'Labor MPs don't represent membership'

BY RYK MOLON

DARWIN — Socialist Alliance candidate for Lord Mayor Ruth Ratcliffe and Independent Education Union organiser Simon Hall, who recently resigned from the Labor Party over its support for mandatory detention of refugees, addressed a Socialist Alliance public forum on February 19 to protest attacks on refugees' rights.

Hall told the meeting that Labor parliamentarians no longer represent the views of the majority of the party's membership, especially on the issue of the mandatory detention of refugees. Only a handful of Labor MPs, such as Carmen Lawrence and NT senator Trish Crossin were willing to break the party line and challenge policy of mandatory detention, he added.

Ratcliffe highlighted the increasing attacks on civil liberties in First World countries, supposedly under the guise of fighting "terrorism". She also condemned the denial of asylum seekers' rights in the First World.

"If Western governments were serious about stopping terrorism, they'd welcome refugees as heroes for standing up against dictatorial regimes. But refugees are scapegoated and labelled 'terrorists'", she said.

From Green Left Weekly, February 27, 2002.

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From GLW issue 482