Rudd rocks the boats and says it’s time to give refugees a fair shake of the sauce bottle

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd on the ABC’s RN Breakfast, yesterday:

… frankly, I’m a little tired of being held responsible …

Frankly, we’re a little tired of Kevin Rudd …The Australian online, yesterday:

Kevin Rudd has been accused of attempting to rewrite history by claiming that the asylum-seekers in Australia’s Manus Island detention centre should have been resettled in Australia by the Coalition government three years ago.

He really thinks boatpeople should have been resettled in Australia? Then-PM Rudd’s statement announcing the PNG Solution, July 19, 2013:

If people are paying thousands and thousands to a people-smuggler they are buying a ticket to a country other than to Australia.

Rudd on RN Breakfast, yesterday:

Frankly … these poor folks should have been resettled in either New Zealand or Australia …

But … but … but … you said … but … Rudd’s statement, July 19, 2013:

Arriving in Australia by boat will no longer mean settlement in Australia.

Rudd on RN Breakfast, yesterday:

… at the expiration of 12 months, if we were not able at that stage to identify an appropriate place where asylum-seekers could be located then Australia would have had a responsibility to locate them elsewhere, including Australia …

Hold on … hold on … Rudd’s statement, July 19, 2013:

As of today asylum-seekers who come here by boat without a visa will never be settled in Australia.

Has the meaning of the word “never” changed? Oxford Dictionary:

adverb at no time, on no occasion; not ever; not at all …

Oh, it turns out Kevin was just covering his backside. The former Labor leader on RN Breakfast, yesterday:

There was a requirement by us as a responsible government to send a clear message to people-smugglers …

Talking of covering one’s backside … opposition immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann’s statement, yesterday:

Labor’s policy on asylum-seekers is clear. Labor will never let the people-smugglers back in business. Labor believes in strong borders, offshore processing, regional resettlement and boat turn-backs …

You know, guys, you could just set Rudd up in a “holiday house” like the Soviets used to do their old leaders … Encyclopaedia Britannica:

… after a palace coup orchestrated by his protege and deputy, Leonid Brezhnev, the Central Committee accepted (Nikita) Khrushchev’s request to retire … For almost seven years thereafter, Khrushchev lived quietly at his country dacha as a “non-person” …

Malcolm Turnbull would certainly support locking up former PMs. The Prime Minister on Melbourne radio 3AW, yesterday:

Neil Mitchell: You remember Tony Abbott?

Turnbull: I do indeed, yes.

Mitchell: Well, I noticed you’re avoiding his name.

Turnbull: No, Tony Abbott, don’t worry —

Mitchell: Oh, you’re going to use his name?

Turnbull: He’s a member of the partyroom, yes, former prime minister, member for Warringah — all those things.