THE RUDD IMMIGRATION SHAMBLES

Two current reports below. Leftists grab any excuse to mess up their own society. Most of the Afghans Rudd is allowing into the country are going to become welfare dependant with no skills (except in thuggery) and with contempt for Australian society. Warlike Muslims are exactly what Australia does not need

If you are from Afghanistan and say you are a refugee, you get accepted into Australia

None have been rejected so far. Australia could get millions at this rate. Yet NONE are in fact refugees. They ceased being refugees as soon as they arrived in Pakistan, where millions of them now live

All surviving asylum-seekers from the boat that exploded near Ashmore Reef in April will be granted permanent residency in Australia, ahead of a coronial inquest into the cause of the blaze that killed five of their fellow passengers. The 42 Afghan men from the boat that was set alight on April 16 will be released into the community this week.

Police believe the fire was deliberately lit by one or more of the asylum-seekers, but do not have enough evidence to lay any charges. An inquest in January is expected to find out more about what happened. The Australian understands that if any of the asylum-seekers are convicted of serious charges as a result of the inquest, Immigration Minister Chris Evans is prepared to cancel their visas and deport them.

While Northern Territory Assistant Commissioner Mark McAdie said earlier this month that there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone, police had ruled out the two Indonesian crew members as suspects. "It's unknown whether the person or persons responsible for the fire intended to cause the explosion that resulted in the loss of five lives," Mr McAdie said. He refused to say whether those responsible for the fire were still alive, but said there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the survivors. "Clearly someone knows what occurred ... but they're not telling us," he said at the time.

The Australian understands that Senator Evans ordered a ministerial briefing on the men's cases, which he received on Friday. The minister asked for the briefing after serious concerns were raised about their mental health; they are adamant they were not involved in lighting the fatal blaze and many have become distressed and anxious.

When the men are granted their permanent protection visas this week, the total number of asylum-seekers to be granted protection visas since a run of boats that began last September will reach 687.

The men from the boat that exploded are being detained in Perth and Brisbane, not on Christmas Island, because of their special medical needs. Doctors from hospitals in Perth and Brisbane have provided the men with regular follow-up treatment for their burns. They have also had regular visits from members of the Afghan community, imams from local mosques and refugee advocates.

Immigration officials have allowed the men to go on excursions to local cinemas, parks, shops and cultural events organised by Afghan communities in Perth and Brisbane. In Perth, the men have been allowed to play volleyball every Sunday. They play against members of the Afghan community and are supervised by guards from security firm G4S, which is contracted by the immigration department to run detention facilities in Perth.

Specialist counsellors from the Association for Services to Torture and Trauma Survivors have also regularly seen the men to help them cope with depression and other issues stemming from the horrific explosion and their lives in Afghanistan. They have all had their refugee claims examined and have undergone health, security and identity checks.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship found that, as Afghans, their cases triggered Australia's obligations under the UN Refugees Convention. It is understood Senator Evans also believes that granting the visas now, instead of after the inquest, will help the group recover from a traumatic ordeal, settle in the community and recover their physical and mental health.

Northern Territory police were consulted and raised no concerns, it is understood. The men will be provided with settlement services including short-term torture and trauma counselling where necessary, English language tuition and help with funding somewhere to live. The department will provide assistance to the NT Police should any of the group be summonsed to appear at the inquiry.

On Saturday, Sri Lankan asylum-seeker Sarath Tennakoon was deported to Colombo, leaving just one man from the group of 12 who reached the Australian mainland last November but were found not to be refugees. The last asylum-seeker from that boat, Roshan Fernando, has his hopes pinned on a court appeal.

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Australian government's strange way to stop illegals coming from Sri Lanka

They say it's effective. In which case, why are the Sri Lankans still coming? The previous conservative government had the effective way: Lock them up behind barbed wire for long periods and invite the media to see that. The stuff below is just pissing into the wind: Another addle-headed Leftist idea. There is nothing wrong with giving aid to the very poor but giving them volleyball nets (!!!) won't stop the illegals

The Rudd government will offer micro-loans, free volleyball nets and fishing nets to poor Sri Lankans as part of a campaign to dissuade them from illegally migrating to Australia. Four hundred chairs, 300 fishing nets and 50 volleyball nets will be distributed in coming weeks to community centres and churches across the country's west coast -- all the products bearing warnings of the perils of the Indian Ocean crossing. Australia will also offer community grants and micro-financing for local job creation projects in the hope that improving the lives of poor Sri Lankans in their own country will reduce the likelihood that they will seek a better life elsewhere.

