(Update 7pm +11 27/3/24) Dear Andrew Wilkie, Adam Bandt, Josh Wilson, Bridget Archer, David Shoebridge, Ms. Bridget Archer, Tony Zappia, Peter Khalil, Peter Whish-Wilson and other members of the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Support Group,
This article has been renamed to How the Julian Assange Support Group can hold to account the Albanese government for its failure to support Julian Assange and how you can help (please click on the link read) to match the title of a double-sided A4 leaflet.
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Update, 5pm Thu 24/11/22: Except for an automatically-generated response from Helen Haines MP, I have received no response from any one of the 11 representatives I emailed very early this morning. Later today, I will, likewise, email another 22. I am writing to each one of you in the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Support Group to ask you to try, as hard as you are able, to use your voice and your vote to support Julian Assange in Parliament during this current sitting which ends, in the Senate, next Friday 2 December and, in the House, next Thursday 1 December. |  |
Most unfortunately for the anti-war movement, even some who oppose Australian military intervention in Syria, including Greens member of Parliament Adam Bandt, accept the claim that President Bashar Al-Assad is a brutal dictator guilty of murdering many tens of thousands of his own people. 1
In fact, Bashar Al-Assad was re-elected President on 4 June 2014 by an overwhelming majority of Syrians. See Syria's press conference the United Nations doesn't want you to see with embedded 52:45 minute YouTube video. 2 This report is of a press conference at the United Nations in New York on 19 June 2014. At that press conference five international observers testified that the elections were conducted fairly. Not one of the journalists present took the opportunity to challenge that testimony. Those, who had reported before and since that Bashar al-Assad was a corrupt and hated dictator, was torturing and murdering his own people, was dropping 'barrel bombs' on civilians, was poisoning Syrians with chemical weapons, etc., etc., etc., seem to have lost their voices on that day, or were absent.
According to the report cited in that article from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which can hardly be accused of bias towards the Syrian government, 88.7% of the 73.42% of eligible Syrian voters who voted, voted for President Bashar al-Assad. So, of 15,845,575 Syrians eligible to vote, eligible voters 10,319,723 or 65.13% voted for Bashar al-Assad. What other government in the world can claim this much popular support? Certainly not one of those countries, listed below, which support the terrorist invasion of Syria.
The supposed 'civil war', which has been going on for over four years in Syria, is, in fact an invasion by hordes of sociopaths from many corners of the globe, armed and paid for by the United States, France, Britain, Turkey, Jordan, Israel and the dictatorships of Saudi Arabia. Over 220,000 Syrians have died in that conflict so far. The sanctions, imposed on Syria by the Australian government under the fraudulent pretext of the claim that the Syrian government had murdered 108 of its citizens at Houla on 25 May 2012 3 , has further impeded the efforts of the Syrian government to fight the terrorists, thereby contributing to that horrific death toll. So, Australia, which shamefully participated in sanctions against Iraq from 1990 and two genocidal wars against in 1990 and 2003 4 , also has the blood of Syrians on its hands.
If Adam Bandt and others, who have spoken out against Tony Abbott's planned war against Syria, took the effort to learn that the Syrian government is supported by the people of Syria and made that known to the broader public, the task of ending the war would be that much easier.
Footnote[s]
1. ↑ On 9 September 2015, Greens member of the Federal Parliament Adam Bandt 2016 posted the following comment to his Facebook page (my emphasis):
Adam Bandt I'm also distressed to hear reports that government members are advocating for a discriminatory intake of people who are fleeing the brutality of ISIS and the brutality of the Assad regime. When people around the country saw tragic images of Aylan Kurdi, a 3-year old boy whose body had washed up on the shore, they didn't ask what religion he was. People just said we want to help.
2. ↑ The article was republished from http://www.globalresearch.ca/syrias-press-conference-the-united-nations-doesnt-want-you-to-see/5387795 . The 53 minute embedded video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnFQd4wBXnk .
3. ↑ See The Houla Massacre: The Disinformation Campaign (13/6/122) Global Research.
