JONATHAN NOONE
Local candidates from the Greens and Socialist Alliance parties joined the Refugee Action Collective for a rally in Brisbane Square on Saturday.
The rally was organised in opposition to the Government’s Papua New Guinea solution and upcoming federal election.
Greens candidate for Brisbane, Rachael Jacobs, believes refugees would seek asylum in Australia no matter what cruel policy government applies.
“They want to come to Australia that allows freedom, not Papua New Guinea that is impoverished and struggling with it’s own domestic issues,” Jacobs said.
She expressed her disappointment with the major parties’ refugee policies, which she described as “racist and illegal”.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the policy on July 19 that stipulates any refugee arriving to Australia by boat will be processed and settled in Papua New Guinea.
The Green’s and Socialist Alliance’s policies are to shutdown offshore processing and to determine genuine refugees and integrate them into Australian community.