Reply to Mike's letter to Shane Neumann

_{Mike's letter follows the reply}

_{From: Dunlop, Timothy (S. Neumann, MP)}

_{Sent: Wednesday, September 6, 2017 11:09 AM}

_To: 'Mike'

_{Subject: RE: Refugees}

_{Dear Mike}

_{Thank you for writing to the Shadow Minister about refugees currently on Manus Island and Nauru.} 

_{The Turnbull Government, including Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, have been woefully incompetent in their management of offshore processing arrangements.}

_{Manus Island and Nauru were set up as regional transit processing facilities but have become places of indefinite detention because of the inaction of the Abbott-Turnbull Government over the past four years.}

_{Labor shares your concerns about how the Turnbull Government is managing offshore processing.}

_{After the Turnbull Government failed to act on serious allegations made in the Nauru Files, Labor initiated a Senate Inquiry to investigate serious allegations of abuse, self-harm and neglect in Nauru and Manus Island.}

_{The Inquiry recommended the Turnbull Government commission an external review of the medical transfer processes, commission an external investigation into allegations that contractors downgraded incident reports and improve the protection of children by introducing an independent children’s advocate.}

_{Labor is extremely disappointed by the Turnbull Government’s complete and utter failure to act on recommendations in the Chair’s report handed down in April 2017.}

_{Labor strongly supports the US refugee resettlement agreement and wants all eligible refugees off Manus and Nauru and resettled in third countries as quickly as possible.}

_{Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton need to come clean and release the details of the US-Australia refugee resettlement agreement and any other side-agreements made to resettle refugees from Manus Island and Nauru.}

_{It’s incumbent on the Turnbull Government to be truthful with the Australian people, as well as immediately secure other third country resettlement options for refugees on Manus Island and Nauru.}

_{Thank you for taking the time to the Shadow Minister on this issue.}

_{Yours sincerely,}

_{Timothy Dunlop}

_{The Hon Shayne Neumann MP | Federal Member for Blair}

_{Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection}

_{From: Mike [mailto:mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com]
Sent: Friday, 11 August 2017 3:18 PM
To: Neumann, Shayne (MP)
Subject: Refugees}

_{Dear Mr Neumann,}

_{I was dismayed to read the recent press release issued by UNHCR relating to the Australian government’s treatment of people in offshore detention facilities. It is clear for the press statement that UNHCR  personnel believed that they had reached a clear understanding with officials in Minister Dutton’s department that a very small number of refugees –fewer than 40 - would be quietly allowed to join their family members who had already been resettled here. The statement reads: “ There is no doubt these vulnerable people should be reunited with their families in Australia. This is the humane and reasonable thing to do.”}

_{Could you please explain to me why the Labor Opposition is not standing with the UNHCR and publically demanding that this small group of very vulnerable refugees be resettled in Australia without delay? They have surely suffered enough, and detaining them further serves no purpose, other than base political calculation. We, the public, deserve to know whether or not the Labor Party will finally adopt a principled and humane stance, at least in relation to this tiny number of individuals.} 

_{I look  forward to your response.}

_{Yours sincerely.}

_{Mike Griffin}

_{Valla Beach.}