UPDATE –
SEPTEMBER
WHO ARE
GUILTY OF FAILING TO INFORM THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY RE: THE CONCESSIONS
CONCEDED TO THE UNITED STATES, FOR THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT?
Following are
the Print Media Political Commentators who failed in their duty to inform their
Readers what concessions were conceded for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with
the United States.
An Editorial in
the Daily Telegraph July 13, 2004 where responsibility for election comment is
taken by the editor Campbell Reid. An
extract from his editorial reads, “The gravitas and experience which Mr.
Beazley carries as a six-year veteran of the Defence Ministry, two years as
deputy PM and five years as Opposition Leader can also be used to win the
argument on Free Trade. Mr. Beazley has
had the courage not only to remain in the Parliament to back the Government’s
FTA legislation but to speak out publicly to that end.”
Mr. Reid has
never explained what concessions were conceded for the FTA with the United
States and has never detailed what advantages, “if any,” there would be for the
Australian Community.
This is the
same editor who Castigated the Labor Party for branch-stacking, and yet in a
later editorial Mr. Reid praised Malcolm Turnbull for winning the pre-selection
for the Liberal seat of Wentworth, although it was the “mother of all
branch-stacking” since federation. We
would hate to think Mr. Reid’s failure to fully inform his readers about the
PTA was due to one of the few companies who would profit from the deal would be
his employer, the Murdock Family’s News Ltd.
The following
editorial by the Murdock’s News Ltd stablemate the “Australian,” Friday July
16, 2004 in which the Editor in Chief, Chris Mitchell is responsible for
election comment.
Time to End
Labor Delay on the FTA “The American political system encourages inertia. The legislative and executive functions are
separate and party discipline is so weak that every President has had trouble
passing his program. In contrast
Australian politics are a breeze. The
Prime Minister’s word is law in the House of Representatives and even with the
interference of minor party eccentrics in the senate there is nothing that
cannot be instantly achieved if the major party leaders wish it. Which makes it all the more embarrassing
that the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement is racing at
Parliamentary light-speed through the American legislature while in Canberra it
languishes in the political black hole of a senate committee.
On Wednesday,
the FTA passed through the American lower house by a thumping 314 to 109
votes. And the stage is set for a
popular passage through the U.S. senate at any moment with the influential
finance committee approving the deal 17-4.
Inevitably, the FTA has had opponents.
But from coast to coast and across the partisan divide, American
politicians have recongnised it as a mutually beneficial arrangement.
‘If you can’t
agree with this trade agreement, I don’t know what trade agreement you’re ever
going to agree with,’ said Virginia Democrat Jim Moran. Jennifer Dunn, a Republican from the west
coast state of Washington, saw it as an aspect of the alliance.
Australia has
been a true friend and ally. They’ve
been there when it counted the most.
Democrat Presidential nominee-elect John Kerry is also all the way with
the FTA. And it is not just the
Americans who recognize a good deal when they see one.
New Zealand
Prime Minister Helen Clark, wants a slice of the action, saying the arrangement
should expand to include her country.
At home all five mainland Labor Premiers want the deal. And there is not a nation in Asia which
would knock back the sort of chance we now have. They know that in Free Trade deals the winner is the nation that
wins access to the larger market.
So what does
Mark Latham know that everybody else does not?
The Labor Leader says he will not make up his mind on the deal until
next month, when the senate committee on treaties reports on whether it suits
Australia’s interests.
For an
agreement that has been forensically analysed at home and abroad and which has
survived the scrutiny of the American Congress this is nonsense. Mr. Latham is playing politics appealing to
his reflexively anti-American supporters who hate our alliance with the United
States and who will oppose on-principle anything that strengthens the
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They are joined
by people who fear that the price of medicines might rise as if any government
would want to destroy one of the most popular of Commonwealth programs – and
self – interested actors who want guaranteed access to emerging media
technology. But among
ordinary Australians the idea of a crack at the world’s biggest economy
instinctively appeals. They know that
if we knocked this deal back all our other trading partners would rush to
replace us. By holding out against the
treaty Mr. Latham risks harming his cause among voters who place the national
interest above party politics, and he likely knows it. He left himself a bolt hole by allowing the
FTA enabling legislation to pass the House of Representatives, where 14, Labor
members including Kim Beazley, who delivered a rousing speech, voted for
it. But the Labor Leader has made
himself a hostage to his own timing. Nay
saying on the FTA, only to adopt it at the very last minute, would not impress
voters who expect him to place the national interest first. Mr. Latham has
based his career on welcoming good ideas, wherever they come from. He should stay true to form and join with
all Australians who believe in the future of an Australian Free Trading Economy
and congratulate the Prime Minister, Mark Vaile and Australian ambassador to
Washington Michael Thawley, for all their work in negotiating the FTA. And he should announce that Labor will
support the treaty in the Senate. To do so would
be in the national economic interest.
