A Bendigo refugee advocate fears the election of the Coalition government means the people on Nauru and Manus Island seeking asylum will lose any hope of change.
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Christine Cummins said there was a real risk there would be another death on Nauru or Manus Island if the people detained there lost hope. She plans to keep advocating for change.
"There's a very real danger that the men on Manus and Nauru will now lose hope because they had so much weighted on this election," Ms Cummins said.
"People had held out an enormous amount of hope on an election result that meant a Labor win, because people were really hoping for changes in legislation that would bring about some compassion and humanity."
There were 359 people still in detention centres on Nauru and 547 remaining in Papua New Guinea as of March 26, 2019, according to the Refugee Council of Australia.
The Australian Labor Party committed to accepting New Zealand's offer of resettling 150 refugees if elected.
Ms Cummins said she would like to see the incoming Liberal National government remove all asylum seekers from Nauru and Manus Island, and accept New Zealand's offer to take 150 refugees from those detention centres.
She said she would continue to fight for this change. In her view the situation in offshore detention centres had reached a crisis point.
As a community it was time to say "enough" to politicians, she said.
"We know that we can make change happen, but we also know that we have to be very vocal about it and be consistent ... we've got to continue advocating for what should just be common sense," Ms Cummins said.
"There has to be change because otherwise we will without a doubt see further deaths.
"If you remove all hope and any will to live, then we'll see people taking their own lives, and they'll be doing that in our name. And that's just shameful, there's no way we can allow that to happen."
If you or a loved on need support call lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.
In an emergency call 000.
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Elspeth Kernebone
Accident brought me to journalism, but every day convinces me again that strong media is more important than ever. After a starting off as the sole reporter in a tiny NSW town, I’m loving the teeming metropolis that is Bendigo. Focussed on health, business and education. Got a tip? Email elspeth.kernebone@bendigoadvertiser.com.au.
Accident brought me to journalism, but every day convinces me again that strong media is more important than ever. After a starting off as the sole reporter in a tiny NSW town, I’m loving the teeming metropolis that is Bendigo. Focussed on health, business and education. Got a tip? Email elspeth.kernebone@bendigoadvertiser.com.au.
