Shadow, was there really an Abbott government, I thought it was all just a bad dream, and Australia had woken up from the nightmare.

Paul,

I don't think that you have ever woken up.

Shadow,

How long did it take you to come up with that bit of sharp witted repartee.

Please try harder in the future, your attempts at humor and satire are somewhat atrocious, even boarder line abysmal.

Just as your man Tone seen himself as a serious political player in the mold of a Winston Churhill or a Franklin Roosevelt, unfortunately the budgie smugglers and clumsy mouth made more for a political Ronald McDonald than anyone else. Some had expectations that his replacement would be the new Karl Marx, unfortunate he is turning out to be the new Harpo Marx, but with less to say on policy.

Posted by Philip S, Friday, 13 May 2016 4:12:27 PM

" ... DreamOn - How would you stop the boats, knowing if you start letting children in the parents will send them on mass knowing that they will soon follow via family reunification? ... "

Stopping the boats does not concern me *Phillip S* but rather providing safe, assisted passage does.

The next thing you do is remove the banner that attracts Asylum Seekers everywhere and that is Australia's "membership" of the Convention. It is a most vile thing that persecutors of Asylum Seekers are permitted to pretend that they are upstanding members when clearly, to me at least, they are not.

As for your comment re:parents and others ensuring to bring a kid, any kid in the hopes of using them as a bargaining chip to ensure a meal ticket for life, I quite agree that desperate people will in all likelihood do exactly that. But here again, this does not concern me, as ever has it been thus.

Where I part with the Greens and others on this is is in the nature of the support and assistance that is provided. That is to say, I do not expect Australia to immediately offer residency to these people. Temporary protection is fine (with basic shelter, food and medicine)

The reason for that is I am not convinced the economy as it is can stand anything other, with entrenched disadvantage for existing citizens only likely to get worse, and also it is I believe as much as we can expect of the scum of the crown to discontinue their centuries long child abusing fettish. I do not think that they are capable of any greater compassion. It is enough for now that they willingly choose to discontinue abusing these people.

My preference is for camps, which can double for those fleeing climate disaster, natural disaster and the like, in geographically isolated areas if you must, in "special economic zones," with a nationalsised approach (at least to start with)

As for family reunion, in the instance of temporary protection it is not relevant.

..

I am not opposed to "lock ward" provisions (providing it is humane, transparent and subjected to peer review) until such time as the medical and security checks are complete, and if I do not misrecall, the last we heard from A.S.I.O. on that is that it generally only takes a month to do this.

And for sure there are a small minority of people amongst the Asylum Seekers that are criminal, whether they be rapists, extremists or otherwise. Those individuals can be detained pending rehabilitation.

Thereafter, much good can come from temporary protection. You see, i.m.o. to prepare an individual who has only ever known a 3rd world into a country like Australia takes a considerable amount of time and resources. This view is one that I have formed following personal experience, as I am now onto my 2nd exotic wife. An extensive orientation program is terribly important. This can be done in the camps with only successful graduates being considered for anything further.

Further, there are a number of areas in the Australian economy which are desperately in need of more workers. Certain of the rural sector industries comes to mind. Once these people have been screened, cleared and trained, you may than care to afford them a "tour of duty" if you like, (to locations where Australians generally do not wish to go let alone work,) much like being drafted, into something more than mere "temporary protection" as and when the economy requires it, and no I am not talking about creating an underclass.

And importantly, then they will really be earning their stripes, in recompense for the protection that they have been afforded.

The reason I think that that will work is one there is an economic need, and two, if you are other than abusive to these people, you will then in a majority of cases earn their respect and also a fierce loyalty.

Paul,

If the snide sarcasm that you parade is your benchmark of humour, then certainly I never intend to match it, as most of us are laughing at you not with you.

Don't give up your day job,