Bullying as an instrument of government

My dictionaries describe intimidation as, "frighten in order to influence conduct, to make timid, or inspire with fear; overawe; to force into or deter from some action by inducing fear."

The Howard, Rudd and Gillard governments have employed bullying as an instrument of government policy.

Howard's policies toward asylum seekers were not designed to protect and embrace those most in need, but rather to deter people coming to Australia by boat. This policy did not extend to those coming to Australia on commercial airline flights.

The so-called boat people were visible and became more so with media coverage. Events in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan pushed the number of asylum seekers coming to Australia by boat.

A small group of right wing activists and media commentators sensationalised the issue, and in doing so, injected emotion and racism into the way the issue was covered in conservative areas of the media.

This hysteria spread to other sections of the media, the government and the public service. It fed off itself and the government came to believe that its electoral prospects were tied to turning back the boats.

The events of 9/11 and the often erratic emotions associated with terrorism, fed into policy relating to boat people. The war on terror and the irrational behaviour generated by the fear abroad, saw calls within and outside government for mandatory detention of all boat people including children; the introduction of Temporary Protection Visas; the excision of northern islands from the migration zone and finally the Pacific solution of Christmas, Nauru and Manus Islands.

In panic and fear, Rudd sought to get Tamil refugees processed in Indonesia. while Gillard has instituted a policy of sending asylum seekers to Malaysia on a five to one swap in favour of Malaysia.

The rhetoric of the Gillard government has been to claim that they are trying to break the people smuggler business model and prevent people from taking to the high seas in dangerous leaking boats.

In order to do this the Gillard government has implemented and enforced policy, which gravely harms the people it claims to want to protect. Like its predecessors, it has deliberately chosen to further victimise the victims.

Abbott has indicated that he would return to Howard's policies should he become Prime Minister.

All asylum seekers have little power. What power they have resides in the UN Refugee Convention and the willingness of governments to fulfil their legal obligations and process asylum seekers accordingly.