Dear Prime Minister,
What is going on with this country?
First Labor is against the FTA with our biggest trader and then the latest Border Force visa check!
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours respectfully,
Eddie Hwang.
President
Unity Party WA
https://uitypartywa.wordpress.com (published)
http://twitter.com/unitypartywa (published)
Fax/hone: 61893681884
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UPWA is the only political Party that calls a spade a spade.
Victoria Police cancel CBD crackdown amid anger over Border Force visa checks
Shane Wright Canberra – August 28, 2015, 1:10 pm
Victorian Police have abandoned a plan to target crime across inner street Melbourne after a public uproar over plans by the Federal Government’s Border Force to ask people to prove they are working legally in the country.
Protesters closed the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets in Melbourne as they gathered over press conference that was to be held to outline Operation Fortitude.
Protesters block Swanston and Flinders streets. Picture: Simon Love/Twitter
Victorian Police Minister Wade Noonan said Operation Fortitude was intended to be a standard police operation.
“We fully support the decision by Victoria Police to cancel the operation after the unfortunate and inappropriate characterisation by the Australian Border Force today,” he said.
The head of Australian Border Force said the agency’s statement on the operation was “clumsily” written and had been misconstrued.
Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg said the press release did not properly portray the agreed role between Victoria Police and the force.
The operation was to be a multi-agency assault on crime.
In the statement, Border Force said there would be a focus on people travelling to, from and around the CBD. It would target “everything from anti-social behaviour to outstanding warrants”.
The regional commander Victoria and Tasmania for the ABF, Don Smith, said he was proud Border Force was taking part in the operation.
“While the ABF regularly conducts a range of compliance field-work, this is the first time we’ve been involved in an inter-agency operation of this nature and we’re very proud be able to support each of our organisations to achieve our common mission of promoting a secure and cohesive society here in Melbourne,” he said in a statement.
“ABF officers will be positioned at various locations around the CBD speaking with any individual we cross paths with.
“You need to be aware of the conditions of your visa; if you commit visa fraud you should know it’s only a matter of time before you’re caught out.”
But a public outcry on social media resulted in the agency denying its own words less than four hours later.
In a separate statement it said it would not be “stopping people at random” in Melbourne to “check people’s papers” as reported in media.
“The ABF does not and will not stop people at random in the streets and does not target on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity,” the statement said.
A press conference that was planned to announce the operation was dropped as protest numbers grew.
And then Victoria Police said the operation would not go ahead at all.
“We understand there has been a high level of community interest and concern which has been taken into consideration when making this decision,” it said.
Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm ridiculed Border Force and the whole episode.
“Either the Border Force are doing racial profiling, in which case they should stop it, or they are hassling everyone, and they should stop that as well. We do not need any more uniformed goons,” he said.
This indicates that the Border Force should be radically downsized and its workers allowed to do something useful for a living.”
The West Australian
Unity Party WA 