The Greens must withdraw support for this government to end inhumane treatment of refugees

Today’s announcement by Labor minority government of its intension to introduce bill to amend Migration Act to enable it to deport asylum seekers arrived by boat is a new serious race to bottom in disregarding the human rights in this country. By doing this, the Labor is going too extreme to the right. Even the Liberals are hesitant to support this extreme move to dump refugees and asylum seekers and traffic them to other countries.

While it is very highly likely that the Liberals will support amending the Migration Act, we believe that defeating these attempts to race to bottom on this issue lay within the Greens power.

“The Greens is in unique situation after the last year’s election” said Jamal Daoud, spokesperson of Social Justice Network. “The Greens not only holds the balance of power in both houses. Its sole MP, Adam Bandt, is a key member to secure Labor’s continuation in office”.

The Greens leader’s excuse not to withdrawing Greens support for Labor minority government and hence going for early election was based on his assumption that Labor’s position on this issue is more progressive than Liberals’. This view is not supported by the recent developments and Labor’s practices.

“The situation inside the immigration system is very appalling. It is far worse than it was under the regressive Liberals government”

The Greens should stop playing numbers game. Maybe the Greens do not have the power to stop Labor-Liberals alliance to keep persecuting refugees and asylum seekers. But they have great power, if used appropriately, could stop the Labor’s attacks on human rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

With Labor greatly struggling in opinion polls, it will not gamble to go for fresh new election as a result of Greens withdrawal of support. Hence, we believe that any Greens indication of this scenario will enforce Labor to back down on their path to amend the Migration Act and offshore processing.

If the Greens fail to do so, the voters will not be blamed to lose faith in the Greens and the political system altogether. The 1.5 million voters who voted for the Greens in the last election, they did so to arm the Greens with enough power to stop attacks on these vulnerable people.

If the Greens fail to use these tremendous powers (balance of power in both houses in addition to the ability to bring the government down), the Australians will have thousand questions about the Greens credibility on this issue.

The Greens verbal opposition to Amending Migration Act and against the offshore processing should be accompanied by actions. Without actions, the Greens are in fact complicit in the attacks on refugees, asylum seekers, multiculturalism and diversity in the society.

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