The Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill is the most profoundly disturbing piece of legislation I have encountered since becoming a member of parliament. -- Petro Georgiou, Liberal Party member for Kooyong.

When Queensland backbencher Cameron Thompson claims that it is "unprincipled" to cross the floor against legislation "which ships boatpeople off to Nauru," and that the majority of his fellows in John Howard's Liberal Party agree with him, you know that every one of them has lost contact with even the most remote tenets of democracy. Indeed, the so-called Liberals under John Howard are more closely aligned to a Stalinesque politburo than a political party.

It's hard to believe that Australian politics has come to this. So effective has been John Howard's ability to mesmerise his stooges that they no longer have any vestige of principle or conscience. Howard could tell them that the interests of the Australian people would best be served by the incarceration of all those who oppose him and they, to a man and woman, would shout, "Hear, hear!"

Petro Georgiou, Russell Broadbent, Judy Moylan and possibly Bruce Baird are set to cross the floor today in opposition to the return to incarcerating innocent women and children.

Next week the Senate will determine if the bill passes or not. At this time, Liberal Party senator Judith Troeth is expected vote against the bill, with Queensland National Barnaby Joyce likely joining her.

But the most attention lies with Family First senator Steve Fielding. His vote is crucial and it will be interesting to see if he truly represents families first, by not forcing children into detention on Nauru, or whether he is just another nutter from the intolerant Christian fundamentalist right.

If this bill is defeated, and especially if the lower house members cross the floor -- a first during Howard's reign -- the little tyrant's days must surely be numbered. How delightful that he has assured us that he will be contesting his final election.

The Australia I know is a place where dreams come true, where the impossible becomes the possible and the probable becomes the inevitable. It is where people find a sense of belonging and it is a place of hope for generations of new immigrants. If I am to die politically because of my stance on this bill, it is better to die on my feet than to live on my knees. -- Russell Broadbent, Liberal Party member for McMillan.

-- Chet LaMerde

LINKS:

Mike Steketee: Party history goes overboard
Michael Gordon: Risking political death but undeterred
The Age Editorial: MPs stand up for the right to seek asylum — and to dissent
More Libs cross Howard on asylum law