The Federal Opposition is set to raise its focus on mandatory detention and border security, with this morning’s joint party room meeting debating illegal immigration at length.
A dozen MPs spoke on the issue, and while two spoke about the need for access to legal review and fairness and equity for asylum seekers, the majority view emphasised the hard line of the Howard years.
Yesterday in Question Time, Sharman Stone showed that the transfer of the portfolio from hardline right-winger Chris Ellison (who has retired) to a prominent moderate has not softened the Coalition’s views on mandatory detention. Stone accused the Government of “giving the green light to people smugglers”, linking it to the Government’s limitations on mandatory detention requirements earlier this year and Navy plans to keep several boats in port over the summer break.
The question prompted fury from Government backbenchers like Michael Danby, and led the Prime Minister to declare “there they go again.”
In the party room today, one speaker, who was said to have reflected the “vast majority” of MPs’ views, made the remarkable claim that mandatory detention had “saved lives” and that there should be no maximum period of detention.
The views were supported by Malcolm Turnbull who declared that the Coalition was the party of secure borders and that there would be “no welcome mat for people smugglers” from the Coalition. There would be no change from the Howard Government’s policy, Turnbull said.
The Coalition may also oppose the Government bill to remove the ability of Ministers to issue conclusive certificates to block Freedom of Information requests. John Faulkner this week introduced changes to the FOI Act to remove “public interest” conclusive certificates. However, the Bill has been referred to a Senate committee, and will not be considered until March next year. Shadow Attorney-General George Brandis told the party-room the Coalition should take no position on the bill until the committee had reported, and instead use it to expose Labor’s “hypocrisy” on the issue.
What a bunch of pathetic halfwits. When Afghans escape from persecution in Afghanistan the only way they can do it is via a “smuggler” who then gets them to the first refugee signatory country.
Which part of that information from the fucking UNHCR don’t these morons get? There are no fucking people smuggled into Australia and locking up the supposed victims is pretty useless.
Unless that moron Turnbull believes those thugs on the Howard years last night were right or that Ruddock’s belief that German Jews should have been similarly abused is correct.
Was this the same Sharman Stone who signed off on the only decent recommendation to come out of the Joint Committee Inquiry into Detention (released last night) with Recommendation 18 calling for the repeal of the legislation which imposes debts on asylum seekers for their stay in Australia’s hellholes.
At $125.40 per night or $225000 for 5 years- the tariff is stiff for a less than enjoyable stay.
Never thought that I would thank Sharman Stone for anything but there you are- seems that she is not quite hard as stone.
Watching the Howard Years II i was reminded of a few major events that I feel are quite connected politically
1. The role of Australia in East Timor’s emancipation in 1999;
2. The people smuggling racketeers apparently having greater flexibility to work with Indonesia’s notoriously corrupt officials to aim for Australia, with the Tampa election in 2001;
3. The terrorist attacks on Bali in 2002.
I can’t shake the feeling they are more related than is really comfortable. One can almost feel the conservatives under Howard would be thinking we’ve already done enough on the humanitarian side of things. Our Govt don’t deserve to be the soft touch after all that high risk geo politiks in 1999. Whether right or wrong, you can almost see them wringing their hands in self justification on border protection.
Not saying this is worthy or correct but I can imagine that they probably thought of themselves as having heaps of humanitarian political capital in store. Only to squander it all, would be the observation.