When
Where
Why
RALLY: Labor, no more excuses: permanent visas now!
Friday 20 June at 5pm at the State Library
Speakers:
Danushika Sangeethan, Refugee Women Action for Visa Equality
Taqi Azra, Hazara musician and union activist
Steph Thuesen, HACSU
Josephine Langbien, Human Rights Law Centre
听
Labor鈥檚 win under Anthony Albanese still leaves thousands of asylum-seekers and refugees in cruel limbo.
Join this rally to demand permanent visas now.听
In 2022, the first Albanese government hid behind excuses for its inaction over refugees. Its small majority, the power of the Murdoch media and the challenge of cleaning up the mess left by successive Coalition governments supposedly ruled out bold policy decisions.
There can be no more hiding. In the lower house, Labor has 51 more seats than the Coalition. In the senate, it can pass progressive policy with the sole support of the Greens. The Murdoch media is a shadow of its former self 鈥 it wholeheartedly backed Dutton and his defeat shows that Murdoch is no king-maker.
Once again, Albanese told his election night victory party, 鈥淣o one held back, no one left behind.鈥 If he means what he says, then his government needs to take the following actions as a matter of urgency. Too many asylum-seekers and refugees have suffered for too long.
* Permanent visas now for the 8000 or so victims of the failed, racist 鈥渇ast track鈥 system and those who came to Australia under Medevac legislation
* Bring the remaining two dozen refugees and their families in Port Moresby to Australia
* Bring the 100 or so asylum-seekers on Nauru to Australia and close the detention centre there
* Allow the 12,000 refugees marooned in Indonesia by an Australian ban to come here
* Repeal the Trump-style laws passed in December 2024 that threaten up to 80,000 people with deportation to danger.
For more info: ring David on 0438 547 723.