Politics - It works so lets stop doing it
Listening to ABC radio this morning, I heard the most amazing thing. It was to do with Australia's immigration policy and detention centers. Tim Costello, head of World Vision Australia. was calling for releasing all Women and Children from the centers. His reasoning was basically that because we no longer get loads of boat people trying to illegally enter Australia we can get rid of detention centers.

He says such strong deterrents are also no longer necessary.

"Security has changed - the boats aren't coming, our airports are more secure and safe," Mr Costello said.

Last night, Prime Minister John Howard appeared to be ruling out such a debate.

"Mandatory detention is essential to maintain the deterrents that now exist for people to come to this country as illegal immigrants," he said.

Essentially, He agreed that the government's measures had been working and used that as an argument to change the government's measures. Whilst you may or may not agree with detention centers, you have to admit this is one of the stupidist arguments you have ever heard.

Update: I just noticed this comment at the end of the article

More than 250 doctors meeting in Darwin for the AMA national conference agreed to push the Commonwealth to release all children as well as people with mental illnesses.

We should release people with mental illnesses??? What the? Release them for what purpose?
- posted by Alan Grey @ Monday, May 30, 2005