Don’t forget refugees

Inglis Clark praise

I WOULD like to thank and congratulate all those wonderful people who supported the campaign to recognise Andrew Inglis Clark by renaming the electorate of Denison Clark. These champions assisted in a variety of ways, including writing submissions, appearing at public hearings and signing petitions. Even better news, the ACT place names committee has reserved Clark as a future suburb name.

Bob-a-job

THE sight of a campaign-mode, bowlsplaying Will Hodgman brought back a childhood memory. As a youngster in the Cub Scouts doing “Bob-a-job”, I asked a gentleman playing bowls at the local club whether I could polish his balls. Without the slightest facial reaction, he looked at me sagely and said “bowls, son ... bowls”. Oh, a penny for my childhood sage’s thoughts on pork-barrelling, bowls and the “Special Energy Bonus” for “seniors”. AT the end of October, the Australian Government will close the detention centre on Manus, forcing the occupants into a community that doesn’t want them. And then, I suspect, the Government will hope we forget about them. Forget these people have been assessed and found to be genuine refugees. Forget New Zealand offered to take them and, in an act of stunning cruelty, Australia refused. Forget the UN called it a humanitarian crisis. But we don’t have to do what the government wants. Don’t forget. They’re still there, only now they’re worse off than ever.