Sad commentary on the fading of  ‘concern for the underdog’ in Australian culture. Other info of interest from the Scanlon Foundation’s Mapping Social Cohesion Survey 2010.

The June 2010 survey of 2000 respondents, undertaken by Andrew Markus, of Monash University, also found an entrenched negative attitude towards asylum seekers who arrived by boat.

”This is not simply a function of prejudice. The negative view is held across the community and does not extend to those who apply for asylum overseas and are selected for admission into Australia,” the study says.

Two-thirds supported admitting refugees who had been successfully assessed overseas.

By contrast, fewer than one in five agreed that boat people should be eligible for permanent residence, while 27 per cent said the boats should be stopped from landing and 13 per cent said the boat people should be detained and returned.

No group gave majority support to letting boat people apply for permanent residence – not even Green voters.

Article,  The boat people have no friends by Michelle Grattan.

Also,  When it comes to boat people whatever happened to concern for the underdog?