Comments

quark

Thu, 2013-09-19 11:06

I have just heard Jon Faine (presenter) on ABC radio speaking to Margot Carroll who has led this battle. Today the Supreme Court after a 5 minute hearing dismissed Stonnington Council's case against the proposed development. The distressing point that Margot made was that the court did not consider the number of objections to lend any weight to the case so that 10,000 objections was the same as 10. Interestingly on the same radio station the same presenter is discussing planning issues with a panel of "experts". The first question was about the ingredients of a livable city and the answer was "community involvement" in planning! I also heard one of the experts saying that growth was an "opportunity" (in livability I presume)! Someone also said that not all developers want to maximise profit at the expense of "design". (They must be the public benefactor developers.)

Sheila Newman

Tue, 2013-09-17 20:52

Yes, this is corruption and political disruption at a systemic level. Our political parties are really corporations with huge amounts of money invested in the institutions that finance projects like the East-West Link. They expect members of Parliament to make laws to ensure that those investment projects go ahead. This is fascism without the overt violence - yet. All the arguments about fixing an ailing economy etc are a facade, as far as I am concerned which people lose time and energy arguing with. The term 'liveability' is interesting - a kind of nonsense economics term to replace the original requirements of protecting the environment and ensuring a working democracy. I was glad that Williamson and Palmer, among others on Q & A last night (16/9/2013) drew attention to the lack of democracy in Australia pretty clearly for once on the ABC. I think that one of them suggested that we need to hear more about the minor parties so that we know who is there to vote for. I agree. The ABC should be spending its time publicising every new party, to give real democracy a chance and help the community get back some interest and involvement in self-government. Of course this runs totally counter to the interests of the ruling elite.

nimby

Tue, 2013-09-17 16:59

Their rationale is that the east west link is vital to Victoria's economic and social development. It will be a "vital cog in the state’s road freight network" and "must be built if Victoria is to retain its position as the nation’s freight logistics capital". They claim that over the next 40 years, Victoria’s freight will triple and its containerised trade will quadruple. Ironically, industries are being closed down, and areas where manufacturing buoyed our economy are being made into housing - to create more opportunities for property developers. All this freight is not doubt the probability that we will be importing more foreign made goods and services. It's a glossy fix to an ailing economy. The congestion to Victorian roads is costing our economy $3 billion, and this will rise to $6 billion as our population "projects" to more than 6.5 million by 2050. Our population growth is actively being "projected" as people are invited to live here, and buy into real estate. Unemployment is ignored. For something that impacts on our hip pockets, living standards, environment, and mobility - population growth - there is no public debate or democratic input. It's not hard to guess who these powerful and cashed-up lobby groups are: Statement issued on behalf of VECCI with: Australian Logistics Council Australian Industry Group Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Master Builders Association of Victoria Property Council of Australia Royal Automobile Club of Victoria Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce They are the gigantic road and growth lobby groups - those who will be advantaged by the upheaval of our city. The loss of homes, Royal Park, and heritage values, will mean that average families and individuals will be disadvantaged by having funding sucked out of the State coffers that should be available for vital infrastructure. We will be forced to pay heavy road tolls. East West Link critical for Victoria's economy and liveability

Geoffrey Taylor

Tue, 2013-09-17 01:25

In his article Obama, Dempsey slap down neocons on Syrian false-flag of  Sep 2013 Dr. Kevin Barrett writes:

Today, Obama is following in the footsteps of Kennedy - but he is doing so very cautiously.

Unlike Kennedy, who was saddled with a war-mongering military led by "Operation Northwoods" conspirator Lyman Lemnitzer, Obama has the support of his Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dempsey, who is not eager to sacrifice more American lives for Israel.

...

Obama, like JFK, was must have been very angry when he discovered he had been lied to by the war-mongers. In Obama's case, the war-mongers alienated the President by staging a ridiculously transparent false-flag operation at Ghouta. Their big lie - that the Syrian government was responsible - would have been obscured by the "fog of war" had Obama followed Netanyahu's orders to quickly bomb Syria. Instead, Obama decided to hang the perpetrators out to dry - just as Kennedy hung the CIA out to dry after the Bay of Pigs fiasco.

Now the neocon plan for a US war on Syria, followed by war on Iran, is off the table.

This flies in the face of what I had thought of President Barack Obama as shown in the introduction to 'Christian' President Obama sends guns to murderers of Syrian Christians of 15 Sep 2013, above.

Many who had hoped for peace and justice had great hopes in the new black Democrat President-elect Barack Obama. But we felt betrayed when the governemnt of President Obama and its NATO allies bombed and invaded Libya in 2011 and subsequently fanned the flames of the bloody terrorist war against Syria which has cost 100,00 lives in 2 and a half years.

If Dr. Kevin Barrett is right, then President Barack Obama may be, after all, what we had hoped for: a new JFK.

Only time will tell.

PostGrowthEra

Mon, 2013-09-16 17:01

Sub-Saharan Africa's population is rising faster than the rest of the world because modern medicine and healthcare on the continent means more babies are surviving birth complications, and fewer adults are dying from preventable diseases Africa's population to double by 2050 African mothers currently give birth to an average of 5.2 children, rising to 7.6 in Niger, the country with the world's highest fertility rate, which is close to five times the European average of 1.6 children born to each woman. Seven of the 10 countries with the highest fertility rates also appear among the bottom 10 listed on the United Nations' Human Development Index. Niger is projected to nearly quadruple its population from about 17 million today to 66 million in 2050. The current world population of 7.2 billion is projected to increase by 1 billion over the next 12 years and reach 9.6 billion by 2050, according to a United Nations report launched today, which points out that growth will be mainly in developing countries, with more than half in Africa. The dramatic growth began in the second half of the 20th century, when the number of people on the continent almost quadrupled from 230 million to 811 million. In countries like Angola, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, rapid and unplanned urbanisation is multiplying the number of slum dwellers and contributing to extreme urban poverty. A young, expanding and relatively cheaper workforce in Africa could persuade foreign companies to move their businesses out of Europe to countries on the African continent. Nigeria's population is expected to surpass that of the US by 2050, according to new UN projections that predict the west African country could be the world's third most populous by the end of this century. India, currently the world's second-largest country by population, is expected to rival China in size by 2028, when both nations will each have about 1.45 billion citizens. After 2030, China is expected to shrink in numbers, reaching an estimated 1.1 billion by the end of this century, when India's population is projected to reach about 1.5 billion. Every year across the world 287,000 women die in pregnancy and childbirth. That’s one mother dying every 2 minutes, 800 each day. Another 7-10 million women and girls suffer severe or long lasting illnesses caused by complications in pregnancy and childbirth. There is an urgent need for family planning and better health outcomes for women and children. Every year across the world 287,000 women die in pregnancy and childbirth. 162,000 deaths in childbirth occur in sub Saharan Africa, that’s 56% of the total.

Bandicoot

Mon, 2013-09-16 11:28

Australian puppy farmers making thousands selling puppies to squalid pet shops in Singapore Australian puppy farmers are making thousands of dollars selling dogs to pet shops in Singapore, where they are forced to live in squalor and confinement, a CLEO Magazine investigation has found. Animal welfare group Oscar's Law recently travelled to Singapore to witness the shocking treatment of Australian puppies, some of which are just eight weeks old. What a shameful disgrace to any Australian "animal welfare" standards that home-grown puppy farmers are making thousands of dollars selling dogs to pet shops in Singapore, where they are forced to live in squalor and confinement. Singapore’s free market policy means that there is no limit or cap on how many animals a commercial breeder can own and sell, and this trade will add to their own pet overpopulation problem. Puppies as young as eight weeks old are being exploited as commercial commodities, for pet shop profits. Heavily confined breeding animals in small, dirty and wired cages, producing litter after litter of puppies, are being denied social, environmental and emotional benefits. This is bad enough, but the young are being forced to endure being pet shop stock - with no guarantees of their well-being and survival. Already we have a dog and cat overpopulation in Australia, and the end result is the shame of "death row" to alleviate the pressure, and more and more puppies churned out to a saturated international market! It's Australia's newest live export scandal. Opening up the supply chain of live exports of livestock has exposed even wider the cruel overseas market for unconsciousable over breeding and confinement of companion animals in Australia. Australian puppy farmers making thousands selling puppies to squalid pet shops in Singapore

admin

Sun, 2013-09-15 13:25

"Against Slavery" asks:

Why is candobetter.net focusing on Christians? ... Is candobetter.net a pro-Christian blog now?

Candobetter is no more 'pro-Christian' than it is 'pro-Islam', 'pro-Judaism' or 'pro-Buddhist'. 1 However, it is opposed to sectarian violence against any community. In Syria, one victim of sectarian violence is the Christian community. Another is the minority Alawite Muslim community of which President Bashar al-Assad is a member.

"Against Slavery" continues:

It is important for the press to acknowledge that Christians in Syria have said that they rely on President Assad to protect them from the anti-government forces. They thus testify to confidence in the Syrian government - which as candobetter.net has often acknowledged - has the support of the majority of Syrians

We clearly agree.

"Against Slavery" continues:

I'm not impressed, however, by castigation of the US President based on his so-called hypocrisy because I don't think religion and government should be confused. ...

How is it not hypocritical for President Barack Obama, who professes to be Christian (as well as to be in favour of democracy and human rights) to support terrorists who, in their barbaric2 war against the Syrian government, are seeking to ethnically cleanse the Christian Syrian community?

"Against Slavery" continues:

... Isn't the US government meant to be secular? Isn't the British Parliament where Galloway is an elected member meant to be secular? Isn't Syria meant to be secular?

Obviously the Syrian Government is secular as I have shown above. The Government of the United States is required by its constitution to be secular and that has been the de-facto, if not legal, case in the United Kingdom 3 for decades.

You seem to be overlooking the broader international context. The government of Syria is not only fighting an invasion by hordes of foreign-sponsored jihadist terrorists and faced with the threat of aerial bombardment and outright invasion. It is facing a war of disinformation in which the lying mainstream and phony alternative newsmedia are seeking to depict President al-Assad as a corrupt tyrant who is committing vast crimes against his own people in order to cling to power. The latest lie is the clearly fabricated claim that the Syrian Government killed hundreds of its own citizens with chemical weapons.

Surely in this context, we should do all that we can to show up the lies and self-contradictions that have come from the mouths of Barack Obama and John Kerry as George Galloway has so capably done in the video above. The crimes being committed against the Syrian Christian community is surely an example that demonstrates this more easily to a larger number of people.

Footnotes

1. ↑ As 'Proud Syrian' tweeted last night: "I hold your cross, my brother, and you hold my Qur'an!!.This is the #Syria-n Arab Army."

2. ↑ should this seem hyperpole, please view the embedded Youtube Videos below to find out how cruel and depraved some of the recipients of guns from United States are.

3. ↑ The United Kingdom is formally a monarchy. In the past the Anglican Church was privileged in comparison to other Christian denominations and religions. However, this seems to no longer be the case.

 

Appendix: yet more videos of Syrian insurgent crimes

 

Syrian opposition execute three civilians near Aleppo - Truthloader

Be warned: As the introduction to this video also warns, I found the included footage of a 'rebel' carving off a man's head to be most disturbing.

 

Syrian Rebels Execute 51 Soldiers And Possible Civilians in Khan Al-Assal

 

Vivienne Ortega

Sun, 2013-09-15 10:38

The conflict in Syria has caused the world's worst refugee crisis for 20 years, with an average of 6,000 people fleeing every day in 2013, the UN says. UN refugee chief Antonio Guterres said refugee numbers had not risen "at such a frightening rate" since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. He was speaking to the UN Security Council, which also heard that 5,000 people are being killed each month. UN aid chief Valerie Amos said at least 6.8 million Syrians needed urgent help. Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are locked in a fierce battle with opposition fighters for control of the country. There has been deadlock at the UN Security Council over the crisis, with Russia and China refusing to back action against Mr Assad proposed by the other veto powers, the US, Britain and France. Mr Guterres said two-thirds of the nearly 1.8 million refugees registered with the UN had fled Syria since the beginning of the year. Mr Guterres said the impact of the refugee crisis on neighbouring countries was "crushing", but said the acceptance of Syrians by countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq was "saving hundreds of thousands of lives". And he said the "danger that the Syrian conflict could ignite the whole region" was "not an empty warning". Nearly 93,000 people have been killed since the uprising began in March 2011. The UN's assistant secretary general for human rights, Ivan Simonovic, told the meeting that some 5,000 lives were being claimed each month. "In Syria today, serious human rights abuses, war crimes and crimes against humanity are the rule," he said. Ms Amos accused both sides in Syria of "systematically and in many cases deliberately" failing in their obligation to protect civilians. "We are not only watching the destruction of a country but also of its people," she said. Syria's ambassador to the UN, Bashar Ja'afari, said his government was doing "everything possible... to meet the basic needs of its citizens". Syria crisis worst since Rwanda UN

Against Slavery (not verified)

Sun, 2013-09-15 04:01

Galloway's speech, as reported here, sounds like a pro-Christian diatribe. Is candobetter.net a pro-Christian blog now? It is important for the press to acknowledge that Christians in Syria have said that they rely on President Assad to protect them from the anti-government forces. They thus testify to confidence in the Syrian government - which as candobetter.net has often acknowledged - has the support of the majority of Syrians. I'm not impressed, however, by castigation of the US President based on his so-called hypocrisy because I don't think religion and government should be confused. Isn't the US government meant to be secular? Isn't the British Parliament where Galloway is an elected member meant to be secular? Isn't Syria meant to be secular?

quark

Sat, 2013-09-14 13:54

I have just received this message from Protectors of Public Lands(Vic)
"Unfortunately the sub-contractors of the drilling contractors who work for Linking Melbourne Authority who work for the Government have again changed their plans and undertook drilling outside the Zoo yesterday Friday not next week as earlier advised. Hence we have cancelled the snap protest scheduled for Monday next. There is a red Men-at-Work sign left on the grassed area next to the plug where the drilling was carried out close to the roadway in Macarthur Road not far from the tramline at the exact south east corner of the Zoo. I took some photos as the drill rig was being packed up showing the proximity of the Elliott Avenue on/off ramps accessing and exiting from what will be a tunnel.or maybe an open cut-and-cover roadway under on or through the nearby grasslands in Royal Park."

