Fr Joe, unless you have done some kind of forum survey you should have begun your personal observation of me with the word "I", rather than "We", Although the word "We" gives you a feeling of inclusion within the group, as opposed to the implied rejection by the use of the singular word "I".

"(Paul1405) supporting political correctness, and the Muslim religion." Not so, I am an atheists and support no religion, Islam is as ridiculous and as dangerous as your Christianity.

"Paul and his ilk no longer defend our Western values". Just enlighten me as to what they are, and I'll let you know if I support them, and are willing to defend them. I hope they are not being confused with your own minuscule minority Christian fundo values, like opposing gay marriage in Australia.

p/s What is "political correctness" never could understand that bit of jargon used by the rabid right.

Paul please identify what are the human races we find in our World? Is Islam one of them? You seem to think so! Identifying Islam as a race is political correctness, which you espouse. Political correctness is not a Western value, nor is it supported by the English language.

How many of those unemployed immigrants are identified by their language, race or religion?

Dear Steele,

Here is another link that shows how complex the
situation really is when trying to make judgements
with figures dealing with welfare and unemployment:

http://theconversation.com/factcheck-qanda-do-refugees-cost-australia-100m-a-year-in-welfare-with-an-unemployment-rate-of-97-54395

The federal governments have repeatedly failed to perform proper due diligence where they have put the ideology of 'diversity' ahead of what is good for Australians.

Federal governments have catered to small and noisy lobbyists and activists, allowing the politically correct idealism of 'diversity' to rule, to dictate, displacing the aims of immigration policy which should be giving first priority to what is good for the Australian people.

The goals of immigration should be renegotiated with the public and a mandate for very clear and precise aims and outcomes where immigration may be one solution, but by itself is never the aim. Immigration is NOT the aim, but it hs become that, a sacred cow too. Immigration is only one possible solution, but for what has to be delineated. It isn't the role of Australia to be reaching across the globe to solve population problems of other countries.

There has to be measurement, preferably numerical, to see it the claimed outcomes are consistently being met. Whereas at present there are deep public concerns that immigration serves the needs of immigrants and the NGOs and others who make a living out of that, and is a Ponzi scheme for a series of federal governments that failed to plan and relied on 'growth is good'.

Of course immigration authorities should never be preferencing poorer prospects ahead of more suitable candidates. The latter, superior candidates, are law-abiding, healthy and vital people who are proficient in English, have proved skills that are in demand and will be able to readily assume a place in society. Due diligence must value and ensure discrimination*, distinction, a sieve, that allows better applicants to present and have their claims considered seriously. To establish the relative merits of claimants, putting those with higher merit first, always.

discrimination*, another word that has been co-opted, appropriated, by the cultural Marxists to reverse its original meaning, converting what is a very desirable decision/judgement skill to a negative.

Migrants arriving in Australia after the Second
World War were expected by the Australian Government
to settle permanently and to assimilate. This explicit
policy was highlighted by the creation, in 1947, of
the Assimilation Branch of the Australian Department
of Immigration. Assimilation meant blending into the
Australian monoculture, 'with everyone living in the
same way...and sharing the same aspirations.'

This official attitude was supported by many "old"
Australians understandable determination to retain their
traditional Australian identity, even though such
identity was difficult to define. Richard Boyer,
the Chairman of the ABC complained in 1956 that, when
invited by a group of new Australians to tell them what
the Australian way of life was he found putting it into
words was one of the hardest tasks that he had ever
faced.

Well that was then. Now times have moved on. We have
learned from experience that of course some measure of
assimilation is inevitable for any ethnic community.
Even seemingly airtight and isolated groups such as
Hasidic Jews cannot totally escape a slight touch of
assimilation. Furthermore, assimilation is a two-way
process. As an immigrant absorbs the culture of his host
country, he is also giving off and surrendering some of
his own imported heritage. As a result a migrant
living in Australia for a long time is likely to gradually
create a new identity, although he may not be aware of it.

What the former immigrant still believes to be say his
Greek identity may well be regarded as totally Australian
by the contemporary residents of Greece.

Today attempts are made to preserve migrant cultures in
Australia through the broad concept of community
education. This was based on the observation that already
our nation has been enriched by the artistic, intellectual,
and other attributes of migrant cultures. We gained what was
lost to other nations and hopefully this will continue to
be the case.

Foxy,

You are off on political idealism and its constructs of 'Assimilation' with a big A and multiculturalism with a big M. Quite irrelevant, troublemaking and the stuff of zealots. Or in Oz the culturally cringing leftists, mainly circa 1960s and still bothering everyone else. The tiresome Phillip Adams and ors.

Two questions for you,

- What about the problems where children growing up in Australia don't assimilate Australian values?

- You do want children to be able to integrate, don't you?

assimilate

a : to absorb into the cultural tradition of a population or group
… 'the belief that tolerant hosts would be able to assimilate immigrants of whatever creed or colour'. — Brian Holmes