Telemovie to deter asylum seekers an abuse of public funds, say Greens
‘With the brutal conflicts in Syria and Iraq the only message we are sending refugee families caught up in the violence is, “Bugger off, Australia does not care about your suffering,” ’ says Sarah Hanson-Young
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the plan will do nothing to improve Australia’s standing in the international community. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
The federal government’s plan to pay $4m to make a telemovie to deter asylum seekers from coming to Australia by boat is an abuse of public funds, the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says.
On Thursday Lateline reported that a local production company, Put it Out There Pictures, had been contracted by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service to make a telemovie to be broadcast in countries from which asylum seekers commonly seek refuge, including Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
“With the brutal conflicts in Syria and Iraq the only message we are sending refugee families caught up in the violence is, ‘Bugger off, Australia does not care about your suffering,’ ” Hanson-Young said.
“This will do nothing to help improve Australia’s standing in the international community. We should be doing more to help address the refugee crisis by offering safe avenues to Australia, not turning our backs on those in need telling people we don’t care what happens to them.”
