Monthly Archives: September 2010

By Humphrey McQueen

Paddy Malone learnt to struggle during the war for Irish independence. In 1917, his father sent the thirteen-year old to work on a farm in his native county of Tyrone. Immigrating to Melbourne in 1927, he laboured for the State Rivers Commission where the AWU enriched his education. Out of a job by 1929, he tramped the countryside, making his way to Cairns. The cane-cutters and small growers there were at the mercy of the monopoly Colonial Sugar Refinery, with its allies in the AWU and the State Labor government.

Malone drifted back to Melbourne in 1934 to find work on a building site, and married in 1938. He linked up with BLF militants, though his name was not prominent. From the start, he was a quiet achiever, his manner matching his lilt. He topped the ballot for the committee to investigate the branch in July 1939, and came onto the executive later that year after the defeat of the old gang. However, he lost a ballot early in 1940. Next April, he attended his first ACTU Congress. From there, his rise was rapid. After a branch meeting chose him as acting organiser, he learnt to ride a motor cycle. He became State secretary early in 1941, about the time he joined the then illegal Communist Party.

Shortly afterwards, he pointed out that his Italian members ‘were in some instances better unionists than Britishers’. After the war, union policy was a blanket objection to immigrants as labourers, ‘irrespective of what he might think himself’. Again, his Communism kept him apart from ethnic prejudices against the Displaced Persons (‘Balts’). However, he had to convince his rank-and-file. He could lead, but not over-ride.

Malone played a key role in defeating the 1948 Essential Services Act which had aimed at the right to strike. Next year, before the Royal Commission into Communism, he protected his comrades by claiming that his union duties had stopped his attending any Communist gatherings. If he had ever been to one, he could not remember who else was there.

    Prime Minister Menzies named Malone in 1950 as one of the ‘traitorous minority’ determined to damage ‘this great and beloved country’. Labourers did not share this view since Malone was re-elected with ever larger majorities. In 1952, he won by 819 to 165. In 1958, he was ahead by 816 to sixty-one.

Malone kept the branch safe from the Industrial Groupers and the gangsters who grabbed control in all the other States. Those Federal officials were after any excuse to intervene in Victoria. When they told him to pull out of one strike, he did as told. But his comrades in the Plumbers stopped the job until the employer settled with the BLF. Without Malone’s steadying hand, the Federation might have ceased to exist. Keeping Victoria on the Left was an anchor for the defeat of the Right in NSW.

Having served as secretary of Eureka Day Committee in 1948, Malone was keen to mark its centenary in1954. When the BLF joined the commemorations, he called on members to recapture Eureka’s fighting spirit in their current struggles. To that end, he had spelt out ‘a course of action’ to steer the union through a period when capital had the upper hand. The union, he advised, had to ‘impose the minimum hardship on our members and of such a nature as to condition the Master Builders’.

Malone guided all Victorian building workers in their struggle for the Building Industry Agreements from 1956, which broke out of the arbitration system. He knew ‘from experience, our members would require all of their allies possible, therefore maximum unity amongst all building workers on the jobs must be worked for’.

His fighting the boss kept him safe from the fantasies of a peaceful transition to socialism or peaceful coexistence with the imperialists. He, therefore, accepted the position of vice-chairman of the CPA (M-L) from its formation in 1964.

    Paddy saw every penny of union dues as a trust for his members and his class. After the 1960 Federal Conference elected him as treasurer, he worried about spending £40 on a Conference dinner for the delegates. He also suggested that Conferences be held every two or three years to cut costs. In 1965, he convinced the officials that the Federation could not afford a dinner. Norm Gallagher had owed his start as an organiser in 1952 to Malone, just as his success as Federal secretary from 1961 drew on Paddy’s guidance.

Paddy needed time off in the 1950s and again in the 1960s because of a cancer. Although his energies were failing, he retained office until a few days before his death on 14 October 1970, aged 66.

Party chairman E F Hill opened his funeral oration by pointing out that Malone had bequeathed ‘a monument of man of the greatest single-minded integrity. That integrity came from his devotion and adherence to the cause of the liberation of the workers and all oppressed people’. The service spilt onto the steps of the Trades Hall from the BLF office which was a nerve centre of the campaign to expose the murder for profit behind the collapse of the Westgate bridge on the day after Malone’s death. His farewell was one more action for a life-long militant.

“I don’t want the peace

that passeth understanding

But rather the understanding

that bringeth peace”

— Hellen Keller

Hi to all on a number of lists

Those of you who are in Brisbane or in transport reach of it may be interested in attending the reading of the next book being read by the group that meets at Kings College within the University of Queensland each Thursday at 1pm. The book is Tolstoys War and Peace, in English translation. The translation being used by quite a number of the existing members of the group is the new Vintage Classics edition translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, but any existing translation would do.

The method used in the group is to read every word aloud, taking turns around the group, pausing every couple of pages to discuss any problems or points of interest. It is not obligatory to read. One can simply listen if one wishes not to read. We have used this method to read major works by James Joyce and Marcel Proust and people have found that it assisted them to overcome difficulties that baulked them when reading the works alone.

