Dear supporters, On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending Carols for Homeless and Refugees. It was an incredible event that showed the best of humanity. A six foot Steinway piano was donated for the occasion. Pianist Alan Hicks volunteered to perform, accompanying the singing of acclaimed opera singer Ayșe Göknur Shanal. The proceeds of the event were divided between homeless advocacy and for our campaign to fight Dutton in court: https://chuffed.org/project/chip-in-to-keep-dutton-in-court-season4justice I found the event incredibly humbling. If only the government could show the same generosity to refugees as the homeless people in Sydney did. Our government has spent almost five billion dollars on cruelly detaining asylum seekers and refugees on Manus and Nauru. Imagine what could have been achieved if they had spent that money on affordable housing instead. The Carols could not have been held without the generosity and kindness of people who donated food and services to the homeless. Sadly homeless people and people seeking asylum don’t receive the same generosity and kindness from our leaders. At NJP, we witness how little our government values the lives of asylum seekers, even little children. This Christmas we have had to turn to the courts to force the government to get dying people urgent medical treatment. We’ve had to launch public awareness campaigns and court action for pregnant women with pre-eclampsia to come to Australian hospitals to have a safe birth and we have fought for distressed children to get urgently needed treatment. Our work depends on the generosity of unpaid volunteers. That includes the medical specialists who provide us with the expert advice we need to advocate for our clients. In the recent case of a desperate young girl, we were also lucky to have the support of two of Australia’s top barristers Claire O’Connor SC and Julian Burnside QC. As Christmas approaches, it’s an appropriate time to remember that everyone deserves a safe place to call home. From Manus and Nauru to the heart of Sydney, everyone deserves a home. Together we can keep the pressure on this Minister: https://chuffed.org/project/chip-in-to-keep-dutton-in-court-season4justice Regards, George Newhouse Principal Solicitor National Justice Project