Australia's continued slide to fascism

Recent observations by Andrew Wilkie in parliament.  10 characteristics of a "pre-police state".

Denying some citizens the right to access the legal system is wrong.

Incremental loss of freedoms, democracy deteriorating bit by bit.

1. Metadata retention. Govt knows where you go, what you look at, who you talk to. No warrant required

2. Media - used, manipulated, bullied

3. Manipulation of judiciary - Royal Commission

4. Secrecy - operational matters "on water"

5. Law - can be arrested on suspicion of terrorism with no evidence.

6. Some people can be incarcerated indefinitely without trial - asylum seekers

7. Complete disregard for international law and agreements - Refugee convention, rights of the child.

8. Parliament forbidden to debate or decide on important matters of state - e.g. bombing of Syria.

9. Safeguard mechanisms disregarded and people bullied - Human Rights Commissioner. Autocratic regime

10. Security agencies act beyond lawful powers. Australian Border Force operation on the streets of Melbourne - unlawful, beyond their legal power.

http://insidestory.org.au/immigrations-disappearing-visa-applicants

And Border Force now prevents people reporting brutality, rape, sexual abuse in immigration detention.

Update 28 Dec 2015.  George Williams, Professor of Law at the University of NSW writes that

An extraordinary number of Australian laws now infringe basic democratic standards, but we hardly bat an eyelid. The growing assault on our democratic rights, Sydney Morning Herald: 

A tale of two newspapers

Reza Barati, an Iranian asylum seeker incarcerated at the Manus Island "offshore processing centre" in Australia's care was murdered by security guards on Thursday 20 February. The Age (Melbourne) put this story on its front page with further information inside on page 2.

In the Herald Sun (Melbourne), the same story appears for the first time on page 15, with very little information provided.  A leggy model and a local murder is featured on its front page.

This is good example at the extreme bias of the Murdoch-owned Herald Sun towards the Abbott LNP Government.   Bad news stories about Labor are paraded on their front page, while bad news stories about the LNP are relegated much further back.

It is interesting that Herald Sun editorials and some journalist recently stridently attacked the ABC for "alleged bias against the LNP government" supporting claims to that effect made by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

How do these people lie straight in bed?

The extremely biased Murdoch press and Tony Abbott attack the ABC when they report both sides of a story (such as allegations that Navy personally deliberately inflicted burns on asylum seekers in a boat they were turning back to Indonesia).

Mr Abbott, we need a Royal Commission into the Navy hand burning allegations, and into the Australian Navy's repeated incursions into Indonesian waters!

Sorry, I forgot, Royal Commissions are only held as witch hunts to score points against the Opposition (e.g. home insulation and union corruption).

These are dark days for Australia.  Our international reputation is being trashed by the Abbott government's human rights abuses against asylum seekers, and Abbott's often repeated lie that is "illegal to seek asylum in Australia" when it is not.

Leunig summed things up nicely.

Rest in Peace Reza Barati

External links

• Iranian asylum seeker killed on Manus Island named Reza Barati, The Age
• Petition | Allow journalists access to the Manus Island detention centre, Change.org : 

Onshore treatment of asylum seekers is the only option

Open letter to Josh Frydenberg, Member for Kooyong.

Josh,

A quick note to let you know that I completely disagree with government policy - which I note that you support - for offshore treatment of asylum seekers.

This will not deter asylum seekers from getting on boats to get to Australia.

In addition, offshore processing:
- is not consistent with human rights standards and UN treaty obligations
- will not provide appropriate accommodation;
- will not provide access to education, and to mental and physical health services;
- will make asylum applications much more difficult to process
- restricts merit-based application review by senior officials and NGO representatives
- has no oversight and/or monitoring of conditions by civil society.

I ask you to reconsider your position on this reprehensible policy.  Onshore processing is the only human and effective option.

Regards,

Peter Campbell

See also

• Brian Walters in Melbourne: sinking debate

Why do we lock up asylum seekers?

There are two answers to this question, and neither of them are nice.

1. We lock them up in mandatory detention as a deterrent to others.

2. For political reasons.

Why should we NOT lock them up?

It is a breach of human rights.
They have done nothing wrong.
Prolonged incarceration causes psychological damage
It is inhumane.
It is very expensive.
It portrays a very negative view of Australia.

In Australia, there is bipartisan support for mandatory detention between the Labor party and the Liberal/National coalition.  But they spend a lot of time scoring "political points" off each other on issues like how many boats are coming and how tough their respective policies are.

This is immoral and wrong.  It just should not be happending in a society that calls itself civilised.

Australia has had waves of immigration, both "legal" and refugees, including Greeks, Turks, Hong Kong Chinese, Italians, Vietnamese (many in boats) to name a few.

Claims that asylum seekers are a "border security issues" and are "terrorists" have emanated from some Australian politicians.  This polarises public opinion and slanders hapless asylum seekers, who of course have no right of reply from behind the razor wire.

We should simply allow asylum seekers to live within our society, assess their claims, and send the cheats home.  It is time our politicians stopped grandstanding and breaching human rights and international conventions.  

We need leadership on this issue, not gutter sniping and political trench warfare.

Kevin Rudd plays politics with asylum seekers lives

Kevin Rudd's recent stance on refusing entry to Australia for asylum seekers from Sri Lanka is a disgusting political debacle. He is looking at the polls and positioning his actions to try and neutralize the Oppositions attacks on him and appeal to people on Australia who regard incoming asylum seekers as a bad thing.

The treatment of asylum seekers is a weak spot of Labor. Adopting a "small target me too approach" on this issue was one of the factors that cost Kim Beazley and Labor the 2004 Federal Election.

So Kevin Rudd is trying to tread a line where he is:

"Tough on people smugglers" , "Tough on border protection" and "Sending a message to asylum seekers that Australia is not an easy place to get into".

Sounds a lot like John Howard doesn't it? Rudd has now adopted Howard's position and tactics on this issue in attempt to neutralise the issue politically.

However, this has not stopped the opposition criticising him for "being too weak", "encouraging illegal immigrants" and even "allowing terrorists into Australia" (this last from Wilson Tuckey).

The glee in the oppositions approach is tangible - they know they get some political traction and support on their outrageous statements. They too are poll driven, and some of them are clearly racist and guilty of spreading misinformation on this matter.

The problems with the Government's approach on this are:

• Human rights are being breached - people and children in distress are being interned
• Forcing them to stay in Indonesia potentially puts them in a worse situation than being interned in Australia
• UN conventions on treatment of refugees that Australia is a signatory are being contravened
• The "get tough" approach is really not deterring desperate people fleeing civil wars and persecution
• The issue is wasting a lot of government time which would be better directed towards some of the real crises we face such as ensuring a safe climate future
• Border protection is not the issue - we are not being invaded or at war with these people. The impact of climate change in the near future could see a huge increase of "climate refugees" from swamped Pacific islands.

Kevin Rudd and Labor should do the right thing and just accept and process asylum seekers. People smugglers should be deterred by jail terms. Playing politics with people lives and trampling over human rights is just not acceptable.