Tony Burke Has a Bridge to Sell You

We were told last November that 860 visitor visas would be issued to Palestinians needing refuge until the war in Gaza was over.

We were also told the visas would only be issued after thorough security checks had been conducted.

The Albanese Government might as well have told us they had a bridge to sell us.

Today we are being told more than 2000 Palestinians allowed into the country will be given the opportunity to stay here permanently.

And some of the security checks - in a region where we have no staff on the ground - were done in one hour.

Still want to buy that bridge?

The Age newspaper reported at the weekend …

“Senior federal government sources, who asked to remain anonymous as the policy was being finalised, revealed a new special visa pathway would be created for Palestinians.”

This is called flying it up the flag pole.

When unpopular government decisions are about to be made, they are first leaked, anonymously, on purpose.

This puts the idea into the public arena as a rumour while allowing Government Ministers to claim the rumours are just rumours.

They are careful never to confirm the rumours but they are equally as careful not to outright deny them.

They are purposefully allowing the unpopular idea to seep into public consciousness so that people get used to the idea before it is officially announced as policy.

So today, the relevant minister went on the ABC and did just that …

Newly minted Home Affairs minister Tony Burke - whose Western Sydney electorate is 15.1 percent Muslim - told the ABC …

“People arrived on visitor visas and the government was right to use that visa.

“It was the easiest visa to be able to deal with in a situation of absolute and immediate crisis.”

Notice he leaves out the part that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was at pains to point out - when the decision to take in Palestinians was first announced.

The visas were always to be “temporary”.

But Burke subtly twists that to say the visas were simply the “easiest” way to deal with a “crisis".

Actually, the “easiest” way to deal with the “crisis” in Gaza would have been for fellow Muslim country and next door neighbour Egypt to have taken people in.

But carry on Minister Burke ...

“We’re now in a situation where, over time, those visas are reaching their expiring date.”

Huh? We’re “now in a situation” where the visitor visas are expiring? Like no-one every saw this coming?

I’d be rolling on the floor laughing if this were not so serious.

I know where we get Palestinian refugees from, but where the hell do we keep finding these Government ministers?

And there’s a decision of government that hasn’t been taken yet … as to what the next step is for those individuals.”

Oh, there’s a “decision” is there?

Weird.

You see, I was under the impression that the “decision” had already been made. These were TEMPORARY visas for people who would only ever be in Australia TEMPORARILY!

Seems I did buy that bridge after all!

Burke continued …

“No country in the world is sending people back to Gaza at the moment for obvious reasons.

Ha! I would make the point that most counties in the world are not taking people from Gaza at all, for obvious reasons!

But who am I? Other than the proud owner of a new bridge to nowhere, I mean.

“So we have to work through what is the appropriate visa to be able to consider for these individuals. I just don’t think it’s fair for me to be speculating in advance of being able to give a bit more assurance as to what the decision is.”

Well played Minister Burke, well played.

He’s not denying the “speculation” but nor is he confirming it. He is, however, agreeing that “we have to work through” some issues before he knows that “the decision is”.

In other words, he allows the idea - that the 860 people here temporarily have now turned into more than 2000 people about to be given permanent residency - to hang in the air.

We can get angry now but, at whom? At the Minister? He says he hasn’t made any decision.

By the time an official decision has been made, the government is counting on the fact that community anger will have dissipated, the news cycle will have moved on, and we will all just shrug; waiting to be sold the next bridge.

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Don't forget to tune into Danica and James on Sky News tonight at 8pm.

We’ll be talking about this issue, as well as about the Olympic Boxing debacle, the latest crazy NDIS rorts and more. Special guests include boxing champion Jeff Fenech, women’s rights activist Stephanie Bastiaan, Deputy PM David Littleproud and US commentator Brad Plumbo.