You would be welcome to join this group, which is very friendly, at any time, either immediately this week or at a further stage of the reading. Parking is made available for group members by the College, which also offers us afternoon tea.

Time and place: Thursday,1pm to 3pm, 1st floor Kings College, Upland Rd, St Lucia.

Dan O’Neill

Calling all refugee supporters to join the
Peoples Assembly in Canberra @ Opening of Parliament
Tuesday 28 September, 12.30-1.30pm (gathering from 12noon)

Speakers include:

Adam Bandt, Greens MP
Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Senator
Tamil Community speaker
Afghan Community Speaker

Dear Refugee Supporter

The election is over and the real work of government is about to begin. This is an exciting time for a fresh start for our Federal government a new way of doing things.

We are asking for you to join with us at a Peoples Assembly in Canberra at the opening of Parliament on Tuesday 28 September from 12.30-1.30.

We will assemble on the lawns outside Parliament House to call on the new Parliament to introduce humane refugee policies and stop using refugees as political footballs. Refugee groups are asked to bring banners with the key messages of the gathering as well as their own messages.

Was your voice heeded on asylum seekers during this election?
Many of us are worried about the way in which successive governments have treated asylum seekers and refugees. We are tired of seeing asylum seekers used as political footballs where each side of politics scores points by proposing increasingly harsher policies.

We believe that it is time to tell our parliamentarians- ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
With the entry of the Greens and Independents as significant players in Government, there is a chance to end this endless round of punitive policymaking and to achieve humane policies for refugees. We want to encourage these new players to demand better standards from the parliament on human rights.

We want to call a halt to this race to the bottom on human rights.

The reason we are coming together on the lawns of Parliament House on this day is to say that we, the people, want to be heard- we care about how vulnerable people are treated and we want our politicians to stop using asylum seekers as political footballs.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
At a recent Refugee Advocacy Network meeting in Melbourne it was decided to ask all the refugee and asylum seeker networks, agencies and community groups to support and participate in this Peoples Assembly in Canberra .

Groups in each city will need to organise their own transport. We hope to send a bus from Melbourne, and are also assuming that many people will travel independently. The logistics for the event are yet to be organized in detail.

We are seeking your support for this event. Please rely to Marie Hapke at trconcepts with PEOPLES ASSEMBLY in the title of your email indicating the likely number of people who may attend from your group/organisation.

If your group or you as an individual would like to endorse this proposal please email Marie Hapke at trconcepts with PEOPLES ASSEMBLY in the title of your email and details of your organisation and a contact number.
For further information contact Marie on 0409 252 673 or Pamela Curr on 0417 517 075 or Sue Bolton on 0413 377 978

WE BELIEVE THAT ARE MANY AUSTRALIANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE – LETS MAKE SURE OUR POLITICANS GET THE MESSAGE
Signed by 13 Sept 2010:

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Australian Nursing Federation
Australian Tamil Congress
Blue Mountains Refugee Group
Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project
Chilout
Community Action Against Homophobia
Free Tamil Eelam
Gippsland Trades and Labour Council
Global Sisterhood Network
Geelong Refugee Action and Information Network (GRAIN)
Gunawirra Limited NSW
Humanitarian Crisis Hub
Little Company of Mary Refugee Project (LCMRP), Sydney
Pax Christi Australia (International Christian Peace Movement)
Refugee Action Coalition (Sydney)
Refugee Action Committee Canberra
Refugee Advocacy Network
Refugee Action Collective Vic
Refugee Action Network Newcastle (RANN)
Researchers for Asylum Seekers
Rural Australians for Refugees – Daylesford & District
Rural Australians for Refugees Mount Gambier Inc
Rural Australians for Refugees Queenscliff
Rural Australians for Refugees Surf Coast
Socialist Alliance
Socialist Alternative
The Greens NSW
Union of Australian Women Victoria
Victorian Greens

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Hi everyone

Stand Fast speakout location change.

Due to a recent terror threat (or state fear mongering depending on your pint of view) large steel barriers have been erected and we cannot get within 200m of the main gate of Holsworthy Barracks. In order to get what exposure we can to troops we have moved the speakout to:

Macarthur Avenue, Holsworthy (off Heathcote Rd and adjacent to the Holsworthy Rail Station)

It will still begin at 12 midday Friday Sept. 24.

Please forward to other interested parties so no one goes to the wrong location. Please contact myself or Graeme if you have further enquiries.

Thank you,

Hamish Chitts

Hamish Chitts, Stand Fast (www.stand-fast.webs.com) 0401 586 923

Graeme Dunstan, Peacebus.com (www.peacebus.com) 0407 951 688

[Aboriginal News] from Les Malezer

Racism as usual under Labor’s ‘new’ Income Management system

By Paddy Gibson

Last Friday, September 17, I went into Centrelink with some elderly ladies from Ilparpa town camp on the southern fringe of Alice Springs.

The Ilparpa ladies have been staunch opponents of the Intervention since it began in 2007 and marched at the front of numerous protest rallies.

May, who is 76 years old, asked me to come and sit in at her interview with the Centrelink officer. Fluent in a number of Aboriginal languages, she speaks only broken English.

