Category: Australia

Turkish refugee Mithat came to Australia with his family ‘with nothing’ in 2017. He started a successful telecommunications company and is now determined to contribute positively to the asylum seeker community

Mithat Unlu was living a comfortable expat life in China with his wife and young daughters in 2017. He was running his own business – an education consulting company that employed seven staff.

One day, on a visit to the Turkish consulate office in Shanghai to extend his visa, he received alarming news.

“They told me, ‘We can’t give you anything’, they told me, ‘Your passport is cancelled’,” he said.

“I was shocked, I didn’t know what to do.”

Mithat would later find out that he was one of 300,000 Turkish people branded “anti-government” whose passports had been cancelled.

He had two options. He could return to Turkey – where he would at best be unemployable, and at worst imprisoned – or he could seek safety in a new country.

Mithat, his wife and two daughters flew to Australia in December 2017 and applied for asylum.

After arriving, the family came to the Asylum Seekers Centre for support. They accessed English classes, children’s recreational activities and food support.

“At first it was hard because I had nothing in my pocket. I came here with nothing, the first six to eight months, it was hard,” he said.

Mithat completed several local courses and qualifications, and worked in construction before getting a job with an NBN telecommunications company.

Mithat and his family were granted permanent protection visas in December 2018, and they welcomed a new baby girl in 2020.

Then in 2019, with the help of a loan from a friend, he established his own NBN telecommunications business. It quickly became a stable company, employing Mithat’s wife in administration as well as three contractors.

Mithat has made a point of offering work opportunities to refugees and people seeking asylum.

“I know how difficult it is to be a refugee. They don’t have a network, they have language barriers, they don’t have enough money,” he said.

“Many times, if you give an opportunity to refugees, they can succeed in lots of things, and they can give back to the community.”

One of Mithat’s contractors, Adam*, has lived in Australia for seven years and has applied for protection. He said his temporary visa status had been a barrier to finding work, and in his experience: “If you don’t have friends, you can’t find any jobs.”

Adam has worked with Mithat’s business since 2019.

“He’s been through difficult times but he wants to help everyone,” he said. “He tries to give us more than what we deserve, he’s like a big brother to us.”

Mithat’s generosity has been demonstrated through his charitable donations to the Asylum Seekers Centre and other organisations.

He has chosen philanthropy over buying a house for his family to live in.

“This is a multicultural country, you can live your religion here, you can live your own culture here. No one disturbs you,” he said.

“Sometimes I tell my wife I feel like I’ve lived in Australia for 20 or 30 years.” Asylum Seekers Centre

*Name changed

A sixth child, an 11-year-old boy, has died following the Hillcrest Primary School tragedy in Tasmania.

An 11-year-old boy has become the sixth fatality of Devonport’s Hillcrest Primary School tragedy.

Tasmania Police Commissioner Darren Hine said Chace Harrison died in hospital on Sunday afternoon.

His death follows those of 11-year-old Addison Stewart and 12-year-olds Zane Mellor, Jye Sheehan, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones and Peter Dodt. They were formally identified on Friday with permission from their families.

A gust of wind sent a jumping castle being played on by nine children in total 10 metres into the air during year-end celebrations at the school on Thursday.

Two children remain in a critical condition in Royal Hobart Hospital and one other is in recovery at home.

“It is with a heavy heart that I can confirm a sixth child has lost his life following the tragedy,” Commissioner Hine told reporters in Hobart on Sunday.

“An 11-year-old boy died this afternoon, his name is Chace Harrison. Our thoughts continue to be with his family and all other families and loved ones of the children involved.”

He said the investigation into the incident in conjunction with WorkSafe Tasmania was ongoing and would be for some time.

“We are working tirelessly with all parties concerned to ensure the extensive investigation is completed as a matter of priority for the coroner,” he said.

“Their priority will be to interview all witnesses, gather and analyse forensic evidence at all in biomedical aspects including weather patterns and conditions of the time of this incident.”

Given the magnitude of what happened and the need to speak to a large number of children within a short period of time, Tasmanian detectives have accepted an offer of help from NSW police.

Four forensic child interviewers will travel there from Sydney over the coming days.

“I am certain all Tasmanians share with me a deep sadness and heartache that young Chace Harrison, another child involved in this terrible tragedy, has now passed away,” Premier Peter Gutwein said.

“I know that our community, which is so connected, will be deeply saddened, for the family involved and indeed all the families of the now six children who have lost their lives.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Saturday an extra $800,000 will also be made available to fund trauma counselling for those impacted.

Some $250,000 will go to first responders involved in the aftermath of the accident and $550,000 to the broader community.

