Paul1405 "Asylum seekers arriving in leaky boats is not to be encouraged, in fact we should do our best to discouraged it, but it is understandable why people are prepared to undertake such a perilous journey."

Great, to see you venture from your cosy shell at last, Paul1405.

So, how do discourage arrival by leaky boat? The Greens solution, if it is not to provide a free shuttle-service, is at least to decriminalize shuttling asylum seekers in the hope better boats and crews will result and minimize risk. Good so far, now let's have two groups of asylum seekers, one processed through the refugee camps of the world and another arriving on shuttle boats requiring processing. Who is going to wait languishing for years in camps? If it is clear there is no barrier to entry, ant trails will end at our door from all over the world, facilitated by private operators, governments, the UN and Greens.

Of course what a wonderful thing this would be for Australia's future. Millions arriving to serve our nation, unfettered by the need for documentation, just pull up a chair at the table we have prepared, no limit to numbers.

But wait, Paul1405 writes, "Australia needs to work with other governments to do our best to deal with the international problem of refugees." Could that mean stop wars, famine, disaster, poverty so refugees won't exist? Or, does it mean the Malaysian solution, which with UN blessing, can actually save Australia from becoming a human dumping ground?

Who knows? Greens clearly haven't thought past their noses about the problem. All they know is how they feel, which is sorry for asylum seekers. Well guess what, Paul1405, so is Labor, so why don't you get together with an electable solution quickly before you're annihilated at the next election for your detachment from reality

Will the conservatives please post their solution to the immediate problem of asylum seekers, and to the wider problem of refugees world wide? If all you can offer is some simplistic solution to a complex problem, then you may well be barking up the wrong tree. Where do you see Australia fitting into the 'big picture'?

Why expect anything from conservatives under Abbott? The plan to stop boats by naval force and maintain an annual intake from refugee camps is simplistic, sure, but electable when the even more simplistic idea of throwing the borders open to all-comers without limit is the opposing option. Greens have split the Labor vote so the Malaysian solution under an absolute Labor majority is an impossibility.

Under a possible coalition led minority government, Greens can remain in the same stymieing position, denying the majority will on border control and immigration.

Luciferase, The Greens have made their position on off shore processing quite clear, we do not support it, the voters can past judgement on that. Unfortunate Labor and the Coalition chose to play political football with the whole asylum seeker issue. Abbott has no concern for asylum seekers what so ever, he is far more interested in a game of political point scoring. I don't believe either Gillard or Abbott have a humanitarian bone in their bodies. Then again Abbott is a product of Howard and his children overboard lie.

OK Paul1405, that's the Greens position, no offshore processing and no limits on the number coming in just a welcome mat to anybody who can get here by any means without ID and just a story, with everybody given the benefit of the doubt.

We are a relatively wealthy country made wealthy by a few million people. Our ability to assimilate (at all levels) the growing numbers Greens' policy will attract is is a concern to the majority of Australians, I believe, and they will vote accordingly.

Luciferase, You distort the Greens policy on refugees with the simplistic line,
"no offshore processing and no limits on the number coming in just a welcome mat to anybody."
That is not the case at all, a policy that has no less than 37 points is not that simplistic. If you think, the be all and end all to the worlds or even Australia's refugee problems is simply off shore processing, then you are, as I said, barking up the wrong tree. Unfortunately Labor and the Coalition persist with playing the race card, happy to play political football with peoples lives and then look for a scapegoat in the Greens. "Those nasty Greens wont let us hide those asylum seeker in Siberia, boo, hoo as they cry more crocodile tears. As I asked previously. What is your answer to the question of refugees for the world and Australia? the conservatives will continue to be silent on this question as they have no viable answer.