'evening, FOXY and HASBEEN...

HASBEEN;... you've 'outed' me ! No, just the usual ol' mate, several BCC's that needed excising and off to pathology for testing - to ensure they got all the 'margins' of it out completely ?

HASBEEN, as an old Navy type, you'd have the same skin issues as me, particularly when you were Master of your own vessel, during those leisurely sailing days ? With a bevy of beautiful girls to distract you, in your meanderings through the balmy seas of the South Pacific !

Hi FOXY...

There's no enmity between you and me I sincerely hope ? Sure, politically speaking, we are diametrically opposite in our views and opinions. You're a very shrewd, adept opponent, whenever we choose to 'engage', often flooding your thread with citations ? Citations that generally have their origins from sources contiguous with the 'Left' ?

You do manage to harness all your feminine wiles and guile, whenever there's a shift in the debate ? And what's wrong with that ? Nobody should be so sensitive as to present themselves as a mere 'wilting violet' on topics that are particularly emotive or controversial in substance ?

I remember this old crook I'd pinched over and over again for the same street offences; fighting, assault & battery, bit of thieving etc., to a point I was so familiar with him, I always called him by his street nickname ('lumps and bumps'). One day after 'printing' him for the umpteenth time, he said, '...you know chief, we all bleed when we're cut...' a most prescient edict from one so socially challenged I thought ?

Occasionally, when any of us are 'stung' by another's remark, we tend to 'act up' or retaliate in a manner that should be quite foreign for a facility such as this ? After all, we're all total anonymous to each other, and it matters very little what we all think of one another ? Just enjoy the moment, and more importantly take 'NOTHING' to heart, for life is already too short eh ?

Hi there ONTHEBEACH...

There's no doubt JAY of MELBOURNE does have the ability to pull all these different components of the argument together very admirably I would've thought ? His research capacity must be impeccable.

Indeed, the LNP have inherited a real mess with this refugee question. And with great credit, they've managed to halt any further boat arrivals hopefully. Yet they're still receiving negative reporting from many in the media, when they've managed to clear most of the children that were still in custody ? Actually I've heard on the news, there were only 100 or so children still left in detention, mainly because they choose to remain in the care of their family, while the family's refugee status was still subject to review ?.

You know, if only we could get some realistic cooperation with the Indonesians, to do their part in identifying people smugglers, and come at the problem from two directions. Thankfully the boats have not returned, still these smugglers are just quietly waiting just over the horizon, for many more refugees to reach out for the perilous trip to Christmas Island and welfare for life ? These people smugglers rely on these folk who need to seek out a better life, certainly not for any misguided altruistic motivation, purely for large sums of money, in a currency that's easily cashable ?

Thanks mate.

Dear O Sung Wu,

Thank You for your thoughts.

No, there is no animosity towards you.

How could there be? You've always supported me
in the past.
Especially during my difficult times
when I was dealing with a few health problems.
For that I shall always be grateful.

As for our politics? My views are not set in concrete.
They never have been - and to me it all depends on
what my logic dictates. I do not like bullying tactics -
having been bullied both at school and work.
I think in today's political arena many people would be
grateful to elevate the one impressive person who might
have a vision for our country. We need a party that
under the right leadership takes on policy portfolios
to an electorate fed up with the current under-achievers
and party hacks. Large elements in the electorate yearn
for a leader who could cut through party constraiants
and lead with conviction.

But where is such a person?
Hopefully we'll find out before the next election.

Mind if I bring a fact or two into the discussion.

From the report it is obvious that the time spent in detention is the biggest factor in promoting psychological deterioration and rates of self harm among children.

So what happened to the number of children being held for over 3 months after the Abbott Government got in? By January 2014 it had more tripled, from around 400 to 1200 and the rates for those held over 6 months had reached record levels. This was part of their policy of deterrence.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-23/human-rights-commission-chart/6219702

This graphic shows what happened to over all rates of time spent in detention.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-23/breakdown-of-time-spent-in-onshore-detention/6220884

Just look at the 12 month rate blowing out.

Both governments have a lot to answer for but what the Abbott government did was to dramatically escalate, in a calculated manner, the punitive, harmful, inhumane lengthy incarceration of these minors.

If people want to make the case that these measures were necessary to 'stop the boats' then you are welcome to do so. But please do not continue to wheel out the line that somehow the Abbott lot are in anyway more humane or have done a better job of looking after those refugee children in their care, because they patently have not.

Triggs is an admirable person shining a light on an issue that blights us as a nation. Those who are attacking her for doing her job are partisan nut jobs who need to be ashamed of themselves.

Steele you wouldn't know a fact even if it jumped up & bit you on the ass.

This dreadful woman has used a public funded position to push her own personal ideology, a truly disgusting act common with lefties. I see you approve.

We should never under any circumstance ever again let anyone, from one month to 100 years old enter Australia by gate crashing. This playing on the heart strings of decent people is just another con job to get the kids families allowed in, where they have no right to be.

With people like you around we certainly don't need to import any more potential enemies.

SteeleRedux, one eyed as usual -

"But please do not continue to wheel out the line that somehow the Abbott lot are in anyway more humane or have done a better job of looking after those refugee children in their care, because they patently have not."

Can you cut and paste a quote from anyone who you think said the above. No one is making that claim. You are twisting things to make a lame point to divert attention from the facts Labor had 2000 children in detention; 200 are now there under the Coalition Govt.

"Triggs is an admirable person shining a light on an issue that blights us as a nation. Those who are attacking her for doing her job are partisan nut jobs who need to be ashamed of themselves."

Triggs admirable, LOL. Give us a break! Her timing was totally partisan but that's okay for you as she is a Labor/Greenie stooge. The so called 'attack' is has and always been on her timing. Those who point out the truth you call nut jobs. Take a long look in the mirror hypocrite.