No, sorry, but I am still not convinced about 'economic migrants' abusing the system.

If you are well off and safe in the country you live in, why would you risk death for you and your family by travelling on a long sea voyage on relatively small, crowded, fishing boats, having used all of your money to pay people smugglers?

It doesn't make sense to me that unless you are desperate to leave your homeland, why would you risk drowning in order to leave?

As for the rubbish about being upset for all the 'poor homeless people' here in Australia, I doubt anyone here really does care about them.
The main problem is the upset at having all the Muslims come to Australia isn't it?

You nailed it suseonline, with your last sentence. If these people were white Christians from the USA, Canada, England etc etc then the bigots here would be SILENT.

Pjack I warned you!
Truth is avoided as much as possible in this debate.
Look not nice but fairdinkum most Australians want the boats stopped.
Abbott does not.
Until he is boss, it is too good a tool to put away, yet.
How do we or he stop them?
You will get many answers including turning on a sovereign nation, Indonesia.
We after building relation ships, both sides of Parliament, will not do that.
The world stands on the edge of a refugee crisis, the killings in Muslim country,s,the increased take over of some by Islamists, will double maybe triple the flow.
Of true refugees and the first wave, economic [those with big money to pay].
We may well see and should see3 the UNHCR make laws to take economic refugees out of its miss used protection rules.
Remember this is not an Australian only thing.
And too focus on the Arab Winter, it will chill us all.

Philip s,
our predictions were spot-on, the morons are coming out of their holes en-masse & signing up for the annual lemming run.

@Susie-on-something,

<<If you are well off and safe in the country you live in, why would you risk death ...>>

Relative to most of southern Asia practically everyone in Oz is BETTER OFF . If you were a small farmer or merchant anywhere in southern Asia, the Middle East or Africa why wouldn't you take the chance to elevate your financial position?

And as for <<the risk life and limb>>?

Heck, it is probably no more dangerous than crossing the street in Mumbai!

And you have the people smugglers --like, Mr Ambon, here telling them it's AOk

"I will take care of the boat, the engine, get it overhauled everything, get the fuel loaded, OK, the supplies loaded, OK"
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-25/footage-shows-indonesian-people-smuggler-discussing-his-business/4777288

And its highly likely they relos or contacts already in Oz saying "come on down and enjoy the freebies, the livin is easy compared to back home!"

individual,

I wait patiently for the day when you're able to actually mount an argument without recourse to labelling anyone who doesn't agree with you as a moron....not holding my breath on that one.

Yes, I note the latest catch-phrase is "economic migrant". That's coming from both sides of the political fence.

I'm also curious as to why these people would flee, solely reliant on cramped unsafe vessels to make their way here. It certainly smacks more of desperation than a luxury cruise.