A press release this morning:
Santa Claus is coming to town
A special visa issued by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) will bring happiness to the children of Australia at Christmas.
Santa Claus will be authorised to engage in limited work, of a highly specialised and non‑ongoing nature whilst in Australia under the conditions of the Business (Short Stay) visa (Subclass 456).
In approving the visa, a DIAC spokesman noted the happiness and economic benefits that had resulted from previous visits and his excellent record of compliance with past visa conditions.
Secretary of DIAC, Andrew Metcalfe said the whole department was supporting Santa’s visit and the spirit of Christmas with more than $50 000 raised for charity by departmental social clubs during the year.
Meanwhile, on Christmas Island:
… the Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus, said the patrol boat acted quickly to intercept the vessel and ensure the safety and security of all on board.
After being transferred to Christmas Island the newcomers will join 127 others, mainly Afghans, who have sought to sail to Australia in recent months. More than 160 people have been caught this year; 148 were caught last year.
Accommodation for the detainees is in two temporary sites on Christmas Island, including a construction camp, while a new $400 million purpose-built detention centre there remains idle.
What a ridiculous, painful, tasteless farce.
It costs about $27 million a year for the concentration camp to remain empty.
It costs about $10 million to take a few people from Darwin or thereabouts to Christmas Island.
We donate about $10 million per annum to the UNHCR and then whine that they don’t do enough.
We get a few people and the MSM have a feeding frenzy about so called people smuggling when it was proved in the senate estimates in February 2000 that it was not smuggling and in many court cases the judges said “this is clearly not people smuggling, the people want to be found”.
Try and tell a minister though and they accuse you of loving criminals.
Which of course they do because by locking up and tormenting Afghans who have escaped the Taliban we are doing the Taliban’s dirty work for them.
You know, sort of like people who collaborated with nazis, we collaborate with the “enemy”.
Just wondering, how many refugees would we have from Afghanistan if the country were not bombarded and civilian population would not be targetted (like wedding parties)?
Just wondering, how many refugees would we have from Afghanistan if the country were not bombarded and civilian population would not be targetted (like wedding parties)?
Why bother devising a special visa for Father Christmas? All DIAC had to do was refer to the precedent set by State Victorian Liberal Bernie Finn who used the ordinary old 457 variety to hire a Canadian girl as his electorate officer. I tell you just have a chat with your local MP and they can interpret legislation whichever way you want them. Laws are all discretionary when you’re an MP.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22024619-2862,00.html
PS Sure it cost Victorian taxpayers a motza to debate the whacko decision but then what the…both parties like to keep abreast on opening doors and leaving them ajar.