Not on vacation
I am not on vacation. I’m just very busy maintaining my other site, Love versus Goliath, and writing my memoir of the same name. Everything other than family and work is on the back burner until I complete my manuscript.
If you happen to land here, please feel free to pay Love versus Goliath a visit, you will be most welcome!
Related articles
- Love versus Goliath for 2012 (teamoyeniyi.com)
What Stops a Nation? A Horse Race or an Airline?
Tuesday is Melbourne Cup Day, the “Race That Stops A Nation”. I don’t know why any more – most of the runners are not Australian horses! Today, however, there is something much bigger stopping our nation: Qantas. The national airline, the one that still calls Australia home!
Reading The Age, which is carrying several articles and a live Twitter feed, Qantas didn’t see fit to inform the Government of the plans to ground the airline. Qantas gounding seen hurting airline and economy is one headline.
It came as an embarrassment for Prime Minister Julia Gillard who was hosting a summit of Commonwealth leaders in the western city of Perth, 17 of them booked to fly out on Sunday with Qantas.
This is big. Not only are many of the Commonwealth leaders stranded, the impact on the Cup will be dramatic.
Who is at fault here? I don’t know. I’ve had my own issues to concentrate on of late and to be honest I’ve not been keeping up with the situation other than catch snatches of commentary on the radio whilst driving to work.
I DO know this is not good for our international reputation and I do know the government should have been keeping a closer eye on the situation. To all those involved, perhaps it is time to find a common ground for the benefit of our nation. I’m not suggesting the unions back down if their claims are valid (are they?) nor am I suggesting the airline cave in either. I am suggesting there has to be a common ground you can all reach.
Reach it now, before we look too damn stupid on the global stage. We have one of the world’s strongest, if not THE strongest, economies at the moment. But we let this happen? How did this happen?
Another death in detention
“You can’t keep someone locked up for two years behind an electrified fence and tell them they’re free. All he wanted was one day of freedom – one day – and they wouldn’t give it to him. Well now he’s free.” – A close friend of a refugee named Shooty* spoke these words to us after Shooty died in immigration detention at 3am Wednesday.
The above is the headline introduction to an email I received today. In the hope of gaining even a small number of additional supporters for the cause, I am republishing this email here. What is REALLY clear here is that we, Australia, are risking people’s lives. This young man had been granted refugee status, yet we still kept him behind bars. Not good enough.
Yesterday news broke of yet another life lost in our detention system. A young Sri Lankan man took his own life after nearly two years of detention inside Villawood — despite being granted refugee status (but not release) earlier this year.
It was supposed to be a day of celebration. Only a few weeks ago he had asked to spend this Wednesday at his friend’s nearby home, celebrating the Hindu holy day of Diwali, “the festival of lights.” Yet, despite no objections from Serco (the private security firm running Villawood) and the fact that four guards were set to accompany him, the Department of Immigration refused his request – claiming it wasn’t a “compassionate or compelling reason” for a day’s release from Villawood.
Who stands accountable when a man is locked away for seeking asylum, refused even a day’s respite after nearly 730 days of captivity and finally takes his own life in despair? Tell our government enough — end this disgrace.
http://www.getup.org.au/detention-disgrace
While yesterday’s observance of Diwali was meant to be a “celebration of the victory of good over evil and the uplifting of spiritual darkness,” unfortunately the long-term detention that Shooty suffered broke his spirit. Sadly, a friend yesterday described Shooty as “one of the strongest” in detention and “the last person I expected to commit suicide.” When others were down this was a man who lifted their spirits and kept them positive. “He was loved by everyone.”
Yesterday the Minister for Immigration confirmed 462 others who have already been granted refugee status and have had health and security assessments are still behind the razor wire right now, awaiting their final security clearance. But it doesn’t need to be this way: ASIO, the government agency in charge of performing these security checks, says there’s no legal requirement in their Act for refugees to be kept in detention. Meanwhile, there have now been six suicides in detention since Labor took office, and transition to community detention hasn’t been happening fast enough.
