Australian Immigration Daily News

Yesterday, MIA members sent me a copy of the next email to come from the MIA.  I am not sure why this email was sent as it adds nothing to the situation other than adding more mystery to the sudden departure of Maurene Horder.  Was she sacked by the board?  Did she resign for medical reasons?  Has anyone been given a proper reason why she has suddenly gone a week before the Federal Elections?  As you can see, Maurene Horder attended the Labor party conference.  Is it that she was too entrenched with the ALP to be of any real help going forward with Liberal Ministers?  Ms Horder has gone so fast that the MIA have had to put on an Acting CEO, Kevin Lane.   Wow!

The email that went out to MIA members yesterday is as follows:

Message from the National President

MIA members have sent the following message which has gone out today on MIA letterhead:

Dear Members,

I wish to advise you that I have tendered my resignation as CEO of the MIA.

Last night Mr Biwek Thapa, Registered Migration Agent and Committee Member of Migration Alliance, along with his community members and other migration agents launched 'Liberal Friends of Nepal at Everest Tandoori Function Centre, 422 Princes Highway, Rockdale, NSW.

In attendance were leaders from the Liberal Party of Australia, the Hon. Senator Marise Payne, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Development and Employment and Mr Chris Downey, NSW State President of the Liberal Party.  Mr Robert Orrell, President of the North Sydney FEC for the Liberal Party / Deputy Treasurer were also in attendance.  In addition, support was given to the night by Councillor Naji Peter Najjar from Bankstown City Council, also President of the Bass Hill Branch of the Liberal Party of NSW.  The Mayor of Rockdale was also in attendance.

Migration Alliance was in attendance at this special event to promote the interests of the Nepalese Community to our leaders and to give speeches about Nepalese migration agents and the importance of the Nepalese migrant community.  Speeches were provided by Liana Allan and Christopher Levingston. 

Migration agents are encouraged to take two surveys which we believe will assist us in our efforts to represent you at our DIAC and Office of the MARA meetings:

1. Survey on the Migration Agents Gateway:

The migration agents gateway is supposed to be a gateway just for migration agents.  The issue agents have is that it is not private or locked, but open to the public.  This means it is actually a public gateway.  Agents have been complaining about the length of time it takes to get a response from the gateway, the message that shows on the gateway before agents post a query (opressive and insulting) which asks RMAs to agree to a host of things before asking a question, and the answers from DIAC being incomplete or not answering the question.  In my next quarterly meeting with DIAC I am going to take the results of the survey below and sit down with DIAC and try to create a better solution.