Mike Carlton looks at Tony Abbott's promise to turn the boats back

Mike Carlton in Speedo politics scuttles any solution looks at Tony Abbott's latest promise to "turn the boats back". Where before he had a general promise to turn the boats back, but left the individual decision to the senior Navy officer on the spot, now he's saying that all boats will be turned back, even if the Navy has to repair and refuel them first.

It seems that Tony Abbott sees this as a test of wills between Australia and Indonesia. Macho stuff from Mr Abbott (brings to mind a Laura Tingle column). Unfortunately, I don't think this is a test that Australia can really win. As Mike Carlton points out, the people smugglers know how to counter this strategy:

The people smugglers have shown they will set fire to the boats or sink them to stop them being sent back.

I can't see our Navy repairing an Indonesian fishing boat that's at the bottom of the ocean or burnt to the water line. All this policy will do is risk the lives of asylum seekers and of our sailors that may have to rescue them. The only way to counter such people smuggler tactics would be to refuse to rescue those concerned. However, this would be, I think, a bridge too far. Such actions would be highly immoral if not illegal (wasn't Admiral Dönitz charged with war crimes for ordering his submarine crews to refuse to rescue stranded sailors).

So, how does Mr Abbott think we can triumph over Indonesia in a battle of wills?