Auspol

The Australian Government Is Trying To Deport This Young Family. A Judge Has Stopped That — For Now.
The family has been detained on Christmas Island since September 2019.

A Columnist Encouraged Refugees To Self Harm And His Newspaper Defended It By Saying They Probably Don't Subscribe
Just 73 words long, the blog post breached four separate journalism standards.

Australia Says It Won’t Release Files On The Death Of A Young Man Sent To Nauru Because It’s Not Important To The Public
“The subject matter of the documents does not seem to have the character of public importance.”

Australia Sent A Young Gay Man To Detention On A Tiny Island. He Died. Australia Says It’s The Island’s Problem.
Australia: This is a matter for Nauru. Nauru: We're not holding an inquest.

A Young Gay Man Died Mysteriously In An Island Prison. His Family And Friends Want Answers.
As a teenager, Rakib Khan fell in love with another boy. At 24, he died of mysterious causes in an Australian detention camp. This is his story.

Australia Asked Gay Asylum Seekers If They Could Pretend To Be Straight To Stay Safe At Home
Exclusive: An internal review obtained under FOI found at least four asylum seekers were asked if they could avoid harm by not being open about their sexuality.

A Blind Refugee With Schizophrenia Was In Detention For The Entire 2010s. He Just Won A Huge Court Case.
On Christmas Eve, a judge likened the 36-year-old man’s ongoing detention to a scene from the famous satirical novel Catch-22.

Australia’s Taiwan Deal Is Being Thwarted By Refugees Refusing To Go
Exclusive: Australia repeatedly asks sick refugees to fly to Taiwan for treatment, even after they've refused to go, in order to uphold its harsh immigration policies.

Sick Refugees Were Quickly Transferred To Australia Just Before The Controversial Medevac Regime Began
Exclusive: The secretive government task force deciding the fate of sick refugees approved an unusually high number of transfers in its last meeting before medevac.

A Detention Centre Said A Man Was Brought To His Hearing Late Because He Slept In. A Tribunal Said That Was Laughable.
"This state of affairs is thoroughly unacceptable."

Australia Flew A Refugee With An Infected Cavity From An Island Detention Camp To Taiwan
Exclusive: The untold backstory of the Taiwan deal reveals the extraordinary lengths Australia has gone to in order to keep sick refugees away from its shores.

Police Thought A Migrant Woman Wasn't Wearing A Seatbelt. They Told Her She Would Go To Jail.
"Don’t argue with me, love, or you’ll be going back in the paddy wagon as accessory to bloody murder."

A Man Handed Over Sexually Explicit Photos To Prove He Was Gay. A Tribunal Said He Staged Them.
Exclusive: The tribunal was "not prepared to accept that these photos are genuine, non-staged photos" of the man having gay sex.

125 People Were Staffing An Empty Detention Centre. This Is What They All Did.
Politician: “So they’re guarding an empty facility?” Bureaucrat: “Well, they're maintaining its operational status.”

New Figures Show Self-Harm On Manus Massively Increased Around The Election
There were over 60 self-harm incidents in Papua New Guinea in June 2019. In April, there were fewer than 10.

A Woman Seeking Refugee Status Was Turned Away For Being 15 Minutes And 27 Seconds Late
She blamed "internet issues" for filing her application 15 minutes after midnight.

Indigenous People Could Be Detained And Deported If New Law Passes, Lawyers Have Warned
“It is troubling that a person who is regarded as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person … could be removed from the country in which First Nations people were the first Australians.”

The Government "Strongly Encouraged" Controversial Chinese Cultural Institutes To Consider Registering As Foreign Agents Ahead Of The Election. They Refused.
“It is an offence not to register if you are required to do so.”

14 Families Could Be Split Up If This Law Passes
The change to the Migration Act would prevent asylum seekers held on Nauru or Manus Island within the last six years from applying for any visa to Australia.

The Australian Government Cautioned Al Jazeera After Its Massive NRA Gun Investigation
Al Jazeera was "strongly encouraged" to look over Australia's foreign influence law after the investigation was broadcast on the ABC.

The Stakes Of The Biloela Family's Court Case Are Higher Than Ever
Here's everything you need to know about the last-minute legal bid to halt the family's deportation.

This Family Of Four Are The Only People Being Detained On An Island 3000km From Australia
The “Biloela family” — Tamil parents with two young daughters who settled in regional Australia — face deportation to Sri Lanka this week.