The man behind the counter was friendly.

“How can I help you today May?”

“BasicsCard.”

“You want to check your balance on your BasicsCard?”

“No, the BasicsCard is no good. I want to stop.”

“Oh your BasicsCard isn’t working. No worries I’ll get you a new one”.

There are so many problems with BasicsCards not working that Centrelink hand replacements out like lollies.

He came back with a shiny new card, gave May a form to sign (which she did) and got her to punch her preferred pin number into the computer.

“OK that’s it today then?”

I said, “Excuse me, but isn’t there a new system operating? Perhaps you could get an interpreter to explain to May what her rights are if she wants to come off the BasicsCard?”

“Look I’m just not doing that any more. Only two of the 30 or so people I asked actually came off, because if they stay on they get a bonus.”

He was referring to a $250 ‘incentive’ payment that pensioners will get every 6 months if they decide to sign up for ‘Voluntary Income Management’. The Ilparpa ladies had heard this payment was being offered to other people and dismissed it as a ‘bribe’. But it’s a lot of money for any struggling family.

There was no Warlpiri interpreter available, so May talked straight for herself.

“I want cash. BasicsCard is rubbish. I am a non-drinker and I don’t gamble, I’m a Christian woman.”

This began a 15 minute tug of war, with the Centrelink officer pulling out a number of stops to try and convince May to stay on the card.

He turned around his computer to show May the list of ‘essential items’ she could spend her BasicsCard on.

“I get paid wages, but I have to buy clothes and food too. See, it’s no different. It’s like we’re all on Income Management really.”

“I want cash,” she kept insisting.

“I’ve worked with communities for 25 years,” he was talking to me now. “People come under a lot of pressure to hand their money over to their family.”

May said, “I can look after my money. I don’t give it out. I need cash.”

He tried one last angle, “Well if you come off the system, we won’t be able to pay your rent anymore.”

Before Income Management, many Aboriginal people had their rent deducted directly from Centrelink under a voluntary system called ‘Centrepay’. Apparently this is no longer an option.

Asking questions, we found out that you can arrange direct deduction by talking with NT Housing. But Centrelink will not assist to make these arrangements – unless you stay on the BasicsCard.

Worn down by the argument, the Centrelink staffer did not actually know how to take May off the system. It took three staff crowded around his computer for another 15 minutes before everything was sorted.

One was a supervisor, who asked the Centrelink officer if he was sure May wasn’t ‘vulnerable’.

Pensioners assessed as being ‘vulnerable’ to ‘financial exploitation’ by frontline Centrelink staff can be kept on the new system against their will. Racist assumptions about Aboriginal people being unable to look after their money continue to underpin Income Management.

Two other Ilparpa pensioners were not as lucky as May with their negotiations and are still on the card.

I interviewed Biddy when we got back to Ilparpa camp. Biddy is very elderly and can’t walk without a frame.

When you went to Centrelink today, what did you tell them?

I told them I want to cancel that BasicsCard. I want cash. But they said, ‘No, no, no, no’. The lady told me, ‘We can’t cancel this BasicsCard’.

Why did she say that?

She said it’s because of the bonus. And also the rent.

What did she say about the bonus?

That it’s $250 every six months.

But did you want the bonus, or did you want to get cash?

No I wanted cash. I don’t like the BasicsCard.

Why didn’t she listen to you?

Because I’m a cripple person. I’ll try again next week.

I also accompanied Lydia during her Centrelink interview. She has serious hearing problems and struggles to understand English. We were told that she had ‘volunteered’ for Income Management at a previous appointment on September 1.

Once you ‘volunteer’ you can’t come off for at least 13 weeks. Despite having no recollection of her ‘decision’, Lydia now has to go through a formal appeals process to be taken off the BasicsCard. The appeal is being processed in Tasmania.

The Centrelink officer was most apologetic. After checking Lydia’s record, it was revealed she was actually the officer who had ‘volunteered’ Lydia two weeks previous.

On Saturday, I saw my friend Donald at the service station and explained the ordeal to him. He receives a disability pension and lives at another town camp. Donald is very confident and fluent in English. But he too had to argue hard with Centrelink to be taken off the BasicsCard:

“They kept telling me it was good for me. That I was doing really well with my finances since being on the card. They’ve got no idea. I’ve had that much trouble with bills since they took control”.

“I can speak up for myself. But the others, they’ve got no chance.”

—

Centrelink have been telling Aboriginal organisations here in Alice Springs that 70 per cent of Aboriginal pensioners in Tennant Creek and the Barkly region have actually ‘volunteered’ to stay on the new Income Management system.

After our experiences on Friday, I’m genuinely amazed that 30 per cent managed to escape.

$350 million is being spent over the next four years on Income Management in the NT alone. A reasonable slice of this must be being spent on marketing. Alice Springs Centrelink is full of advertisements promising good health, pride and happiness for those on the BasicsCard.

Labor’s new system of Income Management has been progressively rolling out across the Northern Territory since the start of August.

The new system is allegedly ‘non-discriminatory’, applying to all welfare recipients across the NT and potentially Australia.

