Today a delegation from our church are taking a letter to the PM’s office to protest his government’s disgraceful seeker policy. The letter is as follows:

The Hon Kevin Rudd MP The House of Representatives Parliament House CANBERRA  ACT    2600

Dear Prime Minister,

We are writing in response to your recent policy change on asylum seekers. As conscientious individuals and as parishioners of St Andrew’s Anglican Church (South Brisbane), we humbly and honestly state our response to this policy.

Firstly, we want to respond to your unexpected change in stance. We were inspired by your action in 2007 in opposition to John Howard and Phillip Ruddock’s Nauru Solution. This reflected your strong moral objection and your personal convictions. However, it seems in the interest of winning this election, you have abruptly changed your policy on asylum seekers. When we, as individuals, vote in a politician, we put trust in the character of that person. In your article centring on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Christian engagement in politics, you said ‘I argue that a core, continuing principle shaping this engagement, should be that Christianity, consistent with Bonhoeffer in the 30’s, must always take the side of the marginalised, the vulnerable and the oppressed’ (Rudd, 2006). You go on to quote to parable of the Good Samaritan in discussing asylum seekers and how we are to ‘respond to a vulnerable stranger in our midst’ (Rudd, 2006). You have clearly professed that you are a man of faith, upholding the principles of Jesus who calls his followers to ‘do what is fair and just to your neighbour’ (Micah 6:8, MSG). Prime Minister, we are now struggling to trust you as a person as what seemed to be a personal conviction and a desire to help the powerless now appears to be a political move in seeking re-election.

Secondly, as members of a global community, Australia has an obligation to help those seeking asylum in our country. Australia, as a party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, has adhered to a principle ‘where we will not [send] someone back into a situation of possible persecution [and] not…[penalise] asylum seekers for entering a country illegally’. Your new policy on asylum seekers directly opposes this principle. As a country upholding the idea of giving people a fair go, it is imperative that we model a way of responding to this issue that protects the marginalised. It is vital that, in accordance with the 1951 Convention, we ‘act in a true spirit of international cooperation’ to allow asylum seekers a place for resettlement. We acknowledge that this is a complicated issue but it is not going to go away. So, we appeal to you to work for a better solution in Australia rather than outsourcing the issue to Papua New Guinea, as this raises many ethical concerns.

Thirdly, we are asking for the following actions to occur:

• A change in policy which expands onshore processing and remove offshore processing;
• Expand Australia’s involvement with the UNHCR by increasing Australia’s intake of humanitarian visas in order to deter people smugglers (as mentioned in your ‘no boats’ policy) but still allow people to seek refuge in Australia;
• We would also like to respond in action, to pray for wisdom, guidance and conviction as you respond to this complex issue. We acknowledge that in your role you face many decisions each day that require wisdom in exploring solutions.

We would like to talk with you about this issue face-to-face and await your reply.

Yours faithfully,

Concerned parishioners from St Andrew’s Anglican Church: 160 Vulture Street, South Brisbane

Dave & Angie Andrews: 74 Hardgrave Road, West End