Australia

Click on the image to read Report No. 43.

Click on the image to read Report No. 42.

Click on the image to read Report No. 41.

"It's really a disturbing that a government like the Victorian government, [...] repeat parrot-like the Property Council Mantra that there hasn't been enough dwelling approvals in Melbourne and in the state, [...] yet their own reports showed with graphs that was a false narrative. Their ultimate aim really, is to remove citizen interaction and involvement and local government involvement in decisions over the future of a city. And this is completely incompatible with the democratic ideal. It's a very authoritarian model.

Click on the image to read Report No. 39.

Of more than 200 submissions to the Australian Senate Inquiry into Australian support for Ukraine, (27March-4 Aug 24), so-far published, most seem to think that more war, with even more money and weapons, is a solution for Ukraine's problems. Almost none argue for peace-negotiations.

Claims by the Australian Government that the Navy was enforcing sanctions against North Korea have been heavily refuted; Australian Navy spying on Chinese Coastal defence and military exercises occurred at the behest of the USA’s Seventh Fleet; IPAN calls for the cancellation of hostile spying activities in the South China Sea

Sometimes, it’s best not to leave the issue of justice to the judges. They do what they must: consult the statutes, test the rivers of power, and hope that their ruling will not be subject to appeal.

"In one of his early Australian tours, [actor and humorist] Peter Ustinov was asked by a reporter, 'Are you worried about being in the land of the convicts?'  He replied, 'I'm more worried about being in the land of the warders.'  This neatly describes the political divide in Australia, ever since European settlement [...]," wrote Australian politician, Barry Jones.[1]  I was reminded of this when I was confronted by a video of Julian Hill MP ALP opining in some vaguely official capacity on a need for Australia to censor X.com, in order to protect Australians from stuff the government thought should upset us. Then a whole slew of strutting politicians joined in, including Prime Minister Albanese, who personalised his attack on the owner of X.com, Elon Musk, calling him arrogant and out of touch with the public.  You would have thought Albanese was describing himself.

From the National Tertiary Education Union: Australian universities’ governing bodies have become stacked with unelected big business appointees, a new report has revealed.

Public expenditure must instead address the climate emergency and other urgent social needs. There is no evidence that China presents a military threat to Australia. Continued trade and pursuit of mutually beneficial relations in our region offers our best security.

I’m writing to you as an anti-war activist, seeking your support for Petition E

Some welcome relief for two million people in Gaza as Australian Government restores lifesaving aid. Massive public pressure has greatly contributed to the Government’s decision following Open Letters and history making 22 consecutive weeks of tens of thousands marching in capital cities for the people of Gaza. Australia must pressure for immediate and permanent ceasefire to stop the genocide and end occupation.  

WEDNESDAY 27 MARCH 2024: This important webinar co-sponsored by over 18 organisations will feature Pine Gap expert, Professor Richard Tanter, whose forthcoming paper, "Pine Gap, Gaza and Genocide", will be summarised to spark discussion among the panelists on the role of Pine Gap in colonial violence and surveillance in Australia and Palestine.  

The webinar is moderated by  Dr Amy McQuire, Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist

In the recent 29 February by-election for the UK seat of Rochdale, George Galloway campaigned against Israel's mass-murder of Palestinians in Gaza and for Julian Assange's freedom. He defeated the two major pro-war parties, Labor and the Conservatives, to become the new MP for Rochdale in the House of Commons. In the attached 18 minute YouTube video, he is interviewed by Syrian-born British journalist Richard Medhurst.

"The Victorian Government has failed to fund 500 housing places for young people living with mental illness almost three years after making the commitment – a key royal commission recommendation." (Council to Homeless Persons, Melbourne City Mission and Orygen)  The homelessness press-release says nothing about how massive overseas immigration and investment has driven the excessive demand that has resulted in high prices and housing shortage, but this is the elephant in the room, and t

Going to prison is probably one of the worst things that can happen to a person, even if the prison is well-run with kindly staff. Jail can happen to anyone but mostly it happens to males lacking personal and financial resources. In Australia most cases never go to trial by jury, and many jail-terms are the result of plea-bargaining, rather than based adequately on justice or evidence. Wealthy, influential people can usually stay out of prison.

Sustainable Population Australia is mourning the loss of its former trustee, Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue, who died in Adelaide yesterday.

Dr O’Donohue was the inaugural chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) patron of the Lowitja Institute, a research institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing.

Both houses of the Australian parliament, the House of Representatives and the Senate, are meeting tomorrow, Tuesday 6 February 2024 (Update, Wednesday 9:56am: nothing said about Gaza on Tuesday). Based on past experience, if the Gaza conflict, in which, so far, nearly 27,000 Palestinian civilians are known to have been killed, is to be discussed, there has to be a Suspension of Standing orders. Should any debate occur, most of the Labor government members will just state, as fact, many of the lies from the Israeli and Corporate/Legacy newsmedia, whilst feigning concern for the plight of Palestinian civilians. The Liberal/National Opposition, for its part, will wholeheartedly support Israel's action and show almost no concern for the Palestinian civilians.

Donald Horne, who wrote ironically about Australia as 'The Lucky Country,' thought that Australia was run mainly by second-rate people who share its luck but now, 60 years later, we don't even know who runs the country.

The group ‘Unionists for Palestine’ will rally tonight outside Patrick Terminal in Port Melbourne to make clear that Israeli-owned ships and shipping companies are not welcome in Australian ports. They will protest the Israeli-owned Cali, and publicly welcome the news that ZIM’s Sparrow changed course to Port Kembla after the announcement of the planned picket.

• Australia should be focusing on diplomatic efforts to end Israel’s invasion and occupation of Gaza
• Australia’s signing of the UN resolution on ceasefire was in direct contrast to the USA’s decision and IPAN calls for a similar stance on the request regarding a war ship
• Australia must stop sending military equipment to Israel

The University of Melbourne is censoring graduating Palestinian and pro-Palestine students and is withholding graduation images from ceremonies taking place this week at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Melbourne.  

Across multiple faculties and departments, graduating students are expressing solidarity for Palestine by wearing keffiyeh’s and carrying signs demanding that Uni Melb divest from arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin.  

The following article has been adapted from a double-sided A4 leaflet which was handed out at a protest for Palestine, which commenced from Queen's Park in the Brisbane CBD at 2pm on Sunday 26 November. The 344K PDF file is attached here (earlier version here).

Avi Yemini from Rebel News spoke at a rally to support Israel against Palestine at King George Square in Brisbane today, 19 November 2023. He described how he usually stuck to reporting, but had not been able to resist this invitation to speak because of the loyal presence of Maori supporters from Brian Tamakis Destiny Church.

Another report on video from Consortium News.  Nurumberg defense mentioned - of a soldier's duty not to follow illegal orders, even if given by a superior officer.