Sri Lankans are now among the largest group of asylum-seekers in Australia with more than 300 washing up on our shores in the past year. Another 260 Sri Lankan migrants, heading for Australia, were yesterday detained by Indonesian authorities in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra.

The freebies, known as "livelihood products" are part of an advertising campaign being launched this month in Sri Lanka. Australia Customs has hired the International Organisation for Migration and advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi to deliver its message through posters, stickers, bookmarks and street theatre performances. IOM Sri Lanka spokeswoman Stacey Winston said: "These products are really effective, small amounts really make a big difference. There will be two rounds of distribution of livelihood products. That's what we will deliver in the first round but we have some flexibility to change the products".

While posters and performances had proven "wonderfully effective" in previous public information campaigns in Sri Lanka "we wanted something tangible to give them also", she said. The loans would not be advertised in the campaign but offered to community leaders in follow-meetings.

The Australian government has identified Sri Lanka's west coast, a series of largely Sinhalese Catholic fishing villages and the most popular jumping-off point for illegal boats, as the first target in their campaign. So prevalent is illegal immigration from that area that whole pockets of one village are known as Little Italy in honour of the Italianate villas financed with money sent back by locals who have washed up on Europe's shores. Last week six Sinhala Christians from that region became the first Sri Lankans to be returned by the Rudd government. The men were deemed to be economic migrants with no reasonable fear of persecution on their return.

The Australian understands the Sri Lankan navy intercepted a boat with up to 60 asylum-seekers last week as it left Negombo Port headed for Western Australia. All those on board, believed to be mostly west coast locals, are now in Negombo prison.

The first street performance for the Australian campaign was to have been launched yesterday during a Catholic feast day at St Sebastian Church in Negombo -- an event attended by hundreds of local parishioners. But the Australian government cancelled the event less than 24 hours before it was scheduled. Parish priest Father Erington Silva said the Australian Government had missed an opportunity to reach a large audience of locals and drive its message home.

He also questioned the effectiveness of handing out free volleyball nets to communities of people so poor they were prepared to risk a perilous, month-long boat trip in the hope of a better life in a more prosperous country. "I think people might be a bit cynical about that," Father Erington said. But he said the Rudd government plan to offer grants and micro financing could help in an area where mass unemployment was forcing many to either work in the people-smuggling trade or take their chances on the boats. "If you can do something like that for people here, where there's so much poverty and unemployment, then maybe we can change peoples' minds little by little."

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Army stupidity

They dismiss serious complaints against a serving soldier on the basis of no evidence. This is very bad for the Army's reputation and should be swiftly reviewed at a higher level. It is extremely important that citizens have confidence in their military

THE Australian Defence Force has declared it is not bound by civilian court and police orders banning soldiers from access to guns in cases of domestic violence. The military's position was exposed when it dismissed complaints by two ex-partners of an army cook, subject to domestic violence orders taken out separately by the women, that the soldier was receiving intensive weapons training associated with his deployment overseas. The army had been served with the court orders specifying the man must not possess a gun before it decided to give him firearms training.

ADF regulations say state and territory court or police orders do not apply to defence force personnel. Senior army officials told the two women that the court orders had "no application for his military service". "At no stage have we had reason to prohibit the member's access to weapons. We do not intend to do so and will continue to employ him as a rifleman," they told the women in letters obtained by The Australian.

The first DVO was obtained by the army cook's ex-partner in Queensland, who has an infant child to him. In her application to the court seeking the order prohibiting access to her or their child, she alleged she had been subjected to mental, physical and sexual violence, and their baby son had been threatened with physical violence by the man. She lives at a secret address with the baby and says she is in fear of her former partner discovering where they reside.

The second DVO was taken out by a woman with whom the soldier established a relationship after separating from the mother of his child. That relationship broke down after his return from East Timor when, according to court documents, he attempted to stab her in the neck with a screwdriver. She was allegedly also subjected to mental, physical and sexual abuse and has moved to another state to ensure she is not found. Both women have repeatedly contacted the army expressing their concern that the soldier is receiving weapons training despite the court orders banning his owning or handling firearms.

