Labor Pacific Solution

[Garpal Gumnut]

From the Prime Minister Julia Gillard about using Manus Island, when she was in opposition and John Howard kept our borders secure.

"The government would not have required this patch or bandaid if they had dealt with the matter appropriately in the first instance, but they failed to," Ms Gillard said.

"Why did they fail to? We all know, and the Labor Party has consistently said, that the so-called Pacific Solution was more about getting a solution to get the government through to election day, and for however long they could sustain it beyond election day, rather than being a comprehensive long-term solution to the issue of asylum seekers.

"The fact that it was conceived in haste, that it was implemented in haste and that its primary purpose was for electoral advantage rather than being an appropriate and proper public policy instrument in dealing with the question of asylum seekers is now very clearly starting to show.

"The public imagery that the government has always used in relation to the so-called Pacific Solution is that these asylum seekers would never, under any circumstances, set foot on Australian soil. That has been what the government has always claimed - that has been its whole imagery. The government engaged in the so-called Pacific Solution because it was going to be tough on the question of who came to Australia and it was going to keep asylum seekers off Australian soil and put them on Manus Island and Nauru."

The Prime Minister said a whole lot of other things likely to echo uncomfortably in coming months, given she held the shadow immigration portfolio from November 2001 to July 2003.

There is this from October 2002, "the so-called Pacific Solution continues to degenerate into a farce worthy of the stage".

And this from August of the same year, "I grieve today for the failure of the Howard government to design and implement a comprehensive long-term policy to deal with refugee and asylum seeker issues".

And how will she answer the questions she raised about the sustainability of this option in June 2002:

"I do not think that anybody in this place - including government members - could come into this place and say with any degree of credibility that they believe the so-called Pacific Solution is going to last for 10, 20 or 50 years.

"Instead of engaging in an unsustainable sideshow, which is what the so-called Pacific Solution is, why don't we fix the thing that is really the problem? The thing that is really the problem is the Australian processing arrangement."

And what response will she have to the multiple positions her Government has held if someone recalls these words:

"Then they did the flip and we had the post-Tampa strategy-the so-called Pacific Solution. Then they did the flop and, in April, we had the long-term detention strategy for Australia. Then, by May, they were in a double somersault forward to the May budget strategy, which was different from the April strategy of some 34 days before. Now they have done the backflip and the double roll and we have the new excision strategy. When you settle down and think that you have a long-term plan, then we will stand ready to back it-and you understand what we are prepared to back. If you need to fix Australian processing to make it faster then Labor stand ready to do that too. What we will not do is to play cheapjack political opportunism with you"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/06/3209558.htm

It is often easier to be in opposition than in government, perhaps Julia needs a break from decision making.

gg

 

[noco]

From the Prime Minister Julia Gillard about using Manus Island, when she was in opposition and John Howard kept our borders secure.





http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/06/3209558.htm

It is often easier to be in opposition than in government, perhaps Julia needs a break from decision making.

gg

It just goes to show what a 1-2-3 or 4 faced liar and hypocrite this Prime Minister of ours is.
She could not even make direct contact with the PNG leaders to discuss Manus Island, leaving it all to some useless bureaucrat.
I am sure JU-LIAR could not lie straight in bed if she tried.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...-new-guinea-snub/story-e6freonf-1226051634255

 

[Julia]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/07/3210503.htm

So the government is about to sign a deal with Malaysia, something that wasn't at all on the radar. See above link for the terms which are hardly favourable to Australia in terms of numbers. i.e. they will take 800 asylum seekers heading to Australia in return for Australia taking 4000 from Malaysia who have been through the UNHCR process and determined to be refugees.

Imo it's a step in the right direction in terms of admitting to Australia only those who have been determined to be genuine refugees and presumably pushing to the back of the waiting list those setting out to reach Australia directly.

But still, it's simply an adaptation of the Coalition policy purely because Gillard & Co were politically unwilling to utilise the much more sensible and presumably cheaper option of using the existing facilities at Nauru.

According to ABC Radio, Malaysia is not a signatory to the UNHCR Refugee Convention.
So this makes a mockery of the government's earlier statement that they would not entertain returning to Nauru BECAUSE that country was not a signatory to the convention.

What a tangled web they are weaving.

 

[sails]

If only labor had left the Pacific Solution alone. It was discouraging people coming here with their eye on our generous welfare system and yet provided a haven for those genuinely fleeing persecution.

Agree, labor have managed to tangle another web unnecessarily. It seems they have these unrealistically high ambitions and a belief that they can turn the titanic with a quick turn of the wheel. It seems they do no research into the implications of any of the major "reforms"...

