Refugee messages for IWD

November 17, 1993
Issue 

MELBOURNE — On February 20, Socialist Alliance activists picketed the Maribyrnong Detention Centre to highlight the plight of female detainees.

Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of Gellibrand, Linda Waldron told Green Left Weekly, "Many women inside suffer from clinical depression, due to forced separation from their partners, and pregnancy and child-bearing behind bars".

Socialist Alliance member and Kurdish activist Fidan Yildirim will read out refugees' stories from inside the detention centre at the International Women's Day rally. As an act of solidarity, community radio station 3CR will record the rally and provide copies to those in detention.

The theme of this year's IWD is "Women against war, racism and sexism: We demand jobs, education, child care, reproductive rights, health not warfare!".

Bianca Healy

Rally for jobs

FREMANTLE — 250 workers rallied outside the Fremantle Port Authority on February 20 to demand job opportunities in the manufacturing industry.

The rally was organised by the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, and supported by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union and the Maritime Union of Australia.

The action was in response to the offshore contracting of a ship unloader. The unions fear the unloader will be fabricated overseas, resulting in substantial job losses.

The authority's CEO, Kerry Sanderson, claims costs would be 30-50% higher if the contract was awarded locally.

Unions, concerned that the authority is creating a precedent, claim that there is enough skilled labour to handle the work locally.

@9point= The rally demanded that the minister responsible for the authority, Alannah McTiernan, meet with the unions and port authorities throughout Western Australia to press for continued employment in the manufacturing industry.

Ian Jamieson

Refugee activists assess ALP policy change

SYDNEY — At a February 23 meeting of the Refugee Action Coalition, Dianne Hiles from ChilOut described her disappointment at the ALP's national conference decision to retain temporary protection visas for refugees: "Why couldn't they get rid of this little piece of Hansonism?"

Hiles argued that a real policy change would have seen an end to mandatory detention. "If mandatory detention isn't okay for women and children, why is it okay for men? Why is it okay to split up families?"

Sally McManus from Labor for Refugees explained that Labor members' "hearts aren't in it any more" and that many delegates who voted for Latham's policy did so to help get Labor elected, not because they necessarily agreed with it. If Labor gets elected, McManus said she expected it would "erode the policy more and more", but that it would be done quietly. McManus agreed, however, that there needs to be ongoing pressure from the movement.

Ian Rintoul from RAC told the meeting that it was sometimes hard to see how far we've come as a movement, and that it was useful to reflect on the fact that "there wouldn't even have been a debate at the conference without the work of the refugee-rights movement".

Rintoul argued that the conference was an important step forward, but that the movement needed to "recognise that things can be pushed backwards", and therefore continue to campaign.

Sarah Stephen

Peace group forum discusses Iraq war

SYDNEY — On February 26, a public forum on the US-led war on Iraq sponsored by the Marrickville Peace Group was addressed by Anna Samson from the Stop the War Coalition, federal Labor MP Anthony Albanese, Greens representative Colin Hesse and Sue Johnson, the Socialist Alliance's candidate for the federal electorate of Grayndler.

"Ten-thousand Iraqi civilians have been killed by the US", Samson told the forum's 27 participants. "We need a united front of all parties and individuals to link up against the war and build the March 20 mobilisations."

Albanese concisely demonstrating that the US and Australian governments had lied about Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction.

While Hesse and Johnson answered affirmatively to an audience member's question as to whether they supported "Troops out now!" as a demand, Albanese responded with concerns that the Iraqi people couldn't just be left to fend for themselves. He suggested looking at the United Nations as a body to "assist" Iraq's reconstruction.

The Marrickville Peace Group will participate in the Newtown Peace Group-initiated local anti-war rally at 1pm on March 6, outside the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. For more information on the Marrickville Peace Group, phone Luke on 0419 135 019.

Rachel Evans

From Green Left Weekly, March 3, 2004.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

You need Green Left, and we need you!

Green Left is funded by contributions from readers and supporters. Help us reach our funding target.

Make a One-off Donation or choose from one of our Monthly Donation options.

Become a supporter to get the digital edition for $5 per month or the print edition for $10 per month. One-time payment options are available.

You can also call 1800 634 206 to make a donation or to become a supporter. Thank you.