IN one sense, the government has been fortunate to be swamped with so many issues of concern recently. It meant that public attention was drawn away from the increasingly fraught subject of asylum seekers.

Yet that issue has definitely not gone away. In fact, the boats and their human cargo continue to arrive, having paid many thousands of dollars to people smugglers for the privilege of risking their lives on the sea between Indonesia and Australian territory.

And all the while, Julia Gillard's government continues to insist the spike in asylum seeker numbers is somehow not its fault, and that Tony Abbott's opposition is to blame.

The government repeatedly insists its own legislative record demonstrates stability and purpose. Well, let's see this much-vaunted stability in legislation that might stop asylum seekers from travelling around the world for a chance at Australian residency or citizenship. If ever there was evidence the government's policies are acting as a draw to asylum seekers, it is shown in today's exclusive Daily Telegraph story on claimed asylum seekers who are now making return visits.

Having had residency rejected years ago, they now feel the time is right to give it another shot. Significantly, some returnees made their first attempts prior to the Howard government's successful Pacific Solution, which saw arrival attempts plummet.

The government can argue as much as it likes about push factors and coalition opposition in parliament, but it is plain that the weakening of asylum seeker policies is the primary factor in the ongoing rise in arrivals.

The proof is in the arrivals themselves. For real expertise in the matter of asylum seekers, look to the asylum seekers. They aren't risking their lives because they think that the government is clamping down on them. Quite the opposite.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/exploiting-weak-boat-people-policy...


Also in the DT on this issue, which Gillard clearly has no control over...

Rejected illegal immigrants returning to try again:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/rejected-refugees-get-back-on-boa...

Record year of arrivals:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/record-year-of-asylum-seekers/story-e6freu...

Armada of people smuggling boats:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/flow-of-illegal-boats-to-australia-becomes-an-a...

Any way you look at it, Labor has turned this into their most epic fail.

Armchair_Politician wrote on May 18^th, 2012 at 7:47am:


Had they joined the legitimate queue the first time around they could now be living in cheap public housing and living it up big on Centrelink.....

[quote][/Good & accurate editorial from Daily Telegraph]
LOL phony Tony's office skirt would write that.

The Daily Telegraph is a joke. The articles are pure fiction written by C grade journalists.

If it is a good and accurate editorial, why then brush aside push factors caused by the Howard government.


Push factors like the illegal invasion of Iraq and the lost civil war caused by USA foreign policy that the Right supported blindly.



Also why no mention of the massive waste of tax payers cash caused by the path both old parties want to take, that are illegal.

Why no mention, the cheapest, most humane and most logical path forward is the Greens' path of processing on the mainland and moving these people into the community as soon as the safety measures have been completed.


Then there is the future push factor

Human caused Climate Change and the refugees these will cause. Then measure this with the policies of the three main parties. Greens are the superior on climate change adaption and on refugees.

If this is a good and accurate editorial to the opening poster, then stop reading with both eyes closed.

Swagman wrote on May 18^th, 2012 at 10:23am:



What UN resolution sanctioned it before the invasion?

Godwins law of right wing politics.

When under pressure, say "stop the boats".

cods wrote on May 18^th, 2012 at 12:23pm:


"Stop the boats"