Category: General news

The community forum held at Jagera Hall on Tuesday to discuss the Queensland Government’s war on civil liberties generated passionate debate around the value of protest marches as a form of engendering change.

Organised by the Cloudland Collective, the intent of the evening was to bring the experience of three activists from the seventies to bear on the discussion about how best to respond to the Newman Government’s ongoing attack on civil liberties and the Abbot Government’s emulation of the slash and burn approach to everything that smells faintly progressive, humanist or libertarian.

Sam Watson, Jim Beatson and Jenny Harvey were all University of Queensland students and activists at the height of the Joh Bjelke Petersen years and engaged in a variety of protests and other actions.

Sam Watson remains deeply involved in Socialist politics and activism. Jim Beatson has built on his long experience at 4ZZZ FM moving to Northern NSW and being actively involved in The Greens mayor of Byron Shire Council. Jenny Harvey continues to advocate for public education and regional affairs from her position as a regional school teacher and union rep.

Inflaming passions

It was Jim Beatson who raised passions on the evening with his observation that “if you think you are going to change the world by marching and shouting you are deluded.”

His contention is that actions designed to co-op and derail the media are more important than actions which the media cn portray as the radical looney fringe.

“If you provide the news with its fodder that those opposing the government are outsiders and fringe dwellers, you are helping the government do its job,” he said.

Many members of the audience were shocked into making comments from the floor during his speech and denouncing him during the forty minute question and answer session.

“You are using me as a straw man for the more fundamental argument about how we build a progressive movement for change that isolates and identifies the government’s radical agenda,” Bestson said.

A common thread

While the lines were starkly drawn in this forum, Westender has come across very similar discussion at a number of fora.

Advocates for high profile speakers, targetted social media campaigns and media friendly actions against the VLAD laws, offshore processing of refugees and sacrificing public assets to coal companies have expressed frustration at a number of organising committees that the emphasis is so firmly on the protest march that there is little room to discuss anything else.

The facilitator at one committee meeting actually said without any sense of irony, “These ideas are all well and good and I support them, but we have a rally to organise for three week’s time and we still have a large number of decisions to make.”

Looking forward

Given that the context of the Cloudland meeting at Jaegera is the forthcoming G20 summit, and the mounting calls for a major March in March against the Abbot Government it becomes critical that this debate is resolved and soon.

Rather than attempting to discuss the value, or the appropriate context of protest as a form of raising awareness, it seems more fruitful to develop new mechanisms for shifting the mainstream.

As an activist attempting to engage with mainstream politics to drive change and as the publisher of Westender trying to create a mainstream publication advocating for a compassionate and holistic leadership it seems critical to me that we build alternatives. Rather than protesting against the counter-reformation governments we have elected, who are clearly ruling as the vassals of corporate feudalism, it is critical that we build and sell an alternative.

This year, some of us need to suit up in black and occupy the police, but even larger numbers need to hold an alternative G20 to outline a more sensible future than the extractive, oppressive and dominant paradigm that sacrifices the 99% to satisfy the one percent. That is certainly where we will direct the resources of this publication.

Disclaimer: Geoff Ebbs is the publisher of Westender and candidate for The Greens in the Griffith by-election.

Australian Government Office of the Australian Information Commissioner announced today, aptly on Data Privacy Day, that Australians will have their right to privacy strengthened on 12 March 2014.

Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim says in a press release the new privacy laws will strengthen peoples’ privacy rights in areas such as direct marketing, the disclosure of personal information overseas and requesting access to and correction of personal information held by an organisation.

“Being up front with customers and having good privacy practices in place makes good business sense.”

“Everyone should take an active interest in protecting their privacy and read an organisation’s privacy policy to decide whether they want to do business with that organisation.”

For more information on privacy law reform see: http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-act/privacy-law-reform

Having a Prime Minister as the sitting member drew significant attention to Griffith during the 2013 federal election, but there is a sense that this time around the eyes of the nation will be on Griffith with renewed interest, many seeing this by-election as the first test for Tony Abbott’s government.

On one side of the ring we have LNP candidate Dr Glasson, who is well liked in the electorate, and his personal appeal may be his greatest asset. He projected as much himself, when he was reported in the Fairfax press as saying that: “If we try to sell it (the election) on a political basis, or a leadership basis, we won’t get up.”

As the son of William (Bill) Glasson, Queensland Minister for Lands and Forestry and Police under Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Dr Glasson has an LNP legacy. “You may say politics is in my blood” he told Carindale Connect in March 2013.

