{"id":15010,"date":"2014-06-11T18:05:01","date_gmt":"2014-06-11T07:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/?p=15010"},"modified":"2014-06-12T13:53:11","modified_gmt":"2014-06-12T02:53:11","slug":"media-release-manus-spend-or-tassie-spend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/2014\/06\/11\/media-release-manus-spend-or-tassie-spend\/","title":{"rendered":"Media Release: Manus spend or Tassie spend?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Billions spent on Manus & Nauru better spent in Tasmania<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anglican Bishop John Harrower and CEO of the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce, Ms Misha Coleman will bring attention to the billions of dollars wasted on the Abbott Government\u2019s offshore detention facilities when they meet with state and federal politicians in Tasmania this week. Ms Coleman said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Taskforce estimates it\u2019s costing Australian taxpayers $3,744 per day for each man, woman and child held in offshore detention centres.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She said the billions spent on offshore detention could not be justified when the Federal Government is cutting on funding on health and education to the states.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Tasmanian Government estimates it will be $2.1 billion worse off over the next decade as a direct result of the Federal Budget. When contrasted with the $4.2 billion Canberra is planning to spend on offshore detention over the next four years, Tasmanians are entitled to question the Federal Government\u2019s priorities.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ms Coleman said the Abbott Government\u2019s own Commission of Audit acknowledged offshore detention was the fastest growing area of expenditure in the Federal Budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re the only country in the world that wastes money in this way. While we\u2019re sinking billions into two other islands – Nauru and Manus Island – we\u2019re slashing the budget of our own island state, Tasmania\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ms Coleman said processing and accommodating asylum seekers in Tasmania would be significantly cheaper than the costs associated with Manus and Nauru.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe money saved could be used to fund State health and education needs instead.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ms Coleman said the Taskforce was aware that people with fulltime jobs in Australia are working at the offshore centres during their holidays, because the wages on Manus and Nauru for expatriate detention staff is so high.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could be employing Tasmanians in Tasmania instead. The Taskforce has estimated that thousands of jobs could be created by processing asylum seekers in Tasmania \u2013 without the inhumane conditions that have led to suicide attempts and violence in the offshore centres.\u201c<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Anglican Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower, Patron of the Taskforce, said;<\/p>\n

\u201cWith a projected cut of $27million in state health spending over the next year as a result of the Federal Budget, Tasmania faces the loss of 59 hospital beds. The Churches are asking the Federal Government whether the blank cheque it\u2019s written to deter asylum seekers can be justified?\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe we have a responsibility to demand the proper stewardship of taxpayers\u2019 funds, especially at a time when Tasmanians are being further disadvantaged by the proposed cuts to our essential services. Spending money on the care of asylum seekers in Tasmania, instead of Nauru and Manus Island, would stimulate economic growth and provide jobs in Tasmania. And based on Tasmania\u2019s record of caring for asylum seekers and refugees, we\u2019d get a more ethical, humane and legal approach to the care of asylum seekers, as opposed to the cruelty that is being inflicted in the offshore camps\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bishop Harrower said Australia\u2019s national spending priorities are<\/p>\n

\u201ca reflection of its values as a society\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bishop John Harrower will host the Premier, Lord Mayor of Hobart Damon Thomas, the Mayor of Glenorchy and other Senators, Members of Parliament and dignitaries, prior to a Forum to discuss alternatives to the current policy framework as part of the 2014 Refugee Week celebrations in Tasmania on Thursday 12 June, at St David\u2019s Cathedral , 121 Macquarie Street, Hobart, from 5.30 to 6.30pm.<\/p>\n

Press inquiries: Misha Coleman, Taskforce CEO, 0428 399 739 or The Rev\u2019d Stephen Carnaby, Bishop\u2019s Media Officer, 0417 343 710 (Media\u00a0Release of 10th<\/sup> June 2014)<\/p>\n

See also, At Easter:\u00a01000 children in detention<\/span><\/span><\/a> and\u00a0Speaking asylum seekers with our children<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Billions spent on Manus & Nauru better spent in Tasmania Anglican Bishop John Harrower and CEO of the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce, Ms Misha Coleman will bring attention to the billions of dollars wasted on the Abbott Government\u2019s offshore detention … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15010"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15010"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15027,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15010\/revisions\/15027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imaginarydiocese.org\/bishopjohn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}