Coffs Harbour Market Sunday 6 September 2015
Our next market stall will be in Coffs Harbour, at the Jetty Foreshore on Sunday 6th September .
Please make a note in your diary and drop in to have a chat, or better still, come and give us a hand for an hour or so between 9.00 am and 1.00 pm.
John suggests "perhaps you can remind volunteers to bring their Passports and Visas in case we are raided by the Australian Border Farce Brownshirts!"
Changes to Thursday Picket of
Luke Hartsuker MP's office
We have decided to make the picket of our Local Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker’s office a monthly event.
We found the changed time much more effective but given this governments sustained attacks on the environment, sustainable energy, pensioners, students, Indigenous peoples and asylum seekers there are a plethora of events and protests to attend and sustaining a weekly picket in this atmosphere limits supporters chances to engage elsewhere.
We had a great turnout last week with 10 people over the 1 1/2 hours and a good discussion afterwards at the Happy Frog.
So we will be holding our picket on the last Thursday of each month between 11.30 and 1pm followed by lunch/coffee at the Happy Frog afterwards. Its a good chance to discuss tactics and get to know each other a bit better and hone our arguments. Look forward to seeing you on the 24th of September.
Breaking News - Senate report on Nauru Detention Centre.
Refugee Council calls for Royal Commission to consider Nauru child abuse
Letter from Marlene on Australian involvement in war in Syria, sent to Guardian News
Dear Editor,
Peter Sobey in The Guardian news ( Aug 27th ) writes to oppose the plan to send Australian troops to join the war in Syria. News this week charts the human toll that the war in Syria has already inflicted on thousands of innocent civilians . More than 157,000 refugees from war torn Syria have landed on Greek and Italian shores this year desperately fleeing war and persecution. Thousands have died in their attempt to make the crossing by sea to European shores. If the present government agrees to Australian troops taking part in air bombardment it could only add to the loss of life of many more civilians and an increase in the numbers fleeing Syria to find refuge elsewhere. Do we want to add to the misery of these desperate people by adding to the conflagration ?
It is a delusion that Australian involvement in the Syrian war would boost the present governments standing in the polls. No doubt this is the main aim of this plan . What else could be the reason to agree to involve ourselves in the affairs of Syria ?
Peter Sobey is right. Australia is not at war with Syria and we should not involve our troops in this conflict.
Would Tony Abbott and his government be putting their hands up to aid and rescue further fleeing civilians should they head for Australia ? I think we all know the answer to this question.
Marlene
Review of the film "The last Refuge" shown last Thursday
Review of Mandy Hughes's documentary, by Robin
"It was an excellent film. It focused on how the Burmese/Mayanmar refugees had brought their culture with them in the form of their cooking, as they had had to leave all their possessions behind, some had been in camps for 20 years. It started by participants saying that each family was given a starter pack of food from their sponsors and that was about 2 weeks of food. They then had to learn how to buy food in the supermarket and what to ask for in english. They had been advised, by freinds to create a shop in their backyard (a kitchen garden). Their main loss was where to find rozella leaves for cooking, but they had contacts in Brisbane and got many plants lacking in Coffs Harbour from there. Many of those interviewed had started extensive kitchen gardens to grow the plants not available in the local shops. They were very entreprenurial in trying to earn a living too. A great pleasure for them was feast days, where the community could come together to prepare traditional food and perform dances. The film did not cover the causes of the refugees flight, due to the ethical constrictions of the thesis. My review does not do the film justice, if there are enough people interested I could approach Mandy and see if we could have a DVD to circulate amongst ourselves."
Please email us if you are interested in seeing the film.
Border Protection Force
Farce, incompetence or cruelty
You have to shake your head at the farcical situation that occurred in Melbourne
There are so many articles on this farce, but for posterity one is stored on the blog see
However the pattern seems to be to find anyone who can be deported and send them to a detention centre to await deportation
For instance an Iranian school student was arrested and sent to Darwin just three weeks before finishing her education.
A 69 year old Vietnam war vet who had lived in Australia was sent to a detention centre to be deported because he had a criminal record
An asylum seeker died in Perth detention centre after being beaten by criminals also held in that centre.
The cost of setting up Border Protection Force was $10 million, with over $6 million for new paramilitary uniforms, yet there is insufficient clothing for asylum seekers on Nauru.
Public furore seems to be successful in making the Minister back off some of these deportation decisions.
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