The Coalition made a commitment to restore order to border protection after years of failed and erratic policy measures under Labor.
When the Labor party formed Government in 2007, the Howard Government had made the tough decisions to prevent people from taking the risky route to Australia by sea. Kevin Rudd, and then Julia Gillard, systematically dismantled the tough but effective policies which were in place. The arrival of asylum seekers by boat skyrocketed and many hundreds of lives were lost at sea. These desperate people were told by people smugglers that risking the journey would ensure that they would become Australian citizens.
When the Coalition came to Government in 2013 the Labor party had left a legacy of 30,000 unprocessed cases within the border protection portfolio. Over the last year the Government and Minister Scott Morrison have worked extensively to ensure that order has been restored, preventing deaths at sea.
In the last week of Parliament for 2014 legislation successfully passed through the Senate to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas. The Minister has also introduced a Safe Haven Enterprise Visa which encourages enterprise through earning and learning. Under the new scheme Visa Holders will live in designated areas of high job vacancies.
The Government will be increasing the Refugee and Humanitarian Programme intake by 7,500 places over four years.
Returning order to the border protection and cleaning up the mess left by Labor was a key election commitment and the Coalition has gone about this in an ordered and methodical way.
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Over the last couple of years more than 20 million televisions have retuned as a part of the switch to Digital Television. This has provided spectrum for the 4g network and other technologies which will be developed in the future.
Whilst there have been some hiccups in specific areas the transition has generally been very effective. Recently the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) undertook further signal testing in Gulgong, Narromine and Trangie after reports that residents had experienced poor reception. In these areas, which generally receive services broadcast from Mount Cenn Cruaich, the broadcast has changed from UHF to VHF band. In some cases this necessitated the installation of antennas suitable for VHF. The ACMA also found that while generally the signal levels were strong enough for reliable reception, in some areas there was interference from power lines.
More information about the reception interference is available at www.acma.gov.au including guidance on ensuring that residents have the correct aerial. Residents can also email info@acma.gov.au or call 1300 850 115 with any questions.
