Just wondering what people think about our Government giving the Lebanees evacutees priority on housing, welfare etc etc. Please dont get me wrong anyone I am not slagging them, I just think it is unfair to Australians who for some are also doing it tough and have been waiting for assistance (especially) housing for upto 10 - 12 years.

Don't know where you are coming from Deborah.
If people have been waiting for years they must have some basic life support system.
As I understand it you don't just stand in line and get welfare no matter what.
Refugees from Lebanon have just had their entire life support system: homes, jobs, families and belief in the future shredded in front of their eyes.
Perhaps a shred of compassion is too much to ask?

Deborah58,

If you are talking about the Lebanese who we had to remove from their country of origin recently because they went back there after getting asylum in Australia because they were at ‘risk’, I agree with you.

These people are blatantly using and abusing the weakness of Australian system. It is ludicrous that they feel free to come and go from a country they claimed was unsafe in order to get themselves into Australia

accent if you read my post I wasnt looking to be slammed I just wanted an idea of how people were thinking. Yes I feel sorry for them as well That doesnt mean that we just have to swing to doors open and it be open slather.

Leigh,

Since our government was barracking for the side that bombed the bejezzus out of Lebanon and left the place strewn with cluster bombs I think we can assume some responsibility for the plight of the people there.
If I went back to England to spend a few months with my rels and the Germans bombed London to bits, I'd naturally expect to come back to Australia without being branded some sort of traitor.

The current bout of jingoistic xenophobia in this country is pretty dissapointing. I had hoped we'd grown up a little.

Deborah58,

I'd be interested to know where you got this information.

I read on The Age website today a little tidbit (which has now dissappeared so I can't give you the link) that Alan Jones had one of his usual rants at the NSW Premier claiming that Lebanese Australians were getting priority, and shock horror, being given information in arabic.

Apparently, they are not being given priority for normal welfare, but have to go through the normal 'emergency' housing and welfare channels. AJ however wouldn't listen to Iemma, or even allow him to get a word in.

I dont' know what the truth is, but if you are getting your information from Alan Jones, I'd suggest you check it out yourself before starting an alarmist thread.

I do not feel the Muslim Lebanese will ever fit into Australian or any western society. Their beliefs may be backward and their education and social skills poor but they are very successful in the car re-birthing industry, narcotics, insurance and social security fraud and their contempt for our values and women is in our face. A common term for arson for insurance fraud is a Lebanese stock take. I assume most of the Australian Lebanese living in Southern Lebanon during the Israeli bombing were receiving Centre Link payments and looked on Hezbollah as the good guys.

My information was on the morning news (radio)

Sille, I don't want to upset my friends in the Jewish community, but what you just described as a Lebanese stocktake used to be referred to as a Jewish stocktake. But Jews are amongst the most integrated of all ethnic groups - we've even had a Jewish Governor-General.

Graham Y,

Two, actually, by my reckoning: Sir Isaac Isaacs and Sir Zelman Cowen.

THETRUTH01, that was very interesting I did not know any of those facts. Where did you get your information from?

I'm not infallible Snout, and maybe innumerate! :-(