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phil.k. on Halal certification lets get politicans to ban this practice as they have in NZ.It is slowly deviding aussie in to religious groups,next ... more
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Kayli on The Boats God help me, I put aside a whole afteroonn to figure this out. more
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Robin on The Boats Hey,Thanks! Great post you have written on "The Boats ".Really I can say that your post is very informative, I'll come ... more

The Boats

Posted by: Michael Smith | 22 October, 2009 - 2:40 PM

Are you happy with the Rudd Government’s approach to the boats?

We are very lucky to be an island.

It’s hard to get here legally – airlines will make sure you have a valid visa or they have to return you at their cost.

It’s not as easy as booking a one way ticket. We control our borders because so many people want to come here.

But if people smugglers are able to show that they can get you here, that their routes are successful – we can expect the flood gates to open.

It just seems logical to me.

But what about you – are you happy with this government’s approach to the boats?

You know what the approach is. A permanent visa if you’re found to be refugee.

And it seems that it’s sufficient to say that you’re a Tamil fleeing Sri Lanka. It doesn’t seem to matter that a large part of India – Tamil Nadu is right next to Sri Lanka. It’s called Tamil Nadu and it’s about 40 Ks away.

If I was living in Sri Lanka or Afghanistan I would much prefer to live in Australia with Medicare and income support. And you know of the legal aid in preparing visa applications, health, dental and other care as well as preferential housing and family reunion. If you are an Australian born here, try to get your wife’s mother out here through the usual channels – it will take 10 years and thousands of dollars.

We make huge benefits available to refugees. And they are not available to our own needy. I don’t for the life of me understand why we treat the needy of other countries better than our own.

We are immensely generous people – by far the most generous per capita in the world for our acceptance of refugees in the UNHCR program

16 countries in the world resettle refugees. Australia granted 13,507 refugee visas granted in 2008-09 – out of about 80,000 in total, globally.

And don’t let anyone say we are not generous financially as well. There’s been a 40 per cent surge to an estimated $628 million per annum in just two years.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/877598/refugees-spark-huge-jump-in-welfare-bill

Figures obtained from Centrelink following a Freedom of Information request show there were 52,469 refugees on the various categories of refugee visas in reciept of the aged pension, Disability Support Pension, Austudy, Newstart or the Youth Allowance as at June 30, 2009.

Calculations based on these numbers put the total annual bill at $628 million, including $21.6 million in Baby Bonus payments.

Two years earlier, the number of refugees on Centrelink benefits stood at 40,151 with a total estimated bill then of $451 million.

A big driver in the increase was the abolition in August 2008 of controversial Temporary Protection Visas by the Rudd Government, which were issued without access to Centrelink benefits.

The policy switch led to about 1000 of these former asylum seekers moving to Resolution of Status Visas immediately and accessing full welfare entitlements.

Since 1990, about 190,000 refugee visas have been granted.

There were 52,469 refugee visa holders on Centrelink benefits as at June 30, 2009:

21,422 were on Newstart
13,582 were on the Youth Allowance
9881 were on the Disability Support Pension
5488 were on the aged pension
2096 were on Austudy
There were also 4324 Baby Bonus payments

Don’t let anyone suggest to you that Australians are anything other than tremendously generous, welcoming people.

Another boat today and reason to believe that in the pipeline are 10,000 people moving our way.

What do you believe? Are Mr Rudd’s policies working? The things he changed were:

Permanent visas

No Pacific solution – although he is now talking about giving many millions to Indonesia to have them hold the boats

No boats turned around – although he promised that he would “turn the boats back”

I think you know what I think. What about you?

Blog comments

God help me, I put aside a whole afteroonn to figure this out.

Kayli Friday 13 January, 2012 - 7:02 PM
Hey,
Thanks! Great post you have written on "The Boats ".Really I can say that your post is very informative, I'll come across your blog again when you will update it with new.
Thanks,
Robin
Boats in India

Robin Monday 12 December, 2011 - 6:12 PM
THE BOATS. This still remains the topic of interest for so many contributors to this blog. It was Kevin (07) Rudd leading this great Nation; Now it is Juliar Eileen (to the left and live in a glass bottle) Gillard who has usurped the throne, had a makeover and presented to Australia as our Saviour. Much of what Gillard has spruiked has been typical Labour Spin and Rhetoric. She has begged the People to "move forward" and forget that she was one of the "Gang of Four" who ruined our economy and put us in debt to the tune of $168+Billion - and rising by 750 million a week. She wants us to forget that she was the Education Minister in charge of the Building Education Revolution; a rort that has cost us Billions of Dollars and for which a Royal Commission called; naturally refused. She wants us to forget about the Insulation Fiasco, the death of Innocents when installed by amateurs and the ongoing costs to rectify it; she wants us to forget about the dismantling of our Border Security Legislation and the Armada of Boats bringing Illegal Immigrants into our Country;
She lied to us and told us that she had gained approval for a detention centre on Timor, subsequently proven to be false; She prefers to feed these refugees rather than our homeless and our aged. She wants us to forget that she was the Deputy Prime Minister under Kevin 07 and fully supported his every action. And so many of you out there, especially women, have fallen for this spin, lies and bulltish and intend to vote for her; Why? Because she is a woman. I just don't believe it!!!

Phil of Springwood Sunday 25 July, 2010 - 10:06 AM
What will be next to pick up these ILLEGAL CRIMINALS - a cruise ship complete with an on-shore luxury accommodation package. RUDD you are TOTAL DISCRACE AND AN INTERNATIONAL EMBARASSMENT

Joy Thursday 19 November, 2009 - 6:02 PM
Think i'll "UNFRIEND"
KRUDDY AND WRONGBONGWONG.
Effective as of immediately
Wobblyone.

Wobbly One Thursday 19 November, 2009 - 3:10 PM
Doncha hate it the system fails, 300 words gone; one denigrating the Labour Party and its failings to fulfil the wishes of the electorate. a Labour Party led by the Queen of Bitches, M/s Bliar, a socialist/communist from the Looney Left of the current Government. I mentioned the complete failure of the Party and its ability to balance a budget; I did applaud them on their employment record, i.e. their record to increase the size of Beaurocracy in this State by tens of Thousands, perhaps even Hundreds of Thousands; also their abiity to hire consultancies
and form Committees to solve problems which they seem to be incapable of doing; they then can always blame someone else if all doesn't go according to plan. That was a bit of a rant, but in my blog of the 16/11/09 I referred respectfully to the President of Indonesia, the Honourable Susilo Bambang Yudohoyono and the disdain with which he greeted the Parliamentary Swill we have been forced to call Prime Minister - Kevin Rudd al. MUDD, KRUDD, the DUD etc. For these terms of reference I feel no guilt or shame as I have no respect whatsoever for him, and quite obviously neither does the President of our largest neighbour, and just listen to the bastard deny any knowledge of a deal with this Tamil Scum who hijacked one of our ships on the high seas. Rudd would have gained the respect of the President if his actions had been those of a man with "balls", a bucket of blood tossed overboard - followed by flailing Tamil Hijackers. Problem solvered.

Oh, Carlinite, Australian Convict Transportation Register, First Fleet, 1787-1788, on the good ship 'Charlotte'. A thief and proud of him.

Phil of Springwood Thursday 19 November, 2009 - 12:00 PM