what the...what do they call failure? how are we supposed to be a proud country when we can't be proud of anything our politicians do. labors i mean the greens policy has only resulted in more boats and horrendous amounts of deaths. gee well done. give yourself a pat on the back stephen smith, julia gillard, bob brown. youve put in place a policy that kills people.
DomesticNews The joint efforts of the Indonesian and Australian governments to prevent people smuggling are underappreciated, Defence Minister Stephen Smith says.
As Prime Minister Julia Gillard prepared to welcome Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Darwin on Monday, Mr Smith said the issue people smuggling will be mentioned during their talks.
"That general issue, given its importance, will the subject of conversation between the prime minister and the president in the course of their meetings," he told reporters in Darwin.
"But Australia works very closely with Indonesia to prevent people smuggling operations.
"I think it's underappreciated, the number of successful disruption events that occur through close cooperation."
Mr Smith said the Labor government was clear in its desire pursue offshore processing of asylum seekers and its so-called Malaysia people swap plan, which was rejected by the High Court.
This was the best way to break the people smuggling model, which thrives on sending vessels mainly from Indonesia to Australia's north.
"We can expend all of our efforts and energy treating the symptom, but we've got to get to the cause," Mr Smith said.
The second annual Indonesia-Australia Leaders' Meeting will be held in Darwin on Monday and Tuesday.
