<< And these poor people were left in these centres
for years, and years, and years - behind barbed
wire.>>

By that standard Lexi, everyone of the tens of thousands in our prison system, must –purely on account of their incarceration–be suffering severe mental illness!

Lexi,

Firstly McGorry, has a particular barrow to push, and secondly, the kids sent to Malaysia are likely to suffer far worse.

Here's something from someone that knows:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/jesuit-priest-argues-malaysia-solution-worse-option-than-howards-pacific-solution/story-fn59niix-1226111970896

Jesuit priest Frank Brennan argues Malaysia Solution worse option than Howard's Pacific Solution

"Father Brennan, an avowed critic of the Howard government's Pacific Solution, said the Coalition's alternative policy of processing asylum-seekers on Nauru is the more moral option. He said the Malaysia deal appeared to have been driven by a desire to hatch a policy "more ruthless" than Nauru."

Dear SPQR,

These people are refugees not criminals.
They are people who have been through a great deal
that we can't even begin to imagine.
People who would risk a dangerous sea journey to escape horrific
regimes and conditions seeking asylum - which they are entitled
to do. There's a big difference. You should be able to see that.
They have not committed any crimes or been tried for them in
a court of law. All they're asking for is that their cases be
heard and assessed. Criminals are a totally different issue.

Dear Shadow Minister,

What evidence do you have that McGorry had a barrow to push?
Apart from the fact that he's a qualified psychiatrist who's
able to make those judgements. Don't newspapers have barrows
to push as well. Don't all of us have a certain amount of bias?

As I've stated previously - this is a complex issue and no matter
what side of politics you're on - this problem will remain.
Refugees will continue to try to come to Australia as it is
a global problem. My preference would be to find an on shore
solution and process them quickly here in Australia. As
New Zealand and other seem to be able to do.
However the government has made this "tough" decision
and we'll see what happens.
At present the court has put a stop to it.
Whether the government
has the legal right to continue
is yet to be determined.

Lexi,

Please read the report:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.safecom.org.au/pdfs/zachary-steel-report.pdf&embedded=true&chrome=true

This also indicates that the asylum seekers are suffering mental health problems, but also ascribes this to their experiences prior to their detention. The main thrust is that these damaged people should not be detained, not that the detention is the prime cause of their distress.

Gillard now presides over a record number of asylum seekers in detention, and so is doing far more damage than Howard ever did.

Also please explain how your preferred solution of sending them to Malaysia is any better.

SM,

Kindly re-read my previous post.
We seem to be arguing in circles.
Which is pointless. I did not state
that the Malaysian solution is
"My" preferred solution. I stated
quite clearly that my preference
was to process these refugees on shore
in Australia as New Zealand manages to be
able to do. This is a governments decision
and as it is it has been currently stopped.
I also stated that these people has suffered
terribly prior to their detention. But
their detention also contributed greatly to
their mental problems as Dr McGorry confirmed.

Lexi,

Most of your comments seem to back the PM on this up to the hilt.

" As I stated earlier - no
matter who's the PM - the problems won't go
away. This is a tough stance by our PM - let's
see if it works."

So far Labor's immigration policy has hurt far more people than the pacific solution ever did.

New Zealand as far as I recall does not get any boats, and has a quota for refugees in the order of 700 p.a. so is hardly a good comparison.