The Refugee Action Collective Melbourne released this statement on April 20.
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott's refugee bashing is not working for him at the polls, but if the Coalition is kicked out what policies will replace him?
Tragically, Labor party leaders continue to support both offshore processing and mandatory detention.
Labor for Refugees, with the backing of many unions, will be proposing a resolution to change Labor policy at this year's ALP national conference being held in Melbourne on July 24 to 26.
We do not yet know the content of that motion, but we do know that offshore processing will be an important debate at the conference where numbers will be finely balanced.
Breaking the bipartisan consensus of cruelty towards refugees has long been a strategic goal of the refugee movement. To that end the Refugee Action Collective in Melbourne invites all Refugee Action Collective groups and refugee rights supporters nationally, to converge on Melbourne for a rally for refugee rights to support efforts to change ALP policy.
We want the ALP to oppose offshore processing and mandatory detention, and continue its opposition to Temporary Protection Visas.
A rally will be held on July 25 at 1pm outside the Melbourne Convention Centre.
We will invite speakers from Labor4Refugees and the union movement, and encourage union and Labor branch banners.
We also intend to hold a national conference of RAC groups and refugee rights supporters on July 26.
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