Cheap Shots Backfire

Commenting on the Family Court's most recent "shameful decision", that is, an order that five children from a family of asylum seekers shoud be released from detention, Bernard Slattery asks:

What on earth is the Family Court doing separating children from their parents? Haven't they heard of the Stolen Generations?

If he'd waited until this morning, he might have heard this report on the ABC's AM and spared himself a little embarassment. At the end of an interview with Tanya Nolan, Dale West, the director of Centacare (the agency looking after the children), said:

The Family Court, as I would understand it, has only jurisdiction at this stage, pending the High Court appeal, to release the children, not to release their parents. Now, the unique thing about this particular case for us is that the parents were absolutely adamant that they preferred their children to be free here in Australia, out of detention, than to be with their parents in detention. [my emphasis]

Bernard's post prompted Gareth Parker to pose a question of his own:

Kids stolen: have we learned nothing?

I'd suggest that anyone else thinking of taking a potshot at the Family Court along these lines had better check that their gun is clean and in good working order first. I've heard that powder burns on the face can be very painful.