PostGrowthEra

Sat, 2013-09-14 08:25

California has 157 endangered or threatened species, looming water shortages, eight of the 10 most air-polluted cities in the country and 725 metric tons of trash washing up on its coast each year. California also has 38 million people, up 10 percent in the last decade, including 10 million immigrants. They own 32 million registered vehicles and 14 million houses. By 2050, projections show 51 million people living in the state, more than twice as many as in 1980. Population growth increases climate fear Usually linking population growth and climate change, or any other problem, is taboo. However, a consensus statement issued in May by scientists at Stanford University and signed by more than 1,000 scientists warned that "Earth is reaching a tipping point." The Sixth Mass Extinction is evidence that humans have already exceeded human capacity. "The big connector is how many people are on earth," said Anthony Barnosky, a UC Berkeley integrative biologist. The world population is expected to reach 9.6 billion by mid-century. The addition will be greater than the global population of 1950. "By the time today's children reach middle age, it is extremely likely that the Earth's life-support systems, critical for human prosperity and existence, will be irretrievably damaged." says John Harte, a UC Berkeley ecosystem scientist. The most obvious sign is climate change. 100 million tonnes of synthetic materials are pervading the planet. Humans appropriate about 40% of the Earth's biomass, and 40% of the land for farms, cities and other structures. Humans appropriate more than half the world's fresh water. Most environmental groups still keep clear of the subject. It's easier to "blame the poor", or capitalistic societies for consuming too much. Conservatives and religious groups condemn family planning and abortions. Falling birth rates in some countries have lulled demographers into complacency, but humans are still adding 84 million more people each year. More than 40 percent of the world's 208 million pregnancies each year are unplanned, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a family planning research group. "What many of us really worry about is that there will be this crash landing, from a planet with 9 billion, rapidly down to 5 or so," said ecologist Harte. Stanford scientists urge action on global climate change 15 September 2013: Comments closed on this page. Please add further comments here.

Sheila Newman

Fri, 2013-09-13 12:32

Snap Protest at Drill Site Outside the South East Corner of the Zoo - NOW 11 AM SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2013

As the drilling rig is now at the EWL B 13 100 drilling site 30 metres from the south-east corner of the Zoo off Elliott Avenue we are having the snap protest at 11 am tomorrow Saturday 14 September . The drill rig will be working today Friday 13 September and tomorrow Saturday 14 September according to Linking Melbourne Authority. Thats the latest. (They have changed the days because the weather will be bad next week.)

RE DIRECTIONS - FIND THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE ZOO! You can park in the Zoo carparks along the east or south wall.. But be warned. One can't do a right hand turn when driving west along Macarthur Road. So one has to approach the Zoo carpark from The Avenue into Walker Street and then turn left at the roundabout into the section of Elliott Avenue which runs along the eastern side of the Zoo. Or one can catch the Coburg tram and get off at tramstop No 23 at the intersection of the tram line and Macarthur Road and walk the short distance to the drill site next to the Zoo wall. Melways Map 2A 1J. SEE AERIAL MAP BELOW.

Bring a camera and any placards or banners - NO TUNNELS etc .

Bandicoot

Fri, 2013-09-13 10:50

Northern Territory cattle producers say Indonesia's decision to buy farmland in northern Australia could come as a lifeline to the industry recovering from live export suspension. Buying one billion hectares of Australian farmland would be cheaper than relying on live exports. This is Indonesia's solution to be "self-sufficient" for their own food supplies - they parasitically buy our land! Under the plan, the cattle would be bred in Australia and transported to local feedlots. They could by-pass our stringent "animal welfare" standards, and the total land, stock and barrel would belong to Indonesia! The Territory's cattle industry is still recovering from the former Labor government's suspension of live exports for a month in 2011 because of animal welfare concerns. So, instead of addressing the situation, it's a case of simply selling the "chickens" to the "fox", to be in charge of. Some producers say they can't argue with the idea, and some struggling producers will benefit. Good prices for the land will solve their economic problems - for an industry that promised high returns, but void of ethics. The proposed cattle station - four times the size of the ACT - could produce around 5 per cent of the export market. Our species extinction rate is being threatened by cattle grazing, exotic species and trampling. "But it's also a very strong recognition that Australia has a role to play in their food security." Since when was it our responsibility to secure the food supplies of Indonesia? Australia's burgeoning population is threatening our food bowls, and we have the driest continent, a land vulnerable to extreme weather, and record extinction rates. Selling off our sovereign land, under the banner of Indonesia's "self sufficiency", is allowing a land-grab for short term economic benefits at the cost of abandoning animals to suffer horrific slaughter methods, and it's a betrayal of our sovereign interests. Northern Territory graziers welcome Indonesian farmland buy up

Sheila Newman

Thu, 2013-09-12 13:42

Thanks Geoffrey, for making this interview available, with your excellent clarifications and commentary. You are right that President Bashar al Assad's defence of his government makes far more sense than the case put by the American government and its political supporters. You are also right to say that Bashar allows himself to be interviewed in depth, whereas the US government does not; everything that comes out of the US is scripted and sloganised. How can we trust them? It is regrettable that the Australian media, even though it shows occasional signs of allowing doubt to creep in about constant US allegations against Syria, nonetheless continues to talk as if there is no longer any argument about the authors of these alleged chemical attacks. Our media seem to be more afraid of the truth, or to hold it more in contempt, than Syria's or Russia's. How can anyone can place their faith in Western regimes that align with Saudi Arabia? The Saudi regime is so blood-thirsty and repressive that friendship with it completely undermines the authority of the pro-war West. The West appears effectively to be supporting a Wahhabi religious regime to replace a secular Syria. We also cannot ignore Syria's reasonable fear that Israel has weapons of mass destruction. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction This would bear on Bashar al Assad's refusal to discuss the nature of his weapons stock. Often lost in the news reporting of this area is the historic annexation by Israel of Syrian land in the Golan Heights, the recovery of which is a permanent mission of Syria to the UN. See http://www.un.int/syria/golan.htm Some people may feel that it is pragmatic to go all out to establish western hegemony in the Middle Eastern region in order to protect access to oil, but I think they should consider that negotiation with Russia and China, India and Iran, is the only way to maintain any real influence there. The energy cost of war is too great for the US and Western Europe to maintain it against the Eastern bloc. The US is already destroying democracy in order to blow the tops off its own mountains for more coal and poisoning water resources by fracking for gas and oil containing rocks, but the cost of those sources of energy will soon be more energy than they return. Writing as the editor of Sheila Newman, The Final Energy Crisis, Pluto Press, UK, 2008 (a collection of articles by scientists about energy resources) it became obvious to me that he who spends massive amounts of energy to get hegemony in the East first, will quickly exhaust those resources, leaving Russia, China, India, Africa, South America and whatever survives of the Middle East, in charge, because the resources there are now greater than those of the US. It is wonderful that anyone with the internet can now look for other sources than US produced news to assess what is really happening. I have little doubt that the new access to media from all over the world, such as this interview, is the only thing that has so far prevented an invasion of Syria by the West. People are less easily fooled. They are questioning what happened in Iraq, Libya and Bahrain and wondering if the horror of repression and war we have seen there was in fact caused by external forces, supported or led by the West. Anyone with a critical knowledge of the colonial history in those places (and the colonial reality which continues in the guise of corporate influences) must realise that the Western elites are unfortunately capable of any barbarism to achieve their ends.

Against Slavery (not verified)

Wed, 2013-09-11 19:29

Another housing estate ... another mob of kangaroos with nowhere to go in this land supposedly so big and free...
Such incomprehension on the part of the humans involved. I weep, I rage, please join me in keeping a record of the results of our incautious, unfeeling, stupid, stupid, endless expansion.

Rampaging kangaroo crashes through window of Echuca home

Rampaging kangaroo crashes into Echuca home
Photo: The kangaroo was badly injured crashing through the window and left a trail of blood throughout the house. (Supplied: Paul Giogianni)

A northern Victorian man is in shock after a rampaging kangaroo caused thousands of dollars damage to his home in the northern Victoria town of Echuca.

The kangaroo was part of a mob that made its way into a housing estate in Echuca on Tuesday afternoon.

The large eastern grey kangaroo and three others got into the front yard of one home and ended up in a swimming pool.

Then it crashed through the front window of Paul Giogianni's house, causing extensive damage.

"It's lucky that (the damage) is contained to the lounge room and the little bit in my bedroom," he said.

"It could have gone on a rampage and destroyed the whole house."

The kangaroo was badly injured after crashing through the window and left a trail of blood throughout the house.

It was later put down.

Mr Giorgianni says he cannot do anything to replace damaged carpet, curtains and windows until an insurance assessor arrives.

He says no one knows why the large kangaroo ended up in the area.

"It's just unheard of with that much feed around to come into town like that," he said.

Mr Giorgianni, a truck driver, was away from home when his boss rang him to tell him what happened.

He says he did not believe him when he was told his house had been broken into by a kangaroo.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-11/rampaging-kangaroo-crashes-through-window-of-echuca-home/4951030

Council response to 'roo dump

By OLIVER WATSON
Sept. 11, 2013, 11:23 a.m.

Ian McClung with the kangaroo carcas that was dumped near his fence line, at Walker Park. Photo: Oliver Watson. Ian McClung with the kangaroo carcas that was dumped near his fence line, at Walker Park. Photo: Oliver Watson.

Council has admitted to dumping a dead kangaroo at Walker Park last week.
Local farmer Ian McClung was working near his fence line on Thursday at about 7.30am when he saw a council front-end loader dump the carcass.

Director of Operations Simon Cassidy said council staff were helping a private landholder who asked for the kangaroo to be moved from their property.

“Council staff assisted and moved the carcass way up the back of Walker Park away from residences where it was thought it would not cause any issues,” he said.

After Mr McClung contacted police voicing his concerns, they contacted council and told them the animal needed to be moved again.

“After the police contacted council we retrieved the carcass and buried it at the old Yass Landfill."
Mr Cassidy said in the future any dead kangaroos discovered in urban areas will be removed to landfill. Council staff had been made aware of the requirement.
http://www.yasstribune.com.au/story/1769008/council-response-to-roo-dump/?cs=1302

Geoffrey Taylor

Wed, 2013-09-11 18:17

Editorial comment: Schapelle Corby is, not only "not guilty beyond reasonable doubt", but innocent.

The guilty are the Australian consular staff who failed to help her, Australian governments, the Australian presstitute newsmedia and the astonishingly corrupt Balinese police force and administration, who, as rigorously documented in Kathryn Bonella's "Snowing in Bali" (2012) and earlier works, routinely commit offenses as serious as what Schapelle has been unjustly imprisoned for.

Given that you have seen through the media lies about Schapelle Corby, why presume that the story, that many have come to accept is true about the Port Arthur Massacre, has not been conjured up by the Howard Government and the lying presstitute newsmedia?

No-one is telling you what to think. If you disagree what we have written about the Port Arthur massacre on candobetter and what has been written by Keith Noble in his free book Mass Murder (2013, 695 pages, pdf, 13MB), then please feel most welcome to post more comments to candobetter to tell us why you disagree.

Further editorial comment: Our apologies. The original comment was accidentally deleted. We were able to save the brief content of this post, but are not sure where it was posted. It was quite possibly posted as a comment in response to one of the articles listed above.

Against Slavery (not verified)

Wed, 2013-09-11 17:19

It seems that many school children are not getting the basics, yet for years now Australia has promoted the idea that everyone needs to go to university. Consequently universities now provide 'schooling' and 'training' where schools and trade schools used to. The corporations dictate what comes out of the universities in terms of information and bias, since universities now expect research to make money. So we have lost a lot of the disinterested science and political science that we could once rely on from universities. Maybe decent schooling - if that could be an outcome from Gonski, would be more valuable than university places. However we are also selling off university places to foreign students. This is another aspect of the commercial race downwards, which makes it so much harder for anyone Australian to access real research opportunities.

nimby

Wed, 2013-09-11 11:53

Julia Gillard has a new job as an honorary visiting professor at her alma mater, the University of Adelaide. The former prime minister and the university said they were delighted with the appointment. Ms Gillard said she was “absolutely delighted” to be associated in such a meaningful way with the university, where she studied law and arts from 1979 to 1981. It was there that she valued the experience that developed her career in politics. Ironically, while in her time as PM, she slashed $2.3 billion from university funding. There would be many students "delighted" to be able to study there and be supported through a wide choice of subjects, courses, facilities, small classes and amenities, but this is not the case now. http://www.afr.com/p/national/gillard_takes_adelaide_uni_post_HtQffoIpH7... The cuts were to help pay for the Gonski school reforms. Higher Education Minister Kim Carr has accused former Prime Minister Julia Gillard of causing Australia National University to cut 230 jobs. It's bizarre the Julia Gillard is now back in the system that benefited her, at a time when fees were lower and access to quality education was easier.

Against Slavery (not verified)

Tue, 2013-09-10 18:01

WOW! That's the most intelligent idea to come out of the ALP in a long while: Kelvin Thomson as ALP leader. See http://www.thepetitionsite.com/573/733/702/kelvin-thomson-for-alp-leader/ Thomson is not just one of the most able of the Labor MPs but surely their deepest thinker. See the Wiipedia page on Kelvin Thomson, and particularly its concluding section on him as Political Theorist. Signatures on the petition page, plus tweets and emails about the idea would all help give the idea momentum.

Geoffrey Taylor

Tue, 2013-09-10 13:06

Paul Craig Roberts writes:

Alert!

Are Israel and Washington going to have their lackeys, the "Syrian rebels," attack Israel with chemical weapons given to them by Israel and Washington so that Israel and its obama puppet can attack Syria "in self-defense."

The Israeli government doesn't mind sacrificing its own people if it provides an excuse that will drag the gullible Americans into another war.

See also: RT sources: Syrian rebels plan chemical attack on Israel from Assad-controlled territories of 9 Sep 2013 Russia Today, URGENT: False Flag Involving Israel to Implicate Syria in the Works Says RT of 10 Sep 2013 on the Land Destroyer Report.

Syrian rebels plan chemical attack on Israel from government controlled lands - RT sources

admin

Mon, 2013-09-09 11:44

Linux Users of Victoria and Free Software Melbourne present ...

Software Freedom Day 2013 : Free Software for a Free Society

Software Freedom Day is an international event celebrating of Free Software. Starting in 2004 in now hosts over a thousand events in over forty countries.

The Melbourne event will be held on Saturday, September 21st, 9.30 to 17.00 at 110 Grey Street East Melbourne (Melbourne Unitarian Church hall)

It's about 5 minutes from Jolimont Station , or a brisk 10 minute walk from Parliament station or West Richmond. There's plenty of parking at the site as well!

Speakers

9.30 Introduction: Video Welcome from Dr. Richard Stallman
10.00 Andrew Pam, Content Creation with Free Software Tools
11.00 Pat Sunter, Free and Open Source In Public Decision-Making
12.00 Adam Bolte, Protecting Yourself Online
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Ben McGuiness, Pirate Party's Policy on Copyright and Patents
15.00 Kathy Reid, The Orgnisation of Free Software Communities
16.00 Lev Lafayette, Beyond Software - Steps Towards A Free Society

Plus plenty of t-shirts, software and other paraphrenalia giveaways, videos and a free lunch (with open sauce).

Geoffrey Taylor

Sun, 2013-09-08 15:21

There are three sites which give Australia detailed election results for the election held yesterday on 7 September 2013.

They are:

  1. The Australian Election Commission Virtual Tally Room, including results for the seat of Dunkley, however only the votes for the ALP, Liberal Party and Greens are shown; the votes for Roy Broff (352 votes or 0.52% ) and the other three candidates (which total 7,539 votes or 11.0%) are not shown separately;
  2. Antony Green's Election Guide on the ABC; and
  3. The Tally Room including, for example, the seat of Dunkley

the Tally Room is particularly comprehensive. However it does not yet have results for yesterday's election.

