In aus.religion.christian A 'Net friend wrote:

> Chris Ho-Stuart wrote:

>

>> I actually think this was a case of the government putting into

>> action the feelings Australians currently have about illegal

>> immigrants. In recent years I have sometimes felt embarassed by

>> views expressed in Australia, by what I have thought was a small

>> minority. I am no longer simply embarassed... I am ashamed.

>>

>> Cheers -- Chris

>

> So here's a solution then.. Lets have a referendum on the issue. Those in

favour of > allowing illegal immigrants entry to Australia vote YES. Those opposed

vote NO. The > yes voters to supply their names and addresses and TFN. All costs

associated with > processing, accommodating, and assimilating these ppl, including all

welfare > payments, legal aid, infrastructure, staffing, etc., are to be assessed on

an ongoing > basis. The total cost at each assessment is then divided by the number of

those who > voted yes, and an account sent to each of them for this amount. (payable

on receipt)

> This allows for a very just and fair solution. Those who feel a sense of

> responsibility will be able to participate in a very real way, and those

who do not > will have no financial burden imposed on them, and may happily have their

share of > taxpayer dollars spent on such luxuries as education, health, housing,

employment, > and so on. Under such a system would you still feel ashamed?

Yes. It would in fact make my shame at being Australian far worse; no matter that I am happy as an individual to accept my share, and more than my share, of caring for illegal arrivals in Australia.

But the proposed system would be advertising that Australians generally consider expenses more important than compassion, and that as a nation we are not able to act together with compassion, because too many Australian see the issue as one of expenses.

Furthermore, I am sure such a system would be seen by many folks as a way of avoiding making any payment at all for the costs of handling illegal arrivals. I am sure many folks simply don't care that Australia does actually have, by international conventions and law, some responsibility towards all persons within our borders, even if there illegally. Many Australian genuinely don't care about these people; and your proposal would make this appalling state of affairs even more obvious and shameful.

If we put aside illegal arrivals in general, and consider the specific matter of the Tampa, as I have been doing in this thread, then Australia was within its legal rights to deny entry. However, our hamfisted reaction to the Tampa situation was actually more expensive than taking the asylum seekers into normal detention.

I would have preferred that Australia had acted to support the master of the Tampa after he had in turn supported our request to effect a rescue at sea, and that we had thereafter treated the asylum seekers within the existing system for handling illegal arrivals. I also prefer that Australia continue to accept its legal responsibilities under international law and convention for people who have arrived illegally on our shores.

This would be actually be cheaper than how we have ended up managing the affair.

I guess you could save money be going one step further and simply refusing to house illegal arrivals at all. I don't think that is a serious option -- and it is certainly not a legal or responsible one.

Best wishes -- Chris