The army has said the soldier has received psychiatric and religious counselling. A letter from his commanding officer to senior army personnel says the soldier has his full support. "I hope that the upper echelons of Defence do not inadvertently act to disadvantage the member due to unproven and sensationalist claims," the letter says. [A strange description of court orders!]

Although he has never met the woman or examined any witnesses in regard to the issue, the officer, a captain, dismisses the complaints by the former partner from Queensland. "My personal opinion is that (the woman) has attempted to make (the soldier's) deployment untenable to either damage his reputation in the army or have him returned to Australia so that legal issues between the two can be finalised," he writes. "I have little doubt that this latest instance is simply a continuation of this course of action."

In a letter to the two women, the army's director of co-ordination, Jeff Quirk, said the exemption for defence force personnel was outlined in Section 2 of the Queensland Weapons Act. However, the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Act 1989 says domestic violence orders override any exemptions outlined in the Weapons Act. In correspondence with Colonel Quirk, the women have been advised that the court orders are "a civilian matter, not a defence matter".

Asked by The Australian why the soldier was trained as a rifleman in the face of the court orders restricting access to firearms, a spokeswoman said there were "very strict policy and protocols regarding the use of weapons and these are thoroughly enforced". The spokeswoman said that upon being informed of a court order issued against an ADF member, the member's commanding officer is advised to implement a 48-hour embargo on the use of weapons and if necessary, require the member to undergo assessments.

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Hospitals across Australia forcing ambulances to queue for hours with seriously ill patients

With Westmead in Sydney again singled out

SERIOUSLY sick patients are queuing for hours to be unloaded from ambulances at busy hospitals across Australia. "Ramping" of patients is so common at major Sydney hospitals that ambulance officers routinely order pizza while they wait, ambulance union officials claimed yesterday.

In Queensland, more than 25,000 patients a year have had to wait at least half an hour to be unloaded from a waiting ambulance, Ambulance Service statistics reveal.

And in Melbourne this past winter, nearly 1000 patients had to wait more than an hour on an ambulance trolley. In 145 cases between May and July, patients waited more than two hours, according to data submitted by the ambulance union to a Victorian parliamentary inquiry.

The National Council of Ambulance Unions secretary, Jim Arnuman, yesterday said ramping was a growing problem in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia. Ambulance officers attending Sydney's Westmead Hospital routinely ordered pizza because delays were so long, he said. "Unfortunately, the hospitals are using the ambulances as a labour pool to look after patients because of their own staff shortages," he said. "On bad nights in various areas of NSW, we have 40 to 70 per cent of our on-shift ambulances tied up in hospitals. "It is impairing the ability of ambulance services across the country to respond urgently to serious cases."

In Queensland - where the state government is probing the death of a critically ill elderly man when his ambulance was diverted from a busy hospital this month - new statistics reveal that more than 25,000 patients had to wait longer than half an hour to be unloaded from an ambulance in 2007-08. The figures, furnished by the Ambulance Service as part of an industrial arbitration, reveal 7 per cent of patients had to wait more than half an hour.

Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union spokesman Kroy Day said it was a "daily event" for ambulances to be diverted from the nearest hospital. "In the past 12 months, two patients died on ambulance stretchers waiting for a hospital bed," he said, adding this did not include the elderly man who died in transit this month. "It's an absolute tragedy, a disgrace and unacceptable."

Mr Day said ambulances had been forced to wait three hours to unload patients at Royal Brisbane Hospital, and up to four hours at the city's Princess Alexandra hospital. "It's a systemic problem and indicative of a system in crisis," he said. "The doctors and nurses and paramedics are doing a great job but they don't have the resources."

Steve McGhie, the general secretary of Ambulance Employees Australia, said he knew of up to 11 ambulances queuing outside a Melbourne hospital. "If your ... paramedics are all lined up for three or four hours waiting to offload their patients, you need more ambos to respond to the waiting emergencies," he said.

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The force of corruption again

Police whistleblower sent home, told to see psychiatrist. No time for integrity among the Queensland police hierarchy. Is Terry Lewis back?

