Wednesday 11th March 1998

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First honest thing he has said this year!

Economic Rationalism - "The Myth of Free Trade"
by Graham Strachan

Extract from this week's article:

"Progressively the Third World sank further into debt. Then the international debt collectors in the form of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) moved in, imposing economic rationalism in the form of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs). SAPs involved reduced government spending and services; lower taxes on high income earners (the local elites); privatisation of state-owned industries; increasing agricultural exports; lower tariffs on imports [see D. Smith in The New Internationalist August 1993, p.12]. If the country was not prepared to implement these measures, IMF assistance was to be withheld [observe Indonesia at the moment].

"Cutbacks in government spending invariably meant reductions in medical and educational services. Cash crop production was stepped up at the expense of food production. People began dying from starvation and lack of medicine while economic rationalism was concentrating on producing record export earnings with corresponding profits for foreign investors."

The power of the moneyed polarises the manner in which democracy is being abused. On the one hand we have international treaties like the MAI which are aimed at legalising the rape and pillage of a country's resources by foreigners while on the other we have the autocratic countries like Indonesia.... (see article below)

Under the circumstances it would appear that there is more democracy being exercised by Suharto and Indonesia in their rejection of the IMF because at least, no matter how transparently thin, it is the people who live in that land who are dictating their future - not a bunch of overpaid foreign accountants/bureaucrats working for the super rich and well-placed lobbyists.

The Canberra Column - "Eyesore"
by Peter Mackay

Extract from this week's article:

Canberra, as I've often stated, is an amazing place. I think it was Senator John Button who called it a lawn cemetery, and certainly Canberra is neat and tidy enough to be compared to one. Litter is rare, parks plentiful, the whole city is organised to a degree not found elsewhere, and council ordinances enforced by an army of bureaucrats.....

"And smack in front of Old Parliament House is the eyesore of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. I counted fourteen tents and half a dozen humpies, but the main structures are two temporary steel buildings resembling nothing so much as rusty, graffiti-covered shipping containers."

Small Aboriginal clan claims Brisbane under native title.

A group of Aborigines numbering less than 50 in total will put in a native title claim over the entire Brisbane region next week. The claim effects all Crown land including river banks, parks and public areas. The claimants, led by a woman Maroochy Barambah, are descendants of the Turrbal Clan.

Now let us remember that native title is based on tribal law - as per the Mabo ruling... tribal law excludes women from having rights in native title, but as I have said before, let us not let this get in the way of the politically correct in our community.

Queensland state premier Rob Borbidge yesterday attacked the proposed claim saying, "We have 50.8% of the state under claims. We're getting one claim a day and I think people have had enough."

Ms Barambah said that the clan were not after people's backyards, saying, "The whole purpose of it is to build a mental awareness of the Turrbal culture in Brisbane which has been neglected for the past 100 years.

"I wouldn't think that there were too many blocks claimable. We are not interested in the showgrounds or Newstead house."

Now the great ambassador for native title, one poody-tat Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley has suddenly come out with all guns blazing.... saying that the claim was ridiculous and would never be accepted through the courts.

City Council's in Canada reject the MAI

On Monday March 9th, the Windsor (Ontario) City Council passed an MAI resolution developed from the one passed by the Kitchener City Council last week. This trend is starting to take on a life of its own with the lower levels of government taking up the concerns of the population - forgotten by the state and federal politicians - unfortunately here in Australia the councils haven't take up on the issue as yet... I have a strong feeling however that One Nation councillors around the country might start changing this imbalance in response to MAI.

