He may be in trouble, but I wish I were Julian
Why isn’t my name Julian Assange? After all, he has powerful people falling all over themselves to help him. He also has powerful people trying to destroy him. At least he has balance. I only have powerful people falling all over themselves to destroy my family and me.
I am trying to explain to New Zealand that I would like to come home and bring my family with me if we fail at the MRT. They tell me I have to lodge a visa application first. Fine. However, I have to be living in NZ to do that. I can’t afford to relocate to NZ, go through the horrendous expense of another round of medicals and x-rays and visa application fees to have them piggyback on Australia’s (big brother, I guess) decision. Then I will have to relocate a third time. I’m not a millionnaire.
All I am asking for is an assurance they will uphold the ICCPR and recognise our marriage as genuine, which Australia have so far failed to do. All I’m asking for is my civil rights. How hard can it be to advise me whether NZ uphold the ICCPR or not?
I have been referred from pillar to post as no-one wants to answer the question. So now I have two countries giving me the run-around. Can anyone tell me exactly what citizenship is worth? As far as I can see, not a bloody lot. We pay our taxes, contribute to the development of the country and get SFA in return. We certainly don’t get respect, our civil rights, integrity or honesty: we don’t get afforded common courtesy by the elected representatives or public servants.
Australia and New Zealand second and third most liveable countries in the world? Not if you marry a non-white foreigner, it seems. Given the racial stereotyping in the Decision Record (highly unprofessional) I admit I am starting to wonder just how much racial discrimination does exist in our case. Perhaps I should try to get Oprah to assist, since she is floating around saying she’d like to move here. Of course, if she did, Oprah would, I am sure, have citizenship before you blinked. Money and power. Ordinary citizens? Struggle for your rights, if you can afford the battle, for no-one with power gives a damn.
Dear Robyn – Here follows a short discussion with myself about the Oz Govt’s attitude & action in response to your request for recognition of your marraige & subsequent application for residency for your family.
I wonder if it is possible to contact Oprah … not a bad idea.
But you are still waiting for a decision.
It would be a gamble: whether to raise the stakes with heaps of publicity before the decision or not? Would some bureaucratic advisor impose a hard line response, or would publicity bring the Govt to a point of least resistance & assist in a ‘yes’ response? Halleluliah! All it takes is the stroke of a pen & they’re in – this is the hard bit to swallow.
I think that every politician, regardless of the Dept or issue, now responds with broad & generalised statements about ‘considering & listening to the arguments, & making a decision based on the information’ … then they are seen to be responding responsibly (in the media/to the public). Then they wait for the fuss to die down, another issue takes its place, & they can ignore all prev issues. Predictable.
The recent 3 deaths in Villawood is a horrible example. The media response has been so muted. In Adelaide no-one has heard anything of this.
Chris Bowen is a master at the ‘proper & bland statement’ in response to everything.
I have always refused to be part of media pleas because they almost always end up as yesterday’s news – a day of hype & flurry, then nothing … no result.
I know this is negative thinking, but realistic. I am sure you will have been over this in your own thinking.
Love from Lesley xxoo
We have the decision Lesley. The visa was denied. Now it is the MRT and action based on denial of civil rights. Yes, I agree – the media is always a double-edged sword, unfortunately. Villawood is terrible! I didn’t see any coverage of the latest suicide in the news here either. Don’t we have a conscience as a nation? It seems not.
I am starting to believe there is a fair dose of racial discrimination in our case. There was definitely racial stereotyping in the Decision Record, which really shocked me. I know that prejudice exists everywhere, but to actually put stereotyping of that nature in an official Decision Record? That did shock me.