Australians are compassionate people. That is what I have learnt from the hundreds of face-to-face conversations I have had in the past two weeks as part of the Hot Potato van travelling from Melbourne to Brisbane to talk to people and take the heat out of the asylum seeker debate. The politicians have put the
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As we all waited with baited breath for the announcement of Rudd’s new asylum seeker policy on Friday, speculation mounted. Rumours were rife, especially as the expected 2pm press conference was delayed to 4.30pm. The asylum seeker and refugee sector waited nervously as Rudd and his contingent appeared before the throng of media along with
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By Pamela Curr The family arrived at the house on a cold afternoon. The electricity was not yet connected and they had no furniture, not even beds for the parents and their three children under 9 years. They had one phone number. The Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project took their call and responded, setting off across
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By Pamela Curr One child’s life in Melbourne. He repeated the words “Court House” and was puzzled as he looked at the small simple white building in a street of houses in the back streets of Coburg. I explained that long ago this was a Court House but not any longer. He then told me
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By Pamela Curr Yet another realignment on refugee policy is rearing its head. If the boats cannot be stopped or turned around, the rules must be changed. Senator Carr claims that the Labor government needs to change the process of assessing the status of refugees because an overwhelming majority of applications is approved. “We’ve reached
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