And now it looks like they are about to complicate it even further with this bizarre deal with Malaysia when Nauru is sitting there waiting. I am concerned this is another policy on the run that hasn't been properly thought out.

Maybe Bolt will address this on his TV show tomorrow morning.

This from the article you posted, Julia, and I think it sums it up pretty well:

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott calls the announcement "a people go round".

"Today we've seen a panicked announcement from a government which is proving yet again that it's both untrustworthy and incompetent," he said.

"This announcement might be a good deal for Malaysia but it's a lousy deal for Australia.

"This idea that they will take one and we will take five, just risks Malaysia becoming the open back-door to Australia."

 

[Calliope]

Imo it's a step in the right direction in terms of admitting to Australia only those who have been determined to be genuine refugees and presumably pushing to the back of the waiting list those setting out to reach Australia directly.

The implication is that Gillard is at last admitting that the boat arrivals are not "genuine" refugees. So we are going to swap 800 fake refugees for 4000 genuine refugees.

The Malaysians must think this is a good deal. They will probably send the fakes back to where they came from. The fakes won't have access to the appeals systems that they have in Australia.

 

[dutchie]

The next budget should be catastrophic if it uses the same number system as is used in the Malaysian solution.
Give 800 and get back 4000!

This government is an absolute joke. Unfortunately Australia is paying (will be paying) for it for a long time.

 

[Calliope]

Apparently most of the genuine refugees are from Myanmar (Burma). Ninety per cent of refugees living in Malaysia under very bad conditions are from Myanmar. The majority of these are Muslims, but unlike the Muslims from Iraq and Afghanistan, these people are genuinely seeking asylum from a tyrannical government.

 

[Julia]

From today's "Sunday Mail":

taxpayers will fork out almost $10 million - $25,000 a day - to accommodate staff at Scherger Immigration Detention Centre near Weipa.

But the Immigration Department has refused to reveal how many staff will be racking up the bills over the next year.

It comes as $31,720 was spent on charter flights from March 29 to April 29 to take asylum seekers and detainees from Scherger to Brisbane.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/07/3210503.htm



But still, it's simply an adaptation of the Coalition policy purely because Gillard & Co were politically unwilling to utilise the much more sensible and presumably cheaper option of using the existing facilities at Nauru.

According to ABC Radio, Malaysia is not a signatory to the UNHCR Refugee Convention.
So this makes a mockery of the government's earlier statement that they would not entertain returning to Nauru BECAUSE that country was not a signatory to the convention.

What a tangled web they are weaving.

Agree Julia, Labor are making policy on the stumble.

gg

 

[drsmith]

Regarding Labor's Malaysian solution, I got the impression when watching the news this evening that Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey could not believe their luck.

 

[sptrawler]

The implication is that Gillard is at last admitting that the boat arrivals are not "genuine" refugees. So we are going to swap 800 fake refugees for 4000 genuine refugees.

The Malaysians must think this is a good deal. They will probably send the fakes back to where they came from. The fakes won't have access to the appeals systems that they have in Australia.

Well this is a winner, send 800 get 4000 back.
Then next round, send 800 and get the 800 you sent last time plus 3200 more its a bit like compound interest.
What an absolute winner, lets not forget Malaysia called us the white trash of Asia when the last Labor government was in.
This is going to end well. LOL,LOL,LOL

 

[Calliope]

Regarding Labor's Malaysian solution, I got the impression when watching the news this evening that Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey could not believe their luck.

Gillard's brainwave to swap 800 illegals for 4000 asylum seekers is her craziest move since cash for clunkers.

Around 80% of asylum seekers are permanently unemployed. So what this means is that instead of having another 640 on welfare, we will be adding 3200.

The Labor government must have a focus group whose only task is to think up new ways of wasting the taxpayers' money.

 

[Calliope]

To those who think the government hasn't got a clue about handling the boats problem, well, you "aint seen nuthin' yet". I can hardly wait to see Chris Bowen trying to load 800 reluctant illegals on to planes to transport them to hell camps in Malaysia.

This is the same hapless minister who couldn't get those clowns off the roof at Villawood, and I suppose the 800 will include women and children. The Greens and the illegals' support groups will have a field day.

 

[Glen48]

While you have countries like USA, Australia, UK, France etc invading countries with out considering the results or why they are invading other than USA told them too, you will never stop victims wanting a better life it is a natural Human reaction.
Here in the Philippines were the average wage is about $1,200 PA and no prospect of getting ahead and seeing Australian life style via Home and Away, Packed to the Rafters etc and ad's run my property strokers is all fuel to the desire.

