August 19, 2009 – 11:09 am
A public and political outcry in November last year, regarding a Doctor being denied Australian permanent residency because his son had Down Syndrome, led to the Immigration Minister, Chris Evans, announcing a Parliamentary inquiry into the health requirements in the Migration Act.
Nearly six months later, on May 15 this year, the terms of reference for [...]
The shambles engulfing Australia’s international students continues to bubble along. Even worse, publicity about it continues to bubble along overseas, especially in Indian media.
There are now reports that the education sector is trying to crack down on so-called ‘rogue education agents’. It’s hard to see how that achieves anything more than window dressing. The previous [...]
The Age reports that the Business Alliance for Asia Literacy – a coalition of sixty business groups, unions and corporations – is calling for a greater educational focus on Asia, with the leader Australian Industry Group, Heather Ridout, saying “understanding Asia, knowing the languages, cultures and traditions and teaching our children about our near neighbours [...]
April 17, 2009 – 12:31 am
The temporary skilled worker visa – often called the 457 visa – has been a controversial issue for a few years now. Some of the criticisms have been based on clear-cut cases of migrants on 457 visas being mistreated or exploited. But there has also been those opposing the 457 visa all together and calling [...]
March 17, 2009 – 12:07 am
This story on the ABC’s World Today program quotes Union officials who are unhappy with possibility that “local workers” might be losing their jobs ahead of migrant workers here on the long-term subclass 457 visa.
This story in The Australian carries a similar message, reporting a CFMEU organiser from Mackay saying the union would approach senior [...]
The Age carries a report of a presentation by Melbourne University professor, Roger Short to an international conference in Sydney. The Professor says that “for the first time in history, human activity is outstripping the natural world’s ability to cope.”
The reason, he says, is exploding and uncontrolled population growth. Professor Short will bring to the [...]
February 24, 2009 – 2:15 pm
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, is currently visiting Australia. His position overseeing refugee issues and debates at a global level makes him well qualified to make his assessment that “When things go wrong in a country, there are two potential targets. One is the government, the other is the foreigners.”
Governments naturally [...]
January 4, 2009 – 9:44 pm
Recent experiences in Australia understandably lead many people to suggest that areas such as detention without trial, migration & asylum seeking provide key examples of why a stronger legal framework to protect human rights is needed.
I agree that focusing on these areas provide many examples of how Australia’s legislative framework is seriously inadequate in protecting [...]
