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Breaking Australian immigration news brought to you by Migration Alliance and associated bloggers.
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Angela Chan's email message to MIA members
A member of Migration Alliance has received an email from Angela Chan, President of the MIA. A copy of that email is below.
Message to Members
Dear XXXXX (name removed for privacy reasons),
Recently there has been a great deal of public commentary by some registered migration agents through media statements and blogs which seem designed solely to denigrate, vilify and intimidate other registered migration agents and people associated with the profession. It is becoming widely accepted that the commentary is for the most part defamatory. This behaviour, masquerading as some crusade for truth, does nothing to advance the reputation of registered migration agents and is not a pathway towards greater community recognition and acceptance of registered migration agents as respected professionals.
The MIA and its Board does not support or condone conduct which may bring the migration profession into disrepute.
I am gratified to have received a great deal of support from our membership around the country who agree that the conduct of those people fuelling negative comments does not reflect how our members want their profession to be represented.
I can assure members that the MIA will not engage in a public slanging match. Instead, the MIA will continue to be vigorous in its pursuit of professional conduct and will not resile from taking appropriate action to defend and protect our reputation and integrity.
The Code of Conduct for registered migration agents at clause 4.5 gives clear direction, "A registered migration agent must act with fairness, honesty and courtesy when dealing with other registered migration agents." I invite you all to faithfully honour this obligation and encourage other registered migration agents to do the same.
Finally, as we mourn the death of the late, great Nelson Mandela, we should all remember his words: "A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."
Angela Chan FMIA
MIA National President
Comments
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Sunday, 15 December 20131. Quoting Mandela in this context is inappropriate and disrespectful to Mandela. It's also totally out of place, loses its original context and seeks to loan in credibility
2. Quoting the Code of Conduct at other agents is offensive. You aren't the government regulator Angela. Let the Office of MARA try and hit us with the Code. I'm starting to think MIA are the information police, or offshoot of government
3. If you really wanted to 'rise above it' you would have written nothing. Defending the indefensible isn't a bright move. All this email did was bring attention to your issue, and now I've gone looking and found more stuff on you than before. Eg google search Al Grassby and Angela Chan
4. I advise you to stop playing the victim nobody is buying it. Agents love reality. -
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
I would suggest that if a migration agent is not acting in his or her capacity of RMA at the time, then the Migration Agents' Code of Conduct does not apply.
Some RMAs have other occupations and functions which fall outside the occupation of RMA. Some are solicitors. They have a diffent Code. Some are Accountants and other professions. I suggest that the Code of Conduct can only be applied at those times that RMAs are performing the actual duties, functions and responsibilities of an RMA.
For example, if two mates who happen to also be RMAs are on holidays together in France get into an argument about whether to go to the beach or to the markets, how can the Code of Conduct be imposed? They weren't acting in their RMA capacities at the time so the Code of Conduct can't be relevant.
It's a sad fact that not everyone gets on all the time and some people just don't like each other in this profession. It's human nature. You can't use the Code of Conduct to force agents to be nice to each other, especially if there is no 'agenting' happening at the time there is a problem. That's my scoop.
Immigration blog
Did MIA finally come out and try to distance themselves from the shameful behaviour of one Michael Walker, aka Rick O'Shea, Murray Rivers etc.?