Kelvin Davis on Christmas Island

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, November 9th, 2015 - 45 comments
Categories: australian politics, International - Tags: , ,

With news of the death of a Kurdish detainee and rioting breaking out on Serco run Christmas Island this short video featuring Kelvin Davis shown to the weekend’s Labour Party Conference has become especially relevant.

45 comments on “Kelvin Davis on Christmas Island ”

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  1. Mike the Savage One 1
    9 November 2015 at 1:34 pm

    You know what? Kelvin Davis should sit down with a number of genuinely human rights defending opposition MPs, and others, and discuss and organise a flotilla to go to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

    Once upon a time New Zealanders took a bold stand against another “friendly” nation, that was involved in activities that we do not condone. It was the French using Moruroa for nuclear testing then.

    http://www.nzgeographic.co.nz/archives/issue-77/moruroa-protest

    So while this is a different issue, it is one of highest importance, I feel, and as it relates to another “friendly” nation, why not take similar actions, send some boats there, ideally even a NZ frigate, and stage a vocal and visible protest, that may be taken note of not only by Australia, but also by international media and the UN.

    That way something may change at the top levels of government in Canberra, who like to downplay this scandalous treatment of not only asylum seekers locked up for deportation, but also New Zealanders, who in some cases have got their rights to stay in Australia taken off them, for misdeeds that occurred many years ago, in some cases comparatively minor even.

    Human rights seem to be compromised all over the show in many countries now, and this is something that the opposition should highlight, as that is also an area where Key and Nats do increasingly breach people’s rights, that is human rights, be they ordinary workers, sick, disabled, prison inmates, poor and various others (usually minority groups).

    • Mike the Savage One 1.1
      10 November 2015 at 8:18 am

      The general lack of interest in some real protest action reveals how much this country’s population has in too large quarters sunk into self-serving thinking and activities, and a lack of solidarity and principles for those facing serious human rights and other issues.

      Even a Kelvin Davis (certainly not a traditional “leftie” and activist) does get little vocal support from colleagues and others, for standing up and raising these issues.

      Few if any would these days take such actions as were once taken to fight for a nuclear free Aotearoa, I may conclude. A grim state of affairs I reckon.

  2. Steve Wrathall 2
    9 November 2015 at 1:39 pm

    Conditions can’t be too bad as the residents obviously prefer to stay there than be relocated to the hell-hole known as New Zealand

    • BM 2.1
      9 November 2015 at 1:50 pm

      These people can return to NZ at any time?

      • Steve Wrathall 2.1.1
        9 November 2015 at 1:55 pm

        Yes, they’re there because they’re fighting deportation.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.1.1
          9 November 2015 at 1:58 pm

          No small government for them, eh Steve. Or are you still paying lip service to that gobshite?

        • BM 2.1.1.2
          9 November 2015 at 2:04 pm

          Right, so the fact that they’re willing to rough it out on Christmas Island instead of returning to the comfort of NZ does make it rather clear they consider themselves Australian and not New Zealanders.

          Why was Davis over there fighting for a group of expat kiwis who obviously have no interest in their country of birth, whats he actually trying to achieve here?

          • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.1.2.1
            9 November 2015 at 2:10 pm

            It’s all about the absolute right of governments to do anything they want to their citizens on the flimsiest of pretexts. Better yet, hire a private company to do it for them.

            Oh, and shiny buttons on your uniforms, eh boys.

            • BM 2.1.1.2.1.1
              9 November 2015 at 2:15 pm

              Did Davis pay for his own airfare or was this stunt done on the tax payers dime?

            • alwyn 2.1.1.2.1.2
              9 November 2015 at 2:27 pm

              “anything they want to their citizens”.
              Please tell us. Just how many Australian CITIZENS are there on the island?

              • Tracey …
                9 November 2015 at 2:33 pm

                And then tell us how many people who have lived in Australia since they were children are on the island?

                • alwyn …
                  9 November 2015 at 2:54 pm

                  Probably quite a large proportion, at least of the New Zealand citizens there.
                  I cannot understand why those who have been there for 15+ years never chose to take out citizenship. It is exactly the same here where there are many, many foreign citizenship (exclusively) permanent residents. If you want to stay in a country permanently take out citizenship.

                  The ones who have it tough are those who went to Australia after 2001 under the special visa. I doubt if they knew when they went that they couldn’t get citizenship in Australia. The time for us (New Zealand) to have complained about it was in 2001, and ever since that date we should have told any New Zealand citizen going over there the facts of their rights. Instead the New Zealand Government of the time glossed over the situation and pretended that nothing had changed to New Zealand person’s rights over there.
                  Phil Goff and Helen Clark both skipped over the changes when they should have been shouting them out. Why didn’t they complain at that time?

                  • Craig H …
                    9 November 2015 at 10:22 pm

                    Because the alternative was to lose all free movement, and that would have been more politically costly.

                  • Hanswurst …
                    10 November 2015 at 1:59 am

                    If you want to stay in a country permanently take out citizenship.

                    No. Get permanent residence. The clue’s in the name.

