People smuggling is not the issue of WHAT? asylum-seekers?? Refugee acceptance??? Again the issue to WHAT??? What you do not seem to understand is that these are two different issues. Fact is you are debating with slippery about economic refugees... Do you really understand what that term means? These people are not in poverty; they are not repressed and are not in threat of violence. THEY are simply in threat of losing their economic wealth. So this is another ISSUE... However, this issue and your concern for the poorest of these people are similar issues of asylum-seekers. BUT THE PEOPLE SMUGGLERS ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Both policies are to combine processing and acceptance to smuggled people. To me, they are not good but without better policy all we have to choose from. To me, BOTH these policies are simply designed to maintain the problem of the people smugglers for political gain. If either policy stops the boats or not. BUT should they stop the boats, I cannot complain. So ask you about anything other than policy and you will give us your opinion on those issues but you cannot talk about the policy??? This thread was designed to examine the policies of both parties as there is an election coming up. NOW is the time to examine those policies and decide what is best for Australia. NOT policies of past unless they have direct relevance to the policies of the present. I started with two policies but am open to anything. Unfortunately the people who wish to discuss the policies and not simply demonstrate their vile hatred of a celebrity are of a select few. AND so far only one person who supports the ALP have actually actively participated in this thread, which is not a good look for the ALP.