A day of shame

Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has a problem on his hands. Two of his senior ministers have been identified as lying in relation to issues of fundamental rights and information relating to the abuse of those rights. As Stan Grant has said these issues go to the core of whom we are and who we believe ourselves to be as a nation.

Many prominent Australians have tried to change the 'policies' of successive governments toward the deliberate cruelty directed at asylum seekers, particularly those men, women and children being left to rot in detention. Claims made on Australia Day about Australia being the nation of the fair go are self serving propaganda.

In August 2014, prominent Australian, Janet Holmes a' Court, AC, delivered the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Lecture under the title of, "Asylum Seekers: How did we come to this?" In seeking an answer to that question Holmes a' Court notes that we are treating asylum seekers as less than human; that they are, 'left to rot, unseen and unheard, in an isolated cesspit somewhere in Nauru's jungle.' She says, 'Rather than "No Advantage", the government's own business model relies on its capacity to inflict maximum mental and physical disadvantage." In other words giving asylum seekers a fair go.

She asks, how did we allow this to happen? How is it that we put up with the daily mistreatment of poor souls in our midst? It is because we believe in the equality of all men, women and children and because we honour our international undertakings toward the disposed and down trodden, much as the white South African government did under the policy of Apartheid toward black citizens. We are no better.

Holmes a' Court says maybe we didn't arrive here, like Grant she says maybe we've always been here, although Grant doesn't use maybe. She notes that '...for as long as we continue to slaughter one another, there will be refugees and asylum seekers...When an enlightened and compassionate PM does emerge, there is bound to be a Royal Commission, an Apology and compensation paid...And what will we say? We didn't know or we did know, but did nothing. Does this sound familiar?

And this from one of Australia's most respected businesswomen and philanthropists. How can the government continue to ignore the arguments against its cruel and repressive racist policies toward Australia's most dispossessed and needy? The ball is in your court Malcolm; show us what you are made of.