Write to your Member of Parliament...
The main follow-up to the Rally at Parliament House has to be in the form of personal letters to our representatives in Parliament.
The purpose of this letter is to inform your MP about the issue, and about your concern.
It would be very useful to include a copy of the basic points set out in the press release distributed before the Rally. There is also another summary of the issue. You will find this under Background Information.
You can find your MP's name and adress etc from the website below. I am also offering a sample of the kind of letter that you might send.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
How to find the name and address of your local MP
1. The government website is user friendly, and with a little perseverance it is easy to find your Member.
The Legislative Council and the Assembly are listed separately: a letter to all your representatives would be good.
Click on Member's name for full profile (incl. email address).
2. This page, listing the correct form of address the the various Members of Parliament according to their position or status, may also be useful. http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/people-in-parliament/addressing-members
A sample letter to an MP
Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms ….......
Member of the Legislative Council OR House of Representatives
Parliament House
Melbourne 3000
Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms …......
Re: An Inquiry into Sexual Assault by some clergy in the Catholic Church, into how the church has managed this problem, and into 35 suicides from among victims of Catholic clergy.
I urge you to support and advance the call for an Independent State-led Statutory Inquiry into the way the epidemic of sexual crimes and assaults has been managed by the Catholic Church and, in view of the shocking number of suicides among those who have been abused by members of the clergy, to urge the Government and Victoria Police to hand over details of these to the State Coroner for investigation.
Sexual crimes by Catholic clergy are criminal matters and the responsibility of the State, and should not be left to be dealt with by the Catholic Church. There is ample evidence that access to justice for Catholic clergy victims is severely limited. Urgent reform is needed. The State must ensure that justice prevails in every part of society without exception.
I enclose some background information on this very serious problem.
I thank you for your interest in these very important issues and urge you to push for the vital reforms so necessary to help bring justice to victims/survivors of what are reprehensible and despicable crimes against the children of this State.
Yours sincerely,