Vivienne Ortega

Sun, 2013-09-08 08:09

NATIONAL DINGO PRESERVATION AND RECOVERY PROGRAM DINGO CARE NETWORK 2013 Eureka Prize for Environmental Research from the Australian Museum. Ms Jennifer Parkhurst of the NDPRP and Dr Ernest Healy of the DCN extended their appreciation and congratulations to those included in the winning research team: Professor Chris Johnson - University of Tasmania, Dr Michael Letnic - University of New South Wales, Dr Euan Ritchie - Deakin University, Dr Arian Wallach - James Cook University, and Mr Adam O'Neill, Evelyn Downs Station in South Australia. The team of researchers has conducted an impressive body of ground-breaking research into the positive ecological role of the dingo in Australia, and has made a major contribution to winding back the entrenched prejudice against the dingo that has been used to justify dingo persecution and mismanagement since the colonial era. Arian Wallach, team member, said: ‘Dingoes are currently persecuted across Australia, mostly with the use of 1080 poison, with catastrophic consequences for biodiversity and for the dingoes themselves. The selection of our team's work on the crucial ecological role of dingoes is hugely uplifting, and indicates a beginning of a shift in our relationship with big predators and wild nature.’  As stated by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, which sponsored the prize, the research has shown that, 'Far from being vermin, Australia's dingoes sustain biodiversity and can help land managers control invasive species'. The Office further highlighted the research findings in stating, 'ecosystems with dingoes have better vegetation condition and more diverse and abundant populations of small native animals'. The NDPRP and the DCN also congratulated the Australian Museum and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage for standing their ground in making this very deserving award. They did so in the face of attempts to undermine their decision by at least one department of primary industries, where entrenched anti-dingo prejudice, and resistance to scientific evidence, still prevails. This award is a vindication of the very high standard of the body of research conducted by the winning researchers over a long period. The NDPRP and the DCN believe it is unfortunate that recent efforts to discredit the winning research have been made by a small number of researchers associated with the pastoral industry, whose independence is questionable. The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IACRC), in particular, an organisation which includes powerful pastoral industry stakeholders, attracts particular scrutiny in this regard. Ms Parkhurst and Dr Healy stated: 'The NDPRP and the DCN believe that The IACRC should not be engaged in research into the ecological role of the dingo, as the conflict of interest it faces is too great and its independence too open to question. Certainly, no public money should be given over to the IACRC for dingo-related research. Standards of public accountability should require that public money be awarded to researchers who are, and are seen to be, genuinely independent.' The high-calibre, independent research conducted by the Eureka award winners foreshadows new ways forward in reconciling conservation and pastoral industry interests. This potential should not be undermined by misguided attempts to breathe new life into historically outdated anti-dingo prejudice. Jennifer Parkhurst –NDPRP Ernest Healy –DCN Contact Arian Wallach: Adjunct Lecturer School of Marine & Tropical Biology James Cook University Ecologist at Evelyn Downs Station South Australia Phone: +61 8 86707991 Email: [email protected] Skype: wallach.arian1 Website: http://jamescook.academia.edu/ArianWallach

Anonymous (not verified)

Sat, 2013-09-07 12:49

Most people would be logical and intelligent enough to know that our planet, our nation, is not an infinite resource, and that our land's natural outputs are not increasing, but declining. However, there's a population blindness inherent in humans - maybe it's an inherited evolutionary trait so that we keep increasing our numbers, or herd size, against possible declines? Most people would recognize that non-native species can reproduce and expand beyond their natural resource limits, and have negative impacts. However, it's assumed that when it comes to humans, resources are unlimited, and there never can be "over population". It's simply a lack of good "planning", technology, economic shortfall, or the fault of systems. The UN says that our planet must produce 70 % more food by 2050! Surely with populations swelling in inverse proportion to water, soils, increasing weather extremes and arable land, that this is not going to happen! There's no magic formulas to produce MORE with LESS -not in the physical world. The complacency people have over human numbers is puzzling, and disturbing. The population blindness can only be a survival trait, quite out of date and irrelevant while we have the mass extinction species.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 2013-09-05 16:25

It's been revealed today that a Coalition government would cut $4.5bn from foreign aid, in a reversal of the strong increases in the overseas program. Kevin Rudd vowed to meet a global target to address global poverty. but now poverty is sitting on our back-door step, waiting to enter Australia formally. Foreign aid will be cut to save $40 billion, and road building will be cut. We need to do this to "grow the economy", said Joe Hockey! After 22 year of economic growth, Australia is getting more constrained and hip pockets are getting shorter. It's ironical that "economic growth" is denying our Federal budgets the surpluses we should be getting. The $6 billion tollway, east west link, is extravagance we can't afford. There must be a stage in which we must recognize that Australia is a mature, and adult nation. Growth can't be forever without exhausting build and natural resources.

PostGrowthEra

Thu, 2013-09-05 08:34

Legal advice provided by deputy Senate clerk Richard Pye confirms the Senate has ''undoubted power'' to force Infrastructure Australia to hand over the documents, which the state government insisted must remain secret to protect delicate commercial negotiations.

...

This comment has been adapted and reposted as an article Senate has legal right to uncover the truth about the East West Link- Ed

nimby

Wed, 2013-09-04 17:27

No Maccas in Tecoma. >

Last weekend the Tecoma community did a singing "flashmob" of a McDonald's store at food court in Melbourne. It was cheeky, entertaining and pretty fun -- but most importantly it shows McDonald's we are not going down without a fight. See also www.burgeroff.org .

David Haselgrove (not verified)

Wed, 2013-09-04 15:03

Bob Katter is just like all other mainstream politicians including the Greens-he promotes rapid population growth (the fastest in the OECD) to appease his backers in the big end of town. They all benefit from growth, but most of us do not. In fact, population growth degrades the standard of living, the quality of life, and the environment for 99% of the population. After 20 years of banging my head against this issue, I find that our population growth is faster than ever. It grows by more than 400,000 every year, promoted and subsidised by all federal and state governments. I have had enough. A pox on them all. Thankfully, my vote this year can go to the new Stable Population Party.

quark

Tue, 2013-09-03 13:58

This sleight of hand screamed out at me, too as I watched last night's Four Corners program. Is Fiona Scott happy to let people believe that such a tiny percentage of people coming from overseas to Australia are responsible for the symptoms of over-population undoubtedly suffered by the people of Sydney? Alternatively,is Fiona Scott herself unaware of the sources of Australia's very high population growth ? If she is going to talk about population issues she needs to be properly informed. The misconception which she has perpetuated appears very prevalent in our community from my own observations amongst friends and people I meet. Understanding the numbers is critical. Since refugees are such a small percentage of our immigration and an even smaller percentage of our over-all population growth, how can they be significantly responsible for Western Sydney's traffic congestion? They are not.

Sheila Newman

Tue, 2013-09-03 11:51

The only thing that really needs reporting here, in my opinion, is that the mainstream press choose to report Katter's ignorance of demographics but not to report Rudd's or Abbott's. While Costello was treasurer of the Liberal Party he made similar claims to Katter's. Likewise Mr Bracks, in Victoria, when he was Premier. It seems that all these spokesmen really don't have any idea of demographics and they are manipulated by people who just want to benefit financially from the way that population growth increases the cost of housing, water, power and other vital resources. All this report shows me is that Katter is considered 'fair game' because he is not yet accepted into the main circus ring.

Vivienne Ortega

Mon, 2013-09-02 16:52

“You belong to a vanishing race,” Bob Katter told an astounded audience at the National Press Club last week. “When 20 people die in Australia, they will be replaced by 17 people.” He's ignorance of demographics is astounding, and this deliberate push towards population growth, using scare tactics that we might vanish otherwise, is obviously a transparent growth-ploy! It in turn cites figures from the 1964 Australian Year Book. They outline the population growth rate during the Great Depression. Although our natural birth rate is about 1.88 and below long term replacement levels, there are still more births than deaths. Monash University demographer Robert Birrell says births are outsripping deaths at the rate of 298,000 to 146,500. Matthew Deacon of the population profiling firm .id Consulting says even if migration ended today, it wouldn't be until 2044 before Australian deaths overtook Australian births. That's because on average the population is still young. If our population stabilized, naturally and organically, it would gently decline from mid century. This would alleviate some of the stresses our growing population is placing on dwindling supplies of natural resources such as energy, liquid fuels, soils, water, and the effects of climate change such as increasing numbers of pest species destroying crops. With increasing constraints on growth, it's madness to keep importing people. Bob Katter's bold population claim doesn't add up Bob Katter is a supporter of "big Australia".

admin

Mon, 2013-09-02 11:20

Story on FaceBook was linked to from Twitter. Unfortuntely, it appears that Facebook blanks out the story after about ten seconds and requires a login.

Homs - troops fire at 2 suicide car bombers !!

Syrian Army Forces have foiled an attempt by two suicide car bombers to blow up a Military Checkpoint in the Town of "Al-Farklis"

Syrian Army Forces have foiled an attempt by two suicide car bombers to blow up a Military Checkpoint in the Town of "Al-Farklis", where a security Unit began firing at the vehicles approaching, causing the explosion of the cars before reaching their target, but sadly resulted in the Martyrdom of two of our brave Troops and the injury of another two ...

RIP to our brave heroes, your courage is legendary, peace to the families, and we pray for our wounded to heal fully ... - J

PostGrowthEra

Mon, 2013-09-02 10:56

Working as a Registered Migration Agent (RMA) can mean assisting clients in making one of the most important decisions of their lives: helping them migrate to Australia. Australia’s strong economy, world class higher education system, multicultural society and stable governance makes it a highly attractive destination for migrants, and in an increasingly interconnected world, demand for the services provided by RMAs has never been higher. The Migration Act 1958 and its associated Regulations govern Agents’ registration requirements and Code of Conduct, while the profession itself is regulated by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA). Opportunities Practicing as a Registered Migration Agent (RMA) is challenging and rewarding and suits detail oriented professionals with good people skills and the drive to develop and maintain requisite legal knowledge within an ever changing legislative and regulatory field. New agents can find employment with an existing organisation or strike out on their own as sole practitioners, and while there are large migration firms, most Agents work in a small business. RMA incomes vary widely, with the majority of practitioners reporting annual earnings between $50,000 and $80,000. Becoming an RMA Under the Migration Act 1958, anyone who uses, or purports to use, knowledge of, or experience in migration procedures to provide advice or assistance to a person wishing to obtain a visa needs to become registered as a migration agent. Registration is governed by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority, with requirements including: Being at least 18 years of age; Being of “good character”; Holding Australian citizenship or permanent residency, or New Zealand citizenship with a special category visa; and Holding a current Australian legal practicing certificate or a Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law and Practice. To find out more about about the process of becoming an agent, the requirements or the Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law and Practice, we recommend you visit the website of the MARA. Costs of becoming a RMA The fees commonly accrued when entering the migration advice profession include: Graduate Certificate course fees of $7500 - $9000 An initial registration fee of $1760 Building a professional library costs from $420 (not for profit) and from $730 (commercial agents) Professional Indemnity Insurance for a minimum cover of $250,000 which costs about $400, along with costs for CPD courses, as well as the normal costs associated with running a business. Agents should also be aware of the ongoing costs required to maintain their registration, which is required to be renewed annually with the MARA. The Practice Ready Program (PRP) The Practice Ready Program (PRP) is a practical course for agents in their first year of registration, designed to enhance the knowledge and professionalism of the migration advice profession. All applicants for initial registration with the Office of the MARA after 1 September 2011 ?will be required to complete this course prior to repeat registration, with exemptions available for agents holding valid Legal Practising Certificates (LPC) or membership with a recognised professional accounting body. In its initial offering, the PRP will be delivered by by the MIA and Fragomen Australia and will be worth eight CPD points and include agents' first year mandatory requirements. The MIA's PRP will cost $1995 and include membership. For more information on course delivery, cost, availability and assessment, please visit the MIA's dedicated PRP page as well as the PRP section on the MARA website, which also includes an information sheet and FAQs. The MIA The MIA is the peak body representing the migration advice profession representing over 2000 Members and supporting the profession through a broad range of services designed to assist Agents and promote the profession in general. The MIA provides assistance to those studying for the Graduate Certificate through an online Student Forum, the publication of a number of useful texts and subscriptions to a selection MIA services free of charge. Services and benefits are available to full Members include an active Member Forum, discounted CPD costs, regular information sessions and social functions, high level liaising with governmental and industry bodies, weekly news bulletins and legislative and regulatory changes alerts as they happen, a database of useful governmental and community contacts and much more. Click to join the MIA today. MIA website Immigration to Australia has become a career path, and is an attractive and lucrative industry - without democratic support!

nimby

Mon, 2013-09-02 08:25

A University of Melbourne report has predicted a "disability blowout'' and researchers blame an ageing population, the increase in the women's retirement age and strong population growth for fuelling demand for the federal government's Disability Support Pension. "Demographic and retirement-age factors alone could see the Disability Support Pension roll reach one million within the next 10 years.'' It's claimed that higher unemployment could funnel "large flows" of unemployed older workers on to disability benefits. It would detract from blow-outs of unemployment and blur the real numbers. Australia may be one major recession away from the disability blowout now occurring in the United States. With growing numbers of unemployed, the DSP could hide some of the numbers and soften the real numbers of unemployed and under employed. With our economic slow down, our population growth is being outstripped by job creation. We should avoid the problems of Europe and America and stabilize our population until there is an economic need for labour, and growth. Herald Sun: One million to be on disability pension

Geoffrey Taylor

Mon, 2013-09-02 04:29

It can be appropriate for opponents of war to publish the words of war criminals and liars. An example is Statement by John Kerry on Syria of 30 Aug 2013 on Voltaire Net.

However, I think if we do, we should make it clear that we disagree and why. If we don't, there is a risk that some site visitors may be convinced by this lying.

Almost every word uttered by Obama can be shown to be a lie for example, by artcles in Global Research, PressTV, Russia Today.

At least, Obama now is now obliged to convince U.S. Congress of his lies. The chances of convincing the U.S. Congress, given that only 11% of U.S. citizens support war, would have to be close to nil. I expect that having give this speech, he will try to change the subject and hope that some other dram will take Americns attentin way from this issue.

Sheila Newman

Sun, 2013-09-01 21:40

Sure, it's not surprising, but the thing is that we should be able to expect better. Things are really seriously wrong in this country. It's obvious that overpopulation is ruining this city and all around Australia, so no leader should be able to pretend otherwise. It is because the corporate press want this growth that the politicians get away with running roughshod over the electorate.

Greg (not verified)

Sun, 2013-09-01 17:12

Matthew Guy and his liberal mates? He is population booster and can't be expected to regard population growth as anything but a benefit.