Australia Asked Papua New Guinea To Release A Sick Asylum Seeker. It Won't.
Doctors and lawyers say they have lost contact with the men detained in Port Moresby.

The Government Just Lost In Court Over Refugee Medical Transfers
But refugees cannot ask the courts to order for transfers to Australia.

The Government Has Paid Car Washes Thousands Of Dollars To Take On Interns
"Making kids wash cars for $4 an hour doesn't boost their skills or somehow magically fix what's broken in our labour market."

Papua New Guinea Is Refusing To Hand Over A Man Approved For A Medical Transfer To Australia
The man is among 53 asylum-seekers who were stripped of their phones and moved to a new detention centre.

Despite Warnings About Rapists And Murderers, Only Two Refugees Seeking Medical Treatment Raised Security Questions
There were dramatic warnings about criminals flooding Australia — but six months into medevac transfers, the government can’t say if it has ever used its security veto.

Australia Detained People On Islands For Years. Now It Wants To Ban Them From Ever Visiting.
“I would not be able to see my friends in Australia, and people who I now call my family members.”

The Government Blames Medevac For Increasing Self-Harm
“Surely no one will accept that specious argument,” a refugee lawyer told BuzzFeed News.

Refugee Lawyers Brought Dozens Of Cases For Medical Transfers Before Medevac. They Won Every Time.
"Desperate parents told me of children who could not eat and drink and were wasting away before their eyes."

The Government Just Signed Off On Plans For A Mine To Avoid A Disaster Of Its Own Making
A critical question has not been answered: how will the mine eventually be closed?

There's A Plan To Ban Sex-Selective Abortions In NSW. Some Experts Are Warning Against It.
"Sex-selection abortion bans come from the toolbox of the anti-abortion movement."

New Zealand Said Australia’s Visa Cancellation Policy Is “A Rub” Between The Two Countries
“Only 1% of total deportations from New Zealand are to Australia, while more than 50% of total deportations from Australia are to New Zealand.”

A Huge Banking Scoop Was Almost Never Published After Police Raids Freaked Out The Whistleblower
Award-winning journalist Adele Ferguson says the controversial raids have made it harder to do investigative reporting.

This TV Network Aired Undercover Footage Of A Candidate In A Strip Club. Then It Heard From The Government.
The government told Nine to brush up on its legal obligations under the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme.

Asylum Seekers In Papua New Guinea Will Have To Give Up Phones As They’re Forced Into New Holding Cells
The men have been told to surrender their mobile phones and medication, and that they will not be able to leave their rooms.

This Tiny Aboriginal Town Is Fighting A "Huge Toxic Time Bomb"
A big mistake means Glencore's McArthur River Mine will need 1,000 years of monitoring once digging stops. The government is about to decide if it can keep mining.

A Coroner Advised How To Stop Refugees Dying In Detention A Year Ago And The Government Still Hasn't Responded
The government said it would respond to the findings of the inquest into the death of Hamid Khazaei by the end of 2018.

This 15-Month-Old Girl Has Spent Her Whole Life In Detention. She's In Hospital With The Flu
The 15-month-old is being treated for Influenza A.

The Government Asked Asylum Seekers About Their Sex Lives, Then Fought To Keep The Interviews Secret
A government employee asked two asylum seekers for intimate details. The government didn't want you to know about it.

The First Medevac Report Shows An “Unbelievably High” Number Of Mental Health Admissions
Exclusive: A government report has revealed the “unbelievably high” rate of medical admissions for refugees suffering mental illness on Nauru.

Here's How Much Effort Border Force Is Putting Into Recruiting You
Australian Border Force gave me 107 pages of documents about this 700-word article.

It's Albo Vs ScoMo: Anthony Albanese To Become Labor's New Leader
If you have a go, you'll get either Albo or ScoMo.

Chris Bowen on Tuesday: I'm In. Chris Bowen on Wednesday: I'm Out
Anthony Albanese is currently the only contestant in the race to replace Bill Shorten as opposition leader.

Here's What Tony Abbott Had To Say About Losing His Seat
Tony Abbott spoke on Saturday evening after losing his seat to Zali Steggall.

Tony Abbott Has Lost His Seat
Independent Zali Steggall unseated Abbott, who was prime minister from 2013 to 2015.

This Is How Hard It Is For Remote Australians To Cast A Vote
For the last few weeks, candidates, campaigners and the AEC have been criss-crossing the Northern Territory in a huge logistical effort.

