Kevin Rudd has sold out to get elected?

[j*oono]

I'm really disappointed.  Now we are not just the lucky country.  We are the up yours country.

Refugees are being turned back to suffer in PNG.   Every election I am so sick of the boat refugees being used.  Every single time since Howard got in with the kids being thrown into the water to drown it's been the most disgusting use of human life to rule a country.

Shame on you Rudd.

[a_dingo_ate_my_chinwagger]

Refugees are by definiton, seeking a safe refuge. Should a refugee expect the luxury of choice of countries offering such refuge?

Surely a genuine refugee would breathe a sigh of relief at being offered refuge in PNG which is a safe country to live in if one is careful.

If a refugee has an offer of refuge in any other country and refuses it, then any reasonable person might question if the conditions they are fleeing are as bad as is claimed.

[j*oono]

I suppose that I'm just a bit surprised at Labor backing this.  Did they or not?

If the next Australian government can deal with the people that have been locked up behind wire fences for a very long time I suppose we can deal with some more.

[a_dingo_ate_my_chinwagger]

An alternative to locking them up until their bona fides are established, is to give them temporary protection visas. I can't see why that alternative remains unacceptable to some. Surely it is better than locking people up.

[icyfroth]

Must say I'm surprised at that too! It seems a good alternative and I think it would deter boatloads of ppl who want to come to Australia and nowhere else.

I just read the headline and not the full article. Will Australia fund resettlement of the refugees in PNG?

[i-need-a-martini]

Has he sold out or is he doing what apparently the majority of Australians want? I dunno.

On the one hand it is a more humane way of approaching the problem than the Oppositions murderous idea of turning back the boats.And they are safe  - PNG is part of Kyoto which is more than can be said for Indoneasia. And PNG is going through a resources boom and desparately needs a population boost so it kind of makes sense.

But like you, I am disappointed. 

However I don't know if there is any right solution for the issue and there certainly doesn't seem to be one that makes Australians happy.

[i-need-a-martini]

And Joono, the saviour to his policy is that he will increase Australis overall intake of refugees significantly so perhaps it will get a small percentage of others out of camps earlier

I dunno.

I'm in two minds about it.

[catsnknots]

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@a_dingo_ate_my_chinwagger wrote:

Refugees are by definiton, seeking a safe refuge. Should a refugee expect the luxury of choice of countries offering such refuge?

Surely a genuine refugee would breathe a sigh of relief at being offered refuge in PNG which is a safe country to live in if one is careful.

If a refugee has an offer of refuge in any other country and refuses it, then any reasonable person might question if the conditions they are fleeing are as bad as is claimed.

---

PNG is not a safe country..... go and have a look at the travel advice. 

And this is an ok idea but I think TPV should be included and we shoudl still take people... 

Do you know how close PNG is to Australia... I can see them making one last boat trip and arriving at the top end via dingy. PNG's do it often... 

[ladydeburg]

This is a political fix, the issue was killing labor. I want to know just how many billions this policy will cost? how much did he offer PNG?

No matter which way you look at it, Rudd broke it, Rudd would have eaten his own children to fix it, otherwise he is was  dead walking up to the election.

A lurch to the right??? more like a giant leap, he is not a a conviction politician, he has no core, it's all about the politics.

[katydidthat]

I believe that Australia has a moral and a legal obligation to help asylum seekers.  

This new policy is horrendous and horrible and completely short sighted.  

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=83T

This should take you to Rudd's contact details.  I'll be emailing him later.