as several people have tried to point out - the original policy on boat people was Malcolm Frasers and he still stands by it.
The first PM to use the issue for political advantage was howard
all abbott is doing is trying to imitate howard's inhuame and racist policy and he appears to have the bogans cheerijng him on
gillard and rudd tried to soften it, but ended up with a dog's breakfast.
the only realistic policy is the greens (which is virtually the same as Fraser's - great socialists, these greens) and it is the policy that will eventually win out, once sll these bigoted, self centred, xeonophobic rantings have died down
