No one sold anybody down the river, those cleaners and mushroom pickers were all 457 imports.

Hows Abbott distancing himself from his ambition of being PM. That sounds like a staged announcement.

Turnbull is not what was hoped of him, he's far to soft to be PM.

Bazz,

Poirot is using the old labor trick of guilt by association,

Hockey used a taxi company that was crooked, thus he must be crooked,

A mafiosa donated money to the coalition, thus the coalition must be linked,

Tony Abbott stood in front of a placard of "ditch the witch" therefore he completely endorses the sentiment.

It is all smoke and mirrors completely devoid of fact. What Parrot and others forget is that there are plenty of deeply corrupt Labor MPs, and that by comparison Labor is a bunch of thieves.

SM,

"Hockey used a taxi company that was crooked, thus he must be crooked,"

But what?....

"Former federal treasurer Joe Hockey tried to block the release of five-year-old hire car travel details by arguing it could put him at risk by allowing prediction of his movements in a heightened terrorism environment."

Oh right!

"Tony Abbott stood in front of a placard of "ditch the witch" therefore he completely endorses the sentiment."

Hohoho!...I'm sure Tony knew he was standing in front of a placard of "ditch the witch"...but he wasn't there merely for moral support - he addressed the crowd "in front of a placard of "ditch the witch".

Bless him....

And then there are peripheral chappies like these...

"Damien Mantach, former Victorian Liberal Party director, pleads guilty to fraud charges"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-17/former-victorian-liberal-party-director-pleads-guilty-to-fraud/7176154

"Malcolm Turnbull sacks Stuart Robert over China trip"

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-sacks-stuart-robert-over-china-trip-20160212-gmsbtc.html

...and - ho hum...

"Tony Abbott and other Liberals took Rolexes they thought were fake"

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/10/liberals-took-rolex-and-other-designer-watches-assuming-they-were-were-fake

Now, SM, don't disappoint me.

You come straight out and defend these fellas by using the line "They only took them because they thought they were fake."

Exoneration right there!

Dear rehctub,

I will be 91 in October.

You wrote: “I am sure you will agree that those being forced upon us now are much less likely to make so much of themselves (I am generalizing) and more likely to willingly feed from our over generous welfare system, a system that often favours such folk at the detriment of our own, and that's just not fair, no matter which way you look at it.”

I don’t agree. Nobody is being forced on us. Australia is not a colony. Our democratic government has decided on a certain population intake. You along with others elected that government.

Two phrases in the above statement concern me. They are “our over generous welfare system” and “a system that often favours such folk at the detriment of our own”. I don’t think we have an over generous welfare system but rather the current government with its cuts has produced an inadequate system that does not meet needs. I suspect that you would call any welfare system over generous if it existed at all. Who are our own folk? I am reminded of the Nazi saying “ein volk, ein Reich, ein führer”. Any Australian citizen is our own folk even if that citizen has a dark skin, oriental features, is not Christian or wears a turban. The Australian Constitution does not differ among Australian citizens on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion. I don’t see why anyone else should.

I don’t see any unfairness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Australia tells about immigration to Australia. Employment visas (sponsored by an Australian business or state that needs that category of workers, Student visas (Australia makes money from the holders of those visas.) Family visas (types include spouse or contributory parent), Skilled Visas (needed skills that Australia doesn’t have).

There is also a Humanitarian program which in 2012–13 was set at 20,000 places.

continued

continued

The Humanitarian Program is "for people who are subject to persecution in their home country, who are typically outside their home country, and are in need of resettlement. The majority of applicants who are considered under this category are identified and referred by UNHCR to Australia for resettlement. The Refugee category includes the Refugee, In-country Special Humanitarian, Emergency Rescue and Woman at Risk visa subclasses."

It is also "for people outside their home country who are subject to substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of human rights in their home country, and immediate family of persons who have been granted protection in Australia. Applications for entry under the SHP must be supported by a proposer who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, or an organisation that is based in Australia."

My wife has been a volunteer to the Refugee Council of Australia. She has taught English to refugees. Those that she has taught are most eager to learn about Australia and become part of the society.

You are whinging about a small group in need.

There are also undocumented aliens – the boat people and others. Regardless of their qualifications they are sent to offshore detention centres which are apparently so bad that the government supported by Labor has passed laws penalising those who speak about what is happening in them.

You also wrote: “Another huge problem is the fact that not only are many of these people from backgrounds known for supporting and/or inflicting terror onto others, but it has been suggested that up to 40% of them are illiterate in their own language, the consequences of which do not need explaining.”

Many of these people come from horrible backgrounds. One reason many of them come here is that they are trying to get away from those backgrounds. By that reasoning one could deny refuge to the Jews who were trying to get away from Nazi Germany since they are coming from a violent country.

continued

continued

I just read “Infidel” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She was a Muslim from some of the worst places on earth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infidel:_My_Life

“Hirsi Ali writes about her youth in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya; about her flight to the Netherlands where she applied for political asylum, her university experience in Leiden, her work for the Labour Party, her transfer to the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, her election to Parliament, and the murder of Theo van Gogh, with whom she made the film Submission.”

Who knows how many there are like her who would benefit themselves and the society from living in a free society?

Who suggested up to 40% % of them are illiterate in their own language?

You wrote: “So you tell me where I am wrong David?”

You are wrong when you wrote prospective when you probably meant perspective. You are wrong for sounding off without knowing the facts. You are wrong in not wanting to help people in need. You are wrong in being insular and prejudiced. You are wrong in not being critical enough of what you are told. (40% illiterate in their own language) You are wrong in feeling victimised. (“those being forced upon us”) You are wrong in not seeing who the big free loaders are (Our military-industrial complex, our rich private schools wanting subsidies, our tax-exempt churches, our corporate interests wanting handouts).