Given some of the recently-highlighted deficiencies in the performance of AusSar, I would make a shrewd guess that any illegal immigrants who have the misfortune to encounter serious problems with the stability/watertight-integrity/navigability of their craft have only an even chance of actually being located, let alone rescued. (Use of EPIRBS etc notwithstanding!)
I am curious as to how many illegals have actually perished on the open ocean in their attempts to get to Australia, and what the legal situation is for the organisations/individuals who sent them on their journey in vessels of dubious suitability/seaworthiness under international maritime law.
Does knowingly sending a group of paying passengers out in an unseaworthy vessel constitute an offence, and if, so, under whose jurisdiction should the offence(s) be tried? (Bear in mind that the International Maritime Organisation is so totally toothless that it couldn't eat a jam sandwich with the crusts cut off!)
Finally:-
i)has the costing for this "shield of steel" been released,
ii) if it has, who audited it,
iii) how does the government propose to raise the necessary millions of dollars to pay for direct and indirect operating costs of the military assets which will need to be deployed, and
iv) does our military have the capability to actually carry out the task effectively?