And by demonstrating that the ALP does not play politics with the
economy, it would be in Mr. Latham’s as well. As well as the
aforementioned Editors, the following Print Media-Political Commentators Piers
Akerman, Stephen Loosley, Malcolm Farr, Terry Mc Crann, Mark Day, Jim Dickins,
Glen Milne, Lillian Saleh, Matt Price, Peter Charlton, Shane Wright, Nikki
Todd, David Penberthy, Mark Metherell, Michelle Grattan, Peter Hartcher, Paul
Sheehan, Mike Seccombe, Louise Dodson, Peter fitzsimons, Kerry-Anne Walsh etc,
these journalists all have one thing in common, not one of them have ever
bothered to explain to their readers what concessions the Howard-Anderson
Coalition conceded for the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. We suggest
visitors to our website go to our main page-index-update-June, Update July,
Update August and study the concessions conceded by our Government for the
FTA. Remember this is the United
States, Trade Representative Washington, DC emanating from the Executive Office
of the United States President this is the U.S. version of the Free Trade
Agreement. Before we
criticize the aforementioned Editors and Political Commentators we would like
to highlight paragraph 2 of the brief summary of the Agreement, the last
sentence of this section: “New opportunities for U.S. Farmers: food inspection
procedures that have posed barriers in the past will be addressed, benefiting
sectors such as pork, citrus, apples and stone fruit.” And yet on
Thursday July 15, 2004 Federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss announced a
restructure to Quarantine body Bio security Australia, by transferring their
manager Mary Harwood into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This action came about due to the massive
outcry by farmers re; the Minister and his advisors decision to allow the
import of pig meat, apples and bananas. Farmers are
rightfully afraid of our general standards in Quarantine, more so with the
outbreak of Citrus Canker Disease in Queensland. Agriculture Minister Warren Truss in an attempt to pacify
outraged farmers announced, an additional layer of scrutiny would be introduced
in the form of a standing group of eminent scientists who would review the
final report on whether imports should be allowed in. Mr. Truss said
the new measures would start immediately and would cover the “import risk
analyses” already under way into apples and bananas. The Minister omitted to mention pork and stone fruit. Mr. Truss said
“because of recent concerns and criticisms, I have decided to further
strengthen its Administration to ensure all stakeholders will have the utmost
confidence in the process.” The Minister’s
statement leaves us with an almighty conundrum, either Mr. Truss is lying to
the farmers in an election year or his Department is reneging on the lowering
of our Quarantine standards re; the concessions they conceded for the FTA with
the U.S. before we sign off on the deal. With that
distraction completed let’s return to the “Australian’s” Chris Mitchell’s
Editorial,: For an agreement that has already been forensically analysed at
home and abroad and which has survived the scrutiny of the American Congress
this is nonsense.” If Mr. Mitchell
is correct about this statement, why didn’t he and his print media colleagues,
(political commentators) inform their readers about the full details re; the
FTA with the U.S. including the concessions conceded for the deals. Could it be
that their Employers are one of the few industries that will profit from the
FTA? Why has Rupert
Murdoch’s company News Ltd. Moved to be listed on the New York stock exchange? Is it possible
that our print media political commentators have become the modern day “Judas,”
with a pay rise? The six Labor Premiers
are pressurizing their Federal Colleagues to vote for the FTA in the Upper
House. (Senate) Therefore we must
presume they are conversent with the concessions conceded to the U.S. for the
FTA. On perusing the
evidence on our website we have no doubt that the proponents and supporters of
the FTA are not only usurping the future well being of our Country, but in fact
are traitors to the Australian People. Before the
Traitors jump up and down with guilt let us assure you, we are not
anti-American, we are Pro-Australian and the proof of this is on our
website. You can peruse our Archives
and it will show we only criticized the U.S. once, and that was because they
wanted to export Californian grapes into Australia which carry Pearces Disease. If you believe
as we do that the FTA is decidedly lopsided against us and you truly care about
the future direction of our Country, may we suggest you contact all the Labor
Senators in your State and explain your concerns about the FTA. In fact ask them the following two
questions: World’s Most and Least
Expensive Cities Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting, 2004 Cost-of Living
Survey. This survey
becomes a great barometer to measure for example the cost of living in Sydney. In 2001 Sydney
was number 64 on the list of most expensive Cities in the World. In 2004 we have jumped 44 places to number
20. We have no
doubt this has been created by greedy Governments (Federal, State and Local)
regardless of Political Persuasion, by imposing added taxes and levies willy
nilly on any thing that comes into their Bureaucrats’ minds. “Bureaucrats,”
these are the non-elected faceless people who in the Majority hold onto their
positions even though their decisions are responsible for directing Australia
towards becoming a Third World Nation. For further
information go to our website: Link – Picking our Pockets. In our Index-Update-July
we spoke about the Carr Labor Government’s (NSW) granting excessive powers to
Labor controlled councils. One of those
councils we highlighted was Canterbury City in which we accused them of controlling
their Municipality in the same vein as Hitler controlled Germany and Stalin the
U.S.S.R. Unfortunately our assessment
has proven correct in that they have imposed an extra 7.5% levy itemized as an
Infrastructure Levy, although this is already incorporated in the original rate
bill, that covers Road and Pavement repairs.
