A retiring Shane Warne was in the mix. The Pigeon, Glen McGrath, was also a possibility. Captain Courageous, Ricky Ponting must have gone close. We treasure those Ashes after all and all three worked extremely hard over fifteen long, hot days to bring them 'home'.
But no, The Tank's 2006 Australian Father of the Year is not a cricketer. However he also has been working hard to effect a repatriation, that of his son David from the Most Powerful Nation on Earth's gulag, Guantanamo Bay.
Of course that man is last year's winner, Terry Hicks.
No son could have asked for a more courageous and dedicated father who for five long years has battled to save his son from the tortures that are been inflicted upon him by the cowardly Neo-Cons of the Whitehouse.
Well done Terry.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Friday, December 15, 2006
Oils Ain’t No Oils
Like so many actions and statements of the Prime Minister, his recent denial of a request for assistance made by the democratically elected (80% of the vote) Prime Minister of Fiji had me scratching my head in disbelief at his blatant hypocracy.
No we will not intervene in the coup in aid of the democratically elected government. That would be tantamount to an invasion. “We don’t do that.”
Breathtaking stuff. Ask the people of Iraq if Australia invades other countries.
Oops! Silly me. I forgot the unwritten subtext that, by now, I should have picked up on.
I should have understood, “No oil, no help”.
No we will not intervene in the coup in aid of the democratically elected government. That would be tantamount to an invasion. “We don’t do that.”
Breathtaking stuff. Ask the people of Iraq if Australia invades other countries.
Oops! Silly me. I forgot the unwritten subtext that, by now, I should have picked up on.
I should have understood, “No oil, no help”.
Babies and Bathwater: the difference explained.
The Federal government has assumed responsibility for the sales of Aussie wheat for the next six months whilst it considers its position on the single desk policy wherein one agency, most recently AWB Ltd, has sole rights to trade in wheat for export.
Of course we now know what the government says it didn't know (but should have). ie that AWB was paying kickbacks to purchasers, in particular Saddam Hussein, in contravention of UN sanctions on pre-invasion Iraq.
This was disgraceful, immoral and more than likely illegal but does it mean that the single desk policy is fundamentally flawed? The farmers love it. They see it as ensuring that they have the strength in the marketplace to compete with the big boys, Canada and the US.
The single desk concept is not so different to the way trade unions negotiate favourable wages and conditions outcomes for their members. Or did pre-Work Choices.
By not allowing wheat buyers to pick off the weakest or most desperate farmers first and so set an inadequately low floor price, the single desk policy ensures that Aussie farmers get the best returns for their labours.
For the next six months we are to have the Minister behind a single desk acting as a kind of government appointed farmer's union leader but at the same time the same government is busy telling us that trade unions are passe and that workers will achieve better wage outcomes under its deregulated Work Choices system.
Let's keep the single desk and the union movement and toss out AWB and Work Choices. And the current Federal Government.
Of course we now know what the government says it didn't know (but should have). ie that AWB was paying kickbacks to purchasers, in particular Saddam Hussein, in contravention of UN sanctions on pre-invasion Iraq.
This was disgraceful, immoral and more than likely illegal but does it mean that the single desk policy is fundamentally flawed? The farmers love it. They see it as ensuring that they have the strength in the marketplace to compete with the big boys, Canada and the US.
The single desk concept is not so different to the way trade unions negotiate favourable wages and conditions outcomes for their members. Or did pre-Work Choices.
By not allowing wheat buyers to pick off the weakest or most desperate farmers first and so set an inadequately low floor price, the single desk policy ensures that Aussie farmers get the best returns for their labours.
For the next six months we are to have the Minister behind a single desk acting as a kind of government appointed farmer's union leader but at the same time the same government is busy telling us that trade unions are passe and that workers will achieve better wage outcomes under its deregulated Work Choices system.
Let's keep the single desk and the union movement and toss out AWB and Work Choices. And the current Federal Government.
A Nice Little Earner
Pauline Hanson has flagged that she may be back on the election trail with some typically racist and erroneous comments.Her motivation? Some say it's to promote the sales of her forthcoming autobiography (buy it and I'll leap through your monitor and rip yer bloody arms orf!) but I think she's on to a nice racket.
Her name and notoriety mean she will have to spend nothing from her own pocket on election advertising whilst at the same time picking up the election funding provided by the Australian Electoral Commission for candidates who poll more than 4% of the primary vote; a likely result for her. Registered political parties are entitled to election funding where an endorsed candidate or Senate group receives at least 4% of the total formal first preference votes.
