Ted Lapkin has taken a stand in an article headlined 'How many more must drown, Julia?'
Ted's point seems to be that people flows occur because of a gradient between their expectations of fair treatment as someone in a politically dangerous situation in (for example) Afghanistan and their expectations in Australia.
The solution offered by John Howard (and loved by Ted) is to ensure that Australia offers treatment that is about as unfair as being dragged from your home in the middle of the night and shot: for example, year after year of mandatory detention with a succession of DIMIA show trials in which no one makes any effort to understand your story as your mental health (perhaps already injured by oppresion and war in your homelad) spirals down the toilet. As long you can expect that unfair treatment regardless of your claim, the boats have no reason to come.
Even if this explanation for boat numbers is true (and plenty of knowledgable people believe it is not), it is amazing to think we could accept it and stand the sight of ourselves.
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