Far from 'un-Australian' to fight for the vulnerable
Lawyers providing pro bono assistance to asylum seekers do so in their role as guardians of the rule of law and should be commended for acting fearlessly.
FAR from being un-Australian as the Federal Immigration Minister suggests, lawyers providing pro bono assistance to asylum seekers do so in their role as guardians of the rule of law and should be commended for acting fearlessly in these matters.
To my mind, it is essential to our values that we fight for fair, and that means we will continue taking on cases for the most vulnerable people, regardless of their background.
The Federal Government's move to strip asylum seekers of income and housing support can only be described as unnecessarily cruel.
It targets those people brought to Australia for medical treatment from Nauru and Manus, who are seriously unwell.
A fair society ensures people have access to proper care and treatment.
This is a dehumanising measure that reduces this already vulnerable group of people to poverty by the stroke of a pen.
ANDREW MCKENZIE
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
Maroochydore
