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BlogsThe Silent 47.33% (Cilla Tey)Thanks Jack, for your blog (Fixing Australia). After preferences, only 52.67% of the eligible voters voted for the Coalition and 47.33% did not. But if one had been following the mainstream media one would think that at least 75% had voted for Howard! I will submit my 100 words but alas, I suspect that while the economy is strong and interest rates are low it's an uphill battle convincing those in marginal seats to change government.
Casualisation and exclusion of older and other disadvantaged workers and policies to redress (Ross Venner)
Not Happy John Update ()The following is currently being posted to our Not Happy John mailing list. If you would like to be on this list email us. Dear supporters of Margo Kingston�s Not Happy John! website, Firstly, thankyou for your patience. Burnout is a serious issue for activists, and we have all needed a bit of a break in order to come back fighting. This Friday Margo is regrouping with the NHJ! team and we are preparing for the next phase of the website and the �Defending Our Democracy� project. Note that �Defending Our Democracy� is the subtitle of Margo�s book, and has always had a much broader relevance than merely, �Not Happy John!� At this time we are negotiating with an ISP for our new site and figuring out the details of the design. Our central goals are to build a genuine alternative media, to compete with the increasingly sycophantic mainstream, and to abet a mass movement to support, defend and if possible extend
A submission to Labor branches (Daemon Singer)We have put together a submission to the Brisbane Regional ALP conference, which may be of interest to other regions; to set up and utilise online communities, as proposed by Mark Latham during the campaign. If you want a copy of it, please email us directly and we will forward it to you to submit to your own branch or region.
Minor parties and 'fracturing' the vote (Troy Rollo)Minor parties don't 'fracture' the vote in the lower house because of the way the preference system operates there - more options usually just means more opportunities there. In the upper house, the group ticket system does have some problems, especially when, as happened this election, the preferences are decided based on deals made between the parties rather than based on the policy of the parties or candidates receiving the preferences. As long as the parties allocate preferences in a rational way, even the upper house system will normally not run into problems because there are more candidates. Hopefully the ALP and Democrats will have learnt their lesson on this.
Suggestion for developing democratic muscle (Philip Sutton)The election result was a disaster, but it was a result that has been a long time coming - decades, not weeks or months. I think we've let the democratic muscle of our citizenry/society run down to a dangerous level. We will need to build up media outlets that have a strong commitment to democracy - but even more importantly we need to draw more and more ordinary people into being involved in sorting out public policy issues. Simply voting is not enough - whether at elections or in referenda - because it's too easy to let someone else tell you what to vote. What we need practice at is actually thinking through and talking through issues with our fellow citizens and seeking out good info to feed into our cogitations. Maybe local governments (or any other governments) that have a commitment to building our democratic muscle could institute a system of calling in relatively large numbers of citizens (in a manner vaguely reminiscent of the jury service idea) to work through issues
Political parties and strategies (Dr Russell Darroch)Dear All NHJ People, I do not profess to have an answer to this problem ... but I think we need a serious discussion amongst ourselves about the following issues: a) In the time available it is unlikely that a viable alternative party can be built in time to do signficant things for the next election, which we *must* win. b) Part of how Howard got in was due to the fractured voting caused by minor parties and the quirks of the preferences system. c) The Coalition parties are highly(!) UNLIKELY to reform themselves given the current leaders in both camps - or under the likely replacements once Howard cuts and runs. d) We are unlikely to form an alternative free press in this country in time to take effect, sadly. The pathetic behaviour of all major media (even the SMH wimped out and didn't back Latham) gives no ground for optimism. NHJ!(HA): Watch this space Russell So, there seems to be very little hope for us (l)iberals of any flavour to get satisfaction
Excellent statement on IR in Australia by Justice Kirby (Dr Russell Darroch)See his a report on his statement today at http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200410/s1226179.htm.
Howard might not get Senate control! Perhaps I hit send a bit too soon...look at this development and PRAY ... (Dr Russell DarroNat lashes PM as Senate control in doubt JOHN Howard's chances of controlling the Senate in his own right were in doubt last night as the Nationals' Barnaby Joyce fell behind One Nation's Len Harris for the first time in the crucial race for the sixth Queensland seat. [continues at http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11158248%255E2702,00.html] I'm not a great fan of One Nation ... but in this case GO FOR IT!
Anybody up for a complaint to the Law Society about Philip Ruddock? (Troy Rollo)After seeing that Ruddock is still claiming that the kangaroo court at Guantanamo Bay constitutes a fair system of justice - even when US courts are getting stuck into the US administration over their failure to observe basic standards of justice, it got me to wondering if the Attorney-General still has a solicitor's practising certificate in New South Wales. As it turns out, he does. Even before the US courts started getting stuck into the administration, it is fairly easy to come up with a list of reasons why the Guantanamo system falls short of the standards of reasonable justice. As Ruddock is a solicitor, there is no way he could possibly be unaware of these deficiencies. Now if he is aware, but continues to claim without qualification that the system is fair, he's being
A Poem ()The following was submitted by NHJ!er Marie. I have posted it here for the edification of all. This site has naturally slowed down, but we are far from finished, and after some needed rest, we're back for a whole new ball game. Happy reading. If you can keep your head when all about you If you can dream---and not make dreams your master;
Hello all, Just thought I would submit a small thought, (Andrew Morton)After what the conservatives are claiming as a resounding victory and supposed mandate for all that was ever mentioned during their 6 month campaign which began on budget night, we could all easily slip into a state of despair, and do nothing due to a feeling of despondancy. This would be understandable. However, I learnt on election night that all is not lost. I was surrounded by a group of wonderful people who had gathered to help Brian Deegan attempt to unseat Downer, and it struck me that now is the time to begin action to destroy this heartless lying regime. All those who banded togethher over the last 6 months must continue if we are to be prepared for next time around. The movement's filled with wonderful people and must regroup and continue the fight, as hopeless as it may seem. NHJ!(HA): I agree Andrew, but I've also seen a bit of burn-out in my time. Tragically it's sometimes permanent. So it's quite ok to have a rest.
Don't dispair Leo (Tom Kelsey)Whilst we might all appear to be still stunned by the result, we will never give up. We need only convince a few more percent that individualism and the 'me' principle is self destructive for the future general good of this country. Let's begin to implement Margo's Ten ideas for change. Let's use a medium such as this to voice opinion, discuss strategies and implement plans. We don't need to buy the local newspaper to find out what's going on - there are people at the coalface who are prepared to tell it as it is and where there are no editorial sychophants doing their masters bidding by editting out dissenting comments. Don't despair Leo, we're still here and we haven't given up.
mary a special person to look up to for young men and woman of our time. (Nolly (name supplied))Mary: A Woman Before Her Time. Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne on 15 January, 1842. Her parents Alexander and Flora were Scottish immigrants. Due to the struggling economic circumstances of her parents Mary needed to go out to work, when she was 14 years old. Mary felt a deep sense of God calling her to live her life as a Religious Sister. She had no idea how this desire would come to fruition for her but she longed to follow this call. It was at Penola in South Australia that Mary MacKillop met Fr Julian Tenison Woods while she was working as a governess for her relatives. She shared with him her desire to become a Religious Sister. He in turn helped to see the needs of this new emerging colony and encouraged her in her response to give herself totally to God in Religious life. Under Julian
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