Australian Politics

[deja vu]

While news agencies around the were speculating that the Lindt Cafe hostage taking in Sydney was because of Islamic Terrorists, the Aussies were saying no. The PM and police were speculating it was based on local political issues and they were right. The hostage taker was doing this to get the attention of the PM's office. The man is a criminal who was possibly going to be deported back to his native Iran. He did time for sending threatening letters to families of soldiers killed in action in the Middle East. He is facing multiple charges of sexual assault/domestic abuse against his wife and others, plus an accessory to murder in another case. He has a long violent rap sheet and this guy should have been deported the moment he was released from prison, now he will do a lot more time before being deported.

The speculation of Islam being behind this was because of the banner being held in the window, but according to experts it was not one that the terrorists would use. This man was hoping the police would think that it was a terrorist attack, but they did their homework and quickly knew it was based on home politics, not Middle East politics.

The seige is over, but it's unclear if the man or some hostages may have been killed. We do know that possibly 3 or 4 were injured, but it's too early to know all of the facts. One thing is clear, this man is mentally ill and thought of himself as a wanna be terrorist and cleric.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/lindt-chocola ... 278cx.html

The man who is holding more than a dozen people hostage and placed Sydney's CBD into lockdown is no stranger to the NSW police or the judiciary.

Self-described cleric, Man Haron Monis, 50, first came to attention of police when he penned poisonous letters to the family of dead Australian soldiers.

@@@@@

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/sydney-sieg ... -1.2148151

The flag is the black standard flag of the Shahada, an Islamic statement of faith, according to former Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) agent Michel Juneau-Katsuya.
Cafe under siege in Martin Place

“This is not the flag that the Islamic State is using. It is the black standard flag or Shahada, which is sort of a statement of faith that some will use, but it is not an ISIS flag," Juneau-Katsuya told CP24.

"Shahada," which translates to "testimony" in Arabic, is an Islamic statement declaring the belief in God, and Muhammad as the messenger of God. Shahada is the first of the five pillars of Islam, and expresses a Muslims' commitment to the religion. The statement is not meant to be used in a hostile nature. It is even featured on some national flags, including that of Saudi Arabia.

[yukon]

Monis, 50, is no stranger to the NSW police or the judiciary.

He first came to attention of police when he penned poisonous letters to the family of dead Australian soldiers seven years ago. Last year he was charged with being an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife, a mother of two.

Most recently, he was charged with more than 50 allegations of indecent and sexual assault relating to time allegedly spent as a self-proclaimed "spiritual healer" who dealt with black magic at a premises in western Sydney more than a decade ago. It is understood Monday's incident followed an unsuccessful, last-ditch attempt on Friday to have the case heard in the High Court.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-siege- ... 27t9p.html


Why was this guy let out on bond???? There is more than enough evidence to show he was a danger to those around him, but they still let him out on bail.

I don't know if the families of the 2 victims of the cafe can sue the judge that let this nut case out on bail, but if they can they should. He had no business being on the street. The fact that they were considering sending him back to Iran is another reason he should have been kept in jail. The judge let him out and I hope he/she can live with the consequences of the action, because all the victims have to live with it the rest of their lives and 2 families have lost loved ones, and so close to Christmas is even harder.

[keychain]

Tearful Australians laid mounds of flowers at the site where two of 17 hostages were killed Tuesday when police swooped into a café to rescue them from a gunman — an Iranian-born self-styled cleric described by the prime minister as a deeply disturbed person carrying out a "sick fantasy."

The 16-hour siege that ended in a barrage of gunfire early Tuesday left the gunman, 50-year-old Man Haron Monis, dead, and a nation that has long prided itself on its peace rocked to its core.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/sydney-sie ... -1.2874424

They are heroes, too bad the courts and lawyers didn't do their job and let the killer out on bail.

I don't know if the families of the 2 victims of the cafe can sue the judge that let this nut case out on bail, but if they can they should.

They could sue the government, but found nothing that says they can sue the judge or lawyer. I agree if they can then they should sue the pants off them. He had no right to let this man out knowing how violent he was to others..

[CielOnTap]

The series of events that put gunman Monis in contact with police and the Australian legal system:
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/missed-opportunities-to-get-sydney-siege-gunman-man-haron-monis-behind-bars-20141217-1298el.html

The firearms licence should have been examined and followed up.

[slider]

The wife of the gunman killed during the Lindt cafe siege could be taken into custody if her bail is revoked in a Sydney court.

Man Haron Monis's wife has been charged with involvement in the murder of his ex-wife. Amirah Droudis will have her bail reviewed at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court. NSW Attorney-General Brad Hazzard asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to review the original bail decision.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/ar ... d=11377843

DUH, you think about it now? Neither should have been out on bail and now they are trying to fix the problem they caused in the first place.

Why was this woman not picked up after what happened that awful day? She is walking free, while families have to prepare to bury their loved ones during the Christmas Holidays, that is so not right. She may not have played a part in this tragedy, but she is up on murder charges and neither should have been let loose to terrorize the general public.

[CielOnTap]

Aspiring to be a politician in Australia? Make sure you only have Australian citizenship and are not a dual-citizen.

After Ludlam’s resignation, government lawmaker and former prime minister Tony Abbott posted on social media a document confirming he had renounced his own British citizenship in 1993, a year before he was elected to Parliament.

Sydney University constitutional lawyer Anne Twomey said Canada and New Zealand were not considered foreign powers when the Australian constitution came into force in 1901 because, like Australia, they were part of the British Empire. The High Court has ruled that Britain has been regarded as a foreign power under Australian law since 1986.

One or two prime ministers might have been dual nationals in the past, but lawmakers’ eligibility was never tested in the courts until the 1970s, Twomey said.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/07/18/australian-senator-who-made-headlines-for-breastfeeding-in-parliament-forced-to-quit-because-shes-also-canadian.html

[CielOnTap]

A Canadian who has lived most of his life in Australia is on the way to being deported over his long history of misdemeanors. Australia is getting tough on residents who are not Australian if they have criminal records.

The immigration department didn’t comment specifically about Martin’s case but said in a statement: “Non-citizens, who engage in criminal activity or other serious conduct of concern, regardless of their age or nationality, should generally expect to forfeit the privilege of staying in Australia.”

There has been a crackdown on non-citizens in Australia deemed to be of bad character following changes to the country’s Migration Act in December 2014.

http://nationalpost.com/news/world/its-another-country-im-aussie-canadian-who-moved-to-australia-as-a-baby-begs-not-to-be-deported-to-canada

The affected Canadian does not know Canada well and considers himself an Australian.