Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

Recently, Andrew Hewett, Executive Director of Oxfam Australia was asked to address a joint meeting of the Uniting Church and Rotary on the business ethics of climate change in, of all places, the La Trobe Valley. This is what he said.

I felt a very complicated ethical dilemma when photographing a young deaf Hijabi ... .  I felt that in a way there was something a little exploitative about it, to use a person's religious obligations to make a particular visual statement. Muslims don't wear Islamic dress to represent "multiculturalism" or any other agenda, rather, they do it because it is an expectation of their religion.

A space for you to get your (and my) reactions down as it happens and as they occur to you.

The latest update from the Democratic Audit program at ANU on how our democracy is working.

Housing affordability is at a record low in Australia for purchasers and renters. Webdiarist Evan Hadkins has some suggestions to make from the perspective of renters. This has the potential to be a hot-button issue for the looming Federal election.

Evan Hadkins reviews On Holidays: A History of Getting Away in Australia by Richard White. Evan suggests that not only is it a well-written work, "academic in the best sense", but also, "in its own sneaky way ... very political ... giv[ing] a bit of ballast to our perceptions of the current debates around IR."

"This election will focus on the showdown between John Howard and Kevin Rudd. But there is another battle looming – the contest for the balance of power in the Senate between Family First and the Greens." Family First Senator Steve Fielding

'I acknowledge that my own journey in arriving at this point has not been without sidetracks and dry gullies.  There have been low points when dialogue between me as Prime Minister and many Indigenous leaders dwindled almost to the point of non-existence.  I fully accept my share of the blame for that. On the night of the 1998 election I publicly committed myself to endeavouring to achieve Reconciliation by the year 2001.  In the end, that did not happen.' John Winston 'whatever it takes' Howard

Michael Kirby explores the interface of consensus and dissent in contemporary Australia In politics, securing consensus is often now essential because of the comparative decline in electoral support for the major political parties.

Hello. Here is the Australian Law Council's statement yesterday on the death penalty debate. The recent history of this issue is very interesting, as is its prominence now. I'll try to write something later. 

Margo Kingston and John Valder launch Still Not Happy John
Monday 8 October, 5:30pm, Manning Clarke House,
11 Tasmania Circuit, Forest. Be there!

"(The Australian Electoral Commission's) long-standing reluctance to seek judicial clarification of the law and its application was demonstrated in this Kirribilli House matter, when there was - at a minimum - conflicting legal opinion deserving of resolution by a court, and no judicial precedent to guide.    Until such court precedents are established – or at least a body of public legal opinion available – the funding and disclosure rules under the Act will remain open to more, rather than less, politicised debate." Graeme Orr  

Endnotes from the first edition

"I don’t feel like fluff anymore, I’ve become an activist again.  Joined a group.  Organise public events to really debate the issues.  I speak about the government's lies at every opportunity I get.  I even went to the APEC protests with a group of very respectable women.  I still throw my slippers and I speak out and I vote! We’ll vote the liar out." Christa Schwoebel

The latest update from the Democratic Audit program at ANU on how our democracy is working.

Temporary material prosperity is in danger of distracting us from the real and urgent challenge of putting our economy and environment on a secure, sustainable footing. It is time for a profound change in the way public policy is generated in Australia. We need to move from top-down, short-term ad-hoc ‘reforms’ to long-term, systemic renewal based on consistent principles, widespread citizen participation and a realistic understanding of how we live now. (Centre for Policy Development)

The Matildas are not just good. They are clearly special. As players and personalities, and as a team, they have that bit of magic which compels one to believe in them. They are the most brilliant role-models for our young girls, and perfect icons for Australian patriotism and pride.

Hello. Family First is on the ball, and today leads the pack on new policies to ease the costs of bearing and raising children. If only FF would come to its senses and preference other minor parties before either of the majors, there would exciting times ahead in the Senate election. It's a no brainer, in my opinion - getting another minor over the line if their candidate doesn't get up in a State means minor parties - including Family First's Senator Steve Fielding, who is not up for re-election this time, is dealt into play. through jointly holding the balance of power.