              • One Anonymous Bloke …
                9 November 2015 at 2:36 pm

                Sorry, my bad. Steve and BM are all good so long as they confine their predations to non-persons. And maintain the gates properly.

                • alwyn …
                  9 November 2015 at 2:55 pm

                  They aren’t non-persons you twit. They are non-citizens. If they were citizens they wouldn’t be being deported.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke …
                    9 November 2015 at 3:06 pm

                    Well I guess they must be human beings, then, in which case I suggest we provide them with immediate military assistance and who cares what happens to Steve and BM.

                    Serbia’s criminals end up at the Hague why should Australia’s be any different?

                  • One Anonymous Bloke …
                    9 November 2015 at 3:06 pm

                    Well I guess they must be human beings, then, in which case I suggest we provide them with immediate military assistance and who cares what happens to Steve and BM.

                    Serbia’s criminals end up at the Hague why should Australia’s be any different?

                  • North …
                    9 November 2015 at 8:33 pm

                    Oh Goodness……Trollwyn delivers ‘101’ like the Gettysburg Address. Vacuity appals !

              • North …
                9 November 2015 at 8:28 pm

                Bowel Motion and Trollwyn……the pettifoggers from Hell !

                • alwyn …
                  10 November 2015 at 4:08 pm

                  You have returned. The short version of
                  “I am but mad north-north-west” aren’t you.
                  I’m sure you will recognise the quote.

      • Matthew Whitehead 2.1.2
        9 November 2015 at 2:22 pm

        What does that have to do with anything?

        They’re being illegally detained by their country of residence because they consider it their home. The problem is the detention, not the fact that they can give in and move to New Zealand.

        • BM 2.1.2.1
          9 November 2015 at 2:24 pm

          Your’e not really being detained if you can leave at any time.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.2.1.1
            9 November 2015 at 2:31 pm

            You’re not a real gate guard until I can see my face in those buttons. Now, let’s go over the instructions for opening and closing the gates one more time so I can be sure you’ve got it.

          • Tracey 2.1.2.1.2
            9 November 2015 at 2:33 pm

            I’m surprised you agree that taxpayers should pay their airfares and then their financial necessities once they get here?

  3. vto 3
    9 November 2015 at 1:43 pm

    .

    Australia – the ugly country

  4. Gangnam Style 4
    9 November 2015 at 5:59 pm

    Email Peter Dutton here peter.dutton.mp@aph.gov.au and ask him how Fazal died, because no one seems to know.

    • Manuka AOR 4.1
      10 November 2015 at 11:53 am

      He was heard screaming for help, by one report.
      “A member of RISE, a rights group campaigning for refugee rights in Melbourne, said refugees heard the Iranian man screaming for help, then later saw him in a body bag.” (from the Ajazeera link below.)

  5. Once was Tim 5
    9 November 2015 at 10:40 pm

    My God, there are some really ill-informed comments on this thread …..
    for example “they can leave at any time”, and “they’re there because they’re appealing deportation” or words to that effect.
    Un fucking believable!
    Just for Steve Wrathall’s edification, some have been transferred there before the issue of wanting to stay or go even came up.

    I note Curia must have run some numbers (or CT) and come up with some advice for John Key to do nothing. Risky bizzniss. It COULD well be his downfall (here’s hoping).
    The International media are gradually picking it up, and it ain’t very pretty.
    I spose tho’ there’ll be many simpy relying on the Sky News rw echo chamber – more fool them.
    IT could get very very ugly

  6. Once was Tim 6
    9 November 2015 at 11:02 pm

    And while you’re at emailing dutton, ask him why Derrin Hinch isn’t on his way back to Whanganui – is it because he has dual citizenship or was someone who gained Australian citizenship prior to 2001?
    IF Derrin is Australian, so is the Kiwi who emigrated at the age of 3 or anyone who was ‘socialised’ in that very ugly country.

  7. Mike the Savage One 7
    10 November 2015 at 9:04 am

    Having just checked some of the Australian media websites, including “news”, this is at best a “side issue” reported on. They are as bad as the media here, I observe, thanks to commercial interests taking over everything. “Business as usual”, do not bother us with human rights of “wrong doers”, seems to be the general sentiment.

  8. Expat 8
    10 November 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Delia, Mike & Manuka, the term used in the official Govt response is “we can not comment on operational issues”, just another stupid Abbot Govt policy, who introduced the whole idea, the law change applies to any non citizen, no what country they come from, they will be deported if they have accrued more the 12 months in any prison in Aus. They may have tossed out the stupid PM Abbot, but all the stupid policies remain under the new regime of Turnball, who unfortunately is now going to introduce the same stupid policies that have been introduced in NZ, you know 15% GST, sign up to TPP, climate denial, tax reductions for the wealthy….
    You may be interested that the ABC news reported the Xmas Il riot yesterday, and even mentioned that there were 50 odd Kiwi’s on the Island awaiting deportation.
    The ABC is still a public broadcaster in Aus and the only reliable, balanced news reporting broadcaster in Aus , the current Govt is already trying to convert it to a state broadcaster to spew Govt propaganda (censor the truth), sound familiar.