The Australian system of government is an odd one at times. Our country is effectively under English rule, and our ‘at home’ leader is the ‘Prime Minister’, so named for his role as the Queens’ ‘prime’ representative in Australia. One would assume that this means that the Queen has some say in the appointee to this role, yet, not only is this not so, the only recent interaction I can recall between an Australian Prime Minister and the Queen resulted in a (Brit...
In the Baxter Immingration Detention Centre in South Australia, detainees have been refusing food as a part of their action to gain asylum in Australia, and a prominent member of the Australian Democrats party has just joined them. Australian Democrats senator Andrew Bartlett is staging a hunger strike to support asylum seekers at the centre. Reports say up to 27 ‘detainees’ are involved in the fortnight-long hunger strike, with claims that some have even st...
I recently read an article that published excerpts from Robert F. Kennedy Jnr’s speech at the “Living a Fearless Life” conference held by the ‘Omega Institute’ in New York in April 2004. Entitled “Tearing Pages from The Bible”, the article focuses on Kennedy’s assertion that unregulated negative environmental impact eventually translates into economic catastrophe. Kennedy demonstrates the ramifications of having little or no environmental policy by cit...
Now, I'm not inferring that Australians themselves are dumb. (Seeing as I am one, that would be, well, dumb of me). Yet, despite my 'love of country', I am not unaware that Australian politics has a worldwide reputation for being a little, well, different. A quick search through the holders of Australias’ major political posts reveals why: John Howard Prime Minister (1996 - present) ...
Are you tired of politics as usual during this primary season? Want to take out your political frustrations in a harmless but humorous way? How would you like to shit on the face of a bureaucrat and not be charged with assault or sexual harassment? How would you like to flush these walking sound-bite machines right down the toilet? Now you can lay your democratic or republican nemesis to waste with just a few wipes . Available in either 'Bush' or 'Kerry' styles, th...
My neatly (or so I may think) combining my established love of gender issues with my fledgling political education has produced a interesting statistic that I cannot help but share. The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an annual meeting among CEO’s of the world's richest corporations, national political leaders (presidents, prime ministers, etc), selected intellectuals and ‘respected’ journalists. (Around 2000 people). Until 2001, the main WEF decision making boards, the Forum Board of Dir...
the question 'what sways your vote ?' was recently posed in a local (australian) newspaper article. amongst the garden-variety replies invariably motivated by the individuals personal circumstances (or, in some cases, prejudices), i noticed this response: (i would vote for a person who said) ... "my qualifications and abilities are not an issue, and i will put to vote any issue i have control in and follow the public consensus" at first glance, that statement seems reasonable enoug...
slightly off-centre of the city of sydney lies a bustling residential suburb named ‘ camperdown ’, which is also home to a large university and public park. somewhat ironically, it is here that elders of australias indigenous population have established a “tent embassy” as the base of a “sovereign government " planned to 'take over the ruling of australia'. sydney lord-mayor clover moore allowed the establishment of the "embassy", believing it's aim was to draw peaceful attention t...