The latest case of outright cruelty to migrants and refugees makes my blood boil!
I am well aware that it was the ALP’s Kevin Rudd who brought in the ruling that refugees who came by sea would never be allowed to settle in Australia, and I wonder how often he has regretted a decision which has allowed subsequent Coalition governments to display levels of cruelty which the Gestapo would applaud.
His action was taken to try to recover political advantage, but at what cost to the lives of those affected?
That the latest threat of deportation should occur at a time when the NSW Premier is suggesting some sensitive amendments to a National Anthem which makes wildly misleading claims about the aspirations and lofty offerings of this country, is highly ironic.
In recent years we have had issues like same sex marriage reveal incredibly levels of hatred and bile from people who claim to follow a loving, all-inclusive god. We have had lengthy discussions about protecting people’s right to follow a religion – which is already protected in the Australian Constitution – while we have had approval given to treat innocent refuge seekers with appalling cruelty.
The thin veneer of religious-based ‘respectability’ of elected politicians has been torn aside, to reveal a level of depravity, misogyny and contempt for women which would leave Donald Trump looking almost angelic.
We have innocent children, sequestered for nearly a year on Christmas Island, denied normal life with friends, while refuge seekers have been denied any sort of freedom for years, incarcerated offshore or in isolated hotels awaiting much needed medical treatment which seems to remain a distant dream.
Corruption in government in Australia is nothing new and is not confined to any one state. A few seem less steeped in it than others, but, for more recent arrivals, the concept of a ‘fair go’ seems to have no foundation in reality.
Each successive Minister in charge of Immigration seems to vie with his predecessor – sorry, Amanda – I forgot you were also part of this story – to show more stubborn cruelty and less enlightened humanity than his/her predecessor.
Dan Andrews has borne two massive burdens in recent times.
Not only did he have an uphill battle to defeat the second wave of COVID-19 in Victoria – in which his success is to be applauded – but he had to fend off politically biased criticism from a man who has manifestly failed as a leader for his country.
Morrison is a control freak who is more than uncomfortably reminiscent of Trump in his management – or mismanagement – of policy and people.
He is reactive, not proactive, and his desperate search for photo ops is an embarrassment – particularly when they occur in crisis situations.
He has given free rein to Peter Dutton and Border Force, whose ability to function within budget and with appropriate efficiency, not to mention humanity, is notable by its absence.
Hundreds of people are, or shortly will be, struggling to survive in a physical climate which is becoming increasingly hostile, and a political climate which is also increasingly unfavourable.
Yet, business is being showered with assistance – including assistance to reduce conditions of service for their employees. Job Keeper has been too often diverted away from employees pay packets and into shareholders pockets, while Job Seeker payments are to be reduced, even as those relying on them are running out of savings to ensure they can pay for rent or mortgage to ensure a roof over their heads.
Can I throw in a personal perspective?
I am a pensioner and a taxpayer.
I do not subscribe to any online media.
Yet I am forced to increase the profits of Foxtel, since my taxes are contributing to a generous donation of taxpayer’s money – money which is denied to the ABC to provide essential services to the entire population in times of crisis – to a company which is expected to operate using the fees it charges subscribers.
Cushioned by a comfortable and guaranteed salary, with over-generous entitlements and, often, no real understanding of life in the real dog-eat-dog world, politicians in general, and Ministers in particular are making ignorant decisions about often life-threatening situations.
And they are, simultaneously, making sure that, in the absence of decent anti-corruption measures, they benefit to the maximum at every end and turn.
Having watched the Wicked Witch from the West in action, I find it really hard to believe the assertions by Michaelia Cash that she has not been responsible for manipulating a situation of redundancy giving rise to a complaint against her as well as, for separate reasons, AG Porter.
There are few shining lights of integrity on the Coalition side of politics and, sadly, the faction system in the ALP reduces hope for high standards in Labor’s ranks.
If Albo wants to wrest power from the Coalition, he needs to assert his authority – though not by mimicking Morrison! – sack Fitzgibbon from the Party – if he refuses to accept caucus decisions he has no place remaining inside – and come out with a forceful global warning action policy which would gain support from President Elect Biden.
Accept the science, accept the diminishing time frame in which action might have some hope to reduce the excessive temperature rises and other effects of climate change, and give our children and their children a hope for a viable life.
The current Coalition government is on the High Road to Hell!
Don’t let then drag us there with them!
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Glad you mentioned Foxtel, just watching a report on the ABC about the unforgiveable behaviours of Paul Fletcher concerning Murdoch on one hand, against public broadcasting on the other.
As for Andrews, I don’t give the fella the big wraps others do, but think him ahead of “Shredder” Berejiklian. if only because no dirt has stuck yet re the Vic Premier. I don’t forgive him over that sacred gum tree and forestry in general though.
And what is this about the QLD government buying back a dud coal mine?
That was certainly kept quiet till after the elections, wasn’t it?
Worth a look:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-13/foxtel-given-$10-million-without-plan-to-spend-it-foi-reveals/12868704
Without looking too hard, I think this is the report I mentioned earlier that I watched on evening news.
paul walter – it is horrendous how this government is manipulating things and corruption is increasingly rearing its head.They are buying favours from Murdoch!
Spot on…thank you for your comment re:
“The thin veneer of religious-based ‘respectability’ of elected politicians has been torn aside, to reveal a level of depravity, misogyny and contempt for women which would leave Donald Trump looking almost angelic.”
