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Weekly Briefing – Letter of the Week and November Lobby Day
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Category: General news
Managing director of Ebono Institute and major sponsor of The Generator, Geoff Ebbs, is running against Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith at the next Federal election. By the expression on their faces in this candid shot it looks like a pretty dull campaign. Read on
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Weekly Briefing – Letter of the Week and November Lobby Day Citizens’ Climate Lobby
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How do you say “Hazelwood” in French? Ellen Sandell MP
1 of 50How do you say “Hazelwood” in French?
Inboxx Ellen Sandell MP
3:40 PM (8 minutes ago)to meDear Neville, They say Paris is the city of love, but here’s something I don’t love: Engie (formerly GDF Suez, and the owner of Hazelwood Power Station) is a major sponsor of the UN climate talks in Paris this December.
The hypocrisy is staggering.
We need to tell the world that Engie is profiting from operating Australia’s most polluting power station, Hazelwood. Will you help us spread the word in the lead-up to the Paris talks?
French President François Hollande wants to be seen as a leader on climate change, and he knows that owning coal plants is a bad look. The French Government owns a 33% share of Engie, and recently forced the corporation to stop investing in new coal. This is a good start, but Engie also needs to phase out their existing toxic coal operations at Hazelwood.
As global attention focusses on climate change and the Paris climate negotiations, we need to tell the world about Hazelwood. We can put the pressure on Engie and the Victorian Government, who both have the power to close this plant and replace it with clean energy.
Yes, I’ll RSVP to a doorknock on 14 November to tell people about Hazelwood.
Yes, I’ll RSVP to the People’s Climate March on November 27.
All around the world, people are mobilising to show world leaders that we expect real action from the Paris climate talks in December, especially on the problem of dirty, polluting coal.
In Melbourne, the Greens will be part of the Australia’s biggest doorknock on November 14, and out in force at the People’s Climate March on November 27.
Will you join us to show the world we must phase out Hazelwood?
Thanks for standing with us,
Ellen, with Adam Bandt
PS: Australian Greens Leader Richard Di Natale has just written a letter to the French Government and Engie to tell them they must phase out Hazelwood. Let’s back him up by taking action in November to put extra pressure on the French and Victorian Governments – can we count you in?
Follow Ellen on Facebook and Twitter or visit ellensandell.com Ellen Sandell is the State MP for Melbourne.
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A good start, but much more work to do Michael O’Connor CFEMU
1 of 49A good start, but much more work to do
Inboxx Michael O’Connor
3:16 PM (17 minutes ago)to meDear Inga,
In the most significant free trade agreement change since the US FTA in 2004, yesterday the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition reached an agreement about the China FTA. Though this is a good start, and includes welcome improvements to the temporary overseas worker visa scheme, it is only a start and much more needs to be done.The Government has backed down from its initial position of refusing to acknowledge there were any issues to be addressed. This flies in the face of Andrew Robb’s argument that our union’s concerns were illegitimate and based on racism.
The CFMEU have been campaigning on overseas worker visas for years. We’ve been standing up for local jobs and speaking out against the exploitation of overseas workers. And we will continue to fight for more protections.
It’s this campaign – embraced by workplaces and communities across Australia – that has secured yesterday’s gains. The requirement that there is labour market testing on projects is a significant step towards ensuring that Australian workers have the opportunity to get jobs through investments by Chinese companies. Exploitation of workers will be minimised by paying them EBA rates.
Our campaign on overseas worker visas is similar to the fight for a minimum wage – it won’t be won in days or in weeks, or even months, but it will be won. We are in this for the long haul: we will continue to fight the Coalition when they allow exploitation to happen and we will continue to lobby the Labor Party to do the right thing and bring in more safeguards to protect local jobs.
Thank you for helping us get these wins. Let’s go get some more.
In unity
Michael O’Connor
CFMEU National SecretaryP.S. Last week we started discussions with the Maritime Union of Australia to potentially become the strongest union in Australia. To find out more about it, please read our release here.
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Pokies set to “slaughter” Tim Costello – GetUp!
1 of 51Pokies set to “slaughter”
Inboxx Tim Costello – GetUp! Unsubscribe
2:08 PM (14 minutes ago)to meIndustry whistleblowers broke the silence on poker machines this week, in the explosive premiere of KaChing! Pokie Nation, now available on ABC iview. Below is an important message to GetUp members from Tim Costello, Australian Baptist minister, World Vision Australia CEO and member of the Alliance for Gambling Reform. Your details have not been shared with anyone.
Dear NEVILLE,
Ka-Ching! Pokie Nation left me shocked, revolted, and above all, angry.
For 20 years I’ve witnessed the damage caused by poker machines to our families and communities. But even I didn’t understand the extent of industry manipulation – until now.
Ka-Ching! went inside poker machines to show how they’re rigged to addict and impossible to win over time. One industry whistleblower explained how machines can be set to either “shear or slaughter the sheep” – and most Australian pokies are set to “slaughter”.
It makes you wonder how our governments allow these machines to be out there. I’ll tell you how: the absolute capture of both major parties by the pokies industry.
