Can the Prime Minister explain how capturing and trading refugees (with Malaysia in 2011) is different to capturing and trading African slaves two centuries ago? Sadly for her image as a negotiator, Julia Gillard dumps 800 captives on Malaysia and they dump 4000 captives on her. The Liberals have a dump-and-forget policy.
Amid the Labor-Liberal ruckus, we’ve forgotten that refugees are people – not things to be traded, dumped, warehoused or savagely caned in Malaysian prisons. Maybe savage caning of prisoners is why Gillard chose Malaysia – to instil terror into refugees. What happened to humane Julia? Power has shrivelled and hardened her heart.
Until Labor and Liberal MPs see refugees as people, I’ll be voting Green.
Graham Macafee, CLA member, Canberra