Cartoons of the Week

Cathy Wilcox

Bill Bramhall

David Rowe

Climate Change and Populations: where will you move to?

This graphic looks so far away doesn't it?

Children from a foreign country in the background, impossibly high calendar dates and population numbers as well as the word "Refugees".

But if one looks closely the first calendar date is only 11 short years away, the next just 31 years and the date after that 81 years.

And not all "refugees" will be foreign once climate change impacts accelerate.

There will be literally thousands of ordinary people living in Australia who will at some point be driven inland by rising water making their homes and coastal towns or villages uninhabitable or uninsurable.

There will be years on end where the entire population of inland country towns will be living in temporary accommodation as they try to rebuild what was lost to raging bushfires - if they ever do.

Little village communities supporting families on surrounding farmland will be disappear due to water scarcity which never ends.

These will be this country's home-grown refugees and all states and territories need to start reworking their natural disaster contingency plans to include the need to relocate a great many people on a permanent basis between now and 2100.

The scale of internal climate migration will ramp up by 2050 and then accelerate unless concerted climate and development action is taken. [World Bank Group, 2018, Groundswell : Preparing for Internal Climate Migration]

Morrison Liberal-Nationals Coalition Government begins to position itself for forthcoming federal election

No, the Morrison Coalition Government has not suddenly developed empathy for others, a genuine understanding of its obligations under international law or a measure of respect for Australian courts.

Sensing the growing threat to its chance of holding onto government Messrs. Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton are finally allowing very ill children detained in offshore detention on Nauru to enter Australia for medical treatment.

The first child to arrive appears to have reached Australia two days ago and was reportedly immediately intubated and placed on life support on landing in Australia.

ABC News, 22 October 2018:

Australian Border Force officials have revealed 11 children were transferred off Nauru today for medical attention, with another 52 minors remaining on the Pacific island.

Officials have amended the figure to 11 after initially saying it was 16.

The update comes as the federal Greens float a compromise agreement that could allow families to resettle in New Zealand with their families.

The Federal Government has indicated it may accept New Zealand's offer to take up to 150 refugees, but only if legislation passes Parliament ensuring people sent to offshore detention can never travel to Australia.

Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo said that legislation, which has been sitting in Federal Parliament since 2016, would close a "back door" to dissuade further boat arrivals.

According to the latest figures, there are 652 people on Nauru, with 541 classed as refugees and 23 as failed asylum seekers. The status of another 88 is yet to be determined.

The United States has accepted 276 people as part of a resettlement deal and rejected an additional 148.

There is growing pressure from crossbench MPs for the Government to accept New Zealand's offer, with incoming independent Kerryn Phelps describing the issue as a first priority.

The Greens are now open to considering a travel ban for the group, but only if all children are first brought to Australia for medical treatment, and restrictions only applied to the cohort sent to New Zealand.

"We need to put the politics aside and look after these children, who are being traumatised and brutalised right now," leader Richard Di Natale told the ABC.

"If resettlement after that means resettlement in New Zealand with limited restrictions, just on that group, that's something we will consider.

"What we won't consider is putting bans or restrictions [on] those people who have been left behind.".....