It is a sad day when a young man finally on the edge of freedom breaks under the weight of an inhumane system and takes his own life. Tell our government, never again:
http://www.getup.org.au/detention-disgrace
Thank you for using your voice,
The GetUp team
* NB: We’ve used the young man’s nickname over fears that family members, still in Sri Lanka, may face reprisal if his real name is publicised.
Support is available, in Australia, for anyone who may be suffering depression or other mental illnesses by calling Lifeline on 131 114
Related articles
- Detention shock as refugee found dead (theage.com.au)
- Suicide sparks mandatory detention plea (heraldsun.com.au)
- Detainee death ‘highly regrettable’ (news.theage.com.au)
- ASIO concern stopped man’s release: Bowen (news.theage.com.au)
- Man dies at Sydney immigration centre (news.theage.com.au)
A crime not for the squeamish
We have recently had a very high profile murder case in the papers: one crook killed another crook in prison. Lots of front page coverage and analysis of the machinations of the underworld.
Today I came across a case that really shocked me. A man filling his car with petrol suddenly takes the hose and sprays petrol INSIDE the car then sets his partner slight after stabbing her in the neck. It gets worse.
‘Vile and horrendous’: petrol killer in court
Clearly this murderer had a few problems. More than a few problems, one could suggest. How on earth did this man function at all?
The Judge’s description of the murder as “such a bad murder, such a bad murder” is probably the understatement of the decade, reading the case.
Related articles
- ‘Barbaric’ killer could get life (heraldsun.com.au)
Tony Abbott – do not do it!
Good grief, what politicians will do to win power. One of the benefits of living in Australia, at least I believe it is still a benefit, is the right to criticise our politicians, even if we are of the same persuasion!
While Mr Abbott continued to condemn the Malaysia option, the carrot for him is that the proposed changes would ensure as prime minister he could send people to Nauru.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/abbott-muddies-water-on-boats-20110912-1k63e.html#ixzz1Xn2wbdfj
Furthermore:
A separate change would also ensure the minister could send children offshore without having to establish this was in their best interests.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/abbott-muddies-water-on-boats-20110912-1k63e.html#ixzz1Xn37Hz84
No. Definitely not.
May I remind ALL politicians of the requirements of the International Refugee Convention as discussed by Michael Pearce:
Withdrawal from Refugee Convention may be last resort
At first I thought, “What? We can’t do that!” then I read the article. Michael takes an extremely pragmatic approach to the debate, together with presenting a fresh perspective.
Public policy in Australia seems to have reversed the legal position. The major parties and public opinion seem to say that we should refuse refuge to those who reach our shores and seek asylum because that denies refuge to those in the so-called queue. That is, we should abrogate an obligation which is legally binding on us so that we can comply with an imagined obligation by which we are not, in fact, bound.
Michael goes on to say (emphasis added):
This course will no doubt be very unpopular in some quarters and for good reason. It would signal to all that we, one of the richest countries in the world with enviable space and resources to spare, did not want to share with the bedraggled and desperate few who, by good fortune, wash up on our shores. But this is only to tell the truth about who and what we are as a people.
Would that more people listen to people like Michael.
Why this desire for off-shore processing? What exactly does it achieve? Why the desire to send unaccompanied children off-shore? What does that achieve?
Chris Bowen needs to read some history.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said unaccompanied minors presented ”very emotional and difficult issues”. ”The overriding obligation is to say to parents, ‘Do not risk the lives of your children to get the prospect of a visa in Australia.’ ”
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/abbott-muddies-water-on-boats-20110912-1k63e.html#ixzz1Xn5AF2xs
Parents don’t send unaccompanied children in order to get a visa – they send them to save their lives. What of all the unaccompanied children sent here from England many years ago? Was that OK because they were English? I actually work with a woman who is friends with a person who was sent by their parents to Australia to save that (then) child’s life in precisely the same way children are being sent now. Unless Mr Bowen is totally oblivious to the realities of life, he knows in his heart if he were faced with the same decisions some of these parents are faced with he would do EXACTLY the same thing. So would any parent. Do not make glib comments in the media to try to paint parents as being in the wrong for trying to save their children.
Australia MUST remove the guardianship of these children from the position of Minister for Immigration. It is hard to imagine a greater conflict of interest existing. How this came about is beyond comprehension.
Quizzically Musing 