The following statement is attributable to ACTU President Ged Kearney:
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) condemns the Turnbull Government’s cruel and weak
decision to attack vulnerable families living in Australia by cutting their income and threatening to
deport them back to offshore detention camps.
The ACTU opposes this awful distraction from a heartless government and demands the attack stop
immediately.
The 400 people were evacuated from Australia’s offshore detention camps for critical reasons. Some
women were pregnant. Other men, women and children were evacuated because they were too sick
to stay in the camps. Their babies have been born in Australia, and there are children and families
from this group living across the Australian community.
They are our school-mates, team-mates, and neighbors. If they can remain in Australia and be
allowed to work, they could be your teacher, your doctor or your colleague.
We must let them stay.
This is a callous, cynical and cruel decision. It deserves scorn and condemnation. It will be resisted.
The decision is designed to take attention away from the Turnbull Government’s self-inflicted wounds
and declining popularity.
Australians fought for these people to be allowed to stay in Australia before and the ACTU stands
ready to fight for them again.
ENDS
