And this one is not merely a localised outrage - the world press is all over it.

BBC
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-33105531

CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/12/asia/australia-smuggling-payment-claims/index.html

Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/12/us-australia-indonesia-asylum-idUSKBN0OS08Q20150612

Jakarta Post
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/13/indonesia-demands-answers-australia-asylum-boat-payment.html-0

BBC - Manus Island
http://linkis.com/www.bbc.com/news/0nQ80

To name a few....

What interests me is that we are alleged to have paid each crew member about $5K each to turn around but aren't the passengers supposed to be paying $10K plus each for the trip?

I realise the crew aren't necessarily the smugglers who are taking the passengers' money and are probably just hired lackeys but they would have some explaining to do when they get back.

What happened to those Vietnamese fishing boats we bought to replace the fibreglass ones we use to send them back.

It seems we are spending a lot of money on boats that have "stopped".

Nevertheless I believe it happened and makes us an international joke.

There are countries where it is alleged that officialdom and entrepreneurs make tidy sums from welcoming economic migrants and facilitating their smuggled, illegal entry to the target countries of their choosing.

The first priority must be to break their business model. The best way of doing that is to prove to the economic migrants that the criminal people smugglers do not deliver what they promise.

In short, restore as best we can the Pacific Solution of John Howard that was destroyed by Kevin Rudd, who was later was disgraced and reviled by his own Labor party for his poor judgement, refusal to take advice and general stuff-ups.

This was outrageous and how soon some forget,

http://tinyurl.com/na5ll3b

Personally, this whole People Smuggling racket, is beyond me ? If a 'leaky boat' attempts to land on an Aussie territory, with the clear intent to disembark illegitimate refugees, than the government should do all things possible to prevent such a landing, without the need of a some government figure unwittingly becoming party of a technical malfeasance ?

I'm sick to the back teeth of hearing other countries, and that morally corrupt United Nations, trying to tell Australia what we 'must' do, concerning who can land on our sovereign territory ! This country is presently 'AWASH' with all manner of criminals who've gained ingress by engaging in a cleverly structured process of deceit and trickery, while posing as legitimate refugees. And by so doing, selfishly denying bona fide refugees, immediate sanctuary !

If the government has paid these smugglers to turn back, they're knowingly aiding and abetting a crime. Turn them back at the muzzle of a .50 cal. Barrett, if they'll not turn round voluntarily !

Incidentally, any outrage expressed by Indonesia, resulting from Australia's decision to turn these vessels back, tough ! They've not got a moral leg to stand on, given their intractable stance on executing people !

Obviously Greens/Labour voters have extremely short memories. No shame with 1200 plus drownings and over 1000 kids in detention. Now they want to be moral policeman. Please give us a break from your hypocrisy. You are about as sincere as Ms Triggs.

o sung wu,

I have to say that those 'leaky' boats are usually not so leaky before being sabotaged, hull and engine, after the mobile phone call is made to the land-based contacts who inform authorities, advocates, activists and the media (not necessary in that order) to arrange for the taxi cab in the form of a patrol boat from the desired host country (Australia, for instance).

Although even rafts of packing crates would have been sufficient when the Australian navy was being required by the feckless Labor+Greens government (Gillard and Greens Bob 'the pirate' Brown) to sail all of the way to Indonesia to do what the Indonesian navy should have been doing.

It is a matter of fact that negative stereotype of Asian built boats is absolute rot. Their fishing boats are very highly regarded as well made, strong and sea worthy. That applies to craft years old too, where they are as strong and sea kindly as the day they were made by skilled craftsmen using techniques proved through the passage of years.

Major US manufacturers of luxury boats have been having them made in Asian shipyards for years. My family has owned several cruisers in the 42-65' range. Their preferred make was usually constructed in Singapore but recently, Malaysia. Almost all of the top quality 40'-75', Grand Banks are from Asia. Nordhavn, Krogen, Marlow, Outer Reef, Grand Alaskan, Horizon and so on are made in Asia.

Work boats for fishing are hand made in solid high quality timber by local shipwrights with exquisite joinery.

The people smugglers who plied their noxious trade (including drugs and all manner of other illegal cargoes, but people smuggling is obviously more profitable and lower risk to the gangs) would not have been anywhere near as successful without the contacts in Australia who directly and indirectly supported them.

Authorities could document and publish the money trails to 'out' the SOBs in Australia who flea off people smuggling, many even justifying their money making as 'moral', but that would only tip off the small but highly organised syndicates to change their approaches.