Pirate Australia

The immigration debate continues in Australia and there isn't much I have to add for the moment. However, something funny in a peverse sort of manner struck me about the idea of offshore detention and processing (I notice in a recent newspaper piece, former Prime Minister Malcom Fraser referred to detention centres as jails - too true).

If we excise the entire country from the immigration zone, imprison people offshore and if they are found to be refugees, encourage them to go elsewhere - what have we done? Have we made our fair land "Fortress Australia"? Yes, but not a good enough label. In an episode of "The Goodies", Grahame becomes insane (what's new) with meglomania and decides to tow all of England outside of the 5-mile limit to create a pirate country. That is what this present government is trying to do - take Australia outside of its own immigration zone so refugees (legitimate or otherwise) have no rights that should be accorded to refugees.

So, pirate immigration policy. But wait, there's more. Small buisinesses have been towed outside of unfair dismissal laws - pirate buisinesses. And we let Australian citizens sit in Guantanamo bay, not as enemy combatants but as persona non grata - pirate jails. What next? Perhaps having a majority in the senate after we vote once for a package deal is pirate politics.

I'm off to watch Pirates of the Carribean now!