Just 14 Heartwarming Photos Of Election Ballot Papers (And A Democracy Sausage)
Pencil + Paper + Ink = Democracy.

Can You Guess These Election Candidates' Star Signs?
Is this the dawning of the age of Aquarius?

Can You Match The Election Quote To The Politician?
Who said it? Take the quiz and find out how much attention you've been paying to the 2019 Australian election.

We Asked Young People What They Thought Of Headspace
"You can understand if you're the local MP and there's an election coming and you can announce, 'I've got a headspace in my electorate', that looks great."

It's Time To Play: Stock Photo Model Or Australian Election Candidate?
Possibly our toughest quiz ever.

The Election Is Just About Here And Everybody Is Getting Real Nervous
Prime minister Scott Morrison called the Greens "a very dangerous fringe party".

This Tiny Remote Town Asked Tony Abbott For Better Housing — And Were Surprised When It Actually Arrived
After years of waiting for new housing, Borroloola residents credit Tony Abbott with taking action.

Kids In This Remote Community Are Wandering The Streets At Night And Sleeping For Hours At School Because Of Their Houses
In the remote community of Borroloola in the Northern Territory, some people say housing is the most important issue at the federal election.

Tony Abbott Declares Labor Has A Better Climate Change Policy Than The Coalition
We've got just three sleeps until the election, but there's still plenty going on.

Paul Keating Calls For Voters To "Drive A Political Stake" Through Peter Dutton's "Dark Political Heart"
The former Labor prime minister delivered the scathing attack on the home affairs minister as the election campaign became more hectic and intense, less than a week from polling day.

12 Bake Sale Classics That Practically Scream AusPol
Because voting day is always sweeter with a $2.50 caramel slice in hand.

Bill Shorten Receives Rockstar Welcome While Twitter Gets Confused Over PM's “Promise Of Australia”
Look, Scott Morrison had a go. Or he got a go. Wait, is he getting a go? Is it a fair go for those who keep their promises?

Just 19 Absurd Things That Happened This Week On The Election Campaign
The election is next week and things are getting serious. Except, they also aren't.

Australian Politicians Are Now Trying To Explain Memes. Please Can We Just Have The Election Already
If the endless slog of an election campaign wasn't hard enough, politicians now have to compete with a new royal baby and impossible sporting comebacks for our attention.

Bill Shorten Gives Emotional Press Conference After Newspaper Story About His Mother
The Labor leader called the Daily Telegraph's story about his mother "a new low".

Someone Tried To Egg The Prime Minister Of Australia But It Just Rolled Off His Head
What is it with eggs and Australian politics?

Kevin Rudd And Julia Gillard Were The Divorced Parents At Labor's Campaign Launch And This Isn't Awkward At All
*rocking back and forth* It's OK, the election is next week, It's OK, the election is next week...

Just 29 Absurd Things That Happened This Week On The Election Campaign
Well done everyone, but especially well done Angus.

Just 11 Pictures Of Scott Morrison Having A Go To Get A Go
The prime minister is a firm believer in having a go. And getting a go.

Please Enjoy This Wood Carving Of Scott Morrison's Face And Other Tales From The Campaign Trail
We've got 16 days to go, come on everyone — we can do this.

Another Day, Another Bunch Of Weird And Gross Old Posts From People Running For Election
A Liberal candidate was disendorsed over his anti-Muslim comments, another resigned over anti-gay remarks, and a Labor candidate apologised over rape jokes.

A Strip Club Visit, A Resignation, A Very Weird Debate: Here's What's Happening In Election 2019
The federal election campaign has decided to give Game of Thrones a run for its money in terms of drama.

Clive Palmer Calls Newspoll "Fake News" While Boasting He's Worth "$4,000 Million"
I guess we've got three weeks of the Palmer Show now folks.

"It's A Terrible River": Murray-Darling Gets The Blame For Political Troubles
Ex-pollie calls famous river "very poor", while Tony Abbott sees red over Speedo piss-take.

Here's Why The Government Lost A Day Of Election Campaigning To A Story About Water
After taking off the gloves over Easter, our politicians are back in campaign mode. We are concerned about the PM's head.

Just 27 Stupid Things You Missed From The First Week Of The Campaign Trail
We've got a whole month left to go, kids.

You Have Until Thursday Night To Make Sure You're Enrolled To Vote
The election campaign on Wednesday involved George Christensen's travel to the Philippines, the prime minister posing with some carrots, and both sides talking about Labor policies.

