International:

Last week we referred to the multilateral agreement on investment (MAI) and its impact on Australia' sovereignty as a nation.

Today we are pleased to be able to provide you with an incisive but disturbing look behind the MAI scene.

To say what you will find is disturbing is an underestimate. To say that the Labor and Coalition parties have been truthful with the Australian public on MAI is a lie. To say that the native title debate really amounts to anything is to be deceived. To say that the Republican issue is a fight for Australian "autonomy" is a joke.

These are, however, perceptions that Packer and Murdoch, the internationalists, would have you believe. There has been a complete media blackout until now on MAI. When you see the transcript of the ABC report just a week ago you realise just how corrupt and undemocratic the "Four pillars of Australia's Trojan Horse" are.

Here are some extracts from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) Background Report by presented by Kylie Morris:

"Sadly there’s no catch title for this trade deal. It’s called the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, or MAI. But what it promises holds more drama. It aims to grant multinational corporations unprecedented powers over governments. And it’s not getting many good reviews....

"In effect, the MAI is a bill of rights for international giants like Shell, Lockheed, Du Pont, and Arthur Andersen. It prevents governments asking more of those multinationals than they ask of their own domestic companies. And any laws that discriminate in favour of locals, such as Australian media ownership laws, don’t fit....

"Of the hundred largest economic players in the world today fifty one are multinational companies, forty nine are nations....

"Peter Costello’s office is representing us in Paris....

"Reader: A game of football (MAI comparison), where the developing countries’ team are dwarfs, and the developed countries are giants; the pitch is sloping uphill against the south, whose goal is twice as big and the Third World players have no boots....

"So this means Australia doesn’t favour any clause that would protect labour and environmental standards. The government line is the MAI is the wrong place for that....

"The (Maori) treaty (of Waitangi) is a living document, and therefore there must be development of policy both nationally and locally, that gives force to those. The MAI investment agreement would supersede those arrangements....

"ANU’s Sharif Seid says the MAI could threaten Australian Native Title.
SS: "A foreign investor can challenge the government on the basis that Australian government has given a more favourable treatment to the Aborigines than the foreign investor. But here countries are allowed now to make reservations where certain provisions of the MAI would not apply. So I expect the Australian Government to make some reservations on this area, land titles and Aboriginal rights. But again, these reservations are temporary because every country is required 1) to make no new restrictions on foreign investment; 2) to roll back, to withdraw, current restrictions through time. So even if certain reservations would be made now, after a certain period of time they should arise again, that is Australia will be required to withdraw that reservation and then this land title legislation will face extinction."

These are just some extracts.

Make your own assumptions about these rats we call Labor and Coalition politicians... they know, they know.

The Washington Post carries an interesting article this week headed "White Australia' in Identity Crisis Many Fear Asian Immigrants Are Taking Away Jobs, Culture".

Here is an extract:

"Last year, almost 100,000 newcomers settled here, more than half of them from Asian countries and Pacific islands. Sydney has an ever-growing Chinatown, and outside the United States, Australia has the world's largest community of overseas Vietnamese, about 200,000 people."

Political:

The Senate threw out the Prime Minister's ten point plan on native title. The Coalition have now said that the Bill will be put to the Senate again. This means that if it is rejected a second time we will have a double-dissolution and go to polls for a Federal Election in about April next year.

First hand report from Peter Mackay on the extraordinary weekend meeting of Federal Parliament on Saturday 6th December 1997:

There was a line outside the great bronze doors of Parliament House at nine on this Saturday morning in Canberra. Not just tourists -- as soon as the doors opened, we surged through the security checks, across the lobby, up the stairs, over the bridge and into the Representatives gallery.

A Saturday sitting is rare indeed, and this was only the second in sixty years. We filed in and sat quietly, in contrast to the tumult beneath. It was a day for emotion, shouting and point scoring, as the Government's amended Wik response came back from the Senate.

As the Prime Minister pointed out, it had been emasculated, with several key points rejected. Claims may continue to be based on "spiritual" rather than physical connections, and what is more, may be made with no time restriction. You'd think that if Aboriginal Australians had a connection to the land (and it is hard to find that a "spiritual" connection outweighs that of several generations of farmers), then they would be able to state with some certainty that this connection existed. Six days would be a reasonable sunset clause, let alone six years. Yet the Opposition ruled out even this generous period, leaving the way open for claims to be made for ever and ever.

