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Reality! - after Howard's 10 Years in Office

The media has been full "covering" PM John Howard's 10 years in office - as has, of course, the Federal Coalition.

At the same time as all the hubris [despite the denials of any] reflect on the realities of these news items yesterday

- a 11 year old Iranian boy detained at the Woomera and Villawood immigration centres [as revealed by 4 Corners] is to be paid compensation for the psychiatric damage and harm caused to him

- wrongly deported Robert Jovicic is to be returned to Australia at the cost of the Australian taxpayer

- the Australian Audit Office slammed DIMA for failing to assess companies' bids to run detention centres and entered into a $400 million contract with a company offering neither the highest standards nor best value for money.

Read today's report of the above in the SMH here.

Meanwhile, the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union yesterday launched, yet again, more proceedings in the Federal Court alleging breaches of the Award protecting outworkers. If the report on ABC Radio's Breakfast program this morning [not presently available to be heard on line - but will be so later] is correct outworkers are being paid $3 to $4 per hour by leading clothing-brand manufacturers. Yes, sweat labour in Australia - in a country and with a Government Howard and Co. claims looks after everyone. A report in the AFR this morning says that the Union claims that of 125 proceedings previously issued for award violations manufacturers had settled each time.

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