Could you quote someone more authoritative than the SMH?
Every illegal arriving on our shores costs us hundreds of thousands [sorry but I can't quote an authoritative source either] so the boats are cost effective.
But more than the cost of the boat divided by the number returned, the number who are discouraged from even attempting is unknowable. Suffice to say that under labor the costs were a number of BILLIONS each year.
Good value methinks.