It was also supposed to soften the grip of Income Management on ‘prescribed’ NT Aboriginal communities. On paper, people on aged and disability pensions are now exempt.

Implementation of these reforms, however, has just meant one more round of racist, humiliating interaction with government bureaucracy for communities suffering under the Intervention. Centrelink are doing all they can to keep Aboriginal people on the system.

—
(Paddy Gibson is a researcher at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, University of Technology, Sydney. He is currently working in Central Australia.)

The Australian Lebanese Historical Society, Queensland Branch is delighted to invite you to the launch of

Not Quite White

Lebanese and the White Australia Policy 1880 to 1947

by Anne Monsour

Post Pressed, Brisbane 2010

To be launched by

Anthony Torbey,

Honorary Consul for Lebanon in Queensland.

Date: 16 October 2010

Time: 1.30pm for 2 pm

Venue: St Anne’s Church Hall,

127 Nelson Street, Kalinga.

RSVP: 9 October 2010

Email: monsvarg@optusnet.com.au

Afternoon tea provided.

Media Release 21 September 2010

Speak Out against the Afghan War
at Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney

Concerned veterans will conduct a public Speak Out against the Afghanistan War at the gates of Holsworthy Barracks,

from noon Friday 24 September 2010
Moorebank Road, Holsworthy

Holsworthy Barracks is home to the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), the 2nd Commando Regiment and support units.

The Speak Out will be hosted by Stand Fast, the national association of veterans opposing Australia’s engagement in the US-led wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. It will be supported by the Greens, the Sydney Stop the War Coalition and other local antiwar activists.

“The Speak Out will be an opportunity for citizens voice their concerns over an open mike and service and ex-service people in particular, will speak and hear the truth about the Afghanistan War,” said SpeakOut organiser and Stand Fast member Graeme Dunstan of http://Peacebus.com

“We veterans reckon the best thing we can do for Australian soldiers serving in Afghanistan is to bring them home,” said Hamish Chitts, veteran of Timor and a founding member of Stand Fast.

“Immediate and unconditional withdrawal was the demand of all participating groups”, he said.

“We note that former PM and now newly commissioned Foreign Affairs Minister, Kevin Rudd, has hurried to Washington to assure the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, that Australians will “stay the course” in Afghanistan.

“That’s easy for him to say but deadly for soldiers to do. And from him who never was and never could be a soldier,” Mr Chitts said.

Stand Fast veterans are appalled by Mr Rudd’s arrogance and delusion and know for sure he will not “stay the course” as Foreign Affairs Minister if he continues to ignore the tide of Australian public opinion against the US led war.

“As the Wikileaks make clear, the US military and the US Government have lied consistently about the cause, conduct and progress of the Afghanistan war and successive Australian Governments have repeated those lies to the Australian people like ventriloquist’s dummies,” Mr Chitts said.

“The bitter truth is that for all their killing power, there is no win to be had for the US military and their collaborators in Afghanistan. Just like Vietnam, there never was and never could be.

“Our message to serving soldiers is this: Politicians lie and give not a damn about you. The best way to protect yourself and to protect your mates is to refuse to go to Afghanistan. Desist and resist,” Mr Chitts said.

Stand Fast calls on veterans and non-veterans to help end the lies, end the wars and end the US Alliance.

Media call: 12.30 pm Friday 24 September.

Further information:
Hamish Chitts, Stand Fast (www.stand-fast.webs.com ) 0401 586 923
Graeme Dunstan, Peacebus.com (www.peacebus.com ) 0407 951 688

OCTOBER IN MELBOURNE – A MONTH OF LECTURES Hurry and book before tickets sell out

TARIQ ALI Edward Said Memorial Lecturer for 2010Wednesday 6 October 2010, 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start The Auditorium, Melbourne City Conference Centre, 333 Swanston Street, City
Hosted by Australians for Palestine with the Victorian Trades Hall Council & Students for Palestine
(Tariq Ali will be giving the Edward Said Memorial Lecture in Adelaide on 9 October) TALK: “From Bush to Obama – change we can believe in?”

TICKETS ARE ALREADY SELLING VERY FAST. It seems that Melbournians are very keen to learn more about the burning issues of our time and there are few speakers as eloquent as Tariq Ali who can hold audiences riveted to their seats with an expose of the volatile political manoeuvrings in the Middle East. Ali will show how the Obama regime is behaving like its predecessor under Bush, and how on Palestine as elsewhere, any change of personnel is essentially a cosmetic exercise leaving the future as precarious as ever. Various book titles will be on sale at the event.

THIS IS ONE EVENT ON THE US & MIDDLE EAST YOU SHOULD NOT MISS! TICKETS $20 – bookings strongly advised
Tickets can be purchased online through the PURCHASE button on our website’s homepage http://www.australiansforpalestine.com
All other enquiries, please contact nasser@australiansforpalestine.comNOTE: Please make sure you add your postal address when booking tickets online so that we can post the tickets to you in plenty of time before the event.