The APEC thuggery results from a Labor and Liberal conspiracy to destroy our civil liberties and give police untrammelled power to serve political ends. I've been warning of this on Webdiary for many years. We saw with Haneef that now, police and/or government lawyers are prepared to lie under oath to the Courts to get their way. And the NSW Labor Government's disgrace started long before Iemma.Have a look at the start of the rot, under Bob Carr, in 2002, when Howard was revving up his 'terror' laws.

On August 3, Penguin's publisher Bob Sessions rang me with a shock request - could I update Not Happy, John! in three weeks? Huh? I said I could if my old Webdiary friend and collaborator Jack Robertson  agreed to come on board. He did, and the book goes to the printer this week. So, it's hardly in my personal interest for Howard to resign before the election. The book is a critique of his government, sure, but John Howard is the symbol of that government. And then there's the title! My guess is that he'll stay on. What's yours?

Later I saw another old lady asking police if she could go to David Jones.  They told her it would be always there and it would be best if she went home. Kindly old ladies being discouraged from David Jones?  That's not the Australia I grew up in!  I saw the reassuring sign that "it costs no more to shop at David Jones" but security guards blocked me from leaving via the Elizabeth Street doors.  How bizarre.

Then it got really ugly. The police moved into the centre of the intersection and formed an outward moving circle, forcing the protesters to the curb.  I ended up trapped amidst protesters and media, shepherded into a corner with armed and mostly unidentifiable police (many police on the day had no ID badges, and I have footage).  Nowhere to move to, and cops in riot gear moving in behind them, and the chopper overhead, I was beginning to get scared.

7 August 2005 Margo update:  Janet Albrechtsen has joined Bolt -  see 'Pass baton to Costello'. Last weekend's Newspoll was a shocker for the government, and speculation is rife that next week Howard will either call an election or stand down. The Chaser proved that the emperor has no clothes - eerily reminiscent of the Bush visit to Canberra in 2003, when security waved what looked like a camera in without a security check and the AFP dressed civilians up to look like cops. Howard is about appearances, not reality.

The latest update from the Democratic Audit program at ANU on how our democracy is working, including 'Be honest, Minister!' Restoring faith in government in Australia

'In a landmark decision, handed down on 30 August 2007, the High Court has upheld the fundamental human right to vote, finding that the Howard Government had acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally in imposing a blanket ban denying prisoners the vote.' 

Hello, and welcome to Spring! I'm finishing off my project this weekend before getting back to Webdiary, but just couldn't resist posting this transcript - an interview between Charles Wooley and the PM on the pulp mill. How tricky is this for our tricky PM?

Susan Kiefel's appointment as a High Court judge is great for Australia, and one decision of Ruddock I not only applaud, but do so with gusto. Maybe after all his terrible deeds over the last decade he wants to leave something special in place as his career nears its end. I'm reminded of Paul Keating's appointment of Michael Kirby to the High Court just before he lost office. I met Justice Kiefel in the early 1980's in Brisbane, when she was a junior barrister and I was an articled clerk briefing her on a case. She told me then that Tony Fitzgerald had personally mentored her when she worked as a secretary in his chambers, convincing her that she talented enough to finish year 12 and take the bar exam.

“Some of the plan’s elements have been drastically moderated since first announced and that has principally been due to the force of public criticism levelled at them. Much of that criticism has been constructive and has helped save the Government from its own rhetoric. But the Government still appears to see any critic as an enemy that needs to be demonised and Parliament as a rubber stamp. The arrogance of the Government is palpable”: Law Council President Tim Bugg

Following Levin’s story is like listening to a brilliant but eccentric genius talk to themselves. You have to pay attention, as she mixes insights with throwaway one-liners in equal measure. This is a serious book that often asks you not to take it too seriously.

"Never has there been a more prescient time for Australia, as one of the world’s most stable democracies, to protect and secure its future by redoubling its commitment to the traditions, values and institutions that have made this nation what it is today. These civic values are fundamental to the successful existence of a liberal democracy and we should never forget that they are principles to be cherished and protected." Kevin Andrews!