Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Christmas Island Riots - Asylum Seekers

Asylum Seekers – Christmas Island

So last week about 150 Asylum seekers broke out of the Christmas Island detention centre.  They say they’re sick of living in the conditions of the centre – but what they fail to realise is that these conditions are a shit load better than where they’ve come from.

Do these people also realise that at least they have a roof over their head and food/water in their mouths?  AND at our expense, yep I go to work every day to support these people! That's even still alot more than some of our fellow country people here in Australia have!! 

See below the blog from Derryn Hinch on this issue, I couldn’t agree more with what he has said...

HINCH: If this offends you then so be it. I am not going to be politically correct about the rioters and arsonists and hooligans on Christmas Island. They are ungrateful sods and if they now face hardship because of their own doing then so be it.
The living conditions they have been living in at your expense are still far superior to the countries they fled from. Still better than some of the other countries that they deliberately bypassed on their way to Australia.
It is true some of the temporary lodgings they burned down were tents that had been temporary accommodation for more than a year.
But compare that to what the people of Christchurch went through a few months ago. And what hundreds of thousands of Japanese are enduring this very day.
While these homeless, lawless destructive bastards, were smashing and burning on Christmas Island they were at least getting more food in a day than many people in a devastated Japan have seen in a week. And fresh drinkable water.
These rioters put other people’s lives at risk.
I can hear the bleeding hearts now. These poor people are rioting because they have been waiting six months without being processed. They should be let out into the community while their bone fides are being checked. Yeah, right.
These riots and escapes have been going on all week since asylum seekers apparently received a letter from Canberra informing them that security checks would be undertaken next month. What’s wrong with that? What are they afraid of?
No country has a total open door policy. It is true that the problems have been exacerbated by over-crowding. If that’s the case why not re-open the expensive taxpayer facility on Nauru which has been mothballed?
Be smarter than stubbornly continuing with Julia Gillard’s  top-of-the-head, panicked, election policy to pursue the East Timor option. A so-called regional facility that no other country wants a bar of.
In the meantime, as Federal Police used tear gas to quell about 250 rioters, it is hard to feel sorry for the boatloads who came here illegally.
Not when, on the same news services, you are seeing thousands of people sifting through mud and rubble and wreckage where their towns and homes used to be in Japan. Demolished towns that are now tombs.
They had no say in the destruction of their lives, their hopes, their dreams.
Save your sympathy and thoughts for them.
UPDATE: A further 105 detainees from the Christmas Island detention centre will be moved to the mainland following another night of riots.
Hundreds of detainees rampaged through the centre overnight setting fire to a number of buildings and holding Federal Police at bay for more than three hours.
Tear gas and beanbag bullets were used to bring the situation under control.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says the ongoing violence will not speed up the visa process.
EARLIER: Federal Police are back in control of the Christmas Island Detention Centre this morning, following a night of rioting.
Several buildings were destroyed when more than 250 inmates moved through the centre, throwing petrol bombs and rocks.
They held police at bay for three hours and a number managed to escape into nearby bushland.
Sandy Logan from the Immigration Department says the overnight violence was the culmination of a week of unrest at he facility.
Meanwhile, it's still not known how a young Afghanistan asylum seeker died at a Detention Centre in far north Queensland.
Staff at the centre found the man in his room but were unable to revive him.
Police are now investigating.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

My Housing Hunt..

So looked at a few houses/units today, and in all honesty I was the only National person looking!  In one of the places I overheard potential applicants talking to the Real Estate Agent - WELL that was an interesting conversation!!!

After todays search, there's nothing that I'll be applying for - either too small, too far from school or too grotty!!  Brandon and I both agreed on it also, and we both need to be happy with where we're going to live.

FYI - I'm not a very good liar!!  I don't put on application nor tell Agents about my son's condition, and they only realise I'm single when they get application. 

Thursday, March 17, 2011

My Search for Housing....

Housing

I’m so sick of being singled out!! Sure I’m a single parent, but a damn hard working one!!!  But ‘single mums’ seems to have this stigma attached to them, and yes I’ve no doubt that there are a heap of them out there who deserve that ‘stigma’ – I’M NOT ONE OF ‘THEM’!

So now I find myself in a situation of not being able to secure a decent rental for my son and I – and when I say decent I mean probably a lot better than people think I can afford, but I’ve a good job and an equally as good income, and I do know what my means are!  It seems as soon as people see on the application – 1 Adult and 1 Child, it gets put to the bottom of the pile, and therefore other applications are given priority!!  I then out of curiosity drive passed the property at a later date and find that there is a family of any other race than Australian that got approved – OH YEAH they get Government Support!!

