record boatload in today, page-35

DS,

In 2002 Australia had 1 person arrive illegally by boat. In 2006 this number increased to 60 people. By 2008 this had risen to 161 people. Last year, a decade after 1 person arrived illegally by boat, this number rose to 17,202 people.

On top of that, how many people are arriving illegally by plane? At what point do we say enough is enough? Do we just condone it because anyone who is not indigenous is an immigrant.

Our government can't maintain a surplus in boom economic times. The mining super cycle is in decline. The cost of living is spiraling.

My father, who has needed an organ transplant for the past 8 years, has been knocked back by social security for the past 7 years. He struggles to live week to week now on a pension.

As a citizen, i have had to watch our current government waste billions of dollars on failed projects, watch illegal boat arrivals rise from 1 to 17,000 over the space of a decade, raise medicare levies to make up for the governments mismanagement of money etc etc.

I sit back and watch people come here illegally to get a piece of the "lucky" country. I get told that I am a racist if i don't condone it. I watch my old man, who has worked and paid taxes since the age of 14 fight the system to have his piece of the "lucky" country.

But, you are considered a racist if you begrudge a paying queue jumper (boat person), a non tax payer from arriving and receiving more benefits than a retired tax paying Australian.