Since the 2013 election Dr Glasson has been touted in the media as something of a giant slayer, having made significant inroads into the ALP’s primary vote in Griffith by gaining 42.2 per cent to Kevin Rudd’s 40.36 per cent.

In his campaign material, Dr Glasson lists his priorities as:

–  Improving frontline health services and delivering on our commitment to establish Hummingbird House, a children’s respite and hospice facility at Kangaroo Point;

–  Creating more local jobs by reducing taxes and regulations on small business and increasing their ability to compete – which will be helped by the Government’s new competition review;

–  Reducing the cost of living by scrapping the Carbon Tax – making households $550 a year better off; and,

– A stronger, safer community through more CCTVs, and support for sporting and community groups.

While he may have wanted to ‘keep it local’ and focus the campaign around Kevin Rudd’s resignation, the Abbott government’s shaky start has largely enabled Labor and the Greens to set the agenda.

There has been particular focus in the past few weeks on school funding, Medicare, and action on climate change. Whether he had planned to or not, these are the issues to which Dr Glasson is now having to respond.

Much is made in Dr Glasson’s campaign material of his credentials as a local doctor and a past president of the AMA. It says of him that: “Bill’s character is reflected in his belief that all Australians should be able to access quality health care, regardless of their circumstances or where they live. As president of the Australian Medical Association he fought hard for that outcome working with governments of all persuasions.”

However, after going public with qualified support for a proposed new Medicare fee for bulk billed patients, these credentials have been under attack and a ‘Save Our Medicare’ campaign has sprung up in Griffith and found resonance nationally.

It is hard to know whether the Medicare fee issue has gained any traction beyond the Labor and Green’s party faithful. While the government has not categorically ruled it out, the Acting Health Minister Kevin Andrews has made it clear that a new Medicare fee is not current Government policy, and Glasson says Labor is just ‘scaremongering’.

Locals I have spoken with appear to be somewhat underwhelmed by the issue, some saying they already pay a gap fee anyway, and others that $6 doesn’t seem like much to ask. Nevertheless, Labor and the Greens continue to pursue the issue with vigour.

– See more at: http://nofibs.com.au/2014/01/25/griffith-grudge-match-glassons-gladiators-vs-butlers-battlers-griffithelects-reports/#sthash.cMNbqhmg.dpuf

Hundreds of people of all races, colours and ages marched from Queensland Parliament House to Musgrave Park yesterday to commemorate Invasion Day. Speakers reiterated that sovereignty over Australia was never ceded, there is no Treaty and Australian Governments have consistently found new legal instruments to separate the first peoples from their land.

Uncle Wayne Wharton highlighted the G20 invasion in October and the 40^th anniversary of the tent embassy in Canberra as key dates this year for the movement to assert its strength. “When we use the word sovereignty and we come out in strength, they shit themselves,” he said. When we do that sober and straight, they shit themselves three times over.”

Marchers were joined by hundreds more people at Jaegera Hall in Musgrave park for an afternoon of music and speeches topped off by John Pilger’s film Utopia. Watch out for Westender’s review of the movie.

Brisbane’s Freedom Day rally yesterday attracted more than 1,600 motorcycle riders and supporters angry at the attacks on civil liberties by the Newman government.

Groups supporting the riders included the unions, political parties, charities and welfare groups – all acutely aware of the devastating effect of the attacks by the Liberal National Party on those least likely to support the government. The pink and black colours of Campbell’s Clowns were prominent among the many variations on basic black in the crowd.

Independent member for the Queensland seat of Nicklin, Peter Wellington, spoke passionately about the sacking of the Crime and Misconduct Commission. “These are not laws to protect the people of Queensland. These are laws to protect the Government from criticism.”

He urged thecrowd to hurt the government where it is most vulnerable, at the ballot box. “You might be tempted to write rude things across the ballot paper in disgust.” He said. “Don’t throw away your vote. Number every box and put the LNP last. That’s the way to get rid of these people,” he said.

State secretary of the Electrical Trades Union, Peter Simmonds said he has called the RSPCA and described the conditions in which people arrested under the VLAD laws are being kept. “They told me that it is cruel to keep an animal in those conditions and they would send out the police to arrest anyone who did that to a dog. Well that’s how our government is treating our comrades in prison right now.”

Brisbane’s Freedom Day rally was echoed in Sydney, Melbourne, London and various cities in California. George Monbiot of the UK Guardian and other international commentators have singled out the Queensland laws as undermining the values of western democracy.

