Confirmation that the deportation of people currently on Manus Island will commence this month is deeply concerning and represents a breach of Australia’s non-refoulement obligations, according to the Edmund Rice Centre.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s announcement that Australia will permanently maintain its annual humanitarian intake of 18,750 is a good start - but must not mask the ‘elephant in the room’ that is the desperate plight of refugees on Manus Island and Nauru.

Following the release by The Guardian of over 2,000 documents outlining reports of abuse, neglect and self-harm on Nauru, the Edmund Rice Centre is calling for a bipartisan response to resolve the crisis in Australia’s offshore detention system. 

A group of young leaders from Kiribati, Tuvalu and Sydney’s Pacific Island community will meet with Australian politicians about the urgent need to take action on climate change, as part of the Kiribati-Australia-Tuvalu Exchange Program (KATEP) which commenced on Saturday 4 June 2016.

As we prepare for the Federal Election we call to mind the values, which we hope will guide us at this time – human dignity, human rights, the common good, ecological responsibility, a fair deal for all, and preference for those ‘made’ poor. We know that global warming, the unprecedented number of people seeking asylum around the world, inequality, and economic injustices are clear challenges of our time.

NetAct - a Project of Catholic Social Justice, Welfare and Educational Agencies - has prepared this kit which we trust will assist you to consider which Parties/candidates would be most likely to work for structures and policies which would support these values and a sustainable way of living on the earth. A real challenge for us all.

Download here.