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Day to Day Politics: Three cases of lying by omission.

Tuesday 22 May 2017

1 I have for some time now been calling out members of the Government who have been repetitive liars. Abbott was and probably still is. He had some excellent accomplices in Hunt, Pyne and others.

But for omission Peter Dutton takes the prize. His latest example of asylum seeker bashing is a perfect example.

Earlier this month the Law Council of Australia severely criticised the immigration minister over his complaints about the legal system’s handling of cases involving Iranian refugees, calling his views “dangerous and erosive to our justice system”.

He had been on 2GB last Tuesday speaking about Iranian refugees who had been granted Australian visas that the Government had later tried to deport after making return trips to their home country.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal blocked the deportation bid.

Dutton told 2GB of his “frustration” over the AAT blocking the government’s plan.

“When you look at some of the judgements that are made, the sentences that are handed down it’s always interesting to go back to have a look at the appointment of the particular Labor Government of the day,” he said.

Then on the same day on 3AW he was at it again blaming Labor. He appears to hate all opinions other than his own.

“The tribunal will look at these cases and it will come down to the judgement; the professional judgement of some people within the AAT and obviously those appointments are made by the government of the day, as is the case with the judiciary across the court system otherwise,”

“It’s Labor’s fault” is his constant cry, his never-ending excuse for his own incompetence.

In his current attack on asylum seekers who haven’t yet applied for a Temporary Visa he omits to say that this was only a requirement from last November.

“Those people who are fake refugees, people who are refusing to provide detail about their claim of protection … or indeed refusing to lodge their protection claims.”

There is no proof that people are refusing to apply, it’s just Dutton being Dutton, demonising people as they have done for a generation.

David Manne said:

“These applications take many hours because we’re looking at completion of forms with well over 100 questions, plus a detailed written statement, of the person’s fears of return to their home country, all in English and needing expert legal help so that people can understand the requirements of the process,”

Manne also indicated that his legal centre had over 2000 (of a total of 7500) asylum seekers on its books seeking pro bono help to apply for temporary protection visas.

He argued they had only had a small window of opportunity to do so.

“These applications take many hours because we’re looking at completion of forms with well over 100 questions, plus a detailed written statement, of the person’s fears of return to their home country, all in English and needing expert legal help so that people can understand the requirements of the process,”

This continuous bashing of asylum seekers from a man of little virtue is becoming somewhat boring. He knows that legal services are already under pressure. He is a cruel man who would have no hesitation in splitting up families and deporting them. He’s deliberately trying to tear people out of our communities and deport them to danger without any chance of a fair and proper process.

If it is the case that there is an October 1 deadline then you would think that a Minister who is in charge of the well being of these people then he should be bending over backwards to accurate them. As Philip Coorey put it in the AFR:

Rather than a war of “fake refugees”, this has the hallmarks of a “fake war” on an easy, and very familiar, target.

What loathsome creatures inhabit conservative politics?

2 Now, lets move unto that other Coalition MP who lies by omission with scant regard to any transparency what so ever. Scott Morrison, since he delivered his 17- 18 Budget has deliberately created the impression that the banks would accept the government levy and not pass on the losses to their customers.

Even though they know the banks will do what they always do and slug their customers, just because they can.

Barry Cassidy called him out on Insiders.

Barrie Cassidy: “You can’t guarantee they won’t pass on the costs.’’

He was forced to respond.

Scott Morrison: “In the same way the banks have put up interest rates when there hasn’t been a move in the Reserve Bank cash rate. I mean, banks will find any way they can to charge their customers more with fees and charges.’’

It’s a clear as a bright sunny day that the banks will find a way to slug the taxpayer. So lets get it straight. It’s an underhanded way to implement a new tax.

Now Morrison may be presenting himself as a changed man. One who after a long period farinaceous inflexibility now sees that revenue is as important as spending in budgetary terms but he also needs to apprehend that people are sick and tired of his slogans, lying by omission and the habit he has of sneeringly talking down to people.

To quote Sean Kelly in The Monthy:

‘’So it’s a pity that Morrison, having been flatly contradicted by Cassidy on ABC’s Insiders and forced, on air, to correct himself, and having had at least two articles (one here) written about it, this week continued to repeat the deliberately misleading accusation that Labor’s tax policy means “the Labor Party wants you if you do well in life to spend one day working for the government and one day working for yourself”. He clearly had the line distributed to other Coalition MPs, too, who repeated it.’’

