Pro Refugees 

One Man's Web > Politics and Ethics > Australia and the Refugees > Pro Refugees

To listen to some people, it would seem that those supporting refugees are some benighted minority in Australia.  For edification, I list the patrons of A Just Australia a campaign for just refugee programs. This list contains a amazing array of significant Australians, on both sides of politics, including Liberal Party members. It indicates just how cheaply populist the policies of Howard and Ruddock are with respect to refugees, and how far out of step they are with thinking compassionate Australians. Enough said. Visit the Just Australia website.

Phillip Adams, Officer in the Order of Australia, Eminent Broadcaster and Commentator 
Julian Burnside, Queen's Council, Eminent Lawyer
Rev Tim Costello, Baptist Minister of Religion, brother of the Australian Treasurer Peter Costello
Rev Bill Crews, Member in the Order of Australia. Awarded The Rotary Foundation International Award "Paul Harris Fellow",  Father of the Year and Humanitarian of the Year in 1992. In February 1998  included in the National Trust's 100 "National Living Treasures". 
Kate Durham Artist, Spare Rooms for Refugees
Malcolm Fraser Companion in the Order of Australia, Former (Liberal) Prime Minister of Australia
Carrillo Gantner Officer in the Order of Australia 
Barry Jones Officer in the Order of Australia Formal Federal Labor politician
Bill Kelty  Current Federal Labor Politician, former Secretary Australian Council Of Trade Unions
Julia King  Fairfax Board of Directors
Prof Ian Lowe Officer in the Order of Australia  Honorary Professor of Science, Technology and Society at Griffith University, adjunct professor at two other universities.  Director of the Commission for the Future in 1988 , chaired the Australian government's advisory council which produced the first independent national report on the state of the environment in 1996. Australian Humanist of the Year in 1988.
Ian Macphee Officer in the Order of Australia Former Liberal Immigration Minister.
Robert Manne Associate professor of politics at La Trobe University.
John Menadue Officer in the Order of Australia Former Australian Public Servant.  He was head of three Federal Government Departments, including Immigration and Prime Minster and Cabinet.  He was a Telstra Director and Chief Executive Officer of Quantas.
Lowitja O'Donoghue Companion in the Order of Australia, Commander of the British Empire Former Chair - Aboriginal and Torrens Strait Islander Commission.
Sir Richard Peek Retired Vice Admiral, Australian Navy  Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
John Singleton  Order of Australia in 1994 Service to the community through personal support and fundraising activities for charitable, sporting and research organisations   
Prof Margaret Reynolds President United Nations Association of Australia
Neville Roach Officer in the Order of Australia  Chairman of Fujitsu Australia Limited. Chair of the Business Advisory Panel. Chair of the Council for Multicultural Australia. Was Chair of the former National Multicultural Advisory Council (NMAC), Director of the Australian Information Industry Association, Director of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia and member of the Australian Graduate School of Management Advisory Council. Was also Chair of the Asia-in-Australia Council and the Committee of Inquiry into the Temporary Entry of Business People and Highly Skilled Specialists.
Dr Nouria Salehi Medal of the Order of Australia   Afghan-Australian academic and human rights campaigner, Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Sir Ronald Wilson Companion in the Order of Australia, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Companion of the Order of St Michael & St George,  Queen's Council   Former Justice of the High Court, Former Chair of Human Rights Equal and Opportunity Commission, Former President of Uniting Church in Australia
Dr John Yu Companion in the Order of Australia  Chancellor of the University of NSW, 1996 Australian of the Year, distinguished community leader , former chief executive of the New Children’s Hospital
Irving Saulwick Member in the Order of Australia  Social researcher and one of Australia's best-known public opinion pollsters.
John Dowd Officer in the Order of Australia NSW Attorney-General: 1988-June 1991.Opposition Leader in NSW Legislative Assembly: 1981-83.Shadow Attorney-General, Shadow Leader of the Legislative Assembly. 
Nicholas Cowdery Queen's Council NSW Director of Public Prosecutions
Prof Peter Baume Officer in the Order of Australia Chancellor Australian National University
Hugh Mackay Prominent Australian Social Researcher
Moira Rayner    Acting Commissioner for Equal Opportunity in Western Australia. Previously London Children's Commissioner. Also writer, lawyer, speaker and human rights activist.
John Newcombe Officer in the Order of Australia Officer of the Order of the British Empire  Australian Tennis Great
Ian Chappell Australian Cricketing Great
Cr Jim Soorley  Lord Mayor of Australia's largest local government authority (3 times)
Garry McDonald Prominent Australian Actor
Fred Chaney Officer in the Order of Australia Former Liberal Government Cabinet Minister
Mark Raper SJ Member in the Order of Australia  Heads the international Jesuit Refugee Service
Kate Atkinson  Founding Member of Actors for Refugees, Australian Actor
Alice Garner Founding Member of Actors for Refugees, Actor and Activist
Tom Long  Actor
Mike Carlton Australian Broadcaster
Hon Nick Greiner Companion in the Order of Australia Former Liberal Premier of NSW, prominent businessman.
Renata Kaldor Officer in the Order of Australia  Company Director, State Rail Authority Board, Fellow of the Sydney University Senate, member of the Sydney Olympic Bid Committee, former chair  NSW Women's Advisory Council.
Ian Barker Queen's Council  Prominent Lawyer
Ian Parmenter TV Personality
Eva Cox Officer in the Order of Australia 
Santo Cilauro Member of "The Panel"
Michael Hill 
Hon Justice Marcus Einfeld Officer in the Order of Australia Foundation President  Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
John Hewson Member in the Order of Australia Former Federal Leader of the Liberal Party
Prof Jerzy Zubrzycki Officer in the Order of Australia Commander of the British Empire Emeritus professor of sociology at the Australian National University
Tuong-Quang Luu Officer in the Order of Australia  Former refugee, now head of SBS radio.
Hilary McPhee Officer in the Order of Australia Editor and Publisher, Author, sometime chair of The Australia Council
Don Watson  Author, former speech writer for Prime Minister Paul Keating
Ric Charlesworth Member in the Order of Australia Hockeyroos coach, former state Labor MP
Jack Thompson Member in the Order of Australia Iconic Australian Actor
Claudia Karvan  Prominent Australian Actor
Most Reverend Ian George Officer in the Order of Australia  Lawyer, Anglican Archbishop of Adelaide
Bridie Carter Actor
Frank Sartor Officer in the Order of Australia Lord Mayor of Sydney
John Marsden Member in the Order of Australia  Prominent young people's author
Elizabeth Evatt Companion in the Order of Australia Former Australian Law Reform Commissioner