Coalition MPs will probably utter something like “yesterday was a grim day on our borders” as they face the press today.
They’ll say the Coalition had hoped that it could “end the evil people trade and vote for a policy solution” but that Julia Gillard “drove the Parliament back into deadlock when she had the opportunity to reach a genuine consensus and enable us to move forward”.
They’ll say the deal that passed the House of Representatives last night — and will almost certainly be defeated in the Senate today — is a dud (or words to that effect). “It compromises our standards and it will not stop the boats,” someone from the opposition will exclaim.
We know this because Crikey has obtained today’s Coalition talking points dispatched to all MPs by Tony Abbott’s media adviser Paul Ritchie.
They say exactly what you’d expect them to. Labor will be working from its own notes; this is how business is done in politics.
But on a day that our federal Parliament fails the nation — and desperate asylum seekers — so completely, the spin is almost too much to bear.
Setting aside emotions of the debate,genuine in intent or not; parliamentarians have failed to address the will of the people . . to move to address loss of life and establish an equitable process capable of assisting desperate and despairing refugees in fear of their lives.
If both Houses cannot or will not resolve the public wish, then we need to take a leaf out of how Board’s of public companies act. The Chairperson moves aside! Shareholders do not accept intransigent boards who fail to act and nor should the public. It is now time for Milne, Abbot and Gillard to collectively stand aside or be replaced. Each are responsible for the Party position. Each incapable of meeting the public demands. And if their successors fail . . they too! Until leadership appears. I have watched the entire Question time debate and frankly, tears, emotion, empathetic associations don’t cut it! Fix it, fix it now . . or stand aside. Every life lost from this point forward demands the retirement of leadership.
Read what Oakeshott proposed, then get back to us.
Considering these are the countries he thought we could designate.
Afghanistan Myanmar
Australia Nauru
Bangladesh Nepal
Bhutan New Zealand
Brunei Darussalam Pakistan
Cambodia Palau
China, including Hong Kong SAR* and
Macau SAR* Papua New Guinea
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Philippines
Fiji Republic of Korea
France (New Caledonia) Samoa
India Singapore
Indonesia Solomon Islands
Iran Sri Lanka
Iraq Syria
Japan Thailand
Jordan Timor-Leste
Kiribati Tonga
Laos PDR Turkey
Malaysia Vanuatu
Maldives Viet Nam
Mongolia
*Special Administrative Region of China (SAR
Now why shouldn’t all those countries reciprocate and send their collective 8 million refugees to Australia as a designated country.
One would have to be extraordinarily stupid to think this is rational.
Christine Milne (the Greens) are missing an opportunity of a lifetime to mess with Tony Abbott & the Coalition but would rather stab Jullia Gillard and the ALP (plus sundry Independents) in the back after getting the Carbon Tax. I guess I don’t understand the point system in the game of politics.
@Marilyn: I don’t understand that list – they seem to represent pairs of countries, is that what he’s meaning?
I’m afraid I had to choke on my own bile when I heard Hockey’s hand on heart statement that he is totally comfortable with his position which has been long held. His current position is that Malasia isn’t a signatory to the UNHCR so he cant support it and something about 13 yo old children. As far as I was aware his position for a long time has been Nauru whereas they only recently agreed to become a signatory. Oh and of course “TURN BACK THE BOATS” where I’m sure the 13 yo would be at no risk.
And many others from all sides of politics are equally shameful in their hypocrisy.