The horror & ineptitude of Australian Immigration policy cont.

by Ashley Felderhof on July 17, 2005 08:48AM (EST)

Recent editorials in prominent Australian newspapers over the weekend re-inforce my view - that not only is the performance of the Australian immigration officials abysmal, but that someone should have taken responsibility at a political level.

For instance, Alan Ramsey, writing in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald -

"...where are you Mr Ruddock? The minister in charge of the disgraced Immigration Dept for 71/2 years is the same minister now responsible for the safety of the nation's key infrastructure against terrorist attacks. It was under Ruddock's authority that rank bureaucratic incompetence abused and misused the immigration detention system [to deal with illegal immigrants]...

As for the Westminster principle of ministerial responsibility, that is simply a farce with this Government. The years Ruddock was minister (March '96 - Sept 2003) were the years the detention system was politically corrupted and administratively debauched' -

... couldn't have put it better myself.

AF