DIMA Migration Amendment Submission: "a queer act" from public servants

Project SafeCom Inc.
P.O. Box 364
Narrogin
Western Australia 6312
Phone: 0417 090 130
Web: https://www.safecom.org.au/

DIMA Migration Amendment Submission: "a queer act" from public servants

Media Release
Tuesday 13 June 2006, 9:20am WST
For Immediate Release
No Embargoes

"The submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee about the latest Migration Amendment Bill - the only one amongst the 138 submissions received that supports the Bill - is the queerest submission of the lot, and deeply disturbing and inappropriate for public servants," WA Rights group Project SafeCom said this morning.

"It is beyond belief, that public servants would positively and confidently barrack in favour of a Bill that's not legislation as yet in any way, shape or form, and it's the clearest piece of evidence that the Department of Immigration has not undergone any thorough form of functional "clean-up" since the Cornelia Rau and Vivian Alvarez debacles," says spokesman Jack H Smit.

"Fighting to get a Bill passed by barracking for it, is not the role of the Public Service. Its role is to implement existing legislation and act as an instrument of this legislation. Frankly speaking, submitting highly partisan material to a Senate Committee, defending legislation that does not even exist, falls squarely outside their role. This morning, speaking on ABC Radio, Senator Trish Crossin, Deputy Chair of the Senate Committee, confirmed that the DIMA submission was the only one amongst the submissions that spoke in favour of the Bill."

"The Department of Immigration has plenty to do, and that certainly does not include trying to make Bills into legislation by trying to paint these Bills in a certain light."

For more information:

Jack H Smit
Project SafeCom Inc.
[phone number posted]

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