Who lent on the Admiral?

[Bee]

Vice Admiral Shackleton yesterday made the statement that asylum seekers never threw their children overboard. Contradicting the Liberals story.
But more amazingly a few hours later the Vice Admiral issued an amended story saying that the the Navy believed the children had been thrown into the water.

A sudden change in what had happened, very strange indeed.
Or did Howard put some heavy pressure on the Admiral to get him to change his story?

Howards spiel about "We don't want the type of people in Australia who throw their children into the water" has suddenly become "We don't want the type of people here who THREATEN to throw their children into the water".

Seems the only person drowning here is Howard. Caught up in his own lies and deceit. And using helpless refugees to do it!

[Jars458]

Did anyone see Howard's "double" interivew on Lateline last night

The first interview was after the ADmirals first statement the second intereviw when he issued a "claryfing statement"

Howard's only real answers

"I relied on advice"

"You will have to ask Peter Reith that"

It was a perfect example of how shamefully political this issue has become

John was sinking and then had to re-record the interview and feign rithgteous indignation when asked whether the Admiral had been pressured.


How can this be an election issue?

Whoever is more willing to treat human beings harsher will win the election.

It is a sad indictment on this country's people and politicians

If you want to vote Liberal for economic reasons - sure that's fair enough

But for God's sake don't vote for them becuase they are willing to trample on hapless people, who are fleeing a life of vitimisation and fear


If they were not - why would they get on a leaky boat and come here even when they know they have very little chance of ever getting here.



Howard you are a disgrace

Beazley - you are not much better.

[Captain Sensible]

I too saw the Lateline interview. I remember thinking that Howard protested far too much, and that when he said that he or noone from his office had been in contact with Admiral Shackleton that obviously this was untrue.

How do we trust Howard after all the lies from his administration?

[Chilli Afterglow]

It is shamefully political, this issue.

While I believe it is right that we as a nation defend our borders, I don't want too see our political leaders resorting to cheap point scoring and mindless gags to do so (as appears the case here)

What must not be ignored is that the cause of the problem comes moreso from Indonesia rather than Australia (Or even as a result of US Policy in the Middle East) than Howard's failure as a minister.

Let us not lose sight of the the cause, rather than the cheap, DOMESTIC, political point scoring that is going on.

[RogerC]

It's hard to know what to make of all this, when Howard's actions over the Tampa incident met with such overwhelming approval throughout the nation. Why was that? 12 000, 24 000, 50 000 refugees aren't going to make an enormous difference to the way we live our lives. Most of us won't even notice them.

There's been no mention of what we're supposed to do if we really do get a flood, for example if over 150 boats all cruise in at the same time. We have our hands full warding off one at a time as it is. The solution is a weak one (farm them off to small islands until they are processed, or perhaps indefinitely to judge by the way Howard has addressed the issue recently). I get this image of John Howard as King Canute ordering back the tide.

This is where a working relationship with Indonesia would really come in handy. It's also where brownie points with the UN and the world at large would be useful. But the current government seem intent on burning those bridges to prove a domestic political point. I don't know who we expect to help us if hundreds of these boats appear.

I guess the popularity comes from the selective use of terms like "Border Protection", "Refugee Crisis", "Illegal Immigrants", "Queue Jumpers" and the like. It conjures up images of an invasion and speaks to the xenophobe in us all.

At the moment they seem happy enough to bully the Afghan refugees, and at the moment it is still a popular action. But it's no solution.

[ah_19]

come on froddo
tell us how we are deluded
and how johnny is a great guy