Please let us know what can be done, in an organised fashion, to express our distaste for this policy of charging detainees.

As a policy note: I always thought that refugees should be sent away to some sort of compulsory training camp (english, Australian culture, medicare, job searching etc) to help them prepare; before being integrated into communities where beginning jobs were offered to them via some sort of central database. They would then receive temporary citizenship, have rights to normal wages and have the opportunity to gain references from co-workers, employers and community members (to help with their citizenship application). If they committed a crime at any stage in 3 years the magistrate would have the authority to deport that person.

For those who think compulsory English tests for refugees (and immigrants) is wrong prior to receiving citizenship - think again. Providing free English courses to all non-citizens (TAFE) and ensuring they speak English (by offering the citizenship carrot) will help protect them from exploitation. This is, of course, just chutzpah but I had to get it off my chest.

Kasian Wililo entered the country as an asylum seeker.

After due process Mr Wililo was refused a permanent protection visa.

He would have been advised of the charges in the event his application was refused. It was refused. Normally he would depart the country owing the money and never paying.

However he then married an Australian citizen and at the (Howard) Immigration Minister’s intervention was granted an onshore temporary spouse visa last September, after marrying Emily Ackland. He is still not a permanent resident.

The Tax Invoice is dated June 2005.

Little of these facts are stated by the ‘reporter’ Sophie Black.

Don’t be “ashamed as an Australian”……but perhaps as a sucker….

It is not against the law to be in Australia or enter Australia without a visa, the offences were deleted from the migration act in 1992 when the three ring circus called “mandatory detention” was introduced for prescribed persons.

In other words suckers all we have forked out about $3 billion to lock up all sorts of people for a non-offence that even if it had been an offence would have attracted a $40-50 fine at the most as the cost of a bridging visa.

We sent hundreds of Indonesian fishermen to jail for the non-crime of assisting people to enter Australia “illegally” but as it is not illegal then we have locked up another group of entirely innocent people and destroyed their livelihoods at the same time.

The difference is that they got a trial, a charge of sorts (even though the courts all said “this is clearly NOT a people smuggling operation, the people threw themselves at authorities”) and a very small sentence before being sent home with no bills to pay.

We have seen what happens to Australian’s in those vile places on 4 Corners last week, what happens to people who are merely distressed by bad news and those illegally locked up in isolation cells the department said did not exist.

David M, if you are not ashamed mate you deserve a bloody good kicking.

Incidentally I would sooner trust Vanstone than most of ‘em and certainly Rudd.
I think that she is a straight shooter.

That’s not to say the culture in the Department of Immigration did not need a purge whilst she was in charge.

So shameful.

Jonathan Green is probably the patronising d..k who would have penned the lead in.

I am with you, Hawke, Keating, Beasley and subsequently Howard in supporting this obviously difficult and unpleasant measure as necessary in the circumstances of the early nineties to the early/mid noughties.

Having said that i am happy to see Chris Evans’ changes: refugees will now be detained only as a “last resort” and “for the shortest practicable time”.

Very few Australians were comfortable with mandatory detention but the majority supported it.

There is nothing to be ashamed of except for Jonathan Green and his pseudo-intellectual extreme left wing views but be tolerant……. has no insight.

The power to waive a debt to the Commonwealth is … vested in the Minister for Finance and Deregulation (Finance) and his delegates,” says an obviously helpful civil servant Sandi Logan.

Be cautious that you and Kasian are not used by people to further their own agenda and not yours.

It may be counterproductive to yours and Kasian’s interest on two fronts… financial waivers and permanent visa.

This is a charge (I am guessing) that government does not expect to be paid when the rejected applicant departs the country. You would be highly likely to receive a waiver for the full or large percentage of the full invoice in the event that Kasian is accepted as a permanent resident (which is obviously highly likely).

Be careful and do not allow yourselves to be played by people with ulterior motives. Government and government departments do not like being seen to be forced into taking actions against what is their stated official policy. They are much more willing to do that quietly if deemed appropriate.

Get some good INDEPENDENT legal advice……..especially independent of Crikey.

It’s clear that Little Jimmy K thrives on the limelight……any limelight………even that afforded to a witless, right wing, racist bigot such as he.

The best way to eliminate Tiny Jimmy’s facile commentary, or at least reduce it, is not to mention his name at all, or respond to his silly arguments.

Hopefully this tactic will rid us all, both left & right wing commentators, of his increasingly tiresome, low rent ramblings.

PS: I get the impression that Mini Jimmy sees himself as a big-time ’ player’ ……….yes… really!!!!! You know the type……the one who thought that by bombarding political science tutes with his silly views, he would be seen as a stand-out student

James K I’d rather be guilty of being a ‘bleeding heart’ than just an angry person surfing the internet looking for someone to listen to his opinions. I hope arguing with all these kind, passionate people has fed the beast that is your ego for today.
That was a bit mean. Sorry.

Emily and Kasian, I wish you luck. I hope this ludicrous bill can be sorted out and you can begin to heal your wounds and you and your children can enjoy a happy, safe life in Australia. “Antique’s” offer made me tear-up too!

Like some others on this forum, I have been a bit dissappointed by the Rudd Government’s progress, but I suppose we can’t expect Rudd to undo Howard’s 12 years of abuse (and Labour’s pre-Howard) in 1 year. Ending mandatory detention is a good start on the long road to building our pride and reputation as a fair, ethical and harmonious nation.

I too agree that the Christian/Catholic church has been a great support for Asylum Seekers as they are with many disadvantaged people in the community, although (as with any large group) there are individual Christains who allow their fear and political opinions to obscure their judgement. Hopefully as progress is made, awareness will increase and Australia can begin to heal.

The passion of everyone on this forum is very encouraging. I hope you can all send your passion to Canberra and get them inspired too!

But now? I am actually ASHAMED to call myself an Australian with this sort of insult. If I had the money I’d be out there fighting in the courts for these guys and sueing the government for whatever I could get for them. Bottom feeding scum suckers indeed. Will the faceless decision maker who authorized the invoices ever stand up so we can see him or her? Not likely.

Bolt “banned” me after the truth about the Bakhtiyari family was discovered by Paul McGeough and the senate that they had been telling the truth all along and Bolt got a bit uppity when I sent him the senate data - specifically a letter to Vanstone from the Afghan ambassador stating they were Afghans 3 days before she deported them with a $3 million bill for their illegal detention.

Akerman banned me when I sent an email he had sent me stating that the Heiner affair was not about child abuse in John Oxley detention centre.

Yet both these “journalists” kept writing utter lies and nonsense.