Australia - you're standing in it

I don’t think the LNP would win an election Indo. Mainly because as VL quite rightly put it that they’re corruption and shit fuckery know no boundaries.
Labour might be seen as weak in opposition and have corruption issues of their own but nothing like the LNP. And their mis management of crisis after crisis should be for most hard thinking Australians the cue to give them the arse.

Holiday time?

I disagree soggydog, if an election was held tommorow, I think the lnp would win no problem at all, reasonably close, but convincingly

yes lnp are up to their eyes in corruption, but little of that makes it to the general population, it all just comes across as liberals and their business mates doing what they do...

however alp's corruption has a real seedy element to it. when you have chinese people explicitly saying alp pollie's can be bought for $150k, not only is it seedy, but it's just disgracefully disappointing...

these stories also don't make it to the general population, but it's all about perception. and the perception is - the labor party have been bought

this is a subtle perception, with few cases and actually little evidence - as is the nature of such things - but what is obvious, is that labor have not been looking after average people's interests for a long time. and the unbelievable encroachment of china into every facet of australian life has been facilitated by someone...

if that's big business and the lnp - as one would assume and expect - then the lnp are toast.

but the problem is, this has happened with no opposition whatsoever, no checks and balances, no questions, no inquirung minds, nothing... as both parties satisfied their financial and ideological urges...

labor got their urges tickled, ...and they took the cash... it was a 'third way' bullshit steroidal sell off of mammoth proportions...

plus, albo is fucking useless, a fumbling bumbling elmer fudd, ...who seems a good bloke n all, but...

aside from penny wong and a couple of other women in their party, labor literally have got nothing

it's dire times ahead for oz politics if something big doesn't change soon

LNP are likely winners next federal election despite all the monumental fuck ups and corruption.

As long as house prices remain high, chompers get their free franking credits slush fund cash,, unemployment remains “Covid” low and the low life cheer leaders at Murdoch and Palmer do another number on Labor they will be a shoe-in.

How good is Australia?

Well if you blokes are right, Australians are going to need a lot of lube for the foreseeable future. I hope not.

yep guysmiley

and to make things worse... the economy thing is largely just smoke and mirrors...

it's a d trump style 'good economy', where some numbers look good, ...meanwhile, others are off the charts...

Hold the presses! Stop the phones!

https://www.anorak.co.uk/447661/strange-but-true/kfc-wanker-exposed-and-...

So the answer is in that link above:
Facto actually “rates and fears” everyone he named as as wanker.

Right, that settles it then.

I ran into Facto a few weeks ago and casually mentioned a strange bit of information I’d come across recently.

“Facto” I said “ Did you realise that men can be reduced into two simple and exclusive categories ? Apparently they either masturbate in the shower or they sing . You know what they sing ? “

“ No . What do they sing ? “ asked Facto with great interest.

Swellnet has many debaters that are here on mass many times a day ..... just to stay relaxed of course

https://m.

Best be careful Guy.

You’ll get in trouble for putting that in the wrong thread.

sypkan says the LNP corruption just comes across as liberals and their business mates doing what they do...
WOW. I mean WOW.
First up it's gone way beyond helping out a few mates. It's fucking rampant because there's no consequences for being a crook in the LNP.
Secondly. The corruption involves our tax dollars.
Thirdly. It involves a shit load of our tax dollars. When these bastards aren't buying elections with tax payer slush funds, they are handing out our cash by the bucket load. There's been at least two untended $400+ million contracts. There's $80 mil to Angus Taylor's mate in the Bahamas for not one drop of water. There's sports rorts, regional grants rorts, branch stacking, and all those $79,950 contracts to mates. (because above $80,000 usually requires more embarrassing paperwork.) There's $30mil for a $3 mil block of land, and the lucky seller, surprise surprise, donates large amounts of cash to the Liberal Party, And of course the creme de la creme, the multi million dollar covid safe app farce delivered by a LNP mate.
But don't worry about that sypkan, because some Chinese person bragged about being able to buy a Labor MP.
You're weird sypkan.

You relaxed after lunch Vic?

Taking a break from chores. Back to it. Let's see if I can finish the vacuuming before another massive LNP corruption scandal appears in the quality paper.

Club sandwich?

Haha! Classic! Ya gotta luv 'club' swingers!!!

FFS. What the fuck is wrong with people. Humane beings?

