by DAVID FLINT – WE WILL decide who comes to this country, and the circumstances in which they come, declared John Howard in the 2001 election, one which the pundits had declared he was doomed to lose.
He won in a landslide, demonstrating that Australians place a very high priority on electing governments they believe will effectively protect our borders.
- If mishandling illegal immigration were not enough, they’ve surprisingly granted 850 visas to people from Gaza.
- Little wonder the overall standing of the Albanese Government is in decline.
- Peter Dutton is emerging as the sort of strong leader Australians want.
It now seems that the High Court’s decision on the release from detention of illegal immigrants and the Albanese Government’s mishandling of the issue has triggered renewed interest among people smugglers as this column warned of last year. [April 2022]
Australians are bewildered by the Court bending over backwards to benefit those whom most Australians see as unworthy, just as in the 2010 election, the High Court rushed to hear claims by voters in breach of the electoral law.
ALONE
There can be little doubt that most Australians believe this is a problem for the Government, and the Government alone, to deal with.
For most, the plaintiff NZYQ, guilty of raping a 10-year-old boy, was not someone to be released from detention.
As to there “being no real prospect of removal from Australia becoming practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future”, the rank and file’s most likely reaction is: “Well, that’s the Government’s fault. They should have seen this coming,” and, “Anyway, what’s it got to do with the judges?”
There was a time, two decades ago, when the judges would have agreed. In fact two decades ago, the High Court so ruled.
Notwithstanding that this is, as lawyers say, “non-justiciable”, that is something not for the courts, the government should have realised that in giving leave to the plaintiff to argue against the precedent, the government was on notice that change was on the judges’ agenda. They should have been ready, including finding a destination for the detained.
Now, in overruling the High Court precedent, the judges were effectively amending the constitution, and that without a referendum.
Should not the people be able have a say on this, just as they did over the Voice?
A constitutional convention of unpaid delegates elected by the people to review their – I stress their – constitution is long overdue.
PROJECT
It would be the first since federation. Given that a convention under the Corowa Plan proved the only way to save the federation project, it offers the likely solution to our problems of politicians dragging us down today.
And if the mishandling of illegal immigration by the Albanese Government were not enough, they have surprisingly granted more than 850 visas to people from Gaza.
Who did they ask for police clearances? Hamas?
As Dr David Adler explained in a recent interview on ADH TV, the barbaric attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7 was facilitated by their being equipped with the most detailed information, even down to the location of safe rooms in houses. This can only have been provided by workers from Gaza cleared by Israeli intelligence.
As opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson points out, former ASIO director-general Duncan Lewis told Senate estimates in 2019 that the “security assessments that you have to undertake for cohorts like this can take months at a time. So, to grant more than 800 visas in just six weeks would be an extraordinary level of efficiency”.
Without officers on the ground, and no authority but Hamas, this is worse than foolhardy.
Little wonder, then, that the overall standing of the Albanese Government is in decline, probably precipitously so.
With May 14, 2025, the last feasible date for an election, Albanese has little more than a year to reverse this.
Peter Dutton is emerging as the sort of strong leader Australians want.
Disgraceful attempts to stamp him as a “protector of paedophiles” have not worked. They are a sign of panic.
It has lowered respect for a prime minister seen as more interested in self-indulgent international photo opportunities than the real problems electors are facing.
FACTS
The commentariat position that prime ministers must engage in vast amounts of international travel is supported neither by the electorate nor by the facts.
Even the surrender of the Port of Darwin, the suspension of our water-tight WTO complaint and embarrassing kowtowing to Dictator Xi – just as his navy was acting aggressively and dangerously to ours – has impressed neither the Australian electorate nor the dictator whose contempt he has no doubt earned.
In addition, the ambivalence within Labor towards Israel, the only State in the Middle East where Arabs can vote effectively and enjoy full human rights, is damaging Labor among immigrant communities and those of various religions, and no religion, experienced with and wary of radical Islamic extremists, as well as the well-informed.
Though Albanese was “protected” by sympathisers in the mainstream media both in the election and in a record honeymoon, even they are showing signs of losing patience.
