Free at Last

Today, the good news is that Australia’s longest serving detainee, Peter Qasim, has been released from the immigration detention centre, after almost seven years behind the razor wire.

It’s a fantastic day for all freedom lovers!

Now, with a brand new temporary visa under his belt, stateless Peter Qasim is allowed to live in the Australian community; and can look for a job when his health improves.

In fact, he is free to do anything within reason. In a manner of speaking, he can now watch the big brother, if he likes; instead of the big brother watching him.

National Identification Card

The national ID card is back on the political agenda in Australia, to counter the threat of international terrorism. But the debate about the national identification system is still in its infancy.

The Prime Minister, John Howard, set the ball rolling when he publicly stated that he would “Never say never” to the idea of a national ID card for all Australians. But he cautioned against “knee-jerk” reactions to the potential terrorist threat in the country.

One thing is certain though, the national security consideration has made the “Australia Card” or the creation of some form of electronic individual identification system a much more attractive proposition now than it was in the 1980s when the idea was first suggested by the Hawke Labour government.

Yet, in 1987, it was Mr. Howard who, as an opposition leader, campaigned against the “Australia card” . Today, he is the champion of a national ID card system. The London bomb blasts have, definitely, changed everything; reviving plans for a broader rethink of the national security question in Australia.

The most persuasive argument, at the moment, is that the national ID card will aid the campaign against terrorism. It may even help prevent unlawful detention of refugees and asylum-seekers. The jury is still out on the subject! And civil liberties groups have condemned the scheme.

Nevertheless, on the related issue of national security, the Prime Minister believes anyone who does not think that Australia is at risk from suicide bombers is complacent and foolish.

Thus, every measure that makes it harder for terrorists to mask their plans and hide their identities continues to frame the debate about the need for a national ID card in Australia.

Australian Investments in West Africa

The African community is delighted with the news that Sphere Investments, an Australian exploration outfit, has recently expressed an interest in iron ore projects in Mauritania and has also acquired oil and gas ventures in Mali.

Furthermore, Sphere has something else out of West Africa; it is targeting major discoveries in Niger, Chad, and the Sudan.

New Breed of Workers

A completely new specie of the proletariat has been found in Australia. The Prime Minister, John Howard, announced this significant discovery in a landmark speech to business leaders last night. He described the new class of workers as those workers who are willing to put Australia’s long term interest before their own.

Meanwhile, nobody knows exactly how large this new specie might be. And any attempt at accurate classification has so far proved fruitless.

In fact, all what we know at the moment is that the new breed is white-collar and blue-collar; including “knowledge workers”.

“They work each day in our factories”, so says the Prime Minister. They also work in “Our businesses, our great service companies, our farms and mines”.

This is good news for the Australian economy of the 21st Century. These highly productive “enterprise workers” know that businesses must be successful for their jobs to be secured.

They also know, in their heart of hearts, that it is the right of managers to manage and workers to do as they are “told”.

Nevertheless, the distinguishing feature of the new breed of Australian workers is that they are very relaxed and comfortable with workplace reforms; even if that means a drastic reduction in wages and conditions.

Thus, the new specie of the proletariat is a highly skilled group of workers united by an attitude of mind – workers who can single-handedly change the fortunes of most industries.

Affordable Housing Initiative

The Adelaide city council in South Australia has developed an Affordable Rental Housing Initiative for the low income earners – the first of its kind in Australia.

This new and innovative program ensures that young people are not priced out of the city housing market.

Furthermore, the program also provides a viable and affordable rental option for the new migrants and refugees who want to sample the unique lifestyle Adelaide city has to offer, at reasonable cost.

The New Age Africans

The new generation of Africans in Australia strongly believes in the power of positive thinking. And thinking about Africa has become the most potent instrument of adaptation and survival in the emerging communities.

Thus, as the African proverb says:

You can take a child out of Africa
But you can’t take Africa out of a child.

Generally though, the longing for a meaningful existence has also kept alive important strands of African consciousness in the land Down Under. Yet, there is evident of significant progress in a number of areas.

The G8 Summit and New Deal for the Poor

The three-day summit of the G8 countries (the world’s most powerful nations) ended in Scotland with a new pledge on climate change and the dawn of a new era of aid to the world’s poorest nations.

Although details are sketchy, the decision signals a “new deal” for Africa on trade, access to AIDS medication, and the cancellation of debt for the poorest countries, most of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa.