Philip Ruddock and Amanda Vanstone were in charge of DIMIA when Australian citizen Vivian Alvarez was deported to the Phillipines and when legal permanent resident Cornelia Rau was unlawfully incarcerated for 10 months. Only about 200 other people suffered unlawful incarcerations, as well! How is it that that Ruddock and Vanstone can exercise the authority of their positions but absolutely disavow responsibility for their own actions?
It’s a bit like them driving merrily down the road, wantonly smashing into other people and their cars, then walking away, shrugging their shoulders and blaming their cars for the crashes.
Ruddock and Vanstone either were or are in the position of Minister for Immigration, undeniably at the wheel of the portfolio, yet they are being permitted to walk away from the absolutely catastrophic Rau, Alvarez and many other smash-ups… scot-free!
Worst, Rau & Alvarez are only the tip of the iceberg. The latest revelation is that DIMIA unlawfully held one legal Australian resident for nearly three and a half years!
Bollocks! Absolute bullshit! Ruddock and Vanstone should be escorted to the bus stop, sans keys. If HoWARd doesn’t sack these two, he should be escorted to the bus stop with them!
Pardon me while I go fry the phone lines with my fax machine.
Parliamentary addresses and fax numbers, for your convenience:
John Howard – Liberal Party
Electorate Office:
230 Victoria Road
Gladesville NSW 2111
Fax: (02) 6273 4100
Kim Beazley – Australian Labor Party
Electorate Office:
1/18 Council Avenue
Rockingham WA 6168
Fax: (02) 6277 8495
Bob Brown – Australian Greens
Electorate Office:
9th Floor, Marine Board Building
1 Franklin Wharf
Hobart TAS 7000
Fax: (02) 6277 3185
Lyn Allison – Australian Democrats
Electorate Office:
1st Floor, 62 Wellington Parade
East Melbourne VIC 3002
Fax: (02) 6277 3235
Andrew Bartlett – Australian Democrats
Electorate Office:
Suite 14 B1
7/421 Brunswick Street
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
Fax: (02) 6277 3087
The letter:
Dear Senator/Representative,
I am deeply disturbed by the lack of ministerial accountability in the cases of the former Minister for Immigration, Phillip Ruddock and the current Minister for Immigration, Amanda Vanstone. Ruddock and Vanstone were given the powers to incarcerate and deport people- and they did so, with absolutely no regard for the rule of Australian law. If one is given such weighty powers, all with the innate ability to wreck people’s lives, those in charge absolutely must bear responsibility when they foul it up.
There’s no question that the Bakhtiari, Rau, Alvarez and many other cases of unlawful imprisonment or deportation are indeed catastrophes- for which Ruddock and Vanstone bear full responsibility. If Ruddock and Vanstone can escape responsibility for the train wreck that is DIMIA, it is equally logical that no driver may be held responsible for a crash. Clearly, one should be able to blame their car and just walk away.
Ministers Ruddock and Vanstone must resign.
Regards
(your signature)
Lock & load the paper tray.
-weez
5 Comments so far
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I added Steve Fielding, Australia First’s Senator to my list. Because if the man really cares about family values, then he should seriously care about the conduct of DIMIA…
Anyhow, it’s another voice in Canberra & who knows?
Comment by Marcus 10.09.05 @ 9:09 amThanks, Marcus. Fielding is indeed a good guy to write to on this matter. His standard of judgement usually entails “benefit to Australian families.” I can’t exacly see how Cornelia Rau’s and Vivian Alvarez’s families are benefitting from the willy-nilly incarceration and deportation of legal residents of Australia. For that matter, I can’t see anyone profiting from the reckless mismanagement of the Immigration portfolio.
Might put Barnaby Joyce on the mailing list as well.
Comment by weezil 10.09.05 @ 10:39 amGood luck with Fielding. I’ve written 3 letters so far about his attitude to same sex families but not an answer.
Perhaps I should start signing them as God.
JT, Fielding is important for his value as a swing vote. If Fielding’s criteria for supporting an issue is his perception as to whether a particular bit of gubmint activity is good for families or not (as so far has been his pattern), perhaps Vivian Alvarez’s son could answer that. He was dropped off by Alvarez at a Brisbane creche and was never picked up. Alvarez was found several days later, badly injured as a result of an assault. DIMIA sure didn’t help Alvarez’s family by deporting her 4 months later.
Comment by weezil 10.09.05 @ 3:51 pmThis is what I object to, that his vote is so important and that it’s usually linked to his religion. The Age this weekend had a good look at him in their Good Weekend magazine. He only got into the Senate on other party preferences so his influence is out of proportion but we’re stuck with it.
I’ve started a blog but anything good in it I’ve probably stolen from you.
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