(We) can do better

In this issue - 1. Save Lake Knox!; 2. Moreland votes to refuse development at 38 Harrison St Brunswick; 3. Secret plans for Surrey Hills/Mont Albert Railway Station; 4. Heritage Victoria Decision on Wattle Park; 5. High Rise proposed for central Coburg Heritage Church Site; 6. Melbourne's liveability tanks; 7. Kilmore Residents VCAT win; 8. Plans for Poolman House; 9. Boroondara Cycleway proposals update; 10. National Collections left to languish; 11.

The public meeting yesterday in Cooroy achieved a greater public awareness of the alarming flaws within the intended Cooloola National Park development program, as well as an understanding of the distinct steps needed to address those flaws.

Presentations to the meeting demonstrated:

What was the importance of Putin's attendance at the Caspian Summit, beginning on  June 29, 2022 and the progress of associated alliances?  This was a subject of some interesting speculation in a July 2 edition of The Duran, which I have embedded and transcribed below this introduction. For some time now the US and Russia have had increasing proxy confrontations in Russia's backyard, in the areas around and below the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.

Video & transcript. This  research is important because it is telling us how dangerous diazepam (Valium) and its drug family (the benzodiazepines - like Xanax and Serepax, and temazepam etc) are. Speaking as a mental health professional, I can say that people have known for a long time that benzodiazepines cause enormous harm to many people who take them. It is, however, extremely difficult to get this message out because of the power of the drug lobby.

Meet at Vic State Library for 11am rally and march 3 July 2022, Julian Assange's birthday. Australia's award winning journalist, outstanding publisher, creator of WikiLeaks, and possibly the most famous, heroic, and persecuted person in the world, turns 51 years old. This is his 4th birthday spent locked away in Belmarsh prison, London. His previous 7 birthdays were spent locked away in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

At its meeting of Tuesday 28 June, the Melbourne City Council unanimously passed a motion by Cr Olivia Paul which called upon the Australian government to make strenuous diplomatic intervention to free Julian Assange.

"That Council: 1. Expresses grave concern that on 17 June 2022 the British Government approved the extradition of Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange to the United States; 2. Affirms its support for freedom of expression, freedom of the press and whistle-blowers and for their protection in all jurisdictions everywhere; 3.

"The advantage that oil distillates have is that the energy density (energy content/unit volume) of oil distillates is much greater than electric batteries and that advantage still exists. To reduce that disadvantage, auto makers now put as many battery cells in series as they can. Modern electric vehicles have the whole bottom of the vehicle covered with electric battery cells. Many electric vehicles now have a rated range of +300 miles.

My open letter to newly elected Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese argues that as Australian PM he could almost certainly force Britain to end its illegal imprisonment and torture of Julian Assange and also force the US to end its efforts to extra

Farmers are already leading the way on methane reduction and it’s time the gas and coal industries did the same, Farmers for Climate Action said today.

The tickets had been cancelled twice in the last 2 years, but finally it was going ahead. In the weeks leading up to the performance, I was many times on the brink of cancelling, as I had to weigh up the possibility of catching Covid 19 and, at best, recovering but being in isolation for a week as a result.

In the end, inertia took over, and I went with the flow, out to dinner, and then to the show.

"Assange's case is a mirror which reveals the hypocrisy of the US and British claim to defend press freedom. [Because he revealed their war-crimes ...] the US government has, for more than a decade, filed unwarranted charges of sexual harassment, espionage, and computer-misuse against Assange [...] continuously suppressed Assange through secret surveillance, global pursuit behind the scene, deals, and other means. Britain has spared no effort in cooperating [...]"

Assange's extradition is imminent. His legal team still have some options, but the injustice of his plight needs publicity and public protest most of all. Pressure needs to be applied on Albanese, who has done nothing to help so far. Much more can be done by the Australian Government.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) repelled an attack by terrorists on Saraqib on Wednesday and in the early hours of Thursday.

Friday, 17 June. In a horrible clown-world, the UK government has approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US to face criminal charges, despite an original British judge ruling that he should not be deported due to risk of suicide and a warning by his lawyer that he still remains a risk - and the fact that he has committed no crime.

The classic test for editorial/journalistic bias is whether the news agency/agent interviewed both sides.  In the Ukraine-Russia situation the Australian media has almost never interviewed the other side.  Other tests include whether journalists make statements without giving examples, or personalise their attacks. Most Australian media also fails this test.

New "Teal" politician and economic growthist, Allegra Spender, promotes immigration rates of 220,000 p.a. over the next 2 years, (ABC RN 9 June 22) in the context of also promoting reduction in carbon emissions, rising energy prices, and economic growth.

The Electrical Trades Union is calling for an independent review of the entire National Electricity Market (NEM) following the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) unprecedented decision to take over national energy supplies.  AEMO has announced it will set administered prices for wholesale power in all regions of the market and take control of all generation plants to ensure the lights don’t go out for businesses and households. 

What if pigs are just as intelligent as dogs and animals have the same moral capacity as humans? The animal ethicist Judith Benz-Schwarzburg and her interdisciplinary team are exploring questions that challenge us to fundamentally rethink the relationship between humans and animals.

Jim Fitton, 66, arrived at court in Baghdad and was given a 15-year sentence after being convicted of smuggling antiquities.

Gurwinder Singh briefly shed tears of relief, as Judge Maidment finally began to describe the case to prospective jurors, today 7 June 2022 at County Court Victoria. Click to watch the trial live here. Mr Singh had waited almost 5 years for a jury trial.

Australia’s former Foreign Minister and NSW Premier, Bob Carr, will launch a new book on Australia’s role in nuclear weapons proliferation, past, present and future. The book will be launched at Gleebooks in Sydney on Tuesday 14 June at 6:00 pm. The book, Fact or Fission: The Truth about Australia’s Nuclear Ambitions, was written by Richard Broinowski, a distinguished former diplomat, who served as Australian ambassador to Vietnam, the Republic of Korea and Mexico.

"Now that you are Prime Minister, we urge you to waste no time in making good on your wish to see Julian Assange’s ordeal come to an end, as the issue is now beyond critical, with his current health status meaning time is of the essence. It is now much too late for legal remedies.

No 68                                 June, 2022                                     

Please share VOICE with organisational members and on your social media platforms. [Candobetter Editor: This version lacks most illustrations. For a full copy email [email protected]]

In this issue: Friends of Queen Victoria Market Annual General Meeting; Tree Canopy Cover Forum (Mordialloc);  Tree Canopy Cover Whitehorse; Tree Canopy Cover Darebin; VCAT win to protect native grassland; Heritage win at Moonlight Head; Concrete to be removed from Moonee Ponds Creek; Surrey Hills-Mont Albert level crossing removal project; Save Lake Knox update; Beaumaris Modern update; Preserving Mornington Peninsula Open Space; Caulfield Racecourse Update; North East Link

[Candobetter Editor: Sorry this report is being published very late, although it arrived on time.] In this issue: Federal Election 2022 - Climate Change, Corruption, Women, Young People; Australian Heritage Advocacy Advice; Royal Historical Society of Victoria Heritage Protection action; Urban consolidation and Housing Affordability; Good News at Kilmore; Wattle Park/The Effect of Night Lighting on Birds; Boroondara proposed Cycleway; VCAT Decision - Baker v.

Candobetter Editor apologies for the late publication of this report, which was delivered in time.  It is also in a different format.

Tony Wakeham is the first speaker. Good on him.  Great speech.