17 February 2021
Dear <<First Name>>
Welcome back to members!
Late last year, we encouraged you to make a submission to Labor's National Policy Forum (NPF) with a view to lobbying the NPF to adopt our Labor for Refugees (L4R) amendments to Labor's Platform.
We have been advised that the NPF is in the process of deciding what it accepts or rejects from all submissions received. It will then circulate its recommendations to members after which time we expect to have a final say. The final recommendations from the NPF will be tabled at the forthcoming ALP Special Platform Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday the 30/31 March 2021. This Conference will be conducted online and replaces the December 2020 National Conference that was cancelled due to COVID. We can only assume that the same conference delegates who attended our last 2018 National Conference, will also be the delegates for this one.
This does not allow us much time to examine the NPF recommendations and to provide feedback so hopefully ALP members will receive these recommendations very soon.
For your information, the final submission sent to the NPF follows L4RSubmNPF30Nov20
Our L4R amendments are underlined.
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Next L4R Meeting - Wednesday 24 February @ 6pm
Our first meeting for this year will take place by Zoom next Wednesday 24 February at 6pm.
We are continuing to have online meetings as this allows our members who live in regional NSW to participate.
Our Zoom link is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86707556471?pwd=RUNCa3pWZ0Q0MjVDczdxOFc5RFIydz09
A reminder email with the Zoom link will be sent to you on the day of our meeting,
The Minutes of our last meeting can be accessed at L4RNSWmin25Nov20 Please bring a copy of these minutes with you to our meeting.
#TimeForAHome Campaign Update
The #TheTimeForAHome campaign calling on the Morrison Government to immediately release refugees from immigration detention and to commit to a pathway for their resettlement is gaining visibility and momentum.
Last year, Labor for Refugees NSW signed up to support this campaign.
Here are the facts:
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Today, there are still 290 people held in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
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Over 1,000 women, men and children have been transferred to Australia for critical medical treatment and now live in ‘transitory’ visa limbo.
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Over 200 of those people are held in closed immigration detention centres and ‘alternative places of detention’ (APODs), such as the Mantra and Kangaroo Point hotel.
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200 people have not known freedom for more than 7 years.
The Refugee Advice and Casework Service is planning to hand over the #TimeForAHome petition this Wednesday in Federal Parliament. The petition calls on the Government to immediately release remaining refugees and people seeking asylum from immigration detention facilities and commit to their resettlement in a safe, permanent home by World Refugee Day, 20 June 2021.
Refugees and people seeking asylum in detention have lived too long without a home, deprived of their freedom and their futures.
Kind regards
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