Public Forum: Labor and Refugees - Pathways to Change

Masquara said :

What is the point of having a panel who all agree with each other? This is the sort of ‘disappeared up its own arse’ approach that gives the arch-left a bad name.

Spot on.

What is the point of having a panel who all agree with each other? This is the sort of ‘disappeared up its own arse’ approach that gives the arch-left a bad name.

justin heywood said :

“Pathway to Change”?

Pathway to political suicide perhaps. In my view the Greens have already captured the people who, strangely, are passionately hoping for the return of the flotillas of sinking boats.

With a strongly right-wing government in power, I think that the real opportunity for Labor lies in a shift to the political centre, not a lurch to the Left.

I don’t believe forums like these are anything more than grandstanding. Two of the speakers are Labor politicians – if they don’t already know why things don’t change, they probably won’t find the answer at the Manning Clark Centre.

It’s always been more about political posturing than the plight of genuine refugees.

If you find it strange that a group of people would not agree with indefinite detention of childrenm, women and men in tropical concentration camps, then I suggest the strangeness lies with you.

If you think The Greens want people to arrive by dangerous boat journey, then you have failed to do your research. Start with the Greens website for their (our) policies. Don’t expect to read an accurate representation of them in any media, but particularly not the Murdochtroid media.

“Pathway to Change”?

Pathway to political suicide perhaps. In my view the Greens have already captured the people who, strangely, are passionately hoping for the return of the flotillas of sinking boats.

With a strongly right-wing government in power, I think that the real opportunity for Labor lies in a shift to the political centre, not a lurch to the Left.

I don’t believe forums like these are anything more than grandstanding. Two of the speakers are Labor politicians – if they don’t already know why things don’t change, they probably won’t find the answer at the Manning Clark Centre.

It’s always been more about political posturing than the plight of genuine refugees.

Sorry, Ben_Dover (#2), but I reckon the “5. concealment; secrecy” bit of the definition is exactly what is going on.

Apparently we have appointed (and I imagine, paid – as it right) an independent person to look into how a young man got killed up there on Manus Island – http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/10/manus-island-riot-full-report-by-australian-official-may-not-be-released. But now the two governments concerned get to ‘cook the books’ before that report gets released to us, the taxpayers
who paid for it ?? Let’s imagine a couple of everyday crims being settled into a nice lounge out the back of the station while they cobble up their joint record of interview. Can’t see it happening ? Me either.

Sounds like a whole lot of ‘concealment’ to me.

Curiously, I understand that most of the journos up on the Hill will tell you that, before Sept last year, it was nigh on impossible to avoid a certain Opposition spokesperson getting in your face every day wanting to talk about refugees. My how that enthusiasm has cooled since !

dungfungus said :

In the meantime, population sustainability is not on the UN’s agenda. Not mentioned on your post either.

Umm, you do realise the UN does a heap of practical work to encourage contraception, family planning, the education of women & girls etc, very much for the purpose of a sustainable population level?

Postalgeek said :

In a couple of decades time people on both sides of the political spectrum will look back on these days with nostalgia, should predictions about a pending global food crisis and subsequent wars and mass migration be correct.

There is always room for it to get uglier, and starker.

In the meantime, population sustainability is not on the UN’s agenda. Not mentioned on your post either.

In a couple of decades time people on both sides of the political spectrum will look back on these days with nostalgia, should predictions about a pending global food crisis and subsequent wars and mass migration be correct.

There is always room for it to get uglier, and starker.

Dear Yvette: I am glad to see you have so much time on your hands as a local MLA to be able to put energy into these sorts of national issues. They are very important. Do you think you could also put some time into responding to constituents’ correspondence and following up on promises to do things? Thank you.

Ben_Dover said :

Has anyone else seen the “Refugees; Breaking the silence” posters about town?

Silence? SILENCE? Do we ever hear about anything else ???

si·lence

noun
1.absence of any sound or noise; stillness.
2.the state or fact of being silent; muteness.
3.absence or omission of mention, comment, or expressed concern: the conspicuous silence of our newspapers on local graft.
4.the state of being forgotten; oblivion: in the news again after years of silence.
5.concealment; secrecy.

The “celebrity refugees” that we see regularly making accusations of their human rights being abused are certainly not silent when an ABC or SBS camera/microphone is pointed at them.