The paranoia of a few shouldn’t prevent refugees settling here, says Mary Moody.
The way we have treated refugees in the past is heartless. I spend a lot of time travelling around the world and it’s sometimes embarrassing to be an Australian.
With the Tampa incident, we more or less turned away a boat full of people who were in desperate need of shelter. It seemed to me that we weren’t being good Samaritans. There must be a different way.
For a country and government that professes to be Christian, a lot of these policy solutions are too pragmatic and too much with an eye on the economy.
There’s also too much fear and paranoia. Terrorists are very well organised — they’re likely to be the last people who are going to be floating around in the ocean for three months.
The reality is many other countries take a lot more refugees per capita than we would ever contemplate taking. Yes, we’re a country with limited resources in that we have a finite amount of water. We have all those things to consider, but in that situation you accept people, look after them really well, and then work out what to do with them.
I’d welcome refugees in my own home, and have joined an organisation called Rural Families for Refugees. A lot of people have done so. It’s a wonderful indication that there are thousands of Australians who feel the way I do, in spite of the government’s policy.
Do you agree with Mary? Have your say on the Woman’s Day discussion board.
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