Why doesn’t the Australian Government give their own people as much help as they give those that come here from another country?  I’ve paid my taxes for the last 25 years, what do I have to do to get a little bit of gratitude and assistance?  Why am I paying for these people to take things away from me? Oh this paragraph could and should be in a whole other blog!

Now I’m getting really frustrated, what does a successful single parent have to do to get a rental property these days??  I’ve been looking since the start of February 2011, let’s see just how long it takes for me to secure one and give my mother some peace and quiet!!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan Fri 11/03/11

Japan

On Friday 11th March 2011 Japan was hit by an Earthquake with a magnitude of 9, although the quake didn’t cause much damage the Tsunami that hit with outrageous force was devastating!!

This is yet another sign of Mother Nature at her worst!

Japan is prepared for such Earthquakes with most of their buildings built on springs so they just sway, and they also thought they were prepared for such tsunami as there was a 10m barrier meant to protect seaside villages, but the wall didn’t have a chance with this tsunami.

NOW the Nuclear plant that runs electricity in Japan is on the verge of total meltdown, with leaks already recorded.  What a frightening thought!

Just check out below...

Japan facing magnitude 7 aftershock

Japan's PM Naoto Kan says the country is facing its worst crisis in the 65 years since the end of WW II.
14 March 2011 2:22 undefined

CCTV of tsunami wave hitting airport

This incredible raw footage shows an airport going underwater in a matter of seconds following the devastating earthquake in Tokyo
11 March 2011 0:31 undefined

Tsunami and earthquake havoc in northern Japan

A 8.9 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Japan.
11 March 2011 2:04 undefined

Helicopter vision as tsunami hits

A helicopter captures the killer wave as it sweeps the coast of Japan consuming roads, cars and everything else in its path.
14 March 2011 6:51 undefined

Japanese fishing town totally devastated

Up to 9,000 people are feared dead in the Japanese fishing hamlet of Otsuchi, where a Red Cross spokesman says residents could not evacuate...
16 March 2011 1:39 undefined
  • Official death toll is 3676, but a more than 11,000 feared dead
  • Several survivors pulled from the rubble after four days
  • Japanese PM: "Our worst disaster since WWII"
  • Crews continue to battle to prevent a nuclear meltdown

Monday, March 14, 2011

Brandon's Operation....

Brandon
My son turns 8 in June this year and in Grade 2, he suffers from ADHD but he’s on the good side and I say that because he’s a good kid, very smart and very very well behaved and polite – no one ever picks him for an ADHD kid.  Makes me very proud.

When he was in his first year of school he had a school yard accident where he fell on play equipment and put a 1cm split in his foreskin, yep you read right he did some damage to his ‘willy’.  We paid a visit to Dandenong Hospital who in turn sent us to Monash Medical Centre to see a paediatric surgeon for further advice.  The surgeon said it would heal on its own but needed to keep an eye on this area as it was noted that he had a very tight foreskin which could cause him trouble down the track.  I did just that with regular checkups with our GP as at times he would complain of pain and this would stop him from going to the toilet.

Our GP then referred us to a surgeon at Monash, this surgeon told us there was nothing that could be done – you see circumcision is not practised widely despite any medical issues.  That’s the PUBLIC system for you.  After numerous infections I took Brandon to see another GP, who suggested that Brandon should be circumcised and had a surgeon in mind but I’d have to pay to go through the PRIVATE system – of course I’m happy with this as I’d do anything for my child.

Then, on the 28th February we saw Dr Chris Kimber at Cabrini Hospital, he without doubt suggested circumcision for Brandon – mostly based on the infections he’s had and also that he has ADHD and the stress this caused him. FINALLY! Dr Kimber operates at William Angliss in FTG and West Gippsland Hospital in Warragul.  He advised that the wait would be 2-3 months through the public system, not too bad I thought.  I did mention that I’d be happy to travel anywhere I could get Brandon in the soonest.  2 days later I receive a call from Dr Kimbers office advising there is a vacancy for surgery on the 11th March at Warragul, of course I took it.

On Friday 11th March we made the trip to Warragul, we had to be there at 7am so had to leave home at 5.30am – and lucky we did cos the car broke down, and would you believe it on the Warragul exit off the freeway, but it was only an overheat so we sat for about 15 minutes then I filled the water up and off we went for the final 10kms to the hospital, making it there at 7.01am.  Brandon was operated on at about 10.00am.  But must mention that the night before the poor kid couldn’t take his evening medication so had trouble getting to sleep and couldn’t take his morning meds till 8.00am so in between this time was bouncing of the walls! Hilarious and he was asking for his meds, poor kid...