Sheepy, its the treatment of families like the Biloela's that leave Australia rightfully open to criticism especially as we prance around on the world stage preaching what's right and wrong to others.

They were only here on a temporary protection visa, which means when its safe to go home you must go home, a court found it was safe for them to return home like many Tamils have since the war has ended in Sri Lanka and they are no longer classed as refugees. (the war ended over 10 years ago)

They are only on Xmas island because they keep trying to use the courts to remain in Australia, obviously encouraged and most likely funded by refugee advocates and crooked lawyers.

It's their choice to remain there, they could go home tomorrow or most likely even go elsewhere the father worked in the middle east for almost ten years.

AU born children/citizens?

"Up until the 20 August 1986, regardless of the parents’ immigration status, all babies born in Australia became Australian citizens. After this automatic birthright to citizenship has been ceased on 20 August 1986, babies who are born in Australia and meet one of the following criteria can become an Australian citizen:

One or both parents are Australian citizen or a permanent residents; or
Have been ordinarily resident in Australia from the day of their birth until they become 10 years old"
https://www.seekvisa.com.au/can-a-child-born-in-australia-become-an-aust...

BTW. I was curious, seems and as long as one parent is Sri lankan at the time of birth and the so called child under 22 they can apply for Sri lankan citizenship no matter where they are born.

I like you ID, you tell it like it is, even if it’s completely different to how we want it to be

'feed the geese' viclocal... guysmiley's suspecting acid build up..., chores... release... relax...

then swellnet, ...reduce some swelling first...

it'll help with your interpretation

as per usual, you are reading what you want to read, to justify your constantly flabberghasted routine... your 'WOW just WOW' routine... so you can rant and rave as you see fit...

I was talking about perceptions, positions, and problems... the lnp have a huge corruption problem, and labor should be all over it, and the news should be all over it...

but they're not, labor nor the media...

the question is, why?

why are they unable to make hay whilst the sun is so obviously shining on a massive cess pit of corruption?

...and that comes back to the main point in my post...

but I don't expect you to understand or even try to get any of that...

keep 'interpreting' as you see fit one track

@ shoredump

Thank you, Terima kasih Matur suksuma, Matur nuwon, Matur nuhon, Surat sibil, Soho golo.

Spelling is probably way off, but.

Bahasa: Indo, Balinese, Javanesse (central & east Java), Sudanese (west Java), Mentawai, Nias & telo, i did learn Thank you in Achenese last trip and a few others but forgot them.

BTW. Thank you in bahasa minang (Padang) is same as Bahasa Indo :D

What’s black and white never any grey in Indonesian info?

@ Guy

Not sure what the equivalent saying is in Bahasa Indonesia

But it is actually a completely black and white case.

Asylum seeker flee's country, is found to be a refugee, got to Australia, is given temporary protection (believe allowed to live and work in community), years latter when situation reaccessed, it's found it is safe to return home, and that should be it, they should have then been returned home to where the rest of their family lives.

The only manner in which this case varies is they didn't arrive together, they both fled separately met here and got married and had children, but that is kind of irrelevant it's been found its safe for them both to return home. (obviously common sense dictates that it's also safe for the children too)

However obviously they decided they liked Australia more than Sri Lanka and have got comfortable in life here made friends etc, which is understandable not to mention Sri Lanka is a developing country and Australia a developed country and most people would prefer to live in a developed country..

But they knew from the start when they got the visa that once safe to return home they must return home like all people on temporary protection visas or any temporary visa.

Obviously somehow refugee advocates and their lawyers locked onto their case and that was it, years or trying to challenge the decision and millions wasted in tax payers money housing them, feeding them etc, finally it seemed all avenues and appeals had been exhausted, they are even on the plane returning home (to where they even have family)

But their legal team finds a loophole, apparently the youngest child hasn't been assessed on her right for protection or something, so plane is turned around and its back to courts.

For overlooking the assessment of the childs rights for protection, the family get's a huge payout from government (from memory over AUD 200K) again enough money I'm sure to buy a house or business or both in Sri Lanka (assuming cost is similar to Indo being a developing country)

Which leads us to now, with court and appeals on the decision of the child, obviously common sense is if it's safe to return for the parents and other child then its also safe for the youngest one.

But obviously even if the decision is already known its just about buying time and trying to put pressure on the government to give a free pass based on public perception that is brought through articles like that Guardian one.

The real problem here is refugee advocates who encourage and fund all this, they have been in a detention centre for so many Christmases because they keep trying to challenge things, they should have been back home in Sri Lanka with their family years ago getting on with life.