PostGrowthEra

Sun, 2013-09-01 10:25

The coalition of planning and environmental groups has released a sustainable population charter, which calls for net overseas migration to be slashed from the current 232,000 people a year to only 70,000. Planning Minister Matthew Guy claimed they were "blaming migrants" for population growth! Nothing in the document was targeted against migrants, but population growth as a whole, as a political trend. Migrants are just as much victims, or more so, of our socially engineered population growth. They are invited here for what is advertised overseas as a utopia of opportunities, but the reality must be a stark contrast. "We are living longer, we are having more children, there are a whole range of factors in population growth," Matthew Guy said. Actually, almost 60% of our growth is due to immigration, not fertility levels which have fallen since the 1950s and 60s. He's clearly "blaming" parents for over-breeding when the number of babies is below long term replacement levels. Herald Sun: Don't blame migrants on suburban boom warns planning Minister Matthew Guy Rather than a "suburban boom" we are living through a suburban "bust" with traffic congestion, lack of parking, lack of infrastructure, increasing unemployment and people living in fringe areas suffering deprivation.

PostGrowthEra

Sun, 2013-09-01 10:11

In a world with many dangers, this menace must be confronted.

Now, after careful deliberation, I have decided that the United States should take military action against Syrian regime targets. This would not be an open-ended intervention. We would not put boots on the ground. Instead, our action would be designed to be limited in duration and scope. But I'm confident we can hold the Assad regime accountable for their use of chemical weapons, deter this kind of behavior, and degrade their capacity to carry it out.

Our military has positioned assets in the region. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has informed me that we are prepared to strike whenever we choose. Moreover, the Chairman has indicated to me that our capacity to execute this mission is not time-sensitive; it will be effective tomorrow, or next week, or one month from now. And I'm prepared to give that order.

I'm confident in the case our government has made without waiting for U.N. inspectors. I'm comfortable going forward without the approval of a United Nations Security Council that, so far, has been completely paralyzed and unwilling to hold Assad accountable.

White House press release

Sheila Newman

Fri, 2013-08-30 22:10

They justify giving almost no publicity to anyone but Libs and Labor and the Greens by, incredibly, the notion that they are the only ones likely to win. Of course, if they never publicise anyone else, of course the Lib/Lab/Greens will be the only ones likely to win. It is patently mad policy but the ABC dudes just trot it out like a catechism.

Anonymous (not verified)

Fri, 2013-08-30 22:07

OMG, this is the first time I have ever heard such a sentiment from anyone aspiring to be a polly. Fantastic. He is absolutely correct of course, someone at last, lucky people of Frankston! I note he is the only candidate for Dunkley not profiled on the ABC's web site for that seat, a bit weird. The Sex Party candidate is there, and the Palmer person, but not Roy Broff. Great news anyway.
Peter Martin, Adelaide

Bandicoot

Fri, 2013-08-30 10:38

Campaign Update 29/08/2013 We’re frustrated. The environment and threatened native species have barely rated a mention in this election. Help us get threatened species firmly on the agenda of the major parties. Some of the 20 birds listed as critically endangered are at extremely high risk of extinction on the next Australian Government’s watch. Until now, both major parties have completely ignored the issue. Last week , the Coalition announced that it would fund a Commissioner for Threatened Species if elected in September. Whilst this was a welcome addition to the national conversation, it’s an empty promise unless backed by a strong fiscal commitment to fund individual species recovery programs. The ALP too, have yet to commit to a fund dedicated to implementing recovery plans. The issue is finally getting some attention. Now we need your help to build on this momentum. Both of the major parties must step up and make a commitment to funding for threatened species recovery plans. We’re not asking for a big commitment. We estimate it would only cost an average of $380,000 for each of our most endangered bird species. And we know funded recovery plans work – they save birds. BirdLife Australia can only do this with your help. We need you to add your voice to our call. Save The Birds petition Please sign this petition, get involved and join our campaign to receive regular supporter updates. Please share this note as widely as you can with your friends, family and social media networks. Ask them to get on board and give threatened birds a voice. Yours sincerely, Paul Sullivan Chief Executive Officer

Valerie Yule

Fri, 2013-08-30 03:38

By Steven Youngblood, director, Center for Global Peace Journalism

An American Secretary of State speaks to the world, accusing a dictator 1 of using weapons of mass destruction, and warning of dire consequences for the dictator’s regime.

If you're experiencing déjà vu, you’re not alone.

The pronouncements this week by Sec. of State John Kerry are eerily reminiscent of the anti-Saddam assertions of then-Sec. of State Colin Powell. In 2003, Powell made a dramatic (and ultimately, incorrect) speech at the UN detailing Saddam Hussein’s alleged weapons of mass destruction.

This week, Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden are launching similar accusations against Syria, this time charging that dictator Bashar Assad used chemical weapons against his own people. Imbedded in those accusations is no small dose of threats and saber-rattling.

While the diplomats, generals, and weapons experts debate the veracity of the chemical weapons charges and desirability of military intervention in Syria, the media would be well advised to remember their own missteps leading up the Iraq war 10 years ago.

By their own admission, many in the media shirked their watchdog role in the run up to the Iraq war. They were largely content with parroting Bush administration propaganda (lies, some might say). In a mea culpa published in 2004, the New York Times wrote, “…We have found a number of instances of coverage that was not as rigorous as it should have been. In some cases, information that was controversial then, and seems questionable now, was insufficiently qualified or allowed to stand unchallenged. Looking back, we wish we had been more aggressive in re-examining the claims as new evidence emerged — or failed to emerge.“

Yes, there were some stories that did question the administration’s propaganda. However, according to Paul Waldman on CNN.com, “Whenever there's a story that the media as a whole get wrong, there's always a reporter somewhere who got it right. The problem was that those voices were so much quieter, pushed so far to the edge of the national debate.” (CNN.com 3/19/13).

So, here we are again 10 years later, an administration vilifying a dictator and accusing him of horrible crimes against his own people. If the media have learned anything from the pre-Iraq debacle, it is that we must never be only the mouthpiece of an administration bent on intervention. We journalists need to be asking questions, and lots of them, seeking independent verification of the claims against Syria. We must be skeptical. We need to lead a discussion debunking the myth of a “clean, surgical strike”, and examine at length the number of civilian injuries and deaths that could occur.It’s our responsibility to make sure that peaceful alternatives, along with a complete understanding of all of the ramifications of intervention, are aired. It’s up to the public to let their leaders know if they believe military intervention in Syria is indeed the best option.

--Follow Steven Youngblood, author of Professor Komagum, on Twitter @Peacejourn or on his blog

Footnote[s]

1. Editorial comment In this otherwise informative and insightful article, I don't consider the labeling of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad a 'dictator' to be helpful or accurate. In a technical, pedantic sense, he could be labeled thus, because he has yet to face the Syrian People in the Presidential elections scheduled for 7 May 2014. However, given the bloody conflicts that have been imposed, externally and internally, on Syria by Israel, the U.S, and their allies since 1947, it is hardly reasonable to expect of Syria to have been a perfect model democracy before now.

If one were to read President Bashar Al-Assad's own writings and interviews with him, including by interviewers who are critical and inquisitive (and far more inquisitive than by the 'journalists' who interview the likes of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Foreign Minister Bob Carr), it is clear that he is a deeply human, courageous and insightful leader. For examples of interviews, see What 'dictator' ever willingly faced such media scrutiny? of 1 June 2013 and Bashar al-Assad interview with Izvestia on Voltaire Net for examples. It is little wonder that even NATO admits that 70% of Syrians support him.

Sheila Newman

Fri, 2013-08-30 03:22

Dear AMRIS and friends, There will be a rally on Saturday 31st at 2pm outside the State library, Melbourne (328 Swanston St Melbourne VIC 3000 - Cnr La Trobe St) to protest the planned military attack on Syria. Various groups will be involved. Layla will be speaking on behalf of AMRIS. Editorial comment: Most of the content has been removed. The full letter can be found in the story Syrian Girl refutes chemical weapons lie, calls upon Australians to attend rally against war tomorrow of 30 Aug 2013. - Ed ... Regards, Susan National Coordinator of "Australians for Mussalaha (Reconciliation) In Syria"

James Sinnamon

Fri, 2013-08-30 00:55

Roughly 14 years ago, Professor William Mitchell of the University of Newcastle devised a far-sighted scheme to provide a full-time job to every Australian who needed one.[1]. All the jobs identified would have provided useful services to other Australians or have produced useful artifacts or building. The scheme was fully costed so that it could easily have been run for, at most, a modest additional outlay in Government finances.

William Mitchell published his ideas in a large book and was able to attract a great deal of interest in, and support for, them. As a result, sufficient resources were obtained to enable him to set up what became known as the Center of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE) at the University of Newcastle.

The program promoted by CofFEE was a program that any political party, which genuinely intended to advance the welfare of its constituents, would have grasped with both hands. Any party, with sufficient profile, would have had no trouble winning support for it, thereby increasing its own electoral support base.

However, all the political parties in Australia, with a profile sufficiently high as to be able to gain support for the CofFEE program from the electorate -- Labor, the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens -- have clearly been co-opted into supporting vested interests. So none of those parties took it up.

That need not have been the end of the CoFEE program. Eventually a political movement, which was truly interested in making Australia a better place, would have emerged. Such an organisation would have recognised the merit of CofFEE program and would have adopted it as part of its electoral platform.

However, it seems that those running the CofFEE centre have themselves become co-opted by vested interests. Rather than being an outgoing organisation, seeking to promote its program, for example in the current Federal election campaign, it has allowed its profile to drop to the point where it is barely visible.

Any who do learn of CofFEE, will not find it easy to participate should they want to. The CofFEE book itself, which I am sure could once be freely obtainable, seems only to be available through a UK bookseller and costs an extortionate £76.50 (not even $A?) as the cheaper "on-line price" or £85.00, otherwise.

Footnote[s]

1. I don't remember clearly when I first heard of CofFEE, I think, on a radio program. I suspect this is because of the diffuse axonal brain damage I suffered in a road accident in 2010, however, a page on the web-site the web-site implies that the CofEE, which is about to have its 14th National conference, started that long ago.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 2013-08-29 23:12

I don't think candobetter.net has been plagiarized. In fact, it's not. I just so happen that this website or the blog post itself got good reputation that is why these sites link to this page to be able to get a share of the reputation - marketing indeed.

Geoffrey Taylor

Thu, 2013-08-29 20:21

It is instructive to compare the two subsequent interviews of war propagandist, ABC North America Correspondent, Ben Knight. The first is dated 28 Aug 2013 as the UK, the US and France were preparing to bomb Syria under the cover of the contrived international moral outrage in response to the fabricated claims that the Syrian government had killed 1,300 of its own people in a chemical weapons attack. The second was after domestic and international opposition had forced France, the UK and the US to delay their attacks until after the UN weapons inspectors had finished their work.

It will be most interesting to see this serial liar, along with the other serial liars, Kevin Rudd, Bob Carr, Barack Obama, David Cameron and John Kerry, duck and weave in coming days as the truth clearing the Syrian government of complicity in the chemical weapons attacks inevitably emerges from the UN weapons inspectors.

Geoffrey Taylor

Wed, 2013-08-28 16:59

Some of the more recent lies being fed to the Australian public are to be found in the broadcast entitled Military action in Syria inevitable featuring ABC North America correspondent, Ben Knight. The broadcast is linked to from the ABC story Britain readies for possible military action in Syria over suspected chemical weapons attack of 27 Aug 2013.

Lies from other Australian mainstream media news services

Of course, neither 'your' ABC, nor any of the other Australian mainstream media news outlets -- SBS, the Fairfax newsmedia, News Limited has yet allowed anyone who supports Syria and opposes war a chance to put his/her case to the Australian public and allow Australians to form their own judgement.

Oct-Nov 2012: a brief interlude of untypical honesty in the Australian

The normally stridently pro-war Australian in the News Limited group, owned by Rupert Murdoch did, for a short period, publish a number of informative stories about Mother Agnes-Mariam and the Christian community of Syria. Christian Syrians are protected by the secular government of Syria and are a target for ethnic cleansing by the Western-supported anti-government jihadists. The following two stories are behind a paywall: Christians a target for Syrian rebels we back of 13 Oct 2013 and Syrian rebels 'beheaded Christian and fed him to dogs' of 30 Dec 2013. 1

Of course this has all been long forgotten and the Australian is now howling the same lies in unison with the rest of the Australian presstitute media.

Footnote[s]

1. Because the Australian's stories are behind a paywall, only a brief summary can be read. I was initially unable to even retrieve the summary of the third: Christians 'emptied from Middle East' of 6 Oct 2012. The browser displayed:

Internal Server Error - Read

The server encountered an internal error ...

I was able to subsequently download the whole story.

Anonymous (not verified)

Wed, 2013-08-28 14:43

Melbourne claimed the No 1 position as the world's most liveable city from Vancouver in 2011, after the two cities shared first position in 2002. Melbourne's most liveable city third year in a row: The Australian It's a damning reflection on the problems that swelling cities are causing, due to global overpopulation! Vancouver now lies in third place with the Austrian capital Vienna second. This is with the background of a "crisis point" in the number of evictions in Wyndham, Melbourne's fastest growing suburb. Police are executing eviction warrants on 22 rental properties per month as tenant, such as single mothers, who fail to pay rents. The number of evictions has spiked 40 per cent since 2011, to more than 263 evictions during financial year 2012-13. Families evicted in tenants crisis: The Age Wyndham has some of the lowest rents and the highest rates of unemployment. The Economist Intelligence Unit's liveability survey probably would not value the "liveabilty" of our city as the residents would, especially in light of the massive population growth, costs of living and unaffordable housing! They probably see the housing bubble, deliberately being kept alive by record-breaking population growth, as a boom! The only political party really addressing housing affordability is the Stable Population Party. Releasing more land and easing up planning zones, and caving in to population pressure, is not a solution as already our heavy debt for basic infrastructure would continue to blow out to more $billions, which will leave an intergenerational debt for future generations to pay. What's "good" for the economy is not necessarily in the interests of the participants! Ironically, after more than two decades of Australia's economic growth, our living standards are being drained away and diluted by having to share what resources we have with more people!

Geoffrey Taylor

Wed, 2013-08-28 13:35

In an Intreview by Alex Jones on infowars.com, The Syrian Girl also confirms that the allegation that the Syrian Government murdered hundreds of its own citizesns with chemical weapons is a bare-faced lie, manufactured to convince some of the Western public accept a war of aggression against Syria.

