Two Letters to Senator Lambie

Dear Senator Lambie

I write to you for the 1st time to ask you not to back the appeal.

I truly believe that Peter Dutton's claims are simply not true: that by allowing the legislation to stay we are compromising our security and letting "bad people" into Australia.

I am a mother, grandmother and great grandmother and the daughter of holocaust survivors. I have worked for 54 years, since I was 15. I have seen a lot, learnt a lot, been through some bloody hard times and I am not perfect but I do know this: that our humanity as individuals and as a nation must be upheld regarding the welfare and well being of other humans.

No-one asks to be a refugee. No one wants war or to lose their loved ones, to have to leave their country but when these things happen people do the same as we would do if we were in this situation: they get away, they seek safety and a better life. That doesn't make them bad people.

My family came here with nothing and made a good life (my father started the 1st credit union in Australia) but the mental scars of their trauma continued for the rest of their lives.

I simply cannot not write to you Jacqui and I ask from the depth of my being that you do not support this appeal.

For the life of me I cannot understand how people who call themselves Christian can make a virtue out of being cruel, of lacking empathy and don't have the capacity to put themselves in other people's shoes.  And yet they are making these decisions and turning our wonderful country into a very dehumanising place.

People are suffering mental and physical anguish by being kept indefinitely in detention but to then not even get medical attention is just not acceptable in my view.

I realise you are in a very difficult situation and must be having a lot of pressure put on you. I hope that you are getting the support you need and are being treated respectfully. I wish you well.

warm regards

Dianne ...........
Bellingen
October 22  2019

Dear Senator Lambie,

I listened with interest to your interview on RN this morning, and I

was very pleased to hear you say that you would not be seeking any special deals for Tasmania in return for your vote, and that you will cast your vote based on your assessment of the merits of the legislation.

I strongly urge you to resist the government’s demands for the repeal of the Medevac legislation.  The arrangements are doing exactly what they were intended to do, that is to put the medical needs of sick people before the political interests of the governing parties. It is surely doctors, rather than bureaucrats, who should make decisions in relation to sick people.  The medical panel set up by the government is operating effectively, and the Minister reserves the right to reject a medical transfer on security grounds.

Many hundreds of people have been brought to Australia from offshore detention for urgent treatment. The arrangements have not resulted in the people smugglers renewing their trade. Likewise, the resettlement of hundreds of refugees from Manus and Nauru in the US has not created a “pull” factor.

Please resist Minister Dutton’s scare tactics. Do the right thing, and vote against this utterly unnecessary piece of legislation.

Yours sincerely,

Mike ......

......

Valla Beach NSW 2448