GetUp depicts Abbott ready to surf the waves with a refugee.
Tony Abbott is to take surfing lessons with an Australian immigrant after a left-wing activist group GetUp successfully won an eBay bid to have a date with the opposition leader.
The group raised money from members to bid for a surfing lesson and breakfast with Mr Abbott – who supports stricter restrictions to deter illegal immigrants – as part of the parliamentary press gallery’s Midwinter Ball fundraiser.
The group will be sending former refugee Riz Wakil to take the surfing lessons with Mr Abbott, they will be joined for breakfast by five fellow immigrants.
Mr Wakil expressed his delight at the chance to meet Mr Abbott, saying: “Mr Abbott can teach me a thing or two about surfing and I’ll teach him about what refugees go through to build a new life in Australia.”
Mr Wahil immigrated to Australia from Afghanistan at the age of 18 and was held in the Curtin detention centre for nine months. He has since successfully applied for Australian citizenship and runs a successful printing business in Sydney.
Mr Abbott has yet to comment on the successful bidder but the group GetUp released this statement on their website just before the bidding began: “Tony Abbott is expecting a big corporate donor to win the bid, but if we all chip in we can make sure he hears a different voice: refugees who’ve experienced Australia’s cruel immigration system first hand.”
Mr Abbott’s party have promised a tough stance on immigrants if they get into power, including turning away so called ‘boat people’ and the reintroduction of offshore processing.
All money raised by the auction will be going to four charities, Camp Kookaburra, Fighting Chance, Karinya House and OzHelp Foundation. The auction for Tony Abbott was listed as “Dinner for six with the Leader of the Opposition at a Sydney restaurant OR a personal surf lesson/session on Sydney’s Northern Beaches including a sit down breakfast for six people.” and was reputed to be one of the most expensive lots in the auction. It is unclear how much was eventually bid by GetUp.
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