Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

There's been a big effort by the Member for Bennelong and his boys to beat up this Brian Burke business into a bigger deal this past week. We'll see if it will all blow over in a news cycle, but beyond all the bluster about anyone and everyone who's been within a bull's roar of this bloke, there is a much bigger issue.

As long as it continues to hold and abuse prisoners without giving them a fair trial, America’s professed ideals will continue to sound to the rest of the world like the deepest hypocrisy.

I reckon what Brown's tried to do is put a cat among the pigeons. He's trying to put a bomb under the unspoken underlying issues here, the collective delusion that's seeing us destroy the planet's capacity to sustain us as a species. No one mainstream is game. Brown has thrown up a real radical one, in the hope that we might finally get to some of those issues.

"Because of my angle of vision, I see the flag as symbolising the war on Iraq, the war on refugees and Howard's war on the rule of law, once fundamental to our British Heritage, and on human rights for all Australians. But that's just me. I don't have a problem with other people wearing the flag. I do have a problem with the attitude that because it's not my thing, there's something unAustralian about me. Like the message some wore on the Big Day Out, 'Support or fuck off'. And I do have a problem with groups being told to fly the flag or else." Margo Kingston

"It seems to me that the role played by Australian MP's and Senators, in government particularly, is almost the opposite of what is needed." Ross Chippendale

Malcolm's rewrite of CS Lewis moves on to a new adventure for Johnnie, Peter, Alexander, and Amanda ...

"We set out the basics of the Firepower story for those who want to play catch up and try to make some sense out of the machinations of the men with the magic mystery pill." Craig Rowley and Richard Tonkin.

A pre-Christmas finale to this long-running saga ...

"Compassion is not a dirty word. Compassion is not a sign of weakness. In my view, compassion in politics and in public policy is in fact a hallmark of great strength. It is a hallmark of a society which has about it a decency which speaks for itself.": Kevin Rudd

"It is now possible that the outcome of Scott Parkin's Federal Court case will become a Federal election issue. Spook-squad ASIO have been granted leave to appeal the verdict. Should their appeal fail the Howard Government's only option will be to censor the issue on grounds of national security. Given the timespans involved this would probably occur just before the next Australian elections.": Richard Tonkin

"The amoral practices of AWB in effect armed the enemy as the price of doing business in Iraq. This cost came out of funds set aside for humanitarian needs; and added to the humiliation of the Iraqi people. They will not find justice unless someone lifts the lid on the full, wider extent of the AWB web of deceit. Senior officials should not be allowed to hide behind the paper-thin walls of Cole’s terms of reference.": Stephen Smith

"Nick the Knife who was the Minister for Administrative Affairs and his sidekick, Andrews the Sleek, were still puzzled by the reaction of the working party they had tried to form to design and implement an immediate move to AWA’s throughout the public service which would reduce all salaries and entitlements by two thirds. The public servants said it couldn’t be done and the White Paper (which had been produced in record time – a true tribute to the efficiency, skill, and dedication of the public service) ran to 3,000 pages. Apparently, it hadn’t occurred to the Ministers that asking a group of people to design a system which reduced their take-home pay and accrued entitlements by 66.6% might not be a task they would embrace with enthusiasm." From Chapter XI of the Chronicles of Nadir, as told from the grave by Tom Lewis.

"Last weekend, thousands of people indulged in one of our Prime Minister's favourite pastimes – walking – in response to an issue that still has our glorious leader ducking and weaving – global climate meltdown. ... Whereas 'the mob', as Howard would undoubtedly call us, clearly have an appetite for immediate action, the pollies have made it clear that, when it comes to the tough calls, they don't plan to budge for the next few decades.": Justin Tutty

"To mark this moment of triumph over tyranny, I've set the Story of Scott Parkin's Federal Court win to verse.  Click along on the links as you sing.  I picked this particular tune as it's the Australian song that the Texans know best.": Richard Tonkin

"Financial donations to political parties and candidates are potentially one of the most corrupting forces in our political system. The Local Government and Shires Association calls upon the Federal Government to convene a National Summit to develop a national strategy to fundamentally reform, in a coordinated manner, all the financial donations legislation for all 3 levels of Australian government; ie: federal, all state governments and all local councils."