This is double dipping resident/ratepayers, with the full support of the
Carr Labor Government. We would like
to thank the Editor of “The Strategy” Ray Platt for his permission to print the
following two articles from his August publication, and should you be a
concerned Australian about the future of Australia, you can contact Ray on: PH
(03) 5182 6002, Fax (03) 5182 6042 or Email: strategy@net-tech.com.au FACT FILE BY GARETH
KIMBERLEY MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT With the advent of globalization there is now
little difference between Liberal and Labor.
Both are becoming increasingly influenced by international big business
and both appear determined to change our constitution, change our flag and turn
Australia into a multicultural politician’s republic. What I mean by
this statement is that the multicultural society executives accept donations
from both the Liberal and Labor Party with the guarantee that they will support
them at the ballot box. The two parties
have conspired to introduce a voting system (compulsory-preferential) which
endures that no matter how you vote, your vote always ends up with one of
them. For those voters who are not
happy about the policies of the Liberal/Labor duopoly and find the Greens and
Democrats a bit too extreme, there is a smarter way to organize your vote. Look for an
independent or a minor party candidate, whose policies are acceptable and give
him or her your first preference. That
way he or she will get the electoral allowance rather than it going to Liberal
or Labor who already receive large donations from big business and the unions
anyway. Make sure you
number every square on the House of Representatives ballot paper and put
Liberal and Labor second last and last in that order or the other way around if
you are a Labor voter. Of course your
vote will stand up with Liberal or Labor depending on the order you placed them
on your voting slip but at least they won’t get your money. Take care to fill in your ballot paper
correctly and make your vote count. To
deliberately vote informal is stupid. “IMPORTED MALAYSIAN SUGAR” DATE: Friday, May 14, 2004 Prime Minister
Howard’s recently announced and much trotted ‘sugar package’ to assist hard-pressed
cane farmers, still failed to address the real and immediate problem of low
returns to farmers. To add insult
to injury, Mr. Howard’s Government has permitted the importation of refined
white sugar from Malaysia, which is currently being marketed in Queensland, New
South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. In Queensland,
refined white sugar produced from Queensland grown sugarcane currently sells in
major food supermarkets for approximately $1.60 per kilo. The imported refined white sugar from
Malaysia is being marketed to Australian grocers or 55 cents a kilo. How on earth
can Mr. Howard expect Australia’s cane growers to compete with imported
Malaysian sugar, which is being discounted by 65% against local sugar? Instead of the now
“Clayton’s” sugar package, common sense should have prevailed with 200 million
being allocated over 3 years to subidised farmers tonnage payments, with an
equivalent amount spent on establishing value-added sugar cane by products
facilities to kick in when the subside period expired. Perhaps Mr. Howard can justify committing
over $440 million taxpayer dollars to decimate local growers while allowing
imported Malaysian sugar to be dumped into an already inequitable market. Selwyn Johnston Candidate and
Team Leader Queensland
Independent Senate Team Website: htpp/www.johnston-independent.com PH: (07) 4056 6057 Fax: (07) 4056 6058 Mobile: 0418 243 652 Email: ind@gil.com.au Postal Address: PO Box 1919 Cairns FNQ 4870 P.S. The Editor in Chief of the
Australian Chris Mitchell supports Genetically Modified canola trials without
explanation. Mr. Mitchell seems to
support foreign ownership of our Country.