This video also includes Alex Jones urging everyone to emulate the example of Johnny Appleseed (1774-1845), who at his own initiative, traveled all over America planting apple trees for to help provide free food for local communities. (That segment is somewhat marred by Alex Jones' ideological tirade against "big government". This prejudice is somewhat similar to the reasoning given by the likes of Paul Keating, John Howard, Jeff Kennnett, Bob Carr, Peter Beattie and Anna Bligh in recent decades to justify flogging off valuable public assets to private corporations.)

nimby

Tue, 2013-08-27 18:37

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has dismissed as politically motivated western allegations that he used chemical weapons and warned Washington that any US military intervention would fail. Russia has been Assad's most important international ally throughout the civil war and has expressed its concern to Washington that the US will respond militarily and urged restraint. Recent polling has shown Americans largely opposed to military action and few paying close attention to the ongoing conflict. A poll shows that two-thirds of Americans preferred that the U.S. provide only humanitarian assistance or take no action, compared with just a quarter who favored either providing arms or taking military action. Mr Assad's warning came as a six-car convoy of United Nations experts, deployed to inspect the site of the alleged chemical attack, were shot at by unidentified snipers. Assad warned Washington has never succeeded in reaching its political aims through war. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Moscow believed that the "The use of force without the approval of the United Nations Security Council is a very grave violation of international law," Lavrov also discussed accusations by rebel forces that Syrian government forces have used chemical weapons. He urged the West not to go down the "dangerous path" it had taken several times before and added: "We have no plans to go to war with anyone." Our planet is in a precarious state already, and the migration of peoples is at record levels. Government and UN officials say the refugee influx has placed a huge burden on already overstretched water and power supplies in Jordan, as well as housing and education. The refugee crisis in Syria has long since reached a dangerous level and human rights organizations have been stressing the problem since the conflict began two-years ago. Millions have fled their homes and almost 100, 000 people have lost their lives. The US-Somalia mission in the 1990s was a catastrophic disaster, which eventually led to the dead bodies of American soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. The war in Iraq is widely known as one that was based on a lie, as Saddam’s regime never possessed any weapons mass destruction. The Middle East, or any place on Earth, does not need another military disaster and the human deaths and carnage that an error of judgement would entail.

admin

Tue, 2013-08-27 12:08

Posted to Larvatus Prodeo "#Syria roundtable" of 27 August 2013. Until now, Larvatus Prodeo has had nothing to say about the war against Syria, or, before that, the war against Libya. It remains to be seen how the site authors, administrators and other visitors respond to this video. Nofibs.com, another 'alternate' web-site, started recently by Margo Kingston others has yet to breathe a word a word about the crimes against Syria or any war. In her book "Not Happy, John!" of 2004, Margo complained, with seeming passion, against former Prime Minister John Howard's war against Iraq. However, this concern seems to have since vanished.

The above broadcast was posted to the Larvatus Prodeo "#Syria roundtable" of 27 August 2013. Until now, Larvatus Prodeo has had nothing to say about the war against Syria, or, before that, the war against Libya. It remains to be seen how the site authors, administrators and other visitors respond to this video. Nofibs.com, another 'alternate' web-site, started recently by Margo Kingston others has yet to breathe a word a word about the crimes against Syria or any war. In her book "Not Happy, John!" of 2004, Margo complained, with seeming passion, against former Prime Minister John Howard's war against Iraq. However, this concern seems to have since vanished.

Geoffrey Taylor

Tue, 2013-08-27 01:35

From PressTV, 26 August 2013

Italy has warned against military intervention in Syria, urging its international partners to "think about it a thousand times" before launching an attack.

Iraq will not allow its airspace be used in attacks on Syria

Also from PressTV, 26 August 2013

The Iraqi government has said it will not allow its airspace or territory be used in any action against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Anonymous (not verified)

Sun, 2013-08-25 18:15

Subject was: US ready for action on Syria

President Obama warned about invading Syria, and the reinforcement of four warships allows the Pentagon to act more rapidly if Obama orders a military strike. Iran's foreign ministry rejected claims the Syrian regime had deployed chemical weapons. Obama's top civilian and military advisers are meeting in the White House on Saturday to discuss options. Rebel groups have claimed the attack was carried out by Assad's forces and that more than 1,000 people had died. The Syrian regime has denied the allegations.

An attack on Syria would have horrific human casualties - and exacerbate the already growing migration problem of asylum seekers, and displaced.

Although President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, stopped short of saying who he thought had used the weapons, Iran's Foreign Ministry said evidence pointed to rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Editorial comment: Contrary to what Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said today, it would seem that the burden of proof should lie with the US government and the terrorist opponents of the Syrian government.

In May, Special UN investigator, Carla del Ponte, found that it was more likely that the anti-government insurgents and not the government, had used chemical weapons on 19 March. This is reported in the YouTube broadcast, included in Syrian government likely did not use chemical weapons: who should you believe … The UN investigator or the U.S.? on Global Research, and which is embedded below.

May 2013, UN inspector says, chemical attacks most likely came from insurgents

 

See also: Turkish Police find Chemical Weapons in the Possession of Al Nusra Terrorists heading for Syria of 30 May 2013 on Global Research.

Anonymous (not verified)

Sat, 2013-08-24 16:11

Polling suggest that Labor is in serious trouble in Western Sydney and Rudd could even lose his own seat in Griffith, Qld. Jobless numbers continue to grow, and Labor imagines that high immigration secures their votes, but it's not necessarily so.

British Labour government under Blair brought in 3 million immigrants and about 1 million illegal immigrants into what – with Holland – is one of the most crowded countries in Europe. And there were voting advantages from this for Labour. Those who come in from Commonwealth countries can register and vote immediately. In spite of John Howard’s association with anti-Asian rhetoric, his government settled more immigrants than any before. There remain large swathes of migrants and children of migrants who vote ALP reflexively and view Labor as the party of migration. It remains to be seen!

Editorial comment: Although purported "bleeding heart" liberals and the supposed "far left" like to portray support for the right for anyone to immigrate anywhere as an issue that progressive people must support. However, ...

wow item shop (not verified)

Sat, 2013-08-24 06:03

I was curious if you ever considered changing the
page layout of your blog? Its very well written; I love
what you've got to say. But maybe you could [add (?- Ed)] a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better.
You've got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or two pictures.
Maybe you could space it out better?

Editorial comment : Whilst this comment is linked to a commercial site, of sorts, the comment is helpful, so thank you, "wow item shop." We agree that candobetter needs better structure and could cover the critical environmental and political issues more comprehensively. We hope to make some noticable progress towards this in the near future.

Please also feel encouraged to add your own thoughts to the discussion, whether supportive, critical or even opposed. as long as it adds to the discussion and contains nothing illegal, we won't censor. (Apart from spam) we haven't censored anything, yet.

admin

Thu, 2013-08-22 07:28

From Global Research TV (grtv). See also: The Syrian Chemical Weapons Use Canard of 21 August 2013 by Stephen Lendman, Information Minister: Syria has evidence on chemical weapons use by terrorists (SANA) of 21 August 2013, Moscow: allegations on chemical weapons use by Syrian government an act of deception of 21 August 2013.

Wildly varying reports have emerged of recent chemical weapons use in Syria, with hundreds allegedly killed in the latest attack.

This comes on the same day that the UN inspectors arrive in Damascus to investigate allegations of use of toxic arms.

Initially, Al-Arabiya posted news of 280 victims on Twitter. Later, the news outlet upgraded the figure up to 1,188 victims quoting the Free Syrian Army.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had a much lower figure, claiming dozens of people were killed, including children.

News agencies such as Reuters and AP mostly put the numbers of victims at hundreds, but say that reports can't be independently verified.

For more, RT talks to reporter and international affairs analyst Patrick Henningsen.Wildly varying reports have emerged of recent chemical weapons use in Syria, with hundreds allegedly killed in the latest attack.

This comes on the same day that the UN inspectors arrive in Damascus to investigate allegations of use of toxic arms.

Initially, Al-Arabiya posted news of 280 victims on Twitter. Later, the news outlet upgraded the figure up to 1,188 victims quoting the Free Syrian Army.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had a much lower figure, claiming dozens of people were killed, including children.

News agencies such as Reuters and AP mostly put the numbers of victims at hundreds, but say that reports can't be independently verified.

For more, RT talks to reporter and international affairs analyst Patrick Henningsen.Wildly varying reports have emerged of recent chemical weapons use in Syria, with hundreds allegedly killed in the latest attack.

This comes on the same day that the UN inspectors arrive in Damascus to investigate allegations of use of toxic arms.

Initially, Al-Arabiya posted news of 280 victims on Twitter. Later, the news outlet upgraded the figure up to 1,188 victims quoting the Free Syrian Army.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had a much lower figure, claiming dozens of people were killed, including children.

News agencies such as Reuters and AP mostly put the numbers of victims at hundreds, but say that reports can't be independently verified.

For more, RT talks to reporter and international affairs analyst Patrick Henningsen.

See also: Feigned indignation over Syrian chemical deaths a cover for invasion plans of 23 Aug 2013.

admin

Wed, 2013-08-21 23:20

Update (10:16PM, 21 August 2013): Fiona Scott's 'Direct Action' proposal had already generated a number of stridently critical responses. They include: Direct action examined and found wanting of 16 Aug 2013 by 'Brian' on (the otherwise wide-of-the mark) http://larvatusprodeo.net, The black hole in Tony Abbott’s frat party climate policy of 15 Aug 2013 by Giles Parkinson, Greg Hunt rejects 'silly' Climate Institute report on Direct Action policy of 15 Aug 2013 by Emma Griffiths and Monique Ross on ABC News. (None of these articles, for all their merit in other regards, address population growth, BTW)

On reading Giles Parkinson's article , it was apparent that Fiona Scott's proposal for Direct Action was far too small to be an effective response to the treat of global warming:

It’s hard to find anyone who takes its proposed replacement policy, Direct Action, seriously – based as it is around one known constant – a 15,000 strong, litter-collecting green army.

Nonetheless, unless the carbon tax or emissions trading schemes, which these artciles favour, force the scale of coal mining in Australia, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales, the United States and elsewhere, to be reduced to a small fraction of its current massive size, then these schemes aren't going to stop global warming.

To stop global warming, governments will be left with no choice but to take Direct Action against the coal miners and force them to reduce their output.

It should have been obvious that Fiona Scott's 'Direct Action' proposal was far too limited in scale to have any hope of stopping global warming.

CSI (not verified)

Wed, 2013-08-21 21:05

You can see both of these candidates sweating trying to answer these population questions they probably don't know much about and which they wouldn't get asked very often anyhow (since in all major parties it is accepted without question that rapid population growth = good). So they just trot out staple party lines about aging population - which is absolutely inevitable after any period of growth, as the commentator above points out (and which continued growth will only make worse) and how Australia has done well at achieving a "balanced" growth (at 1.6% or more! Any growth is unsustainable long term, but growth of this magnitude is unsustainable for more than a few decades). I'd like to see someone with a complete understanding of these issues debate these or other politicians and take their arguments apart piece by piece.

Anonymous (not verified)

Wed, 2013-08-21 19:01

Tony Abbott says that the Coalition will take immediate and concrete steps to repeal the Carbon Tax if they win government. He claims that repealing the Carbon Tax will ease cost of living pressures on families, help small business and restore confidence to the economy. Within a fortnight, the Finance Minister will introduce legislation to shut-down the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Climate change will force greater costs of health care due to more diseases and weather extremes. There will be higher energy consumption through increased use of air conditioning and heating, and higher costs for food. Extreme weather patterns will increase the cost of insurance and planning regimes to account for greater risks. Four degrees warming of our planet would trigger severe economic, environmental, and social disruptions. Our environment is not divorced from or independent on our economy. The economy is a subset of the environment. To cater for economic benefits, and growth, wilderness areas are being ever encroached on, for mining and economic developments. Costs of living are being forced upwards by population growth. Network and infrastructure charges are totally unbalanced with the amount of energy and water consumption. Land prices are escalating, and blowing out the costs of housing. Australia is in debt for infrastructure for about $500 billion due to population growth. There's no "balance" between population and the environment! The ageing population can't be addressed by more population growth! Many migrants are ageing too. It's Ponzi pyramid of growth, and the "problem" of ageing numbers is due to high rates of population growth, and it's assumed that the solution can be the same as the cause!

admin

Wed, 2013-08-21 12:20

YouTube title is Lindsay candidates forum Fiona Scott and David Bradbury Population green army climate change.

David Bradbury, Labor candidate for Lindsay
Fiona Scott, Liberal candidate for Lindsay

At a recent "Meet the Candidates" night for the far Western Sydney seat of Lindsay, Geoff Brown, an environmental activist and local resident since 1974 and Stable Population Party candidate for Lindsay asked the major party candidates, David Bradbury for the Labor Party and Fiona Scott for the Liberal Party to explain their population policies.

Whilst both major party candidates candidates ducked and weaved around the core question of population, Fiona Scott, to her credit, argued for direct action, including community grass roots level environmental repair to fix the environment in preference to the supposed macro-economic incentive of the "carbon tax". This is contrary to the prevailing economic dogma that everything can be fixed through free-market mechanisms. The "carbon tax" is supposed to create an economic incentive to individuals and corporations to burn less carbon. The extra expense has caused people on low incomes to not turn on heaters in during times of sub-zero temperatures in winter or to turn on air conditioners in summer when temperatures reached 46ºC.

Near the end, when asked, Fiona Scott claimed that the Liberal Party supported a reduction in emissions by 2020 to a level 5% less than the carbon emissions of 2000. It was pointed out that Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott had ruled that out only two days ago!

PostGrowthEra

Tue, 2013-08-20 08:37

Labor and the Coalition are focusing their policies to benefit corporate greed, and the public are being presented with cherry-picked issues and broad policies, devoid of details. The Coalition will hand up to $75,000 to workers on $150,000 a year in a gesture under the guise of encouraging couples to have babies and helping workplace participation. Neither party leader will touch the population debate for fear of touching on a sensitive topic of immigration, and population growth. They only campaign on "soft" and "safe" issues. Neither will talk about "big Australia" and how we will future-proof our nation from global human, climate change and environmental threats, or the challenges of the decline in basic natural resources such as food! Asylum seekers are being used as an "immigration" smokescreen, to filter out the low-skilled and the vulnerable, while other legal immigrants continue to arrive in their tens, or hundreds, of thousands at airports each year! Europe has the "lost generation" of youth unemployment, and nothing about adjusting our immigration intake according to the slowdown in jobs growth. New data from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations reveals more than 50,000 young people were unsuccessful in attempts to find work in May, up by 15,000 from a year earlier. Over the same 12-month period, the combined total of Newstart Allowance and Youth Allowance recipients increased by 20 per cent, from 661,036 to 792,947, while the number of people unemployed for more than 12 months and looking for work increased by 27 per cent. The Australian: Youth jobs crisis as welfare payments blow out The issues close to the electorate are largely being ignored, and the focus of the government and opposition remains on "growth" rather than the inconveniences of increasing poverty, and austerity, being faced by the public today. The Coalition, representing business, wants strong population growth to bolster profits and the economy. It's about corporate greed, and profits, rather than social justice, and grass-roots democracy. The landscape of our existing human resources, and overall welfare, is ignored. Many economies in Europe are shrinking, and suffering from high youth unemployment. Government imposed austerity measure and cut-backs are causing protests and hardships. A new study by the Center for American Progress estimates that today's austerity measures are going to leave the U.S. economy with 2 million fewer jobs and $433 billion less in economic growth by 2019. There are limits to growth, and already Australia's economy has suffered a slump. Jobs growth in Australia is being outpaced by population growth. The reason for the record number of 54 political parties these federal elections is because the mainstream parties are not tapped into public concerns.

