As Aussies probably know, folks on a boat were rescued by the Navy up off Ashmore Reef this week, after their boat caught fire.
The origin of the fire is a matter of some dispute. The Liberal (conservative) Premier of WA, Colin Barnett, immediately said that the asylum seekers deliberately doused it in petrol set it on fire in order to “force” rescue. The Feds have said that their investigation isn’t complete yet, and they will wait until it is complete rather than speculating on the cause of the blaze.
You may remember this dynamic, or a similar one, from such hits as Ruddock ‘n’ Howard’s “Children Overboard“. It’s turned out to be impossible to avoid the comparison with Children Overboard, but there’s no knowing what actually happened in this case, not yet. And that’s not what this post is about.
We’ve been treated to blow-by-blow media traumaporn on the injured people: RPH treating 22 asylum boat blast victims, Asylum seekers undergo surgery at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Nine asylum seekers to undergo surgery in Perth, Burnt asylum seekers develop serious blood infections, Five victims of boat fire put on life support, Doctors hope all injured asylum seekers will survive, Boat blast victims ‘need months of treatment’.
What’s really tweaked me today is this article:
“Premier visits boat explosion victims“:
Mr Barnett was at Royal Perth Hospital visiting the burns patients and hospital staff who have been providing around-the-clock care since Thursday night.
While he did not speak to the patients, Mr Barnett said many were clearly in a lot of pain.
“They were in view and as a lay person obviously, by the amount of dressings all over their body (it is an) extremely serious situation,” he said.
In these sorts of injuries, visitors are typically limited to next of kin and other close family. Infection risk is high, people are very ill, and they are typically on high doses of sedative medication.
Why was our Premier in hospital goggling at these severely injured people? Has he ever been seriously ill in hospital? The last thing you typically want is to be put on display for yet more random strangers, and the fact that he has already publicly pinned the blame on them for their injuries adds insult to invasion of privacy.
Were the asylum seekers informed of their right to privacy whilst in hospital? Were they told that they are not obliged to have politicians poring over their dressings and their agony? Have they had free access to advocates and interpreters through the consent process?
Why is this slimy little man leering at burned people laid out for his scrutiny?
If a medical report is required by the Government in order to assess and progress their asylum claims – something that is done federally anyhow, not at State level – they can seek a medical report from qualified treating staff. Don’t just drop in and gawk.
Categories: ethics & philosophy, medicine, Politics, social justice
Hoyden About Town 
That’s shocking. So they aren’t real people or anything, just there for Colin Barnett to use as he will?
Chally’s last blog post..Sarah Haskins is at it again
That’s interesting that you posted this, because I was watching the news last night and it featured quite extensive footage shot IN the hospital and actually in the surgery too or so it seemed – anyway somewhere where heroic interventions were being undertaken. I thought “Hmmm I don’t remember seeing this kind of footage with the Victorian bushfires” but I didn’t know whether perhaps this had also been done in the Victorian situation and I’d missed it. Your post confirms my suspicions that the cameras were a lot more intrusive in the asylum seekers’ case.
Why is this slimy little man leering at burned people laid out for his scrutiny?
In case they’re innocent (perhaps someone pointed out that there were other ways the assylum seekers could have forced a rescue without risking horrific burn injuries), and then he claim to be all compassionate and stuff.
SN: because it would be unthinkable to pretend to be all compassionate and stuff for people “guilty” of being so desperate for rescue that they might harm themselves for it.
Maybe he was just there to ascertain whether or not they were likely to be able to pay the hospital bill.
“Why is this slimy little man leering at burned people laid out for his scrutiny?”
Because as a well-paid rep for the ruling class, it’s part of his job to promote nationalism and the otherisation, fear and loathing of all those people who are Different To Us.
This whole saga is so sick. The comments from local ‘wasps’ around me are so unfeeling and show absolutely no compassion.
At least this government is holding off making any public pronouncements and letting the investigators do their job. It actually shows some dignity towards people suffering But the vultures on the other side are certainly circling the carcass and pulling of what little meat to sustain their warped, vicious, sickening and greedy opinions.
After making such accusations what were Barnetts’ minders thinking of in letting him go and look more insensitive than he already did?
I really despise the way this country has, almost, always played this hateful game with every new wave of migrants to this wonderful county I live in
SN: because it would be unthinkable to pretend to be all compassionate and stuff for people “guilty” of being so desperate for rescue that they might harm themselves for it.
In his eyes, probably it is.
Ah, but they DESERVED all the best medical care because the Victorians were taxpayers who’d made their contribution to the country rather than being foreign scroungers trying to force their way into our country through emotional blackmail and being given life-saving care through our generous benificence (prior to being kicked straight out again as soon as they’re stable).
/sarcasm
Deus Ex Macintosh’s last blog post..UK Economy “no longer in free fall”
Good point lauredhel… and I hate having to re-live this whole experience of ‘refugees as illegals’ all over again.
Glad you raised this, because while watching the news on this I too feel there is something gleeful about the reporting of this whole accident.
Burns injuries are horrendous beyond compare. And as pointed out we didn’t seem to need this kind of voyeurism with the Victorian bushfire victims.
What is it with this obsession with demonizing refugees coming in on rickety boats? Why are the tens of thousands of visa overstayers who fly in in comfort somehow a ‘better’ class of person? Because they’re mainly from the UK and the US and ‘look like us’?
If I have to hear Turnbull moan about this government ‘telling the truth’ one more time I’m going to puke. What a most unfortunate turn of phrase for the present leader of the Liberal party to utter in this tragedy concerning refugees on a boat. It immediately and forcefully reminds everybody of the great big lie perpetuated and used by the Howard goverment in a previous refugee boat incident.
I’d apologise for Colin Barnett (he’s unfortunately my local MP) but I didn’t vote for the bastard, and I don’t think it would make a difference.
My position on anyone arriving in Australia in a leaky boat is fairly straightforward: the ones who have the right to complain about it are the ones whose ancestors were dispossessed by the most notorious gangs of “boat people” – the ones who arrived from Britain in 1788 (or in the case of Western Australia, 1829). Everyone else is here on sufferance, so we’re better off shutting up and keeping shtum.
Deus Ex Macintosh, did you publish your abhorrent little “funnie” after you’d already participated in this thread?