From your first link, regarding the proposed compromise:

"This would involve using the Pacific Solution-era island of Nauru as an immediate interim measure while the government gets its Malaysian deal in place to swap 800 asylum-seekers for 4000 genuine refugees."

I suppose writing Nauru into the deal gives one party the opportunity to save face, which is the only real reason to compromise, IMO, given the ID advice. It will get the deal done.

Regarding the 5 for 1 swap, the numbers involved would be adjusted into our annual migration intake, which was recently raised. Two points of opinion on this.

Firstly, we should be raising the intake given the massively rising number of displaced people in the world.

Secondly, if the Malaysian swap deterrent works, the numbers arriving from Malaysia under the arrangement will dwindle as boat arrivals dry up.

That there is concern by some about the swap ratio perhaps suggests their lack of faith in the swap working.

If it is given a go, we can see if it does, or not. There is an election in two years, by which time it will be apparent. The swap is worth trying and is far preferable to forcibly turning asylum-seekers in unsafe boats back out to danger in abrogation of our moral (and legal) duty.

It is good to hear Philip Ruddock bring some commonsense into the question of Malaysia's status under the UN convention on refugees and it's possible role in the swap. His suggestions are right on the money.

Forrest Gumpp I have never in all my years here seen a better post.
You from a different side of the fence than me put the facts together that I wish I had.
Our country is in trouble, no not just Labors refusal to admit Gillard is the wrong person.
This issue, this easy fixed issue, may now be fixed.
ALL of us, every one every side of the debate, have let our personal views/politics blind us.
This issue is more important that a pub arm wrestle.
Shadow,you weary me, I consider your part retraction spineless, under stand your naming me was the act of a weak person.
You could, if you had it in you, been seen as truly strong, if you true admitted you got it wrong.
Bloke your man wrote a well reported paper, putting Iran up as one place to send some to.
3 Times this went in Hanzard,during question time, as he was jeered for it.
He never defended it.
You are doing a good job, I take it your task is to defame Labor on every issue.
And to defend Conservatives every time on any issue.
But you are part of the problem, a dreadful awful illness taking this country away from honesty in politics.
And to wards Republican America!
We can do better AUSTRALIA!
Your second reference that I construct lies to rebut you, both over estimates your ability's and under estimates mine.
I hope your Christmas is good do not get too close to the BAR B Q .

A few days ago I suggested that the boat may have been overloaded and this is why it capsized.
Having now seen the boat on the TV it looks like it would not have been overloaded at all.
It looks like an inter island ferry and would have capacity well over 300.
It did however appear to have very low freeboard.
If most of the passengers were on the upper deck, where the row of
windows are and presumably where the seating is located and the lower
deck was unloaded then I would not be surprised if it capsized in the
first open sea swell.
It was probably a ferry intended for sheltered waters, not the ocean.
I am surprised the crew would have taken it out.

Whoever organised it should be charged with manslaughter.

Belly,

I spent some time using a search engine going through Hansard, and the only person talking of sending people to Iran was Chris Bowen. So it would be good if you admitted you got it wrong.

I am not defaming Labor, as what I am saying is true

After listening to Abbott's responses on the morning news this morning re a bi-partisan approach over asylum seekers arriving by boat, it becomes abundantly clear that Abbott is the lowest form of political beast there is.

First him and his party spend taxpayers money during their last reign on changing school text books to those promoting xenophobia and racism. Books that distort the truth from history towards the ideological view of the LNP, then they spend the last 15 or 20 years drumming up hysterical fear about boat people in Australians, now wants to dictate to the Govt, the taxpayer, that we should drop everything, come back from our christmas break and do what he says.And magically everything will be solved.

Some knob jockey on this site on another post attempts to blame the Labor Party for this problem.

Instead of contributing to your society, it makes you feel angry enough to want to stay home instead and be disruptive towards it.

Liars,spivs and urgers abound, all frothing at their self righteous mouths, encouraged and inspired by the the lowest lying,urging Spiv in Australia's political history Tony Abbott.

People can die on boat's until you get your way Tony, because it's all about you and your party in opposition that everybody knows should have been the Govt.Isn't that right.

Dear thinker 2,

I guess it's true:

You can't help serving up lemonade if
you've got nothing but lemons to work with.

There are many politicians of principle in
both parties in Australia but the Liberal Party
under Mr Abbott is certainly no party of principle.