Im sure with the huge pay out that will set them up for life in Sri Lanka, they wont be complaining when they finally return home though.

.

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Info, the thing about the law and the Australian system of justice it’s rarely, if ever, black and white. Now I know you find that personally difficult to understand but it’s a fact. Equally just because the government, in our name, seeks to demonise refugees doesn’t make it right nor legal. Indefinite detention is inhuman on all levels and exposes the country to the sort of crass attack the CCP waged last week.

Hey Indo, where did you get this ‘information’ that they got a payout, something like $200K, “for overlooking.no the child’s rights to protection”?

Seems strange, because you don’t get payouts normally because a court or a public servant made a mistake unless it leads to really egregious outcomes. In fact, there is normally no entitlement to payouts, and if anything is paid out it is usually an ‘ex gratia’ payment, meaning it is a one off payment out of the goodness of the govts heart, because they recognise a wrong has occurred but don’t want to set any precedent in law.

So did you read about this payout in a reputable publication, or was it a Murdoch paper, or was it on Facebook. Calling BS on it if you can’t provide something reasonably legit.

Indefinite detention when someone doesn't commit a crime is more of a CCP thing. Our government surely wouldn't do that!!!!
Indo Dreaming. There's people who have been locked up for 7 years. Their "crime" was to seek asylum in Australia. There will be a royal commission years from now about Australia's treatment of refugees. People will claim they didn't know these things were happening. That of course is bullshit. People know, they just don't give a fuck about refugees and the rule of law. It's CCP playbook stuff.

Regardless of where you stand on refugees, Sri Lankans must be very low on the genuine need for asylum status based on their recent history.
Even Tamils haven't got it nearly as bad as many other countries.

Regardless of where you stand on refugees, this family was never a flight risk. They were employed, had the support of their community, and contributed to the country.
The millions upon millions of our tax dollars used to lock them up simply wasn't necessary except for one reason: to send a message to others. That's right, the Bilo family were brutally punished so others knew what they were in for if they dared take their cases to court.
Good luck defending the ethics of that folks. Maybe if they were au pairs to LNP mates, they'd get better treatment.

“Regardless of where you stand on refugees, Sri Lankans must be very low on the genuine need for asylum status based on their recent history.“

I seem to remember our PM (Abbott) opposing war crimes investigations against the Sri Lankan Government when countries like the UK supported them. Abbott also gave them ex AU Navy patrol boats to stop the refugee exodus at source.

Abbott an expert at cunning stunts.

Anyone got an opinion on this idea ? I certainly do and it was conceived with knowledge of our nation’s resource base in the Pilbara and its accompanying vulnerabilities. Particularly with some of the actions carried out by Chinese state owned resource companies in the area. :

“Australia has a brilliant opportunity to shape Joe Biden’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific in a way that will secure a major increase in American military power in the region. This will be a test of the Morrison government’s agility to move quickly to secure an advantage.

The US Navy plans to re-establish “an agile, mobile at sea command” known as the 1st Fleet, focused on Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean region.

Characteristically, the Trump administration seems not to have raised the idea with Australia or indeed Singapore, mooted as the potential land-based headquarters of the Fleet, but don’t write this off as a last-minute Trump flash in the pan.

The US has long realised it needs to lift its naval presence in the Indian Ocean. When Australia negotiated the US Marine Corps “rotational presence” operating out of Darwin, the plan agreed with Barack Obama in 2010 was ultimately to locate some major US warships at the Australian Navy base, HMAS Stirling, near Fremantle.

That trail went dry for some years because our own Defence Department has never met an opportunity it could not squander by prevaricating. It is time to restart this conversation. We should propose to Biden that elements of the US 1st Fleet should operate out of Stirling in WA and from the Port of Darwin. If Singapore is reluctant to host a land-based headquarters, then we should offer to be the host.

…Make no mistake that there is substantial deterrence value for us to have the US Navy and Marines on our shores, working with our military. Any country looking to do us harm would have to factor the US presence into calculations. Moreover, we could aim to have some vessels arrive in 2021 — contrast that to the decade and a half we will wait for our new submarines to be launched.

Readers will quickly point out that Washington won’t be thrilled to base ships at the Port of Darwin, leased to a Chinese company in 2015 for 99 years. The idiocy of that blunder continues to get in the way of urgent strategic business.