Vivienne Ortega

Mon, 2013-08-19 10:37

Australian Wildlife Protection Council will conduct their AGM this Sunday, 25th August 11 am Kindness House, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy There will be reports from the Treasurer, President and Secretary. There will be reports on important issues regarding Dingoes, Koalas, Leadbeater’s Possums, Dugongs/Turtles and Kangaroos etc *** NOMINATIONS FOR ALL POSITIONS OF AWPC COMMITTEE ARE OPEN– Craig Thompson and Hans Brunner will give SPECIAL Proposition Reports, along with Cienwen Hickey regarding the ACT Kangaroo “Cull” 2013- 2014 Voiceless Grant Application 2013 AWARD to James Fitzgerald The Guest Speaker Prof Steve Garlick Leader of the Animal Justice Party, followed by DISCUSSION Q and A PLEASE COME for a special afternoon, open for anyone interested in wildlife. Bring a mug and some food to share. More information contact Maryland Wilson on [email protected]

nimby

Mon, 2013-08-19 09:03

The Victorian Coalition government's opposition to democratic debate, and co-operative decision-making on planning issues, is breath-taking. The east west link assumes ongoing supplies of liquid fuel. Domestic and international oil supplies are becoming increasingly constrained. The Australian Workers Union (AWU) cautions that relying on Asian refineries for our supply chains is ‘highly questionable as these Asian refiners may be unsustainable..' At present Australia has been shielded by higher fuel prices by the high Australian dollar. In the event of a serious global crisis this convenient financial safety net may not be available. Our economy could come to a screeching halt! The public want reliable, sustainable and cheaper public transport and freight lines. Opposing the obvious takes a lot of audacity. This multi billion dollar scar over our city, that will destroy houses and heritage parklands, is politically self-destructive as along the way it consumes a lot of public confidence, a trashing of transparent and cooperative political decision-making, and credibility with the public. With high rise apartments planned for Footscray, without height limits, it's been hailed as a new "growth hub" for housing - and jobs (?) (Despite the appalling unemployment rate already there). Our city is being transformed and destroyed for the ideal of perpetual "growth" of population, so eventually 12 million people can have their (imported) goods and services transported across from the east and west and visa versa. According to the Australian Government: "Global production of liquid fuels is not expected to be resource constrained: there is sufficient conventional and alternative supply available to meet projected demand to at least 2035. While currently a small fraction of the market, alternative fuels will continue to be developed and will increasingly enter the market over the longer term. This will contribute to a more diverse market. While overall demand for fuels is expected to increase, environmental performance and fuel efficiency will improve as transport and engine technologies evolve". Energy Markets: liquid fuels CommSec economist Savanath Sebastian said in a recent note: "Higher crude prices and a substantially weaker Aussie dollar - pushing up the cost of imported fuel - are likely to see domestic pump prices rise even further in coming weeks. The higher cost of fuel will add to inflation but may also restrain consumer purchases." Retail sales figures released last week show households may already be facing a pinch and have cut back on purchases of electrical goods and eating out. Petrol prices tipped to soar as Australian dollar weakens There's a lot of hope in conventional fuels, until 2035, and expectation on the development of alternative energy! It's a government fantasy of endless natural resources, scientific advancement, and heavy investment in the assumption that economic growth can continue indefinitely.

Vivienne Ortega

Sun, 2013-08-18 08:46

More than half of Queensland is now officially in drought after two more parts of the state were drought-declared on Friday 16th August, 2013. An amendment bill was introduced into Queensland parliament in March by the State Department of Development, Infrastructure and Industry. The changes allow further vegetation clearance for dryland and irrigated high-value agriculture, to help the government achieve its goal of doubling Queensland’s food production by 2040. Farmers can clear as much land as they want on their own properties. The Committee that approved this decided that the economic benefits for farmers outweighed the environmental impacts. However, University of Queensland researchers have produced evidence for the possible link between land clearing and climate change in south-eastern Australia. The work is part of a broader climate modelling project – involving Land & Water Australia and the Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence – being managed by Dr Clive McAlpine. Dr McAlpine’s team have used the CSIRO MARK 3 climate model – the same one used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – to simulate the climate impacts of land clearing over the past 200 years. The modelling results showed a strong correlation between climate and loss of vegetation from pre-European settlement levels, with an average summer temperature increase in eastern Australia of 0.4–2.0°C, and a 4–12 per cent decrease in summer rainfall. Simulation of land clearing over 200 years A study was commissioned by the conservation group WWF and has been reviewed by independent ecologists. It shows the Queensland Government is placing 2 million hectares of sensitive bushland and wildlife habitat at risk. WWF chief executive officer Dermot O'Gorman says the decision is based on flawed and dangerous information. "These 2 million hectares of bushland are home to around 160 species of endangered and vulnerable native plants and animals, everything from koalas, wallabies, cockatoos to cassowaries," he said. Important areas of native bushland are also still being cleared in urban areas in Queensland, particularly on the urban fringe as suburbs expand. Land clearing in Queensland Greed for short-term economic benefits from food and fibre production means that natural values such as forests, native vegetation, natural ecosystems and wildlife are just considered optional "mess" to be cleared away for more farming land. Surely in the 21st century it's time we've moved away from the ignorance of our Colonial forefathers and the way they raped and cleared the land! We have the advantage now of environmental and climate science, ecology, and the lessons from history and hindsight. Due to the promises of wealth and profits from the live export industry, and the "Asian Century", livestock numbers have increased, and now farmers are demanding that national parks be opened up for cattle grazing. There's been a build-up of numbers from the last three years with the better seasons and now the tap's been turned off and farmers have just got more numbers than they can cope with at the moment. When they overstock and overgraze, farmers whinge about native vegetation laws and so their cattle pollute major rivers and graze in fragile parks and reserves. Many growers say they are good stewards of the land but in fact, many are climate sceptics. 95% of land clearing in Queensland was for the purpose of cattle grazing and we all know they help caused the pollution in the Great Barrier Reef. While most people don’t want cattle grazing in national parks, they certainly don’t want to learn of cattle starving to death in barren paddocks. We must live on the "interest" of Nature's abundance without destroying the "Capital" - it's foundation on the web of life that includes function ecosystems, and rich biodiversity. An end of the live export industry will be an end of an animal welfare atrocity, and hopefully the beginning of some more reasonable and sustainable policies that acknowledge Australia as the driest continent on the planet, with the highest mammal extinction rate of modern times.

nimby

Sat, 2013-08-17 08:19

The CFMEU have been critical of government immigration policies, and the erosion of the right to jobs for Australians - jobs created by our economy that should go to Australians. CFMEU have exposed the fact that more than than 191,000 people on the 457 temporary work (skilled) visas were here as of June 30, a jump of 18 per cent since last year. There was also a similar rise in the number of people on working holiday visas to 160,500 over the same period, according to new Immigration Department data. CFMEU construction division national secretary Dave Noonan said: "Clearly, there's a significant number of employers that are more focused on getting overseas temporary labour in place rather than offering jobs and apprenticeship opportunities to young Australians." Why would a "Labor" government destroy the job opportunities for Australians at a time of rising unemployment, and austere conditions? They have betrayed their traditional values for the benefit of big businesses who want cheap, compliant and flexible foreign labour - many of whom will apply for Permanent Residence. Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union fear on jobs as temporary visa workers keep coming While the "immigration" debate rests on asylum seekers, the foreign invasion that people see as a growing problem, legal immigration keeps increasing and goes largely unnoticed. At least the CFMEU, a union that our government would rather not exist, are exposing the immigration rorts. The latest figures show that there were 1.66 million temporary entrants in Australia on June 30, compared with 1.63 million a year ago. This includes 640,000 New Zealanders on special temporary visas, 304,000 overseas students and 200,000 overseas visitors.

Geoffrey Taylor

Fri, 2013-08-16 15:28

For more information, See Bob Carnegie Defence Campaign.

The ABC reported at 1.20PM today, followed by Brisbane's Courier Mail and The Australian that "Contempt of Court" charges against Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) organiser Bob Carnegie were dismissed by Federal Court Magistrate in Brisbane.

The charges arose as a result of Bob Carnegie attempting to enforce a picket line at the Children's Hospital then under construction in Brisbane against an attempt by the anti-union employer AbiGroup to deny union rights to workers working there.

This is a monumental win for Australian trade unions whose rights have been eroded since former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser criminalised much trade union activity with his Sections 45D and 45E of the Trade Practises Act. Under the legislation, it became a criminal offence for workers to take industrial action against an employer other than their own. So, action by workers in one workplace in solidarity with another work place was forbidden.

(Incidentally, Malcolm Fraser, in recent years, has made great efforts to have himself depicted in the media as a "bleeding heart" friend of refugees, particularly refugees, who opposed trade unions, particularly the Australian Postal and Telegraphic Union (APTU) in Melbourne, and voted for politicians like himself as did many of the Vietnamese refugees who came to Australia in the late 1970's.)

The 'Labor' Governments of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, which ruled Australia from 1983 until 1996 and began the transformation of Australia into a neoliberal "free market" economy, failed to repeal these laws. As a result, Liberal Prime Minister John Howard attempted to break the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) in 1998 having little fear that other unions would give effective support to the MUA.

Fortunately, a determined campaign by the Australian community, including the families of seafarers and wharfies, defeated Howard's attempt to break the union. It was also helped by a the New Zealand Seafarers' Union refusing to work on on a ship which had been loaded by scab labour.

Sadly, as recorded in The Latham Diaries (2005) collaboration by unconscionable Labor politicians, including the current Australian foreign Minister Bob Carr, enabled John Howard to rort his way back into office in 1998, 2001 an 2004.

Following his 2004 election, John Howard made another attempt to break the trade unions when he introduced his "Work Choices" legislation, for which he had obtained no electoral mandate into Federal Parliament. He then spent $124 million of taxpayers' money on propaganda campaign to promote "Work Choices". (Described in Mark Latham's political gift to John Howard of 20 Nov 2007. Sadly, Latham acted no better in 2007 than those of which he was rightly critical in The Latham Diaries. He actually opposed the Trade Union movement's "Your Rights at Work" campaign against "Work Choices" and called on Australians to vote for Howard.)

PostGrowthEra

Fri, 2013-08-16 10:50

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) has emphasised the need for greater recognition of employment-related issues facing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, following the release of the latest labour force datacubes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Last week, the ABS revealed that Australia’s July unemployment rate had remained unchanged at 5.7 per cent, as it was in June 2013. However, yesterday’s datacube release reemphasises the difficulties faced by people born overseas in seeking employment. The unemployment rate of people born in the Middle East or North Africa remains at a high 9.2 per cent, for people born in Sub-Saharan African, the figure is at 7.5 per cent, and for Australians born in South-East Asia, unemployment is at 6.3 per cent. FECCA Chair, Mr Pino Migliorino said that “it is concerning, for all Australians, that while the unemployment rate remains low overall, nothing has improved for workers and job-seekers from many CALD backgrounds.” FECCA has also highlighted that underemployment remains an ongoing issue for many CALD workers who take on positions for which they are overqualified as a result of limited recognition of skills, overseas qualifications and prior work experience, and work very few hours. Mr Migliorino said, “Immigrants are disproportionately represented in areas such as manufacturing, and it’s important to highlight that events such as the closure of manufacturing plants, as we’ve witnessed in recent weeks, means that CALD workers will constitute a very high proportion of Australians left looking for work". The economies of many developed European countries are shrinking. Greece, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, Cyprus and Italy are all suffering from high unemployment, austerity and decline. They are facing strong austerity measures. There are limits to any growth in our natural world, and in economies as well. All the evidence now points to Australia's slowing economic growth, and jobs growth. Population growth is presently outstripping jobs growth. France and Germany are relatively stable, while Poland and the UK posted minor growth and industries are heading off shore. Once we have adequate infrastructure, jobs, industry innovation, affordable housing, high quality living standards, and protected green wedges, then there is a place for growth. The "growth" of high rise monolithic towers in our cities, for the advantage of the property developers, could be premature and cause a future dystopia of anonymity, poverty, unemployment and debt.

Bandicoot

Thu, 2013-08-15 09:15

ABC's Vote Compass has identified ending live export as one of the top 30 key issues of concern for Australians this election demonstrates that you are being heard. Today's Nielsen poll, commissioned by WSPA, confirms that ending live export is now a vote winner. The poll claims the issue has support from across the political spectrum with 82 per cent of Liberal voters, 90 per cent of Labor voters and 84 per cent of undecided voters are more likely to vote for a candidate who supported a transition away from live exports. The Animal Justice Party are not included in the Vote Compass, and neither is the Stable Population Party! The media focus almost entirely on the Coalition and Labor parties, and even in their public debate, the Greens weren't included. There are 54 parties represented in the Senate these election, but only 2 are getting the lime light. Any valid debate must include the issues that concern the public, not just personalities, and the "economy" and "growth". ABC Vote Compass

nimby

Thu, 2013-08-15 07:50

If our State government and Planning Minister Matthew Guy really wanted to plan a sustainable and high quality future for all Victorians, now and in the future, they would be calling in the Minister for Immigration, Tony Burke, to heavily reduce immigration numbers. Asylum seekers are being used as a smoke screen for high numbers of legal, "skilled" migrants - and family reunions. Planning has become in disarray due to efforts to accommodate our "projected" population growth! All this developer-lead "growth" in high rise towers holds a potential dystopia of unemployment, poverty, congestion, debt and a dysfunctional city. Urban communities are being destroyed by the anonymity of these monoliths. It's not "urban renewal" but urban destruction. Once there are jobs, industries, production, high quality arterial roads and seamless public transport, along with adequate infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, child care centres, aged care, parks and recreation, etc, then there may be some argument to justify all this "projected" population growth! The explosion in population is not due to high fertility levels, but politically-engineered, and something we are being forced to cope with. Victoria is being governed by a de facto property development company, with vested interests in "projected" population growth.

James Sinnamon

Wed, 2013-08-14 21:37

The Australian newsmedia's unconscionable treatment of Schapelle Corby continues. The latest example is: Schapelle Corby: Time to let go of our obsession by Michael Bachelard, Indonesia correspondent for the Fairfax Media:

... Many people have spent a great deal of time and energy poring over this one woman's case – the Australian consulate in Bali; authors; lawyers; dozens, if not hundreds of journalists; prison officials, professional internet conspiracy theorists, politicians in both Australia and Indonesia.