TARIQ ALI Tuesday 5 October 2010, 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start
The Barn Montsalvat, 7 Hillcrest Avenue Eltham (about 50 mins out of Melbourne depending on traffic)
Hosted by the Eltham Bookshop as part of their Annual World Matters Festival 2010 TALK: “The Obama Syndrome – Why the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable”

A TOPIC VERY RELEVANT TO AUSTRALIA’S FOREIGN POLICY!TICKETS $10: bookings essentialFOR FULL DETAILS SEE – http://australiansforpalestine.com/29892

Dear all

Also attached is the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) QLD

Regards

David Forde

Labor 4A Just Palestine

Weekly update for week beginning 13/09/10

This week’s articles

· UN Protection of Civilians (2) Weekly Report 1 – 14 September

· Middle East online – Thousands of settler homes approved by Israel

· Ynetnews – Mitchell: Settlement freeze must continue

· Part 1 : “Settlers” Tour of Hate Through Occupied Hebron

· IMEU – Who Was Rachel Corrie?

· PSC – British Trades Union Council (6.5 million workers) votes for campaign of boycott and disinvestment to free Palestine

· Palsolidarity – Gaza deaths protest comes under heavy live fire from Israeli snipers

· SMH – Complaint of anti-Semitic articles is dismissed

· All the latest from the Palestinian News agency Ma’an

UN Protection of Civilians (2) Weekly Report | 1 September – 14 September

Five Palestinians killed in Gaza and 13 others injured throughout the oPt. In the West Bank, arrests and access restrictions take place following the killing of four settlers. Increase in settler-related incidents. No demolitions in Area C, however, issuance of stop-work orders continue. Access update: closure on the West Bank. In Gaza, the impact of recently-applied easings remains limited. Despite an increase in industrial fuel, electricity outages continue. To read the report click on: Protection of Civilians Weekly Report

Middle East online – Thousands of settler homes approved by Israel

Watchdog: The construction of more than 13,000 new homes for illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank has been approved and will proceed when a partial moratorium expires this month, a watchdog group said on Monday. To read the article click on: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/palestine/?id=41274

Ynetnews – Mitchell: Settlement freeze must continue

US special envoy George Mitchell said Tuesday that the West Bank settlement construction freeze must continue, despite being a sensitive political issue in Israel, but offered no evidence of progress on the hard issue of Jewish settlements. To read the article click on: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3953922,00.html

Part 1 : “Settlers” Tour of Hate Through Occupied Hebron

To watch an eight minute youtube on how illegal Jewish settlers backed by the Israeli military parade through the Palestinian village of Hebron lining up which Palestinian homes they will occupy, click on:

IMEU – Who Was Rachel Corrie?

On 16 March 2003 in Rafah, occupied Gaza, 23-year-old American peace activist Rachel Corrie from Washington was murdered by an Israeli bulldozer driver. To read the article and watch a short youtube of Rachel, click on: http://imeu.net/news/printer0019170.shtml

A play “My Name is Rachel Corrie” about the life, dreams and emotions of a this young woman will be preformed in Brisbane 27 Oct – 14 Nov. More information to follow.

PSC – British Trades Union Council (6.5 million workers) votes for campaign of boycott and disinvestment to free Palestine

Britain’s unions have thrown their weight behind a campaign of disinvestment and boycott from companies which are profiting from Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. To read the article click on: http://www.palestinecampaign.org/index7b.asp?m_id=1&l1_id=4&l2_id=24&Content_ID=1493

Palsolidarity – Gaza deaths protest comes under heavy live fire from Israeli snipers

Over 100 rounds of live ammunition were fired at peaceful protesters in a Tuesday demonstration in the Gaza strip. The protest at the Erez border area near where only a few days earlier, a 91 year old Grandfather Ibrahim Abu Sayed and his 17 year-old grandson were killed by Israeli tank shelling. To read the article click on: http://palsolidarity.org/2010/09/14526/

SMH – Complaint of anti-Semitic articles is dismissed

THE Australian Press Council has considered a complaint by Judy Maynard about two items in The Sydney Morning Herald on June 12 and 19, 2010, by the columnist Mike Carlton. Both related to the encounter between Israeli forces and a number of vessels attempting to reach Gaza (the ”Gaza flotilla”) in May. They followed a column by Mr Carlton on June 5, which was highly critical of the Israeli conduct in the encounter. To read the article click on: http://www.smh.com.au/national/complaint-of-antisemitic-articles-is-dismissed-20100916-15er8.html

Palestinian News agency Ma’an

For all the latest from Ma’an News click on:http://www.maannews.net/eng/Default.aspx

RTBU QLD Motion.pdf

REGARDS

Pamela Curr
Campaign Coordinator
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
12 Batman Street, Melbourne
ph 0393266066 / 0417517075

unhcr asylum seekers.pdf

Please write in and complain to the ABC

Letters of complaint can be made via a form on the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent website http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/contact.htm
or a letter can be sent to ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs, GPO Box 9994, Melbourne

Dora McPhee (VIC) has written the following letter to the ABC

Dear Sir/Madam,

I write because I am deeply concerned about the screening on September 7 of “Gaza – Collision Course” on ABC TV’s Foreign Correspondent. The renamed film was the Panorama documentary “Death in the Med” by Jane Corbin, which was broadcast in the UK on the BBC on August 22, 2010. At the time it was extensively criticised for its pro-Israel bias despite its nod to “balance” by including some viewpoints from the peace activists who were on board the Mavi Marmara as part of the Free Gaza Flotilla.

