SM,

To each his own Sir!

Ohhh Dear, sigh.

Figures estimated by the government are that in the last 3 years, about 500 people had died trying to make the journey to Australia. That is about twice the number of Boat people that came to Australia in 7 years under the pacific solution.

The Timor sea has become Labor's killing ground.

SM,

Before you continue to pass your usual judgement on only
one side of the political spectrum - try to keep an
open mind and have a read of the following:

http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2011/09/13/the-pacific-solution-was-a-fraud.aspx

BTW - The Lowy Institute is an independent assessor of politics.
And it this article shows that neither side of politics
has any reason to feel smug about this issue.

The assertion that the Pacific Solution put an end to people smuggling cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. Processing in Nauru did absolutely nothing to abate the flow of boats. It was not until the Australian Navy began forcing them back out to sea that the flow stopped. If that is what is advocated as a part of the “Pacific Solution” then be honest about it? Most Australians do not support such disregard for human rights and safety.

Mr Abbott has stated he would again turn back boats under a new Coalition government. Why then should the Coalition’s supposed concern for safety and human rights now be believed as justification for marooning the Government on border protection through its insistence on a Nauru amendment in the legislation? History shows it previously achieved nothing. The insistence on the amendment is nothing more than a wrecking political ploy that ignores the national need.

We need a humane immigration policy that discourages boat arrivals. The Malaysian deal is the only one on the table that has a chance to deliver this and it should be given a chance. The Coalition should back away from a political position that has no basis in its own previously displayed behaviour and restated intentions

"One of the myths of progressive politics in Australia is the possibility of a regional solution to people smuggling...after a decade of policy failure, Gillard needs to reject this nonsense and embrace the proven success of the Howard government strategy: offshore processing at Nauru and Manus Island and the reintroduction of temporary protection visas. As ever in public policy, what matters is what works"
Mark Latham writing in the AFR 22/09/2011:

Another of the myths of "progressive" politics is that the Gillard Govt's Malaysian deal was likely to offer a solution to illegal immigration. The enthusiasm shown by various Malaysian ministers & their attempts to resuscitate the deal --striking akin to the eagerness of the used car salesman to hold you to an offer you made on a heap of junk hidden in his yard -- should be indication enough that it would not have worked to Australia's benefit.

Yet another myth associated with the 'progressive" side of politics is often presaged by the use of the term "humane" in relation to immigration policy. It has come to mean that we wring our hands and talk about how complex the problem is --then whimpishly accept all comers.