Dear fellow Australians:
I am writing to ask you to support a special appeal which will make a difference at the next Federal Election.
Over the last two years I have given my support to A Just Australia - a national campaign group working for just refugee programs. So have thousands of others in their own way.
Through our efforts, and the efforts of tens of thousands of other Australians - as individuals or in support groups - the mistreatment of people who came to Australia seeking asylum by the Government has been exposed and challenged.
There is still more to do. There is still a great deal of insecurity facing those who arrived in that wave of boats fleeing Afghanistan and Iraq up until 2001, when the Australian navy's intervention stopped other boats arriving. Though refugee status has finally been granted to many on Nauru, there'll still be around a 100 there in their third year of detention. There's still around 150 children in detention, with all the trauma that we know this causes. And many other problems, for those on bridging visas, and for around 250 in detention, for up to five years now.
But Curtin, Woomera, Port Hedland and Manus Island detention centres are now empty. No-one who received a temporary protection visa has been forced back at the end of their three years - most are still hopeful of gaining permanent protection. Support for granting permanent protection has been expressed by members of Parliament from all sides. And many of the long term detainees have been given protection - with commentators expecting that the Government is trying to clear this issue up before the election.
The Government has certainly got the message that there is a great deal of anger in the community - it no longer boasts about its policies, it tries to justify them.
A Just Australia wants to keep the pressure on in the lead up to the next election - and is organising public meetings, candidates' questionnaires, and advertisements like the attached sample in local and regional media in marginal and strategic electorates.
Please help us make sure that this election is different to the last in two ways:
1. The Government has to fix things for asylum seekers rather than make them worse;
2. Candidates that want a just refugee program are rewarded, not those who want to whip up fear.
To make sure this happens, we need your financial support, and your action.
We've been through a chilling chapter in Australia's history.
Let's not let it happen again.
Ian Chappell
(Please circulate this appeal widely. The link for the sample advertisement and donation form is http://www.ajustaustralia.com/resource.php?act=attache&id=46 or just go to www.ajustaustralia.com)