The BBC’s defence of this program did not satisfy many critics who saw it as a breach of the BBC’s aims of impartiality. Given the controversy this
program invited it seems the ABC’s Mark Corcoran has erred in not pointing out to viewers that the program was in fact highly controversial in his
introduction of this documentary. Instead, the program was billed as shedding light on the deadly events with never before seen video footage and accounts with much praise for the Panorama team that were given the BBC’s imprimatur. This would lead viewers to assume it was a fair and honest portrayal of the facts.

However, we are not told that the Israelis confiscated all video equipment and footage and that the footage now released by them is highly selective. We are given no indication on whether these snippets have been edited or shown out of sequence to support one version of events. Although Israel successfully controlled news of its deadly commando raid on the Free Gaza Flotilla it was incumbent on the ABC to tell its viewers that emerging evidence from eye witnesses and survivors of the ordeal have seriously challenged Israel’s version of events and that many of these accounts are not even covered in this program. In particular the UK activist, Ismail Patel, who witnessed the point blank shooting of a fellow activist clearly undermining the claim that the IDF only shot at activists in self-defence is a case in point as reported in The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/04/gaza-flotilla-activists-autopsy-results

I draw your attention to Richard Lightbrown’s “Analysis of BBC Panorama ‘Death on the Med’ exposes blatant pro-Israel bias”, which scrupulously
tracks its criticism of the program against the transcript. This anaylsis can be found on the following site: http://www.redress.cc/global/tclementevans20100828

Not only was an inordinate amount of time given to spokespeople seeking to give the Israeli version of events, but also through the clever framing of the so-called “balance” pieces from the peace activists’ side there was a subtle reaffirmation of the Israeli position in numerous instances. This sort of “balance” within a documentary is far more insidious and manipulative than a film that is outright one-sided in that it allows the ABC/BBC to profess “balance” when in fact the opposite is true. The framing, what was left unchallenged or completely omitted and how language was used to prejudice the portayal of the activists, were all subtle ways employed to influence viewers to draw certain conclusions. Specific examples of this practice are outlined in detail in Richard Lightbrown’s analysis, which I urge you to read.

Since the programme was aired on the BBC, Ken O’Keefe, one of the activists interviewed, has written an open letter to the BBC Panorama’s Jane Corbin
indicating that he had only agreed to participate in the documentary if it was made plain that the activists had let the commandos go after disarming
them and treating them for their injuries incurred in the confrontation. This was an important point as it seriously undermines the Israeli narrative
that the activists were intent on using violence and terrorised the Israeli commandos as implied by the documentary.

Instead the documentary gives the false impression that the said commandos escaped rather than being treated for their injuries and then released.
Again, the ABC should have mentioned to viewers that Ken O’Keefe was unhappy with how Jane Corbin used his commentary, thereby reneging on her agreement, as he could see how it had been manipulated to heighten the narrative of activist violence, while she downplayed the fatal violence perpetrated by the IDF. There was no discussion of how the activists had a right to defend themselves against assault in international waters nor that the captain of
the ship had moved the ship deeper into international waters to avoid such a confrontation when it was clear the Israelis were intent on boarding the ship in the middle of the night.

What is even more egregious is the testimony of the commando supposedly wounded by a knife attack to the abdomen who testifies that he somehow
miraculously jumped ship and swam to safety. We are not shown verifiable evidence of his abdominal wound and it beggars belief that with such a wound
he was able to swim to safety without serious ramifications. This testimony is not even challenged for its veracity by Corbin even though O’Keefe had
clearly told her all wounded IDF commandos were treated and released. We are left with the impression that it was the IDF that was in danger and not the
activists, nine of whom were killed and scores of whom were injured. How some of them came to be injured fatally is not even addressed and yet they lost their lives and surviving witnesses to their deaths are not given a voice.

In fact the most glaring omission was any footage or eyewitness accounts of the killing of the nine activists and yet this footage must be in the
possession of the IDF. We know from witnesses that an activist was shot while filming the confrontation. Where is his film clip one wonders? Nor are
we told – and this is a crucial point – of the autopsy results that show gun shot wounds in some cases from behind and above and others directly to the
head, which seriously calls into question the Israeli version of events. A Press TV journalist who was also an eyewitness has given a detailed account
of events that simply does not tally with Jane Corbin’s documentary: http://australiansforpalestine.com/23469 None of these issues was ever
brought to light in the documentary – things that should have been germane in bringing us closer to the truth, which the documentary claims to do.

The IDF have since admitted that the audio recording they claimed to be broadcast from the flotilla: “Shut up, go back to Auschwitz..etc”, had been
doctored, after intense criticism claiming that it was a forgery had made them retract this claim. And yet this recording is used in the documentary.
While Corbin notes the authenticity has been questioned she then proceeds to say “For the Israelis it was a warning sign things wouldn’t go smoothly”,
which implicitly suggests she accepts the claim that it is genuine for how could a “faked” recording have been a warning sign? The documentary contains many such instances of sly innuendo while parading as an exercise in “balance”.

