More of the Same



in April this year I was reading a piece in the Oz by Political Editor, Dennis Shanahan entitled "Tough stance on boat people all talk" ......

........and it was interesting at the time to think that in November 2007 the clear rhetoric that was coming from the mouth of the then opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, was that he would be tough and that there was no room for unfair and inhumane treatment of these arrivals but that he would continue (in the tradition of John Howard, my words) to send a strong message to the people smugglers that Australia's border are not a soft touch.

Fast forward to today and 4000 asylum seekers and 143 boat arrivals later and we are still hearing the same spin.

PM, Julia Gillard, has jumped from what she believes is a face saving and election winning back flip with regards to the massive new tax on mining (watch that space folks, this is not over yet) to all of a sudden having a solution to the problem that we have faced as a result of her governments border and immigration policies over the last 3 years.

Ms Gillard advises us all now that she will turn back the new arrivals from Afghanistan and prove that she has the balls and the brains that her predecessor obviously lacked. Although up to 60 per cent of Afghan asylum-seekers have had their claims rejected, only two have been returned home since the surge in boat people started in late 2008. More of the same, just more spin over substance,

John Howard's "Pacific Solution", the introduction of exclusion zones and the introduction of temporary protection visas, was a master stoke of border protection and still allowed us to comply with the agreed United Nations Refugee Charter. What it did was simple, if these were genuine refugees and they were suitable to live within our society then they would be accepted (within the UN quota also agreed) and if not then they would be deported without delay.

Now what we have is what Rudd and Gillard introduce to pacify the bleeding heart liberals and doooo gooders, of whom he promised, for a vote, a more human and compassionate approach.

How compassionate is it to send hundreds of men, woman and children to a watery death somewhere in the oceans around Australia after they had just paid some people-trading scum more money than their family earns in a decade (in most cases) for a chance to get to this great Southern Land of Welfare. Where, in this land of second chances, they will, thanks to Rudd and Gillard, be allowed the opportunity to appeal the governments recommendation to deport them (right up to the High Court of Australia), whilst siting back in well maintained, 3 meals a day accommodation, with free Internet and phone along with all the medical benefits bestowed on any Australian citizen and all paid for by you and me.

Meanwhile the legitimate place that should have been for a more suitable and productive immigrant, someone who has worked hard and waited in line, has now gone to that so-called refugee

If the PM was fair dinkum about reversing the disastrous Rudd policy that she so supported, then the first thing she would do is bring back the system that actually worked, and bring it back now before the election, not make it another ALP promise that will be broken.

I cannot see how the PM can kick these people out of the country whilst they still have access to so many avenues of appeal and free legal services. This would require an act of Parliament legislation, which will get passed and although appearing as a back flip, will actually start to send the correct message to the smugglers and their customers.

Alas this will not happen as they are just too proud and too bloody pig headed on staying in power for another 3 years. The song and dance show that Gillard puts on now is just that and haven't we all seen this show before!