Newsletter for 16 October 2018 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

_{Report on Sunday’s RAR event in Valla Beach}

_{Roadside demonstration: TODAY from 2.30 to 4.00 pm}

_{Next market stall: Coffs Harbourside market: Sunday 21st October}

_{Report on Sunday’s RAR event in Valla Beach}

_{Who would have believed that the rain would hold off for our meeting and fundraising event on Sunday? A huge thank you to the 45 people who attended, to all those who donated items for the auction, to Snez and Stewart for their wonderful singing, and to everyone who brought so much delicious food to share. We had a lot of fun, enjoyed one another’s company and confirmed our commitment to keep up the fight to end the brutality of the government’s current asylum policy. In addition, we raised a fantastic sum for the Asylum Seekers Centre in Sydney, to assist them in their great work with asylum seekers in NSW. We made $215 on the raffle, collected $225 in donations and made an amazing $2,285 on the auction, making a grand total of $2,725, all of which will be donated to the ASC. We are fortunate indeed to have so many big-hearted and generous people in our RAR community.}

_{Roadside demonstration: TODAY from 2.30 to 4.00 pm.}

_{A reminder that our roadside demonstration will take place today, 16}^th _{October in Coffs Harbour, by the Pacific Highway, opposite the Base hospital. We advertised the change of date in last week’s newsletter, as we want to show solidarity with RAR members across Australia, many of whom plan to attend the national demonstration in Canberra today.} 

_{The key message of the national campaign is to evacuate the children and their families from Nauru, where their ongoing detention is causing a huge humanitarian crisis. The recent ejection of Médecins Sans Frontières from the island can only make a dire situation worse. Sadly, but predictably, Minister Dutton has sought, by the usual half-truths that are his stock in trade, to absolve the Australian government of any responsibility, whilst continuing to parrot the tired lines about the need to prevent deaths at sea.} 

_{We need to continue to remind our elected representatives, both Coalition and Labor, that evacuating detainees from Manus and Nauru will not “restart the boats”, given that we have a naval armada patrolling our northern seas. In any case, the indefinite, punitive detention of people on offshore islands is both unlawful and utterly cruel and cannot be justified under any circumstances. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly clear that the issue of offshore detention has moved up the political agenda, particularly in the upcoming by election in Wentworth. A well-attended forum in recent days, attended by a number of independent candidates and the Greens candidate, voiced its clear opposition to the bipartisan policy of continuing the indefinite offshore detention regime, and of refusing to contemplate the resettlement of refugees from Manus and Nauru in Australia. Neither the Liberal nor the Labor candidates attended the forum.}

_{Please come and join us if you can this afternoon.}

_{Next market stall: Coffs Harborside market: Sunday 21st October}

_{A reminder that our next market stall will be at the Coffs Harborside market on Sunday 21}^st _{October from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. This is a popular market and we will undoubtedly have a busy time interacting with market goers, collecting signatures on our open letter and handing out leaflets. If you are able to join us to help out for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.}

_{Check out the index of subjects on our blog  http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au} 

_{It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.}

_{This newsletter is sent to >620 recipients}

_{Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/}

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_{Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam}

_{Email address bellingen.rar@gmail.com}

_{The National RAR web site is at  www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au} 

_{The National RAR facebook site is at  RAR Facebook}

Tanya Plibersek - reply to letter re offshore detention

_{Dear Mike}

_{Thank you for getting in touch with me with your concerns about asylum seekers in Australia’s  regional processing centres on Nauru and Manus Island.}

_{Like you, I am deeply concerned by reports about the health and welfare of the men, women and  children who are in offshore processing. This is an issue that goes to the heart of our national character and the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government has failed these people who are at their most vulnerable.}

_{Nauru and Manus Island were initially established as temporary regional processing centres while  third-party relocation arrangements were sought out. But since the Tony Abbott became Prime Minister in 2013 and appointed Scott Morrison as the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, these centres have become places of indefinite detention because  this out of touch government has failed to negotiate other resettlement options.}

_{The Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Shayne Neumann, has written to Peter  Dutton on behalf of Labor urging him to accept New Zealand’s offer to resettle eligible refugees so that they are able to be resettled as quickly as possible.}

_{If the Liberals were able to negotiate appropriate conditions for the US refugee resettlement  agreement to prevent people smugglers exploiting vulnerable people, they should be able to negotiate similarly appropriate conditions for a deal with New Zealand.}

_{In August, Shayne Neumann also wrote to Peter Dutton voicing Labor’s concern about continued reports  relating to the physical and psychological wellbeing of the children on Nauru.}  

_{Labor strongly believes that medical transfers for refugees and children in Australian-funded  offshore regional processing centres should be made available when treatment is not available locally.}

_{It has been sixteen months since the report of the Labor-led Senate Inquiry following the leaked  Nauru files and Peter Dutton has failed to act on these reasonable recommendations to address concerns held by the wider Australian community.}

_{Peter Dutton’s unwillingness to implement, or even respond to, the recommendations set out in the  report is unreasonable and reckless – particularly when it comes to the health and welfare of asylum seekers and children.}

_{Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton have shown us over the past five years that the Liberals are utterly  incapable of addressing this hopelessly divided government’s failure to manage Australia’s regional processing centres or step up to negotiate third country resettlement options. It’s time for the new Prime Minister to step in and clean up Peter Dutton’s mess.}

_{A Shorten Labor Government is committed to taking a more humane approach to asylum seekers and immigration  policy. That is why, should we be successful at the next federal election. We will work to:}

_{·         Establish independent oversight of Australia’s immigration detention network, appointing an Independent Children’s Advocate to represent the interests of children seeking asylum and legislating to impose mandatory reporting of  child abuse;}

_{·         Restore the ’90 day rule’ which requires that refugee status determinations are concluded within 90 days from the time of application;}

_{·         Work to have children processed as quickly as possible;}

_{·         Contribute significant additional support to the important work of the UNHCR; and}

_{·         Abolish Temporary Protection Visas which leave asylum seekers in an unfair state of limbo.}

_{Thank you again for raising your concerns.}

_{Best wishes}

_Tanya

letter to David Coleman Minister for Immigration 12 October 2018

_{It is time that the asylum seekers suffering on Nauru be repatriated to Australia ASAP.} 

The cruel and inhuman treatment must stop now. Keeping them there does nothing to add to "stopping the boats". Your government is using the Navies of Australia and Indonesia to do that.

_{Its time we heard from you, Minister Coleman, as Minister responsible, not from Minister Dutton who has shown he has no compassion for suffering children and adults. Maybe you have some courage and compassion. It is time the Coalition realised that many Australians are ashamed of what your Government is doing in our name. I tell you, it is NOT IN OUR NAME that you are torturing the detainees on Nauru and Manus.}

_{At least let the children come here before there are more suicides and attempted suicides}

_{Margaret Henley}

_{sent 12 Oct 2018}