Flying in more boat people from Indonesia – rather than make them pay $10,000 a head for a boat trip – is hardly a disincentive to the tens of thousands already gathering in Malaysia and Indonesia, en route to Australia.
Great news! The Gillard Government wants to stop sending our navy to Indonesia’s waters to give boat people a lift.
Bad news! It will fly boat people here instead.
You’ll think I’m pulling your leg. Surely you’d have read about something this crazy.
But this news was slipped out in a press conference on Thursday by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen – just before Gillard spent an hour finally answering questions about her ex-boyfriend and the AWU scandal.
No wonder you never heard it.
It came as Gillard and Bowen announced they’d lift our refugee intake from 13,750 a year to 20,000 to stop (sic) boat people coming over.
Explained Bowen: “As part of that 20,000, 400 immediate places are being set aside for processing on Indonesia, in Indonesia, for people who are considering whether to make that journey or not.”
Got the message? Don’t sail, but fly. And instead of sending you to Christmas Island, we’ll welcome you at Tullamarine.
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