ABSTRACT
‘Stop the Boats!’ is much more than a slogan. These three words rose to prominence in as one of Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott’s 2013 election promises. They have since become firmly established in the halls of power and across Australia as a statement of who belongs and who does not. The Introduction to this volume sets out the meaning of Stop the Boats in terms of party politics, public sentiment and policy. These components of politics have formed a regime that (1) demands absolute control of Australia’s borders; (2) projects those borders outwards into the Asia-Pacific and into the Australian mainland; and (3) inflicts acute harm upon irregular migrants.
