'We declined': Newcastle Mums reject volunteer awards to make a point

By Damon Cronshaw

Updated October 16 2024 - 3:47pm, first published 12:30pm

📷 Megan Clarke, Kerrie McGrath and Claire Paterson, of Newcastle Mums for Palestine, declined volunteer awards from Sharon Claydon. Picture supplied

Three mums have declined a volunteer award from Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon to highlight the "daily struggles faced by Palestinians".

The trio, of Newcastle Mums for Palestine, attended a ceremony for volunteer awards on Tuesday.

But when Ms Claydon presented the awards, they declined to accept them.

Megan Clarke, a member of the group, said they "declined to shake" Ms Claydon's hand at the ceremony and "instead passed on three important documents".

These were: A list of children who died in Gaza since October 7; an Australian Centre for International Justice statement on "occupied Palestinian territory" and a study in The Lancet on the death toll in Gaza.

The mums group said that it would, under different circumstances, "welcome this recognition from our elected federal representative".

The group had done advocacy and fundraising work over the past year.

"Our own work pales in comparison to the daily struggles faced by Palestinians," Mrs Clarke said.

She added that the fundraising helped relatives of a Palestinian family in Newcastle to escape Gaza and come to Australia.

The group was concerned about a lack of "access to humanitarian visas" for Palestinian refugees.

"We do not do this work simply because we have the time to spare for a worthy cause," Mrs Clarke said.

She added that the trio did not take up anyone else's time when they declined the awards at the ceremony.

Mrs Clark said Ms Claydon had been "notably absent from all our community events held over the past 12 months, despite multiple invitations".

"She is yet to attend a local rally. She is yet to adequately acknowledge the presence of peaceful protestors, who gather outside her office twice a week."

Ms Claydon declined to comment.

More than 42,000 people had been killed and more than 99,000 injured in Gaza by Israeli forces, Gaza's health ministry says.

Israel says more than 1200 people, mostly civilians, were killed when Hamas terrorists attacked on October 7.

More than 250 hostages were taken into Gaza. About 100 remained there, while about 40 had died.