Filed under politix …

Oct 25 2005
1 Comment
politix, war

Is the tide turning?

From the ABC News website today:

(Coming soon: PM suspends constitution; cites pressing need to combat terrorism)

I should also mention the speech by J.M. Coetzee, the South African author who won the 2003 Novel Prize for literature, the other day. Speaking at a reading of his new book, Waiting for the Barbarians, in Sydney:

Coetzee said the South African police “could do what they wanted because there was no real recourse against them because special provisions of the legislation indemnified them in advance”.

He went on to tell the packed auditorium: “If somebody telephoned a reporter and said, ‘Tell the world — some men came last night, took my husband, my son, my father away, I don’t know who they were, they didn’t give names, they had guns’, the next thing that happened would be that you and the reporter in question would be brought into custody for furthering the aims of the proscribed organisation endangering the security of the state.”

The 2003 Nobel laureate ended his introduction with: “All of this, and much more during apartheid in South Africa, was done in the name of the fight against terror.”

While Coetzee did not specifically refer to the Howard Government, there was no question his pointed speech was directed at anti-terror laws due to be introduced into federal and state parliaments next month. [The Australian]

Oct 18 2005
2 Comments
politix, queer

Recognition at last

A wee snippet from the (draft) Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005, as leaked by the ACT Chief Minister, s.105.32 (2):

anti-terror bill

After years of steadfastly refusing to recognise the existence of same-sex couples, it looks like the government is finally getting with the program. Admittedly, you need to be a terrorism suspect (detained, without trial, or charge, or access to legal process) for this to apply to you, but at last your same-sex partner is officially recognised — as a family member no less!

(Via Imagining Australia, via The Road to Surfdom)

Oct 18 2005
1 Comment
extemporanea, politix

A dose of his own medicine?

Did you watch Four Corners last night? It was on childhood obesity and made much use of the Health Minister who was his usual charming self.

About halfway through the program I found myself thinking something’s not right about his face. He frowns, he winces, he expresses the full range of politicians’ emotions, but that huge expanse of forehead never budges. Has Tony Abbott had Botox?

Tagged
Sep 14 2005
politix

Causes

Causes for gas increase

Jul 08 2005
politix, sad, war

Not a good day

My heart sank as soon as the first report came over the wire early last evening. At that stage they were still talking about a “power surge” and while the London Underground was plainly closed, there were no reports of injuries. But I think I knew even then that we were yet to hear the full story.

This morning the toll stands at 37 dead and 700 injured. There were four bombs — three on the Underground and one on a double-decker bus:

London bus bombing

I’m sad, worried and angry. Sad for London, worried for my many friends over there, and angry that we’ve allowed our world to degenerate to this pathetic, tragic, base state of barbarism. Violence begets violence, and no-one is immune from its effects. Our leaders try to prevent violence with violence, they respond to violence with violence, and of course it’s always the bystanders that get killed and maimed.

Something’s got to give.

Jun 30 2005
politix

Up the workers

When John Howard signs an individual contract, I'll have the same

Tens of thousands – perhaps more than a hundred thousand – people have marched through Melbourne this morning, bringing the city to a standstill in protest against the government’s planned changes to industrial relations laws, which take effect at midnight tonight.

I joined the march in support (I’m a union member after all) and took a few snapshots. Some more on Flickr in a minute.

May 03 2005
politix

Our treasurer’s a sook

Another day, another round of news bulletins chock-full of pictures of Peter Costello sulking because John Howard won’t let him have a turn with the bat. The short man, showing no sign of being ready to let anyone else but himself screw this country back into the 1950s, made a few unguarded comments over the weekend which have Costello crying foul.

“I’m not retiring and you can’t make me,” said Howard*, repeating the now-very-tired line about staying in the job “as long as the party and my country wants me”, and Costello had a hissy fit.

Puh-lease.

Peter Costello, a man who has spent a decade waiting for the gnome to hand him the country’s top job on a silver platter, wants us to think that he’s been wronged because he can’t just waltz into the country’s top job. He is crying “bully”, and who’s the vicious ruffian who’s blackened his face and torn his school blazer? A geriatric deaf midget in a Vodafone tracksuit.

Just read between the lines from this AAP story (emphasis mine):

Speaking to reporters after the Sydney meeting, Mr Costello’s grim face suggested he still felt he was the wounded deputy.

“I wish the events of the last 48 hours never happened,” he said. “As you know, I was not expecting it.”

Mr Costello was tightlipped about his meeting with the prime minister.

[...]

Asked if the Liberal Party was united, Mr Costello replied: “It ought to be.”

“We ought to be able to resolve things in a mature way,” he said.

“I wish that we hadn’t had this recent flurry, but it happened.

“Flurry”? What the—?

Listen up, Pete: there’s only room in the Liberal Party for one milquetoast, and Alexander Downer’s claim on that role goes back three generations. You want the top job? Go and get it. You think it’s owed to you? Prove it.

If Costello doesn’t have the bollocks to challenge Howard he should quit politics and get a job in a bank somewhere. If he doesn’t bring it, he’s a sook, and if there’s one thing this country won’t stand for, it’s a sook.

* Actually, that was Bette Midler, but you get my drift.

May 01 2005
politix

May Day

VTHC poster

It’s May Day. Here’s some appropriate music:


Bandiera Rossa (The Scarlet Banner) – Oktoberklub [Download]


Joe Hill – Paul Robeson [Download]

(Image above from The Victorian Trades Hall Council, which is organising a rally on the last day before the conservatives have total control over the parliament.)

Apr 24 2005
death, politix

Grassby turns up his purple-socked toes

With all the deaths lately I could be accused of excessive gloating, however not all are good news.

Al Grassby

Al Grassby died yesterday, aged 78.

A former immigration minister in the Whitlam years, the father of multiculturalism, and a snappy dresser, Grassby was instrumental in changing Australia from an insular backwater to the inclusive and tolerant society it still, despite the efforts of Howard and his lot.

Grassby was a “colourful character” in more ways than one, and not squeaky clean by any means, but without his influence Australia would be a lesser place. He will be missed.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to say something nice about Joh Bjelke-Petersen: he stopped Howard becoming PM in 1987, so it’s not all bad.

Apr 22 2005
politix, queer

Love’s second-class citizens

Yet another reason to be happy for the persistence (just) of socialism:

Spain’s Parliament has given initial approval to a law allowing marriage and adoption rights for homosexuals.

A packed public gallery erupted in cheers and applause as the speaker announced approval of the Socialist Government’s proposal.

“It’s unfair to be a second-class citizen because of love,” Socialist legislator Carmen Monton said.

“Spain joins the vanguard of those defending full equality for gays and lesbians.”

(“Spanish MPs approve gay marriage law“, ABC News 2005-04-22)

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