<< That's a bit of revisionist history there Ludwig. They did keep coming after the Tampa. >>

Yes they did rstuart. The Tampa was just the start of Howard’s program. His whole policy approach was undoubtedly very successful in cutting the number of arrivals right down to a trickle.

Why else would the boats have stopped coming? There have always been strong push factors. It was the pull factor that changed greatly.

<< Howards having of the Tampa incident was designed to do one this: win an election. >>

I don’t think Howard did it for election reasons at all. He did it for principled / ideological / practical / sensible reasons. It was a case of something needing to be done at about that time and the Tampa presenting an opportunity, out of the blue, to act.

Yes it helped him win the following election. But was that a bad thing? If he appealed significantly to the voting public then good on him. In this particular instance he scored a win-win, for popularity and sensible decisive political management.

Crikey, it could have gone horribly wrong. He took a huge risk.

Apart from this particular issue, I'm no fan of Howard. But quite honestly I think he undertook this particular action over the Tampa with a well-developed principle of border-protection and deterrence to unsolicited boat arrivals, and not at all with the forthcoming election in mind.

Ludwig,

"I don't think Howard did it for election reasons at all. He did it for principled / ideological / practical /sensible reasons."

Yes, I can see how you would find allowing people to bob about in the tropical sun on the deck of a container ship principled - although it brings me to question your principles.

I suppose the Howard Government's pre-election Haneef spectacular was another example of his highly developed sense of principle. That particular low point was Howard trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat - it was Tampa part two - and it well and truly exposed John Howard and his "principles" for what they were.

Poirot,

What would you say are Labor's principles? I really can't see any at all on this issue.

My son worked for the ABC for a long while.
On his first day there he was told, that if you vote liberal don't
mention it if you want a career here.

He told me that there are no gays in the closet at the ABC.
There is no room, it is full of liberal voters.

No I did not watch the program, I already knew what it would be about.

Shadow Minister,

I agree

Poirot

:D