Whether it be via the FTA or GM Canola trials. He omits to alert readers that the GM
Canola seed is totally owned by Multi-Nationals Monsanto and Bayer and should
the seed contaminate a non-farm, the GM farmer is legally responsible, not
Monsanto or Bayer. We’ll leave the decision
to you re: what the Editors motives could be, as far as his opinions on the FTA
and his stance on GM crops. SMOKING MIRRORS AND THE AUSTRALIAN – UNITED STATES FREE TRADE AGREEMENT With the exception of a couple of talk back
radio hosts and an article, the “FTA: pandering to Rome,” on June 4, 2004
edition of the Australian Financial Review, the true facts re; what concessions
were conceded for the FTA. The aforementioned article can be
perused by going to our main page index – Update – July. The Australian Community are being
treated with utter contempt by the elected members of Federal Parliament, not
only by the Howard-Anderson Coalition but the cross benches of the Opposition
Parties in both her Lower and Upper Houses by failing to reveal the truth re;
the deal we made with the U.S. for the FTA. With the exception of the National
Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) Doug Cameron the
remaining executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) are
deafening by their silence re; our FTA with the U.S. Within the next few weeks the Federal
Coalition will attempt to push the FTA Treaty through the Upper House, (The
Senate). Let’s hope this doesn’t occur whilst the
majority of Australian’s attention will be focused on Athens and the Olympics. Regardless of the many distractions we may endure, we must keep
our eyes on the ball, for once the FTA is signed, sealed and delivered, it will
be irreversible. We must stress if you want a better future
for your family and their family, you must make the effort to contact your
state’s Federal Senators and register your concerns with the FTA. Pleading Guilty to being repetitive, we urge
you to ask your Federal representatives from the Lower and Upper Houses two
questions: Former Democrats Leader, who gave us the
GST Meg Lees, has brought the Full Sale of Telstra back into the
lime-light. Must we remind the
Australian Community that the full sale of a Government Utility becomes a
financial burden to the consumer. Have
no doubts that the full sale of Telstra will afford us higher rental charges,
dearer phone calls, not to mention that any repairs required to the Telco
equipment will be solely the responsibility of the customer. What’s next in line for sale by the
Howard-Anderson Coalition, Electricity, Gas, and Water or maybe they plan to
fully privatize our Universities? Can
we afford the risk! Can we trust the Government! P.S. Any FTA with South-East Asian
Countries could engender massive numbers of unemployment in Australia because
these Governments rely on sending cheap exports abroad which can only be
attained due to their sweat labour policies, It’s impossible for Australian
Industries to compete, under these conditions NSW LABOR PREMIER CARR
INSTILLS NEO-LIBERALISM TO HIS STATE The shame of Premier Carr, his Ministers
and their Bureaucrats re; their closure of Liverpool’s Orange Grove at a cost
of 450 jobs and 60 store owners at this factory outlet. The Premier says he is unable to
overturn this decision as it is the verdict of the Land and Environment Court
and their decision is final and cannot be reversed. May we remind Premier Carr that this is
the same Court that ruled the Collex a waste removal company lost their case to
operate from Clyde to Goulburn. What
did the Carr Labor Government do, they legislated to overturn the courts
decision giving Collex the right to operate their business. We now have a complaint lodged with the
Independent Commission against corruption (ICAC) who have admitted they are
instigating preliminary enquiries into allegations re: political interference
into the development. ICAC is the same agency who held a
Clayton’s enquiry into the Liverpool City Labor controlled Council’s failed
Oasis development at a cost of more than 20 million dollars to their
resident/ratepayers. ICAC gave the Liverpool
Council a clean bill of health. Due to public outcries Premier Carr was
left with no other alternative but to set up an Independent inquiry into the
Oasis development which is still ongoing, but is looking gloomier by the day
for the Labor Councilors involved. A couple of companies involved in the
Orange Grove Centre (Westfield’s) and Collex are both financial donors to the
NSW Labor Party. If you have doubts
about the Liberal-National Coalition and the Labor Party’s support for the
National Competition Policy (NCP) which creates monopolies and price fixing as
well as the use of slave labour, hit the following Links>>>> Gats –
Free Trade by Stealth – Update –What Price Deregulation – Update – July. THE HOWARD GOVERNMENT’S
APPOINTMENTS RE JOBS FOR THE BOYS AND
GIRLS PETER REITH Australian Director of European Bank
for Reconstruction and development MAX the AXE MOORE-WILTON CEO of Sydney Airport Corporation
