Letter to delegates of Labor Party National Conference to commit to ending offshore detention

5^th September 2018

Dear

Please find enclosed a letter which I sent recently to the President of the Labor party, Wayne Swan, on behalf of Rural Australians for Refugees. Enclosed with the letter was an open letter, directed at delegates to the upcoming Labor party national conference, which has been signed by 2,067 people. The text of the open letter, which calls on the Labor pary to commit to ending offshore detention, can be found in the open letter to Wayne Swan.

There will always be a minority in our communities who, largely through ignorance, will live in fear of the “other”. There will probably always be a racist, xenophobic right-wing media which constantly seeks to vilify asylum seekers, refugees, other minorities and their supporters. But these people are a minority, and in any event are unlikely to support the Labor party. It is equally true that there are many Australians who will not vote for a party which supports the cruel policy of offshore detention. Several recent polls point to a clear majority of Australians who believe that detention is no place for children, and that indefinite offshore detention should end. That is certainly our experience at our regular market stalls and roadside demonstrations.

 The party’s current stance supports an unlawful, inhumane, and deeply cruel policy, which has already led to twelve deaths on Manus and Nauru.

We therefore urge you to vote for change at your upcoming conference, and to demand that detainees on Manus and Nauru be brought to Australia for processing and resettlement here or in other countries where it is safe for them to settle.

                                                                        Yours sincerely,

                                                                        Mike Griffin

                                                      Bellingen and Nambucca District RAR