I recently wrote to the ABC regarding the refusal to screen “Hope in a Slingshot”, which details Israel’s military occupation of Palestinians in
the West Bank, by Australian director Inka Stafrace. That this program was deemed to be an opinion piece dealing with a contentious subject and
therefore could not be shown and yet the ABC has no qualms in showing Jane Corbin’s highly contentious and flawed documentary on an incident that is still being investigated, is highly disturbing.

Sitting through Corbin’s skewed version of the Mavi Marmara debacle, which heavily favoured the Israeli defence forces’ version of what took place while discrediting the peace activists and their attempt to break Israel’s criminal siege and blockade of Gaza was indeed galling, particularly when
the distributor of an Australian documentary “Hope in a Slingshot’ was told her film could not be screened on the ABC until a program taking an opposing
position was available for broadcast. There clearly seems to be one rule for what is deemed a pro-Palestinian documentary and another for a pro-Israeli documentary that is paraded as an attempt to reveal the truth.

As the Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire wrote: “There is so much commentary in this documentary that is inaccurate that it does a grave disservice to investigative journalism and the BBC.” http://pulsemedia.org/2010/08/23/mairead-maguire-open-letter-to-bbc-panorama/

I ask the ABC to look into this matter.

Other letters can be read on our website
http://www.australiansforpalestine.com
in the LETTERS section (right hand column)

See also:

LAUREN BOOTH’S OPEN LETTER TO ISRAEL
Journalist Lauren Booth was on the first Free Gaza voyage and stayed to work in Gaza after the boats left. Her heartfelt letter to the people of Israel
should be read by everyone who hopes for peace in the Middle East. This stunning video tribute to her words was designed and produced by the Free Gaza movement.

VIDEO LINK:

Sonja Karkar
Editor
Australians for Palestine
http://www.australiansforpalestine.com

Ark Tribe is back in front of a judge in Adelaide today.

His ongoing trial should serve as a reminder to every fair-minded Australian of why the ABCC needs to be dumped immediately.

The ABCC was a dud policy in 2005 when it was pushed upon the Australian people by then-Workplace Relations Minister, Tony Abbott.

But since then it’s steadily lost even more community support, to the point now where no one is willing to stick up for it.

These days even the CEO of Lend Lease, Steve McCann, has acknowledged the removal of the ABCC won’t have a significant affect on his company’s bottom line.

Right-wing thinktanks like the Institute of Public Affairs reckon the ABCC constitutes ‘coercive and unjust state power.’

The ABCC was a rogue policy, introduced by a rogue Workplace Relations Minister.

It costs a fortune, provides no real advantage to anyone and strips basic civil liberties from construction workers.
Ark is facing trial today because he stuck up for safety and then allegedly refused to be forced into an ABCC interrogation.

That’s nothing short of a national disgrace.

We should all be urging the Australian Government to dump the ABCC like a hot brick.

Thanks for your support.

Dave Noonan, CFMEU C&G Division National Secretary
http://www.rightsonsite.org.au

14th September 2010

GREENS MOVE FOR A NEW BEGINNING for ASYLUM-SEEKERS

The Australian Greens have called for discussions with the new Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, to work towards a more sensible
approach to asylum-seekers, according to Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Immigration and Human Rights, says she has written to Mr Bowen to congratulate him on his
appointment and to seek to establish a workable relationship with regular meetings in the new Parliament.

“Mr Bowen’s appointment provides a new opportunity to convince the Gillard Government that its offshore processing policy and suspension of
asylum claims for Afghans is not the answer,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“The Coalition has made it quite clear that it is not interested in changing its inhumane approach.

“This is an opportunity for the Gillard Government to break free of the race to the bottom on refugees that was displayed in the recent election
campaign.

“Australia should not be trying to palm off its responsibilities as a regional leader to the poorest nations in our region, whether it be East
Timor, Nauru or somewhere else.

“This week I will be travelling to Darwin to visit immigration facilities and see for myself the conditions in the centres, which have
already been the subject of criticism.

“There are a number of key immigration issues the Greens want to work with Mr Bowen to resolve.”

These issues include:
* Lifting the suspension of Afghan asylum claims
* Ending the practice of children in immigration detention
* Abandoning the Government’s East Timor Solution and drawing a
line under further offshore processing
* An end to indefinite and long-term detention, with judicial
review of detention beyond 30 days
* A public campaign to provide the facts to the community and promote the positive and valuable contribution refugees have made to
Australia.

“We need to do better in providing information to the Australian people, to help them understand that asylum-seekers are not to be feared, and
that their numbers are small compared to the 50,000 overseas visitors who overstay their visas every year,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“We oppose offshore processing as a solution to deal with vulnerable asylum-seekers. They should be brought to the mainland and housed close
to appropriate support and services, where they can be processed quickly, fairly and humanely.