"Our reputation as a successful multicultural society is now threatened. ... The new security laws diminish the rights of all Australians. I do not know of any other democracy that has legislated for the secret detention of people the authorities know to be innocent.": Malcolm Fraser
Text updated to transcript of speech as delivered

"They’d sent out about 3,000 black spots in the last week and Blind Pugh had worn his white cane down to the size of a pencil stub. It was looking increasingly like they had found a bloke who knew a chap who had a friend who had had a conversation once with someone who actually knew what was going on. There was a real and present danger that the truth would out." From Chapter X of the Chronicles of Nadir, as told from the grave by Tom Lewis.

"Mr Board’s crucial role, however, was to ensure that no-one was ever told about the scheme or knew anything about it. He was vastly experienced in these things having already been sent on trade missions about which he knew nothing to places as far afield as Mesopotamia and Persia. Little Johnnie thought it was a pity that we didn’t have Imperial Honours anymore because Mr Board definitely deserved a knighthood for this one. The Treasury Secretary said it would be sufficient reward to put him on the Board of the ABC and make him a Governor of the Reserve Bank. Mr Board liked that idea very much as he hadn’t been sacked as a CEO for a long time and could do with the cash. " From Chapter IX of the Chronicles of Nadir, as told from the grave by Tom Lewis.

Senate Team Report for the sitting week beginning Monday 11 September 2006. Thanks to the Australian Democrat Senators.

"Every now and then I get these bulletins from the Democrats. Although they are quite clearly partisan, it also seems to me that they are an efficient summary of what is happening in the Senate, and might partially fulfil the original Federal 'Webdiary' function of Webdiary. So I'm publishing this one, which concerns the Bills and speeches expected this week. If people feed back that they think this is a good idea I'll make a habit of publishing these bulletins for us to discuss." Hamish Alcorn

"Currently good telecommunications policy would be about things such as: maintaining and intensifying competition where possible; extending and improving the range of services available as quickly as possible and; balancing the demands of international competitiveness with concerns of equity and level playing fields within Australia. It once would also have been about projecting Australia as an international frontrunner in this new and booming industry; however that prospect died with the competition and privatisation policies Howard introduced." Tony Phillips

"The migration bill before Parliament presents us with a litmus test; it gauges our commitment to what we discuss here as the human rights of ‘the other’ that is inseparable from the rights of the child." Stephen Smith
[UPDATE: The withdrawal of the bill doesn't reduce the importance of Stephen's arguments of principle ...]

"2006 brings us the political commentary that we deserve – The longest decade by George Megalogenis. It must be read by anyone who wants to be literate in contemporary politics, not, I suppose, because it brings anything new to the table but because these little excursions in to the recent past are necessary once in a while to quell our appetite for politics as entertainment." Solomon Wakeling

"The Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill is the most profoundly disturbing piece of legislation I have encountered since becoming a member of parliament.": Petro Georgiou
"Mr Speaker this legislation ... is not a matter between conscience and patriotism. For surely each one is worthless without the other and ethical principles should inform them both.": Judy Moylan

"The debates I heard yesterday around Telstra’s decision not to spend $4 billion providing fibre to the node infrastructure see-sawed around Telstra as the big baddie with big prices on the one hand versus Telstra as home to Mum and Dad shareholders on the other. Shareholders who shouldn’t be forced, through imposed price regulation, to donate their capital to the profits of the overseas multinationals that are Telstra’s competitors. On the whole I find myself more or less in agreement with the Telstra position.": Tony Phillips

"The banner reading Mission Accomplished across the top of the Halliburton Watch site might almost be enough to help Scott forgive the Australian Government's aggressive stance in protecting the company that the Pentagon has now rejected. His case, however, is expected to resume in the Federal Court within several weeks." Richard Tonkin

This is Alexander Downer's speech last night to the Centre for Independent Studies. Worth a debate?

The MetaCapitalism Research Programme within the University of Wollongong is hosting Professor Ian Angell from the LSE to speak on his experience in the UK National ID Cards debate at a lecture, titled "Can Technology Manage Identity?", on the 17th of July in Wollongong, at 7pm, repeated in Sydney on the 18th at 12 noon.