More than one million dollars has also been raised in the community to support those mourning the tragedy. SBS/ABC

In the centre of Australia, where the landscape is parched and temperatures can soar into the high 40s, water can be a precious commodity.

But a “cutting edge” technology is being trialled in the Northern Territory, giving a glimpse of how water-dependent industries may one day be able to operate in the outback without having to rely on sucking those resources from underneath the earth.

The Desert Bloom Hydrogen project has been heralded as “ground-breaking” by the NT government, for its technological ability to extract water from the atmosphere to create hydrogen.

“It is absolutely cutting edge, at the forefront of technology at the moment,” NT Energy Minister Eva Lawler said.

“[But] it’s something that could be used into the future.

The full extent of this technology’s long-term environmental impact remains somewhat unknown, but a study into any potential dangers is weeks away from being released.

The project in Tennant Creek is being fast-tracked by the Territory government and has been granted Major Project Status.

The government said the project has already been backed by a private firm, Sanguine Impact Investment, to the tune of $1 billion, to get it off the ground.

Emeritus professor Barry Hart, a Victorian-based water expert who was previously involved in the NT’s fracking inquiry and has long-term knowledge of the NT’s climate conditions, said the project was “unique” and a first of its kind in Australia.

“The energy for this project comes from solar, it’s all solar, so it’s nothing off the grid. And the water, uniquely, is going to come from the atmosphere,” Professor Hart said.

“You’re not looking at domestic water, or groundwater, or seawater, it’s water coming from the atmosphere.”

So how on earth does it work?

The desert may seem like a dry place, but Professor Hart said the relative humidity in Tennant Creek — “the amount of moisture that’s in the atmosphere” — was often up to 20 or 30 per cent.

“Given the volume of air, that’s still a large amount of water,” he said.

The process of extracting the water, Professor Hart explained, was a “pretty simple one, conceptually”.

“The air is drawn through a column, that water is absorbed on the column, and the columns that will be used … have characteristics that they can absorb water at lower temperatures,” he said.

“If you then heat it up to the order of 150 degrees [Celsius], it will evaporate the water that’s been trapped, and that can be condensed, and then taken off to the electrolytic cell, and hydrogen [is] produced.”

Are there dangers involved?

Professor Hart has commissioned a study by an air quality modelling organisation to determine any potential dangers posed by the project.

“I suppose the potential risk is that you suck all of the water out of a relatively low humidity [area], and leave that with, potentially, damage to the environment and maybe even to humans,” he said.

“I don’t believe that will occur … we’ll have to wait for the results, but I expect the impact will be minimal.”

The firm behind the Desert Bloom Hydrogen project, Aqua Aerem, has flagged its plans to begin mass-producing and exporting hydrogen overseas to Asian markets within five years.

Aqua Aerem co-founder and CEO Gerard Reiter said the project offered “the most direct, cost-effective route to Asian export markets”.

Construction on the project is scheduled to start next year, with production to begin in 2023. ABC

Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals Leader Barnaby Joyce has tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in the United States.

Mr Joyce told ABC Radio New England he had been experiencing mild symptoms and chose to get tested.

“Look, obviously [I am] very frustrated I’m going to be locked up in a room by myself for 10 days, but that’s part of the process,” he said.

“It’s probably developing, I’m probably very much in the early stages — but I’m more worried about being in a room by myself to be honest.”

Mr Joyce is fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

He said he had felt tired and pain in his legs, but that the illness was so mild he was uncertain whether he was even sick.

“I don’t feel that bad, that’s the crazy thing,” Mr Joyce told Sky.

“If I can just work out which channel has the cricket on it, I’ll be so much better.”
The Deputy Prime Minister was in Washington DC for work relating to the government’s plan for new social media regulations, and was previously in the United Kingdom before arriving in the US.

Mr Joyce said he was disappointed he would be unable to consult with his US counterparts on the matter.

“Part of your job is you have got to travel … I really wanted to follow up on some of this online stuff, try to get better online protection laws and see where the United States are,” he said.

“But that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
Mr Joyce said that, despite his infection, he would continue to advocate for a return to normalcy where COVID-19 could be treated like the flu through regular vaccinations.

Asked whether he knew which variant of COVID-19 he was infected with, Mr Joyce joked he would “have to talk to it tonight and find out which one it is”.

“It’s just me and Omicron in this room, I’ll have a yarn to it tonight.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had spoken to Mr Joyce this morning and wished him well.

“He tells me he’s feeling all right, apart from the mild illness, and he has been vaccinated — what we do know already is that the vaccinations do have an impact on the seriousness of the disease,” Mr Morrison said.

“And that’s why it’s so important to get vaccinated.

