The result they're being forced to wait outside until people go shopping to approach the refugees. The Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock, has sought to justify his decision not to allow the International Commission of Jurists to enter the safe haven camps here to interview East Timorese refugees. He is also talking tough on stopping the flood of illegal immigrants. He says if the Senate rejects his package of measures, due to be debated next week, he'll use whatever option he can. Mr Ruddock says the UN will conduct the official inquiry into atrocities in East Timor and it has Australia's support.
Stock markets are up too, including our own, and so are growth forecasts for the Asian region.
And outstripping everything in the confidence stakes is consumer sentiment. He maintained that his on air performance was never influenced by those deals, worth more than half a million dollars. He says his opinions can't be bought, and his on air record speaks for itself. During the worst September days of violence in East Timor, phone lines into some religious institutions in Dili were among the few links with the outside world. The Silesian Sisters Convent was one and the technology school, Don Bosco, was another.