Follow the yellow brick road

Once again, I am wondering why our government can't be more like the Australians.

Australia has formally rejected a US request to take in detainees from the Guantanamo Bay military jail.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the decision was based on "stringent national security and immigration considerations."

It is the second time in a year that Australia has rejected such a request.

But we'll take in some of the 60 considered 'no risk' by another country and presumably pay for them and their families at a time when our own workers are being made redundant and people are losing their homes.

Not particularly charitable of me? Perhaps. But there are jobs going in Afghanistan.

Fear not, though, for as our sovereignty erodes on a daily basis, with a combination of approval and ignorance from our politicians and media, the EU have decided to step in and try make the decisions for us:

A senior US official has described as a "significant step" Portugal's offer of asylum for some inmates from the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay...

In a letter to EU members this week, Portugal urged them to follow its lead..."The time has come for the European Union to step forward," he wrote.

Well, Common Immigration is a fundamental part of the Lisbon Treaty which they assume will be forced through despite opposition, so why shouldn't they? I mean, in a few years they'll be deciding when we go to war, and who do you think will make up the bulk of the troops? Not the French...