Greenwash Political Action Party and Urban Grassroots Movement for the Green Party

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Watching TV is Greens politics

So which Greens MPs in Australia will follow their German colleagues by watching more TV?

Apparently 4 German Greens MPs are spending 24 hours watching TV non-stop.

It's happening in an up market art gallery so not sure if it's art, research, some form of protest or a kind of mini-film festival holiday.

See the full report from Deutsche Welle.

Or if your German is any good have a look at the German Greens website here.

posted by Ben Oquist # 11:29 AM 1 comments

Friday, August 18, 2006

Christian Kerr's idiotic defense of the Exclusive Brethren

This is an edited version of something I wrote from crikey, published August 17th in response to an article from Christian Kerr (which appears at the bottom of this post).

Christian Kerr’s latest lazy attack on Bob Brown marks a new low even by his standards. To accuse Bob Brown of bigotry because he sought an inquiry into the activities of a secretive cult with links to the Liberal Party, the Bush administration, the New Zealand National party and the Canadian conservatives, is not only ridiculous but nasty.

Let's set out the facts:
- A religious sect operates in Australia that secretly pours thousands of dollars into campaigns to help Liberal and National Parties.
- This sect has a notorious history of excommunications, emotional abuse and family break-ups.
- It is 40 000 strong homophobic operation which oppresses women and children.
- The sect benefits from public funds.
- It is being aided and abetted by the party of Government in Australia.
- This world wide controversial cult has taken up headquarters in Australia with the its 'Elect Vessel’ Bruce Hales based in Sydney.
- The group operates under the radar with no public scrutiny so Bob Brown moves for a Senate inquiry.

A little research would reveal a lot. Start with Radio National’s Background Briefing – the first big media expose on the organisation. David Marr’s piece from the SMH is illuminating. Or perhaps a flick through of the ex-Brethren website might help. Or a viewing of Today Tonight’s recent family horror stories or the JJJ Hack program’s investigations. Or a copy of the most recent Sunday Tasmanian would be good. London to a brickhasKerr hasn’t seen or read any of them. In fact Crikey’s own Margaretta Pos was one of the first to report the Brethren's whacky activities, along with the Tasmanian Times, during this year’s Tasmanian election.

Just a tiny bit of homework would go along way. Try speaking to just one of numerous the ex-Brethren members from all over Australia. Hearing their stories of intimidation, trauma, and devastating family break up might have prevented Mr Kerr from swallowing Howard Minister Eric Abetz’s line with barley a gulp.

To suggest that someone is a bigot because they want an inquiry into some of the above is plain stupid. It is also a revolting slur that reveals more about Mr Kerr than anything else.

The role of the Exclusive Brethren in politics, along with the devastating personal effects of its cult like operations, are topics that need more scrutiny, not less.

----------------------------------------------

The following is from the crikey email on August 16, 2006

Bob Brown smites the infidel

Christian Kerr writes:

Bob Brown is a bigot who doesn't know his home state's constitution.

The Greens leader's motion for an inquisition into the Exclusive Brethren sect was overwhelmingly defeated in the Senate last night, 59 votes to four. Labor and the Democrats joined Government senators and Family First's Steve Fielding in opposing the unprecedented move against freedom of religion.

The Exclusive Brethren placed several newspaper advertisements during the Tasmanian election campaign earlier this year.As Brown's fellow Tasmanian, Liberal Eric Abetz, pointed out, the Brethren is a lawful religious minority. Their only sin is that they ventured into politics, he said. When the leader of a political party starts scapegoating religious minorities, the alarm bells of history should be ringing loud and clear.

But Brown doesn't know his history. He seems unaware of the provisions of Tasmania's 1934 Constitution Act. Tasmania has specific guarantees of religious freedom. Brown postures as a defender of freedom. He might like to look at Section 46:

Part V General Provisions 46. Religious freedom (1) Freedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen. (2) No person shall be subject to any disability, or be required to take any oath on account of his religion or religious belief and no religious test shall be imposed in respect of the appointment to or holding of any public office.

posted by Ben Oquist # 9:04 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Gerard Henderson's wacky West Papua stance continues

Gerad Henerdon's recently came out (Crikey August 11) against Howard’s failed asylum seeker legislation.

