Our treatment of asylum seekers is going to be
remembered as an extraordinary period in our history.

Much has been hidden from the Australian public.
Much is not as it appears and many people are
engaged in covert activities of which we know
nothing. It seems that maintaining their slogans
are more important to the current government
than people. There is so much that remains obscure.
And, why our government is behaving the way it is -
in face of the unambiguous policies of retaining
legitimate refugees - beggars belief.

The explanations given by both the Prime Minister and
the Immigration Minister are totally inadequate and
inconsistent - and look like being a
cover-up operation of extraordinary ingenuity and
persistence. This is very disturbing and
should be of great concern to all of us.

I would like to remind people of the case of
Tamil asylum seeker - Leo Seemanpillai - who set himself
on fire in Geelong. His family were denied a visa to
attend his funeral:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-18/asylum-seeker-who-set-himself-on-fire-remembered-at-funeral/5533194

This is not the Australia that I grew up in.
No longer is it a country that we can proudly claim
to give a "fair go to all."

Like the Reichskinder they spawned from Fuhrer Howard, the current cabinet is keeping the status quo. Just a bit more brazenly, no boats...why then a 3,500 pax centre being built at Mokerang then?

Poirot et al,
If you can't wait for the trouble you're so keen to invite, why not go to places where this kind of idiocy is already in place ? Why not go to the Ukraine or Syria or Aghanista or wherever ?
I don't share your stupidity of bringing trouble here. So, if want that sort of life then go there, don't drag us into it.

'No longer is it a country that we can proudly claim
to give a "fair go to all." '

Oh dear Foxy when did we ever give a fair go to all. There are literally billions on this planet who don't get a 'fair'go. Many of them have been waiting for years in camps for a 'fair' go to come to Australia. Many who hate the Western lifestlye have come on boats, happy to steal our welfare and go and fight in other countries.

By all means up the intake of refugees but to encourage illegals is stupidity as well as heartless.

Foxy,

<<This is not the Australia that I grew up in>>

Yes alas –as you are so fond of pointing out – we now live in multicultural Australia!

--A place where criminal gangs make fortunes smuggling --anyone who can pay their fee-- halfway across the world to our shores.
--A place where satisfied & now settled people smugglers (former) customers channel monies to relations overseas so they try the same trick, and
--Where sympathisers prowl social media bombing us with cut and pastes or links which intend to malign & silence anyone who seeks to rein-in the scam.

Fair go! ...I don't think those in camps waiting to be selected would see more of the Gillard-Rudd open business to smugglers as a fair go.

Foxy, "This is not the Australia that I grew up in. No longer is it a country that we can proudly claim to give a 'fair go to all.'"

So you finally concede that Australians have been generous in welcoming many thousands of refugees and migrants since WW2 and always did the very best possible for them?

Checked, the moon is Waxing Gibbous, 79% full. The super full moon occurs on Monday, 11 August 2014 at 4:10 AM (Sydney). The next blue moon? Gosh, that is a rare event isn't it?