SA Premier Joins Call To #LetThemStay, Offers Up Home State To Refugees

In an open letter to the PM (CC’d Daniel Andrews), Weatherill wrote that “there is no need for their removal. I ask that you allow these children and their families to call South Australia home.”

His reasons line-up with pretty much everyone whose name doesn’t rhyme with ‘Reter Button’: that sending these children back is a cruel, unnecessary step which would inflict unfathomable harm to a group of already vulnerable people. 

“Medical and other experts have stated that the welfare of these 267 people is at risk should they be returned to Nauru,” he wrote. “I understand that your priority is maintaining secure borders and keeping people smugglers out of business. We do not need to knowingly harm children in order to achieve those outcomes.”

He takes the whole jibe of the thing one step further than Andrews, using this opportunity to publicly condemn our offshore detention program, writing:

“Many Australians have lost confidence in an offshore detention system that lacks transparency, is without independent oversight, offers refugees no credible hope of resettlement and that is demonstrably destructive to the health of children and adults.”

Now, correct me if I’m wrong here, but is that the first time a non Greens-affiliated politician has spoken out against Nauru in the last five years? Probably.

You can read his letter in full below:

And just yesterday, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr tweeted his support.

Yet, as of right this minute, Turnbull doesn’t have time to read and respond to letters about refugee children – he’s busy hanging out with a bunch of kids lucky enough to be allowed to live in Australia already.

Turnbull playing snakes and ladders with the kids… Pyne asks: “Who’s winning Tom? That’s what we like to know” pic.twitter.com/esXjLbmWM1

— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) February 7, 2016

Okay mate.