http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1132733/1/.html

"the Gillard Government yesterday announced it would suspend animal exports to 11 Indonesian facilities shown to practise cruel slaughtering of cattle."

"Australia's controversial plan to send boatpeople to Malaysia could be finalised next week," where "The prospect of caning is real."

How is it that Julia Gillard after a decade of decrying the "inhumane treatment of asylum seekers" under the pacific solution has stooped to something far more brutal.

SM
For once I have to agree. This is an unusual situation where the plight of animals while horrendous and unacceptable is suddenly deemed so important to consider banning live exports, while refugees are traded 1:5 with Malaysia with still no agreement over conditions among all parties including the UNHRC.

Nauru would be the better option if detention remains policy, but the ALP won't do it because it will look like a backdown over Howard policy. The fact is all the ALP is doing at the moment is changing geographies, whether it is Naura, Christmas Island, PNG, East Timor or Indonesia, it is still offshore processing. Call it a Pacific Solution, an Asia Solution or a Land of Lilliput Solution, it is all the same.

There are no Certainty's, we have seen every side of this matter debated and there are many.
If you did not know us, the posters here in OLO you may get it very wrong.
Based on this post you could think Shadow minister is concerned for refugees, click the little man under his post review his post history.
Driven by increasing concerns about a culture within our culture, many want the boats to stop.
Radio shock jocks, some truly bigoted, drive people to skim the surface of the issue, on both sides.
SM is a servant of Tony Abbott, both want to pin down this government on this and any issue.
And polls and deeply held community views have driven Labor from the high moral ground.
Stopping the boats is the mandate now of both party's.
Abbott demanded it, Gillard is close to isolating it as an issue.
So will refugees be flogged? maybe maybe not, but look see the tactics in use here.
And look at the possible out comes in the refugee debate.
ONE, we drop all attempts to stop boats arriving.
Result? Left greens 14% win cuddles all round and 86% of Australians continue to be unhappy,Labor out of government.
Conservatives win election boats are stopped, even if it uses MALAYSIAN solution as Howard proved most are happy conservatives stay in power fora long time after Labor falls at its weakest.
UNHCR has given approval, why, well it gains access to refugees in that country we take 4000 long term refugees and stop, yes it will, the boats.
No Certainty's but it is Certain some will use any line to miss lead.

lol
my party right or wrong
[noting bellies 3 rd line..;attack the mess-anger]

nothing further to read here
its clear that the lab tatters policies are weak ,especially on human rights..[of course forrests/animals have rights..but humans..lol..let them get the cain..or get run over by docs

i note belly has much to say about docs
but beating people with 5 foot split cane
beating them red raw..dripping with blood..
yep the labrats say thats fine

but show a halfhour of footage of eye gouging
and snout beating..tail breaking..and other human barbarities
[upon beasts]..while ignoring the 5 second news bites on beatings
well thats the new labour way...

[if media dont lead..
or murderoch hard press dont cover it
it dont deserve labrat attention..labratter's party couldnt give a hoot]

and once again
as much as you belly think labrat applies to you
MATE IT DONT...!

it aplies to those
2 party hookers..
[mainly ex lawyers/bankers/docters/musitions]

running their fraud[feelgood]..grand tax and gift/scemes
that con-sult only with big business
but let the others..[us..the unrepresented swill]..*be dammed

and taxed into early graves..
let's us gamble drink and eat ourselves into heaven
and the ref-u-geez be dammed...lets protect the cattle

bah
they make a new pacific solution
without human right oversight
clever juliar

your party right or wrong
their all labrattters mate..when are..you going to catch on?

and combette..[your hero]...the minester FOR cli-MATE/change
just like tukkie was minester FOR forestry

even the tax wont fix the real problems
[our globe developed BECAUSE of cheap energy
take/away cheap energy..all labratters got left is cheap labour
[and that dont mean jobs for aussie's..only back packers/slaves

singapure sets our petrol; price
malasia sets our refugees policy
accountants....bankers set our tax policies

i will remind people
that labratters spending is still increasing
they expect the big new TAXES..to bring it down

dont forget..aussies lost 32 BILLION
of their super yestyerday alone

and the other labratter plan..is to increase..
our COMPulsORrY SUPER..so we prop up the stock marketteeers even more

ie they will soon get you
even if you think your part of their 'union'*

stop faciluitating their addictions
wakeup before it gets much worse

and

[yes the libs are no better..!]

party loyalty
is treason to the state
[read up on odious debt..!][its a crime]

SM,

Why are you pointing the finger at Labor when the Libs were no better
in their treatment of asylum seekers. I don't believe that you've suddenly discovered compassion for these poor unfortunates.

All politicians make policies which they hope will gain them re-election. Hence no matter what the government - we've always had a race to the bottom where ludicrous arguments about "queues" and "border integrity" have been used to justify what has always been policies of exemplary cruelty. Why should this government be any different. In the past Australians seemed to like the fact that our government locked up asylum seekers - detention centres were popular. As Scott Morrison made it quite clear - if you do anything to alleviate the cruel and unusual conditions at Christmas Island - this will only send a message that Australia is
"putting the white flag up."

Ben Eltham writes, "Let's be frank about asylum seeker policy. It's not "border protection," it's "oppression." It's not "processing,"
it's "incarceration." Asylum seekers are not "illegal" or "unauthorised," they have a legal right to claim asylum in Australia. It's not about "stopping the boats," it's about inflicting great harm on innocent people to satisfy voters in marginal seats.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn would have found it all too familiar."