10th October
2016
Dear Mr
Shorten,
Please find
attached a letter to the Prime Minister which sets out the deep concerns shared
by many Australians about our nation's cruel, inhumane and extremely expensive
offshore detention policy. As you will note, the letter was accompanied by a
petition signed by 1396 people.
We are aware
of the concerns that the Labor Party has voiced in recent times about
indefinite offshore detention and we have noted the proposals about greater
transparency and oversight of the detention centres. These proposals do not,
however, go anywhere near far enough. The constant mantra of "anywhere but
Australia", linked to what amounts to the coercion of refugees to return
to their countries of origin is simply wrong, unprincipled and morally
reprehensible.
We therefore
call upon the Labor Party to finally take a principled stand on this issue. We
urge you to accept that ending this cruel treatment of refugees and asylum
seekers is an urgent priority, which needs to be dealt with now, rather than
later. The solution has to involve the resettlement in Australia of the genuine
refugees who make up the great majority of the people currently detained on
Nauru and Manus, though the generous offer of the New Zealand government to
accept some refugees should not be ignored. We have surely done enough damage
to these people in the name of border protection. We cannot go on like this,
and we look to the Labor Opposition to help to bring about an end to this
cruelty which is being inflicted on innocent people in our name.
On behalf of
Rural Australians for Refugees, I look forward to your response.
Yours
sincerely,
Mike
Griffin
Copy to Tanya
Plibersek MP
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