Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

Jim Page forwarded this invitation from the Ryan Branch of the Australian Democrats to all interested voters:

Voting for the Future

The election is very close, and commentators predict this will be the most crucial election in many years.  Ryan Democrats warmly invite you to a social evening at Indooroopilly, with music and discussion.
The Australian Democrats have for the past 30 years been a singular voice of social conscience in the Australian parliament and in Australian society.  Unlike other parties, the Democrats are completely independent of vested interests. 

Date: Wednesday 21st November
Time: 5.30 for 6.00pm
Location: The Cambridge Room, The Pig and Whistle Hotel, Indooroopilly Shoppingtown (see underneath)
Refreshment: Drinks and Canapés
Music: Gerianne Rudd - Jazz and Blues Singer
Guests: Dr Jim Page and Senator Andrew Bartlett
Entry: By donation
 
Directions: the PigNWhistle Hotel is near the Food Court, at the southern end of the Indooroopilly Shoppingtown, This is close to the Bus Station at the Shoppingtown and there is ample free undercover parking nearby.
 
RSVP (for catering): by noon Tuesday 20 November
jdakins@gmail.com or 0404.191151

GetUp's latest:

Dear friends,

Two years ago, the Government introduced WorkChoices into Parliament. And we've got a special birthday surprise in store.

After this year's advertising avalanche of post-it notes telling you to 'know where you stand', we thought you might want to tell our politicians where you actually do stand. If we get 15,000 post-it notes signed by you within a week, we'll plaster Mr Hockey's North Sydney office - and others - with your stick-on yellow post-it messages.

www.getup.org.au/campaign/KnowWhereIStand

We've got less than a week before we plan to deliver your message directly to Mr Hockey and other key politicians who voted for these unfair and un-Australian laws, in a way that will have undecided voters sitting up an taking notice. And we're prepared to take it a step further:

- If we get 30,000 notes signed, we'll put massive "Know where I stand" posters at every single polling booth in North Sydney on election day.
- If we get 50,000 notes signed, we'll also park a mobile "Know where we stand" billboard outside Mr Hockey's prominent office all the way to the election.

Next Saturday November 10 is delivery day - the anniversary of WorkChoices' passage through the House. Not only are we going to paint Joe's house yellow post-it, organisers are standing by around the country to take your post-its to sitting members in a local electorate near you. Click here for your personalised post-it to be included:

www.getup.org.au/campaign/KnowWhereIStand

This is our opportunity to rise above the smear and scare-campaigns of the election to focus on the simple issue of whether we think these laws are good or bad for Australians. All parties need to hear that laws which scrap unfair dismissal, penalty rates, overtime and more are something Australians profoundly reject.

"Know where you stand"? We know where we stand - we stand for a fair Australia that protects our workers' rights. We stand for a country in which you don't have to barter for maternity leave or work the weekend to keep your job. So on WorkChoices' second anniversary, before this crucial election to decide the future of workplace laws in Australia, tell the decision-makers where you stand on workplace rights.


Happy birthday, Australia!
The GetUp team

PS - To read about and watch the stories of real people affected by the Howard Government's workplace laws, click here.

ABC report

Proof that the Libs are worried about Kerrie Tucker's challenge in the ACT: today Lib Senator Gary Humphries announced a $10 million Howard bribe to widen a local road. Keep 'em coming, John... 

When I was in High School I recall raising the possibility that I might run for the Student Representative Council. It was a joke: the accepted wisdom was that I was "strange" and possibly "on drugs" and didn't fit the mould of the usual candidate. Nevertheless some of the children from younger grades whom I had collected in a sort of Pied Piper fashion wrote my name down on the ballot. I didn't win but it was good to know I still had my supporters.

What business does a democracy have with "nominators"? Sounds like bureacracy designed to disenfranchise people. Take it to the High Court and use the Hanson trial as a precedent.

Margo,  your first letter to an editor?  I can still be surprised!

On advising people on camera: I had the  experience  getting farmers talking to the  cameras in the early to mid nineties.   The first interview was a disaster.  Every body’s anxiety rubbed off on everybody elses! The subsequent efforts were surprisingly good.

Now if you can get the Greens to commit to ‘every Green candidate who is elected undertakes to be driving which ever is the most efficient of the hybrid cars, or any equally fuel efficient vehicle, within six months of being elected’ you may have achieved something.

However you should note that the recently elected Green mayor of Randwick declined to use the hybrid used by the mayor before him, and had council buy him a V8, ‘as befits the status of the position!’

I guess the first requirement that we ought demand from aspiring politicians is that they can prove that they have evolved beyond the need to pander to an ego — of course it would be preferable for them to have no ego at all, but as Fiona finds it difficult to believe that that state is achievable I suppose that it is asking a bit much!

As for the election, provided that Australia wins — er, I mean that both Howard and the Coalition lose, and no party has control of the Senate -  then in my view it will be a good result.

 Margo: mine too.

Hi. Just back from watching the Senate candidates declared and the draw made for order on the ballot paper. The Electoral Commission officer handling the ritual was very cool - she wore green!. There's no independent candidates on the ticket - just eight parties. All but two, the Liberals and the 'Liberty and Democracy  Party, led by Ivan Milat's pro-guns relative Lisa Milat, are progressive.

The draw is done in a way similar to the lotto draw. There's a metal wire ball into which the officer put eight wooden balls marked 1 to 8. In the first draw, conducted by another officer wearing a blindfold, each party is matched with a number. In the second draw their spots on the ballot paer are allocated.The process is called 'double randomisation'.

The result was good for Kerrie - the ALP will be number 1, and its preferences will flow to Kerrie. So if there really is a donkey vote, it will suit Kerrie's chances. She's still long odds, but they've shortened a little during the campaign.  Today at least the karma was with Kerrie.

Thank you so much, all of you who quietly appreciate my humour and perhaps passion but I feel like a real dork.   I shall not be a candidate (see Claude’s post on another thread) because some of my nominators were deemed not to be valid by the Divisional Returning Officer - my own fault really but I just didn't have enough time to check and a few promises from people who probably would vote for me didn’t arrive in time. 

About the time I'm posting this, we should know who the candidates are.  I rather hope Mr Sheil made it and if he can satisfy me of his policies, I'll be supporting him.   At least I get the $500 back - and I've found the perfect way of laundering money - you do it through the Electoral Commission. 

So much for Peter Costello putting paid to the black economy.

I shall, however be remaining active in this election.    I don't like either choice and I think you should all be voting for independents.   While I appreciate that Margo is backing a Green, remember that they have done a preference swap with the Labor [sic] Party which means the pulp mill goes ahead. 

I must say, my sympathy lies with the Spooky Men: just vote all of the bastards out and PULP THE MILL  (I’m claiming copyright on that slogan).

I saw your letter, Margo - for some reason the CT seems to be suffering under the delusion that I have a subscription.  All the best with Senator to be Tucker's campaign.  Now to the serious point - noting your address I presume you will be voting at Macquarie Primary - I just thought I would let you know that it is compulsory to buy a cake; you can have one made to order from my own kitchen if you nominate a time.

I bitterly regret that I am not enrolled in the Wentworth electorate for if I was I would surely vote twice in support of Malcolm. His wit, good humour and sharkish intelligence make him exactly the candidate to represent the electors of Wentworth.