Please! More truth and less lies about Sri Lanka, asylum-seekers and the Tamil People

It's a disgrace that the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 is scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka, with its long, ongoing and deplorable record of serious and large-scale human rights abuses. If you don't approve of this, now is the time to make your opposition heard.

http://www.change.org/petitions/prime-minister-reconsider-chogm-2013-in-sri-lanka

http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/action/33166

The two faces of Lateline

How ironic. Lateline on the ABC last night featured an interview with Professor Patrick McGorry. He has in the past expressed his concern, as a professional mental health doctor, for the welfare of asylum-seekers imprisoned in detention centres for long periods of time, and he was again expressing such concerns last night. A less likable aspect of the professor is his insistent advocacy of routine and widespread psychiatric intervention into the lives of young people who show what could controversially be interpreted as the first signs of psychosis, including the definite possibility use of controversial neuroleptic drugs such as Seroquel/Quetiapine. Prof McGorry has been the subject of widespread and effective opposition on this front from other mental health professionals. I thought last night's interview on Lateline gave the professor a sympathetic run, with an absence of questions about psychiatric drug interventions and their negative effects. In stark contrast, apparently tonight Lateline will be running an exclusive story about the serious misuse of this same class of stupefying and damaging psychiatric drugs in nursing homes. I really do wonder whether there is a wilful lack of attention going on a the ABC. It is politically easy to question the questionable use of questionable drugs, except when a charismatic public figure says they are completely necessary. 

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/

I want an assurance from someone in the government that any asylum-seekers who develop mental illness or apparent mental illness while detained overseas will not be inappropriately or routinely prescribed questionable drugs, and will not be included in any trials of interventions of such a nature. 

Tonight's story on Lateline looks like it will be powerful stuff, but I doubt that it will be as big as the expose of the anti-anxiety psychiatric drug Xanax that was on Seven's Sunday Night last month:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/transcripts/article/-/14243425/xanax/

Former Liberal Prime Minister rips into current Liberal Party leader on asylum-seeker policy

“The most effective way to restore integrity and public confidence in  asylum  seeker policy  is through strong leadership, myth busting and accurate  information. Not to present a policy that is the closest thing to evil you can get. A policy that is full of misinformation."

“In 2010-11, 4730 asylum seekers  arrived by boat. During the same period, more  than  13 million people crossed our borders and arrived in Australia; 4730 out  of 13.9 million is not a ''system vulnerable to abuse''."

“This is the opposite of integrity. It is inhumane and demeans Australia. Is this the basis on which Abbott will operate if he, as he believes he will, becomes prime minister?"

Abbott's evil policy work.

by Malcolm Fraser
Sydney Morning Herald. smh.com.au

June 18, 2012
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/abbotts-evil-policy-work-20120617-20hzs.html#ixzz1y753sRAD

Open letter to shadow immigration minister Scott Morrison from an infectious disease physician

Open letter from an infectious disease physician: Dear Scott Morrison…
Alexandria ALP Branch (blog)
Written by Dr Trent Yarwood, posted by Ben Aveling
February 29, 2012
http://alexandriaalp.org/2012/02/29/open-letter-from-an-infectious-disease-physician-dear-scott-morrison/

Serco Ruins Christmas for Children in Detention

What kind of miserable f***s would prevent children from being given gifts at Christmas-time? What kind of power-crazed c*** would forbid children from having coloured crayons or coloured pencils outside of formal classes?

DASSAN Press Release: Serco Ruins Christmas for Children in Detention
Refugee Rights Action Network
5 January 2012.
http://rran.org/blog/2012/01/dassan-press-release-serco-ruins-christmas-for-children-in-detention/

Serco drops ban on coloured pencils and crayons for asylum-seeker children
by Kirsty Needham
Sydney Morning Herald.
January 7, 2012.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/serco-drops-ban-on-coloured-pencils-and-crayons-for-asylumseeker-children-20120106-1pogh.html#ixzz1ilC5Sacc

Serco drops ban on coloured pencils and crayons for asylum-seeker children
Refugee Rights Action Network
7 January 2012.
http://rran.org/blog/2012/01/serco-drops-ban-on-coloured-pencils-and-crayons-for-asylum-seeker-children/

Could things possibly get any worse for the ALP?

Today, as Australia is coming to terms with the apparent collapse of the Gillard Government's "Malaysian solution" to the issue of refugees coming to Australia by sea, I'm wondering if the public image of this government could possibly look any worse. Even if the Malaysian deal can be resurrected, as an ANU professor has suggested, this policy still looks like a mistake and a prolonged drama. I think Australians have seen enough of long and draw-out stuff-ups in federal politics already. And now the Gillard Government's cooperation with psychiatry (not mental health) advocates such as Professors Ian Hickie and Patrick McGorry, which has won political popularity for the government is now starting to look more like a liability, as opposition to the recent mental health reforms grows organizes. Does anyone really believe, at this point in time, that Gillard was a better choice of PM than Rudd?

Harmony Day proves not to be very harmonious

Abbott stands by his man as Muslim row turns toxic
By Malcolm Farr, National Political Editor
From: news.com.au
February 17, 2011
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/abbott-stands-by-his-man-as-muslim-row-turns-toxic/story-e6frf7l6-1226007586272

Angry protester harasses Bowen on Harmony Day
Source: ABC News
Published: Thursday, February 17, 2011 2:43 AEDT
Expires: Wednesday, May 18, 2011 2:43 AEDT
"Immigration Minister Chris Bowen gets criticised for transferring asylum seekers back to Christmas Island detention centre."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/02/17/3141602.htm

So nice to see the neglected art of political heckling revived in such a lively style on a day when we are all supposed to go around smiling and being nice and agreeable.