Emotions are running high in the asylum seeker debate, which has reduced some of our toughest politicians to tears.

Yesterday in the House of Representatives, Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey gave an emotion charged speech.

"I will never ever support a people swap when you can send a thirteen-year-old child unaccompanied to a country without supervision," Hockey said.

• Home stays for asylum seekers
• Destination Australia
• Calls to hide refugees' faces

Another Liberal Michael Keenan also choked back tears while describing efforts to rescue people on a sinking boat.

And today Greens Senator Sarah Hansen-Young was overcome with grief.

Despite the passion however, the compromise bill to process asylum seekers in both Malaysia, as the Government wants, and in Nauru, as the Opposition would like, was defeated in Senate today - with 39 votes to 29.

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