WBT has received this notice of intention by extinction rebellion to carry out protest actions at the ALP national conference on 17 August 2023. XR rebellion are asking for assistance in advertising their protest, banners are to be stationed at traffic lights saying: (1) that our taxes subsidise fossil fuels, (2) to stop new coal; and, (3) to stop fossil fuel subsidies; and, (4) for people to join the protest.
Fossil fuel project approvals by Federal environment minister
Source: analysis of EPBC portal Note:- this does not include approvals by state governments.
The Conference is on for 3 days with several protests:
Thursday 17th – Climate/Fossil Fuels focus 8 – 9.30am
Friday 18th has a focus of Housing (from 11 am) and AUKUS from 8am
Saturday 19th has a focus on Toondah Harbour 8 – 11am with ACF.
Justice for Palestine Meanjin
Join the JFP organised protest on Saturday, 19 th August, at 9: 30 am outside the ALP National Conference at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre over their: recognition of the IHRA definition of antisemitism that gags any criticism of Israel’s atrocities; abandonment of their own 2018 and 2021 National Conference pledge to recognise Palestine; denial of Israel’s apartheid and condemnation of BDS; pretence that Palestinians are behind all the violence.
Workers BushTelegraph supports these protests. We also support those people inside the convention centre who have set up stalls to try to convince ordinary Labor Party members that the Australian government is taking us in the wrong direction concerning: climate change, war with China, nuclear submarine purchase under the AUKUS agreement and Palestine.
At least three groups, Justice for Palestine (Meanjin), APAN and Labor Friends of Palestine are attempting to get the Australian Labor government to finally recognise the state of Palestine.
– Ian Curr, Ed.,
7 August 2023.
Quite right comrade, but the thing is it is so bloody obvious and the ALP knows exactly what it is doing. A bi-partisan approach to backing US imperialism is not going to end. The fact is the “responsible” centre-left is not going to change the important things that matter. They are the alternate capitalist party to the other capitalist party.
I cant believe the low mentality of labor to not attack Morrison, their arch political enemy, for irresponsible lack of diplomacy.
In a blatant attempt to gain popularity appearing as a strong leader before an election and chose the all the way with LBJ option a safe bipartisan option instead of putting what is the right thing to do to voters.
We had a piddling amount of covid compared to china not worthy of an international opinion on it then support of Ukraine has made us Russia’s enemy so the safest option for Australia is to do nothing as a friendly nation and fix community problems.
America will have our back with 750 bases anyway.
The sad thing is the fear infested into the public thinking there could be a ww3 instead of preventing a ww3.
The grand narrative continues… (if we let it)… “Everybody’s one big happy family…”
Defence Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy sealed deals with union and factional bosses on Thursday to insert a 32-paragraph statement on AUKUS and nuclear submarines as an attachment to the national platform (AFR $);
The Electrical Trades Union, AMWU and CFMMEU backed down from threats to reject support for AUKUS in the platform, after winning investment and policy pledges on clean energy jobs, manufacturing and housing (The Australian $);
“Labor commits that Australia’s SSN-AUKUS submarines will be built by Australian workers in South Australia, with a peak of 4000 workers employed to design and build the infrastructure at Osborne and a further 4000 to 5500 jobs created to build the submarines,” the statement reads;
It also includes commitments on nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament efforts and a “world without nuclear weapons”;
from Nat Trimachi
18 August 2023
https://najinsk.wixsite.com/nats
[Editor’s note – the quotes used by Nat Trimachi can be found in a Saturday Paper article “Labor sweetens AUKUS deal”
A Yahoo aritcle puts a different spin on the dispute inside the ALP under the heading “‘Difficult’ debate Albo delayed”
Neither media outlet has got to the nub of the debate inside and outside the National Labor conference … see https://workersbushtelegraph.com.au/2023/08/19/noaukus/ ]
Nelson Mandela interview with Ted Koppel at Aaron Davis Hall, City College of New York. Video credits go to YouTube: ABC News
It’s chaos here this morning, 200 climate protestors, 2000 CFMEU next to them, with a big PA system! No coordination at all! – 17 August 2023.
Hello Rob,
As you know the Australian government is in lock step with the United States on the Ukraine war. The war hawks in the Biden White house have put a lot of money and arms into Ukraine backing the counter-offensive against Russia. This has failed with terrible losses on the Ukrainian side.
