Breaking Australian immigration news brought to you by Migration Alliance and associated bloggers. Please email help@migrationalliance.com.au
The following information has been received by Migration Alliance from Sharon Harris:
"I have been approached by many Members of the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) regarding the time when the MIA Constitution was amended to restrict terms for Directors to 2 terms of 2 years.
I therefore offer this as background information for those not in the profession at that time.
At that time and this being immediately prior to Angela Chan's period as National President, I was a Director and to the best of my recollection, the Board engaged an external management consultant to thoroughly advise the Board on many aspects of the MIA including corporate governance.
The Board then engaged with Membership to present the findings of the independent consultant which were subsequently agreed by membership leading to amendment of the Constitution.
I recall the reasoning for the change was simply for effective corporate governance and such reasoning was based on sound knowledge of an external consultant.
SHARON HARRIS LL.B
SOLICITOR
MARN 9501060
MIGRATION INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA (MIA) PAST QLD/NT PRESIDENT and NATIONAL PRESIDENT"
Migration Alliance holds the opinion that a lot of money was spent on external experts to provide a report on things such as board numbers, terms, and other corporate governance issues.
We believe that the suggestion that terms for Directors should now be extended, has been made without careful consideration.
We encourage members to vote against the motion at the EGM on the 8 September 2017.
I repeat. MIA is merely a money making mechanization for self interest:
It regurgitates the legislation PAM and makes money out of it. Barristers and solicitors delivering CPD on the other hand encourages agents to think outside the box and advocate for our clients.
To date MIA has not not shown any evidence how it is lobbying the Department to be like NZ and Canada to accept application only from Registered agents other than from directly from applicants.
Get to Department to stop issuing IDs for non MARA agents. The ID holders are unregulated.
I just returned from Cambodia where an ID holder brazenly says " he is a Australian Government Agent followed by his ID number and charges US$ 100,000 for 188 business visa. MARN agents are regulated in the CODE precisely how to describe themselves and not to charge unreasonable fees. Now I ask MIA what have you done to stop this anomaly. Has the MIA engaged an external consultant to address this bread and butter issue? I call upon the President to invite the Minister and the Senior Departmental officers to address this issue at the AGM openly in front of all the members present. Or, is the President too timid e not to offend the Minister with this tough question?
The one day practice certificates is a money making gimmick for a select few elites. The outcome is flawed because the same single elitist is used to provide the training. Shouldn't the training be from diversified sources.
No transparency
No accountability
Is not an effective advocate for its members.
Has no clearly defined goals
Is totally ineffective in its dealing with the DIBP
Does not provide any evidence of its achievements (or lack thereof)