"..refugee issues in government is seldom easy."

How Whitlam closed the door on refugees
April 18, 2006
Recently released department files reveal hostility towards Vietnamese asylum seekers, writes Gerard Henderson.
Handling refugee issues in government is seldom easy. The Howard Government's task, with respect to Papuans, has been made more difficult by the counterproductive activity of some refugee advocates. Yet, one fact is certain. The Whitlam government provides no lessons on how to handle genuine asylum seekers. Quite the reverse.
[Gerard Henderson is executive director of the Sydney Institute.]