One of the objections I commonly hear to both taking in asylum seekers and our wider immigration program is a fear that we are being Islamicised. This reflects a worry that most Muslims, if they had the chance, would vote to see sharia law imposed on the Australian population; that Muslims bring...
Why and how we should criticise politicians
The biggest threat to our democracy is not asylum seekers but the Minister responsible for them
According to this year’s Lowy Poll 48% of Australians see asylum seekers arriving by boat as a critical threat to Australia’s national interest. It is somewhat ironic then, that the greatest threat currently comes not from refugees but the Minister who oversees the refugee program, the...
Perhaps the Coldest Thing I’ve Ever Heard from a Politician
I know politicians can be cold and calculated, but footage of Immigration Minister Scott Morrison addressing asylum seekers detained on Manus Island and Nauru is chilling. With sombre, determined tones he advises asylum seekers that they are where they are because “you entered Australia...
Are Crime Rates Higher Among Migrants, Including Refugees?
In Search of a Slogan. A Refugee Week Reflection
The Shocking Stories We Tell
No, it is not a joke. We really are trying to send refugees to Cambodia
Right Question, Wrong Answer
Many people find themselves torn over asylum seekers. They want to be compassionate, and for them this includes stopping people from dying at sea. Between 2000 and 2013 it is thought that approximately 1,225 asylum seekers on their way to Australia died at sea. During the same period 24,203 people...
Australia Day. A Time to Laugh and a Time to Cry
I find myself conflicted this Australia Day. Do I laugh or cry? On the one hand I am a proud Australian. I love this country. I love the fact that I can go to a footy match, sit beside supporters of my opponents, and feel perfectly safe. I love our self deprecating sense of humour, that calling a...