The laws remove the assumption of innocence until proven guilty, the freedom of citizens to associate and the independence of the judiciary. Faced with this international condemnation, Campbell Newman, has described the movement as an international cartel.

While speakers at the rally thanked the international commentators for their support this is clearly a home-grown and local movement.

There’s a link doing the rounds that deserves a much wider audience and certainly a greater role in the national consciousness. This particular precis, which can be found here, is a study conducted by Dr Lawrence Britt in 2003 detailing the defining traits of fascism. The difference between facism and corporate feudalism is of purely academic interest. The reason that both views are so pertinent is because our current “government” displays a terrifying number of these traits. For your convenience I have re-posted the article below along with concrete evidence of the Orwellian abyss we find ourselves tumbling into. Please read and consider, because while the horse may have bolted there is still a chance that we can prevent further harm.

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

Here’s Abbott accusing the national broadcaster of being unpatriotic. Or that coalition policies will always have “an Aussie accent”. Or considering himself a “pragmatic nationalist”.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

Such as breaching international human rights violations. Or how Abbott is OK with torture. Here’s the government’s massive cutback on international aid for people that aren’t Australian. Or appointing the man who most vocally called for the abolition of the Human Rights Commission as commissioner for the Human Rights Commission.  How about literally tearing a newborn from a mother’s arms?

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause 
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc. 

The ad nauseum “stop the boats” bullshit.

How about Abbott’s staggeringly complex assessment of geo-political conflicts as “goodies vs baddies”

Here’s our man Cory Bernadi fueling the fire. And another one here. And here’s Tony continuing to declare boat people “illegal” despite that being, you know, grossly untrue.

4. Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

On the navy breaching sovereign Indonesian waters, firing upon asylum seeker vessels and generally treating asylum seekers like sub-humans, Abbott is pro navy all the way. How about the Immigration Minister not even reading the documents detailing this before sealing them up for eternity?

5. Rampant Sexism 
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

After a career of being dogged for his misogynist views (and actually being a misogynist on more than one documented occasion), Abbott appoints himself as minister for women. At the very best he is a confused, small minded sexist. Then there’s the plethora of “traditional family” agitprop that I’ve linked a fair bit elsewhere in this post.

6. Controlled Mass Media 
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

Case in point

or controlling what people say. Upon failing to stop the boats instead stops mention of the boats.

7. Obsession with National Security 
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

Such as spying on close neighbour and legitimate military threat Indonesia, admitting to spying on Indonesia on national television and then refusing to apologise for such. Or gagging discussion of asylum seekers. Let’s be scared of Syria for some reason. 

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined
Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.

Tone Loc details his relationship with the big J here.
What about the antics of the ever lovable Cory Bernadi here, And here. Abbott of course tried to distance himself from Bernadi with these comments – only kidding, he’s all aboard the good ship God Hates Fags. Here’s the Ab-man not only denying equal rights for homosexuals but issuing a legal challenge to repeal those rights.

9. Corporate Power is Protected
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

T-Bone reducing the ability of small business to be competitive. Or caving to the forestry industry. Or giving Palmer a reach around. Or approving a fucking coal port in one of the seven wonders of the natural world. Allowing corporations to sue the Australian government. Boosting the powers of business at the expense of workers.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed 
Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

Such as the Abbott witch-hunt on unions here, here and here, or this astonishing piece of legislation.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts 
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

Live music is out. Or repealing scholarships into loans. Cutting funding for universities. CSIRO? Fuck that. Abolishing the ministries of climate change and science.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

Like deporting asylum seekers for swearing or spreading gossip. Freedom of association is an outdated concept right? Oh, you like to go out at night? Only thieves and vampires go out at night, you should be tucked in ready to go to church in the morning.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

Exhibit A. Exhibit B. Exhibit C.

14. Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Just lie, beg, borrow or steal whatever you need to win office. Do whatever it takes, promise the world. Then do whatever the fuck you want once you’re there. Here’s a neat little summary of the Liberal government’s fraudulent promises to the Australian people.

People this is real, this is happening and this is scary. The worst thing is it only happens because you let it. You have the power to stop it. You had the power to prevent it and you failed and now we’re all suffering the consequences. But it isn’t too late for redemption. Switch on, pay attention, get involved and get active and maybe, just maybe, we can win the good fight.

Please.

Reposted from http://thedamiansmith.tumblr.com/post/75213269214/give-me-liberty

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