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| Abrid |
| Labor all at sea on refugees
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| LABOR couldn’t even keep a straight line on border protection for two days in this election campaign. Imagine how it will go if it wins office on July 2. On Monday Labor’s candidate in Melbourne Sophie Ismail contradicted her party’s stated policies on offshore detention and boat turnbacks: “I don’t think they should be on the table.” Anne Aly, the Labor candidate for Cowan in Western Australia, has called for a “more humane and humanitarian approach to border protection”. Another Labor candidate, Cathy O’Toole, was photographed in Townsville at a refugee protest holding a sign reading: ‘Let them stay’. There are now 12 Labor sitting MPs or candidates who have defied Labor’s border protection policies, according to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton. And while Bill Shorten tried to hold the line, declaring that Labor’s policies on turnbacks and offshore detention were “clear”, he still refused to repudiate Ismail. Anthony Albanese said Ismail was entitled to her opinion. Then on ABC’s Lateline he refused to say Labor was on a “unity ticket” with the Coalition on boat turnbacks and offshore processing. As the people smugglers stand ready to restart their trade, it is sickeningly reminiscent of the Rudd era. Promises before an election which melt away under the pressure of bleeding heart expectations. Will they never learn? Then again, the Turnbull government is showing worrying signs of similar self-indulgence. News this week that avowed leftists are being appointed to crucial positions where they can influence social policies, including on border protection, is a gobsmacking own goal. Take former senator Judith Troeth, appointed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal which, among other things, reviews decisions made by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to refuse or cancel refugee visas. Troeth has been a vehement critic since the Howard era of the Coalition’s border protection policies. During the 2013 election campaign she criticised Tony Abbott, saying: “‘Stop the boats’ is a handy slogan, but it won’t work.” Now she’s on a body which decides immigration appeals. Then there’s Lin Hatfield Dodds, former Greens candidate for the ACT senate and ACOSS president who denigrated the social policies of the Howard government. She has been announced as deputy secretary of social policy in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Talk about foxes in charge of the chicken coop. |