Crazy because the discussion will most likely be centred around the tit-for-tat politicking between the two major parties rather than an appreciation of the bigger issues involved in the nation’s refugee crisis.

It started almost immediately yesterday after the government announced that up to 25 asylum seekers, mainly from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq were on the boat bound for Indonesia en route to Australia.

Here’s what Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said: “... the government worked so hard to develop its co-operative arrangement with Malaysia. As we have consistently pointed out, the absence of a disincentive for boat journeys to Australia will mean people will continue to undertake these dangerous journeys.”

The deal Mr Bowen was referring to, where Malaysia had agreed to take up to 800 asylum seekers for processing, was scuttled by a lack of support from the Coalition and minor parties.

The reasoning behind the deal, of course, had less to do about providing a disincentive for potential asylum seekers – who if they were not previously would certainly now be confused about Australia’s policies – and more to do about a political fix for a government which wanted to be seen as tough on border protection.

The Coalition, for its part, has a different plan with similar objectives designed more in line to election ambitions as opposed to an appropriate stance for a nation which has a record of acceptance and fairness second-to-none.

Breaking the people smugglers’ business model – based on selling an opportunity of easy access to a new life – is important but it should not be the only consideration in the battle to avoid more deaths.

While the frustrations aired by the Australian public are clear, finding a solution is not easy.

The reality is that no one can say with certainty that any government policy will completely dissuade asylum seekers from seeking better opportunities in Australia. The saddest part about the equation is that what makes our nation so attractive in this circumstance makes the problems more difficult and using these tragedies as a way of reinforcing political messages is a brutal way of enforcing this notion.