ex-head of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. JOHN OLSEN_FORMER LIBERAL Premier of South Australia now
consul-General to Los Angeles DAVID FLINT – Recently resigned as
Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Authority GRAEM SAMUEL – Chairman of the ACCC TIM FISCHER – Chairman of Tourism Australia DON McGAUCHIE – Chairman of Telstra DONALD Mc DONALD – Chairman of the ABC MICHAEL BAUME – Former Consul –
General to New York KEN ALLEN – Consul – General to New
York JANE HALTON – Secretary of the Health
Department CARLA ZAMPATTI – Chairperson of SBS
Board HUGH MORGAN – RBA Director, President
of the Business Council of Australia CHRISTOPER PEARSON – The National
Museum of Australia Board, SBS Board and former Australia Council Board
Member DAVID BENNETT - Howard Biographer is
on the National Museum of Australia Board JULLIAN BROADBENT – On the RBA and SBS
Boards MAURICE NEWMAN – Recently resigned
from the ABC Board, still on the Business Advisory Panel to Immigration
Minister and the Treasurer’s Financial Sector Advisory Panel Following are some of the other
Appointments re; former Federal and State Liberal and National Party
Politicians made by the Howard Liberal – National Coalition since 1996. It’s worth noting the aforementioned and
the following have all received more than generous tax-payers funded
superannuation from their former Parliamentarian positions and are now double
dipping, as these appointees are once again being paid by the Australian
Tax-payer. John Herron Tony Messner Don
Cameron Michael Woolridge Grant Tambling Ross
Mc Lean Margaret Guilfoyle David Connolly Mark Birrell Jocelyn Newman Bruce Lloyd Christopher
Miles Jim Killen Trevor Griffin Rob
Knowles Alan Rocher Peter Nixon Bob
Ellicot Jim Short Bruce Mc Carthy David Mc Gibbon Virginia Chadwich Jim Carlton Ian
Mc Lachlin Warwick Parer Ray Braithwaite John
Spender Bob Halverson James Longley Michael
Mc Kellar Andrew Peacock Doug
Anthony Richard Alston Visitors to our website take note that
our Update – September part two will appear on our site sometime in the middle
of August in which we are at this moment collating evidence that will prove
that the two major parties have been working in tandem, and against the
Australian Community. STOP PRESS! HOWARD
GOVERNMENT TO PUSH THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT TREATY WITH THE UNITED STATES
THROUGH THE UPPER HOUSE BY STEALTH The multitudes in the thousands of
concerned Australians inquiring if it’s possible in some way they can assist to
prevent the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) being passed in the Upper House. There certainly is: The truth of the matter
is that the Federal Parliament will resume on August 3, 2004 and August 17,
2004 whilst the majority of Australians eyes are focused on the Athens
Olympics, the Howard Government will attempt to sneak the FTA Treaty through
the senate. For those who fear for the future
direction of Australia, we suggest you contact the Labor Senators in your State
and lobby them to vote against the FTA.
Following is the list of Labor Senators representing your State. Where there is no contact number, you can
check your State’s business section of your phone book, they will be listed
under “Parliament.” If the Labor Senators appear to be
unaware re: how many concessions the Howard Government conceded to the U.S. for
the FTA, make it known to them you have visited a website that has the
aforementioned information: voiceofthepeople.8m.com – Index – main page –
Update – June. Don’t be afraid to tell the senator or
his representative on the basis of the information supplied by the executive
council of the United States President, office of the United States Trade
Representative Washington, DC – those elected members who vote to pass the FTA
with the U.S. can only be regarded as betraying the Australian people in fact
they would be traitors. SENATOR ACT CONTACT # Kate
Lundy (02) 6230 0411 NSW Toll Free # George
Campbell 1300 301 736 John
Faulkner (02) 9719 8100 Michael
Foreshaw (02) 9545 3112 Steve
Hutchins (02) 9687 4600 Ursula
Stephens 1300 301 987 NT Trish
Crossin 1300 301 713 SENATOR QLD Toll
Free # Joe
Ludwig 1300 301 944 Jan
Mc Lucas 1300 301 959 Claire
Moore 1300 884 489 John
Hogg (07) 3843 4066 SA Nick
Bolkus (08) 8352 7477 Geoffrey
Buckland (08) 8132 1072 Linda
Kirk (08) 8431 1755 Penny
Wong (08) 8223 3388 TAS Kay
Denman (03) 6425 6399 Kerry
O’Brien (03) 6334 9366 Nick
Sherry 1300 135 498 VIC Kim
Carr 1300 131 424 Jacinta
Collins 1300 131 538 Stephen
Conroy (03) 9408 0190 Gavin
Marshall (03) 9347 9533 Robert
Ray (03) 9804 5630 WA Mark
Bishop (08) 9472 6177 Peter Cook 1300
666 494 Christopher
Evans 1300 655 388 Ruth
Webber (08) 9409 9599 Rest assured if this lopsided Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) with the United States is passed by our Upper House Senators,
Australia will become a third World Nation, we will replicate the same fate as
Argentina who are bankrupt due to their FTA with the U.S. We must become one Australia for all
Australians.