So here we sit today with Brandon recovering well.

Although, I can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened had I not opted to take the ‘Private’ option and kept waiting on the ‘Public’ system...

Poor Brandon (my son)...

Brandon turns 8 in June and he's in Grade 2 this year, he suffers from ADHD although he's on the good side, and I say that cos he's very smart and very very well behaved!

When he was in Prep, he had a school yard accident where he fell and hit his 'willy' putting a split of about 1cm in his foreskin.  We made a trip to Dandenong Hospital with this injury, who then sent us to Monash Medical Centre to see a pedeatric surgeon - he in turn said this would heal itself, but advised me to keep an eye on (with local GP) his foreskin as it seems to be tight.  So I've done this over the last 18 months, and he had had several infections during this time.

Finally our GP at the time sent us to see a surgeon, who at the time said nothing could be done at this time - and I should wait til Brandon has a few more infections before anything could be done... WTF??  Why put the kid through more pain? So Unfair!

So after changing GPs it was discussed that we'd send Brandon to see a Private surgeon, of course at my expense, but I was okay with this as long as my child would be helped.  I could think of nothing worse than having infections where he was having them, as this would stop him going to toilet and with ADHD this is made 10 times worse!!

On the 28th February we went to see Dr Chris Kimber at Cabrini Hospital, he was awesome and said without doubt Brandon needed to be circumcised!  AT LAST, someone listened to us and was prepared to help my son!  He advised that we had a 2 or 3 month wait on the public list at William Angliss Hospital in FTG, or we could get in sooner at Warragul.  I opted for wherever we could get in sooner, and 2 days later I get a call from Dr Kimbers room and asked if 11th March would suit? WOW, amazing... we took that surgery spot, and made the trip to Warragul on Friday.

I've got to say that the staff at West Gippsland Hospital were just AMAZING!  They were so caring and friendly and more than helpful...  probably as Brandon was the only child there, their Childrens ward was EMPTY!! Can you believe that?  Yet people go on long waiting lists in other areas, Warragul was only an hours drive for us and it was day surgery - this saved us 2-3 months of waiting... others should take this lead!

So here we sit today, Brandon is recovering well and looking forward to this initial pain and suffering to be over as he knows that down the track he won't have the same infections etc that he's had in the past few months.

Isn't it amazing what the 'private' system can do as opposed to the 'public' system - regardless of the medical situation???  But I bet if we weren't citizens of our own country the public system would have us in a flash...  I'd do anything for my child even if it means paying for something that should be covered by our public health system!!

Anyway, Brandon is doing great!

Update - Christchurch, NZ Earthquake

It's really hard to fathom what happened in New Zealand, tragedy so close to home, but as I'm updating this tragedy another took place just 2 days ago in Japan :-(

Below is just a story from 'Bay of Plenty Times' - a Newspaper in NZ.. 

Christchurch earthquake: Residents return


Christchurch is preparing for the return of up to 60,000 residents who fled the city in the wake of the earthquake.


So far, 163 people are confirmed dead but police believe the final toll will be 180. Police have released the names of 117 victims.


National Civil Defence controller John Hamilton said an estimated 60,000 people were expected to return in the next week or two. Today 110 schools would reopen.


Residents were advised to take a chemical toilet if offered to them, because the sewerage system might not cope with rain.

Christchurch earthquake: Residents return

Looking east from the Christchurch suburb of Redcliffs.

Looking east from the Christchurch suburb of Redcliffs. Photo / David Fisher.

Christchurch is preparing for the return of up to 60,000 residents who fled the city in the wake of the earthquake.

So far, 163 people are confirmed dead but police believe the final toll will be 180. Police have released the names of 117 victims.

National Civil Defence controller John Hamilton said an estimated 60,000 people were expected to return in the next week or two. Today 110 schools would reopen.

Residents were advised to take a chemical toilet if offered to them, because the sewerage system might not cope with rain.

Catch Up - Christchurch, NZ Earthquake

Christchurch earthquake: Residents return

Christchurch is preparing for the return of up to 60,000 residents who fled the city in the wake of the earthquake.

So far, 163 people are confirmed dead but police believe the final toll will be 180. Police have released the names of 117 victims.

National Civil Defence controller John Hamilton said an estimated 60,000 people were expected to return in the next week or two. Today 110 schools would reopen.

Residents were advised to take a chemical toilet if offered to them, because the sewerage system might not cope with rain.