Coding Range

The Australian Government announced earlier this week a new shocking policy for asylum seekers who arrive by boat - the Government will ship asylum seekers off to Papua New Guinea instead of actually living up to their duty and responsibility to process these so-called “boat people” properly.

The reason asylum seekers is an election issue is that people are afraid of them. And the reason people are afraid of them is that both sides of politics have told us to be. And the reason they tell us to be afraid is so they can make it an election issue. Now, statistics would suggest that the amount of refugees coming in is such a tiny percentage we’ve got nothing to be afraid of, but most aussies couldn’t give two hoots about statistics. We’re more interested in the footy. - Adam Hills

They seem to have forgotten that foreigners coming by boat is a big enough part of Australian culture that it’s even made it’s way into our national anthem - “For those who’ve come across the sea / We’ve boundless plains to share”.

It’s in our history, too. Captain Cook, Captain Arthur Phillip, and the entire First Fleet arrived by boat without a visa.

Shame on you, ALP, for compromising our national identity for the sake of politics. Shame on you.