Eating some humble pie is what the Abbott Government will need to do. The Indonesians are calling the shots and the Abbott Government needs Indonesia's cooperation.

Labor can up the political ante about the Coalition’s recent setbacks on asylum seekers.

They could, for instance, support The Greens move in the senate to force transparency and continuous disclosure around the “on water” incidents. The ALP has been critical of the Abbott government's attempts to suppress public information about the “on water” incidents on the basis that they are “operational matters”.

Will the ALP do this?

"Shifting the blame to Indonesia whilst trying to impose its will on Indonesia ----appealing to the conservative base"

Abbott could always take his wrecking ball style of politics to Indonesia.

The other thing the ALP could do is to open up the whole immigration/population issue.

Sydney cops a disproportionate number of immigrants (never mind "boat people", just immigrants), and I can't help but think that the much-discussed Western Suburbs (of Sydney) boat people phobia is more like a reaction against high levels of immigration.

Given the lack of public debate about immigration, such feelings easily translate into an apparent hatred of boat people. We may have been misunderstanding the Western Suburbs of Sydney.

I thought the standoff reckless, dangerous and embarrassing for this country.
The cowardice of the MSM in its treatment of the incident at sea borders on the criminal.. can you imagine the whine and screech if it had happened during Labor's time in government?