Post by wheelspinner on Sept 12, 2011 7:41:05 GMT -5
A little background.
Both the government and the opposition in this country are hell-bent on demonising refugees who arrive by boat and claim asylum, and are going to extraordinary lengths to throw them out of the country and send them elsewhere. A totally inaccurate meme that the people are "illegals" and not "genuine refugees" has been allowed to take over. In fact, claiming asylum is completely legal even if you arrive by boat, and 97% of these people are found to be genuine after checks.
The disgusting thing is that we are talking about just a few thousand people in a population of 20 million or so. The total annual numbers wouldn't fill one stand in the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Racist dog-whistlers in the opposition, and subsequently the government, have fomented a massive fear campaign that has convinced people that we are being swamped with illegals and our society is about to sink into riots a la Britain.
Recently the High Court struck down the Government's attempt to pack these people refugees off to Malaysia instead of looking after them here. Instead of taking the opportunity to take a deep breath and embrace a more humane course, our government has decided they must pass legislation that allows them to circumvent the Court's ruling, so as to allow us to continue to treat some of the most desperate people on earth as callously as possible.
A while ago I read a blog post here where a guy said "Australians are becoming stupid, selfish bastards". Actions like this make me agree with him.
Caucus backs migration law changes
September 12, 2011 - 12:28PM
PM Gillard is determined to make broad amendments to Australia's migration laws so it can persist with its asylum seeker swap deal with Malaysia.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has received caucus backing for changes to migration laws after the High Court overturned the government’s Malaysia swap deal.
Cabinet met in Canberra on Monday morning to discuss ways to shore up anti-people smuggling efforts while ensuring Australia’s human rights obligations can be upheld and head off future court action.
A two-and-a-half-hour Labor caucus meeting backed law changes to give the immigration minister more discretionary powers and give legal certainty to offshore processing.
About 23 MPs spoke, with more than half supporting the motion proposed by the prime minister.The move will pave the way for the restoration of the Malaysia deal, under which up to 800 asylum seekers will be sent to Malaysia in exchange for 4000 processed refugees, and the possible reopening of Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island centre.
Ms Gillard told the meeting the government’s policy would ensure that Australia upheld its international human rights obligations while tackling people-smuggling.
Labor will need coalition support to get the amendments through parliament, as the Australian Greens who hold the Senate balance of power have made it clear they won’t support offshore processing.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the coalition was supportive of offshore processing but not ‘‘offshore dumping’’, as represented by the Malaysian deal.
‘‘The government appears to have come back to this parliament today not having addressed the flaws in its policy,’’ he told reporters in Canberra.
The coalition was prepared to work with the government so that the offshore processing position could be strengthened.
‘‘But we are not going to give the government a blank cheque,’’ Mr Morrison said.
Ms Gillard is scheduled to hold a press conference at 12.30pm (AEST).
An amendment moved by Left convenor Doug Cameron in favour of onshore processing was not supported by caucus.Ms Gillard told the meeting that reopening the Nauru processing centre - the coalition’s policy - would not work as it did not stop processed asylum seekers coming to Australia.
While turning back the boats had worked for ‘‘a while’’, people smugglers had thwarted the Howard government policy by sinking boats when confronted by Australian border protection vessels.
A caucus spokesman said there were no ‘‘factional lock-ins’’.
He said some members of the left spoke in favour of the prime minister’s motion, and some members of the right spoke against it.
No MP gave any indication they would cross the floor to vote against the legislation.
AAP
Read more: www.theage.com.au/national/caucus-backs-migration-law-changes-20110912-1k57t.html#ixzz1XjzqgN2g
Both the government and the opposition in this country are hell-bent on demonising refugees who arrive by boat and claim asylum, and are going to extraordinary lengths to throw them out of the country and send them elsewhere. A totally inaccurate meme that the people are "illegals" and not "genuine refugees" has been allowed to take over. In fact, claiming asylum is completely legal even if you arrive by boat, and 97% of these people are found to be genuine after checks.
The disgusting thing is that we are talking about just a few thousand people in a population of 20 million or so. The total annual numbers wouldn't fill one stand in the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Racist dog-whistlers in the opposition, and subsequently the government, have fomented a massive fear campaign that has convinced people that we are being swamped with illegals and our society is about to sink into riots a la Britain.
Recently the High Court struck down the Government's attempt to pack these people refugees off to Malaysia instead of looking after them here. Instead of taking the opportunity to take a deep breath and embrace a more humane course, our government has decided they must pass legislation that allows them to circumvent the Court's ruling, so as to allow us to continue to treat some of the most desperate people on earth as callously as possible.
A while ago I read a blog post here where a guy said "Australians are becoming stupid, selfish bastards". Actions like this make me agree with him.
Caucus backs migration law changes
September 12, 2011 - 12:28PM
PM Gillard is determined to make broad amendments to Australia's migration laws so it can persist with its asylum seeker swap deal with Malaysia.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has received caucus backing for changes to migration laws after the High Court overturned the government’s Malaysia swap deal.
Cabinet met in Canberra on Monday morning to discuss ways to shore up anti-people smuggling efforts while ensuring Australia’s human rights obligations can be upheld and head off future court action.
A two-and-a-half-hour Labor caucus meeting backed law changes to give the immigration minister more discretionary powers and give legal certainty to offshore processing.
About 23 MPs spoke, with more than half supporting the motion proposed by the prime minister.The move will pave the way for the restoration of the Malaysia deal, under which up to 800 asylum seekers will be sent to Malaysia in exchange for 4000 processed refugees, and the possible reopening of Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island centre.
Ms Gillard told the meeting the government’s policy would ensure that Australia upheld its international human rights obligations while tackling people-smuggling.
Labor will need coalition support to get the amendments through parliament, as the Australian Greens who hold the Senate balance of power have made it clear they won’t support offshore processing.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the coalition was supportive of offshore processing but not ‘‘offshore dumping’’, as represented by the Malaysian deal.
‘‘The government appears to have come back to this parliament today not having addressed the flaws in its policy,’’ he told reporters in Canberra.
The coalition was prepared to work with the government so that the offshore processing position could be strengthened.
‘‘But we are not going to give the government a blank cheque,’’ Mr Morrison said.
Ms Gillard is scheduled to hold a press conference at 12.30pm (AEST).
An amendment moved by Left convenor Doug Cameron in favour of onshore processing was not supported by caucus.Ms Gillard told the meeting that reopening the Nauru processing centre - the coalition’s policy - would not work as it did not stop processed asylum seekers coming to Australia.
While turning back the boats had worked for ‘‘a while’’, people smugglers had thwarted the Howard government policy by sinking boats when confronted by Australian border protection vessels.
A caucus spokesman said there were no ‘‘factional lock-ins’’.
He said some members of the left spoke in favour of the prime minister’s motion, and some members of the right spoke against it.
No MP gave any indication they would cross the floor to vote against the legislation.
AAP
Read more: www.theage.com.au/national/caucus-backs-migration-law-changes-20110912-1k57t.html#ixzz1XjzqgN2g
