Australia has been having a great time lately paying Indonesian smugglers to turn away refugees from its shores and indulging in its usual mix of racism and conservative paranoia.
If people arrive in Australia seeking asylum they are likely sent to the festering hellpit known as Christmas Island to be mistreated and forgotten about.
A related issue has hit New Zealand and caused some ugly behavior from the Prime Minister and his supporters.
Australia has a lot of kiwis working and living there and putting their hard earned cash into its economy. While Aussies working in New Zealand are entitled to health care benefits, the same right is not given to kiwis in Australia. Australian citizenship is not easily attained. You can work your whole life in the country and build a family there and still only be a visitor whose stay is subject to onerous terms.
Recently, Australia has decided to get tough on non citizens who have committed any number of offenses and put them up for deportation.
This has included a number of kiwi non violent offenders who had minor convictions when they were younger and have since gone on to become productive members of Australian society.
The drag net recently picked up a former kiwi soldier who had served honorably and moved to Australia in 2012. He was put into solitary confinement for belonging to a motorcycle gang which is not an illegal offense in the area where he lives. He has not been charged with any criminal activity in relation to his membership.
It is examples like this that have cause many to criticize John Key and his supporters for not speaking out for the citizens of New Zealand who are being treated this way in Australia.
Instead of listening, processing and responding with a level head, the prime minister shot off his mouth in parliament saying that those criticizing him were "supporting rapists."
This lead a number of women MP to stand up parliament and try to speak about there personal experiences with sexual assault. The power to their microphones was cut off by the speaker of parliament and they were kicked out. Other women followed them out in protest.
The point they were trying to make was that John Key was being unreasonable and that they, as victims of sexual assault certainly did NOT stand with rapists.
Watching the women try to speak and get shut down was painful and rage inducing.
Asking the leader of your country to speak up for the rights of his citizens abroad is not tantamount to siding with rapists and murderers.
Key's words were shameful and he should apologize.
In the days following his outburst MRAs and a former female president of the National party, Michelle Boag, have come out to chastise the women for speaking out and act as if they were basking in their victimhood.
I'd like to think that I live in a progressive country where people (and especially people of my gender) are better than this but then idiots like Boag open their festering gobs and it gets a bit depressing.
No one who has been raped and had their power taken from them exults in their "victimhood."
If some people are too thick to understand why victims of sexual assault would be offended by the commentary of the PM then I feel sorry for them while still feeling they should sit down and STFU.
Maybe this latest incident will cause Key's party to lose votes and someone with the will to stand up to Australia will take over.
We can only wait and see.
If people arrive in Australia seeking asylum they are likely sent to the festering hellpit known as Christmas Island to be mistreated and forgotten about.
A related issue has hit New Zealand and caused some ugly behavior from the Prime Minister and his supporters.
Australia has a lot of kiwis working and living there and putting their hard earned cash into its economy. While Aussies working in New Zealand are entitled to health care benefits, the same right is not given to kiwis in Australia. Australian citizenship is not easily attained. You can work your whole life in the country and build a family there and still only be a visitor whose stay is subject to onerous terms.
Recently, Australia has decided to get tough on non citizens who have committed any number of offenses and put them up for deportation.
This has included a number of kiwi non violent offenders who had minor convictions when they were younger and have since gone on to become productive members of Australian society.
The drag net recently picked up a former kiwi soldier who had served honorably and moved to Australia in 2012. He was put into solitary confinement for belonging to a motorcycle gang which is not an illegal offense in the area where he lives. He has not been charged with any criminal activity in relation to his membership.
It is examples like this that have cause many to criticize John Key and his supporters for not speaking out for the citizens of New Zealand who are being treated this way in Australia.
Instead of listening, processing and responding with a level head, the prime minister shot off his mouth in parliament saying that those criticizing him were "supporting rapists."
This lead a number of women MP to stand up parliament and try to speak about there personal experiences with sexual assault. The power to their microphones was cut off by the speaker of parliament and they were kicked out. Other women followed them out in protest.
The point they were trying to make was that John Key was being unreasonable and that they, as victims of sexual assault certainly did NOT stand with rapists.
Watching the women try to speak and get shut down was painful and rage inducing.
Asking the leader of your country to speak up for the rights of his citizens abroad is not tantamount to siding with rapists and murderers.
Key's words were shameful and he should apologize.
In the days following his outburst MRAs and a former female president of the National party, Michelle Boag, have come out to chastise the women for speaking out and act as if they were basking in their victimhood.
I'd like to think that I live in a progressive country where people (and especially people of my gender) are better than this but then idiots like Boag open their festering gobs and it gets a bit depressing.
No one who has been raped and had their power taken from them exults in their "victimhood."
If some people are too thick to understand why victims of sexual assault would be offended by the commentary of the PM then I feel sorry for them while still feeling they should sit down and STFU.
Maybe this latest incident will cause Key's party to lose votes and someone with the will to stand up to Australia will take over.
We can only wait and see.
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