Hawks in the White House, Sullivan and Blinken
At this month’s international peace summit held in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Biden had planned: “… it to be the equivalent of [President Woodrow] Wilson’s Versailles. The grand alliance of the free world meeting in a victory celebration after the humiliating defeat of the hated foe to determine the shape of nations for the next generation. Fame and Glory. Promotion and re-election. The jewel in the crown was to be Zelensky’s achievement of Putin’s unconditional surrender after the lightning spring offensive. They were even planning a Nuremberg type trial at the world court, with Jake as our representative. Just one more fuck-up, but who is counting? Forty nations showed up, all but six looking for free food after the Odessa shutdown”—a reference to Putin’s curtailing of Ukrainian wheat shipments in response to Zelensky’s renewed attacks on the bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland. ” – Seymour Hersh.
In response, Vladimir Putin has suspend nuclear treaty with US, and blames the West for Ukraine war because NATO poses an existential threat to Russian security.
At the anti-AUKUS rally today (18 August 2023), you may be happy to know that Melissa Parke is speaking on the platform. Melissa Parkes is well-known for her stand against nuclear weapons given the threat from the Ukraine war … https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-11/melissa-parke-to-spearhead-campaign-to-abolish-nuclear-weapons/102715862
See media release below …
Ian Curr
17 Aug 2023
Melissa Parke former Labor MP for Freemantle is a late addition to the speaking list tomorrow taking Gem Romuld’s place. Melissa has just been appointed the International EO for ICAN*.
See you tomorrow 8-11
Annette Brownlie
Just Peace (Qld)
17 Aug 2023
*ICAN won a Nobel Peace prize for its stand against nuclear proliferation.
Reference
As the film Oppenheimer and war in Ukraine both draw attention to the threat of nuclear weapons, Melissa Parke says there is no better time for change … https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-11/former-wa-politician-leading-campaign-to-ban-nuclear-weapons/102718044
Why doesn’t this self-described “rally for peace not war” demand a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine and immediate peace talks? How is it possible that activists can rally together for peace in Brisbane without mentioning the current Ukraine-Russia conflict to which Australia is involved?
Rally for Peace NOT WAR at the Labor Party National Conference
8.30am – 11. 00am, Friday 18 August
Convention Centre, Corner Glenelg and Merivale Streets, South Brisbane
VISUALS FOR CAMERAS: A large nuclear submarine prop will headline the street theatre and music to demonstrate the depth of community objections to the Labor Government’s decision to continue a dangerous foreign policy decision of the previous Morrison government.
The AUKUS agreement is a “noose around the neck of our people, leading us to war”, said Ms Annette Brownlie, spokesperson for the Australian Anti AUKUS Coalition (Queensland) and the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN).
“There is widespread community opposition to the war preparation policies of the last decade, continued under the current Labor government.”
“The AUKUS agreement secretly plotted during the Morrison government term was effectively rubber stamped by the newly elected Albanese/Marles Labor Government without any real scrutiny or independent risk assessments undertaken”, said Ms Brownlie.
“The AUKUS agreement is a dangerous development further enmeshing Australia in US war fighting capacity and heightening community concerns that AUKUS could involve nuclear weapons”, said Ms Brownlie.
Many other organisations and individuals also share these grave concerns.
Marcus Strom, National Convenor, Labor Against War (LAW).
“AUKUS is not about ‘security’. In the words of US Congressman Mike Gallagher, it is about going on a ‘war footing’ against our major trading partner, China. Labor’s rank-and-file – and the Australian people – don’t want to be dragged into another US-led war to prop up its empire”.
Ms Gem Romuld, Australian Director of ICAN
“We want more than a verbal statement that AUKUS will not involve nuclear weapons. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the legally-binding vehicle to guarantee Australia’s rejection of these worst-of-all weapons of mass destruction. It’s time for Labor to follow through on its commitment and join the ban now.”
Australian whistleblower and former British Army major and Australian Army lawyer, David McBride
“The ALP conference celebrates the views of workers. Twenty years ago Anthony Albanese warned about following US war mongering slavishly. He was a discipline of Tom Uren, a lone voice in the Parliament against the disastrous Vietnam War. Today’s ALP is even more in lock-step with the US than the LNP Govt roundly rejected by the Australian electorate.”
“I’ve seen the US war machine. They protect their Govt, not their people, not the free world and certainly not the workers of Australia. There is no excuse for the PM to deny a vote to conference on AUKUS, especially after such distinguished ALP figures speaking out against it. If they can’t free Assange, they can’t be trusted.”
