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Discuss.

On the face of it, I think it's a great idea - especially if the PNGs want them.
Removes the risk of boat people and stops them dead in the water - excuse the pun....

As long as Australia takes their fair share of refugees as per Humanitarian requirements, I don't have an issue with it.

I think it looks like quite a bit of good PR for Rudd - even Abbott was sort of impressed - but then said that he basically thought Rudd would stuff it up!(Now now!)

Mike at Taree

The media are in a froth "no more refugees being taken by Australia, Hell Hole solution as refugees butchered and eaten by PNG rascal gangs from the Highlands" etc.

The point is no refugees being accepted BY BOAT.

If you can afford to give a people smuggler $10k or even more then you can afford a $900 plane fare to Perth or Darwin or wherever. Then immigration will take your refugee application.


Also if you arrive at the airport you will have your documentation. If arriving by boat you may well have chucked it all overboard - you could be Pol Pot for all we know.

I think another problem here is a thoroughly racist view of PNG by some of the media. Bloody coolie mob of amateurs, should send a gun boat to sort the blighters out and show them how the Empire handles things.

Jeez, white man's burden, what ho

Edit: now I'm on a roll - oh dear, boat people to be sent to and settled in a third world country.

Helllooooo where the Hell have they come from in the first place? You don't see many boat loads of Italians, Norwegians or Scots turning up at Christmas Island.

Rhubarb65

Yes, I think you are right Mike. Rudd was quite clear that this scheme applies to boat arrivals and does not preclude asylum settlement through the 'normal' UNHCR channels.

I actually feel that Rudd has stolen a march on Abbott with this and has removed, at a stroke, an area of policy advantage for the Liberal/Nationals.

I suppose you could argue that Rudd was the one who got Australia into this situation in the first place with his dismantling of the Howard-era pacific solution, but I don't think he has done Labor's election chances any harm at all with this policy announcement.

I also feel that government is gambling that the bluntness of the message will dramatically reduce the flow of boats in the weeks and months ahead, single-handedly undermining the 'business model' of the people smugglers - it could work

Mike at Taree

I know we shouldn't be discussing politics or religion but

The Opposition spokesman in an obviously panic response yesterday said that we shouldn't send these people to a dangerous country <racist, much?> where their well being couldn't be guaranteed.

Oh, did he mean they would be safer in a boat that Abbott has ordered to be towed back to Indonesian waters, thus to be eaten by Indonesian sharks as opposed to Australian sharks?

Also doesn't say much for our relations with PNG if the coalition gets in. As you say Abbott has been well and truly dry gulched on this one hahahahahaha.

keel

"No chance of being resettled in Australia as refugees".

That is what Rudd said in his conference. I don't know if it was just me but the way he said this struck me as strange. I don't know if it was what he said or how he said it.

I think a hidden deal has been done with PNG to allow them into Australia after a certain time. A bit like the no advantage test or what ever it was called with Gillard. They'll get to Australia just not straight away.

Can you imagine any country in the world allowing an unlimited number of refugees into their country?

This won't become apparent till after the election

It will work in stopping most of the boats but when you start to get a few hundred true refugees languishing in PNG the bleeding hearts brigade will step in and bring them to OZ and then it will unravel.

Labour doesn't have the balls to see this through to the end.

Keel

Mike at Taree

True refugees as opposed to economic migrants would be actually resettled in PNG. If you look at the countries that the people claiming to be in danger or persecuted come from they are basically Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Now whilst I haven't actually been to those countries I'd guess the standards of living of most urban people there would be fairly equivalent to living in PNG. As many would have skills and even qualifications that could help PNG then it could be a bonus to that country.

I'd also suggest that as in my post above, true asylum seekers to Australia would be advised to arrive by air and would be processed per the treaty.

Amazulu

This plan only lasts for 12 months, then what?

Back to the old socialist open border way, that's what

Socialists f**k everything up that they touch

Rhubarb65

I'm pretty sure 12 months will be long enough to establish whether it has stemmed the flow of boats: if the policy works, you would have to be foolish to tinker with it - oh, wait a minute, that's what Rudd did last time.

I read somewhere that at the time Rudd unravelled the 'pacific solution', there were 10 asylum seekers in detention! If that is true, it was a spectacularly bad decision.

RedDragon2008

They really should just catch the smugglers and make them swim to Australia from about 2kms off Darwin's coast at high tide

quoll

Ah well, they will have met their match in Papua New Guineans methinks. They're pretty hot on payback and standing up for their wontoks. Love PNG and still have some PNG friends but, TBH, it'd scare the pants off me to live there now.

Rhubarb65

If there has been a hidden deal done, this would be political dynamite. No, I think they are serious when they say that boat arrivals have no chance of realising asylum status in Australia. I'd agree that the humanitarian pressure within Australia could rise if truly large numbers of people end up languishing in PNG or these people are found to be treated outside the refugee convention (and I wouldn't discount some sort of legal challenge).

In the short term, Rudd has just deflated the Liberal/National balloon and hasn't committed Australia beyond 12 months - I don't like KR as a politician, but I have to say it looks like an astute move - only time will tell!

Zen10

Interesting watching Rudd outflank Abbott on the right. Hell, this would even outflank Howard on his right! He knows he needs the votes. No boats = votes.

commonwealth

The boat ride from PNG to Qld is just 4 kms long. They need to guard the Torres Strait very tightly

Pollyana

Thats very true, I forsee an increase in the number of rescues we have to organise in the Torres Strait

the troubadour

Nothing but a cynical move on the part of Rudd in order to gain power at any cost in appealing to the red neck bogan vote. Abbott had it pretty much sown up with his Slogans for Bogans.

We shall see how effective the process is. Fact remains there are no facilities in PNG to house asylum seekers and Australia will meet all costs involved which will be considerable.

Unlikely PNG will be in any position to settle anyone being a corrupt, diseased crime ridden nation which is highly unlikely to be a safe nor accepted option.

The PNG more likely to pocket a lot of money from Australia and accept very few for settlement. The idea being of course to stop the flow out of fear.

The likelihood is that all will end up in Australia at some stage anyway as what happened under the Howard government Manus Island smokescreen.

The devil will be in the detail sadly unforthcoming. The scheme is likely to fail although may slow the numbers.