Independent candidates and Senate groups are also entitled to election funding if they receive 4% of the vote. For more info click here.
At $2.05 per vote she can pick up a cool $200,000 by getting just 4% of the vote in her home state of Queensland if she ran for the Senate.As long as her (limited) popularity stays above 4% she can do this indefinelty.
Expect to see much more of Pauline Hanson, professional losing politician, over the next decade or so.
Her name and notoriety mean she will have to spend nothing from her own pocket on election advertising whilst at the same time picking up the election funding provided by the Australian Electoral Commission for candidates who poll more than 4% of the primary vote; a likely result for her. Registered political parties are entitled to election funding where an endorsed candidate or Senate group receives at least 4% of the total formal first preference votes.
Independent candidates and Senate groups are also entitled to election funding if they receive 4% of the vote. For more info click here.
At $2.05 per vote she can pick up a cool $200,000 by getting just 4% of the vote in her home state of Queensland if she ran for the Senate.As long as her (limited) popularity stays above 4% she can do this indefinelty.
Expect to see much more of Pauline Hanson, professional losing politician, over the next decade or so.
Christmas Fare for a Christmas Unfair
David Hicks is about to experience yet another Christmas at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.I thought it might be interesting to ask the US Ambassador to Australia, Mr Robert D. McCallum, Jr, what will be on the menu this Christmas dinner for David.
Email him at info@usembassy-australia.state.gov
While your at it you might like to also ask him when David can expect to enjoy a Christmas at home here in Australia with his loved ones.I'll publish his reply as soon as I get one.
Email him at info@usembassy-australia.state.gov
While your at it you might like to also ask him when David can expect to enjoy a Christmas at home here in Australia with his loved ones.I'll publish his reply as soon as I get one.
Joanna To Resign?
The Member for Gilmore is on record as having promised to resign if a nuclear reactor is built at Jervis Bay. This was before the recent release of the Switkowski Report which suggested that up to 25 reactors should be built in Australia.
Murray's Beach was selected some decades ago as the site for our second reactor and some construction work was begun. It has a number of unique features which make it's re-selection more than likely-
1. It has a deepwater port
2. It is within ACT territory and so would not be subject to a challenge from a State government
3. It is next to HMAS Creswell and so has inbuilt security against nuclear terrorism, a very real possibility.
Given the likelihood that a re-elected Liberal-National coalition government would commence a domestic nuclear industry and that the Shoalhaven is in at least the top 25 sites, perhaps Ms Gash should be asked to reaffirm her committment to resign or better still, asked how she could possibly guarantee a reactor would not be built here. Email Joanna at Joanna.Gash.MP@aph.gov.au
Murray's Beach was selected some decades ago as the site for our second reactor and some construction work was begun. It has a number of unique features which make it's re-selection more than likely-
1. It has a deepwater port
2. It is within ACT territory and so would not be subject to a challenge from a State government
3. It is next to HMAS Creswell and so has inbuilt security against nuclear terrorism, a very real possibility.
Given the likelihood that a re-elected Liberal-National coalition government would commence a domestic nuclear industry and that the Shoalhaven is in at least the top 25 sites, perhaps Ms Gash should be asked to reaffirm her committment to resign or better still, asked how she could possibly guarantee a reactor would not be built here. Email Joanna at Joanna.Gash.MP@aph.gov.au
Not Sinking, Water Rising
Alone amongst World leaders the Prime Minister has refused to concede that the quagmire in Iraq is going badly or to set a withdrawl date for Australian troops.
What was expected to be over in a few short weeks has now dragged on since March 19 2003, with no possible end in sight according to retired General Tommy Franks who led the initial invasion.
More than 2900 US soldiers have been killed and more than 22,000 injured. An estimated 356 Iraqi security forces and civilians have died in the first week of December alone.
In total over 100,000 Iraqis may have died. (British Medical Journal, The Lancet)
Total final cost (if there ever is an end) is projected at US$ 3 trillion.
Whilst the concept of the Captain going down with the ship is admirable, taking so many innocent others with him is inexcuseable.
What was expected to be over in a few short weeks has now dragged on since March 19 2003, with no possible end in sight according to retired General Tommy Franks who led the initial invasion.
More than 2900 US soldiers have been killed and more than 22,000 injured. An estimated 356 Iraqi security forces and civilians have died in the first week of December alone.
In total over 100,000 Iraqis may have died. (British Medical Journal, The Lancet)
Total final cost (if there ever is an end) is projected at US$ 3 trillion.
Whilst the concept of the Captain going down with the ship is admirable, taking so many innocent others with him is inexcuseable.
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