Children Overboard affair

The Children Overboard affair was an Australian political controversy involving public allegations by Howard government ministers in the lead-up to the 2001 federal election, that seafaring asylum seekers had thrown children overboard in a presumed ploy to secure rescue and passage on 7 October 2001. The government's handling of this and other events involving unauthorised arrivals worked to its advantage.

Source: Wikipedia — Children Overboard affair (CC BY-SA 4.0)