Keep writing!!

(Instagram March 2014)

Not just leaving it to one MP this time, I also decided to write to the two closest Opposition MPs, form the Labour Party, in regards to the Australian Human Rights Commission's investigation into children in detention. I wanted them to realise that this was an important issue for my electorate so maybe theirs as well. These other electorates are only 1 - 2 suburbs away from mine.

See below....

To the Honourable XXXX and the XXXX,

I am writing to you as the closest Labour MPs to my suburb in XXX. I write to ask that the Labour Party please response to the Government’s appalling response to the Australian Human Rights Commission into children in detention centres.

Their views do not represent my views nor, I am sure, many in my electorate or in yours.  This issue is not an attack on any particular government but about how sequential Australian governments are institutionally torturing children who have not had the chance to gain justice in their situation. As an Australian citizen,  I feel the guilt and the weight of the system that I have indirectly supported by voting in governments like yours and the current one. The blood of these children’s lives are in our hands.

I believe that the treatment of refugees, especially children, has to change.  These children are the same like mine and yours.  The only difference is that they were born in a different country.  They have human rights, and the right to justice and a real childhood. It can change! And last week, the Coalition government could of responded with more compassion, more empathy, more humility and more openness.

But it appears Prime Minister Tony Abbott, decided to respond with a misinformed, heartless and callous response to the Commission’s findings. His views do not represent mine, nor, I believe, many other Australians on these children in detention.

I have written to my local MP about this.  I am writing to you because I, as well as many other Australians, are wanting to hear an alternative, compassionate voice to this Government’s opinion.

I look forward to your response.  

Regards

Cannot NOT do something

There has been a lot going on this last week. There was a glimmer of hope of change in a government that appears to be systematically attacking the political issues I am most interested in.

But it didn't happen. 

That wasn't the big thing for me this week.  The big thing was the findings of the Australian Human Rights Commission and, more importantly, the awful response that the government provided to it.

It made my blood boil.

I actually struggled to sleep as I thought about children, just like my Peppa and George, behind bars, wishing for another life outside of confinement and fear of death. I've even blogged about this before!

So, I wrote. I wrote again to my local MP. Who, by the way, I have been playing phone tag with. One day we will meet. 

Here is my next letter:

Hi XXX

Happy New Year! I know you have called me and I have tried to call you back but I am guessing you might be in Canberra at this time of year. The media makes it look like it was a busy week in Canberra.

I am writing to say that that Government’s response to the Australian Human Rights Commission into children in detention centres is appalling and does not represent my views nor, I am sure, many in your electorate.  This issue is not an attack on the Coalition but about how sequential Australian governments are institutionally torturing children who have not had the chance to gain justice in their situation. As an Australian citizen,  I feel the guilt and the weight of the system that I have indirectly supported by voting in governments like yours.

I believe that the treatment of refugees, especially children, has to change.  These children are the same like mine and yours.  The only difference is that they were born in a different country.  They have human rights, and the right to justice and a real childhood. It can change! And last week, the Coalition government could of responded with more compassion, more empathy, more humility and more openness.

But it appears your leader, Prime Minister Tony Abbott, decided to respond with a misinformed, heartless and callous response to the Commission’s findings.

I do not mean to complain every time I write to you XXX.  I haven’t actually written this much to my local MP before.  But, I am not going to keep living in your electorate without letting you know that I do not hold the views your party is portraying.  You are misrepresenting me! And if you keep this up, I will look to someone who will represent me appropriately and encourage others to do the same.

Regards

The only type of detention children should have

New leader's game

In light of the leadership performance that occurred this week, I just had to share this funny image.  From here:

I want this as a real game!!

A hiatus explained

Ok, so it has been a near 7 month hiatus from blogging.  I confess it has been a bit of hiatus from keeping up with things in the political realm because:

a) I just got too busy; and

b) I was finding it all too depressing.

It felt like every second news story was a tale of how my current government is making actions that I just cannot agree with. And I try not to believe the headlines. I try to dig deeper, do some research, thinking "they can't honestly mean THAT, can they?" Trying to get a more rounded opinion takes time, which I don't have. But, even sadder, when I have tried to dig below the surface, the answer has been "Yes, that IS what they meant." And THAT has been even more depressing!! It has actually been kind of paralyzing. 

I have fallen behind in my challenge of a letter a month to my member.  As in my previous post, time to be politically engaged is hard. But I confess, I also stopped writing because I got a response from my local Federal MP. Shock!

I GOT A RESPONSE!!

And the response was actually a missed call on my mobile and a voice message. A voice message! The message was very gracious and very apologetic about not replying sooner. The member asked if we could meet for coffee to discuss education. MEET FOR COFFEE!!

My first reaction was to feel little scared being so directly contacted.  There is definitely a nice anonymity about writing a letter or email. And to meet for coffee, face to face, could be quite unnerving; requiring me to be totally on-the-ball with the facts and the issues at hand, and maybe also feeling social obligation to be nicer than I actual felt. 

My second reaction however was to feel annoyed at the suggestion. I am struggling to have time to manage a family, a part time professional job, have meaningful relationships with friends and family plus stay engaged with what the rest of the world is doing and is heading, let alone have time to have coffee with my local MP. I am not sure if they are really on my highest priority of my time! And I don't think I am the only one in my electorate who is like that.  

I get that if I believe the issues are so important, I should invest in the time. It is definitely a case of priorities and the immediate well being of my family and friends is more important to me. But also challenging these issues will help with their long term well being. 

