http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/...le-says-hawke/

"We cant stop the boats and we are all boat people" says Bob Hawke. Is he right should be let the boat people stay?

I'm not a boat person. I found the place from the air. I think there should be a law whereby no previous PM can ever be asked their opinion on current politics. At least he's funny most of the time.

except that would still allow d!ckheads like Mark Latham a voice

I hate socialists - mainly because of knobs like this.

I don't see any difference between arriving by boat or arriving by air. I think that anyone who arrives without a visa is an illegal immigrant and should immediately be treated as such and denied entry. If they have destroyed their identity paperwork they should be put on the first plane back from where they came from to get the proper paperwork.

I'm surprised you're posting a thread about foreigners. You've never really shown an interest in the topic before.

Bob Hawke said it takes Initiative and courage to get to Australia illegally by boat so they should be allowed to stay. So l guess those who come to OZ illegally by plane dont have initiative and courage so they get deported while the boat people get to stay.

He forgot shedloads of money that could have paid for a legitimate visa.

I just can't believe he is being given airtime. I just hope it's temporary because I really don't like watching him.

Life's not perfect, deal with it!

Yes he's right; we can't stop the boats. No, we shouldn't let every boat person stay. Each case must be judged on its own merits. Boat people can stay if (and only if) they are found to be genuine refugees.

No, we are not all boat people.

No, he didn't, you know.

He didn't say that asylum seekers were arriving illegally (he would have been factually incorrect if he had) and he didn't say they should be allowed to stay just because they had initiative and courage.

Hawkes a has been who needs to hang out with Latham

The former Labor prime minister [Mr Hawke] repeated his attack on Mr Abbott describing him as "mad as a cut snake" and said Australia needed people like those arriving by boat to claim asylum because they had initiative and courage.

This wording of 'illegal' is often picked over.
The question is .. Is it legal for us to arrive in Australia without a Visa ?
If it is legal, then why won't they let us in without one ?
If it isn't legal, then it is illegal.

The odd thing is this bit.. Howard stopped them, so I don't see why Hawke says it can't be done, when it actually can be done.

To be fair it depends I suppose mate as in effect you can't stop the boat people as they will always try but you can make it harder for illegal boat people to see this as an acceptable solution, which is what Howard did.

Hawke is a has been. who listens to him anyway mate