Diary No 6, Saturday, January 22 2022
1 When lying comes back to torment you, you cannot just tell another to make the first one go away.
Last week in familiar fashion, our Prime Minister, in answer to a question, said that those held in detention in Australia for eight, maybe 10, years had not been recognised as refugees.
Naturally enough, human rights advocates in this area quickly corrected the prime minister, Scott Morrison, telling him he was wrong.
The Djokovic case exposed our ‘dysfunctional and dangerous‘ Australian visa rules.
As I understand it, there are 25 refugees and seven asylum seekers currently held in the Park Hotel.
Once again, Australia’s draconian border policies have been forced into the spotlight since the detention of tennis star Novak Djokovic at the notorious Park hotel in Melbourne, where dozens of asylum seekers and refugees are detained indefinitely.
The Guardian reports that:
“On 2GB radio last Monday, Morrison was asked by Ben Fordham how it was “acceptable” that refugees in the same hotel as Djokovic had been detained for almost nine years with taxpayers spending millions of dollars “to keep them in limbo.”
In response, Morrison suggested the detainees were not refugees:
“Well, the specific cases, Ben, I mean, it’s not clear that to my information that someone in that case is actually a refugee,” he said.
“They may have sought asylum and been found not to be a refugee and have chosen not to return, and … that happens in this country, people aren’t found to be refugees and they won’t return.”
However, the Australian director of Human Rights Watch, Elaine Pearson, said that:
“…most of those held in the Park hotel had been granted refugee status.”
“It’s an outright lie to say that these people are not refugees, when most of them have had their refugee status formally recognised for years,”
“They’ve been through that process, and it is established that they simply can’t return to their country.”
Late on Wednesday, January 19, Morrison refused any apology, saying he had “answered to the best of my knowledge at that time.”
Later he put on his old Minister for Immigration cap using the (words of the period) referring to people who had arrived in Australian waters as illegals – then omitting to say that it was legal to apply for asylum under international rules. Yet another lie of omission.
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Nothing matters in life so much as to live it decently. And you don’t need any form of conspiratorial belief to do so. Just be as humane as you can possibly be.
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Morrison’s reputation as a profound liar is now so entrenched in our minds that it is legitimate to enquire every time he opens his mouth, is he speaking an absolute truth or just his version of it.
My pages weep in disbelief at his ignorance, lying, arrogance and supposed Christianity.
You have made your point, Prime Minister, that you are inflexible and have been so to the detriment of people for many years. For me, the reality here is when we as Australian citizens will say to our Government that enough is enough. Just how long are these men and boys expected to live as symbols of your toughness. Is ten years enough? Is your intention 15 or beyond 20. At least have the intestinal fortitude to say it. Our Prime Minister didn’t seem to know.
They have been moved from place to place without revealing their supposedly committed crimes. If my Government cannot bring itself to do that, it is obliged to tell its citizens what these men and boys are being held for. When will my Government be honest and show some compassion? Alas, I believe it is beyond them.
As usual, the Prime Minister was conspicuous by his absence when the decision to deport the world’s number one tennis player was made.
He let others make the announcements. No matter whose side you are on in this argument, remember this: “We told the guy that he has got an exemption. We invited him here. We gave him a visa.”
On Wednesday, January 20, at a doorstop speech, come press conference, Scott Morrison denied ever saying what he did. And in the hour-long doorstop, it was the case that everyone else was wrong, and he held a sort of ownership of righteousness. It is appalling the way he won’t take responsibility for anything.
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Humility is the basis of all intellectual advancement. However, it is the truth that enables human progress.
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2 Is this the beginning of the end?
A survey showing that the Coalition has taken a significant hit in its popularity has slashed its primary vote from 39 to 34, per cent putting Labor in a strong position.
A Resolve Political Monitor survey has found that voters are rapidly losing confidence in the Governments handling of the economy, jobs, health, and the coronavirus response. Or anything for that matter.
I, for one, am not in the least surprised that Labor’s primary vote has gone from 32 to 35 per cent since November. The survey confirms what most people think of this disgusting Government.
Morrison still has the edge over Labor leader Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister but leads by only 38 to 31 per cent and has lost the big lead he held on this measure just a couple of months ago.
“The contest has been quite close up until now, but Labor now holds a significant two-party preferred vote lead,” said Resolve director Jim Reed.
“The Coalition needs to be well in front of Labor on primary vote to win because they get a minority of preferences from minor parties and independents, and they’re just not there at the moment. In fact, this is the first time they have trailed Labor on primary vote in our tracking.”
3 Speaking of Hillsong (from Rossleigh’s article; “Why You Should Definitely Do Your Own Research“):
I guess you’re all wondering how “rules are rules” when it comes to a tennis player, but Hillsong can sing and dance and escape a fine because it’s not in the public interest. You’re probably wondering how they managed to corner the market on RATs as well, but you need to remember that the Lord moves in mysterious ways and such things are a mystery to the non-believer.
4 From the master back-flipper himself on George Christensen’s anti-vax stand:
”I strongly disagree with the message sent out by Mr Christensen regarding children’s vaccinations,” Morrison said in a statement. “It is contrary to the official professional medical advice provided to the government and I urge parents to disregard his dangerous messages in relation to vaccines.”
So strong were the Prime Ministers thoughts on Mr Christensen’s opinions on vaccinating our children that he refused to sack the Member. Now that’s authentic leadership for you. We need that in these times of crisis.
Christensen and a few other thoughtless members of the Coalition have become vocal critics of the Government’s vaccination program – campaigning against mandates. They are all dickheads of the highest order, and I wonder how many more of the ratbags will join the Coalition at the next election.
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Previous Diary Entry: No 5 – Comparative justice: Djokovic Vs Seekers of it.
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My thought for the day
When a political party deliberately withholds information that the voter needs to make an informed, balanced and reasoned assessment of how it is being governed. It is lying by omission. It is also tantamount to the manipulation of our democracy.
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PS: A comment by Kaye Lee on my last post is well worth repeating:
“It’s not the comments that are the problem Scotty… it’s the lack of foresight of the Government in preparing for what would happen when they got rid of basically all restrictions at once and said to the unvaccinated go forth and party.”
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