But it's January and things have been quieter and I've had more brain space to look at the issues again. I also note that the fear that "no one else cares" is subsiding as the polling shows that other. I note the QLD election results tonight as well as Victoria's a few months ago. NSW state election is just around the corner. It's time to get fired up again!!! 

Post script: this has been incorrectly dated as February when I originally posted this in January. Weird.

Letter #3

Though I have fallen behind in my challenge, I have decided to get back on the horse and try again. 

I found some time to respond to the response I got from my MP. I really should of done it earlier. It took about two weeks to compose as I initially wrote it one night when I was very angry with the world after reading this awful piece and probably not in the best state of mind to write.  But it reminded me that I still needed to write and communicate. So here's my third letter, sent via email.

Hi XXXX

Thank you for your phone message you left for me about 3 months ago.  I understand that it must be really difficult balancing a work place in both Canberra and Sydney. I apologise that it has taken me so long to reply back to you. As a professional working part time and juggling two young children in an electorate that you should understand has some of the highest costs of living, especially real estate and rent, it is hard to find the time to meet and chat with friends and family, let alone your local MP. I do appreciate that you offered to meet to discuss education after my two unanswered letters.

My last two correspondences have been about education; first on the public education system at a primary and secondary level and the second about tertiary education.  In both correspondences, I express dismay at to the current Liberal Governments desire to reduce funding to these. I notice that some of these have not occurred. I do not understand what direction the current Government is going in this space.

As a member of your electorate, I wish to express two more issues that I find extremely difficult to see the current government acting in ways that seem contrary to the wishes of the Australian people:

1)      Climate change, and especially the constant government support for coal.  Coal is a resource that we know is limited and supports technology that is dated.  To keep propping up this industry is not the correct action for economic recovery and the US – China agreement on Climate Change proves that Australia is taking the wrong direction. Australia has so many more resources than the ones that can found in a mine and less environmentally damaging.  Would it not be better to invest in those?

2)      Funding Cuts to the ABC.  ABC provides many varied and amazing services to children and the country that commercial networks just do not offer.  As a mother of two young children, ABC 2 is a life saver for the end of the day when I need to get dinner together and need the children to rest without commercials selling them toys.  As a government who, in opposition, positioned itself as a government of truth, this latest proposal is an obvious election promise broken.  

Please understand XXXX, that your electorate is made up of many working professionals and young families who are directly impacted in a negative way by these proposals of the current Liberal Government.   The electorate will not ignore these when it comes to choose the member who cannot stand up for the services we want and require. Liberal only won your seat by a 4% margin last year. It’s not a big margin.

Thanks again for reading this letter and my past letters and trying to respond. I look forward to hearing from you in regards to this letter and understand if that happens in the New Year. Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas.

Kind regards

It has to stop!

(Cartoon via Compassion without Borders)

I am haunted by the stories of children in asylum.... either en-route to Australia or in Australian-funded detention centres in Nauru or PNG. The Australia government did not cause this but it is DEFINITELY NOT making it better!! The government that was technically elected by me is adding continuous physical, mental and physiological stress to hundreds of thousands of people because of it's inhumane treatment of asylum seekers.

IT HAS TO STOP!

This story from Indonesia is the latest I read. As this article said

"Without the distraction of boat arrivals, this pain and suffering will begin to gain greater attention. It will trouble not only human rights activists and opposition politicians, but also the general public and some Coalition MPs – just as it did in the years after the post-Tampa crackdown."
"
And today there was news that the Australian Human Rights Commissioner confirmed the high rates of self harm by children in detention centres and the poor health and education provided.

This article and this article from March made me cry.

My Peppa and George are 4 and 2. I would not, in a thousands years want them to have to go through any of this, nor my neighbour, nor my worst enemy. No human should have to.

I understand the need to deter people. But to TORTURE people who are already in detention. Maybe not torture them with gas or electric shocks, but withholding medical needs, education and any hope to future ANYWHERE (not just in Australia) is a guilt that no Australia can shake off.

THIS HAS TO STOP! How?

The new senate and news...

The new senate is to come in 7 July. I confess I really don't know what that means except that that there is a real chance that the carbon tax will be axed and that there will be a lot of squabbling for the next few years over different pieces of legislation. I also realise that Clive Palmer will be in the news WAY more than I care to read! (because he has quite a few seats he can bargain with the other parties).

 I found this very helpful to read about the Senate. It is funny and sad all at the same time.

And yes, I did somewhat cheer about Palmer's stance on climate change by supporting emissions trading. I cannot believe I am cheering at anything to do with Clive Palmer.....

Some real exciting news this week is that the United Nations rejected the Coalition's application to reduce the Tasmania's World Heritage Area. *CHEER*

It has been called "global diplomatic humiliation" for the Abbott government by Bob Brown. I would of thought that moment would of been when Julie Bishop was made Foreign Minister! Her international gaffs continue this week. First she alienated PNG, then she outraged Indonesia less than a month later. She has then gone to criticize China (massive regional neighbor who is both a source of export income and imports) then appear to support the Sri Lankan Government who is under suspicions by everyone else in the world for human rights abuses. And, of course, reduce the foreign aid budget by $4.5 BILLION dollars (AUD). But this week she has now invoke the anger of North Korea. They have said to want to "resolutely punish anyone who dares slander the dignity of its supreme leadership". Maybe we will not need to vote the Abbott government out. They may get assassinated by communist spies first. It is a bit surprising that we haven't started a war with any of our neighboring nations (yet!). Foreign policy is a little out of my league, but it feels like the current government can't seem to get it right.

Look out Australia!!!

(Thanks to The Man for this pic)