Can Tony Abbott stop the boats without

[donnashuggy]

the cooperation of Indonesia.

[***super_nova***]

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

re: obligations?

this obligation would depend. I suppose, on there being an Australian vessel in the area. After all, if a vessel had to travel 400km it would take about ... what ... 20 hours at least? I don't know how fast the vessels are, but surely it must take several hours at least.

unless of course Australia is expected to have a vessel continually up in that area just in case?

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I always thought that it is the nearest vessel.  How far did we travel to rescue lone yachtsmen or yachtswomen?  And the thing is our vessels are hanging around the area south of Java.  Indonesia does not have in that area port supporting ships suitable for sea rescue.  

[**meep**]

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@donnashuggy wrote:

the cooperation of Indonesia.

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How can he? The co-operation included military operation to combat people-smuggling.  I would have thought the answer was obvious ??

[rabbitearbandicoot]

"I always thought that it is the nearest vessel.  How far did we travel to rescue lone yachtsmen or yachtswomen?  And the thing is our vessels are hanging around the area south of Java.  Indonesia does not have in that area port supporting ships suitable for sea rescue.  "

and how long did it take to get a vessel there? wasn't it several days?? The boats that come out of Indonesia wouldn't last several days - even IF they didn't disable / scuttle them on purpose.

[*mrgrizz*]

Spoiler

australia does not need to have Navy boats in the area.

why don't we have civilian vessels up there. flag them in Panama that way any rescues undertaken they can be returned to the closest port which could be indonesia

[rabbitearbandicoot]

if we give xmas island back to Indoesia - problem solved. It's 200 miles to xmas island and 2500 to Australia. If xmas island wasn't Australian Territory, surely the boats wouldn't try to reach there - well, it wouldn't do them any good if they did.

[*mrgrizz*]

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

if we give xmas island back to Indoesia - problem solved. It's 200 miles to xmas island and 2500 to Australia. If xmas island wasn't Australian Territory, surely the boats wouldn't try to reach there - well, it wouldn't do them any good if they did.

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another idea i have put forward in the past.

if Indonesia don't want it it should secede from Australia. we could give them $500 million a year aid

[cherry*135]

Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean, 380 kilometres south of Java and 2650 kilometres north west of Perth. The nearest point on the Australian mainland is Northwest Cape, approximately 1565 kilometres to the south east. The Island has an area of 135 square kilometres.

I doubt any country would give an inhabited island to a different country.

Give it back to Indonesia - it was never theirs to start with was it? British sovereinty and became Australian in 1957?

[*mrgrizz*]

Christmas island only become part of australia in the 1950's i recall

involved a deal with great Britian and Singapore or Malaysia.

we paid someone compensation for it

[cherry*135]

If we give xmas island back to Indonesia

It wasn't theirs to start with.

Compensation was paid to Singapore when Christmas Is became Australian - estimated value of forgone phospate.

I guess Australia is closer to Christmas Is than Singapore so that is why Aust ended up with it?

[rabbitearbandicoot]

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@am*3 wrote:

If we give xmas island back to Indonesia

It wasn't theirs to start with.

Compensation was paid to Singapore when Christmas Is became Australian - estimated value of forgone phospate.

I guess Australia is closer to Christmas Is than Singapore so that is why Aust ended up with it?

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xmas island to singapore 825 miles - xmas island to australia 2,500 

xmas island to the nearest point in indonesia 140 miles.

before it belonged to the British - it belonged to one of the countries that became indonesia > so it belonges to Indonesia - give it back.  They only bought it to mine the bird poop. Bring all the Australian citizens to the mainland and give it back .... cheaper in the long run ...