Compassion Is Not Weakness.

Today we are hearing rumblings of yet another leadership challenge for the role of Prime Minister of Australia.
It is alleged that perhaps Peter Dutton, minister for Home Affairs, will potentially challenge Malcolm Turnbull, Leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Australia.

With the overwhelming discussions of the difficulties faced by so many, whether it be economic difficulty, mental health issues or community cohesion, we believe that the one of the most important avenues to addressing these issues is understanding, listening and compassion.

Compassion and understanding for the circumstances that lead people to act in a certain way.

Compassion and understanding for the circumstances that prevent individuals and communities from achieving their full potential and being able to take advantage of opportunity.

Compassion and understanding that not everyone has the same lived experience as us, and, rightly or wrongly, that informs the way that you see the world.
 
Now we would like to turn that compassion and understanding to Minister Dutton, but it is a little bit difficult, with the details of his life and career prior to entering parliament being a little bit vague. We note, however, that in response to the asylum seekers he says to The Australian;

“It’s essential that people ­realise that the hard-won success of the last few years could be undone overnight by a single act of compassion in bringing 20 people from Manus to Australia.”*
 
We could not disagree further, with the notion that compassion is a sign of weakness.

Compassion is a sign of strength, competence, unity and a strong sense of identity. Compassionate treatment of those in need is a clear sign that we are a country with strong, generous and welcoming values. That we pride ourselves on working to improve the lives of all people in the country, whether they are born here or not. Compassion is an indication that we are competent and skilled at taking people who have little, and helping them find their way to having enough.

We believe that Australia should strive to be the best place in the world for anyone to be.

The best place for equality of opportunity. The most accepting and understanding country in the world, and the most compassionate.

Compassion is not weakness.
Being scared of people in need, is.


​*Source Article

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