tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434369190746987531.post4324251404048980618..comments2023-11-05T23:07:01.842+11:00Comments on Grog's Gamut: Election 2013: Day 12 (or, this sewer has no bottom)Greg Jerichohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04956402439870441083noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434369190746987531.post-19570487526965226622013-08-19T10:42:09.140+10:002013-08-19T10:42:09.140+10:00Oh Greg I do wish you were right about the voters ...Oh Greg I do wish you were right about the voters not being responsible for these policies but they are.In a world where I literally have stopped watching TV most nights to avoid the news and the ads my info is coming from you and the conversations I cannot avoid at work. The vitriol towards and the lack of compassion for refugees absolutely gob smacks me. I work on a floor of about 80 public servants (I am a contractor) and two other colleagues and I are the only people we can find on the floor who are not loving the two parties new approach because it is "what they deserve" - the they being refugees. We talk to each other not just in despair at the policies but frustration at the relish they are greeted with by ordinary people. If this is what we are like when we avoided the GFC I shudder to think what would happen if we really do face economic difficulties. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434369190746987531.post-39912264269562304142013-08-19T02:31:22.181+10:002013-08-19T02:31:22.181+10:00Somewhat off topic but if you're looking for i...Somewhat off topic but if you're looking for inspiration for Monday's blog, this might provide some:<br />http://www.theage.com.au/national/clean-energy-faces-4b-hit-20130818-2s5b9.html<br /><br />If Abbott is going to cap Direct Action spending regardless of emissions targets, why waste any money in the first place?<br /><br />If the Liberals are going to rely on the decline of the manufacturing industry to meet emissions targets, why not just tax industry until enough closes down so we can meet emissions targets? This from the party which accuses the Greens of being anti-industry.<br /><br />DFAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434369190746987531.post-50443639786608762752013-08-19T00:27:25.882+10:002013-08-19T00:27:25.882+10:00On 26 March 2013, on the ABC, the President of the...On 26 March 2013, on the ABC, the President of the Australian Iranian Community Organisation claimed that most Iranians were likely to be political refugees, not economic and this was followed by Chris Uhlmann stating: “But the demographic break down of the Iranian refugees does differ from many of the other groups of asylum seekers.”<br /><br /> ( http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3724787.htm )<br /><br />The implication being suggested by the “but” comment was that therefore the Iranians were not political refugees, which is like saying that Jews who were from the professional classes and were fleeing the Nazis' oppression must have been economic, not political, refugees. Wealth does not determine your need for asylum.<br /><br />In February of 2003, The Age had an article claiming Iranians could not be returned to Iran because of the refusal of the Iranian Government to accept those who do not volunteer to return and the situation facing those people at that time. It also reported upon the treatment of Iranian asylum seekers under the Howard Government.<br /><br /> ( http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/17/1045330536443.html )<br /><br />On May 2 2003, the then director of Public Affairs in the DIMIA issued a response to an article in the Australian Financial Review, stating:<br /><br />“...The facts are:<br />An agreement exists between the governments of Australia and Iran which provides for cooperation on a range of consular issues.<br />Australia and Iran have agreed that their first priority is to work together to promote the voluntary repatriation of those Iranians currently in detention in Australia. The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs continues to work closely and cooperatively with the Iranian Embassy in Australia to achieve this.<br />The agreement with Iran provides the capacity to enforce the removal of those who do not volunteer to return.<br />Your article ignores the fact that the majority of Iranians in detention have failed in their claims for asylum at a number of levels of review and as such have no legal right to remain in Australia. The Department is legally obliged to arrange their removal.”<br /><br />( http://www.immi.gov.au/media/letters/letters03/finreview_0205.htm )<br /><br />So, in 2003, the DIMIA under the Howard Government defended the then Coalition's asylum practice by stating that the Government had an agreement with Iran to force asylum seekers to return, but now the Coalition claims that Iranians cannot be forcibly returned . <br /><br />VoterBentleighnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434369190746987531.post-53322197101976328612013-08-17T22:56:01.719+10:002013-08-17T22:56:01.719+10:00Hi Greg
While I enjoyed this post, and certainly ...Hi Greg<br /><br />While I enjoyed this post, and certainly there is much to be critical of in the LNP's asylum policy, I do think you may have misrepresented one aspect.<br /><br />Lyndal Curtis asked, "If they cannot be returned to their home country..."<br />You then refer to "people who cannot return to their home country."<br /><br />There isa ctually a pretty big difference between 'be returned' and 'return' in this contect. Having checked back to the actual interview I think it's pretty clear that Lyndal Curtis and Scott Morrison are discussing is people who have failed refugee determinations and refuse to go home but who Australia is incapable of removing, not those who couldn't go if chose to go themselves.<br /><br />For example, at present where an Iranian fails the Departmental test, fails the RRT test, fails at Judicial Review, and fails at Ministerial Intervention, the Australian Government still cannot return them to Iran because Iran won't accept them unless they go voluntarily. They end up on visas in Australia despite having no valid claims to persecution.<br /><br />I understand that views on what should happen in those circumstances differ drastically, but your piece seems to suggest that the policy is indefinite detention of people who have no ability to return home, that does gel with what was actually said on the program.Joe Dorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557578271993794309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434369190746987531.post-22934625987726974012013-08-17T11:02:21.696+10:002013-08-17T11:02:21.696+10:00So true.
The Coalition's latest announcement ...So true.<br /><br />The Coalition's latest announcement on refugees is the product of icy hearts, but its aim was to take the increasing public focus off the Coalition's economic policy which is largely invisible in terms of detail and cost. Someone pointed out to me that the Coalition are currently in a holding pattern in the hope that they can dodge revealing the detail for the next three weeks.<br /><br />Rudd's media conference deviated from the main message by mentioning the Coalition's cuts and so the focus moved away from his announcement. <br /><br />Sometimes at the media conferences or doorstops, the questions are inaudible, so it is impossible to tell if the politician is answering the question. I watched one interview and all I heard was the spiel from the politician. It came across like an advertisement rather than an interview. VoterBentleighnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434369190746987531.post-91225952940003514992013-08-17T06:20:57.771+10:002013-08-17T06:20:57.771+10:00There's got to be another progressive politica...There's got to be another progressive political party out there, ready to leap into existence to save us from the expert ignoring LNP, and the desperate to follow them ALP.<br /><br />We've come a long way with information, election campaigns can't continue to run the way they always have. Full of BS. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434369190746987531.post-35778356835097349592013-08-17T02:04:45.033+10:002013-08-17T02:04:45.033+10:00Hi Greg
Excellent reporting as always. Just want ...Hi Greg<br />Excellent reporting as always. Just want you to know that this and First Dog on the Moon on Crikey are all that keep me interested int his farce.<br />Please don't stop.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434369190746987531.post-48687767476936509412013-08-16T22:37:44.519+10:002013-08-16T22:37:44.519+10:00Hi Greg, fantastic article. Unfortunately whatever...Hi Greg, fantastic article. Unfortunately whatever programme is matching the advertising to the text chose the government's horrible ad about getting on a boat and not ending up in Australia. Not sure if there's anything you can do about that, but thought you might want a heads up!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com