Actor calls out Australia on treatment of refugees

NEW ZEALAND – The New Zealand actor, Oscar Kightley, says his country should be calling out Australia over human rights abuses in its offshore detention centres for refugees.

Oscar Kightley has been outspoken in New Zealand media decrying Australia’s four year detention of refugees in prison camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island.

“This is our neighbourhood, this is in the South Pacific, this is in our part of the world and we all need to care. Yeah, there are atrocities happening all over the world, but this is right in our back yard,” Kightley said.

Kightley says the refugees don’t have time for diplomatic niceties.

“You know this game of politics where one leader talks to another leader and it’s all about what they don’t talk about and subjects that they skirt around.

“It’s up to good mates to tell their good mates when they’re acting a bit unreasonable.”

Kightley says there’s no excuse for the prolonged detention of the refugees, especially when so many are children.

The leader of the opposition Labour party, Andrew Little, says New Zealand should be encouraging Australia to improve its human rights record.

“I think the one thing that our two countries now, given the current world order, is to stand together and together be the beacon for decent human rights, the rule of law, standing and proudly calling out breaches of those things when we see it.”