And it is true – 42 have come our way this year.

Why they come isn’t hard to work out – they’re fleeing terrible situations we can scarcely imagine.

But it’s the processing of visa applications and where to accommodate the asylum seekers that’s still in a state of flux.

As of yesterday visa application for those arriving by boat will be treated no differently to those arriving by plane.
Changes also include the recent introduction of a Home Stay accommodation program for asylum seekers.

And on a more local level a 124 million dollar immigration detention centre has been built in Northam.

It will be able to accommodate 600 people. And they’re arriving soon

Northam Shire President Steven Pollard joined Bren McGurk on Morning Magazine.

One slice of the pie has been met favourably as it aims to support affordable housing and homelessness.

130 million dollars has been allocated to fund the construction of 433 homes, to house vulnerable families and individuals.

Not-for-profit organisations involved in programs addressing homelessness will also receive an additional $8.3 million in funding.

Community Housing Coalition of WA Executive Officer Barry Doyle joined Rhian Todhunter to discuss the investment.

National Disability Service WA has hailed the State Budget’s commitment to establish the State’s first ‘declared place’ as a social justice milestone.

The group says this will house people with intellectual or cognitive disability charged with a crime but unable to plead and have not been convicted of a crime.

National Disability Service WA State Manager Terry Simpson joined Rhian Todhunter on Morning Magazine.

A space that, politically speaking, has changed considerably since the French National Assembly of 1789 was established to differentiate oppositional categories of thought and policy.

Basically it was just places for people who disagreed with each other to sit.

On Morning Magazine we like to explore the political spectrum and the permutations it presents in a contemporary context – we call the conversation ‘Pondering the political’.

This week we ponder the The Influence of Economics on Politics.

Our political pundits are the Left’s Luke Walladge and the Right’s Alex Butterworth.

It will include a state-of-the art building that will integrate with the Museum’s current heritage buildings.

And the plan is for it to tell Western Australian stories with exhibitions and programs focusing on Being Western Australian.

To see if we can get a good picture of how it will look, function, and what it will add to Perth’s cultural scene Rhian Todhunter was joined by WA Museum CEO Alec Coles on Morning Magazine.

Yesterday Christian Porter released the last state budget before next year’s election, and its time to take a look at whets in it for you.

Murdoch University’s Dr Ian Cook is a specialist in Australian and Western Australian politics and is with me for the analysis…

And with that work, the protests return.

Around 250 police armed with riot gear have moved into Broome in the last couple of days in what’s believed to be a pre-emptive move against the expected protests.

Broome shires issued a move-on notice to protesters – they’ve been asked to remove their camps by tomorrow.

Locals think the extra police presence is intended to enforce the notice but police won’t confirm this.

Project Developer Woodside argues the hub will inject much needed funds into the local economy.

The protesters say the site’s too culturally and environmentally significant and there are better alternatives.

So it’s on again – and Wilderness Society of WA State Coordinator Peter Robertson joined me with an update.

A space that, politically speaking, has changed considerably since the French National Assembly of 1789 was established to differentiate oppositional categories of thought and policy.

Basically it was just places for people who disagreed with each other to sit.

On Morning Magazine we like to explore the political spectrum and the permutations it presents in a contemporary context – we call the conversation ‘Pondering the political’.

This week we look back at the Federal budget and forward to the State budget.

Our political pundits are the Left’s Luke Walladge and the Right’s Alex Butterworth.

But some have been neglected and the changes they wanted made were overlooked. Newstart’s fifty-dollar weekly boost, for example.

And a seven-hundred-million dollar chunk of the surplus was taken from the pockets of single parents and their children.

St Vincent de Paul Society Chief Executive Dr John Falzon talks with RTRfm…

The nation held its breath as waited to see who would be affected by the government’s promise to return to surplus.

Curtin University’s Head of Economics Dr Michael Thorpe spoke with Ben to take look at how its played out overnight.

They’re a Burmese tribe largely known for the cultural practice of placing rings around the neck – though this practice is only observed by a small portion of the Karen people.

More importantly, they suffer oppression by military forces in the area – large numbers of the Karen have been forced to move into Thailand where their status is still unsure.

Scott Johnson’s was in to talk about the plight of the Karen.

Among them is one that aims to encourage pro-bono work by dentists and attract them to regional areas to cope with a waiting list of 400 000 patients.

The Government plans to inject around 5 hundred million dollars into the sector over four years.

The Greens are in a celebratory mood over this – they’ve successfully negotiated for an overhaul of Australia’s dental system – but not everyone’s happy, including those staring down our throats, dentists.

Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has been a large part of pushing the dental agenda, she was in the studio to tell us more…

Under the Community Placement Network program, families that provide short-term homestay accommodation to asylum seekers moving out of detention on bridging visas can be paid.And the first person to be housed with a Perth family arrives this week.

Australian Homestay Network Executive Chairman David Bycroft joins us now to explain the scheme and address some concerns raised by the Federal Opposition.

A key component is the establishment of a new national partnership to develop and implement a comprehensive National Strategy for Australia. ‪
This involves input from the public – and submissions close soon.

Helen Szoke is Australia’s full time Race Discrimination Commissioner; she spoke to Rhian Todhunter.

A space that, politically speaking, has changed considerably since the French National Assembly of 1789 was established to differentiate oppositional categories of thought and policy.Basically it was just places for people who disagreed with each other to sit.

On Morning Magazine we like to explore the political spectrum and the permutations it presents in a contemporary context – we call the conversation ‘Pondering the political’.

This week we ponder American politics.

Our political pundits are the Left’s Luke Walladge and the Right’s Alex Butterworth.

WA’s peak union body UnionsWA marched through Perth yesterday in support of people with disabilities and their carers – and is poised to protest in Fremantle on Sunday.

That gathering aims to recognise the importance of unions and support West Australian workers.

It’s a May Day event – recognising an extremely long tradition that falls today.

There’s a lot going on, as UnionsWA Secretary Simone McGurk knows…

A space that, politically speaking, has changed considerably since the French National Assembly of 1789 was established to differentiate oppositional categories of thought and policy.
Basically it was just places for people who disagreed with each other to sit.

This week we ponder the question…are we the only ones pondering?

Are people still engaged with the political process – or has the back-stabbing and chair shuffling, the promotion of personality over policy, and the scandal in the Speaker’s chair – turned people away?

Our political pundits are the Left’s Luke Walladge and the Right’s Alex Butterworth.

This week Melissa Callanan spoke to them about the battle to maintain the rage

Still remaining in the contest are Jose Maria Vasconcelos, known as Taur Matan Ruak, and Francisco Guterres “Lu Olo”.

RMIT’s Dr Damian Grenfell was here to unpick the situation
for us and give us a bit of background on these mysterious new
potential leaders.

Dr Grenfell’s spent time on the ground in East Timor recently, and popped in to tell us more…