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Critical, Oppositional and Combative
Attached please find a communication from DIBP concerning their unwillingness to supply speakers for the Migration Alliance national conference.
It is nice to know that DIBP has such a personal perspective on their relationship with MA and the RMA community.
I have sent a reply.
Please review the correspondence and please feel free to give us your feedback.
Rest assured that DIBP will no doubt be poring over all of the commentary.
Letter-to-Liana-Allan---Migration-Alliance.docx
17001---Migration-Alliance.pdf
Liana's personal reply:
Comments
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Friday, 03 February 2017The Director of NSW and the ACT thinks that migration agents need to do as they are told. That businesses outside the DIBP need to do as they are told. If they do not do as they are told, they are punished by beng alienated. I thought that kind of thing went out in the 1980s. It would appear that we are not allowed to have views which do not support and match the DIBP views. I have to say I am a little shocked. Migration Alliance does not have to support the DIBP views. That is why we have an adversarial system. That is why we have an AAT. That is why clients can appeal to the Minister. If we agreed with everything the DIBP said and did then many deserving people would not be here in this country right now. We advocate for our clients. I have never seen anything abusive written about DIBP staff on this site. I never see DIBP staff names on here at all. I agree with Occupy DIBP. Just ignore them. It's not like anyone from the DIBP can teach us what we don't know already anyway. have a conference without them.
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Friday, 03 February 2017
to be honest I kinda agree with DIBP but I think that should be taken as a compliment, we need a bolshie (open and transparent) association to go with the flogged by wet lettuce (cliquey and silo of information) approach of MIA.
DIBP speakers rarely add much anyway other than repeating the boilerplate Department line.
And the whole MA RMA card thing is pretty mickey mouse, why bother. -
Friday, 03 February 2017
A lawyer I agree with you. DIBP letter is exactly right. You are exactly right. We would not want Migration Alliance to be any other way. I would prefer to have Migration Alliance around than listen to the drivel and regurgitated wet lettuce information, provided to MIA by DIBP to repeat often to the profession. I am going on and on. Thank you Migration Alliance. The fact that a Director of DIBP has written a letter like that to us, says that we are having an impact. It might not suit the DIBP, but then when were private companies or their associations built to suit government. All this is very amusing. I read the DIBP letter and laughed. Then I read the Levingstone letter and laughed even more.
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Friday, 03 February 2017
I call BS on your letter Chris. We all know it's BS. One only has to trawl through the blog to see examples of what Mary-Jane Jones is talking about.
By the way we all know that your business model is to create controversy and pander to the base elements of the profession. Any new is good publicity right? Hey it works so good luck to you.
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Friday, 03 February 2017
Undercover agent - isn't the point that we should be able to speak freely, though?
If Mary-Jane was smart she would use the invitation as an opportunity to build bridges and create a positive relationship with Migration Alliance, to mitigate any bad press, and to get more good news stories out there.
I would have thought someone in her position could rise above any negative commentary (put it down to differences of opinion, robust dialogue, and free speech) and look at the big picture. This is not a family fight in the back yard. This is government. It seems petty. -
Friday, 03 February 2017
How childish. Both of you. Liana escapes unscathed for being normal, if not even friendly.
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Friday, 03 February 2017
Just want I always thought but never had it confirmed in writing. They hate us.
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Friday, 03 February 2017
We all know Liana runs MA indepently. Very sly and condescending really. Also humourous that she has to make all anonymous comments to her own blogs. E.g. the comments above, we all know who they came from.
Look at the board members. Usually the same people each year. How many nominations did MA even receive? Not many I guess. People only Joim for low cost cpd. -
Friday, 03 February 2017
Have a look at the DIBP and Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority websites to see what assistance they give to the 6,000+ Registered Migration Agents:-
https://www.mara.gov.au/news-and-publications/publications/migration-agent-activity-report/
Last updated March 2016
https://www.mara.gov.au/using-an-agent/working-with-your-agent/agent-fees/
Last updated December 2015
https://www.mara.gov.au/media/440332/MAAR_Jan_Mar_2016_Web.pdf
Visa applications lodged by Registered Migration Agents - January and March 2016
17% of Student Visas compared to 83% Employer Sponsored and 73% 457 Visas?
"https://www.mara.gov.au/using-an-agent/using-a-registered-migration-agent/"
Only registered migration agents can legally give immigration assistance in Australia. To do this, they must be listed on the Register of Migration Agents, held by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
Immigration assistance (under section 276 of the Migration Act 1958) is when a person uses or claims to use knowledge of, or experience in migration procedure to assist with visa applications or other visa matters by:
preparing, or helping to prepare, a visa application or other document
advising about a visa application or visa matter
preparing for proceedings before a court or review authority in relation to a visa application or visa matter
representing in proceedings before a court or review authority in relation to a visa application or visa matter.
