Asylum, Afghanistan and rugby: blog updates
I thought at the end of this month, I should do a series of blog shorts - updates on subjects raised by this month's blogs; additional information that I should have included first time round; stories or pieces which have caught my eye but didn't really lend themselves to the blogosphere. So here goes:
ASYLUM SEEKERS:
So first to the running story of the month: asylum seekers and the vastly different political reaction aroused by 'boat people' rather than 'plane people'. Confessedly, I should have included more figures in that blog, so here are some more details. In 2008, more than 96% of refugee status applicants arrived by plane - 'plane people' outnumbered 'boat people' by 4768 to 161. Admittedly, there has been a tenfold increase in the number of boat people already in 2009, but the figure will still be nowhere near the number arriving by air. 'Plane people' are also deemed less deserving overall - 40-60% are granted protection visas compared to 85-90% of boat people. Again, a big difference.
Given that Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull seem to tailor a lot of macho-speak on boat people for public consumption, here's some more evidence that the public and press would tolerate greater compassion. This is an editorial from , a tabloid which prides itself on having its finger on the pulse of public opinion. 'We are not being flooded by refugees. Australia's borders are not under threat. There is no armada of boats preparing to sail our way... This issue is pure politics and both sides are fudging the truth.'
And here's Denis Shanahan, the political editor of making a similar point. 'Raw politics is making the arrival of boatpeople a divisive issue once more when it shouldn't be, and the Rudd government is as culpable as the coalition when it comes to emotive catchcries and racist innuendo.'
AUSTRALIA AND AFGHANISTAN:
The number of comments in response to the Afghanistan blog reinforced its central theme: that there isn't much public debate about Australia's presence in the country. Since then, the defence minister John Faulkner has revealed that he has asked military chiefs to see how Australian diggers could complete their role 'in the shortest time frame possible' - which was interpreted as a signal that Australia might withdraw earlier than the three to five years which the government has spoken of before.
I offer this as nothing more than a hunch, but I suspect the Australians would not have announced this unless the Obama administration had decided to reject the main thrust of General Stanley McChrystal's demands for an Iraq-style 'surge'. Certainly, it would be unusual for an Australia government to diverge from White House thinking on an issue so central to the alliance.
BIG AUSTRALIA:
The idea of a Big Australia of over 30 million people gets a super-sized 'No', judging by your commentary. In a week when a report from the federal parliament suggested that Australia's , the Big Australia policy seems even more implausible without a complete rethink about the much-vaunted Aussie way of life.
CODE DEAD:
On the battle of the Australian sporting codes, the Australian Rugby Union has conducted a study of its 'brand health'. It revealed that rugby union is the 'least entertaining, innovative, grass roots-orientated and social'. Crowds from test, super 14 and club matches have declined. In 2006, 617,555 attended Test Matches. This year the figure was 386,287.
ASIDES
• I was intrigued by the story of how Kath and Kim, the first ladies of Australian suburbia, have apparently 'They weren't our best sales people, Kath & Kim, and it created a negative feel for what is the world's most flexible grape,' said the head of Foster's.
• Here's yet more evidence of how , popularised by hit shows like Master Chef, is attracting international acclaim.
• No doubt you have seen this already, but here is a story revealing the to provide backdrops for live news bulletins.
• And a personal aside: I finally managed to see the end of a play I started watching six weeks ago. Cate Blanchett in - uninterrupted this time by any prop malfunctions (a flying radio drawing blood from the leading lady). Mesmerising stuff, and richly deserving of all the rave reviews.
WHAT IS COMING UP?:
There is much to look forward to next month. That great immobilising sporting festival, the Melbourne Cup (that same day the Reserve Bank of Australia is almost certain to raise interest rate for the second consecutive month); the tenth anniversary of the failed Republic referendum; and the much-anticipated arrival of the golfer, Tiger Woods. In mid-November, Kevin Rudd will also apologise to the 'Forgotten Australians'.
I'm 
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