Australia's government has been trumpeting its border protection policy to the world community as leaders converge in New York for the UN general Assembly.
The prime minister Malcom Turnbull and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton have described Australia's policy, including the controversial offshore processing of asylum seekers who arrive by boat, as a model for other countries.
A lawyer who has represented refugees, Eric Vardalis, says he's embarrassed to call himself an Australian when the government says such things.
He told Johnny Blades that allowing the mistreatment of refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru and PNG's Manus Island is a disgrace, but that the majority of Australians support it.
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Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, addresses the United Nations high-level summit on large movements of refugees and migrants. Photo: UN Photo/JC McIlwaine