STOP THE BOATS. That's a phrase that has been dogging Australian politics since the Abbot government in 2013, but its sentiments have been ingrained in Australian politics and voters since the 1990s. The election of Tony Abbot in 2013 was the start of Operation Sovereign Borders; a border protection policy of the Australian Defense Force intent on stopping asylum seekers reaching Australia. And overall, it has been successful; 'We have stopped the boats' was Tony Abbots favorite sentence in 2014.
It's ironic, that a country that is completely made up of boat travelling migrants is so against the idea of opening its borders to those in need. As a country, Australia has become split down the middle, in the community and in politics over the issue of immigration. On the right are hardliners like Pauline Hanson, who believes all Muslims are terrorists, and on the left are the vague policies of the Labour party and the Greens.
Australia needs to have an open discussion on immigration, particularly it's intake of refugees, and the way these refugees get to Australia.
Open discussion between the right and the left is key in this!
Interesting article on the topic: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/nov/22/hostility-towards-immigrants-on-rise-as-australians-despair-over-government