Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has dropped a verbal lead balloon during a morning radio exchange regarding the Costa Concordia disaster, saying: "Well, that was one boat that did get stopped."

The comment about the sinking of the Italian cruise ship came during an interview yesterday morning on the Adelaide Triple M breakfast show with Ali Carle, Dale Lewis and Warren Tredrea.

At one point during the interview, one of the hosts asked Mr Abbott: "This is just a bit from left field, the captain from the Costa Concordia wants to know if you need any help with your boat policy?"

"Well that was one boat that did get stopped, wasn't it," Mr Abbott replied, to laughter.

The accident involving the Concordia, which struck a reef off the Tuscany coast in Italy last Friday, left at least 11 people dead, 64 injured, and more than 3200 evacuated. As many as two dozen people remain missing.

This morning, Victorian Labor MP Rob Mitchell called on Mr Abbott to apologise for the comment.

"He has no boundaries and lacks judgment," Mr Mitchell said.

http://www.transcontinental.com.au/news/national/national/general/abbott-cruise-ship-joke-lacks-judgment/2427307.aspx

The Federal Opposition has dismissed speculation its asylum seeker policy will damage relations with Indonesia.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is quoted in newspapers today as saying he would block all boats from reaching Australian shores and send them back to where they came from.

Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison says that is in line with the actions of the Howard government.

He says returning boats to Indonesia would not harm diplomatic relations.

"No, I think what is important is we have to restore the relationship with Indonesia," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-21/opposition-brushes-off-abbott27s-asylum-comments/3786038

Gus: Anyone with some knowledge of the law of the sea would propose that the position of the "opposition" let by little shit Tony Abbott would be an act of UTTER PIRACY... For example it would not be possible to turn boats in Indonesian NOR INTERNATIONAL WATERS without breaking international maritime laws, nor would it be possible to turn the boats once they have entered the "Australian Waters' without breaking agreements made with the UN refugee convention. All of this is basically "Show Pony" stuff from a little shit — and a party of ningnongs — who has no regard for laws that have been in force for many many years. Even Howard could not play this card despite crowing about it. The Tampa is a case in point despite the hooplah of the ritewingnutery in this nation.

Captains of the Australian Navy would be well aware of this and would have to disobey orders from Tony-the-crap. Tony Abbott is a little shit-stirrer, nothing else...

The opposition said it would give the navy extra resources to help turn the boats around at sea.

Ms Gillard said senior defence officers were against this idea.

The proposal was earlier condemned by the Minister for Immigration, Chris Bowen, as impractical and highly dangerous.

Mr Bowen also accused the opposition of hypocrisy for blocking the Gillard government's Malaysia people swap deal.

The Greens described Mr Abbott's concept as ''illegal and immoral''.

from Crikey …..

Did Tony Abbott jump the queue after a ride in Adelaide?

A perturbed Crikey correspondent reports:

"I wasn't surprised to learn that Action-Man-Abbott had invited himself along to last Friday's BUPA Challenge segment of the Tour Down Under -- the 140km ride for the dinky-di Aussie MAMIL (Middle-Aged Man in Lycra). After the ride, I was fortunate enough to be awaiting my turn for the brief massage provided by the ride sponsor (Santos). Having waited 90 minutes, with my name about to come up, you can imagine my horror when the orderly process was suddenly interrupted -- by none other than a smirking Tony Abbott, who was promptly escorted directly to the massage table. No waiting for our Tony, no orderly queueing with us regular MAMILS, just an outstanding feat of queue-jumping that left us feeling like we'd been taken for a ride."

INDONESIA is dismissing the Opposition's policy of towing back asylum seeker boats as "impossible and not advisable even".

The stance makes unlikely any co-operation from Jakarta on the policy should the Coalition be elected to government, and is an embarrassment for Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, in Canberra for talks with his new Australian counterpart Bob Carr, said there had to be joint efforts among countries which are the source of refugees, transit countries such as Indonesia, and destination countries such as Australia.

"With that kind of mind-set, naturally, it would be impossible and not advisable even to simply shift the nature of the challenge from one end of the continuum to the other," Mr Natalegawa said, standing alongside Mr Carr and Defence Minister Stephen Smith.