“We look forward to his recovery.”

Australia’s ambassador in Washington, Arthur Sinodinos, met with Mr Joyce at his hotel last night and is now self-isolating.

He said Mr Joyce had not appeared unwell.

Mr Joyce said other members of the delegation had all tested negative for COVID-19. ABC

Flood levels are expected to continue rising in Queensland today as residents prepare to evacuate.
Warnings are in place that the river level could peak at 10.7 metres in the border town of Goondiwindi this morning – breaking records set in the town’s 2011 floods.
Vulnerable residents have already been airlifted out.
More than 10,000 locals are on standby to evacuate as the river levels rise.
The town has been cut off, and homes flooded, as many prepare for days or potentially weeks of isolation.
Goondiwindi Mayor Lawrence Springborg urged the community to stay up to date with emergency flood plans and to remain cautious.
“Watch and act, and make sure you’re prepared, and this community is prepared if we need to come together – that’s just a normal thing we do,” he said.
Neighbouring towns around Goondiwindi may be the hardest hit.
Roads in Inglewood and Goondiwindi have been cut by flooding, with Coolmunda Dam already overflowing.

A major flood warning is in place for the Macintyre and Weir rivers.
No significant rainfall has been recorded since 9am Friday. However, flood levels continue to rise despite the lack of rain. 9News, ABC

Education Minister Alan Tudge will stand aside pending an investigation into allegations made by former staffer Rachelle Miller about their relationship.
Ms Miller, a former media adviser to Mr Tudge, today alleged the affair they had was emotionally and, on one occasion, physically abusive.
Ms Miller came forward a year ago, revealing she’d been involved in a consensual relationship with her former boss.
Today, she returned to Parliament House, accusing Mr Tudge of being “abusive,” an allegation he strongly denies.
Addressing Question Time today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the allegations as “deeply concerning” and “deeply distressing”.
“I have discussed Ms Miller’s statement with Mr Tudge, who refuted the allegations made,” Mr Morrison said.
“Given the seriousness of the claims made by Ms Miller, it’s important these matters be resolved fairly and expeditiously.
“To this end, the minister has agreed to my request to stand aside while these issues are addressed by my department, through an independent and fair process, to ensure that the matters that have been raised can be properly assessed.”
Mr Tudge has issued a statement saying he “completely and utterly rejected” his former adviser’s version of events.
“Ms Miller and I had a consensual affair in 2017, as both of us have publicly acknowledged. This is something I deeply regret,” Mr Tudge said.
Two days ago, the Sex Discrimination Commissioner released a report on the workplace culture at Parliament House, finding sexual harassment and bullying is rife and making 28 recommendations for reform.
“This is not about revenge… it’s about ensuring that no one else goes through this in this workplace,” Ms Miller said.
“It’s about changing a system that allowed this to happen.” ABC, 9News

Australia is dispatching a peacekeeping force to the Solomon Islands after internal political tensions sparked two days of rioting and looting in the capital Honiara and the burning of public buildings and shops.

Scott Morrison announced the deployment of 73 Australian Federal Police and 43 Australian Defence Force personnel to the country late on Thursday following a request from the nation’s embattled Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare.

An initial contingent of 23 AFP Specialist Response Group members departed Canberra on an RAAF C-130 Hercules on Thursday night to assist Solomon Islands police with riot control.

However, the Prime Minister stressed the Australian peacekeepers would only help restore security and stability, and would not “in any way” intervene in the nation’s domestic politics.

“Our purpose here is to provide stability and security to enable the normal constitutional processes in the Solomon Islands to be able to deal with the various issues that have arisen, and that that be done in a climate of peace, stability and security,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Sogavare — a longtime critic of Australia who has forged strong relations with China — made the request under a 2017 bilateral security treaty as he faced rioters’ demands for his resignation.

Protesters looted businesses and torched public and private buildings including a police station, a high school, a large bank branch, and many Chinese and locally owned shops. There were reports of shooting in the capital.

The tensions, predominantly driven by economic issues, have been inflamed by divisions over the Sogavare government’s decision to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China in 2019.

The initial AFP deployment will be followed by ADF personnel from Townsville, who will protect Honiara’s airport, and up to 50 additional AFP members who will guard critical infrastructure assets. An Australian patrol boat will also be sent to the area.

“It is not the Australian government’s intention in any way to intervene in the internal affairs of the Solomon Islands. That is for them to resolve,’’ Mr Morrison said. “Our presence there does not indicate any position on the internal issues of the Solomon Islands.”

Mr Morrison said the deployment was expected to last weeks. The Australian personnel would be armed with “lethal and non-lethal weapons … for force protection purposes”, he said.