The government has the power to take the ownership back and it should now work with the Biden administration to make the Port of Darwin and HMAS Stirling the military and strategic hubs they need to be.“

@Guy, are you sure you’re not the one who is trying to see this as black or white?
I mean, Australia has a case by case approach to refugees, this means that some cases will be rejected.
It’s not just a matter of all cases are welcome / unwelcome

Shoredump, not sure where you get that but no I don't see this issue in black and white terms, its complex and like many I have followed this since Howard's dog whistle election campaign including Peter Reith's children overboard lies. As Sheepdog has long said we were part of wars (Gulf War 2 illegal) that caused many refugees flee their home country. War crimes were committed against Tamils in Sri Lanka with our Abbott government turning a blind eye to it when news started filtering through to the world press.

I believe in strong borders and would strongly argue that includes our airports which continued to accept 10,000s of refugees each year pre Covid yet there is no detention for them. Basil Faulty stuff, don't mention the war or refugees at airports.

Like most things this succession of LNP governments is involved in its all bullshit smoke and mirrors all to an eye at winning the next election. But if we are going to take the high moral ground with the CCP or any other country/government best we are squeaky clean first - refugees, indigenous affairs, climate policy and our involvement in wars in the ME and Afghanistan all need to be swept under the carpet.

Blowin 1st Fleet seems logical continuation of pivot to Asia begun under Obama. Deterrence value would be high. Basing at Singapore - well, that's the Straits of Malacca through which most of China's oil goes through, as does most seaborne trade. That would piss them off mightily. Think of choking an opponent in a fight.

It's also right at the base of the South China Sea, where they have claimed the islands and bulldozed/buried reefs into defence installations, doing a bit of Terra forming. Not to mention what happened to all the turtles and nudibranches there.

By the way, a very large amount of Australia's oil and diesel comes through the Straits of Malacca, or is refined in Singapore. BP Kwinana to close, too. If a conflict begins, it will probably begin with a saturation of missiles. Hope you've all got electric or E85 cars...

Electric cars.....pfffft.

I’m going full green . Imagine this on sand instead of snow and towing a tinny instead of a dinky little sled. Then again it’d probably cost the Earth more carbon damage than a V8 Landcruiser cause I’d be going through 200 of those little plastic dogshit disposal bags every day.

I’m into the 1st fleet being stationed off WA and Darwin though. Give us a fighting chance at least.

The results from a News.com poll. This’ll grab Scomo’s attention.

I wonder if blowin checks under the bed for reds in between his anti-China rants on Swellnet.
There's a touch of the Corporal Jones from Dad's Army about blowin.

Spot on, Vic.

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Re: sled dogs, took the youngest on one of the sled dog rides in BC when he was little. We are waiting to go and the dogs are being attached. I was talking to the driver, looking behind and I hear screaming from the youngest.

"Dad, Dad! The dog in front just did a poo and the dog behind ate it! Daaaad!"

It was really cold and the dogs would be working hard, so I guess that was a warm snack. So you may not have to clean up. Our driver did manage to take out a cross country skier on a bend, too.

Epic ride.

The thing that people forget is Australia has a permanent resettlement quota, if people care like they say they do, obviously you would want every permanant resettlement spot used as wisely as possible, ideally to go to somebody that will never be able to return home like a highly persecuted group say Christian or Gay in Iran for example or a stateless refugee who doesn't have a home country and never will.

Last thing you want is wasting spots on people that can return home after a war has ended or political situation change, or famine end.

This has happened in the past hence why there is real cases of refugees who now have permanent residency in Australia but still go back to their home country for holidays or visit family (because its safe to do so because wars or political situations have changed)

Thats the point of temporary protection visa's, they are a different program that helps people until it's safe to return home, however after a certain period if it basically never becomes safe to go home they can often then get permanent resettlement (hence why these Visa are also called bridging visas)

If you started giving permanent resettlement to people who's situation has been found to be safe to return home like this case, just because they are good people or the community dig them, well where do you stop?

You could give everyone on temporary protection visa permanent resettlement, and it might make you feel good because you can put a face and name and no doubt you are giving them a better life developing country to developed one, but in reality you have just taken the chance of a new life away from someone that really is in need, someone that life' is in true danger or is stateless and will always be stateless.

Weird that i need to explain this.

@Batfink

SBS okay for you? https://www.sbs.com.au/news/federal-government-ordered-to-pay-200-000-in...