It is not just about "one woman". It is about a grave hazard that many Australians unknowingly face when they go to Bali for their holidays. As Author, Kathyrn Bonella has shown, in Hotel Kerokoban (2009), Snowing in Bali (2012) and Schapelle Corby - My Story (2006), the ludicrous crime for which Schapelle has been wrongly convicted and for which she was sentenced to prison for 20 years -- the alleged smuggling of 4.2 kg of Marijuhana from Australia to a country where its market valued is less-- pales into insignificance in comparison to the corruption practised routinely by many Inodonesian government officials, police and local entepreneurs on Bali.

nimby

Wed, 2013-08-14 10:43

Fracking boom sucks away precious water from beneath the ground, leaving cattle dead, farms bone-dry and people thirsty. Three years of drought, decades of overuse and now the oil industry’s outsize demands on water for fracking are running down reservoirs and underground aquifers. And climate change is making things worse. In Texas alone, about 30 communities could run out of water by the end of the year, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Across the south-west, residents of small communities like Barnhart are confronting the reality that something as basic as running water, as unthinking as turning on a tap, can no longer be taken for granted. Nearly 15 million people are living under some form of water rationing, barred from freely sprinkling their lawns or refilling their swimming pools. In Barnhart’s case, the well appears to have run dry because the water was being extracted for shale gas fracking. Even as the drought bore down, even as the water levels declined, the oil industry continued to demand water and those with water on their land were willing to sell it. The road west of town was lined with signs advertising “fresh water”, where tankers can take on a box-car-sized load of water laced with industrial chemicals. Fracking is a powerful drain on water supplies. In adjacent Crockett county, fracking accounts for up to 25% of water use, according to the groundwater conservation district. But Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, argues fracking is not the only reason Texas is going dry – and nor is the drought. The latest shocks to the water system come after decades of overuse by ranchers, cotton farmers, and fast-growing thirsty cities. “We have large urban centres sucking water out of west Texas to put on their lands. We have a huge agricultural community, and now we have fracking which is also using water,” she said. And then there is climate change. A Texan tragedy- ample oil no water Eight of the 15 fastest-growing large U.S. cities and towns for the year ending July 1, 2012 were in Texas. Texas led all states with an increase of 427,000 people over the same period, according to census estimates released in December. Two-thirds of the increase comes from Hispanics, while the population of non-Hispanic whites — the group Texans call "Anglos" — is barely growing at all. Anglos are no longer the majority in Texas, and Hispanics are expected to outnumber Anglos within about a decade. More than half of the usable and potentially usable freshwater in Texas comes from groundwater. State climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon said rising temperatures, which result in greater evaporation rates, will also contribute to the depletion of water supplies statewide. Every fracking job requires 2 million to 4 million gallons of water, according to the Groundwater Protection Council. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, has estimated that the 35,000 oil and gas wells used for fracking consume between 70 billion and 140 billion gallons of water each year. Fracking is already straining US water supplies There are substitutes for oil, but not for water. We can produce food without oil, but not without water.The bottom line is that water constraints – augmented by soil erosion, the loss of cropland to nonfarm uses, a plateauing of yields in major producing areas, and climate change – are making it more difficult to expand world food production.

Sheila Newman

Tue, 2013-08-13 23:53

Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University in the Netherlands publicly unveiled his lab-grown burger at a high-profile London taste-testing event. Some people think they have to eat real meat, despite tasty soy and gluten convincing alternatives. Post made his by placing stem cells taken from cows into a culture dish and feeding the cells with fetal calf serum to make them grow. He says that one sample of muscle cells taken from a live cow during a biopsy could create up to 20,000 tons of cultured beef.

It uses stem cell technology to produce up to 10 kilos of beef. No harm is done to the cows. PETA is offering $1 million for the production of in vitro chicken meat to the market.

Animal rights group PETA supports this development. Besides eliminating the need to slaughter billions of animals every year, growing meat in a laboratory would end clear-cutting of forests for livestock production, conserve vast amounts of water and energy, and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions for meat production by 78 to 96 percent.

For those who insist on eating animal flesh, this lab-produced meat is an ideal alternative, environmentally and for a more humane society.

admin

Tue, 2013-08-13 23:50

MEDIA RELEASE:AiAUS

BALLS ON THE LINE FOR PLANET EARTH
For release: 10am Monday July 8, 2013, Adelaide, Australia

Australia hosts the world?s-first vasectomy-athon asking men to take a very
personal action to save the planet, protect their families and do right by
themselves.

On October 18, 2013 men all over the world, who are ready to exit the gene pool, will dedicate their vasectomy to Planet Earth.

1,000 men in 25 countries will take the ultimate snip to show they care about the growing strain that population is placing on the planet?s resources, their families and themselves.

The world?s most prolific vasectomist, Dr Doug Stein will perform live
vasectomies in front of an audience in Adelaide at the Royal Institution of
Australia (RiAus) to launch the inaugural World Vasectomy Day event
streamed live online. Renowned thinkers, academics and activists will
surround the operating room as they debate the future of our planet.

World Vasectomy Day (WVD) is the creation of Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Jonathan Stack, who while setting out to tell his own story about getting a vasectomy, met legendary Florida-based vasectomist Dr Doug Stein and together, ended up making a film about population on the planet – THE VASECTOMIST. But it didn?t stop there. The journey inspired them to create a movement to raise global awareness of: the dangers an ever-increasing population has on the planet?s finite resources; and vasectomy as a viable solution to prevent
unintended pregnancies.

“We?re asking men who do not want more children to shoulder the burden of family planning, to fight for their family, their community, their country and our planet,” says Stack. “To be like Frodo in ?The Lord of the Rings?! By throwing our fertility into the fire, we?re protecting our women, our families and future generations.”

Australia has one of the highest uptake rates of vasectomy in the world and this trailblazing spirit led the producers to launch WVD in Australia to set the stage for the global conversation. Director of RiAus Paul Willis welcomed the partnership as a prime opportunity to host a world-class knowledge-sharing forum addressing critical science related issues within the context of a highly innovative and ambitious multiplatform public event:
“This event will take vasectomy out of the medical suite and into the homes of people who may never have considered vasectomy. It will be an important way of encouraging people to think about how their ecological footprint leaves its mark on the planet,” says Willis.

The live-streamed vasectomy-athon will feature Dr Stein performing vasectomies while fielding questions from both the live Adelaide audience and an international online audience. Simultaneously, a gathering of diverse thought leaders including population expert and author of The Population Bomb Professor Paul Ehrlich will weigh in on the social, political, cultural and ethical issues raised by the event and Dr Stein?s mission to save the planet, one vasectomy at a time...

“Can vasectomies really make a difference? Mine made a big difference in my life, and to this day I consider it the single most important contribution I have personally made to the wellbeing of future generations, “ says Ehrlich.

World Vasectomy Day is coproduced by Jonathan Stack?s New York-based Gabriel Films and Sydney-based Smith&Nasht – a media production company focused on social issue storytelling founded by Simon Nasht and Dick Smith.

For all media enquiries and interviews contact
Ruth Cross - Producer
ruthecross&nbdp;[ AT ] gmail.com
+61 435 556 339
http://thevasectomist.net
http://facebook.com/thevasectomist
http://youtube.com/thevasectomist
https://twitter.com/thevasectomist
RiAUS - Bringing science to people and people to science

admin

Tue, 2013-08-13 23:48

Masao Yoshida, the man in charge of Japan's stricken Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant in the wake of the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami, has died at 58 from oesophageal cancer. Yoshida was called a "hero" for his actions during the disaster that helped curtail the spread of nuclear fallout. Yoshida-one of the "Fukushima 50"- risked his life to do so, even disobeying orders by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), to stop pumping cooling seawater into the overheating reactors. The "Fukushima 50" were the 50 engineers and workers who stayed on at the plant, braving potentially lethal amounts of radiation, in an attempt to restore the damaged cooling system.

At first reprimanded by the company for his disobedience, Yoshida's decision helped to lessen the damage of the meltdown, and later they praised Yoshida for his resolve. In fact, Japan's Prime Minister, Naoto Kan tweeted about Yoshida saying, "I bow in respect for his leadership and decision making." Yoshida stayed at the disabled nuclear facility for nearly nine months, heading up the disaster response. In a December, 2011 statement after Yoshida stepped down from his post as plant head of Fukushima due to illness, Tepco President Naomi Hirose said, "We deeply appreciate his contribution and the way he handled the accident."

http://news.msn.com/obits/hero-chief-of-stricken-japan-nuclear-plant-dies-of-cancer

admin

Tue, 2013-08-13 23:46

The political parties vying for votes are offering a selection of goodies for those who vote for them. However, there's is more at stake than ourselves, and our own concerns and the economy.

National laws require the Australian Government to develop recovery plans for all 112 birds listed as threatened … but there is no dedicated fund to implement them.

This is not a big commitment. Birdlife Australia estimate it would only cost an average of $380,000 for each species. And we know funded recovery plans work – they save birds.

Save the Birds - Birdlife Australia

They are urging both major parties to fund the implementation of national recovery plans for threatened birds. They need your help to ensure threatened birds have a voice in this election campaign.

admin

Tue, 2013-08-13 23:44

Environment Minister Mark Butler announced that he approved the mine in Tasmania's Tarkine, which was halted two weeks ago by a Federal Court decision that found his predecessor, Tony Burke, had failed to properly consider official departmental advice about its impact on the Tasmanian devil. The mine’s development was halted by a federal court ruling in May, which found the mine to be unlawful due to its potential impact on Tasmanian devils.

"Environment" Minister Mark Butler is quite comfortable about going down in history as the "Minister for extinction"

There are currently 58 exploration licences granted over the Tarkine. Exploration activities such as drilling, geophysical surveys and pit tests have a substantial impact on the Tarkine through clearing, roading and introduction of contaminants.

The Tarkine is the last stronghold of disease-free Tasmanian Devils. Economic benefits are not to be thwarted by the small problem of protected and threatened Tasmanian Devils! They are disposable, natural assets!

Australian Greens leader Senator Christine Milne said the future of the Tasmanian devil and the tourism potential of the Tarkine were being trashed by Labor for short-term political gain. Also trashed is any legal guarantees and policies that protect even threatened native species.

The conditions of the new approval stipulate that Shree Minerals Limited make contributions to organisations that protect flora and fauna in the area, including a donation of $350,000 to maintain an insurance population of devils in response to the deadly facial tumour disease epidemic. This is pure and futile tokenism considering their mining trucks and heavy equipment will access the area and trample on any flora and fauna inhibiting their access.

admin

Tue, 2013-08-13 23:42

Thousands of koalas have taken refuge in the vast timber plantations that have emerged across the region, which are increasingly maturing for harvest. In plantations that are used for wood pulp, hundreds of koalas are being killed and suffering from horrific injuries and left to slowly die. A plantation harvesting operation is so mechanised and cost-efficient, it has no time to look for and avoid koalas in trees.

According to the Victorian government's Department of Environment and Primary Industries, "there are significant numbers of koalas across suitable habitat in the South west. The high population densities have resulted in many koalas moving into the blue gum plantations in the region. This is a significant issue for the timber plantation industry that they haven'??t had to address in such magnitude before".

In other words, the koalas are being shredded in Blue Gum plantations because of their own population growth. It's their own fault for over-breeding!

"DEPI is working with the Blue Gum Plantation industry in the south west to make sure it responds humanely and effectively to the influx of koalas onto its plantation estate". It's more like stress on their habitats, fragmentation and lack of it that they are going into the plantations, only to suffer callous carnage during logging.

There are a lot of motherhood statements about caring, and guidelines, and policies for koala management.

"DEPI, in partnership with Wildlife Carers, is developing a training program for operational forestry field staff focusing on koala awareness, signs of distress and handling techniques for those operating in koala environments. This new training will begin in August".

The Victorian government should buy the plantations, at any costs, to save our wildlife. Why would foreign plantation owners care about koalas, any more than palm-oil plantation owners care about orangatans or other native animals.

nimby

Tue, 2013-08-13 23:38

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) is proposing to reduce the corporate tax rate from 30% to 25%.

To make up for lost revenue, company tax revenue would be replaced by increasing and expanding the GST so all Australians would pay more for our basic essentials such as food, education and health care.

The Grattan Institute estimates this would add another $3000 a year to average household costs.

They're also proposing to slash penalty rates and reduce the minimum wage for workers, meaning you would have less money in your pocket to pay bills and feed your family. This is to create more "prosperity" for Australia, and create a future surplus.

They would increase immigration too.

It's pure Ponzi economics, a way of getting working Australians to participate in the scheme so that more of their hard-earned saving and wages drift into corporate hands - those at its peak!

Only dodgy and questionable organisations rely on population growth for their revenues. It's about accumulating consumers, as business resources, to boost business profits and opportunities. There's no guarantee of jobs for the migrants they would like to import.

And homebuyers would be invited to pay even more, by introducing a new land tax on home owner-occupiers.

Mitigating an ageing population by adding would mean a further ageing deficit for the next generation. It's Ponzi demographics and is intellectually dishonest.

Financial and corporations, and collectives such as this business "council", make demands and create reports that suit their vested interests.

admin

Tue, 2013-08-13 23:36

July 2013

RUSSIA'S DECISION TO FORBID KANGAROO PRODUCT IMPORTS
APPLAUDED BY THE ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT NOW FACES DISGRACE AFTER SUPPORTING AN INDUSTRY WHICH MOSCOW NOW UNCOVERS AS DECEPTIVE AND CORRUPT

It has been confirmed with the Animal Justice Party by Yury Aleshin, Chief of the Agriculture Ministry at the Russian Embassy, that Russia has again imposed a full ban on the importation of kangaroo meat from Australia on grounds of fraudulent and deceptive conduct.

Following an investigation and seizure of containers containing 1,860kg of meat it was discovered the meat was sourced from unapproved plants via unregistered companies owned by Macro meats. The decision follows two former bans in 2008 and 2009 after major contamination was detected.

This will help bring this grotesquely brutal, rogue industry to an end. A core goal of the Animal Justice Party for the current election campaign is now well on the way to being achieved.

Both Labor and the Coalition have provided significant financial and lobbying support for the kangaroo killing industry to access overseas markets in recent years. This was in return for votes in rural areas. Until now, Russia was the largest importer of kangaroo meat which was enough to keep this brutal, unregulated and heavily subsidised industry operational.

“The kangaroo killing industry is an international disgrace and has been the main contributor to Australia having the unenviable distinction of the highest rate of land-based wildlife slaughter on the planet”, said AJP President Professor Steve Garlick.

“The end of this industry is now in sight thanks to the Russian Government. But there is no thanks to Labor and the Coalition who actively propped up this industry, or to the Greens who have failed to oppose this brutal industry. The Greens have never supported Australia’s iconic fauna emblem.” said Professor Garlick.

Animal Justice Party members played a key role in providing evidence to Russian Government officials in order to help them in their decision to ban these imports from Australia.

A full list of AJP policies, including its policy on kangaroos and wallabies, and its manifesto can be found at: www.animaljusticeparty.org

For further information please email [email protected] or tweet us @justice4animals.

