100 per cent correct. Any employer who wants to retain workers passports is a criminal, pure and simple, end of the story!

Crikey mate, you sound more like a whinging pom than a fellow Australian! -Joking, mate. They have to keep your passport for a while, it's part of the procedure, for applying for visas and other junk. I'm back home for Christmas now and it's a good relief to be away from whinging teachers for a while and get some bronzie and a blonde. Crikey, Chinese girls are so easy to get, but I needed a change from dark hair and brown eyes. Not whinging but caviare gets a bit tiring every day, even if the brand keeps changing.