Month: July 2021

This urgency motion was carried unanimously. Congratulations Victorian Labor!

Urgency Motion for ALP State Conferenc e : 12 & 13 November  2016

Asylum & Refugees

Victorian Labor congratulates Premier Dan Andrews on the leadership he has shown through the following:

• Offering a home in Victoria for the 267 people seeking asylum who were brought to Australia from Nauru for medical reasons
• Providing $15 million for 3,000 training places in the Vocational Education & Training (VET) sector for people seeking asylum who hold Bridging Visa E and for refugees holding Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEVs)
• Providing $11 million for health and mental health support services for refugees and people seeking asylum.

That this Victorian State ALP conference expresses its deep concern at the physical and mental suffering endured  by asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island. We therefore urge the Shadow Cabinet to adopt a position that would commit Australia to:

1. lifting its refugee intake to the per capita OECD average, being approximately 50,000 per annum and ensuring this intake of refugees takes place without lengthy delays.
2. closing the Manus and Nauru asylum seeker detention centres and arranging the transfer of refugees to either Australia or another genuinely welcoming country
3. establishing and financially supporting a cooperative UNHCR-administered regional asylum seeker processing arrangement with Southeast Asian neighbors to ensure the quick, efficient and humane processing of asylum seeker claims in accordance with the policy adopted at the 2015 ALP National Conference.

Moved:  Ilia Vurtel, Wills Delegate

Seconded: Pauline Brown, Bendigo Delegate

*Footnote: The figure of 50,000 was taken from the average of all OECD countries, weighted by population and adjusted for per capita GDP.

THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE RECENT ALLEGATIONS RELATING TO CONDITIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE REGIONAL PROCESSING CENTRE IN NAURU Labor for Refugees made a submission to the Senate Select Committee on 11 April last, which is required to inquire into and report by 15 June 2015 on the responsibilities of the Commonwealth Government in connection with the management and operation of the Regional Processing Centre in Nauru.

You can access the Terms of Reference of this Inquiry and our submission on the following link L4RSubmissionAllegationsreNauru

The Senate launched an inquiry into abuse of women and children inside the Nauru detention centre after an independent report detailed allegations of rape, sexual assaults and intimidation. The inquiry is backed by the former chief justice and chief magistrate on Nauru, both Australians who were expelled by the Nauru government, and by former case workers who doubt the capacity of officials and contractors to implement the report’s recommendations. The former magistrate, Peter Law, told Fairfax Media he had no confidence that the Nauru police has the capacity or the independence to investigate the allegations. He also said there needs to be more accountability for the money paid to Nauru to provide the centre.

The inquiry will take evidence under parliamentary privilege from past and present staff, including some of those employed by Save The Children who were expelled from the island and whose conduct was not found wanting in the independent report.

Catherine CrittendenOctober 8, 2016Uncategorized

As the government prepares to meet with the UNHCR, urgent action is being demanded on mental decay.

Read the report by Martin McKenzie-Murray Oct 8, 2016