A VETERAN officer who has exposed cronyism and corruption in the police force has been ordered off work even though his doctor says he is fit for duty. Sergeant Robbie Munn – who wants to resume his decorated 30-year career – says the service has a culture that deters whistleblowers from reporting "dirty little secrets".

The police force claims Sgt Munn, who has fully recovered from heart surgery, requires psychiatric help and has ordered him off the job for 18 months. Sgt Munn's treatment has prompted serving officers to speak out, claiming he is being shunned because he is seen as "dangerous because he stands up for the truth". Sgt Munn, who was in charge of 70 police officers at Maroochydore, has revealed:

• Police cheated on promotion exams by plagiarising and paying others to complete their work.

• He unsuccessfully tried to reform rosters at the Maroochydore watchhouse after becoming concerned at some work practices. A year later, two officers were charged and eventually jailed for taking advantage of female prisoners.

• The anti-corruption watchdog made a rare decision to overturn a police appointment and install Sgt Munn after he was overlooked for promotion.

"There's a culture within the service to avoid accountability for management practices. There are a lot of dirty little secrets," Sgt Munn said. "A lot of your rank and file would come forward but they have seen what has happened to previous whistleblowers."

The Police Service has been accused of "doctor shopping" psychiatrists to block his return and refusing to provide a rehab program for the officer. Sgt Munn is on paid leave and says he has received more than $100,000 in the past 18 months from a police sick leave fund. Sgt Munn says the fund is meant for other officers "with genuine medical problems". "The harassment is continuing even though I'm not at work. I'm not ready to retire. I've spent 30 years of my life helping the community and there is value in me being able to do that," Sgt Munn said.

The QPS refuses to answer questions about Sgt Munn, former officer-in-charge of the Dayboro and Maroochydore police stations. Commissioner Bob Atkinson has been on leave this week. "The QPS is currently seeking medical information to determine (Sgt Munn's) fitness and ability to undertake the role of a police officer," a police spokeswoman said.

Evie, his wife, said her husband had been "honest to his own detriment" for speaking out years ago against fraudulent promotion practices, drawing the ire of supervisors and those involved in the rort.

Sgt Munn has arrested hundreds of criminals, had his jaw broken and a knife held to his chest. But he said criminals would be "envious" of shady activities within the force.

Queensland Police Union general secretary Mick Barnes said Sgt Munn was a victim of "bastardisation" in the force. "It highlights the mindset within many senior QPS officers who are unable to agree to disagree," he said.

Maroochydore's Sgt John Saez, a 37-year veteran, said he knows of no reason why Sgt Munn shouldn't be working. He said Sgt Munn was an intelligent supervisor "always looking out for the welfare of his troops" and was quick to suggest reforms to the force. "I honestly think they think Robbie is a dangerous fellow. Because he stands up for the truth, they want him out," Sgt Saez said. "If you buck the system, they put your name up on the wall with a black mark on it."

Sgt Munn's problems began in 1996 when he was wrongly denied a promotion at Dayboro. He took the matter to the then Criminal Justice Commission, which found in his favour.

In 2002, Sgt Munn blew the whistle on corruption within the promotion system of QPS. He found evidence of officers paying for answers to promotion tests, prompting an ethics investigation that led to the police service installing plagiarism software.

In 2005, when he was in charge of Maroochydore watchhouse, he suggested reforms to the roster system after becoming suspicious of shift requests from some officers. His suggestion of a larger rotation was vetoed. The following year, it was revealed officers had been sexually assaulting female inmates. Two officers were jailed over more than 20 charges and several others resigned.

"One of my motivations is to improve the lot of other officers. They might think if I can stand up against a corrupt system, they can too and it will make it better for them," Sgt Munn said. "I've got the runs on the board for doing that. If I can bring it out, maybe it won't happen to others. "Regardless of what they say, I can still hold my head up high."

Sgt Munn believes he was victimised after his whistleblowing by officers who made unsubstantiated complaints against him. He took stress leave and later had heart surgery and now the QPS refuses to take him back. The QPS made Sgt Munn visit one of its consulting psychiatrists, Petros Markou, who has suggested he return to work with a rehab plan that the QPS has yet to develop. Dr Markou said Sgt Munn's challenging of the police selection panel for the Dayboro position sparked retaliation.

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