Powerful maiden speech by Ged Kearney

Labor’s Ged Kearney says indefinite offshore immigration detention 'shameful'

In the speech Ged mentions that she has formed a Reference Group to advise her on these issues. A member of the group is our own Linda King, second left front row, convenor of the Batgrans. Go Linda!

Unfortunately the inhumanity gets worse!

Asylum seekers 'face destitution' as income support and housing cut off

Refugee advocates describe cuts, which will affect up to 100 people, as ‘calculated cruelty to vulnerable people’

The federal government is taking away income support and housing from up to 100 refugees and asylum seekers from Manus Island and Nauru who are currently in Australia for medical treatment.

The group, which includes families, elderly people and pregnant women, are among the more than 400 known as the “Let Them Stay” group, and the more than 260 that were party to a high court challenge in 2016.

They now face being forced into destitution, support services have said.

Can this get any worse?

SUICIDAL TEEN FORCED BACK TO NAURU

An Iranian refugee and her 17-year-old son, at risk of suicide, have been forcibly returned to Nauru against psychiatric advice.

The Guardian reports that Fatemah and her son, known by the alias “Hamid”, had been in Taiwan for two months, after Hamid’s suicidal ideation resulted in them being transferred from the Australian-run camp on Nauru. Despite psychiatric reports saying Hamid’s mental illness was caused and exacerbated by his five years in detention, and experts warning against his return, Australian Border Force officials took the pair from their Taipei accommodation, removed their phones, placed them in two separate vans with four guards each, and chartered them back to Nauru.

Cuts will affect refugees

The Human Rights Commission’s Funding Has Been Cut In The Budget

Burnside nails it!

 Check out Julian Burnside's tweet

We care Nauru appeal

We don't usually ask you for money, but this is worthwhile

URGENT REQUEST FOR DONATIONS FOR MEDIVAC FAMILIES

This is going to be long, please stick with me here…

Remember the girl that Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, through High Court action, got transferred for medical help after she had attempted suicide three times?

Well, the family is here in Melbourne and they need help urgently.

The 14 year old girl in question was in hospital, but has been released as an outpatient.
She is attending a local school.
Her 6 year old brother and both parents are also with her.

The whole family are severely traumatised.
It’s imperative that the suicidal young girl can contact her parents at all times.
We have provided her with a mobile phone.
Gifts for Manus and Nauru are providing monthly top-up credit for her.
They also provided a one-off top-up for her parent's phones.

What the family needs right now:
$400 for warm clothes and shoes for the Melbourne winter.
$150 for blankets, linen and pillows.
$200 for two room heaters.
$580 for a school laptop for the young girl.
$100 for emergency cab fare in case the young girl needs to get to hospital.

We need two people who can commit to $30 each per month for phone credit for the parents.

We are also helping two other families with new babies who have been evacuated to Australia from Nauru for emergency medical care.
They need winter clothes and heaters also.

Please transfer donations directly to our bank account:

Name: We Care Nauru
BSB: 063 105
A/C number: 10657348

Put “Families” as the description, so that we know the cause you are donating to.

If you can commit to supplying monthly phone credit, please message us.

Thank you! 

Back to the fray!

After a short break following our efforts in the Batman By-Election, we are resuming our regular program of Pop-ups and Vigils.

Vigils:

• Wed. 16th May 4.00-5.00pm RESERVOIR (at grassy intersection near Reservoir station)
• Wed. 23rd May 4.00-5.00pm CLIFTON HILL (at grassy intersection in front of MacDonalds)

Popup:

• Fri. 25th May 12.00-1.30pm PRESTON Market. Meet outside Centrelink office 

GRANDMOTHERS FROM ALL AREAS WELCOME

Popups in particular are an excellent way of engaging with the public and hopefully winning 'hearts and minds' For both Vigils and popups we have some great new posters!

*** PLEASE WEAR PURPLE ***