Your link asked this question how hard are we wiling to be?
It highlighted Howard plans cost us all $600.000 per person.
My answer is no of shore none, just get tough very tough, send them back take only those waiting in camps in their own region.
Fully aware my stand is not popular but it is in the interests of my country I stand by them.

Lexi,

For those that doubt the pacific solution worked, here are boat figures from the department of immigration:

Fin Year..Arrivals by boat
1999–00.. 4,175
2000–01.. 4,137
2001–02.. 3,039 - Pacific solution introduced.
2002–03.. -
2003–04.. 82
2004–05.. -
2005–06.. 61
2006–07.. 133
2007–08.. 25
2008–09.. 1,033 - Pacific solution removed.
2009–10.. 5,609
2010-11.. 3,392 ytd (end October)

Can anyone give a different explanation and still keep a straight face?

As for " Australia spent about a billion dollars processing 1637 boat people on Manus and Nauru. (Do the maths: it's a horrifying $600,000 per head.) The boats stopped coming, but it took five years to clear the islands" This was over several years.

The present cost of dealing with the boat refugees is about $3bn per year.

Howard's policy

Also caused the 2003-2010 drought

Correlation's fun!