The full transcript of Jenny Brockie’s program last night is worth reading. The apologists for mandatory detention were out in strength, but I think the ‘Nays’ had the better of the discussion. The INSIGHT poll would suggest that SBS viewers disagree overwhelmingly with asylum seeker detention (currently running at 85%). The line on 'illegals' was trotted out
ad nauseum by Pyne et al, but it was exposed for the lie that it is.
Both the Coalition and the ALP are starting to look caught in the spotlight on this issue. It will be interesting to see how Labor, in particular, responds to mounting criticism of mandatory detention (an ALP policy that has mutated into an ugly monster under the Libs).
Laurie Ferguson's proffered solution was $25m for UNHCR to make sure refugees in other places don't miss their turn in the 'queue'.
Hopefully the ALP will review its position and get back to core values on this issue.
If you missed it, following is video footage of the INSIGHT program:
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One of the panel on the SBS program was Dr Andrew Southcott, the Liberal member for Boothby and member of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, which visited Baxter last Tuesday. (19 April). During the visit the committee met with about 30 asylum seekers in Baxter. The following exchange took place on the Insight program last night:
ANDREW SOUTHCOTT: when I went to the facility this week, we met with a group of about 30 of the long-term stayers and certainly they expressed their frustrations similar to what Rozita has expressed. But in terms of the conditions there, none of them raised anything about the conditions and we asked all of them that spoke.
JENNY BROCKIE: None of them raised concerns about...
ANDREW SOUTHCOTT: None of them raised the conditions.
Several asylum seekers who were at the meeting last Tuesday say they were stunned to see Dr Southcott tell such a clear, and obvious, lie last night. They have confirmed several specific points relating to conditions that were discussed at the meeting. These include complaints about:
the quality of the food, and that it "doesn't give good energy",
the inadequacy of medical treatment,
the lack of education inside the centre,the treatment of detainees by officers - complaints about handcuffing and bodysearches of detianees. One person stated that they were 'tortured'. When a committee member asked what the person meant by 'tortured' he explained that officers took him to management in handcuffs and treated him very roughly.
There were complaints about the overall conditions of Baxter - that the fences, and security - causing mental health problems that continued even after people were released from detention.
Several asylum seekers said that, although the food and other conditions were not good, they did not want to complain about this because their overall problem was being locked up.
Clearly, complaints about the conditions inside detention were made by asylum seekers at the meeting. (Although we could all get into semantics about the definition of the word 'conditions' - it would be hard to believe it couldn't include, at the very least, food and education).
Asylum seekers were upset to see Dr Southcott lie about what they had discussed with him. Even when Dr Southcott's comments were called into question by the interviewer, who looked doubtful when he said no-one had complained about conditions, Dr Southcott persisted with this lie.
Emma
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