Tuesday, 23 June 2009 2:40:13 PM
From" Getup!
To: asymeonakis@....
Dear Antonios,

After 16 months in detention, Kasian was granted a temporary visa. Then he was hit with a $160,000 bill for his "accommodation" in Baxter Detention Centre. There are hundreds more like him - experiencing unimaginable trauma only to then be slugged with an enormous bill for the privilege.

The good news is the Senate is scheduled to vote this week on a bill to overturn this policy, but the bad news is we don't yet have the numbers ensure the bill passes. It is hanging on a knife's edge.

We don't think anyone in good conscience could vote against this bill having heard first hand the impact this policy has on people's lives. That's why we want to send a delegation of refugees to Canberra to tell their stories. Can you chip in to get them there?

This policy means those hit with 'detention debt' cannot get on with their lives: as long as the debt is unpaid, the Government may not grant permanent residency and their lives are left in limbo, causing untold mental anguish.

No other country has a similar policy of billing refugees for their time in detention. And considering only 3.3% of debts are finally collected, the cost of the policy often outweighs the amount received. It just doesn't make sense - financially or morally.

Some Liberal and National Party Senators are considering abandoning their party's position against this bill and Senator Fielding still hasn't made up his mind. Unless we can change key minds in Canberra, this inhumane policy will continue to shatter families' lives. That's where you come in

Belly
"How can your posts be so very different?
I expect from you to understand me! I come from the union movement.As you know unionists do two main steps to solve a problem, they use two different tactics, one to win the support of union members and other labours and one the discussions with employers to solve the problem. I do they same thing here, One time I try to win the support of the victims, of migrants, of their friends and the other step is to create good conditions with the other side, the racisits, nationalists etc and promote the solusion of the problem. OK?
My goal is the solusion of the problem and I have to do some steps forward - backward BUT the goal remain fix to "MINIMIZE THE PAIN AND SUFFERING OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS" I do not care at all for their race, religious, age, men or woman, left or right etc.

Belly
"Sometimes word perfect and no over use of the caps key"
You can not understand me about the cups because in Greece we use the cups to underline something, to tell that this is important, IN MY POSTS THE CUPS DO NOT MEAN ANGER.

Belly
"You bloke are not reprsenative of your people" I write as a person not as representative of other people. If you mean I am different from the other Greeks I agree with you. Probably I am the bad one! Why?
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

"What I’ve found is that those who make the most noise about it aren’t the victims but those who constantly try to justify reasons for their own intolerance".

You have a point there, Wobbles.

I notice that billing illegals for their detention has now been thrown in. That has nothing to do with 'racism'. The bloke seems to be getting desperate for ideas. He is now talking about his union activism, and he is disappointed that Belly doesn't 'understand' him, probably because like most people, Belly doesn't agree with him on everything.

Mr. A seems to be some type of allround activist. I don't recall any other immigrant being so uptight about Australia.

All in all, he has become a crashing bore.

Pied piper,
I understand your situation, especially since reading your thread on the Woods recomendations.

With that many kids around, I envy your energy and i wonder if your hubby ever has to pull you up for speaking to him in the same way as you do to the little ones.

It was a bit harsh saying you were ignorant, but it did irk me that someone would comment on aboriginal affairs and not know who Noel Pearson was. Hope your troubles with DoCS is past.

Foxy,
I read the article by Bruce Haigh and it is so incorrect that I would not know where to start. Frankly it is so bad that I think he was being the 'Devils Advocate' to attract a lot of comment.

Antonios,
Why am I a big problem for you? I am straight forward. I do not agree with multiculturalism. It has cost us millions and it seperates people into groups, integration is a better concept. I also think we have enough population and immigration should be cut to zero net.

I do not have any solutions to fix the problem we have with Lebanese muslims. They do not get on with anglo Aussies or other ethnic groups and apparently not with other muslims either.

Because they will not or cannot integrate my suggestion is not to allow any more to immigrate. There are a few other groups that I would dissallow as well. The Croats and Serbs bring their old hatreds here and fight each other, so stop them. Those groups that carry out FGM. We have tried education to no avail so stop them and those groups that force their daughters into marriage. Those groups that continue to hold cockfights and dog fights should be stopped from coming here.

Some cultural actiities are very hard to counter and all the groups mentioned have cultural activities that are alien to us. Seeing they will not alter their ways, if we want an harmonious community we have to stop more of those groups from coming

Thanks AS with respect I can not understand why your posts like say the last three here are so different.
And are you saying the senate vote not to let the government bill pass the house on charging those fees would prove we are racist?
IF 10% of us are racists
Then 10% of out migrants are too.
No not in my mind I think that number in SOME groups is about 8%
So do your sums and maybe, not kidding AS. less than 10% of us are bigoted idiots.
Now your posts, bet your wife or a child helped in the last couple its no crime mate look at my spelling!
will fix my spell check today by by fire fox.

Dear Max,

I was so relieved to read your last post,
and couldn't help smiling. 'That's more
like it!' I thought. That's the Max I've
come to know on OLO!

It seems that we're not that far apart in
our thinking afterall, except perhaps for
the way you view the teachings of schools
and universities - in pushing only one
point of view.

I disagree. Because it would
go against the ethos of any decent teacher or
university lecturer. Their role as educators
is to challenge students to explore, ask
questions, analyse, discuss, and research issues
so that students would be better able
to understand the complex social issues
such as racism, which will confront them both now
and in the future.

Students are taught to always bear in mind that
there is more than one side to every story.
They are taught that it is important to know
who said what and why in order to be able to detect
the bias that may exist.

They are taught how to do research and to find
source material that gives the information required
because no one item can cover everything.

Anyway, Max - Thanks for bothering to respond
to my posts.