Media Enquiries: Professor Steve Garlick – AJP President – 0428 880 564
Mark Pearson - lead Senate candidate for NSW – 0417 252 107

Vivienne Ortega

Tue, 2013-08-13 18:42

"The anti-population and anti-immigration brigade in the Stable Population Party (SPP) but bad news for young people wanting to buy a home. "The SPP's Lindsay candidate, Geoff Brown, is plying the SPP's anti-immigration and anti-development message in Sydney's western suburbs. So if you want to buy a house in Sydney's west, the message is 'sorry, we're full'". The SPP is against building houses for first home buyers. It wants to reduce child support payments so women have fewer kids and slash immigration numbers because it says these people (mainly the battlers) consume too much - even though Australia exports $60 billion of food per year. On the contrary, home ownership will be easier once our population is stabilized. The population issue is far more profound than simply having enough food to eat! Even battery hens have this much! Imagine 50 years ago if we had said to people from Italy, Greece and the Baltics states, 'sorry, we're full'. They helped build modern Australia. Of course immigrants helped build Australia! So did convicts. It doesn't mean that something can be positive in perpetuation, and forever. Once a being, or community, reaches its optimum size, over-growth is detrimental. The SPP has no environmental record. It is 'green washing' its anti-immigration agenda by using environmental language to stop the land development in Sydney's west. Some of Sydney's fastest growing areas are in Canada Bay, Auburn and Parramatta (the Parramatta Road corridor). All have seen large increases in building high-density dwellings over the last twenty years. Why? Because people want to live there. They too are the story of modern Australia unlike the naysayers. Of course Sydney is full! Housing over food bowls, traffic congestion, environmental destruction, and land clearing from biodiversity are symptoms. (Mr King lives in Adelaide but works in Sydney. There are two sides of his business. The main side of the business is a consultancy that examines local demographics and business issues. Who is Mr King? He is not identified in the article. He is currently consulting for a large firm in western Sydney (not development). About two out of four weeks are spent in Sydney. "I have a comprehensive understanding of population dynamics in western Sydney". he said. The other side was an offshoot from when he worked at DEEWR. He helped older job seekers via the JSA network find employment in the Priority Employment Areas, mainly in western Sydney, Adelaide and Tasmania at Launceston.) Buying Houses: Penrith Star Mortgage stress, homelessness, unaffordable housing, housing over valuable biodiversity hotspots and farmland issues will actually be solved by population stabilization. Those opposing are likely to have vested interests in population growth.

Anonymous (not verified)

Tue, 2013-08-13 11:35

Japan has a declining population and well as an ageing population, yet they have seen an economic splurge since the beginning of the year. The country's gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced across the economy, grew at an annualized pace of 3.5% in the first three months of the year. Data showed annualised growth came in at 4.1pc in January-March, up from a preliminary reading of 3.5pc and well ahead of many other industrialised nations who are struggling to stoke their economies. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/10109602/Japan-GDP-gr... The improvement was partly due to an upward revision in capital spending, a key measure of confidence among the nation's producers. Production is the key to a healthy economy, not adding to population and then discovering that's there's not enough jobs! High immigration is hampering our productivity. We should learn from Japan's independence and pride in their nation-hood.

PostGrowthEra

Tue, 2013-08-13 10:25

PERTH residents have vented outrage that their power bills will increase to an average of $2000 within three years.
State Budget papers reveal yearly "approved increases" of 7 per cent for electricity prices from 2014 through to at least 2016-17. They have already gone up 4 per cent this year.

This will take the average annual family power bill from $963 to $1998 under Mr Barnett's reign, despite his promise during the March state election campaign to keep electricity prices "at or around the rate of inflation" which is now 2.5 per cent.

Herald Sun: Fury over news that annual electricity bills will average $2000 by 2016

Perth has "enjoyed" solid and sustained population growth. Last year alone, 75,000 people moved to the city – and the people transport network catered for an extra five million boardings. Almost one in three renters in the marginal seat of Canning south of Perth, currently held by the Liberals’ Don Randall, are suffering rental stress, and almost 3000 households in Pearce, northeast of Perth are in mortgage stress.

“We have 500 community organisations saying (housing affordability) has reached crisis point, so it’s a national issue,” said Roland Manderson, Deputy Director of Anglicare. Not for profit organisations and charities should not be overwhelmed by demands, from the fallout of government mismanagement of population growth. They are becoming a fixture of our society, of "growth" that displaces people from the economy.

As for electricity, the main cost is the poles and the wires, and they need to be maintained and expanded for a swelling population - blowing out the electricity prices. Having power, water and gas are accepted amenities as a first world country, but now they are biting into hip pockets.

PostGrowthEra

Tue, 2013-08-13 10:25

PERTH residents have vented outrage that their power bills will increase to an average of $2000 within three years. State Budget papers reveal yearly "approved increases" of 7 per cent for electricity prices from 2014 through to at least 2016-17. They have already gone up 4 per cent this year. This will take the average annual family power bill from $963 to $1998 under Mr Barnett's reign, despite his promise during the March state election campaign to keep electricity prices "at or around the rate of inflation" which is now 2.5 per cent. Herald Sun: Fury over news that annual electricity bills will average $2000 by 2016 Perth has "enjoyed" solid and sustained population growth. Last year alone, 75,000 people moved to the city – and the people transport network catered for an extra five million boardings. Almost one in three renters in the marginal seat of Canning south of Perth, currently held by the Liberals’ Don Randall, are suffering rental stress, and almost 3000 households in Pearce, northeast of Perth are in mortgage stress. “We have 500 community organisations saying (housing affordability) has reached crisis point, so it’s a national issue,” said Roland Manderson, Deputy Director of Anglicare. Not for profit organisations and charities should not be overwhelmed by demands, from the fallout of government mismanagement of population growth. They are becoming a fixture of our society, of "growth" that displaces people from the economy. As for electricity, the main cost is the poles and the wires, and they need to be maintained and expanded for a swelling population - blowing out the electricity prices. Having power, water and gas are accepted amenities as a first world country, but now they are biting into hip pockets.

nimby

Tue, 2013-08-13 08:56

The issue of the undemocratic and invasive building of McDonalds fast food outlet in Tecoma is a perfect example of VCAT's corrupt approvals, contrary to the interests of local communities. The people rejected and plans, along with their local MP and the Council. However, VCAT gave the green light, with no regard to the objections. What's the point of a democratic government when "planning" has become corrupt and streamlined? It's all about the power of big businesses and property developers over the common sense and values of local communities - such as the one in the Dandenong Ranges. Hundreds of locals met at the Burrinja Centre in nearby Upwey yesterday and pledged to continue to blockade the construction site and up their online campaign by appealing to Victorian politicians on Twitter. "The Premier needs to get involved. If he was he could negotiate with McDonald's and they could bow out of this gracefully," protest leader Mr Muratore said. However, the Premier is hiding behind his office, and VCAT. He's failing to provide any leadership and courage. McDonalds is using a non-union company to do the demolition, but they will use a union company for the construction. So, McDonalds is not built yet! http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/tecoma-mcdonald8217s-protester...

Anonymous (not verified)

Mon, 2013-08-12 21:32

Australia First Party

PressRelease

John Carbonari For Deakin

Australia First Party has chosen John Carbonari as its candidate for the electorate of Deakin in the poll of 7th September. Mr Carbonari has been a small businessman, and is committed to the values of Australian Independence, Identity and Freedom, which underpin the standard of living, and quality of life for our People.

Mr. Carbonari said:

“In this campaign, our party places Australia and Australians first.

Australians are now experiencing the effects of the Globalisation Programme of Big Business, introduced over the last few decades by their servile Lab/Lib politicians. This programme of free trade agreements; financial deregulation; UN agenda’s: along with plague level immigration, multicultist disorder, and environmental ripoffs, has reduced Australia’s economy to a “trinket” sale type focussed on the flogging off of resources and use as a living space for other peoples; and to our decline from “Lucky Country” status.

Free trade scuttling of our manufactures under an avalanche of cheap imports, has caused unemployment despair not seen in decades. Some 800,000 Aussies are now on new start benefits. 25% plus of our youth are under/unemployed.

6,000 applicants for 350 jobs at a new retail business in Ringwood in June tells the truth of unemployment misery!

This is intolerable - what hope is there for a society that denies employment opportunity to any of its citizens? Australia First intends to utilise Aussie resourcefulness to eradicate this blight on our youth, and working people.

The brunt of the immigration disaster is now befalling Aussie families, and effecting our quality of life. Clogged infrastructure - roads, hospitals, schools, etc; bleeding off of welfare from OUR needy; skyrocketing house prices forcing many out of contention, or into mortgage slavery, stress, and homelessness.

I reject outright the Lab/Lib plans for population-led push to high rise and unwanted business hub development in the electorate, supporting local heritage and the preservation of sensible urban living. The intended Lib/Lab explosion of the population of Greater Melbourne to six millions, a single merged urban sprawl from Geelong to Packenham will degrade our lifestyle irrevocably.

Many Aussie families are further struggling to pay the sky rocketing bills of the now foreign owned utilities, sold off under the trade agreements opening all and every enterprise in Australia to multinational corporations.

Australia First supports ending the immigration programme - full stop - enough of population overload; and to lower bills, pledges to renationalise our utilities.

The Lib/Lab parties are lying brazenly on the issues of refugees, and sustainable population. They play act a tough game that they are going to stop the fake refugee swarms, but it is all a con - their stopping of boats will be by flying such unwanted into Australia by planes, - for this supports the Lab/Lib 50 million population plans. Australia First will withdraw our military from American foreign wars for forward deployment to protect Australian Sovereignty from this assault - no ifs or buts - Australia for Australians!

Australia First concepts of Strategic National Self-sufficiency and Steady State economic objectives are at the core of our guarantee as a Nation, and for rebuilding a vibrant productive economic system for full employment of well skilled/trained Australians, earning their independence, dignity, and quality of life. The politicians of Big Business who parrot for never ending exponential growth economics, are for a system that is now of the past, in the interests of the money changing class only, offering real Australians nothing but continuing decline to third world standards.

Against the political caste jargon for “The Asian Century”, Australia First unashamedly demands an Australian Century for our people - and return of the “Lucky Country”.

I stand to serve the constituents of Deakin, and for our Australian future”.
VOTING FOR OTHER THAN AUSTRALIA FIRST IS JUST A WASTE OF TIME
www.australiafirstparty.net [email protected] Tele: 0418 535516 P.O. Box 223, Croydon, 3136
Authorised by R Blythe Warbuton Hway Wesburn 3799. Editorial comment: Whilst we wish the Australia Firtst Party well

PostGrowthEra

Mon, 2013-08-12 16:04

According the Climate Spectator, the state is heading for a major energy crisis in the next three or four years, and that will severely affect its future living standards and economic growth. The problem for NSW is this low-cost gas supply is disappearing. The demand for gas in eastern Australia will triple in the next three years.

A diminished gas supply means prices for goods and services will go up too. Additional flow-on effects are company closures and job losses as some industries become incapable of absorbing the additional costs.

The NSW Government introduced legislation to restrict gas exploration. Exploration is now excluded over much of the Sydney Basin, the part of the state most likely to yield CSG. The government can minimise risks using the knowledge already at hand to regulate the industry, continue to monitor the process, and take a longer term approach to fully understand the environmental impacts though research funding.

It's an admission of accepting the worst case scenario of lack of energy, and spiraling population growth.

CSG and New South Wales' looming energy crisis at http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/8/12/energy-markets/csg-and-new-south-wales-looming-energy-crisis#ixzz2blCnGxsQ

Read more: at http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/8/12/energy-markets/csg-and-new-south-wales-looming-energy-crisis#ixzz2blCnGxsQ
at http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/8/12/energy-markets/csg-and-new-south-wales-looming-energy-crisis#ixzz2bjPldmcB

There is a contrary opinion that it's all a fabrication of the CSG industry.
“This is a scare campaign with no basis in fact, the public is being completely misled with a lot of postulating and huff and puff from the coal seam gas (CSG) industry, which is desperate to develop as much gas as it can and ship it out to Asia at high Asian prices,” said Matthew Wright Executive Director of energy security think-tank Zero Emissions Australia.

Matthew Wright of Beyond Zero Emissions, says “NSW never supplied its own gas, was never self-sufficient and therefore cannot run out. The supplies that are already connected and available to NSW consumers from Victoria and South Australia aren’t about to run out any time soon either. “The push for developing more gas fields is about exports, fossil gas exports at prices that are 300-500 per cent greater than historic domestic prices and with an open, unregulated market (as exists with petrol) the price will no longer be set here in Australia.” -

“The future is clean zero emissions renewable energy, that doesn’t cost the earth,” said Mr Wright.

NSW gas crisis a fabricated myth of the export CSG industry at http://ccag.org.au/csg/nsw-gas-crisis-a-fabricated-myth-of-the-export-csg-industry/#sthash.sZy84xjp.dpuf

Sheila Newman

Mon, 2013-08-12 13:11

Re: 'Sydney Morning Herald of 11 August 2013 : Parties offer no real hope for the many homeless'; I differ. The major parties offer the certainty of more and more homelessness and suffering. The Stable Population Party does offer hope to the homeless. But the SMH would not want to publicise that because it makes much of its money out of promoting housing inflation by encouraging population growth.

Sheila Newman

Mon, 2013-08-12 13:08

Bandicoot, I think what you will find, with lab-grown meat, is that it will be used as an excuse to continue overgrowth of human populations and to eradicate most other large forms of life. It may free a proportion of ungulates from suffering, but it may also herald the rapid extinction of their species because they will be deemed of no further use to humanity, which could now be fed with a few cells grown over and over. Suburbs would overtake the ranges where cattle and other animals (including wild ones) currently live. It will also be used to make nearly all humans utterly dependent on corporate manufacture and distribution of food - all of which will be in processed form. The circle of our slavery will be complete. I personally would go for permaculture - mixed farms where humans adapted to their surroundings and localised all production and consumption and kept human populations small, in line with other animal and vegetable populations, as we once were. Sheila N

Bandicoot

Mon, 2013-08-12 10:08

Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University in the Netherlands publicly unveiled his lab-grown burger at a high-profile London taste-testing event. Some people think that have to eat real meat, despite tasty soy and gluten convincing alternatives. Post made his by placing stem cells taken from cows into a culture dish and feeding the cells with fetal calf serum to make them grow. He says that one sample of muscle cells taken from a live cow during a biopsy could create up to 20,000 tons of cultured beef. It uses stem cell technology to produce up to 10 kilos of beef. No harm is done to the cows. PETA is offering $1 million for the production of in vitro chicken meat to the market. Animal rights group PETA supports this development. Besides eliminating the need to slaughter billions of animals every year, growing meat in a laboratory would end clear-cutting of forests for livestock production, conserve vast amounts of water and energy, and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions for meat production by 78 to 96 percent. For those who insist on eating animal flesh, this lab-produced meat is an ideal alternative, environmentally and for a more humane society.

Geoffrey Taylor

Mon, 2013-08-12 01:43

The standard of political discourse seems to have become so low that many politicians don't even feel the need to promise to do anything useful to win your vote

Kevin Rudd's promise to halve homelessness by 2020 also seems to be a promise to leave 50,000 of the 100,000 curently homeless Australians still homeless after 2020! In all probabilty Rudd will no longer be in politics to be held to account should he have failed to honour his first promise 7 years from now. How many of the other 'lucky' 50,000 will have to remain homeless until 2020 even if Rudd were to keep that promise?

The story, referred to by nimby is also in the Sydney Morning Herald of 11 August 2013 : Parties offer no real hope for the many homeless.

An older story is: Shame on us: Rudd pleads for homeless of 28 Jan 2010.

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