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Australia cancels loopy plan for visa police, and other reasons to fear for humanity

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 11:  Prime Minister Tony Abbott announces a 26-28% carbon emissions target by 2020 during a press conference at Parliament House on August 11, 2015 in Canberra, Australia. Tony Smith was elected Speaker on 10, August following the resignation of Bronwyn Bishop.  (Photo by Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 11: Prime Minister Tony Abbott announces a 26-28% carbon emissions target by 2020 during a press conference at Parliament House on August 11, 2015 in Canberra, Australia. Tony Smith was elected Speaker on 10, August following the resignation of Bronwyn Bishop. (Photo by Stefan Postles/Getty Images)

Australia cancels loopy plan for visa police, and other reasons to fear for humanity

by Kelly McParland

The Australian government is looking very bad after it announced a new paramilitary unit with its own uniforms to stop people in Melbourne streets and check for papers as part of a campaign against visa fraud. Titled “Operation Fortitude” it was compared to the Stasi — East German secret police — quickly ran into a wave of mockery and was swiftly cancelled. One Australian columnist wrote: “Operation Ineptitude …was an ill-conceived debacle from start to its inevitable abandonment …. Questions still abound. Whose idea was it then? Why Melbourne? And why the hell would you forward announce random visa checks in a defined area if the aim was to catch overstayers who could simply be elsewhere?”

Yeah, but what are they going to do with the neat uniforms?

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/australia-cancels-loopy-plan-for-visa-police-and-other-reasons-to-fear-for-humanity

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