...Listed among the passengers were Turks. Can anybody explain how a "Turk" could be classified in any way shape or form a "refugee"? Turkey is a well established secular stable Democracy, with an expanding economy!

...In about mid 1900's Lebanon was a confused state whose people were often miss-classified as Turks, and at times Syrians. Are Syrians now being classified as Turks? Does anybody have an idea on this one?..

Perhaps Hasbeen, but;

Howard's gone, old news, passed it, irrelevant, retired, not with it, not here, defunct, superfluous, whatever - he's gone.

Abbott is da'Man Hasbeen, although by your tag I assume you still live in the past - hence your post.

Abbott is not Howard Hasbeen, or do you think Howard is still running the country?

completely different standard the press held when Howard was PM. I see those who railed so much against Howard refuse the same for one of their own. How tragic.

Diver, the way the media initially reported it was that they were "migrants" (not 'refugees' or 'assylum seekers' or 'illegal imigrants' etc) - but migrants.

Why?

BM,

The real question is whether this would have happened under the pacific solution, and the answer is a resounding no.

Why was the pacific solution lifted? The reason was that Juliar and the labor left believed their own myth that the deterrent of the pacific solution was irrelevant and that on shore processing would not increase boat arrivals significantly. As it rapidly became apparent to all that 10 years of labor rhetoric was the worst kind of rubbish that Labor started to panic, and Juliar promised the East Timor solution, then the Malaysian solution, anything but admit that they had got it wrong.

The reason they cannot process off shore is because the shonky Malaysian solution was struck down, their alliance partners the greens wouldn't let them strip all the protections away from the asylum seekers, and hubris wouldn't let Juliar go with Nauru.

Juliar has blood on her hands.

SM

The High Court determination changed the playing field - which part don't you understand?

The "solution" as you put it, "Pacific" or "Malaysia" is defunct - another salient point you also don't seem to understand.

What we are left with is on-shore "processing" - which won't stop the boats - it encourages them.

The Australian government can't do anything about that because Abbott thinks he is running the country. Delusional!

Spin, squirm and worm all you like Shadow Minister - the 'monk' has blood on his hands, period!

Xmas tip: check out the legals before you spout your nonsense tripe.