Our latest Act Justly is available here.

Dear Readers, 

As spring begins to turn to summer, things are looking better for many of us in Australia. The pandemic appears to be abating here and slowly we are re-joining our communities, work places and even having picnics again – though lying in the sun still  a bridge too far. Certainly Australia appears to have escaped the worst of this pandemic.

Though not for all. In this edition of Act Justly we look at the pain and heartache being experienced by asylum seekers, refugees and those living with mental ill-health. For the most vulnerable, Australia continues to be a harsh and unforgiving country

We also touch on the potentially lost opportunity represented by the Prime Minister’s curious ambition for a “gas led” recovery. There is no doubt we need a vision for an economic recovery and with climate change continuing to wreak havoc – especially in our region and in low-lying nations and islands like the Torres Strait – we need a recovery plan to include green new jobs and renewable energy. 

But it is not only the economy that has taken a battering over the last twelve months. Our democracy is coming under very real pressure as we witness scandals like the sports-rorts affair and the fact that the gas industry appears to writing public policy. Policy like having a “gas led” recovery foisted on a community desperate for sustainable, cheap, renewable energy. It is past time for a federal anti-corruption commission with teeth if we are to see an end to this parlous state.

While these are live issues for every citizen, it is those without citizenship that are suffering the most during this national and international crisis.

In this edition we look at what is being done and hopfully what you can do to make life possible for asylum seekers, refugees and those without any citizenship. In these days where the government appears to have washed its hands to their suffering, we may be their only hope.