An Open Letter to my Local Member over Offshore Processing.

As sent to Simon Crean, my local member.

Dear Mr Crean

Now I know that we don’t live in Western Sydney and that your seat is about as safe as it gets in our current parliamentary system, so my letter and more so my vote is not of major concern.  However the actions of the Labor party in the last few weeks have seen me increasingly outraged.

I am referring to the issue of “Off-Shore Processing” for refugees.  Having seen the draft legislation that was announced today I must say that even if the Liberals had introduced this legislation I would have been as outraged.

Not specifying minimum rules for a country and then announcing  “in the national interest” will ensure that this legislation will ensure that people, those that are some of the most down trodden are treated even worse.  If the outrage over onshore processing is already at this point, what it to stop “national interest” being twisted to see valid refugees sent to places like Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, or Burma.

Any legislation that contains “The rules of natural justice do not apply” is inherently flawed. Australia not only has international obligations, we have the ability to be a world leader when it comes to showing how to be a good and moral country.

Why the Labor party feels that is not only O.k, but reasonable to waste billions of dollars on offshore processing, when countless studies have shown that onshore processing is cheaper, more cost effective and has the same result on people smuggling.  That is those that are not refugees are sent back, those that are stay.

It is a sad day for me, when Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison can claim the moral highground compared to Labor.

Labor is looking at this legislation for what could be less than 7,000 people per-annum.  This number means that it would take over 14 years to fill the MCG. This is not a flood of refugees, nor is it the major “moral issue” of our time.

I implore you as my local member to lobby internally with Labor to ensure that Australia does not go down this path.

Yours deeply concerned

 

( Please feel free to copy this letter and send it to your local member )

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