That’s why I’ve joined with more than 40 local governments, churches and community groups to form the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
Soon, I’ll be walking into the offices of the people who make, control and regulate these machines – from Woolworths, the largest poker machine owner in the country, to government ministers, many of whom sit cosily in the pockets of the gambling industry.
The difference between walking into those meetings alone, and walking in backed by the power of tens of thousands of Australians, cannot be overstated.
If we can build enough power together, the Alliance will work closely with GetUp members like you to expose the truth about poker machines. Together we’ll:
- Blow the lid off the gambling industry by exposing how poker machines are rigged to keep people playing and fuel addiction
- Shame companies profiting from pokies addiction, costing them customers and investors
- Take on the poker machine industry in the courts, if that’s what it takes.
Then, when we’ve demonstrated the deliberate, misleading conduct of the pokies industry, we’ll take the fight to Parliament House, to the doorsteps of our MPs and senators.
But to do all of these things, we need tens of thousands of Australians standing with us. And it starts today – off the back of this explosive ABC documentary – with educating the people you know about the pokies con by signing and sharing this petition.
In 2012, I worked with GetUp members as part of the Stop the Loss Coalition. Together we took on the pokies industry and fought for sensible measures to curb poker machine harm. We were on the cusp of major reforms when the pokies lobby got to our politicians and snatched victory from our hands. We lost the battle, but not the war.
We’ve learned from these setbacks, developed a new strategy, and now we’re back, stronger and smarter, and with an alliance far broader than the last. We’re armed with new, cut-through messaging on how to explain the pokies con to Australians and research that dives deep into the artful con of machine design.
But the final piece of the puzzle is you: tens of thousands of ordinary Australians committed to con-free poker machines. Will you join us? https://www.getup.org.au/pokies-con
Sincerely,
Tim Costello
Alliance for Gambling ReformPS – You may have seen stories about the poker machine industry crop up in the news recently. There are revelations our politicians being paid off by industry lobbyists, Woolworths-owned pokie-pubs luring families in with ‘kids eat free’ deals, and new poker machines coming to Australia, more addictive than ever before. If, like me, you’re sick to death of the pokies playing us all, join the fight for con-free poker machines: https://www.getup.org.au/pokies-con
PPS – Miss out on Tuesday night’s shocking exposé? Or keen to share with friends? Ka-Ching! Pokie Nation is available on ABC iview for the next two weeks
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This is your victory – take a bow Amanda McKenzie – The Climate Council
2 of 51
This is your victory – take a bow
Inboxx Amanda McKenzie – The Climate Council via sendgrid.info
5:20 PM (1 hour ago)to meDear Inga, Big news out of federal parliament today – climate contrarian Bjorn Lomborg’s ‘Consensus Centre’ has seen its $4 million of taxpayer dollars evaporate in the face of overwhelming public opposition.
This is a victory to savour, in no small part due to you and the extraordinary Climate Council community, and the way you responded to the threat of climate misinformation.
If you don’t remember the story, this is the one where after massive cuts to world class scientific institutions across Australia, the federal government found $4 million of taxpayers money to help Bjorn Lomborg bring his unique brand of climate contrarianism to our sunny shores.
The resulting public backlash – which included the efforts of so many of you! – lead directly to today’s announcement. So for today, a big congratulations to you! Take a bow and maybe do a little victory dance (we are certainly doing one at HQ) – you have played a major role in sending a misinformation merchant packing.
However, as we know all too well, there is no shortage of climate change misinformation and misdirection being peddled as fact. So we will continue to ensure that the very best climate science is placed front and centre where it belongs. We will show that real action on climate change is possible and that we must act without delay. And we will continue to challenge the misinformation that threatens to derail real action on climate change.
Thank you,
Amanda McKenzie
CEO, Climate CouncilP.S. If you haven’t seen it already, check out our latest report on the exciting breakthroughs in battery storage – Powerful Potential: Battery Storage for Renewable Energy and Electric Cars. Have a read and feel free to share with your networks.
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A win for workers Bill Shorten
More3 of 51A win for workers
Inboxx Bill Shorten Unsubscribe
4:32 PM (1 hour ago)to meThe latest politics update from the Australian Labor Party | Unsubscribe 
Neville — I wanted to let you know as soon as I could. Labor has secured a comprehensive package of safeguards for Australian jobs as part of our negotiations on the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. By working with the community, we’ve been able to secure a win for Australian workers.
Labor has stood up for local jobs and delivered a safety net of decent wages and conditions for all workers. Specifically, making sure jobs have to be advertised to Australians first, protecting Australian wages and conditions, and upholding workplace skills and safety standards.
This is a great win for workers in Australia. This means Australia will get the benefits of increased trade with China, whilst not undermining Australian jobs.
I’m really glad Labor has delivered this outcome. It’s good for our economy and it’s good for Australian jobs.
Are you able to share the good news?
Thanks for standing with me on this,
BillP.s. If you would like to get more information on the ChAFTA safeguards, click here.
