JOHN MENADUE. Asylum seekers are pouring into Australia in record numbers by air, but the media and politicians are not interested in the facts.

Feb 11, 2019

Our discussion on asylum seekers is ill-informed .It is a disgrace.  Our politicians and our media have failed us.  This was made obvious to me yesterday on Insiders.  Do Christopher Pyne and Phillip Corey think we are fools. They were both pushing the cruel partisan Coalition line on refugees and boats. Both see refugees not as people but as political  opportunities to be exploited.

With boat arrivals stopped, people smugglers have turned  to the air to bring asylum seekers to Australia in record numbers. .Peter Dutton and the media have turned a blind eye to this breakdown in our border protection.

The Insiders ‘debate’ was all about the politics and the politics of fear.  We were incessantly warned that boat arrivals would start again if we did anything serious to support the 1,000 wounded souls that we have abandoned in Manus and Nauru.  It is dishonest nonsense and propaganda to assert that the Australian Navy in cooperation with Indonesia cannot stop boat arrivals.

But as Abul Rizvi has pointed out in his article  ‘The best of 2018:  Duttton sets new asylum seeker application record‘ that whilst boat arrivals of asylum seekers has stopped, asylum seekers are coming to Australia in record numbers by air.  In 2017/2018, 27,931 asylum seekers came by air and claimed protection visas. That compares with 18,365 asylum seekers who came by boat in 20 12/2013 at the peak of the inflow in the Gillard/Rudd years.

Yet the media and politicians show disinterest in an honest and informed debate about protecting our borders.  Peter Dutton is not held accountable for his failure to protect our borders . Instead of telling us the facts on asylum seekers coming to Australia in record numbers by air our mainstream media including  the ABC allow Dutton to continue uncontested his appalling politicisation of the issue.

If only the media would look to table 1 in Abul Rizvi’s article, they might allow themselves to be better informed. Table 1 came from the Home Affairs Website – Onshore Humanitarian Program.

Public life is more than just playing politics.  Facts are important.

Share and Enjoy !

Subscribe to John Menadue's Newsletter
Subscribe to John Menadue's Newsletter

 

Thank you for subscribing!