Christian ethos doesn’t seem to stretch to Nauru
What do you do when you know you are going to be defeated in the House? You dissolve parliament for the year. Australians are demanding humanitarian action for sick asylum seekers and refugees languishing without hope on Nauru and Manus. That is why the numbers would have been there today (December 6) in the House of Reps to pass the Urgent Medical Treatment Bill. The Senate passed it.
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Read more: Dutton flags refugee bill security risks
While this was playing out, I was watching Scott Morrison delivering his valedictory speech. He noted with pride, his apology to the victims of historical sexual abuse. What about those children and women abused on Nauru? He wished everyone a peaceful Christmas with loved ones. What about those detained without hope? His Christian ethos doesn’t seem to stretch to them. Fear and self-interest are running out as effective political tools. People are seeing through them. We need policy couched in positive possibilities, informed by humanity and rational reasoning. We need something we can all join with and share responsibility for.
Di O’Neil, Bendigo
A joyous time of year, is it? Not for everybody
On the last day of Federal Parliament 2018, I heard our PM Scott Morrison declare that “Christmas is a joyous time of year”.
Well it’s not if you happen to be a Palestinian in Gaza or anywhere else in the West Bank in the lands acquired by Israel in 1967 and after evicting 50,000 families from their homes never to return. In fact life is hell for them.
As a condition of supporting Israeli nationhood in 1948 the USA & the UK made it conditional on a two state solution. Fifty years later the Palestinian people are still waiting for justice.
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Our PM is about to follow the bully boys Trump and Netanyahu by ignoring the UN and making Jerusalem the capital of Israel. One of the arguments is that our sovereign foreign policy shouldn’t be influenced by Muslim countries. Fair enough, but the essence of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict should be about justice and until the Palestinians receive a fair go there will never be peace and Muslim fundamentalists will always have an excuse and want retribution.
Jerusalem should be an international city. A shared jewel, not something to squabble over and as usual in Liberal Government thinking economics and trade are manifest. Never mind the ethics because jobs and our trade balance are what matters.
Another people for whom Christmas is not joyous are the First Australians, because just like the Palestinians their homelands have been ransacked and they are still treated as second class citizens in their own country. If we were fair dinkum we second Australians would be open to a new date for Australia Day. When are going to accept the “truth telling”. Why do the years slip by and there is no treaty or constitutional recognition. The real reason our Liberal Government never advances Aboriginal rights is that they just don’t rate.
Well, Mr Morrison, fix up your own backyard first, before grandstanding for Mr Netanyahu.
Ray Wilson, Kangaroo Flat
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