Letter to Greens Adam Bandt: Actions, and not talks, are needed tomorrow

11 September 2011
Dear Adam Bandt, member for Melbourne

In this letter we would like to urge you to take ACTION to stop the inhumane and illegal treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. We heard your leader and your party spokesperson on refugees talk extensively on several occasions opposing this treatment, but we saw no action.

We understand that the Labor government (backed by you) will move tomorrow to change the Migration Act to enable them legislating for Offshore Processing. The offshore processing was found recently to be illegal by High Court ruling.

For the last year, we have witnessed serious deteriorations to human rights in Australia. This includes, but not exclusive of, treatment of refugees. Such treatment that made Australia a headline for international criticism and embarrassment. Not only this. Such treatment that resulted in loss of 5 human lives inside detention centres, mass riots and protests inside many detention centres and self harm attempts of detainees almost on daily basis.

All these atrocities and human rights violations happened under your party (the Greens Party) auspices. Without your party’s support for Labor, the current government would not continue to govern more than few months.

Not only this. We did not witness serious calls from your party to the current minister for immigration to end these criminal and detrimental practices in the migration system.

We know very well that the current government is very vulnerable to any serious threat of withdrawing support, which would lead to government collapse and subsequent change of government. This was the reaosn why your party was successful in enforcing the government to introduce the highly unpopular Carbon Tax laws, which was consistently opposed by all previous Labor leaders.

We deeply believe that tomorrow is the time for action. If the government (backed by your party) will decide to amend the Migration Law, Australian politics will enter new very serious low moment of disrespect to human rights and international laws. Not only this. Multiculturalism and diversity in society will be deeply compromised.

We urge you to use the unique position you personally hold in parliament to stop this disaster. While we know that you and your party will lose if we go to fresh double dissolution election, we believe that Labor will not go this path. The Labor simply does not think that you and your party are serious about opposing this low path of attacking refugees, asylum seekers, multiculturalism and diversity. If they will be sure that your party is very serious on threats of withdrawing support, the Labor will back down.

We think that tomorrow is a historic day. If you allow the government you are part of to go this path, Australians should have thousand questions about you and your party credibility on election promises and policies.

Thanks and if you need to discuss these issues further, I can be contacted on 0404 447 272

Yours sincerely


Jamal Daoud
Spokesperson, SJN