Unseemly Politics
By Greens Human Rights Spokesperson
Sarah Hanson-Young
Last week was a low point in our nation's politics.
On one hand, we had the opposition quibbling over the cost of funerals for the victims of the Christmas Island boat tragedy. On the other, we had the government stubbornly refusing to relocate the survivors to the mainland, citing bureaucratic process over common sense and compassion.
Caught in the middle were those vulnerable people who came to our country seeking our protection and support.
Time For Community To Have Voice Heard On Marriage Equality
On Thursday the 18th of November, in a historic step towards marriage equality, the Greens Member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt won support of the Lower House for his motion calling on Members of Parliament to consult with their constituents around marriage equality. This is the first time a house of the Australian Parliament has acknowledged this kind of discrimination against same-sex couples and provides an important opportunity for the community to have its voice heard.
The Murray-Darling Basin Plan
South Australia and the whole Murray-Darling Basin have been waiting for a long time for action to tackle our water crisis. We now have an opportunity for reform - but we have to take it now.
There's no doubt that the proposed changes will not be easy to implement, but that is no reason to avoid the challenge. Everyone knows we have taken far too much water for far too long, and the river system has suffered as a result.
Greens Welcome Lifting of Suspension
The Greens Immigration Spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has welcomed the announcement by the Government of the lifting of the suspension of processing asylum claims from Afghans.
"The Greens have consistently opposed the suspension - both relating to claims from Afghans and Sri Lankans - in the knowledge that it would have no practical effect other than to increase the backlog of cases within the system and magnify the anxiety, frustration and trauma within Australian detention facilities. Yesterday my motion calling for the lifting of the suspension was passed by the Senate," said Senator Hanson-Young.
Senator Hanson-Young said the announcement, while welcome, is just the first step to reforming what is a failing immigration detention system.
Valuing Higher Education
The Australian Greens are committed to making Higher Education a priority, even if the old parties won't.
Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Education, says the cornerstone of the Greens' policy is a series of initiatives to help Australia meet its target to have 20 per cent of higher education enrolments at undergraduate level coming from low SES backgrounds by the year 2020.
Advocating for LGBTI Australians
The Australian Greens are the only party that is committed to fight for true equality for LGBTI Australians.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Australians confront complex and diverse issues.
Abbott and Rudd obsessed with Howard's refugee policies
Tony Abbott's new refugee policies will do nothing to deter asylum-seekers from coming to Australia and will instead further punish vulnerable people, according to the Australian Greens.
"Tony Abbott certainly wouldn't be putting his pledge to keep the boats away in writing - because it's not true. Despite lots of bluster, all Mr Abbott will achieve with these new policies is to compound the suffering of desperate people and put the lives of women and children at further risk," said the Greens' Immigration Spokesperson, Senator Hanson-Young
"The only way to reduce the numbers of asylum-seekers is to address the root causes of conflict and misery abroad. As tough as Mr Abbott's talk is, he's no match for the Taliban. As long as there are people being persecuted and tortured, there will always be people fleeing their home countries for protection. Any of us in that situation would do the same to protect our own families."
Abbott and Rudd obsessed with Howard's refugee policies
Tony Abbott's new refugee policies will do nothing to deter asylum-seekers from coming to Australia and will instead further punish vulnerable people, according to the Australian Greens.
"Tony Abbott certainly wouldn't be putting his pledge to keep the boats away in writing - because it's not true. Despite lots of bluster, all Mr Abbott will achieve with these new policies is to compound the suffering of desperate people and put the lives of women and children at further risk," said the Greens' Immigration Spokesperson, Senator Hanson-Young
"The only way to reduce the numbers of asylum-seekers is to address the root causes of conflict and misery abroad. As tough as Mr Abbott's talk is, he's no match for the Taliban. As long as there are people being persecuted and tortured, there will always be people fleeing their home countries for protection. Any of us in that situation would do the same to protect our own families."
Suspension of Claims Breaches International Law, But Does It Breach Australia's Discrimination Laws As Well?
The Australian Greens have supported moves to investigate a legal challenge to the Federal Government's suspension of Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum claims, according to Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
Senator Hanson-Young, Greens Spokesperson on Immigration and Human Rights, says it's already clear that the Government's suspension of processing Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum claims is in breach of international law through the UN Refugee Convention.
"The question now is whether this is also a breach of Australia's own Racial Discrimination Act,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.
"For the Government to single out specific nationalities and exclude them from active processing of asylum claims seems like clear discrimination, but we hope the legal experts can give us an answer sooner, rather than later.
Time To Increase Humanitarian Intake, Not Cut It Back
The Australian Greens have called on the Federal Government to commit to an increase of Australia's humanitarian intake in immigration in the face of the Opposition's anti-asylum-seeker rhetoric, according to Green Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Immigration and Human Rights, said it was clear that the Opposition either was being ignorant or wilfully misleading about the motivations of asylum-seekers in Australia.
"The Opposition's talk about focusing immigration policy on skills and productivity is a polite way of saying that it wants Australia to ignore vulnerable asylum-seekers,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.