Lexi,

The problem hasn't perplexed several governments, only Labor. The Howard government had it fixed, down to about 1 boat a year compared to the 63 this year. Whatever the coalition spent on border protection per person, their total budget was a tiny fraction of what Labor's policies are costing the nation today, let alone the clogging of the legal system and the blow out on legal costs.

Tony Abbott said no to the beating of children and yes to off shore processing. Juliar spent 15 minutes discussing the issue, and it was her way or nothing. What a useless negotiator. She turned down the coalition's compromise even when her minister for immigration recommended going with Nauru. She said no when her best advice was Nauru. The only party that Juliar will take policy from is the Greens.

As for your sycophantic regurgitation of labor policy, and the unbelievable "the pacific solution didn't work" what next? Is the earth flat?

Labor is easy to beat up on with its raft of bad and failed policies, from Pink batts, school halls, the highest priced carbon tax in the world, and the highest mining tax in the world. They are a total joke.

Every one of Labor's new reforms needs a new tax, and yet we keep going further into debt. The deficit for 2011/12 was at election time predicted at 12bn, in May it was 22bn, and is now 37bn. A $25bn black hole in one year.

How risky is the boat journey anyway?
Indonesian fishermen have been making it for, who knows, maybe hundreds of years with no GPS, no radio's or phones.
What's the real attrition rate among the irregular migration industry's merchant marine?
It's certainly well below 5% probably lower, it's statistically far less dangerous than road travel in that part of the world.
I've no doubt the crossing may be uncomfortable for some travellers but you get what you pay for.

On "Border protection", how can we expect a group of purely political functionaries who are detached from, if not hostile to the very idea of a nation to act in it's defence?

If you do not under stand politics is pure Mathematics you understand nothing about the subject.
Shadow Minister harks back to a past that has gone,and can not be returned to.
Hight Court of Australia Changed every thing.
It however is a handy blind for Shadow Minister.
To pretend we live still in an unchanged world.
To ignore that Nehru, with outlaw changes may be illegal.
That in the view, of Howard's advisers, it is both illegal and,, will no longer work.
If your task is to fool some of the people, not resolve an issue, follow SM.
Lexi, you want better for the boat people, you see the pain, please see with 20/20 vision the impacts.
Like it or not Australia is doing more per head of population than many others.
We however are watching my government, poorly led poorly served by cowards who dither rather than change leaders, at its lowest.
It can not be ignored.
Some/many of these boat people are not here in fear of their life but financial welfare.
John Howard, would have been Prime Minister still, and till death, if not for work choices.
Party's are, like it or not,driven not by internal engines,but voters.
This issue, NEGATIVE Abbott understands, is driving Labor from office.
Fewer people want boat people to stay than go.
At best, to win and retain government,party's must serve the many.
Not tie its self to the sinking rock of the few.
The best achievable out comes result not the best.
Malaysian solution would work.
Unkind to refugees? is it understood we head on rush toward decades of Conservative government?
Because we forget in the end policy's must be acceptable to most voters.
In not focusing on impacts we ignore our self inflicted future pain.

Onya Belly !

SD

Lexi;
Those arriving by boat do need to have a visa.
If they were refugees and were arriving DIRECT from their own country
you would be right, but they have arrived via several countries where
they could have applied for visas.

That is why they are illegal !

Dear Bazz,

You are entitled to your opinion, but not your facts.
Kindly Google the Department of Immigration's fact sheets
about asylum seekers - and you'll learn the facts concerning
the status of their "legality," for yourself.

Cheers.