“Bloody Reprehensible”: Gerry Georgatos on Perth Rough Sleepers During COVID-19
Right now, there’s around 1,000 rough sleepers in the wider Perth, Fremantle and Peel region. And despite the fact that the rest of the population is in lockdown, the majority of these homeless people are still out on the streets...
Struggling International Students Left in Dire Straits
Over recent decades, Australia has invested heavily in its international education sector, which currently involves around 565,000 overseas students. And as the nation’s fourth largest industry, it employs around 240,000 people and it racked up $37.6 billion in the last...
Federal Government to Introduce Mobile Tracking Technology
How much of our personal privacy and freedom of movement are we prepared to sacrifice to fight the spread of COVID-19 and have our lives returned to normal? And how do we safeguard against the laws becoming permanent, and like...
These Punishments Aren’t Democratic: An Interview With the RLC’s Samantha Lee
The need to get people off the streets and keeping a safe distance from others during the COVID-19 crisis is well understood. However, what’s not quite so understood is why NSW police officers have been handed extensive powers to enforce...
Closures of Parliament Are Unwarranted: An Interview With NSWCCL President Nicholas Cowdery
Except for those brief moments when it has been chided during the COVID-19 crisis - think Bondi Beach - the Australian public has done extremely well in completely changing the way it goes about its everyday life, with the implementation...
COVID-19: Over-Enforcement Is Undermining Confidence in the Police Force
Amnesty International has added its voice to the growing calls across Australia for police to release the guidelines being used to enforce COVID-19 distancing regulations. Over the Easter weekend, after sending a strong message to all Australians to ‘stay home’...
COVID-19 Protest: Fines Issued Despite Drivers Remaining in Cars
The Refugee Action Collective (RAC) Victoria announced last week that it would be going ahead with a car cavalcade protesting the continued detention of immigration detainees at facilities and hotels nationwide, despite police warnings that demonstrators could be hit with...
COVID-19: Is Sweden’s Strategy Sensible?
It has faced a great deal of criticism from around the world, particularly from its neighbours Norway, Finland and Denmark, but Sweden is refusing to consider a total lockdown in the face of the coronavirus. The nation’s Prime Minister Stefan...
The COVID-19 ‘Bonk Ban’: The Rules for Visiting Partners
In the final days of March, in address to the nation, Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged the fear and uncertainty being experienced by many Australians during the current coronavirus pandemic, and said compassionately: “No Australian should have to go through...
“Everyone is Fearful”: An Interview With Mantra Refugee Detainee Ismail Hussein
Over the last three weeks, the Australian government has stepped up its response to the COVID-19 crisis to the point that now there are reports that it might have succeeded in flattening our nation’s curve. However, when it comes to...
