Protesting September 7, 2007
Posted by Amanda in Australia, Australian politics, Observations.add a comment
Getting arrested at a protest is one of those things that adds to your life experience. It is like shaving your head. You only want to do it once and for a good cause.
I have done one of the two.
Costello v the journalists August 15, 2007
Posted by Amanda in Australian politics, Media, politics.add a comment
Who has more to lose in this?
The journalists need their reputation to be able to do their jobs- a politician doesn’t.
Costello can just keep claiming that he never said it and eventually it will blow over- there may be consequences down the track, or there may not.
It is a grave accusation to say that the journalists are lying- look at what happened at the BBC over the whole David Kelly affair.
The journalists should probably have published two years ago or let sleeping dogs lie but now it is out there, I am more inclined to believe them.
Who needs the Chaser? August 7, 2007
Posted by Amanda in Australian politics, Indigenous issues, Media, politics.1 comment so far
The Chaser had better watch out- Bill Heffernan is threatening to steal their thunder.
He interrupted another press conference today- this time it was Northern Territory Indigenous leaders that he tried to heckle. But they were having none of it and told him so. Like any coward who picks on those weaker than him, it seems he backed down when challenged.
Doesn’t the government have enough problems at the moment without this buffoon trying out his bully boy tactics?
A Hicks by any other name July 27, 2007
Posted by Amanda in Australian politics, Media, politics.add a comment
The charges against Mohammed Haneef have been dropped this afternoon. Ever since the information about the SIM card came out, it has been looking very dodgy.
It will now be interesting to see what happens with his visa cancellation. The government has to be aware of the fact that Haneef is quickly going to become like David Hicks in the public’s mind- he has been imprisoned on spurious charges and yet they don’t want to back down totally.
One can’t help but feel sorry for the guy if indeed he only passed on his SIM on the basis that he didn’t need it anymore.
Any predictions?
NT Indigenous communities June 21, 2007
Posted by Amanda in Australia, Australian politics, Indigenous issues, Media, politics.3 comments
John Howard has just announced a takeover of Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.
There are so many issues that come out of this.
Is this setting back Aboriginal self determination decades? I am sure that this is going to be discussed ad nauseum in the days ahead. I think it could have. Communities and the Territory government have lost their ability to govern themselves.
But the key question for me is- have the Indigenous people affected or indeed any Indigenous people been consulted about this move? I haven’t heard that yet. It is pretty difficult to consult when you dismantle the body through which Aboriginal people had a voice. As flawed as ATSIC might have been, it was something.
And the larger issue is what is the long term plan? Where is the government’s plan to address the underlying causes of this dysfunction. I have read about housing reforms and the health checks but the problem goes a lot deeper than that. They have known about these problems for years, if not decades- why now? And what are they going to do to allow Indigenous people to determine the best ways to help their communities. This roughshod approach may only cause more anger and resentment in the end.
And finally, I am sitting here completing an assignment about Indigenous voices in the media- or the lack of. Where are the comments from Indigenous leaders about these plans? SMH and News.com have some Indigenous comments but at the very bottom of their articles. ABC had none as yet in the stories I’ve read. We should be hearing from those who are affected by this the most. They should be the first voices we hear- not the last.
Cornelia Rau April 9, 2007
Posted by Amanda in Australian politics.add a comment
The federal government should be worried about reports that Cornelia Rau is suing after failing to reach a compensation agreement for her wrongful ten month incarceration in a Queensland prison and then an immigration detention centre. Worse still for the image of the government, the reason given for the lack of an agreement is that the lawyers are claiming that it is not the government’s fault because the detention centre is run by a private contractor.
This just doesn’t wash with the public. They are using the Anna Coren defence “They were working for us but we are not responsible”. The detention centres are not set up because the companies see it as a money making venture- they are a policy of this government and the buck stops with the Immigration Department.
If the government have any sense they will make this go away very quickly because it is just this sort of excuse making that voters hate. Just pay the poor woman what she deserves.
Campaigning on the web March 23, 2007
Posted by Amanda in Australian politics.add a comment
I can’t wait to see what animators come up with in the lead up to the Federal Election. Using internet humour is such a great tool in campaigning.
“In the Liberals” about Peter Debnam for the NSW election is produced by the National Union of Workers. It is a quite personal attack ad but I would still rather see that than the usual negative spot on television. I think the audience is more likely to watch it through to the end as well.
Kate Ellis March 7, 2007
Posted by Amanda in Australian politics, politics.add a comment
Is it a coincidence that perhaps the most attractive member of the Opposition benches is seated so prominently in the House of Representatives?
According to the Guide to Procedures : “… Members have allotted seats. A Member’s request for the allocation of a seat should be made to the Serjeant-at-Arms but any question arising regarding the seats to be occupied by Members is determined by the Speaker (S.O. 24(b)). A Member is entitled to retain the seat occupied at the end of the previous Parliament (S.O. 24(a)) (except when a change of government necessitates a change of sides).”
See a better picture of Kate Ellis here.
And one of her in action here.
Separated at Birth? March 7, 2007
Posted by Amanda in Australian politics, politics.add a comment
Kevin Rudd
Brains from Thunderbirds
I am sure it has been done before somewhere but it struck me the other night when I was watching The 7.30 Report
Carry the Bags 