What we're talking about

Troy on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I have seen this family fighting day after day for months trying to get their kids/siblings back home. The dedication and ... more
Pauline on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' DHS have destroyed my own family. They failed in their duty of care to provide a baby moniter for the deaf , thousands of ... more
Christine on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' isn't it funny how DHS don't recognise the psychological effects of domestic violence on children and continue to allow ... more
Warrior princess on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' There is a family In the Cairns Area who are Foster Carers.Atherton Child Safety have threatened the carers and own ... more
duncan on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' i have spent time with this family. it is a house full of love. "mum", grandfather and older sblings.this cannot be an issue ... more
Tracey on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Family Law is different from the rest of the law in this country.. Ie. Family Law is based on probability: ie if it might ... more
carol annetta on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' having known this family for some time i am disgusted with the treatment she has received. it seems more of a witch hunt ... more
Maureen Hillary on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Derryn,I have counselled traumatized parents as a result of DHS staff.There are great staff workers who care but they ... more
Janet Tavener on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I am a visitor to this country.My attention was drawn to the case of these children and their foster mother by a relative of ... more
sam on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Happening in Tasmania also.Wewon a court case over 8 months ago and due process still hasn't been done.We spent 17,000 ... more
Anne Glover on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I just cannot believe what the DHS has put the Foster Mother, and the children through - I thought the DHS was supposed to ... more
Tracey on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' DHS are the most disgraceful organization I have ever had the displeasure of becoming involved with. They are so ... more
Vicki on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Hi Derryn,I have known this carer since primary school, she has always put others above herself. Being a carer myself I know ... more
Gran'ma Pam on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' As any of us with any sense know, these children should NEVER have been taken from this lady (mum) in the first place, they ... more
Dominic Lombardo on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I see my daughter every six months DHS are conducting a vendetta against me I have not been told why I can only see her ... more
cassy houghton on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Hello Derryn,Firstly i would like to thankyou for your support and the willingness to help this beautiful family.I ... more
Warrior princess on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Im a carer also in Qld. I see this happen way too much from our Government. They are starting to use Carers own children as ... more
paul on "I'll pay the fee," says Hinch I believe what Liberal Party has done is stupid. But I feel for candidates like Joh Bauch and James Buonopane who want to ... more
Andrea on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Why are these public servants allowed to blatantly flout the law without the same consequences the rest of society faces? I ... more
birth mother on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' i am the birth morther of these 4 children and i just want to say dhs dont care they just want the kids in care so they can ... more

Do we have a 'boat people' policy'?

Posted by: Derryn Hinch | 3 February, 2010 - 5:14 PM

Can anybody explain to me what the Federal Government's current policy is on illegal boat people?

When The Howard Government was in power the Ruddster and others had heaps of suggested solutions but the truth is that so far this year nine boats have arrived, or been intercepted, and their passengers taken to Christmas Island. And the year is only five weeks old.

The Government is saying that there's plenty of room on Christmas Island, and if there is an overflow they could be housed in Darwin. Senator Fielding says the boat people are virtually living in motel luxury on Christmas Island — but the locals say the place is bursting at the seams.

Who is telling the truth? Will they have to re-open the Baxter Detention Centre here on the mainland. Is it the Government's perceived soft new policy on new arrivals that is promoting more and more boats to head for our shores?

And we have a number of boat people in a standoff with the Indonesians who say they are Australia's problem. They've been on their boat for months.

What should be done? Remember when the Howard Government got tough the boats stopped coming. And this could again be an election issue. Again.

Your thoughts?

Blog comments

Sorry adrew but your the clown pal and uneducated git! ive worked in construction for over 10 years and over the years seen more and more labour hire companies pop up, the companies provide below average labour at dirt cheap prices, and there are fewer and fewer australians, my company (a very large privately owned company) uses this "cheap" unskilled labour all the time and it makes my guts churn to think that pretty soon my job will be replace by some boat person! time to face facts pal. your a fool

Chris Wednesday 10 March, 2010 - 5:26 AM
Rufus you are a complete clown and I suggest you have never run a business and employed staff. You probably are employed by the taxpayer or are sitting on your backside collecting a government pension

andrew Thursday 4 February, 2010 - 7:32 AM
Derryn how can these refugees afford to pay $16,533 each after travelling by air from jaffna to Malaysia, costing more money, then some refugees were paying $US45,000 per person leaving Malaysia for Canada by boat. If these Sri Lankans say where they come from is a war-torn country, and Sri Lankan is not at war now. How can the men on the boats, leave thier wives and children behind if the country was so bad. Remember also on this boat in Indonesia is this guy Alex, real name is Kulaendrarajah Sanjeen, he left his wife and children behind, also he once belong to Kannan Gang was in street fights, was deported from Canada in 2003, also been involved in human smuggling for a long time. Our Government has to be much tougher on security, Mr Rudd has caused this problem, we need the Liberals to fix the problem with much tougher controls in security for Australia.

Pam Crosbie Wednesday 3 February, 2010 - 9:36 PM
When you use the phrase "labor shortage" or "skills shortage" you're speaking in a sentence fragment. What you actually mean to say is: "There is a labor shortage at the salary level I'm willing to pay." That statement is the correct phrase; the complete sentence and the intellectually honest statement.

Some people speak about shortages as though they represent some absolute, readily identifiable lack of desirable services. Price is rarely accorded its proper importance in their discussion.

If you start raising wages and improving working conditions, and continue doing so, you'll solve your shortage and will have people lining up around the block to work for you even if you need to have huge piles of steaming manure hand-scooped on a blazing summer afternoon.

There is never enough of any good or service to satisfy all wants or desires. A buyer, or employer, must give up something to get something. They must pay the market price and forego whatever else he could have for the same price. The forces of supply and demand determine these prices -- and the price of a skilled workman is no exception. The buyer can take it or leave it. However, those who choose to leave it (because of lack of funds or personal preference) must not cry shortage. The good is available at the market price. All goods and services are scarce, but scarcity and shortages are by no means synonymous. Scarcity is a regrettable and unavoidable fact.

Shortages are purely a function of price. The only way in which a shortage has existed, or ever will exist, is in cases where the "going price" has been held below the market-clearing price.

Rufus Wollon Wednesday 3 February, 2010 - 9:33 PM