Ant,

Australian aid to the needy has always been by comparison to the rest of the world proportionately generous. The problem is that number of people needing aid world wide is far beyond Australia's capacity. There comes the hard decision of doing the best that one can within the available aid budget. Doing something small but significant for many, or a lot for a select few. The permanent residence that comes with welfare, housing, free schooling and medical, especially for those 85% (or so) that are unemployed, comes to somewhere near $50 000 p.a. per person. Which at the moment is ramping up spending at about $50m p.a. every month, as the illegal migration exceeds all historical norms.

The government of Australia while needing to focus on the needy in other countries, has a duty to consider its own citizens first. According to Bob Carr this could easily ramp up to 180 000 p.a. if a deterrent is not put in place.

Wrong I would guess that the budgeted 450 per month was based on the method you said but it is nearly now 2,000 not counting the 80 that were picked up overnight.
You can not calculate the cost without knowing the number that will arrive you can estimate but I would say 2,000 plus arriving as opposed to 450 estimated was not a very good calculation.
The fact the taxpayer has to support any that arrive is the issue.
In your scenario re global warming I would bet Indonesia would use there navy to STOP any people going there.
You still failed to answer my questions.

Con't Even the UN has said a lot of these people are Economic refugees so with that be your hypothetical scenario if flawed

Redone
Even the UN has said a lot of these people are Economic refugees so with that said, your hypothetical scenario is flawed.

Phillip,
Setting aside for the moment that this is a stupid question as it has no relevance to the matter at hand, as in one cannot generalise from the specific, I took none.
How and where and in what manner I support a whole range of charities is - not to put too fine a point on it - none of your, or anyone else's, business.
And if that question, which seems to be so important to you, is the best way you can think of to move your argument forward, then I think you've already lost.
Anthony
http://www.observationpoint.com.au

Ant,

Actually, since you have retired and have an independent source of income, you are in the enviable position of being free from Labor's future tax hikes necessary to fund its profligacy. You sound like many of the greens and other bleeding hearts that are quite happy to spend other peoples' money on their causes.