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The effects of Vatican II are still being felt today. What happened at it is still being worked out. – Pages 12-13
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therecord.com.au
THREE QUARTERS OF A CENTURY AT
NEDLANDS
Parish moves heaven and earth to celebrate 75 years of life and faith. – Pages 10-11
The students of Our Lady of Grace came, they saw and they conquered...
North Beach Masterminds
Year 5 and 6 students of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Primary in North Beach proudly celebrate their numerous achievements at the national final of the Tournament of Minds after months of preparation which saw them sacrifice much of their own free time. The competition is run nationally for students in all primary and secondary schools in Australia and includes entries from schools as far afield as Hong Kong and the Pacific. The students are holding trophies for their state and national wins. Story, photo - Page 4. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Government refugee policy is ‘ironical indeed’ By Robert Hiini THE GOVERNMENT’S recent move to lock-down refugee family reunions was “irony indeed” given Australia’s recent appointment to the UN Security Council, a Perth academic and researcher said this week. G M Joseph said recent changes to the Split Family Provisions meant even the wife and children of a man who had already been granted asylum in Australia would have to prove persecution, suppression or harassment to be accepted into the country. The changes, which came into
force on September 22, will also mean an increase in the likely waiting period for processing, from two to four years. Given an existing backlog of cases dating back to 2010, people who have already waited two years will now have to wait another four. Mr Joseph said the changes, which were recommended by the government’s Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers headed by Angus Houston, were a hypocritical violation of people’s human rights. “We stress the importance of family in Australia so how can we do this to people who have already faced persecution. It is just creating
more, psychological persecution,” Mr Joseph told The Record. “Every person has the human right to live in a safe environment, to live with his family, to work, to be eligible for social benefits.
Joseph said, which only highlighted, by contrast, the mean-spirited nature of the changes. Prior to 2010, the program was working quite well, he said, with a two year period of processing, in
As Christians, we want family members with us. So why are we denying others this opportunity? “I don’t agree [with these changes] at all.” Australia spent more than $70 million attracting the support of other countries in its bid to gain a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council, Mr
part to establish that the applicants were actually biologically related to the existing refugee visa holder. Earlier this year, The Record brought readers the story of Mussa Gatera, a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide who had suc-
cessfully applied for refugee status in Australia (Mr Gatera was represented by Mr Joseph). Mr Gatera’s nephew in South Africa is his only surviving family member in the wake of the 1994 genocide but the Australian government will not grant him a permanent visa on the grounds his life is not in danger. Mr Joseph said Catholics and other Christians, in particular should be able to empathise with refugee families’ predicament. “As Christians, we would like to have our family members with us, so why are we denying the other person the opportunity to have his Please turn to Page 2