Announced examination of Australia Submarine Agency shows cracks in AUKUS; Nearly half of Australian voters support a review of AUKUS and nuclear sub acquisition; USA not building submarines fast enough to meet their own needs, let alone Australia’s; USA preference is to base 'their' nuclear attack submarines in our ports

We express our sorrow at the fall today of Damascus, Syria, - a secular democracy - to takfiri terrorists backed by Western powers. They are led by Ahmed Hussein al-Shar'a, commonly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.  The US listed Al-Juliani as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist,'  in May 2013, and four years later advertised a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Don Owers humorously points out the not-so-funny posturing in the Climate Council's loud criticism of Sky News and News Corp regarding disinformation on climate change, in the face of its own strange silence - dare we say collusion? - about the principal drivers of carbon emission growth in Australia, namely government and lobby-group-engineered population and intensive development growth.

The latest on Syria's very tricky situation from Kevork Almassian, surely one of the greatest modern journalists we have today.

The four former colleagues gathered at a suburban Italian restaurant for one of their regular "catch ups.” But were they really catching up?  They had not worked together for about fifteen years but, possibly through habit or email mailing list accident, had still kept in touch.  Only one still worked in the same clinical profession that had brought them together. 

Short simple video gives a good overview.

Unfortunately the 'Online Safety Amendment (Protecting Australian Children from Online Harm) Bill 2023 passed the Australian Senate last night, with an amendment to be inserted after section 63D.  I attach both the bill and the Senate amendment to the bill. 

Nature conservation groups are questioning the motives behind the Victorian Government’s “comprehensive” review of Parks Victoria. The move is raising concerns about the future of Victoria’s popular national parks and reserves, whose integrity is vital for both nature conservation and community wellbeing. Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos 

The new Counting Backwards song, Ballad of Yakamia is now out.  Yakamia contains the last patch of uncleared bushland in North Albany (Yakamia Forest), West Australia, which is under threat from housing development and road construction. The Council chambers are also located in Yakamia and it is there where decisions about the forest are made.

If the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Bill 2024 makes it into law, we may never get rid of the Lib/Lab duopoly and real independents and new parties won't ever make it into government. The Bill is currently at its third reading and in the Senate - which means there is not much time.

Under the "Online Safety Amendment (Protecting Australian Children from Online Harm) Bill 2023, we really will all face overwhelming risks of personal and commercial data breaches.

The title of the bill, before the Senate today, is "Online Safety Amendment (Protecting Australian Children from Online Harm) Bill 2023." It will put Australians using social media at risk of identity theft because they will potentially need to provide social media companies with sensitive identity information.

Wednesday 27 November 2024: The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) advised the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA) on Monday 25 November that arts therapy will not be continued as a Therapy Support after 2 December 2024. On 26 November the NDIA posted different guidelines on its website without consultation or explanation.

Pacific Peace Network Webinar 30 Nov 2024: World War 3 would be fought in the Asia Pacific.  Is Aukus worth dying for?  Voices from the Pacific talking about real and potential impacts. The webinar will feature speakers from across the Pacific giving their perspective on what's wrong with AUKUS and the increasing militarisation of the region.

Water demand due to population growth is outstripping improvements in Australians’ efficiency of household water use, according to new research commissioned by Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) in a report titled Big thirsty Australia: how population growth threatens our water security and sustainability. 

The use of Western-made long-range missile systems in the Ukraine conflict has drastically changed its nature, the Russian leader has warned

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address from the Kremlin on Thursday evening, outlining Moscow’s response to recent escalations of the Ukraine conflict. 

It is surreal to  tune into Australian media and realise that there is almost no response or reporting on the world's march towards nuclear war or our responsibility in this catastrophe that is already taking so many lives.

"The Victorian government is preparing Plan for Victoria – a strategic framework for the whole state – while it simultaneously rolls out the most radical program of planning system reforms in thirty years. This report summarises the publicly available information on both, adds analysis and commentary, and offers constructive feedback in the form of positive propositions.

In light of the looming Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation ('M.A.D) Bill,[1] Prof. Andrea Carson and Dr Max Grömping's paper looks into the real state of the information environment in Australia in comparison to other countries, focusing on the exaggerated perceived threat of so-called misinformation and disinformation on public information quality and how any harmful effects might be combatted without draconian censorship laws. 

This article has been adapted from a double-sided A5 leaflet.

How is this democracy!?

The overwhelming majority of 98 submissions[1] from the Australian public strenuously oppose the Albanese government’s foreshadowed “Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation)” MAD bill. Any objective perusal of the debate about the MAD bill in Hansard [2] shows that the government clearly lost the argument on both the 6th and 7th November. In spite of losing the argument, the MAD Bill was still carried 78 votes to 66. Every Labor member voted for the bill, whilst the Greens, the Independents and every member of the Opposition voted against it.

See also: Citizens Party press release of 19/11/2024, Close to victory against MAD censorship bill—the Greens must also reject it.

Guest speakers: Scott Breschkin Marine Conservation Officer with The Nature Conservancy Australia and Josh Davis, Pesticide Action Australia, on pesticide use in coastal reserves around Port Phillip Bay.

"Do you think that Blackrock and Vanguard and foreign governments should be our major investors in housing?" asks Senator Bragg of Senator Katy Gallagher. This is a revealing and informative video, especially on the issue of how Labor is trying to attract funding for 'rent-to-build' housing from bad overseas corporations, which will likely create a new level of debt enslavement in Australia

Make Victoria Greener: Prominent botanist and academic, Dr Greg Moore OAM has called for the Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, to vote for common sense and ensure Victoria’s environment is secured for the future by adding $1 billion in tree canopy.

How you can help : Download, print and distribute the double-sided A5 leaflet Ask your Senators to block Labor’s Orwellian “Misinformation Bill” . Ask your Senators to block the M.A.D. bill in the sittings of the Senate which commence Monday 18 November. The bundle of double-sided landscape-oriented A4 printed sheets will have to be carefully guillotined down the middle to give two bundles of double-sided landscape-oriented A5 printed sheets.

Biko Konstantinos has done a fantastic expose of PM Albanese's awful censorship laws that are up for voting in the Senate on 18 November 2024.

Mornington Peninsula at Arthurs Seat (Wonga) is under threat -  we must say NO to a proposed EXCESSIVE EXPANSION.

Developers are proposing a $25+ million expansion in a STATE PARK, which includes:

A roller coaster like luge up and down the hill, altering the natural landscape
An intrusive bridge over Arthurs Seat Road at the summit
An eight-story viewing platform
A second restaurant at the top station
A major redevelopment of the lower station