Friday, February 26, 2010

They Live Amongst Us

Now please read the following story. Now before you get on your high horse about me having a go at illegal immigrants the title of this blog relates to the nut jobs who have commented on the story.

Illegal workers busted on fruit farm at Mooroopna, near Shepparton, and deported to Malaysia and Indonesia AAP From: AAP February 26, 2010 7:59AM

A GROUP of 76 illegal workers busted fruit picking in northern Victoria have been deported back to Malaysia and Indonesia after a mass immigration operation.
The 63 Malaysians and 13 Indonesians were flown home last night - the largest mass removal of illegal workers from Australia this decade, the government said.

They were nabbed during a raid on a caravan park last week in Mooroopna, just west of Shepparton, where they had been working illegally picking tomatoes and pears.

Eighty-five people were caught, with arrangements being made to deport the remaining nine workers - five Malaysians, three Koreans and a Nepalese person.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans said the 85 had entered Australia with valid visas before taking on the illegal work.

He praised the work of the immigration department.

"The fact that within the space of nine days these people have been located, detained and removed from Australia demonstrates the government's commitment to stamping out illegal work," Senator Evans said in a statement this morning.

He said employers faced fines of up to $13,200 and two years' imprisonment for hiring people with no work rights.

Companies can be docked $66,000 per illegal worker.


Now I do not condone the use of illegal workers to do jobs such as picking fruit but some jobs locals just do not want to do. But onto the real reason for the title "They Live Amongst Us". These are some of the comments so far:

Brian Wood of Sunbury Posted at 8:25 AM Today
cut the ability to work without a tax file number and big fines for hiring without one, and all illegals will be sorted fast, RUDD DO YOU HAVE THE GUTS?

Nice one Brian. Technically you are meant to provide a tax file number to get employed. It does not stop dodgy farmers trying to make a living by using Illegal workers. I am sure Kevin is reading the HUN and shaking in his slip ons.

harry of vic Posted at 8:28 AM Today
Now we have GOOD news. Keep it up. Sweep the country clean, rapidly, then progress to Christmas Island and do the same. Christmas Island holds opportunists NOT refugees! Cleanemout.

Torpedo Harry?

Neville of Bayside Posted at 8:32 AM Today
Well at least there are 78 new jobs created for lazy Australians on the dole who "can't find work". Must be plenty in the Shepparton area...

Nice keyboard work Nev. Why don't you head up the road from Bayside and have a look for yourself. Ever been to Shepparton?

Micko of Dandenong Posted at 8:32 AM Today
good ridance to bad rubbish

Micko or Sicko? Next you will complain about the price of your tins of fruit salad.

margaret webb Posted at 8:37 AM Today
are we making room for the illegal imigrants in detention.if they want to work..

No Margy, can I call you Margy? Those bloody queue jumpers won't work at all. Next thing you know they will move in next door to you and start staring at your dog.

thomas of Bundoora Posted at 8:39 AM Today
So the moral to this story is if you want to stay in Australia and not sent back where you came from then don't get a valid visa and certainly don't even consider doing a hard days work. Hopefully these people will be advised by the bloodsucking civil rights lawyers that seem to have set up regional offices in Indonesia and Christmas Island that the way to do it is to destroy all documents and start making demands from the Australian government!!

thomas (with a little t) please take your medication and watch the telly-tubbies for a while to calm down.

Pete of Melbourne Posted at 8:44 AM Today
This happens all the time, no wonder unemployment is so high. These people will work for less than minimum wage and the businesses that allow this are making heaps of money.

Pete. WTF are you on man? Unemployment high? where?

the Truth of Melbourne Posted at 8:52 AM Today
The government shouldn't pat itself on the back - they should be embarrassed that so any people managed to get in start working n the first place

Nice one Truth. (Please turn to Page 3 for our Norks out special on the way to the formguide). You say "get in". Didn't you read the article fool? They entered with valid visas.

Bill of Blackburn South Posted at 8:59 AM Today
Who is going to pick the grapes now?

Grapes Bill? Again you show your knowledge of grapes either through an anal affliction or drinking too much. They were picking tomatoes and pears. Muppet

So friends they are out there. And they have access to the interwebs.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Sorry I am on Leave

No not me. The graphic artist from the Age:



At leas it is better than a previous effort.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Missed It By That Much




Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in near miss with truck

OPPOSITION leader Tony Abbott has narrowly escaped a collision with a truck as he arrived to inspect part of the Princes Hwy west of Geelong this morning.
As Mr Abbott's car slowed to turn into a property beside the highway in Winchelsea, a van pulled out from behind his vehicle into the path of a truck, the Geelong Advertiser reports.