4. ↑ According to Former US Attorney-General Ramsey Clark, as many a 3,300,00 Iraqis, including 750,000 children may have died as result. See Former US Attorney General: US (and Australian) sanctions against Iraq are genocidal (13/1/14) | Candobetter.
Good news! The Federal Budget did not provide funds to Premier Baillieu for the East West Link. Julianne Bell thanks those 16 community groups for supporting PPL VIC and the Royal Park Protection Group for Ian Hundley's and her mission to Canberra on 27 March 2012 to present their submission to Infrastructure Minister Albanese in which they requested the Federal Government NOT fund the EW Link but support public transport projects. Ian Hundley and Julianne briefed staff. Thanks also go to the Greens "for their principled stand against the East West Link and for their advocacy for Doncaster Rail Link."
Article by Julianne Bell of Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc.
See below the message from Adam Bandt, Federal Member for Melbourne, with the good news that the Federal Budget did not provide funds for the East West Link, as requested by Premier Baillieu. We thank Adam and the Greens for their principled stand against the East West Link and for their advocacy for Doncaster Rail Link. We again thank those 16 community groups for supporting PPL VIC and the Royal Park Protection Group for our mission to Canberra on 27 March 2012 to present our submission to Infrastructure Minister Albanese in which we requested the Federal Government NOT fund the EW Link but support public transport projects. Ian Hundley and I briefed staff - the Minister's Chief Advisers on Transport - on the history of the extension of the Eastern Freeway/EW Link and on the public transport needs of greater Melbourne.
On Tuesday 8 May 2012 at the City of Melbourne (CoM) Future Melbourne Committee meeting the City of Melbourne Transport Strategy was tabled. Under City of Melbourne Transport Strategy 2012 were the headings - Flexible and Adaptable - Private Transport - City Driving Page 52 of the attachment Objectives and Actions - East West Link 28. The text read: "Priority Action: Consider the Government’s proposed East West Link when details are known to make sure that it achieves the City of Melbourne’s transport plan for access to and through the central city hub." In 2008 in response to huge community opposition Council totally opposed the EW Link. It looked as though the Council was fence sitting last night. The Transport Strategy was, however, amended, to include reference to Council's resolution of 2008, which includes: That Council: 1.1. oppose the Eddington East West Road Tunnel and the use or reduction of any parkland and disruption to the community 1.2. oppose the use of parks for any works associated with an East West Road Tunnel...etc (This is only second hand information, please check it.) The City of Melbourne is certainly not going all the way to oppose the EW Link.
Ted Baillieu, the Liberal Premier of Victoria, is already complaining about underfunding for transport. Huge funds have already been given to Victoria by the Federal Government for the Regional Railway Project, however, so it is difficult to see what his problem is here.
See Age article Wednesday 9 May 2012 "Doncaster Rail Link may lead to more buses."
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/doncaster-rail-study-may-lead-to-more-buses-20120508-1yb0e.html
Julianne Bell
Secretary
Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc.
PO Box 197
Parkville 3052
Dear friends,
I am writing with some good news fresh from the federal budget lock-up.
The Federal Government has heeded our call and refused to fund Ballieu’s dirty and expensive toll road. It’s a great win for our campaign – congratulations!
We know the State Government is ready to start drilling but it’s going to be a lot harder and take a lot longer without federal backing, as Baillieu said himself tonight.
It’s a boost to our campaign to bring smarter and cleaner transport infrastructure to Melbourne.
We know there is a problem with transport in our city but the last thing we need is a private toll road from Hoddle Street right through Fitzroy, Carlton and North Melbourne to the Kensington, Docklands and Footscray area. Whether it’s above or below ground, it will disrupt our communities without relieving the congestion.
Building the Doncaster rail link would go some way to alleviating the congestion coming in from the East and help transform Melbourne into a world-class public transport city. That’s where I want our federal infrastructure dollars being spent and that’s what I’ll continue to campaign for.
We’ve still got a lot of work to do to win this campaign but I wanted to share this great with news as soon as I could.
Looking forward to continuing to work with you to keep Melbourne liveable,
Adam Bandt MP
Tuesday, May 08, 2012 8:10 PM
Adam Bandt MP
Federal Member for Melbourne
Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens
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