Claims over freehold land were not ruled out either. Both sides say that freehold is not subject to claim, but the facts are that claims have been lodged over freehold land, and it would make sense to rule this out entirely.

Some properties, it emerged during debate, have been the subject of four native title claims from competing aboriginal groups, each claiming a deep and continuing connection to the land since time immemorial. Each claim attracts government funding, but the poor old farmers, flat strap after years of drought, have to pay for their own defence.

Lois O'Donoghue, former ATSIC head, slipped in a few seats down. She was wearing a large black dress and the three red, yellow and black ribbons worn by many Opposition members. She made a stark contrast to the elegance of Pauline Hanson sitting beneath her in the chamber.

The speeches back and forth went on. Finally Pauline's fellow Independent, Peter Andren got his ten minutes, almost cut to five by the Speaker, and Pauline rose to speak when he finished. The whole House waited to hear what she had to say, but the Speaker ignored her and put the question to a division. "Shame" said Lois, as Pauline sat down, her speech unread, and the House divided along party lines.

The amended Bill was set aside, doubtless to be resubmitted in three months time to provide the trigger for a double dissolution election in the second half of 1998, an election on an issue tailor made for One Nation, and one in which the Senate threshold is lowered.

After that election, Pauline will be back as the leader of a party with greater Parliamentary representation than the Democrats. Her voice and those of her fellow Australians will be heard.

The House was adjourned, we filed out, and as I drove away I found a continuous stream of white government cars shuttling our representatives to the airport for a three month holiday.

You Say:

Subject: Comments on Australian News of the Day

In reply to sam rystrom, what do you mean if the US doesn't (didn't????) stop WW 2 our "Island" would be the property of the Germans, I'm sorry to correct your history teacher by telling you the Japanese invaded the pacific region and the Germans stayed in Europe. But then again you yanks probably think the Japs and the Germans would have battled it out with an arm wrestle. As I once heard when I was younger, if WW 2 hadn't have happened Hollywood would have invented it. No wonder they call you lot septic tanks (yanks) as you are all full of SHIT.

Steve

Subject: Sam Rystrom's billet doux

Editor,

Now you know why my Dad frequently said, "Wherever you go, you will always find more horse's asses than horses."

Keep your powder dry,
john hamilton, USA

Subject: Church bullies.

Hi,

Hmm..... so a Jesuit priest by the name of Father Brennan is the "voice of moderation" in the Wik debate. Well that's what journalist Wayne Smith of the Courier-Mail ( 6/12/97 ) would have us believe anyway.

As there are different sides to this non-debate, I would have thought a "voice of moderation" would not have been so one sided as Father Brennan is. Somehow being biased, especially towards the side which resorts to slandering those it opposes and to threatening the Australian community, seems very immoderate.

It's very interesting that these outspoken church leaders have been as quiet as the proverbial church mouse about the many very important moral issues that were being challenged by the politically correct and extremist groups, etc over recent years. Perhaps they were too fearful of a backlash from those who manipulate public opinion--the media.

However, as with previous so called "debates", the media is presenting the arguments for one side much more heavily than the other, and suddenly we have these weak church leaders speaking out. Maybe these church bullies see this issue as an opportunity to get some positive media coverage to make up for the bad coverage the media has given them over the years. Or perhaps they really have fallen for the deceptive portrayal by the bigoted native title protagonists that they are morally right and that the pastoralists and other Australians are evil racist scum and cockroaches.

If these church bullies bothered to read the bible they might realize that they have been neglecting their real calling, that of preaching the gospel of salvation. No wonder their church numbers have been in decline and I'm sure will be reducing even further now that some of their leaders have supported the slanderous labelling of Australians as "racists" if they expect equality for all.

"You reap what you sow".

Thanks,

Peter.

Father Brennan has played a major role in influencing the direction of Independent Senator Brian Harradine over the Wik issue. The Senate has rejected Wik with Harradine's deciding vote now laying the ground for a double dissolution. 

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Another beautiful day in paradise.

Have a good one.

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