While this was refreshing he used the opportunity to continue his whacky vilification of those who advocate for West Papua (see SMH and Lateline ).

His argument, if you can call it that, is that anyone who supports independence for the troubled province is wrong to because they have no hope of succeeding. That's hardly a moral argument. Regardless, I suspect it is exactly the type of thing Mr Henderson said about East Timor and what many said about South African apartheid and the Berlin wall before they both fell.

Worse still, Henderson seems to deliberately conflate the concept of 'independence' with 'self-determination'. The difference is important. Of course if West Papuans want independence they should have it. But if they instead want some kind of autonomy they should have that instead. It is a pro-choice argument which affirms the fundamental UN human right of all peoples to have self-determination.

This would obviously have to involve some kind of act of self determination (a vote) to determine what West Papuans actually want. This is the key demand of many West Papuans and their supporters. Is Mr Henderson really against West Papuans having a vote? A strange position for a right wing policy institute director I would have thought.

Mr Henderson is relentless in his pursuit of those who backed or appeased oppressive communist regimes in the past. But when it comes to near neighbours being brutally attacked and suppressed right now, Gerard's silence is deafening.

posted by Ben Oquist # 11:22 AM 0 comments

Monday, August 14, 2006

New TV ads target Senators on asylum seeker legislation

Steve Fielding finally worked out that he will vote no to the Government's asylum seeker legislation so we just need one Liberal Senator to vote NO to ensure that the bill fails.

Email your concerns urgently to Liberal Senators Judith Troeth senator.troeth@aph.gov.au and Marise Payne senator.payne@aph.gov.au

You migt like to send them a link to the TV ad being run today which urges Senators to "vote no". You can also see the print ad and hear the radio commercial. http://www.freewestpapua.com.au/news.php

posted by Ben Oquist # 10:25 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

West Papua legislation

As predicted, Family First’s Senator Steve Fielding is considering voting for the government’s controversial asylum seeker legislation. This is the law that was introduced to appease Indonesia after 43 West Papuans refugees arrived in Australia recently.

Tell Mr Fielding what you think: email him at senator.fielding@aph.gov.au or call him at Parliament House on (02) 6277 3711.

Full details of MPs and Senators contacts, more information about the legislation and details of a poll showing Australians don’t want these laws can be found via here.

posted by Ben Oquist # 9:30 AM 0 comments

Monday, August 07, 2006

Interest Rates

The big news last Wednesday was the interest rate rise. The big news on Friday was the Reserve Bank’s admission that the tax cuts that came into effect on 1 July were a factor in the upward pressure on interest rates.

What didn’t make the new was that it was only the Greens Senators that had opposed those tax cuts – which were massively skewed in favour of the rich.

While Shadow Treasurer Wayne Swan was all over the media attacking the Government for causing the rate rise, it seems the fact that his party voted for the tax cuts – thereby helping rates rise - was lost.

Laurie Oakes at least had the sense to ask Kim Beazley if Labor, given the interest rate rise, still supported the tax cuts. A follow up question though, asking Beazley if he was hypocritical to support the tax cuts and criticise the Government over interest rates, was not forthcoming.

posted by Ben Oquist # 5:52 PM 0 comments

Uranium Debate

Check out this fascinating article from Chris Harries – well known Tasmanian and key Greens strategist and thinker down there for many a year.

He makes the point that while the price for uranium is rising and will continue to go up, its supply will eventually start to dwindle. We will then see all the same problems that peak oil is bringing us now - even the likelihood of uranium inspired wars.

Read it all on the Tasmanian Times site.

While you are there check another Chris essay - Who is Michael Kent? One of the best - and woefully underreported – analysis’ of Tasmanian political power I have seen.

Remeber you can read a full analysis of the nuclear debate on previous posts here and here.

Reading Chris’ stuff might make for a bit of balance to what I guess we are likely to read in The Australian newspaper since, as Crikey reported today, their new environment writer, Matthew Warren, is the ex-media officer for the NSW Minerals Council. Revolving doors in away because the chief Canberra political reporter for the SMH, Louise Dodson, is leaving to work for the Minerals Council of Australia.

posted by Ben Oquist # 4:50 PM 0 comments