If Morrison expects people to accept his transformation from bad cop to good cop then he had best start with arguments based on fact and not this sort of staggering hubris. Australians, because they don’t trust them, don’t take a lot of interest. They do however have a good nose for bullshit, or when they are being conned.

3 The third Minister on my list is the Education Minister Simon Birmingham.

Here he was on News 24 explaining the Gonski reforms. He insisted time and again that the Government was introducing the Gonski in full. In doing so he urged Labor to join with the Government and implement the legislation.

In an interview of some length he kept insisting that this was the real deal. Even blind Freddy knows that he is lying by omission.

My thought for the day.

”Have we reached the point in politics where TRUTH is something that politicians have convinced us to believe, “like alternative facts” rather than TRUTH based on factual evidence, arguments and assertions.”

15 comments

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  1. Peter F

    When Morrison says ‘one day working for the govt.’ etc, he really means ‘ one minute.

  2. Arthur Tarry

    Has there ever been a time when politicians were not lax with the truth? Not in my lifetime though I think the current lot are more brazen.

  3. Terry2

    Just as an aside : I note that the Trump women didn’t wear a head covering when meeting with Saudi royalty as is conventional – something that Trump had previously criticised Michelle Obama for the same thing, he tweeted in 2015 :

    “Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted.We have enuf enemies”

    Then Trump wears a ‘Kippah’ [skull-cap] at the Israeli Western wall as is customary for men : no women allowed.

    When Michelle Obama met the Pope she wore a black ‘mantilla’ on her head as is customary : the Trumps will meet the Pope in the next few days so it will be interesting to see what the Trump women wear : perhaps beanies all round (?)

    The politics of head covering !

  4. Frank Smith

    Dutton. The personification of evil!

  5. Jagger

    “Australians have a good nose for bullshit”, I think there must have a lot with head colds at the last federal elections then.

  6. Kronomex

    Terry; beanies with little propellors and tiny flags saying “I like Donald.”?

    I can picture Dutton sitting in his torturerers dungeon…sorry, office…getting more excited as the 1st of October gets closer and he can really unload his bile and vitriol on those “irregular maritime arrivals” (what a revolting phrase) that haven’t put their paperwork in.

    Morrison is trying to go from worstest (intenional spelling) cop to bad cop. He’s an overbearing arrogant little man with no clue about being a treasurer.

    Birmingham is your typical elitist, born to rule and clueless LNP politician.

    We must never forget that in the world of the LNP that it’s…all together now, 1…2…3…ALL LABOR’S FAULT.

  7. John Lord

    Jagger. Point taken.

  8. helvityni

    Dutton was the worst Health Minister according to many, now he’s competing with the other Baddies for the title of the ‘worstest’ Immigration Minister in the Oz history…

  9. Michael

    And obviously ScoMo’s agent is not the same as Baird’s.

  10. Havana Liedown

    So… in order not to be honoured with your grand title of “the ‘worstest’ Immigration Minister in the Oz history”, Peter Dutton needs to simply abolish his own department of Immigration, abolish our immigration system, abolish our national sovereignty, declare that there’s “no such thing as an illegal immigrant”, and confer instant citizenship and unfettered access to our welfare paradise to every arrivee?

  11. Carol Taylor

    Havana, and it would probably be a lot less expensive than the current refugee policy.

  12. Michael Taylor

    Havana, I don’t see where helvityni said that. Are you putting words in her mouth? Again?

  13. totaram

    Havana: I’m glad you are following the IPA play-book: Put words in peoples’s mouths and create a straw-man that can then be easily demonised. Well done! I hope they recognise your effort. We do find it amusing until it gets repetitive and boring. But do carry on!

  14. crypt0

    Havana, dutton and no doubt abbott would be proud of that little bit of straw man demolition.
    Liebrals seem to be adept at this little trick, whether it be on-line, in the newspapers letters columns or in ” conversation”.

  15. Freetasman

    No Havana, Dutton need to resign and walk out of Australian politics.

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