WOLLONGONG — The Socialist Alliance candidate for the federal seat of Cunningham, Dr Margaret Perrott, praised the young people who joined the high school walkout against the federal government's treatment of refugees on September 5.
"These students are showing a thousand times more humanity than the federal government or the 'official' Labor opposition", Perrott told a small but vibrant rally.
"The refugees aboard the MV Tampa are mostly from Afghanistan, fleeing the same Taliban regime that is persecuting foreign aid workers for alleged religious 'crimes'. This regime was created by the US in the 1980s.
"The Iraqi refugees are fleeing the effects of the Australian-supported sanctions against Iraq. Those sanctions are strengthening, not weakening, the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein.
"In other words, the Australian government and its international allies are contributing to the problem. We should allow these people to settle here and make a contribution to our society, rather than be treated worse than cattle and imprisoned without trial." Perrott is a veteran peace movement and environmental activist in Wollongong. She has been involved for many years in the organisation of International Women's Day and was an initiator of the local Reclaim the Night rallies to stop violence against women. Contact <wollongong@socialist-alliance.org> if you can help in the coming federal election campaign. Visit the Socialist Alliance web site at < http://www.socialist-A HREF="mailto:alliance.org"><alliance.org>.