FEDERAL MP Helen Haines has advocated for the return of a Sri Lankan asylum seeker family to Queensland at a vigil held outside her electorate office in Wangaratta.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The gathering, which attracted 21 people, was of one two held in the region on Friday by branches of Rural Australians for Refugees.
Between 40 and 50 supporters of Priya and Nades Murugappan and their daughters Kopika and Tharunicaa rallied in front of the Albury office of Environment Minister and member for Farrer Sussan Ley.
Dr Haines told of her lobbying of the government to grant residence to the family who previously lived in the town of Biloela before being held on Christmas Island until recently granted community detention in Perth.
She said they should be allowed to live at Biloela, noting Mr Murugappan, who had been working in the town's abattoir, represented the type of workers needed in regional Australia.
A call for motorists navigating the roundabout near the office to sound their horn for refugees drew 180 honks to the delight of RAR Wangaratta branch co-covenor Bern Fraser.
"There is often a perception that people in rural areas are very conservative and very judgmental and not as welcoming and these vigils smash that myth," Ms Fraser said.
"We had truck drivers, people in high vis and all ages driving through that roundabout and honking.
"More people are passionate and kind than our federal leaders believe."
In Albury, the gathering heard from RAR members Penny Vine and Dorothy Simmons.
"There's a lot of people who are supportive who aren't here and each of us is representing about six people," Dr Vine said.
Ms Simmons told the crowd the government's asylum seeker policy was wrong and stressed that "discretion is the better part of legislation" alluding to Immigration Minister Alex Hawke's right to grant the Murugappans' residency despite ongoing legal action.
IN OTHER NEWS:
A man in an orange T-shirt stating 'Vote 1 Helen Haines' called for a show of hands as to who would vote for Ms Ley at the next election.
Dr Vine responded by pointing out the Labor Party under Prime Minister Paul Keating introduced mandatory detention for so-called unlawful arrivals.
Speaking to The Border Mail after the rally, Dr Vine was rapt by the turnout.
"I was pleasantly surprised, I thought we might end up with about 20," she said.
"It's a good crowd, it's the people that have been advocating justice.
"I would know all these people from our previous RAR meetings."
A spokesman for Ms Ley said she would have been happy to meet RAR but was not asked to his knowledge.
