20 cases of wrongful detention

20 cases of wrongful detention.  20 cases of wrongful detention.

Imagine one of these was your child. Your spouse. Your mother. You.

Imagine someone you loved was locked up for two years. No crime committed. No charges brought against them.

I love this from News.com.au: 

THE Department of Immigration will spend $230 million on reforms - including $50 million retraining staff - after the wrongful deportation of an Australian was found to be shameful.

Staff will go back to school and study subjects along the lines of "How not to forcibly deport Australian citizens" after the scathing report was released yesterday.

What a joke.

But the serious side of all of this folks is what happens when you allow a Government to start to pass legislation that denies individual rights. Who is responsible? Amanda Vanstone? John Howard?

No. Us. We're responsible. We are allowing this to happen in our country. We're succumbing to the fears being rammed home to us everyday by the Government, by the media, about terrorists in our cupboard, and we're ignoring the fact that our Government is creating laws which infringe on the most basic of individual human rights.

However, here is why Vanstone should either resign her position or be sacked:

It (the inquiry) found that a breakdown in communications within the department and a culture of cover-up led to Ms Alvarez being lost from her family overseas for four years.

She has been the minister for long enough to HAVE to take responsibility for allowing a culture of cover-up to exist. Pissing away another $230 million dollars on "reforming" the public service isn't the solution. Putting someone in charge with a sense of responsibility is the only solution.

Comments

[Tony]

I find it hard to believe it is only 20 cases. I am betting there are still a lot of cases that they don't know about still in either detention or possibly already being deported.

I do agree though that we are letting this government get away with murder with the "anti-terrorism" laws they are trying to bring in. None of the laws so far are going to do anything to stop terrorism but they will infringe on our rights as Australians to do what we have always done and being free and enjoy ourselves when we feel free to do so.

As witnessed by bali again recently it is easy for terrorists do what they do. A guy just strolling through a crowded restuarant was a suicide bomber but he just looked like an ordinary guy and none took notice of him and we all know what happened afterwards.

If terrorists want to destroy and maim they will find a way. All the governments in the world are saying that terrorists will never win but they already have. The USA have dragged us into a ar in Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of fighting terrorism. We are allowing our government to implement all these crazy laws that don't really effect anyone except the people they are supposed to protect.

I fail to see how being tied to the USA at the hip in Iraq is good for our safety and it can only make us a bigger target which is why they target places like Bali because they know so many Aussies visit there every year. Until we stand on our own feet and tell Bush we are sick and tired of his warmongering we will remain a target.

Regarding the comment about a culture of cover-up this should come as no surprise to anyone in recent years with all the reports coming out from each govt members and high ranking public service officers. I think it's a curse of all governments and not just ours but it is a culture that needs to be discouraged and soon. maybe this report will make people more accountable for their actions but we will see, they are politicians after all.

[Rob Irwin]

Hey Cam, are you also going to cover Alamdar Bakhtiari and his admission "I don't blame the Australian Government for all this... I myself, now I can understand what's happening, it was not the Australian government who caused us to be deported. It was all caused by our lawyers."

I found that a very revealing story, bringing out some of the things I've long thought - like some of these anti-government types who get themselves infront of the press a lot on these issue being pure glory hounds.

Just curious.

[Phillip Molly Malone]

Hey dude, Your the one that voted for this Government! Its why I always vote Democrat in the Senate. Whether there any good or not, at least having a split senate gives some sort of accountability.

Molly
PS. Have you registered that Political Party yet?

[Cameron Reilly]

Rob - I havent seen Bakhtiari's comments, but I find it hard to justify wrongful detention or deportation by blaming bad lawyers. A Government has a responsibility to treat the citizens justly.

Molly - no, not yet. Got to learn to finish one thing at a time. One of my problems (see post on the books on my bedside table).

[Phillip Molly Malone]

Not to mention the other problem you admitted lately. The media would have a feline day, I mean Field day.
Molly

[Bob M]

Yes, Cameron you're spot on there.

I do applaud the government for appointing Mick Palmer and Neil Comrie to conduct the inquiries. Instead of a whitewash those two old coppers have done a steadfast job with neither fear nor favour, and quickly too.

[Cameron Reilly]

Molly... which other problem was that? I have so many.

Bob - you really think Comrie's that clean? He didn't leave the Victoria Police force in much shape. We've got one of the shadiest and under-resourced forces in the country.

[Phillip Molly Malone]

Kitten Huffing.
And as Rove would say: "Say hi to your mum for me!"

Molly

[Bob M]

I wasn't commenting on his cleanliness in the past, as I have no opinion on that. I'm too long out of Victoria to know what's happening on the ground.

I still believe that he and Mr. Palmer have done a good job with the inquiries. Quick too.

As for Ms. Nixon: she is well known in NSW, and Victoria is welcome to have her.