Angus Taylor Has Threatened To Sue Journalists For Sharing A Twitter Thread
Two prominent journalists have received legal letters from energy minister Angus Taylor.

Politicians Have Spent Another Day In The Field Trying To Appear Normal Before The Election
Healthcare spending, tax plans, and the Notre Dame cathedral fire dominated the agenda today, but no-one came up with a proper explanation for the way prime ministers sit in front of the TV.

I Regret To Inform You Another Australian Politician Has Eaten A Raw Onion
It's because there's an election going on, I think.

In News That Will Not Shock You: Tax And Peter Dutton Are Dominating Election Headlines
Friday saw the two main parties argue over Labor's tax policies and Dutton face criticism over his comments about his opponent Ali France.

The Election Has Been Called. Here's Everything You Need To Know
We've got five weeks of this, so strap in people.

Hey Australia, The Election Will Take Place On May 18
And here we go...

The Prime Minister Has Delayed Calling The Election And Everyone Seems To Have Gone Mad
Imagine what's going to happen when the campaigning actually begins.

The "Egg Boy" Received A Police Caution Over Fraser Anning Incident
Victoria Police said the far-right Australian senator acted in "self-defence" when striking the teenager who broke an egg on his head.

A North Korean Man Who Has Lived In Australia For Over 20 Years Is Fighting Deportation
The man's case was heard in the Federal Court of Australia on Thursday. He says his drug convictions should not mean his visa is cancelled.

Not A Single Refugee Has Been Sent To Christmas Island Since The Detention Centre Was Reopened
The government said reopening the centre was vital after changes to refugee medical transfer laws — but nobody has been transferred there.

Please Enjoy These 15 Random Things We Found In This Year’s Budget
There was way more stuff about ants than I think any of us anticipated.

Scott Morrison Said Reopening Christmas Island Would Cost $1.4 Billion, But It Absolutely Won’t
The government plans to spend $185 million on reopening Christmas Island detention centre... and then closing it again.

The Government Says Youth Suicide Is A National Priority. Here’s What It’s Planning To Do About It
“It is a national tragedy that we lose so many people to suicide and that so many people live a life of quiet desperation.”

The Media Keep Saying Gladys Berejiklian Was Dux Of Her High School, But She Actually Wasn't
"The premier has never said she was the overall dux of her school," a spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.

A Politician Told His Colleagues To "Shut Up" And It Was Actually The Most Mature Thing Anyone Said Or Did
A guy who is not the deputy prime minister announced he was the elected deputy prime minister and then it all kicked off.

Barnaby Joyce Just Got Dragged By His Boss
Joyce has sparked tensions within his own party with a push for more government support for coal power.

The Last Kids Held On Nauru Have Left The Island
The final four refugee children held on Nauru flew to the US for resettlement on Wednesday.

George Pell Was Found Guilty Of Sexual Abuse Two Months Ago. Here's Why We're Telling You Now
Here are the details on the suppression order barring reporting on George Pell's guilty verdict – and why several Australian journalists are now facing prosecution.

This “Dedicated And Loving Father Leading A Quiet Life” Spent Over 25 Years Using A False Identity
He said an older Australian man – dubbed Mr X – forced him to use the false identity after adopting him and taking away his Fijian passport.

Please Enjoy This Story About Toy Llamas And Australia's Strict Biosecurity Laws
This takes me back to the great Pistol and Boo saga of 2015, when an Australian government minister threatened to kill Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's dogs.

The Refugee Medevac Bill Brawl, By The Numbers
A huge fortnight in Australian politics has been dominated by debate on refugees, asylum seekers and border security. Here's what you should know.

The Government Spent $330,000 Funding A Sky News Program
Warren Mundine took the idea to Indigenous affairs minister Nigel Scullion's office, which passed it on to the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, Senate Estimates heard on Friday.


Julie Bishop Won't Recontest Her Seat At The Next Election
Former Liberal deputy leader Julie Bishop says she won't recontest her seat at the next election, because she thinks the government will win.

A Business That Got 17 Government-Paid Interns But Employed None Has Been Kicked Out Of The PaTH Program
JWM Communications got $17,000 from the government and has not responded to a request to pay the money back, Senate Estimates heard.

Australia Spent More Than $1 Million On Legal Battles Over Sick Refugees
In 34 cases, sick refugees and asylum seekers were only transferred following a court order.