Navy intercepts seventh boat of asylum-seekers in two months

[Q.]

maybe, but gee it's fun vilifying them because they're all radical islamic terrorists

Hey, it wins votes...

[dedja]

apparently ...

[Bat Pad]

It is not unlawful to enter Australia without a visa for the purpose of seeking asylum.

If you are a refugee

[redandblack]

No.

[Psyber]

Yes, BP and the plane arrival overstayers are definitely illegal.
So there are far more 'illegals' than asylum seekers, but there seems to be a concentration on the far smaller number of asylum seekers.
I wonder why that would be?

Unlawful Entry upsets people as we don't know who they are, or what their motivations are, until they are investigated.
And then some of them stack on a turn about their processing being delayed, despite the fact they caused that themselves by entering unlawfully without papers.

Lawful arrivals who overstay illegally are less disturbing as we know who they are and that they will leave as contracted when we find them - there is less uncertainty.
(That is, apart from those who get in "lawfully" on forged papers - I don't have a percentage for that.)

[Sojourner]

Another tragedy has occurred, hundreds feared to have drowned as a boat has capsized leaving Indonesia for Australia.

Wish all sides of the political spectrum would agree that the boat trips need to be stopped to prevent this from happening over and over again as it keeps on doing. Time for a Bi-Partisan approach and for some tough decisions to be made from our PM and the leader of the Opposition.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/hundreds- ... 6225006113

[Q.]

Process maritime arrivals as we do with plane arrivals and prosecute those who run unsafe boats. Pretty damn simple, but I guess it might mean downsizing Serco operations in Australia...

[Sojourner]

Still does not stop the boat trips, more people will continue to die, irrespective of what processes are used there is no place for boat trips to continue if we genuinley want to show compassion towards asylum seekers.

[Q.]

Still does not stop the boat trips, more people will continue to die, irrespective of what processes are used there is no place for boat trips tpo continue if we genuinley want to show compassion.

Nothing is going to stop the boat trips. My point is if you stop prosecuting all who run boats, and only prosecute those who run unsafe boats, then you will see a net effect on safety. Short of running our boats, this makes sense.

[Gozu]

Still does not stop the boat trips, more people will continue to die, irrespective of what processes are used there is no place for boat trips to continue if we genuinley want to show compassion towards asylum seekers.

This is a rubbish line the Lab/Libs like to churn out, the reality is of course you can't stop the boats. You cannot (and should not) stop people fleeing persecution. We have a responsibility as signatories to the refugee convention to take people in (like they do everywhere else, in much greater numbers too) and not send them off to Malaysia or Nauru or whatever god forsaken country the strategists in the Lab/Libs think might appeal to the morally bankrupt.

As the govt has swan dived into the sewer with the Libs on this, here's an idea, how about when they turn up on our shores we shoot the first five to get off the boat? As a deterent to all future asylum seekers, who knows how many lives such a compassionate idea like that might save?

[Sojourner]

Former poster boy of the Labor Left does not appear to agree with you Gozu,

From the Australian today,

"Yesterday, Mr Latham, who led Labor to defeat in the 2004 election, said there was nothing compassionate about encouraging people-smuggling. "The boats sinking and families dying is a direct consequence of the so-called compassionate people who support onshore processing," he told the Sky News's Australian Agenda. "I just still find it an amazing disconnect between the way in which the Greens and the Labor Left talk about this issue and the way in which reality deals with it.

"You can't be compassionate and you can't have a heart, you can't have a good soul, if you encourage people to get on boats that sink."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 6225251524

[Q.]

The 'compassion' argument is contradictory if the suggested alternatives are equally inhumane.

[Gozu]

Former poster boy of the Labor Left does not appear to agree with you Gozu,

From the Australian today,

"Yesterday, Mr Latham, who led Labor to defeat in the 2004 election, said there was nothing compassionate about encouraging people-smuggling. "The boats sinking and families dying is a direct consequence of the so-called compassionate people who support onshore processing," he told the Sky News's Australian Agenda. "I just still find it an amazing disconnect between the way in which the Greens and the Labor Left talk about this issue and the way in which reality deals with it.

"You can't be compassionate and you can't have a heart, you can't have a good soul, if you encourage people to get on boats that sink."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 6225251524

That's why I suggested shooting the first five people to step off the boat, I'm compassionate!

Compassion is opening your arms to those who seek help not trying to send them off for whippings in Malaysia.

Not for the first time Latham's wrong. The problem we have with the clowns in Canberra is them continually trying to politicise asylum seekers, they have no shame.

[Sojourner]

What is up at the ALP? - Crawling to Tony Abbot to reintroduce measures they cut and spoke against when they took over from John Howard? Give it time and the ALP could once again be more right wing conservative that the Liberals!

The Left of the ALP must be really pleased to see this happening. - I do wonder if those on the Left that so vehemently opposed the sending of people to Nauru will quit the ALP and cross to the Greens and be consistent, or if they will simply sell out admitting that their core beliefs are for sale to the highest bidder providing their own nests are feathered?

http://resources.news.com.au/files/2011 ... letter.pdf

[redandblack]

Soj, one side of politics is trying to compromise and find a solution. The Government wrote to Tony Abbott a few days ago and said that if a solution wasn't found, more people would die by drowning.

Abbott refused to meet.

More people drowned thenext day.

Mr Ruddock and Mr Sinodinos said a solution, including Malaysia, could be found.

The Government said they'd reconsider Nauru to try to compromise.

Mr Abbott refused to meet.

Mr Abbott said the Government had to put up a written proposal.

The Government put up a written proposal.

Mr Abbott said he wouldn't budge on Malaysia and would only accept a Nauru solution.

Both sides have their political interests at heart, of course, but...

Which side is prepared to compromise?

Which person won't?

The problem is that to Mr Abbott, politics comes a long way before policy or decency.

[southee]

Yes .... It's solely Tony Abbotts fault !!!

[Sojourner]

Clearly must be!

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/pri ... 6227960780

[redandblack]

Clearly must be!

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/pri ... 6227960780

Soj, quoting Limited News publications as back up is lightweight stuff.

Quoting Miranda Devine's opinion is even worse.

Just to show that, how about seeing if you can find an article written by her that's totally positive about the Government.

You'll be looking a long time, I'd suspect.

PS: I note that neither you or Southee disagree with my order of events

Oh, finally, all the best for Christmas to you, Southee, Jimmy and all who I've enjoyed jousting with this year. And the same best wishes to the sensible posters who generally share my views, but post them much more persuasively than I do

[smac]

Sounds to me like the Govt won't compromise on Malaysia, which doesn't make them blameless. Does it?

[redandblack]

Well smac, the Government is compromising on Nauru.

The Opposition is compromising on nothing.

No-one is blameless, including The Greens, but Mr Abbott's idea of compromise is to give nothing.