With the news today that all forty two surviving men off the boat that exploded in Ashmore reef earlier this year are being granted visas to stay in Australia, it’s easy to play to the notion that we’re looking after traumatised asylum seekers.

Unfortunately in the world of people smuggling, the view taken is a much more simplistic one… and that’s where the problems start.

If you were in the people smuggling business sitting in Indonesia waiting to ship large amounts of people, today’s visa announcement tells you two things;

a. Arson is rewarded with an Australian visa.

b. Creating a traumatic experience (by way of blowing up your own boat) works in your favour to get a visa in that you can then claim to have been through a traumatic experience.

We can harp on all we want about how our precious street plays are deterring people from coming here but at the end of the day, “damage your own ship and get a visa” is the only lesson being learnt.

For those of you not too familiar with what happened earlier this year, back in early April police intercepted a people smuggler boat carrying 59 people. Upon intercepting the boat as per standard protocol the Australian navy began to tow the “refugees” to Christmas Island.

Not liking this too much the boat was mysteriously doused in petrol and then set alight.

In the resulting explosion five of the fifty nine people on board died and two ADF personnel also on board were injured.

Now to anyone with half a clue it was clear what had happened. People smugglers in Indonesia had spun whatever bullshit they needed to get each passengers US$6000 boarding fee and upon arriving in Australia, passengers then realised it wasn’t just a matter of being taken to the nearest Centrelink office.

Although widely criticised for speculation, Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett came out with the truth just days after it happened stating “”It is understood that the refugees on the boat spread petrol and that ignited causing the explosion,” Mr Barnett said.”

Despite 55 witnesses being interviewed by April 22nd, the government sat on the results of the findings and kept the public in the dark.

Despite what happened being blatantly obvious, Rudd carefully chose not to release any information until months later; right in the middle of earthquakes and tsunamis striking the pacific and killing hundreds.

On October 1st, seven months after the incident occurred the government finally conceded the fire had been deliberately lit.

Currently nobody had been charged with anything and an inquest is scheduled for January to get to the bottom of the ‘who lit the fire’ mystery. With an already brilliant track record in suppressing the truth and dilly dallying, one can only wonder how many years the inquest might take.

Meanwhile the Australian public can rest easy knowing that these people have been let loose on society and have been granted permission to start claiming welfare and bringing over their families.

Despite reassurances that anyone found guilty will be deported, it’s safe to assume that with the appeals that will follow and then the appeals of the appeals and associated stalling it’ll be decades until anything is decided at which point it won’t even matter.

As an Australian the entire ordeal leaves me scratching my head. Why, on this particular point, is the government so hell bent on selling the idea that these people have escaped by the skin of their teeth from halfway across the world and have braved the sea voyage to make it to Australian shores?

The answer I believe lies in Kevin Rudd’s political ambitions.

It’s widely believed that after his stint in the gallows that is Australian politics Rudd plans to have a crack at becoming the UN secretary-general. Sorry guys but you don’t become the next UN secretary-general by turning away poor peace loving refugees.

At the expense of Australian society, the detriment of those who are actually waiting on the immigrant waiting list (all of whom have been knocked down a further 42 places in favour of arsonists) and to promote his own political ambitions I have no doubt we’re going to be seeing more of the same next year once the inquest begins.

Thankfully not everyone in government are sitting on their hands, once again WA Premier Colin Barnett has spoken against the government criticising their reluctance to take a stand over people smuggling.

Mr Barnett said any decision on residency should have been left until the inquest is held in January.

“At the time I made the comment that fuel had been spread on the boat, I was roundly criticised by the federal government and others,” Mr Barnett told Fairfax Radio.

“That’s now proved to be the case … in fact further information has come forward that it appears they deliberately ignited that fuel.

“Now that’s a criminal act … people died … it could be seen as murder.

“I think that a full inquiry should be completed and certainly anyone who was implicated in that should not be given the right to stay in Australia.”

He said that eventually “it’s pretty clear the story will come out”.


Admittedly I don’t know much about Barnett but on this point alone I’d be willing to vote him into federal parliament, specifically as the Minister of Immigration. Twice now he’s shown he’s not afraid to call Rudd out on his bullshit when it comes to people smuggling when nobody else will.

Fifty five bloody witnesses and nobody knows anything?! What a crock of shit.

It’s about time somebody called a spade a spade and stopped pandering to special interest groups or chasing their own political ambitions. Mind you, I’m not suggesting Barnett doesn’t have his own political ambitions but his bluntness is infinitely easier to swallow over Rudd’s disgraceful suppression of the truth.

1. Asylum seekers who sue Australia should be deported.
2. Oh Dear: Afghan and Sri Lankan asylum claims suspended
3. Rudd is sending out mixed messages to asylum seekers
4. Asylum seekers cut costs: "Please come and get us"
5. 99.6% of boat people are asylum seeker scammers