The Ugly Australians
When one analyses the government’s general performance thus far,
it is easy to form the impression that they are so focused on, and
beating their chests about, stopping the boats, they haven’t noticed
that the current polling puts them out of office in 2016.
Sri Lankan asylum seekers (Image by transcurrents.com)
A disturbing feature for the Coalition is that these polls override
the government’s boats’ policy and renders its treatment of refugees
irrelevant. Scott Morrison’s brutal statements via video which were
produced as a deterrent for those in detention reflect not just his
vicious and malevolent approach but reveal a dark and sinister
government intent not just on stopping boats but also applying mental
torture as well.
His refusal last week to confirm the presence of two boats allegedly
containing 203 Tamils being intercepted by the Australian Customs is
further evidence that he and the government have lost any sense of
morality and think that stopping the boats is all they need to win the
next election. How wrong these ugly Australians are.
In the video
Morrison warns asylum seekers: “If you choose not to go home then you
will spend a very, very long time here and so I urge you to think
carefully about that decision and make a decision to get on with the
rest of your life.” This is tough, uncompromising talk indeed and
bullying by any other language.
When asked about the recent boat interceptions he said, “A boat
hasn’t arrived — let’s be quite clear.” This approach by Morrison was
utter arrogance to say the least. All subsequent attempts to seek
answers from other members of the government were greeted with their
robotic, pathetic mantra, ‘we don’t comment on operational and water
matters.’
Customs helicopter (Image by australianaviation.com.au)
The arrogance of this minister is mind-boggling. Not only is the
level of secrecy unprecedented since the Second World War, it is
counter-productive. Well we remember John Howard’s 2004 election
campaign slogan which began with, “Who do you trust….” Somehow that
slogan must have helped him and the Coalition across the line then, but
they wouldn’t want to try it today.
A recent Essential poll
found that while the most trust we have today is with the High Court of
Australia followed closely by the ABC, the level of trust we have for
political parties is at the bottom of the survey at only 2%. And that is
precisely where they deserve to be. Labor, despite their appalling
coalescence with the current boats policy, were at least upfront with
what was happening with boat arrivals and reported it regularly. Such
trust and honesty toward the Australian electorate did not work to their
advantage. That, sadly, says more about the duplicity and collective
ignominy of the electorate than it does about Labor’s honesty.
But now, Scott Morrison has finally released at least part of the story
about the boats’ interception and one suspects he will be beating his
chest with delight. We can only hope his actions in this matter and that
of this government will come back to haunt them both.
We can only hope there will be international repercussions over this
unprecedented abuse of human rights. Tony Abbott’s much repeated claim
that the government has always acted in a manner consistent with its
international obligations is no longer trustworthy and masks a dark
victory reminiscent of John Howard’s Tampa.
Abbott must be feeling very smug. His three word election slogans
have prevailed. That, of course, is no comfort to the 41 asylum seekers
returned to Sri Lanka who will now, most likely, face arrest and charges
for leaving Sri Lanka from other than an official port. And what of the
remaining 153 who have remained on board Australian vessels? Will it be
Nauru or Manus and another opportunity for Morrison to show his video?
At the time of writing, the High Court, that institution Australians
trust above all else, has just granted an interim injunction preventing
any further transfer of asylum seekers by Australian Customs. This ugly
story is yet to play out.
No doubt Abbott’s 37 spin doctors employed to manage his media
performances will feed the Murdoch press with all the misinformation
they can tap out on their keyboards. We can only hope it won’t work.
When the real stories begin to emerge from Sri Lanka, as they no
doubt will, can we also hope the collective conscience of the nation
will be sufficiently stirred from its disgraceful ambivalence? Perhaps
not.
Bill Shorten (Image by news.com.au)
We have to remember that Scott Morrison has 97 spin doctors and they
also have Murdoch in their stable. So we can anticipate that, for the
time being, with a hapless and complicit Labor and an ineffectual Greens
and PUP, we will see continued human rights abuses. Doubtless the ABC,
Fairfax and The Guardian will continue to investigate this outrageous
act of moral bankruptcy but will anyone be willing to listen?
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