This is what Chris Bowen said in 2006. What a contrast to the ALP Government's current behaviour:
Coalition attempts to excise Australian mainland from migration zone
Posted August 10, 2006
Mr BOWEN (Prospect) (10.17 a.m.) In 1951 the United Nations convention for the protection of refugees came into force. The world realised the mistakes of the 1930s, when many Western nations turned their backs on Jews fleeing persecution in Germany. Collectively, we said, “Never again.” I am sure that all of us involved in public life would like to think that we would have done the right thing in those circumstances and stood up for those facing the worst of circumstances, regardless of whether it was popular or unpopular. If the Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill 2006 passes the parliament today, it will be the day that Australia turned its back on the refugee convention and on refugees escaping circumstances that most of us can only imagine. This is a bad bill with no redeeming features. It is a hypocritical and illogical bill. If it is passed today, it will be a stain on our national character. The people who will be disadvantaged by this bill are in fear of their lives, and we should never turn our back on them. They are people who could make a real contribution to Australia.
And again our worthless media lead the cheer squads
I am still suffering post traumatic stress after the forced deportation of the Bakhtiyari kids, yet Gillard thinks she has the right to do this vile human tradiing, trading even the Herald Sun can't stomach, and how are our media behaving?
They have a prattle to this one and that one and they never ask Bowen why he chose the worst place in the world for refugees.
Not one of the morons has asked that basic question, yet they prattle and babble like gangs of gnats discussing things.
We are trading innocent human beings, sending in armed cops to illegally deport them to a country where they will probably die in jail like more than 1300 others have.
They now use the excuse that they don't want to see people drown - well just 158 kids have drowned on their way to Australia but there were 500 Australian kids drown over the same 10 years and 90 million kids died of starvation.
But we have to go through this vile trading to appease whom?
No-one like it, it is not legal, the UNHCR have not endorsed it and once again we look like the vicious, racist areshole place that we are.
Article 31 of the refugee convention forbids punishment due to method of arrival, but hey we are fucking Australian's run by gnats.
2+2= 5
I still don't get it.
If they take four thousand people from Malaysia, why must they send eight hundred to Malaysia. Why not not just take three thousand two hundred and call it square( tongue in cheek)
As if eight hundred battlers would break this country?
Ignorant, lazy politics
Another gate crashing down
http://www.theage.com.au/national/legal-challenge-may-free-alleged-people-smugglers-20110723-1hubl.html
When one considers that the parliament have been aware for nearly a decade that not one person has ever been charged with or incarcerated for people smuggling one would have thought the media might have noticed before today.
Under the stairs
Saw it on the news. The government announced it has its agreement with the Malaysians but was knocked back by Manus Island, I think. And grubs like Abbott and Hockey then trying to exploit it after spending nearly a decade creating it by then putting it all on Labor.
It's a tie for chutzpah and still thousands of miserable people wait for a break elsewhere.