A Nielsen poll taken at the weekend shows 53 per cent of Australians willing to do what this country promised to do when we signed the refugee conventions: let boat people land here to have their claims for protection assessed.
But politicians are playing to another Australia that wants all boat people sent away. Why? It's not there in the figures. The latest Nielsen poll shows only 28 per cent support the government's determination to send all boat people away to be assessed. And only 15 per cent back the hardline Coalition policy of sending them and their boats back out to sea.
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http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politicians-have-their-own-reasons-for-pursuing-hard-line-20110815-1iusu.html#ixzz1V959Izdl