REFUGEE RIGHTS TRASHED (Weekly, February 25)
■ While we all understand that the Abbott government was elected on a “stop the boats” platform, that does not excuse it from walking away from its obligations under the relevant Australian and international laws on the rights of the refugees who are already onshore in Australia.
The federal government must stop colluding with the Sri Lankan government, which has an appalling record in treating the Tamil minority, and stop sending Tamil asylum seekers back to Sri Lanka to almost certain torture at the hands of the Sri Lankan intelligence services.
TOM JOSEPH VIA ONLINE
PUT JOBS AT TOP OF AGENDA
■ Under Premier Denis Napthine’s watch, the youth unemployment crisis is revealing worrying pockets of disadvantage in Melbourne’s northern suburbs and regional Victoria. As entire industries collapse and employment security declines (only 2 per cent of new jobs have been full time since the Liberal National Party coalition was elected in Victoria), the jobs future of our state should be at the forefront of the government’s agenda.
Dr Napthine’s actions show the opposite: the government cut
$1.2 billion from TAFE, reduced the number of courses on offer and the number of enrolments, and its major infrastructure pipeline consists of one dodgy tunnel.
Over the last term of the previous Labor government, average annual job growth was three times faster than it has been under the Coalition.
Victorian Labor leader Daniel Andrews has already released detailed policies to create 10,000 jobs, transform our roads and public transport and get our economy back on track.
But in his dysfunctional minority government, Dr Napthine has shown he is more interested in fighting for his own job than fighting for Victorian jobs.
Victoria deserves better.
TIM PALLAS SHADOW TREASURER, SHADOW MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT
