Tuesday, November 20, 2007

…WorkChoices

In 2005, the Howard Government rammed through their ideologically extreme IR laws - completely out of touch with the average Australian, they fundamentally changed the face of our nation.

Suddenly, many people felt the impact of WorkChoices: sacked with no warning, placed on an AWA with less pay and no say, conditions like penalty rates slashed. 
The new IR laws did not immediately affect us all as individuals. But all of us had our rights diminished.

All our work together over the past two years has been leading up to this Saturday. We finally get a chance to tell all political parties, in no uncertain terms, that we will never accept an attack on our rights at work.
We can be proud of being part of such a great campaign. We’re a community of people from all different backgrounds. We come from all around Australia, we support different political parties, we range from students to workers to retirees. We’re all drawn together because we know that rights at work are worth fighting for.
All of us want to leave our kids with better rights at work than we inherited.
To get rid of WorkChoices, we have to vote out the Howard Government this Saturday.
After two years, Chapter One of this campaign will draw to a close on November 24. At polling booths all around the nation, we get to decide the ending.
 Below you can find some resources to help people make up their minds this Saturday.
Read some supporters’ last minute messages about how to use your important vote here
Get the Facts on both major parties’ IR policies here
Real people, real stories: info and videos about people affected by the IR laws here
Details about the Liberals’ plans to take WorkChoices further here.

Posted by Ms Fit in 13:52:09 | Permalink | No Comments »

Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary

Congratulations to the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary for it’s considerable success at the SA tourism awards recently, and induction into the Hall of Fame. What does it say about SA that the sanctuary could be winning these awards on the one hand, and having a Uranium mine it doesn’t want imposed on it by the state government on the other?

Please write to The Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Paul Holloway MLC, telling him that rather than an expansion of exploration you would like to see the crews removed from the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, and the area completely and permanently protected from mining. Please, if you write, attach a copy of your letter as a comment below the ‘please act for arkaroola - write away! article in the blog http://unknownsa.blogspot.com 
Correspondence can be addressed as below. As usual, I’m sure you are aware of the need to please be polite, and respectful in tone, and, also as usual, your letter doesn’t have to be long or brilliant, it just has to be on the Minister’s desk!.
Much other information about the area and the proposed mine, along with pictures of Mount Gee and the surrounding region, can be found on this blog (http://unknownsa.blogspot.com/). I also recommend the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary’s own site’s take on the issue: (http://www.arkaroola.com.au/mt_gee.php)
Hon. Paul Holloway, MLC
Postal Address: GPO Box 2832, ADELAIDE SA 5001
Office Number +61 8 8303 2500
Fax Number +61 8 8303 2597
Email  ministerholloway@saugov.sa.gov.au
Posted by Ms Fit in 13:13:54 | Permalink | No Comments »

Nuclear policies

Here’s a policy summary: Nuclear policies
One area where there is significant difference between the political parties contesting the November 24 election is nuclear policy. On the 18 Vote Nuclear Free criteria, some minor parties scored 18/18, including the Greens, Democrats and Socialist Alliance. The ALP scored 9/18 and the Liberal Party scored 0/18.
The Liberal Party supports uranium enrichment and nuclear power while the ALP, Democrats and Greens do not.
There is also considerable support within the Liberal Party for Australia to host an international nuclear waste repository. In June 2007, the Federal Council of the Liberal Party unanimously endorsed a resolution supporting an international nuclear dump in Australia, though senior government ministers later distanced themselves from the decision.
The policies on domestic nuclear waste management also differ. The Liberal Party is determined to press ahead with its plan to impose a national nuclear repository in the Northern Territory, notwithstanding NT legislation which seeks to ban the imposition of a repository. The ALP says it will not impose a nuclear repository in the NT or on other unwilling communities.
Liberal and Labor have almost identical policies on uranium mining. Both support an expansion of the industry including new mines, liquid waste dumping at in-situ leach uranium mines, uranium exports to countries with nuclear weapons and countries refusing to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The main difference is that the Liberal Party now supports uranium sales to India (which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while the ALP does not. Labor says it will improve safeguards but has not said how this would be accomplished.
Posted by Ms Fit in 13:11:41 | Permalink | No Comments »

Monday, November 19, 2007

… www.howshouldivote.com.au

The following link is to a questionnaire designed to help you assess which party’s policy’s are most aligned with your opinion on a range of issues.  For those of you who have already decided who will get your votes it might be useful for you less engaged friends or relatives…  www.howshouldivote.com.au
Posted by Ms Fit in 11:16:37 | Permalink | No Comments »

Sam McMillan and Louise Barry

When Sam McMillan and Louise Barry - two young Australian women who know the real cost of war - began their quest for answers, they were only two people. Then, GetUp members joined the call and suddenly we were 40,000 strong. Last week, Sam and Louise personally asked you to join them for this final push, and we grew to 60,000 in 48 hours. But still their calls to meet the Prime Minister remain unanswered - and the Foreign Minister last week merely brushed them off.

But the stakes are far too high to just give up. So Sam and Louise will travel back to Canberra this Thursday to make one final attempt to deliver our petition and get some answers. And to help them put peace back on the national agenda, we’re planning an online media blitz with a powerful new web ad to get the message out to hundreds of thousands of more Australians.

How far can we spread Sam and Louise’s message? That is up to you. Just $50 can show the ad directly to 3000 Australians, $100 will double it. Please click below to see the ad and give what you can:
www.getup.org.au/campaign/OurOwnPlanForIraq

We’ve seen throughout this election how effective the internet is in framing the national conversation - now we want to put Iraq right where it should be: on webpages viewed by voters and in the forefront of Australians’ minds on the eve of the election and before Sam and Louise take their message to Canberra. For good measure we’ve also booked a full page ad in the newspaper read by the very people who can really influence the PM - voters in his own electorate.
Not only could this be the last opportunity to hold the PM accountable for taking us to war on false pretenses and without parliamentary or popular approval, it is also an opportunity to tell Mr Rudd if elected that he has a mandate for peace. This is our opportunity to change the course of history for the better, propelled with Sam and Louise’s ambitious message. Donate now to take their urgent message directly to hundreds of thousands of Australians who can vote us out of this war on Saturday: www.getup.org.au/campaign/OurOwnPlanForIraq

Sam and Louise simply want the man responsible for dragging Australia into this conflict to hear from the Australian people and provide some answers about how he intends to end it. Mr. Howard can ignore two Australians. And he can try to ignore 40,000, or maybe even 60,000. But at some point, if we keep adding new voices, we become too many Australians for even Mr. Howard to ignore. And what happens then? Our voices are heard. We get some answers. And we take one giant step closer to restoring accountability and ending this war. Please give what you can:
www.getup.org.au/campaign/OurOwnPlanForIraq
PS - Want to see what happened last week when Sam and Louise tried to talk to the Foreign Minister? You’ll see why we need to go straight to the top. Click here to see the video.

Posted by Ms Fit in 11:01:12 | Permalink | No Comments »

Thursday, November 15, 2007

hear Adelaide Greens candidate Peter Solly

Adelaide Greens candidate Peter Solly will be speaking at a couple of upcoming events:
On Sunday 18th November there is a Adelaide election forum at the Broadview Uniting Church, Galway Ave Broadview.
It starts at 7pm, and is to give the voters of Adelaide a chance to quiz their candidates on any topic.
 
Also Peter will be speaking at an event organised by the North Adelaide Society, on 20th Nov 7.30pm at the North
Adelaide Community Centre. Full details aren’t available at this stage.
Posted by Ms Fit in 01:26:27 | Permalink | No Comments »

Friday, November 9, 2007

new nicholson cartoon

New animation. Howard is sorry about interest rate hike. Follow this link::
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/opinion/animations/0,25199,22,00.html
Posted by Ms Fit in 00:40:23 | Permalink | No Comments »

Bob Brown ‘Free to Air’

At election time, the leader of each major political party is given the opportunity to make a public statement on ABC and SBS  - this is called a ‘Free to Air’. There are two versions of the Greens’ Free to Air - one 3 minute presentation by Bob Brown, and a 10 minute one.

Below is the full schedule of Bob’s statements for SBS and the ABC. 

Both the Coalition and the ALP have a huge advertising budget compared to the Greens, so this is a great opportunity to hear what Bob has to say.

Please pass this on to your networks so as many people as possible have the chance to hear Bob talk about the Greens!

Monday, 12 November             SBS (3 mins)            9:25pm

Tuesday, 13 November            ABC TV                  8:30pm

Wednesday, 14 November  ABC radio               8:05pm

Thursday, 15 November           ABC TV                  6:50pm

Tuesday, 20 November            SBS (10 mins)           9:15pm     Happy viewing!
Australian Greens (SA) 239 Wright Street, Adelaide SA 5000   ph: 08 8212 4888
 media@sa.greens.org.au    www.sarah4thesenate.com

Posted by Ms Fit in 00:33:52 | Permalink | No Comments »

Think B4U Print

Think B4U Print
1 ream of paper = 6% of a tree and 5.4kg CO2 in the atmosphere
3 sheets of A4 paper = 1 litre of water

Posted by Ms Fit in 00:31:02 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

politics in the pub - at adel uni thurs 8 nov @5.30pm

530 pm this Thurs 8th Nov at Adelaide Uni

Chaired by Senator Natasha Stott Despoja

Speakers include:
Nick Xenophon Independent candidate for the Senate
Sarah Hanson-Young  Greens candidate for the Senate
Amanda Rishworth ALP candidate for Kingston
Ruth Russell Democrats candidate for the Senate

Come along and discuss the future of your sector with some fresh new faces!
 

University of Adelaide Club, Hughes Plaza, University of Adelaide
Light refreshments provided.
We look forward to seeing you there.

Posted by Ms Fit in 07:05:02 | Permalink | No Comments »