The Labor-Greens government is responsible for riots in Villawood

The Social Justice Network has warned for long time of expected wide spread riots in detention centres if the current Labor-Greens coalition government continues with its regressive politics. The coalition government was sending conflicting signals in different directions. The Labor was selling itself as tough government on boat arrivals to stop “people smuggling activities”. While the smaller partner, the Greens, was selling empty rhetoric about the need for more humane approach. The Greens did not give one principled vision on how to deal with this highly humanitarian issue.

At last night’s ABC Lateline, the Greens joined both the Labor and the Liberals to condemn and blame the detainees for their “violent” actions that will “cost tax-payers a lot of money”. The Greens also retreated from their election promises to work on totally abolishing of the mandatory detention system to replace it with demands to cosmetically make the system looks like prettier and less inhumane.

“The Greens senator and spokesperson on the issue rightly pointed to the fact that the continued detention of thousands of asylum seekers for indefinite periods and the vague process of the rejected applications had caused desperate asylum seekers to riot inside detention centers” said Jamal Daoud, spokesperson for the SJN. “But she did not give any practical steps taken by her Greens party to enforce the Labor to change these inhumane practices that causes huge losses of tax-payers money”

“Ms Hanson - Young failed to answer question about her party’s practical commitment to honour its policy on working towards abolishing mandatory detention system. From Ms Hanson - Young indications, we understood that the Greens supports convicting desperate asylum seekers for their desperate actions”

“We understand that abolishing mandatory detention system should include dismantling detention centres, including Villawood detention centre”

“It is alarming that the former Liberal PM, Malcolm Fraser, supports dismantling the “hell-holes”, when the Labor-Greens coalition government is moving to prosecute the people who work to dismantle them”.

“The citizens who voted to the Greens in the last elections on perception that they will work to dismantle this inhumane system need some explanations form the Greens officials. These voters need to hear from the Greens why they were very effective to enforce Labor to change its position on many important issues, like introducing Carbon Tax and considering changing the constitution on marriage definition to introduce same-sex marriage, but they are unable to change Labor’s position on mandatory detention issues”

“We deeply believe that the Greens is enjoying the crisis in detention system. Such crisis that depletes the Labor from progressive votes for the Greens benefits”.

The Social Justice Network supports any attempts to dismantle the mandatory detention system. This includes supporting any attempts to dismantle any of the “hell-holes”, including Viallwood DC. If the Labor-Greens coalition has deep concerns about tax-payers money, they should work quickly to dismantle this system that causes waste of millions of dollars every year.

For media contact, Jamal Daoud can be contacted on 0404 447 272