Separating fact from fiction where the immigration department fell short

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Separating fact from fiction where the
immigration department fell short
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The head of Australias Department of
Immigration and Border Protection, Michael
Pezzullo, on Tuesday released a lengthy statement
separating fact from fiction about the offshore
detention and processing network he oversees.His
reason for doing so was the reputation of his
department and its officers. Abyan reports being
'scared' after Chris Kenny's Nauru visit,
immigration emails reveal Read more Pezzullo
often takes issue with what is said by those who
disagree with immigration policy, as well as with
the language used by those who report on it.
Nothing in his statement, however, constitutes
fiction as opposed to an opinion or analysis
differing from his own. Because the department
refuses to engage with the media and through
them the public information comes from
unofficial sources, which are no less trustworthy
and oftentimes are more trusty than government
statements. The publics wish for transparency
and Pezzullos wish for 100 accuracy could both
be fulfilled if media were allowed into detention
and processing centres to report. Pezzullo may
prefer the media to simply stop writing about the
topic at all, but thats simply not going to
happen.