A few thoughts:
1. Just thinking about typical tourists from countries such as Japan whom often travel into Cairns on a Japanese carrier, stay in a Japanese owned hotel, cruise to the barrier reef on a Japanese owned boat, and shop in Japanese owned gift stores. Pretty much all this country gets from them is the $55 tax!
2. An asylum seeker entering Australia by boat is not an illegal immigrant. That is true - until such time as they are refused asylum. That costs money to administer. Our money. Yes. What else are you going to do? Shoot them? Gobbledock, I usually like your posts, we should keep it to aviation.
3. teresa green:
if you were scared ****less you would stop in the first muslim country you came across, not motor down to a Christian country that just happens to have centrelink.
TG: My great great grandparents emigrated legally to this country in the early 1800's. They were not Christian and neither am I. We have farmed, traded and lived in this country happily ever since. Last time I looked at the constitution of this country I did not find the word "Christian". This country's constitution is based upon freedom of religion (and freedom to have no religion). I usually like your contributions to this forum on aviation related matters, please don't tarnish yourself with religious or race bias.
4. It appears that the Federal budget has long since ceased to have any relevance to this thread. I recommend closure.