red baron wrote on Jul 23
rd, 2013 at 9:02am:
Karnal - I seem to remember under Howard when only 2 boats made it through year.
The Navy quietly turned the boats around then they stopped coming.
I don't see one iota of difference if Abbott got in, he could do it again.
Indonesian boats, crewed by Indonesians, leaving Indonesia...yes, I think turn arounds could be arranged alright; and at a fraction of the cost of Rudd's solution.
The navy successfully turned around a total of four boats during the Howard government. Four.
It may have
tried to turn around others, including all those SIEVs we heard so much about. Remember children overboard?
Each and every asylum seeker rescued from the sea after scuttling their boats received settlement in Australia.
If the navy causes ONE death at sea by attempting to turn around a boat, there will be an international furor. Because of this, the navy will play it safe. They will not be able to turn back every boat, and they've already said as much.
Bugger all boats will get turned around during an Abbott government, but Abbott won't need to do this anyway.
The boats will stop when the word gets through to Indonesia: no boat people will be settled in Australia. Abbott would be insane not to continue with this policy. If a High Court challenge overturns it, Abbott would be able to legislate. It's Labor's policy, so why would they oppose it from opposition?
If Abbott gets into government, he won't need to stop the boats. They will have already stopped under Labor.
Turning back boats is not a solution in itself, and the Libs have always framed this idea as just one of a host of policies that they implemented through the Pacific Solution.
The Libs entire strategy is a game of bluff with the people smugglers, and they acknowledge this. Abbott says it's about being "seen" to be tough, and this is the whole that is more than the sum of the parts that is the Pacific Solution.
The Libs, however, won't need to be seen as tough. This is now bipartisan. If Abbott interferes with Rudd's policy if and when he gets into government, it will show him to be a complete hypocrite.