Support German Doctor, Australian Visa!

COMMENT, Australia — A German doctor & his family have been refused a visa for his family to stay in Australia, because his son has Downs Syndrome.

Dr Moeller with his son & wife

Source: Wimmera Times

Dr Bernhard Moeller was on Channel 9′s Today show with his family. There is an ABC version of the Doctor’s story here and The Age here. The Australian has an excellent piece on it.

This Doctor is the sole source of specialist medicine in Wimmera, a country town. He has been providing medical care for 2 years. Australia has chronic Doctor shortages.

The Doctor wants to settle with his family.

The people of the country town want him to stay. They are organizing a petition.

There is no good reason for the Doctor to go.He wants to stay. his profession is needed. The net good to the doctor, his family, the town & Australia is high.

Bureaucratic Rules.

This political hypocrisy is discriminatory. And not even in the national interest.

One plausible reason for the idiocy is because Government use economic ‘cost-benefit analysis’ techniques. These techniques often don’t work, of course, having observed them in action.

On any sensible measure, refusing a highly-qualified German doctor a visa is idiotic.

And in a town and country that has Doctor shortage, the position will require importing another doctor.

Which presumably will cost more than caring for his son. (that’s the cruel reason given). It’s not recognized in their thinking.

And what does this say about our society? Your son can’t stay, he’s different?

We need educated people.

And German doctors are in Europe regarded as among the world’s best.

Bureaucratic Myopia.

This myopic, stupid, inept decision is yet another example why Australia doesn’t win more high quality educated migrants, including those educated here.

We make it easy for a bricklayer from Lebanon or a hairdresser from anywhere, as long as the papers are in order. Or doctors with forged certificates or poor overseas practise.

We have had suspected terrorists, and alleged murderers accepted as doctors.

The Real Reason.

Australia still has a strong socialist element who don’t like “anyone better educated than me”.

Left-wing socialism discriminates against educated people in favour of the working class.

We actually pay bricklayers & builders better than doctors in Australia.

Australia currently has a whiff of socialism. It favours those less-educated. (I’m not talking about vocational education, but actual education.)

The head of the ANU addresses the Press Club in Canberra, more or less saying this.

“The head of one of Australia’s leading universities says the tertiary sector is being dumbed down by inadequate research funding, and more cash should go to elite institutions.” — Unis dumbed down, banal: ANU academic, The Age

What Australian National University (ANU) vice-chancellor Ian Chubb is not supposed to say that some Universities & people are better educated or more intelligent. This offends the socialist streak of old Australia & a few ex-hippy Baby Boomers in SUVs.

Looks like the old-style socialism I saw at school is still with us. I remember when Education Department people used to call each other Comrade.

(Like not teaching reading & writing – isn’t it time for a change?)

The coming trends support a Creative Economy, for which we will need educated people. Intelligent people. Thinkers.

Not old socialist group-think.

German Families.

Many Germans want to resettle in Australia. Many Germans like Australian people. Many Germans bring top education & skills. And culture.

Germany is even worried about the loss of it’s doctors & professionals. German doctors are regarded among the best trained in Europe & the world.

Read this interesting De Spiegel article, on German concerns about doctors leaving Deutschland.

Germans – Australia wants you!

Australian & German people often get along very well. Germans love Australia’s climate & facilities. And they bring their food, values, culture & families, as well.

Yet, many educated Germans have incredible difficulty with the visas, rules & settling.

Even if the Minister for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans, decides to reverse the case, the system needs changing. Australia needs to attract the best & brightest.

I have a lot of friends & contacts in the Australian-European migrant community.  They report incredible difficulties in having the Immigration department see “reason”. Most call it a bureaucratic nightmare.

Meanwhile we welcome bricklayers & hairdressers. See this ridiculous story of educated migrants who become hairdressers to stay in Australia!

See Australia’s list of approved professions here. The Victoria list is here.

Become a hairdresser!

Is this anything other than socialism? “We’ll take you as long as you’re not too educated.”

Pity we don’t have decent public infrastructure or public health to match the socialist ideology. Public service socialists can’t be bothered with something useful.

I’ve seen empty hairdressing shops all over town. Are they really mission critical?

Perhaps, the Doctor’s family should become hairdressers?

Or a bricklayer. Many European migrants have done this in the 60s-70s.

The 2thinknow View.

Australia can become an educated meritocracy. The clever country. A country that celebrates the best & brightest.

It will require giving up our attachment to faux-working class socialist discrimination.

Do Something!

So support this German Doctor. Thumb this up online. Blog about it. Twitter it. Write your Minister. Phone talkback.

Until the system stops discriminating against intelligence & education, we will need to do this.

And let’s make it easier for more Germans & educated migrants to settle here, and advance in their profession based on intelligence and merit. Not old socialism.

Well, perhaps the Doctor should become a bricklayer. He’ll earn more. And maybe his wife can cut hair.

That way he won’t offend any Socialist Apparatiks who don’t like people more intelligent than them.