Asylum Seekers still coming

Tony Abbott’s refusal to talk to the government about any other proposal but his own to solve the asylum seeker problem is wearing thin. Just days before the latest tragic sinking of an asylum seeker boat, Julia Gillard wrote to Tony Abbott, reminding him that as weather conditions were worsening, she was prepared to recall Parliament to find a solution and invited Scott Morrison to meet with Chris Bowen. Abbott rejected the offer.


Now his own people are urging him to change his mind - former immigration minister Philip Ruddock said that a Malaysian solution is still possible and there is only one major obstacle – Malaysia must guarantee not to return refugees to the countries they are fleeing from. Another former Howard minister Alexander Downer says that Tony Abbott could save face by keeping out of negotiations himself and letting his ministers sit down with the government and possibly nut out a solution before Christmas.


But Abbott will not be moved, he’s still saying that because Malaysia hasn’t signed the United Nations Refugee Convention, their country is not an option.


It’s hard to explain the feeling of frustration and anger I feel about the incompetence of this government and how they have handled the asylum seeker issue. They flatly refused to issue Temporary Protection Visas as being too harsh and then put forward a proposal that the High Court threw out.


And what really hurts is knowing that we are paying for the refugees to be clothed, fed and housed in accommodation with access to gymnasiums, computer games and other pleasantries that make life enjoyable and when they eventually go out into the community, they are found public housing. Then we see on the news how some Australian families are squatting in houses that don’t belong to them, living in cars with their children or camping in caravan parks in tents because rents are too high and there isn’t enough public housing available for them. That’s just not fair.


We’ve had a gutful of politicians playing around, for God’s sake Tony Abbott, get together and fix it.