Australia on wrong side of history, law

Despite insidious attempts by successive Australian governments to suppress truth, abundant evidence, buttressed in recent days by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and international humanitarian powerhouse Medecins Sans Frontieres, demonstrates mandatory offshore incarceration of refugees and people seeking asylum fails every measure of acceptable policy and politics. It is brutally inhumane, obscenely expensive and lacks public accountability. It is not an acceptable policy for a nation that presents itself as – and is – an enlightened leader in many other areas of governance.

The Age has long argued that this will come to be seen as one of our darkest chapters. Our politicians should not rule out that there may one day be an official judicial probe into the policy and that it will find those responsible in breach of domestic and international law.

A coalition of more than 300 groups – including World Vision Australia, St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral and ChildFund Australia – are rightly backing a #KidsOffNauru campaign. Boat arrivals are not illegal. Seeking asylum is a human right. Ending mandatory offshore detention is not tantamount to throwing open our borders. Methodical processing must be established in our region. That is how Australia can show real leadership, and how our money should be spent.