Here is the resolution on the MAI that was passed at the City Council on Monday night:

"WHEREAS the Federal Government is in the process of negotiating the Multilateral Agreement on Investments with the 29 wealthiest countries in the world with the intention of having a signed agreement by September 1998; and,

WHEREAS concerns about the agreement have already been raised by 565 organisations, with representatives in 70 countries around the world; and,

WHEREAS the citizens of the City of Kitchener have had little access to information and informed debate on the Multilateral Agreement on Investments, from the federal government, and the mainstream media on its implications locally, provincially, federally and globally;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Corporation of the City of Kitchener urge the Government of Canada to suspend negotiations on the Multilateral Agreement on Investments until it has consulted more widely and in depth with the people of Canada, especially and including, the soliciting of detailed responses from municipal councils and their citizens; and further,

That the appropriate City staff be directed to discuss this issue with the local M.P.'s and to prepare a report on the implications of this Agreement on municipal government; and further,

That a copy of this resolution be sent to local M.P.'s, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and Ontario Cities having a population greater than 50,000.

Indonesian Assembly Grants Leader New Powers Amid Unrest

Extract from Washington Post:

"JAKARTA, Indonesia, March 10 (Tuesday)—Indonesia's legislature appointed President Suharto, Asia's longest serving leader, to a seventh five-year term today after granting him sweeping new powers in the midst of the country's worst economic and political crisis in three decades. Suharto was elected by the largely appointed 1,000-member People's Consultative Assembly.

"The text of the "special powers" decree enacted by the assembly on Monday has not been made public, but political analysts say it likely draws on a similar measure, stemming from the upheavals of the 1960s, that was shelved a few years ago. Indonesia, the world's fourth-most-populous country, with 200 million people, is suffering its worst turmoil since that turbulent period, and there have been mounting calls for Suharto to step aside."

Political:

Labor Party starting to cave in over the double dissolution

The Labor party yesterday decided to withdraw one of four triggers of a double dissolution currently hanging over the government.

Deputy Opposition leader Gareth Evans said yesterday that his party would support the Charter of Budget Honesty Bill which has been knocked back once in the Senate.

Strange that the Liberal Party should be passing this legislation after the manner in which they hide funding from multinationals through the money being provided by way of a "loan" not a donation.

Oxley ALP pre-selection candidate accused of disloyalty:

Labor Party pre-selection candidate Anne Scott has been accused of disloyalty by Goodna Labor Party branch president Victor Atwood following her comments on Channel 7 television earlier this week. Mrs Scott also went public with her views in an article that appeared in the Queensland Times.

Mr Atwood would give no details over the matter but said that Ipswich City Councillor Paul Tully had agreed to represent him at any hearing over the matter.

If Mrs Scott is found to be disloyal she could be expelled from the party. Yesterday Mrs Scott said that she was aware of the complaint saying, "I'll be dealing with this through the proper channels."

On Monday this week a letter I wrote in response to Mrs Scott's comments was published in the Queensland Times.

Here is the letter:

The Editor
Queensland Times

Dear Sir,

Well, well how the worm turns.

It was only a few months ago that Mrs Anne Scott, the ALP’s on-again, off-again pre-selection candidate for Oxley was having a go in your paper about ‘disarray in One Nation ranks’.

Obviously this little political smear has backfired badly over the past few days with Mrs Scott now being the loose cannon as far as the ALP are concerned. The irony in this situation is probably lost to Mrs Scott but I could have told her in January that the knives were out. A prominent local Liberal member told me that Wayne MacDonald would be standing for pre-selection (which he did) to force the final choice through Labor’s electoral college. The word is that Australian Workers Union man Bernie Ripoli will be given the nod.

The lesson that should be learnt here by Mrs Scott and all prospective ALP voters is that candidates are not chosen on the basis of what might be right for the community but on the basis of bowing to hierarchal decisions and policy. (ie The statements about working for their local electorate is nothing more than hot air).

Finally it intrigues me that Mrs Scott is quoted as saying that as far back as August last year an ALP front bencher had said that they would muck-rake to ensure she was not selected.

Why has it taken Mrs Scott so long to come out with all guns blazing? Was she the last to know that Ripoli has already been (secretly) selected?

Scott Balson, Karana Downs

Business:

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Another perfect day in paradise.

Have a good one.

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