Of the ADF personnel to be deployed to Honiara, 30 are from the army’s 3rd Brigade, with -additional support provided by medical specialists and military police. The decision to deploy Australian personnel was made during a meeting of cabinet’s national security committee, and followed talks between Mr Morrison and key regional leaders.

The Morrison government is wary of being drawn into a lengthy intervention, following the 2003-17 Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, which cost more than $2.6bn.

Former RAMSI leader and Australian high commissioner to the Solomon Islands, James Batley, now a distinguished fellow at the Australian National University, said Australia had little choice but to intervene. “The alternative is to have a country descending into anarchy on our doorstep,” he said. “Australia wants to be the leader in South Pacific security matters and the partner of choice in the region. It would not be a good look for us to be seen to be standing by and let events take their course.”

Solomon Islands opposition MP Peter Kenilorea Jnr said he welcomed the “light” deployment, saying if the force was larger it would convey the impression Australia was backing Mr Sogavare.

Mr Kenilorea reiterated Opposition Leader Matthew Wale’s demand for Mr Sogavare to resign, but said he was concerned that Australia’s intervention might enable the Prime Minister to dig in. “I don’t know how the Prime Minister will spin this now,” said Mr Kenilorea, the chair of the Solomon Islands parliament’s foreign relations committee. “The timing of it has come at a delicate time, when government ministers were looking to resign. It should not be seen as propping up a leader that many view as corrupt.”

Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani demanded Mr Sogavare’s immediate resignation, saying he had “elevated the interest of foreigners above those of Solomon Islanders”.

The rioters, who ignored a 36-hour lockdown imposed by Mr Sogavare, were predominantly from the province of Malaita, which continues to support diplomatic relations with Taiwan despite the country’s switch to recognise China two years ago.

They were protesting alleged corruption by the Sogavare government, and had the backing of many public servants whose wages had recently been garnished to pay for a Honiara Chinese housing development.

People from the main island of Guadalcanal are also enraged with the government, amid proposed reforms of the administration of customary land.

Mr Sogavare said his government was still in control, and vowed protesters would “face the full brunt of the law”.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Labor supported the government’s decision to send AFP and ADF personnel to the Solomons. Australian

A fugitive who was at large for nearly three decades is facing deportation after being sentenced to two months in jail for his historical escape from a NSW prison.

Darko Desic had been evading authorities since 1992 after using a hacksaw blade and bolt cutters to escape Grafton Correctional Centre where he was serving a three-and-a-half-year term for marijuana supply.

To move under the radar, the 64-year old evaded authorities by doing cash-in-hand jobs around Sydney’s northern beaches and never signing up for government services.

After work dried up during the COVID-19 crisis, he fell into homelessness and turned himself into police last month.

Desic’s lawyer said his client broke out because he was terrified of being deported to war-torn Yugoslavia and being placed in detention or forced to become a front-line fighter in the civil war.

‘You’re going to be returned somewhere as a deserter, or used as a person put on their frontlines … it was almost a genocide,” defence solicitor Paul McGirr said.

“This is a man who has had 30 years blemish free, in respect to his life he’s had no Medicare, he’s had to remove his own teeth, never seen a doctor.

“He’s had this hanging over his head for all this time — in some sense the sentence has been served.”

The offence of escaping a prison has a maximum 10-year sentence under laws in place at the time of Desic’s getaway.

Police prosecutor Scott Williams told the court he believed a prison sentence was necessary to deter other prisoners from escaping and evoking a “sense of Australian larrikinism”.

Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson sentenced Desic to two months noting there was no alternative to a custodial sentence for the crime.

“He chose to take tools and break out of a custodial centre… I accept he had real fears about what might happen to him,” she said.

She spoke to Desic directly as he appeared via video link from Grafton’s Clarence Correctional Centre.

“You have had a very tough time over the years but I have a job to do,” Magistrate Atkinson said.

Desic’s laywer, who was arguing for no sentence, noted it was not “unfair”.

“I think the magistrate really felt for him and a custody sentence of two months is certainly not an unfair result,” Mr McGirr said.

However, a new concern for his client is a letter the Australian Border Force (ABF) has sent to Desic advising him of deportation at the end of his sentence.

Mr McGirr will be seeking clemency for Desic from the Attorney-General and Governor-General.

“Certainly I and a number of other people are going to fight for him because I just think it’s unAustralian to kick someone when they’re down,” he said.

“He’s a loved member of the community and he’s one of us and we’re going to continue to fight for him.”

Desic is currently serving out his original custodial sentence which will end October, 2022 at which point his additional sentence will begin.

Desic will be due for release in December, 2022.abcnews