Australia

In light of the looming Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation ('M.A.D) Bill,[1] Prof. Andrea Carson and Dr Max Grömping's paper looks into the real state of the information environment in Australia in comparison to other countries, focusing on the exaggerated perceived threat of so-called misinformation and disinformation on public information quality and how any harmful effects might be combatted without draconian censorship laws. 

How you can help : Download, print and distribute the double-sided A5 leaflet Ask your Senators to block Labor’s Orwellian “Misinformation Bill” . Ask your Senators to block the M.A.D. bill in the sittings of the Senate which commence Monday 18 November. The bundle of double-sided landscape-oriented A4 printed sheets will have to be carefully guillotined down the middle to give two bundles of double-sided landscape-oriented A5 printed sheets.

Biko Konstantinos has done a fantastic expose of PM Albanese's awful censorship laws that are up for voting in the Senate on 18 November 2024.

(PDF containing transcript can be found here) Genocide is reliant on the dehumanisation of others to justify inhumane action. Since 7 October, we have heard Netanyahu describe Gaza as a city of darkness and ask people to flee or face certain death. Of the Palestinians, Netanyahu says: 'We are facing monsters.

"Australia is clearly taking sides and showing disregard for the many Australians currently in outright despair." The Independent Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) has expressed alarm about Australia getting involved in the fighting in the Middle East by letting other countries use our air bases up north. IPAN advises that Australia should quickly pull back and not help with the fighting.

What moral right does CHIA, a large, well-auspiced professional organisation, have in fueling animosity against local government candidates who defend their communities' planning powers and their right to veto subdivisions - key pillars of self-determination?

"Protection for consumer deposits in Australia's construction sector is vital as insolvencies rise, threatening the stability of the homebuilding industry," writes Dr Bradley Hastings[1] and Professor Peter Swan.

You know those big infrastructure projects, and activity centres, that the Victorian government is ramming down our throats, telling us it will bring 'jobs' and 'affordable' housing? Well, Australian industry is being sidelined on these projects. Weld Australia—which represents thousands of local welders and fabricators—is calling for immediate action against the Victorian Government’s offshoring of steel for major infrastructure projects.

Update, 2/10/24: Of 25 submissions I could only find one that supported this legislation. The remaining 24 were strongly opposed. Unfortunately, I narrowly missed the dead-line, so my own submission, included below, was not included.

IPAN Public Meeting Friday 4 October, 6 pm, Perth Library, with speaker Dr Carmen Lawrence, "Sleepwalking into War ? Breaking the US stranglehold on Australia: Peace or War? Also Senator Fatima Payman, Dr Carmen Lawrence, Professor Lisa Natividad and Senator Jordon Steele-John; Wakeley Award Winning Journalist Sophie McNeill will be the MC.  There will also be a press conference.
 

While the Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024 purports to aim to enhance transparency and accountability among digital platforms, it does not adequately protect users from arbitrary actions by governments regarding the content they post.

Once upon a time, the Australian government declared it did not support Israel nor the Islamic, in the Six Day war — it was to stay ‘neutral’.

Whitlam says his government was “blackmailed by some Jewish hero’s, on the other side of the world to the conflict.”

History reveals… https://t.co/uwvD88ePjw

Click on the image to read Report No. 43.

Click on the image to read Report No. 42.

Click on the image to read Report No. 41.

"It's really a disturbing that a government like the Victorian government, [...] repeat parrot-like the Property Council Mantra that there hasn't been enough dwelling approvals in Melbourne and in the state, [...] yet their own reports showed with graphs that was a false narrative. Their ultimate aim really, is to remove citizen interaction and involvement and local government involvement in decisions over the future of a city. And this is completely incompatible with the democratic ideal. It's a very authoritarian model.

Click on the image to read Report No. 39.

Of more than 200 submissions to the Australian Senate Inquiry into Australian support for Ukraine, (27March-4 Aug 24), so-far published, most seem to think that more war, with even more money and weapons, is a solution for Ukraine's problems. Almost none argue for peace-negotiations.

Claims by the Australian Government that the Navy was enforcing sanctions against North Korea have been heavily refuted; Australian Navy spying on Chinese Coastal defence and military exercises occurred at the behest of the USA’s Seventh Fleet; IPAN calls for the cancellation of hostile spying activities in the South China Sea

Sometimes, it’s best not to leave the issue of justice to the judges. They do what they must: consult the statutes, test the rivers of power, and hope that their ruling will not be subject to appeal.

"In one of his early Australian tours, [actor and humorist] Peter Ustinov was asked by a reporter, 'Are you worried about being in the land of the convicts?'  He replied, 'I'm more worried about being in the land of the warders.'  This neatly describes the political divide in Australia, ever since European settlement [...]," wrote Australian politician, Barry Jones.[1]  I was reminded of this when I was confronted by a video of Julian Hill MP ALP opining in some vaguely official capacity on a need for Australia to censor X.com, in order to protect Australians from stuff the government thought should upset us. Then a whole slew of strutting politicians joined in, including Prime Minister Albanese, who personalised his attack on the owner of X.com, Elon Musk, calling him arrogant and out of touch with the public.  You would have thought Albanese was describing himself.

From the National Tertiary Education Union: Australian universities’ governing bodies have become stacked with unelected big business appointees, a new report has revealed.

Public expenditure must instead address the climate emergency and other urgent social needs. There is no evidence that China presents a military threat to Australia. Continued trade and pursuit of mutually beneficial relations in our region offers our best security.

I’m writing to you as an anti-war activist, seeking your support for Petition E

Some welcome relief for two million people in Gaza as Australian Government restores lifesaving aid. Massive public pressure has greatly contributed to the Government’s decision following Open Letters and history making 22 consecutive weeks of tens of thousands marching in capital cities for the people of Gaza. Australia must pressure for immediate and permanent ceasefire to stop the genocide and end occupation.  

WEDNESDAY 27 MARCH 2024: This important webinar co-sponsored by over 18 organisations will feature Pine Gap expert, Professor Richard Tanter, whose forthcoming paper, "Pine Gap, Gaza and Genocide", will be summarised to spark discussion among the panelists on the role of Pine Gap in colonial violence and surveillance in Australia and Palestine.  

The webinar is moderated by  Dr Amy McQuire, Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist

In the recent 29 February by-election for the UK seat of Rochdale, George Galloway campaigned against Israel's mass-murder of Palestinians in Gaza and for Julian Assange's freedom. He defeated the two major pro-war parties, Labor and the Conservatives, to become the new MP for Rochdale in the House of Commons. In the attached 18 minute YouTube video, he is interviewed by Syrian-born British journalist Richard Medhurst.

"The Victorian Government has failed to fund 500 housing places for young people living with mental illness almost three years after making the commitment – a key royal commission recommendation." (Council to Homeless Persons, Melbourne City Mission and Orygen)  The homelessness press-release says nothing about how massive overseas immigration and investment has driven the excessive demand that has resulted in high prices and housing shortage, but this is the elephant in the room, and t

Going to prison is probably one of the worst things that can happen to a person, even if the prison is well-run with kindly staff. Jail can happen to anyone but mostly it happens to males lacking personal and financial resources. In Australia most cases never go to trial by jury, and many jail-terms are the result of plea-bargaining, rather than based adequately on justice or evidence. Wealthy, influential people can usually stay out of prison.