Asylum Seekers and Leaky Boats

I am not a political creature.  That is not to say I don't appreciate the privilege it is to be allowed a say in our government.  It is something I have always been glad about, and I looked forward to be being 18 so I could start having a say in the process.  It is something I take seriously, and probably too much to heart.  I have cried after casting my vote, because I have been overwhelmed by the responsibility, and unsure if I made the right decision.  I like to consider the issues carefully, and vote accordingly.

In September we go back to the polls, and I am torn.  As usual.  But the biggest problem I have this time, is that I feel like I am choosing between two bad options, or two options that are so similar that it really won't make a difference.  I won't vote for any party that uses that abominable catch phrase "stop the boats".  I hate hearing that, and the implication that stopping the boats is about protecting Australia from being over run with dodgy foreigners makes me angry.

It seems so obvious, that the only people who are going to get on a barely sea worthy vessel are so utterly desperate to leave behind their present situation that they have no other option.  Asylum seekers who arrive by boat are far more likely to be genuine refugees than those who arrive with valid visas.  If you don't have a passport, and can't get one, what are you supposed to do?

 This picture shows the aftermath of an attack at a Shia Muslim rally at Meezan Chowk in Quetta on September 3 2011 that killed 42 and injured 80 people - mostly Hazaras.

Above them is an Australian-sponsored billboard saying "Don't go on a leaky boat - the illegal way. Just stay where you are".




 Sure, stay where you are, because that is going to work out so well.


 It is not illegal to seek asylum.  These people want the same things the rest of us want, peace, freedom, safety.  It is not too much to ask, not at all. 

From the Australian Human Rights Commission website:

"Australia has obligations to protect the human rights of all asylum seekers and refugees who arrive in Australia, regardless of how or where they arrive and whether they arrive with or without a visa.
As a party to the Refugees Convention, Australia has agreed to ensure that people who meet the United Nations definition of refugee are not sent back to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened."

This year, come election time, I am looking for a party with a bigger idea than just stopping boats.  I want leaders with compassion, who don't play on the general public's ignorance and prejudices.  

As Bob Hawke so pithily put it:  "We're all bloody boat people.  That's how we found the place."