Refugee stance a shambles
In response to Lorna Read’s letter (“A lack of gratitude”, The Border Mail, February 12), I too am disturbed - by her attitude.
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Cathy McGowan stated that she would vote on the refugee’s medical bill according to the electorate’s wishes. Accordingly I too planned to go to the demonstration to show Cathy my support for the proposed bill, but was a bit late getting there.
I used the above word “refugee” advisedly. Lorna, rather derogatorily labels these refugees as boat people, economic migrants or asylum seekers. Actually most, if not all, have been found to be genuine refugees in fear of persecution or even death.
Rupinder Kaur, as chairperson of the Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council, was quite within his rights to demand Ms McGowan “do the compassionate thing”. Many community groups make demands. For example, the ratepayers association often makes demands of the local council. Demands are not dictatorial, are not “at odds with the principles of democracy”, they are simply people making a plea for their case to be heard. Democracy in action.
Personally, I believe the government’s refugee/stop the boats approach is a shambles. How is it that we can say our borders are strong? Thousands of people can come by plane load each year and overstay (some for many for years). Either all points of entry are covered or we don’t have strong borders.
Does Lorna really think that detaining 1000 refugees in Nauru and Manus is stopping the boats? If the boats have stopped under this policy how can the government still be turning them back? As to the kindness argument (stopping the boats stops drownings), I wonder how many refugees drowned in the boats that we have turned back, how many people have been returned home to be tortured or killed. Regardless, if you really cared about refugees wouldn’t you send a ship over to safely pick them up? That’d also kill the people smuggler trade, a win-win situation to my mind.
And finally, there was an assertion that migrants needed to show gratitude for exercising a basic right to protest just because we accepted them. Should they stand back in supermarket queues and let "us" through too, to show gratitude for letting them stay in Australia? Pompous rot I say.
Greg Oates, Huon Creek
Fair go and compassion
Well done to Labor, Green and independent crossbenchers for standing up for compassion and common sense on Australian border-protection laws.
The Coalition politicians have had to be dragged kicking and screaming to a decision that reflects the Australian belief in a fair go and compassionate help for the sick and traumatised.
In this case the refugees have been stuck on Manus and Nauru for years. As a Christian, I find it utterly unbelievable that a Prime Minister who publicly confesses he is a follower of Jesus Christ could deny such traumatised, ill and broken people the best medical help available.
In white hot fury Scott Morrison has reopened Christmas Island detention centre and seems to be inviting people smugglers from Indonesia to start operating again for his political gain.
Scott Morrison should immediately bring on the federal election and let the Australian people show him and his government that we are better than his narrow and heartless policies.
David Sloane, Corowa
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