Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government is overseeing a system that is designed to punish refugees rather than support them. Labor and Liberal governments have continued the shameful policy of offshore detention, leaving people languishing in camps for years at untold cost to their physical and mental health, and asylum seekers living in our community in Australia face punishing restrictions on everyday life and have to live every day with the insecurity of not knowing what the future holds. But this government and its system of punishing refugees instead of welcoming them, of harming people instead of supporting them to become full members of the Australian community, does not represent Australia at its best. People around the country have been inspired by the show of solidarity of residents of Queensland town Biloela for their neighbours, who were taken away at 5 am by immigration officers and sent to detention, where they remain months later.

Like Biloela, Melbourne is a place where people will take a stand against these cruel policies. Melbourne is a place where people care for one another, and where we know we are all better off when we say, 'Welcome'. I want to tell the parliament about the way that my local community in Flemington and Kensington have rallied around Yunay and Sangini—and those are not their real names. This is a couple who were once put in offshore detention by this government and are now living in Melbourne, in limbo, waiting on a court decision. Out of respect for their privacy and their safety, I won't go into detail about the circumstances of their claim or their story. But what I will say is that nobody just chooses to get on a boat. They came to Australia seeking safety, and instead they were met with cruelty and detention. They are now facing significant hardship, and have been told that they will be returned to the danger from which they fled.

But, while they have been living in the Melbourne community, Yunay and Sangini have been contributing to our local community and participating in community groups—including, in particular, Kyokushin karate clubs, as well as the Farnham Street Neighbourhood Learning Centre. Yunay and Sangini are widely loved and respected in our local community. They are building new lives and making Melbourne a better place. But this government wants to return them to danger.

Many of their friends were so shocked to learn that the government wanted to deport them that a group of them and their colleagues got together to find a way to support them. Supporters organised a fundraising event at the Flemington & Kensington Bowling Club for Yunay and Sangini and other asylum seekers in need of support. 250 people got together to raise money and show their support. Bands Dirty Rascal and Crescent Moon volunteered, along with Sri Lankan dance performers and a karate display. This was an entirely grassroots driven show of solidarity and it's why I'm proud to represent Melbourne in this parliament. With this support, Yunay and Sangini have received legal representation and stable housing. The proceeds from the night will help others that have been pushed into a precarious existence by government policy.

I'd like to acknowledge the contributions of several individuals and organisations that have supported Yunay and Sangini, and helped to gather the community together in this show of solidarity. In particular, I would like to acknowledge Manrico Moro, Cathy Connopand the team at the Farnham Street Neighbourhood Learning Centre, Noel Newell of the Helping Hand project, the members of the Kyokushin karate clubs, Lentil as Anything, and lawyer, Sanmati Verma. To everyone who contributed to this event, and who are backing Yunay and Sangini, thank you.

Last weekend, Melbourne awoke to the very sad news that a fire had severely damaged La Mama Theatre in Carlton. La Mama is a Melbourne institution, and for over 50 years La Mama has been at the heart and soul of Melbourne's performing arts community. It was established by Betty Burstall in 1967, inspired by off-off-Broadway venues to create a space for small vibrant performances, at a time when there was simply nothing like it in Melbourne. When La Mama was founded, the production of Australian plays was almost non-existent and certainly financially risky. La Mama's not-for-profit organisation provided the venue for the performance of new and experimental Australian theatre works. It's a place where emerging artists have found their feet and have connected with new audiences. Burstall described it as 'essentially a playwright's theatre', a place where new ideas and new types of expression can be tried out, a place where you can hear what people are thinking and feeling.

Its alumni are a roll-call of the most prominent performers and writers in Australian theatre: David Williamson, Cate Blanchett, Jack Hibberd, Graeme Blundell, Judith Lucy and Julia Zemiro to name a few—and so many others have passed through their doors and across their stage. Generations of Melburnians have stories about the performances that they've seen at La Mama, and Carlton would not be what it is without La Mama, where it remains a community focal point.

This week has been a time of sadness and reflection for the La Mama community. But it is clear that La Mama will be back and will rebuild. In whatever form it takes into the future, La Mama will continue to be the beating heart of Melbourne's arts community. And, as the local MP for Melbourne, I stand ready to support La Mama now and into the future. To the entire La Mama community, I'm sorry for the loss that you've experienced this week. Thank you for the important part you play in making Melbourne what it is today.

The economy is rigged. While big corporations' profits are soaring, wages are flatlining and inequality is the highest we have seen it for 70 years. Under the current rules, workers are stopped from fighting for a better deal. A big reason why wages are stagnating—and you have people like the Reserve Bank Governor saying it's a problem—is that we have a lack of balance in our workplace laws. There are too many restrictions on the taking of legitimate industrial action and on unions' ability to freely organise and represent workers. It's worth remembering that the current restrictions that we've got in the Fair Work Act were either put in place by Labor or retained from previous attacks on workers by the Liberals.

The Greens believe that workers should have the right to engage in industrial action, including the right to strike, consistent with international law, and it should not be limited to artificially restricted bargaining periods. Legislation banning secondary boycotts and strike action should also be repealed. Workers are not slaves. That is what is meant to distinguish this economy from previous ones. People should be able to withdraw their labour. I want to acknowledge the important work that is being done by many unions and their members to change the rules, including fighting for the right to strike. The Greens will stand with you in making sure that the right to take industrial action and the right to strike, as recognised by international law, are also recognised in Australian law.

The City of Melbourne has elected a new Lord Mayor. I'd like to congratulate Sally Capp for her successful campaign and for becoming the first woman to be directly elected as Melbourne's Lord Mayor. I want to talk about Councillor Rohan Leppert, who ran an outstanding campaign as the Greens candidate for Lord Mayor. At a time when development is happening faster than at any time since the gold rush and many things that we love about Melbourne are under pressure, Rohan put forward a vision of what a livable, sustainable and caring future for our city could look like. He did incredibly well going up against the might of Labor and Liberal working together. You see it in operation at the Melbourne City Council every day, where Labor and Liberal decide they'd much rather have each other in power than the Greens.

I would particularly like to place on the record my thanks to my friend Councillor Cathy Oke. Cathy has been a leading voice on council for a decade. In that time, she's delivered action on climate change and sustainable transport, and our city would look very different without her. She's spoken out for change and an end to the poor culture and harassment that we saw under Robert Doyle. Cathy, thank you for your leadership.

Many Greens members and supporters gave their time and energy generously to support Rohan's campaign. Volunteers made thousands of phone calls and delivered thousands of leaflets to residents all around Melbourne. To all the volunteers who made this campaign what it was, thank you. I'd like to thank Bridget Lea, Apsara Sabaratnam, Bianca Gibson, Rob Oke, Lloyd Davies, Olivia Ball, Roxane Ingleton, Lucy Firth, Ben Curnow, Shelley Faubel, Emily Corcoran, Linda Gale and Ken McAlpine in particular for their ongoing and amazing contributions.