Annette Brownlie, IPAN, again:
“AUKUS also further confirms to our regional neighbours our USA Deputy Sherrif status and as a sub-imperial power and undermines our sovereignty, which is also evident in the government selling out Australian sovereignty to the U.S.A. through the Force Posture Agreement and the recent AUSMIN 2023 decisions”.
“We call on the ALP delegates to the National Conference to reverse the march to war, reject AUKUS and nuclear powered-submarines and so regain sovereignty and put Australia on the path to peace and mutually beneficial relations with all our neighbours.”
——————————————–
Speakers at the Rally will speak to concerns around the decisions regarding AUKUS and the nuclear submarine deal.
Speakers include:
Peter Ong Qld/NT ETU Secretary
Andrew Bonnell National VP NTEU
Marcus Strom, Labor Against War (LAW)
Gem Romuld, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
David McBride, Whistleblower on War Crimes
Ella Gutteridge, UQ Students Union
For Media Interviews: Peter Ong 0429 535 860; Gem Romuld 0421 955 066
Media Liaison: Annette Brownlie: 0431 597 256
Bio: Annette Brownlie is a founding member of the Brisbane based community Peace organisation Just Peace Qld and the Chairperson of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network IPAN.
http://www.ipan.org.au
There is a lot of pressure on the Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, who will decide the fate of Toondah Harbour. Should a wetland home to endangered birds become $1.3bn worth of shops, high-rises and a marina?
Toondah Harbour is the location of the Stradbroke Island Ferry Terminal used by water taxis and vehicular ferries to provide access to North Stradbroke Island.
This area of Moreton Bay is naturally shallow but the Fison Channel has been dredged to provide access for vehicular ferries which connect Cleveland to Dunwich.
Toondah Harbour is situated in an area of coastal wetlands featuring sandbanks, mudflats and mangroves which provide important habitats for dugongs, turtles and many shorebird species including migratory birds such as the critically endangered eastern curlew.
Most of the wetlands in this area, except for Toondah Harbour and its primary channel, are within the boundaries of the Moreton Bay Ramsar site.
Information provided to WBT suggest that the ALP national conference in Brisbane is a money-raising exercise for the Labor party. We say this because to put on a fringe event APAN had to pay $2,500. For a modest stall another group was asked to pay $1000 and then this sum was reduced to $500 by the powers-that-be.
We can only guess how much Zionist lobby groups in Brisbane paid the ALP for the ‘dialogue with the Israeli ambassador’ yesterday.
Protest by Australian Anti-AUKUS Coalition AAAC and No AUKUS Queensland
8am Friday 18 August 2023
ALP National Conference, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Cnr Glenelg St and Merivale Sts, South Brisbane, 4101
Speakers include:
* Peter Ong – ETU (Qld & NT)
* Andrew Bonnell – NTEU National Vice President
* Dave Sweeney
* David McBride – Former military lawyer and whistleblower
* Speaker from Independent and Peaceful Australia Network
* Ella Gutteridge – UQ Union Environment Officer
* Aahana Nag and Layla Farquharson – School Strike 4 Climate
The Albanese Labor government has embraced the AUKUS military alliance with the US and the UK with open arms and is committed to spending $368 billion on nuclear submarines as part of the deal.
This is military madness and many unions and others in the labour movement, including former Labor Prime Minister, Paul Keating, have criticised the deal. This is money that could be spent on housing, health, aged care, education, renewable energy, increasing the Jobseeker allowance and more. It also risks provoking an arms race or even war with China which will come at the cost to workers everywhere.
This is not what we voted for in the 2022 election. Make sure your voice is heard at the ALP National Conference by joining our rally for peace.
Please email noaukusqld@gmail.com with any questions.
Endorsed by:
ETU (Qld & NT)
NTEU (Qld)
MUA (Qld)
QNMU
MUA Vets (Qld)
Retired AMWU (Qld)
Just Peace (Qld)
Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom (Qld)
Quakers (Qld)
Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (Qld)
Refugee Action Collective (Qld)
Wooloongong Against War and Nukes
Wage Peace
Labor Against the War
Socialist Alternative
UQ Environment Collective
Union of Australian Women (Qld)
Socialist Alliance
Solidarity
Justice for Palestine See less
https://workersbushtelegraph.com.au/2023/08/16/no-dialogue-with-israel/