“The Greens will continue to stand up for the rights of asylum-seekers and refugees and champion a more compassionate approach which a growing
number of Australians agree with.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Andrew McGarry –
0427 604 760

Robert Simms
Adviser
Community Liaison & Campaigns
Office of Sarah Hanson-Young
Greens Senator for South Australia
Ground Floor, Telstra Building
30 Pirie Street Adelaide SA 5000
Ph: (08) 8231 9911 / Fax: (08) 8211 7533

Sign-up to GreensMPs http://greensmps.org.au/stay-informed to receive updates and alerts enabling you to take action on important issues
This correspondence may contain information which is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication please delete
and destroy all copies and notify us immediately. If you are the intended recipient you should not copy, disclose or distribute this communication without the prior authority.

From Ciaron O’Reilly

Democracy Now Interview with Kathy Kelly on eve of “Creech 14” Drone Trial in Las Vegas Nevada, USA
ACTION BACKGROUND – “CREECH 14” AGAINST DRONE WARFARE DIRECTED FROM CREECH A.FB. IN NEVADA U.S.A. http://vcnv.org/drones-on-trial-in-las-vegas-sept-14th-2010

Below:

* Link to today’s Democracy Now pre-trial interview with Kathy Kelly

* New Youtube clips from Kathy Kelly’s July 29th visit to DM

* “The Indefensible Drones: A Ground Zero Reflection” by Kathy Kelly published in Common Dreams

Updates on trial to follow…..

Sept 13 – Pretrial interview with Kathy Kelly on Democracy Now http://www.democracynow.org/2010/9/13/activists_go_on_t…evada

Hi

On September 26th I will be taking the “Journey to Palestine” show (that includes all the new songs and video from the trip to the Middle East) to Sydney for a concert at the Herb Greedy Hall in Marrickville from 2pm.

The event will also include a screening of the film ‘Hope in a Slingshot’ that was to be screened on the ABC but then for some “reason” not broadcast.

It would be great if you could forward the details of this event to friends in Sydney. ( http://www.philmonsour.com/ ).

Journeys to Palestine
Concert and Film screening
Sunday 26 September 2 to 6pm

Performance and presentation at 2pm – Film Screening at 3.30 – followed by refresments and more music by phil monsour.

Herb Greedy Hall
79 Petersham Road
Marrickville Sydney.
Entry by Donation
RSVP Bookings (for catering) and information journeysrsvp

APHEDA Projects
Pre School Burj el Barajneh
Health Service Burj el Barajneh
Food security project in Gaza
Rehabilitation Hospital in Gaza
Food security project in Talkarem

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to say – OH MY GOD!!!!

I’ve never been to Eid-Feast before; as I always go back to the Middle East to be with my family for Eid, so I didn’t know what it was, or how big it really is.

I honestly don’t think we at J4P had such an innumerous and overwhelming support on a single event as we did on Saturday. I’ve just been told that we had like 600$ in donations and t-shirt sales, and almost 100 people signing up for our mailing list.

We gave away thousands of leaflets advertising mainly the BDS, the flotilla eye-witness forum and Rachel’s play. More importantly, we have spoken with hundreds and hundreds of enthusiasts that I’m 100% they will be joining us in most – if not all, of our upcoming events, and may be our fortnightly meetings too I hope.

We were active enough that we were targeted by what it seemed to be Israeli secret services personnel!!!! Two of them stood right in front of the tent where we were setup, stayed there for over an hour, kept checking all of us, were joined by another couple, kept moving slowly to obstruct the view of the banners so people can’t take notice of us! It was so stupid and such a waste of time for them as they actually had our crowd look more in number so people were actually investigating us even more! I didn’t want to make a big fuzz of it; otherwise I would have got the organizers involved. Besides, it worked for us and not against us really!

Bottom line: We all got stuffed with the yummiest food ever!!! It was UNREAL!!!!

Most of us stayed almost all day and participated so very effectively in every way. Mates, it was a real joy to share such a joyful festive day with all of you – Ann, Mervin, Rebecca, Sarah, Sameer, Leigh, David, Owien, Hamish and forgive me if I forgot anyone.

Thank you David Forde so much for organizing and MC’ing your forum in the afternoon. It did attract such a huge crowd really – including the Zionists that I spent nearly 2 hours arguing with!!!

Above all, Jaime – YOU ARE A LEGEND!!!!! He stood up all day, walked around all over the show ground – till he has actually asked not to by the organizers! He handed out more leaflets than we all did all together; he kept us all so very busy by directing crowds into our stall. Whenever he takes a break, we all do!!!! JUST UNBELIEVABLE! VIVA MEXICO AMIGO!!!

Last but not least, Mrs. Zahran, thank you so very much for (simply) making it all happen and making all of the above just possible. You intiated this and followed it up -as if fasting in ramadan wasn’t enough!

Few pictures attached.

Upside down, inside out, it was such a lovely productive festive day and I only hope if more of us managed to share the joy of it. I truly mean that.

I always enjoy Eid with my family and friends. I don’t think this Eid was any different. A personal thank you for each and every one of you.

Viva Palestina,
Emad Sinan

PS: next Eid (Ad’ha) is in less than 2 months, and I wonder if they make another eidfeast for it, KAT?