Mandatory Detention
The Federal Government now has a clear policy direction on asylum seekers: Confuse them so much they go elsewhere.

What the Government needs is a decisive way to stop desperate people getting into boats bound for Australia while maintaining our UN and human rights obligations to accept asylum seekers.
What they’ve got is a fear-induced policy spasm that tries to keep both sides (the turn-back-the-boaters and the open-armers) happy, but succeeds in pleasing neither.
Continue reading "The Government’s asylum seeker policies are all at sea" »
This is the third in a series of essays adapted from the Centre for Policy Development book, More Than Luck: Ideas Australia needs now. The Labor Government has set itself up for failure by upholding the view that asylum seeking is a national security threat, writes Kate Gauthier.
It is said that any civilised society can be measured by how it treats its most vulnerable people. Asylum seekers, vilified by the media and feared by the public, make an excellent target for unscrupulous public figures who seek to gain power or position through a culture of fear.

In order to appear tough on asylum seekers – tough on the victims of human rights abuses – successive governments and political parties have enacted or proposed policies that severely curtail the rights of people fleeing war, persecution and torture.
The argument in favour of taking a punitive approach is that it discourages onshore asylum seeking. This is shown to be false by two issues.
Continue reading "Big ideas: a sensible policy solution on asylum seekers" »
Latest 2 of 88 comments
View all comments-
Jilianna says:
you must read <a >cheap chanel bags</a> at my estore Read more »
-
XRumerTest says:
Hi there, A man falls in love just as he falls downstairs. It is an accident. <a >Fountas and pinnell grade levels emergent, fluent</a> <a >The busted newspaper wilco</a> <a >Us pokemon heart gold 60 ribbons cheat codes</a> <a >Alcohol 12hrs before surgery</a> <a >Azula and… Read more »
Are the people of Inverbrackie racists? Are South Australians who complain about a lack of consultation in the decision to house 400 asylum-seekers in the Adelaide Hills actually closet rednecks who simply don’t like foreigners turning up unannounced on our shores?

Some of them might be. But overwhelmingly, most of them are not. Whatever you think of Mike Rann, you would be hard pressed to accuse the Premier of racism in questioning the less-than-transparent process by which Inverbrackie was chosen as the venue for a detention centre.
There are plenty of other South Australians with similar concerns, and to suggest that they’re all pitchfork-wielding hillbillies does them a disservice.
Continue reading "Inverbrackie: so much for the new era of transparency" »
Latest 2 of 130 comments
View all comments-
Chris says:
I attended last nights meeting held by Chris Bowen with the local community. To claim the govt. isn’t listening is a fairly unreasonable claim. The govt. handed out leaflets outlining the key issues and what they are doing to address them. The audience then had close to 2 hours to… Read more »
-
RS says:
My goodness. There is so much hatred from people here! What is going on in your heads and hearts? Surely people can think about this from a personal position? My goodnes, if I had to flee from something so terrible that I nhad to risk my life to do it,… Read more »
The last thing Adelaide Hills residents would have expected to hear this week was that their community would be home to Labor’s newest detention centre.

The ambush announcement by the Prime Minister on Monday to turn the defence housing site at Inverbrackie near Woodside in South Australia into a detention centre has caused enormous concern amongst local residents.
Now, I know there are people out there who consider themselves morally superior to me. So to them I make this point very clear to begin with - my issue is not with asylum seekers; my issue is with this Labor Government and the decisions it has made.
Continue reading "Labor detention centres coming to a town near you" »
Latest 2 of 150 comments
View all comments-
clairegarciaps says:
Another celebration wherever hosiery must be sidestepped happens when using pants. Hosiery by using pants will still only make the thighs appearance stumpy. When you go about doing will need to put on hosiery in your pants, buy good pair with rearfoot hosiery aren’t so obvious more than the sneakers.About… Read more »
-
ben says:
Im betting they come with Gullotines, just like the FEMA camps in America. End the UN Agenda in Australia Read more »
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
@nigelmcbain I don't see the nexus between gay marriage and gay sex education in schools. ACL does. Health issues should be taught whatever
@jennijenni a few companies are known to do that - ask for story ideas from job applicants so they can steal them later
: Bruce Springsteen: "I get roughed up crowdsurfing… people try to pull chunks out of me" http://t.co/jiHqt8agt9” it was him, @patricklion
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
Latest 2 of 146 comments
View all commentsAdd your comment