Anyone who would like to receive sustenance-enabling cash fortnightly from the government, and also be entitled to free medical, hospital, and other health services – for their whole life – should obtain residence in Australia – by hook or by crook! Asylum seekers today do just this. Australia’s generosity is displayed thus.
In necessary detention, because all identity papers may have been voluntarily destroyed, a mobile phone would apparently be provided. This enables the detainee to inform his relatives that they are being housed, well fed, and receive medical and other services as needed. I discovered that they can receive free legal services as well, which are available to legal residents only if they are indigent. They can apparently receive public housing once they are accepted as refugees, ahead of other residents already in a queue.
They do not have to prove that they have suffered trauma and torture (as their vociferous Aussie supporters have been claiming), whereas Aussie residents seeking welfare have to demonstrate financial need (as defined in Australian law) to obtain welfare. Asylum seekers reportedly do not have to prove their claims; quaintly, again reportedly, if officials assessing asylum claims cannot disprove a claim, then the applicant must be accepted as a refugee! What sort of assessment process is this? Then, once accepted as refugees, asylum seekers can threaten to sue the government for alleged deficiencies in care while in detention, and receive a bucket of money by treaty; so reported our media.
As 2 Vietnamese women said (in the 1970s) to Immigration officials, during the influx (by air) of large numbers of ‘boat arrivals’ selected from the ‘countries of first asylum’ as refugees,“You Aussies (expletive) stupid. You give money for nothing.” Did the car ‘rebirthing’ industry, the Cabramatta drug trade, the Cronulla riots and similar gang behaviour, reflect a somewhat carelessly-open door provided by certain politicians?
What I find fascinating in the pattern of rorts which are ignored by officialdom is the ease with which individuals can receive welfare benefits. I know a few on the Disability Pension who are not suffering any disability whatsoever. I have known young men who had chosen not to seek employment. I had met in Bali young Aussies who were on the dole at home. I know retirees living in very large, even expensively renovated, homes (which are not included in assessments of tax or welfare payments), who possess that most popular ‘pension card.’ Qualifying for even a dollar of the age pension is apparently enough to receive that card.
Would not a nation encouraging sloth or deception be targeted by cunning individuals? Instead of being known as the ‘lucky’ country, will we now become known as the ‘clever’ country?
RAJA ARASA RATNAM 