How serious is DIBP and OMARA about policing this? -
Friday, 03 February 2017I wish to clarify that I am serving as the Convenor of the Migration Alliance for the current year. It is open to anyone to nominate and serve on the MA Board, and in fact there have been several recent changes in the Board's composition. I would respectfully suggest that those who wish to comment on this site - and free and open comment is welcomed! - could kindly keep your posts polite and professional and avoid personal attacks on any person. I think it is widely known and appreciated throughout the community of migration professionals how significant a contribution Liana and Christopher both make, and how willing they both are to support and encourage the growth and development of others in the professional community - I can speak to that personally and wholeheartedly. As for the content of the blogs, as one of the people who is primarily responsible I can respond to the concerns of Ms Mary-Jane Jones (whom I do not know) by saying that we endeavour to maintain high standards of accuracy and fairness. Our principal objective with the blogs is to share current information about developments in migration law and practice, so that RMAs and other concerned persons can have up to date knowledge about what is happening, and can use that knowledge to effectively counsel their clients. I do not recall a single instance where anyone from the Department has ever been publicly criticised on this blog.We do try to make the blogs interesting, engaging and entertaining to that the process of acquiring the news and information is as interesting and enjoyable as possible! I also believe that it is extremely healthy and constructive for MA to articulate its distinctive and inspendent point of view about the legislation and the manner in which it is administered. I find it highly disappointing that the DIBP has chosen not to allow its staff to participate in the planned MA conference on the basis that it somehow views MA to be combative and oppositional. Democratic society is all about the free exchange of ideas and one would think that the DIBP would welcome fresh perspective and suggestions from MA!
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Friday, 03 February 2017
Dear Agent 99?????? and Undercover Agent,
Thank you for the feedback and the allegation that Liana makes anonymous comments on her own blogs. That is something that I am unaware of and quite simply do not believe. She, unlike you, doesn't have resort to a nom de plume. As to my letter being BS and my business model being built on controversy and a pandering to the base elements of the profession,that allegation is untrue and if you had any guts you would identify yourself. I stand by what I have said to DIBP. Nothing in that letter is BS, if you have evidence to the contrary please feel free to submit it. Please crawl from under the rock you are hiding under so we can see who you are. If you "know" so much then we would all welcome your contribution. -
Saturday, 04 February 2017
I assume that this letter is really "fake news" and an example of Chris Levingstone's legendary sense of humor. No one in the bureaucracy would ever write a letter like this. Ha, ha. OK, Joke's on us.
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Saturday, 04 February 2017
The sad thing is, Michael, the Direcror, yes the Director of DIBP wrote this. Literally spitting the dummy and throwing their toys around because MA won't do what they say.
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Monday, 06 February 2017If you have something to say to me or about me, please email me directly. Quite a number of agents prefer to remain anonymous, which is fine by me. I do not run MA independently. In fact the board of MA has two new people this year. One is the Convenor and the other is the Vice Convenor. Not sure what else I can say about this really.
Liana -
Wednesday, 08 February 2017
To play devils advocate. With articles such as this:
http://migrationalliance.com.au/immigration-daily-news/entry/2016-12-why-i-don-t-give-a-f-k.html
appearing on the MA blog, is it not inevitable to receive such a response from the Department? -
Wednesday, 08 February 2017
There is nothing in there which badmouths the Department. In fact the article says he doesnt give a f*** about any of it. Is it the word 'F***' which is the issue?
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Thursday, 09 February 2017
Dear Toto,
Firstly, unless you are the band that sang Africa, or the little dog from the wizard of Oz, why don’t your post your full name?
Do you not believe in your own comments?
Secondly, as an adult I have no issue with the word. I do however question whether the article is fitting of the image that we as Registered Agents and MA our representative body, is trying to portray to the public and the Immigration Department. This is a public blog after all.
If we as a professional industry do not present ourselves in a professional manner, how can we expect to garner respect and be taken seriously? -
Wednesday, 08 February 2017
Where do you go to find out whether a person is registered?
Dear Mr Westly Russell and X
I can see from the below email correspondence that you have advised your client not to communicate to the department regarding matters relating to their partner visa application for which they are currently being assessed for.
Mr Russell, you did not appear to be registered with the MARA website on the day I call your client, which was 26/9/2016:
The Register of agents was last updated on 26 Sep 2016 02:15:35 PM.
Your search found 0 results.
This was the reason, I contacted your client directly in order to follow up on requested documents to finalise her application and to check with you regarding your MARA registration.
Thank you kindly.
Kind regards,
aaaa
Case Officer - Team 5 -
Wednesday, 08 February 2017
By implication it does. Inference. Despite the fact that this thinly veiled profanity is nothing more than gratuitous.
Immigration blog
Are you serious?
Does this Mary Jane know that most Migration Institute Members are Migration Alliance members as well? Does she realise we are not her staff, and that we do not work for her and we do not report to the DIBP?
Her letter is bordering on intimidation. Do as I say or we will exclude you and block you.
With letters like hers let's just make our own conference with our own speakers and call it 'OCCUPY DIBP' conference. Let's invite the media and get an expert to talk about Mary-Jane's letter in the context of public administration.
It's like a school principal's letter.
This is the saddest piece of written material I have seen from a public servant for some time.
Hats off to Liana for her courteous response.