The rejection of a referendum seen as racist – and then dangerously investing an activist High Court with more power – especially by traditionally Labor voters, was a far greater blow to the Government than admitted by the commentariat.
REJECTION
Not only did rejection of the Voice bury “the” republic, it increased dissent by the rank and file on the near-canonisation of anyone claiming Aboriginal descent, no matter how minuscule or non-existent, as well as the sacralisation of flags, however recent, artwork, ceremonies, however fabricated and endless, and the too often repetitive and formulaic recitals of respect to elders “past, present and emerging”.
With an immigration policy seemingly out of control, a significant fall in living standards across so many Labor electorates, the cost of housing now beyond most young Australian families, the serious cost-of-living crisis, the endorsement of dubious assertions of delivering unaffordable and unreliable energy attracting enormous environmental damage all in support of questionable theories of climate catastrophism, electricity no longer affordable and probably soon to be unreliable, as well as the hypocrisy of the massive “carbon footprints” created especially by Albanese and Bowen, means the Albanese Government seems doomed to the one-term existence this journal has long predicted.PC
Best just ignore this p***k Noel Jones – he’s an idiot with no friends, so writing stupid comments on websites is his only pleasure in life!
A monarchist lie:
John W: “the [Governor General] is appointed by our elected Federal Government Prime Minister & Cabinet.”
Why do they bare-faced lie?
The Governor General is obliged – constitutionally obliged – to act in the monarch’s interests.
The Governor General must maintain the monarch’s pleasure. Always.
That is how Australia is subservient to a foreign monarch.
And that is what the gutless colonial monarchists grovellers we never address.
The law says the crown can do what it wants.
Like fire a PM….then refuse all accountability… then the moanrch can act like a pitiful coward, claiming it’s not her fault.
Albo backs Australia.
He wants an Australian as our head of state.
Unlike some other grovelling colonials cowards I know.
There is no Head of State in the Constitution.
And as for the Monarch’s role, that is a figurehead position with no powers, in accordance with the UK Act of Parliament 1930s covering the UK and Commonwealth of Nations members.
The Hawke Labor Government here legislated the Australia Act to reinforce the UK Act.
A Governor-General appointed by the Queen shall be Her Majesty’s representative in the Commonwealth, and shall have and may exercise in the Commonwealth during the Queen’s pleasure, but subject to this Constitution, such powers and functions of the Queen as Her Majesty may be pleased to assign to him.
The Adventures of Albo McKenzie with that country bloke hat that is becoming too small for his head size.
Back Ajustralia please.
Monarchists lie about the constitution.
They flat out lie.
They claim the GG is more senior than the monarch, and that the GG is appointed by, acts for, and answers to the government.
Why can’t they be honest?
And the Noel Denial Syndrome is boring.
Consider that the Monarch has no more power in the UK than he has here in Australia. See the 1930s Act of Parliament UK that also included Commonwealth of Nations members including Australia. And then see the 1980s Australia Act that reinforced the UK Act.
But also please read my many posts in reply to your posts instead of making yourself look ignorant.
I’m not talking about the powers of the moanrch, fool.
I’m talking about the compulsion of the Governor General to act for and on behalf of the monarch.
Why do you lie?
The Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia carries out duties of a head of state but according to our Constitution there is no Head of State.
Accordingly, the Governor General can only act in accordance with the Constitution, laws.
The position is appointed by our elected Federal Government Prime Minister & Cabinet.
The GG is not appointed by the government.
That is a flat out lie.
You are a bare faced liar.
Noel – or what ever your real name is – you struggle with primary school history. My goodness, you appear to be nothing more than a bare faced idiot. We’ve all seen your over-confident stance on the voice, which – by the way – lost in every State and secured less than 39% of the national vote. Yet, you keep spewing your stupidity at people with triple (or more) above your IQ.
You would hope that people with a primary school education would not be so blatantly untruthful about the constitution. You would hope they would not lie. You would expect them to be honest. But sadly that’s not the case.