The level of cruelty and justification of said cruelty being shown to minorities and refugees is numbing.
Decency is fast becoming a thing of
the past… or is it that we are more informed of bad and deceitful behaviour?
Not a pensioner and anyone who buys virtually anything become taxpayers including children, backpackers, large companies especially, visiting billionaires, foreign diplomats, and the like. Being a taxpayer results from legal obligation and not to be equated with the rights that come from being a citizen. Only citizens can vote – and they don’t even have to be taxpayers.
One can see why our democracy is in dire straits when citizens, who should know better, clearly don’t. Hope they are not involved with the education of the young – the future citizens. Hilarious.
They follow the very specific IPA plan of Murdoch released from Abbotts time.
Senate Estimates is a euphemism for getting to the truth.
Did you know that we (the taxpayer) paid Foxtel twice for broadcasting women’s soccer ?
If you recall, the government gave Foxtel $10 million in July to broadcast “women’s, niche and other under-represented sports” that was after giving them $ 30 million for the same purpose in 2017.
It also came at the same time as the Morrison Government slashed funding to the ABC by $84 million.
The $10 million Foxtel funding was fast-tracked through Cabinet and broke the normal “10 Day Rule” intended to give ministers time to assess proposals.
The ABC has now been forced to pay Foxtel for rights to broadcast women’s soccer, specifically matches featuring Australia’s national team, the Matildas.
This means that Australian taxpayers have effectively paid for this coverage twice, given the federal government’s $10 million grant to Murdoch/Foxtel over three years to cover “women’s, niche and other under-represented sports”.
Crazy isn’t it. We give money to a pay TV network which very few people watch to broadcast women’s and niche sports which very few will pay to watch, we then have to buy back that coverage so that ordinary people can watch on the national broadcaster.
Rudd’s petition wasn’t about this sort of thing but it fits in well to the type of enquiry we need. Foxtel want to bottle up prime sports behind their paywall with government funds and then charge again for free to air access through the ABC and our government goes along with this because it’s their good friend Mr Murdoch !
“If Albo wants to wrest power from the Coalition…” Ah, but THAT’S the rub, isn’t it? Does he want to do that? Or, have all the men and women of the ALP decided that being in Govn’t is too hard, that they get paid very well thank you, for sitting where they are sitting and why risk all this by saying anything controversial (of any humanitarian value) before the next election?
It is just too hard, it requires energy of mind and of body, it is dodgy and ––nah, it’s fine, let the Trumpclone go on!
As for Rudd, I fell for the same view as you have Rosemary. Many flaws but he’s OK, I mean look at the high octane attack he launched against Murdoch, isn’t that great?
Where is his attack -even of a lesser octane- against the savage treatment of those poor wretches seeking our help? Where are so many other similarly attacks on crucial issues?
Perhaps they are not going to happen because this is the job of his buddies in the party he once led and, well, they don’t want to say anything controversial, lest they lose their spot as parasites on the host.
We don’t have Aristotelian politics, we have a bad circus, full of clowns tumbling around emitting foul air from their… suppositories!
Many thanks, Rosemary.
Paying Murdoch (Foxtel) to garner all the sports and then expecting others, including ‘our’ ABC, to pay Murdoch(Foxtel) to re broadcast the same sports ??? What kind of corruption is this ??? And Scummo still sings hallejah every sunday ?? The miserable corrupt SOB !!
Queensland’s Labor government has paid Adani $30m to attract investment. (independentaustralia.net, 17/10/2020)
Seems to be a lack of conceptual clarity in democracies as evidenced by a general conflation of taxpayers with government (not only here but in the wider local and national communities). As though taxpayers, who (humans but not citizens necessarily) and which (companies but certainly non-citizens and therefore non-voters) are exercising control (making the effective decisions) as to the where, what, how, why and when funds will be distributed. In the one post, the confusion is highlighted
Governments of all persuasions rejoice when citizens are suspended comatose – suffering a type of political unconsciousness. Evident when the punters think it’s their money that’s being spent. Tense doesn’t weigh on their minds. Not at all concerned that the past equates to the present and perhaps the future. That what the government spends is still theirs (broadly defined to include all entities that pay dollars to government under legal obligation).
Under the Australian Constitution
So within that Consolidated Revenue Fund (CSR) sits the taxes, charges, duties, tariffs, royalties etc paid by international and local corporations, consumers of all ages including non-citizens, firms, organisations etc. Of course, people can call it what they like but it’s somewhat misleading to see it only as taxpayer (individual’s money.
In Australia, we have citizenship ceremonies every six months or so and apparently it’s highly valued. But its status is short-lived. Soon the uninformed prefer to call themselves taxpayers unless of course it comes time to vote (they don’t ask you about your taxpayer status at the ballot box.) And if you get in trouble overseas, the Australian Embassy won’t ask you about your tax return but they will want to know whether you’re a citizen or not. Strange!
Also strange that relative poor people are quick to identify as relatively (second class) taxpayers and not first class class citizens.
guest – when things get really tough, find the nearest metaphorical phone box and emerge with a completely new identity. …
In similar vein, Tony (Abbott) will soon become Toni (Abbott) – perhaps via a procedure more radical than a vasectomy. As for Peta … might there be an exchange? And at a number of levels.
Matters not, your post re. citizenship is on the money – and there’s the crux, we have been indoctrinated to equate value and monetary cost.
Money! Money! Money!
Re.Tony becoming Toni etc. Peta was always PITA – a Pain In The Arse.