Here a Faith healer has has much pulling power as a church priest ,Of course low education and rumours make the need to flee stronger, I think there was a story going around that Howard would give every one a Tractor and a house and to us owning a tractor to plough up a back yard is plain crazy but to a poor farmer in desperation it sound like Heaven.

Indian farmers wanting a loan of $100 to buy seed's for the next crop can't afford the application fees so the lender assumes they are high risk because they didn't file the right paper work so denyed the loan so he goes off and tops himself.

Like the war on terror stop the voilence or we will shoot, , drugs and Jail 's etc every thing else it need a rethink, the whole shooting match, instead of spending money on fancy jail were it will cost the most to build and give the top chiefs a free trip around the place at taxpayer expense we would be better of handing out money to the poor not by giving it to some agency to skim a bit off the top as handling fee but a shop front were some one could come in with an idea or be helped to form a plan and handed a small sum of money after all who will work harder than th recipient to make the thing work.
Here if you walk into a shop with a 100P note ($2.50 ) not many can cash that for you
Not many can afford to send their kids to school or can't let them because they are needed to work in the field.
I am sure most would be happy with power, a light and gas stove in a hut that does not leak agree like most in the western world were you try to buy happiness with opulence they would like the same but with education we could stem the tide BUT as long as you vote it will never change.
If we all stop voting they the pollies will ask why.

 

[pilots]

To those who think the government hasn't got a clue about handling the boats problem, well, you "aint seen nuthin' yet". I can hardly wait to see Chris Bowen trying to load 800 reluctant illegals on to planes to transport them to hell camps in Malaysia.

This is the same hapless minister who couldn't get those clowns off the roof at Villawood, and I suppose the 800 will include women and children. The Greens and the illegals' support groups will have a field day.

What I am worried about now is that you can get any thing you want in Malaysia as long as you pay the right person, my question is how many of the 4000 coming have paid to get in to that lot, who's to say they are all OK.

 

[moXJO]

How the hell does labor come up with its solutions

 

[noco]

What I would like to know is how Gillard and Bowen will decide who will stay and who will go.

Will it be by Russian roulette, ballot, who draws the short straw or will someone throw a dice. Will it be brother separated from brother or father from son?

Will it be the next 800 who arrive at Christmas Island and what happens after that?

All I can see is the more discontent, more demonstrations, more riots and more vandalism.

What happens if they refuse to go or they decde to take legal action to stay.

One hell of a debacle aka Pink Bats, BER, NBN, grocery watch, fuel watch and the Green scheme.

 

[Julia]

How the hell does labor come up with its solutions

What I would like to know is how Gillard and Bowen will decide who will stay and who will go.

Two good questions.
I doubt the government has any plan other than their determination to avoid reverting to what worked when the Coalition was in government.
It totally beggars belief that Nauru is already set up, no further investment required, the Nauruans keen to have the centre functional again, with the stated objection by the government being that Nauru is not a signatory to the UN convention, yet now they are going to do the most unbelievable 'deal' with Malaysia (with its reputation for gross abuse of detainees) which also is not a signatory to the convention.

The government has zero credibility left.

 

[joea]

What I would like to know is how Gillard and Bowen will decide who will stay and who will go.

Will it be by Russian roulette, ballot, who draws the short straw or will someone throw a dice. Will it be brother separated from brother or father from son?

Will it be the next 800 who arrive at Christmas Island and what happens after that?

All I can see is the more discontent, more demonstrations, more riots and more vandalism.

What happens if they refuse to go or they decde to take legal action to stay.

One hell of a debacle aka Pink Bats, BER, NBN, grocery watch, fuel watch and the Green scheme.

It will be the next 800 who will arrive.
I watched a statement from her on TV.
She said that should deter them.
Joea

 

[joea]

Two good questions.
I doubt the government has any plan other than their determination to avoid reverting to what worked when the Coalition was in government.
It totally beggars belief that Nauru is already set up, no further investment required, the Nauruans keen to have the centre functional again, with the stated objection by the government being that Nauru is not a signatory to the UN convention, yet now they are going to do the most unbelievable 'deal' with Malaysia (with its reputation for gross abuse of detainees) which also is not a signatory to the convention.

The government has zero credibility left.

Julia you always compile a well thought out post.

I watched Julia Gillards speech on TV about the subject of the Malaysia agreement.
She commented about "risk", the "roll of a dice".
I was embarrassed how she spoke as PM, in relation to people's lives.

Joea