The truck driver narrowly managed to stop his vehicle jack-knifing in the dirt beside the road as stunned journalists and local politicians watched on.

The truck was about five metres away from colliding with the van and Abbott's car.

The truck wobbled on its wheels and at one stage came close to toppling.

Mr Abbott was shaken by the near miss when talking to the press minutes later.

"We just saw a moment ago how perilous this road can be,'' he said.

"You can never entirely eliminate danger on the roads but the better the roads are, the less hazard there is to traffic.

Mr Abbott was visiting Winchelsea to inspect the Princes Highway following calls over the years to have the notorious stretch of road duplicated between Geelong and Winchelsea.

However, despite his first hand experience, Mr Abbott stopped short of pledging any funding to the duplication at this stage.


I like the last sentence in bold above. What the hell was he doing there anyway?

UPDATE: An interview with the driver:

SABRA LANE: Twenty-nine-year-old Luke McCrae was behind the wheel of the truck. He was on his regular Melbourne to Warrnambool runs. He’s been driving trucks for about eight years.

LUKE MCCRAE: I was travelling down the road behind a mini bus. The mini bus slammed on the brakes, car sitting in the middle of the road. The mini bus tried to go around the car and ’cause I was in the truck behind with more weight, I had to try and go round you guys.

SABRA LANE: You seem to be pretty lucky to keep the truck upright.

LUKE MCCRAE: Very lucky.

SABRA LANE: Were you shaken up? I would imagine there was a fair amount of adrenaline running around your body.

LUKE MCCRAE: I didn’t realise how bad it was until I looked at it on the computer.

SABRA LANE: You’ve looked at the footage now?

LUKE MCCRAE: Yes.

SABRA LANE: What did you think when you looked at those pictures?

LUKE MCCRAE: Just lucky, that nobody got hurt.

SABRA LANE: When did you realise Tony Abbott was in that car?

LUKE MCCRAE: Oh, about 10 minutes ago.

SABRA LANE: Tony Abbott says that it’s a dangerous road, is it a dangerous road?

LUKE MCCRAE: Yes, it a dangerous road.

SABRA LANE: Were you disappointed that the COMCAR had pulled up where it had?

LUKE MCCRAE: Yes.

SABRA LANE: Is that particular road a dangerous stretch or was just dangerous because the COMCAR had pulled up where it had?

LUKE MCCRAE: Oh, it’s just because where the car had pulled up where it had.



The next question should have been:

If you knew it was Tony Abbott in the car would you have swerved?

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Statistics and Lies

Interesting Statistics:

One in three women, seven in 10 men watch online porn - study
From: NewsCore February 10, 2010 3:21PM

SEVENTY per cent of men and 30 per cent of women view pornography online - and it only becomes a "major problem" when taken to extremes, a study in Sydney has declared.
The research, on how porn affects people's work, finances and relationships, is being led by Dr Gomathi Sitharthan at the University of Sydney's Graduate Program in Sexual Health.

"Viewing porn online becomes a major problem only when people become so preoccupied that they spend 16 to 18 hours a day doing nothing else but watching porn, with serious impacts on relationships, work, studies, and finance," Dr Sitharthan said.

"In recent years we have seen increasing numbers of clients coming to counselling practices with online porn addictions.

"They come from all walks of life: students, teachers, lawyers, health practitioners and priests.

"Often they will come to counseling with another problem, and the underlying problem of addiction to internet porn may come out after two or three sessions.

"The sensitive nature of this issue means many people find it very hard to talk about."

Internet porn addiction was a growing problem partly due to its easy accessibility, Dr Sitharthan said.

She hoped the survey would further scientists' understanding of internet pornography addiction and how best to offer assistance to overcome it, as treatment options were limited.

Dr Sitharthan said she hoped for broader public discussion of the issue, particularly given the recent spotlight on sex addiction due to the case of shamed golf star Tiger Woods.

Members of the public were being invited to take part in the survey, which can be done online.
Somehow I doubt my work internet filter would allow me to go anywhere near THAT survey!