Howard makes Liberal-minded Aussies hang their heads in shame

It is with great pleasure that I publish the following message which arrived tonight, in response to a Crikey bulletin which announced that President-elect Obama and his family are unable to take up the traditional residence for the President-elect, "Blair House" at 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC. Why?

• Because our illustrious former PM, John Howard and his lovely wife - what's-her-name (?) have accepted an invitation to bunk down at Blair House, prior to receiving the (US) Presidential Medal of Freedom.

My correspondent's message is as follows:

JWH's distinguished career as PM featured the following notable contributions to the human condition as detailed by Julian Burnside QC in his excellent book - 'The Watching Brief' p. 176 (a must read for all liberal-minded men and women)

• "Our treatment of asylum-seekers, in particular: arbitrary detention involving cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of children and adults; the unregulated use of solitary confinement; and treatment amounting to torture;
• "The government's complacent acceptance of the detention in Guantanamo of two Australian citizens: Mamdouh Habib and David Hicks. Habib was tortured by Egyptian and American authorities; Australia knew about it and did nothing to help him. Hicks was held for five years and then faced a 'trial' without any features or safeguards of a proper criminal trial; the Australian government did not lift a finger to help him;
• "The 2002 amendments to the security legislation permitting the incommunicado detention of people not suspected of any offence;
• "The 2005 amendments to the security legislation permitting the imprisonment for up to 14 days without trial, house arrest for up to 12 months without trial, and deprivation of basic rights without access to the evidence used against the person."

All the above was achieved while our ex-leader trotted out platitudes about a 'fair go' and 'family values' ably assisted by an Attorney General flashing an Amnesty International badge. Lord Downer of Fishnet also minced about adding colour to each new initiative.

Australians await the obliteration of these foul laws which have heaped shame and condemnation of the land of the real fair go. Sadly, we seem to be getting the message from the citadel that owing to the current global slump, the light at the end of the tunnel has been temporarily switched off. We await further news...........

Oh! But I digress. The medal that Johnny is getting while he keeps a real Statesman waiting in a hotel?

Why, its the Presidential Medal of Freedom stupid!

The Day after D Day

Well, the news of the demise of the Howard "Government of Shame" is well and truly published. My Canadian mate, Leo has sent me this email critique (already).

Hi Denis,

Apparently you lot follow the great Can-eh-djun tradition of voting against, rather than for. Or do you only have 2 parties? Anyways, I hope your new b*stard works out better for you than our new b*stard has for us. ie keeps to the principles which he has espoused over the long term (not necessarily the same ones as he may have campaigned on!) More to the point, hope your new one has principles (and continues to have) ...

Its a timely comment (prescient, 0ne could say).
Miss Eagle and I have already have a similar discussion via her blog.

The really interesting thing is what is starting to happen in the Liberal Party, after Howard stubbornly led them to a crippling defeat.

Fireworks within the Liberal Party,
AFTER THEIR ELECTORAL DEFEAT

Alex Downer admitted on the ABC Insiders program this morning that he has expected the defeat. That admission begs the question as to why the Party power brokers were too pathetic to challenge Howard.

Peter Costello (Treasurer and Deputy-Leader of the Liberal Party) has today announced that he will not seek the position of "Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition".
What a wimp! It confirms the impression of how weak he always was (refusing to challenge Howard, when he had the chance).
But are we surprised? Hardly.

Costello enjoyed the power of office too much, and when looking at his "former Young Liberals" and Victorian Branch "power-broker" pal Michael Kroger, Costello must see it as being just too easy and too attractive to enter business, and make a killing.

• "I want to spend more time with my family ... They have paid a heavy price."
• Mr Costello inferred that he would enter business once he left politics, but said initially he would continue to serve voters in his Melbourne seat of Higgins and mentor new MPs.

Hmm, The prospect of Peter spending more time with them might be an even heavier price to pay...

I am predicting Joe Hockey might get the job, over Turnbull, and Abbott, Nelson (surely not even the Libs could be so stupid!) At least Joe looks cuddly, and won't scare the kiddies!

Death Penalty "debate" is a disgrace.

The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

It violates the right to life.

************

The media is whipping up a feeding frenzy over Kevin Rudd supposedly "rebuking" the ALP's Foreign Affairs Spokesman, Robert McClelland for a statement he made yesterday about the Death Penalty.

The really disgusting thing is the way in which Alexander Downer has been whipping this issue up.I vividly remember Alexander Downer welcoming the announcement of the imposition of the Death Penalty on the Bali Bombers. I was appalled at the time, by Downer's statement, for it is in direct contradiction of Australia's bi-partisan stance in opposition to the Death Penalty - whether in Australia, or overseas. It is also in contradiction of Australia's ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. So much for Australia's Foreign minister representing this Government's official policy on international law. It is another example of the Government of Shame, in operation.

And Downer made feeble efforts to have the death penalty waived on an Australian citizen in Singapore (on the grounds of Australia's "high moral principle") - but let us not forget that the person concerned there was an Australian of Vietnamese origin. I would not dream of suggesting Downer is a racist bastard - you can make up your own mind on that. Hypocrite? Certainly!

As the Indonesian Lawyer Wirawan Adnan, who is defending at least one of the Australians convicted of drug charges in Indonesia (the so-called Bali 9) has said - this debate weakens Australia's arguments against executions of our citizens (abroad).

• We perceive this as a little bit inconsistent with the death penalty and makes it difficult for the Bali nine to go for a lesser sentence than death," Wirawan Adnan said.

  Another lawyer for the Bali bombers, Achmad Michdan, called Australia's position hypocritical.

*************

Here is a draft letter to Alexander Downer from a website about the Death penalty.

• [insert date]
• The Hon Alexander Downer MP

Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
PO Box 6022
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

• Dear Minister
• The worldwide trend towards the abolition of capital punishment is undeniable and Australia must establish itself as a clear opponent, unafraid to express its views.
• We failed in our pleas for clemency for Van Nguyen hung in Singapore in Dec 05 by campaigning too little too late, our apparent double-standards and inconsistent stance was widely noted at this time and surely had some bearing on the outcome. Now six more young Australian citizens, three of whom were teenagers when incarcerated, face the firing squad in Indonesia for being drug mules. Australia cannot be content with the death penalty, even when courts have discretion in imposing it. We must press for better protections of human rights, and awareness throughout the world that there cannot be a justice that kills.
• We acknowledge the need to address serious crimes, but there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than other punishments. Surely one of the principles of sentencing is rehabilitation; the death penalty renders this impossible with no opportunity to make better choices or the chance to return to society with a positive contribution, a second chance. The death sentence represents the ultimate failure of justice.
• Officially Australia has a long-standing principled opposition to capital punishment. In 1990 Australia signed the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which commits signatory nations not only to abolish the death penalty, but to undertake "an international commitment to abolish the death penalty". Australia's traditionally strong position on the death penalty has been undermined in recent years by what appears to be double standards. If we are to restore credibility when arguing for our own citizens to be spared, Australia must maintain a clear and principled stance against capital punishment in all circumstances.
• Yours sincerely
• [Insert Name and Address]

"Clap - if you believe in Fairies"

In the final scene from the musical version of Peter Pan, Tinkerbell is in danger of dying. So the audience - usually kids who are in tears at this stage, are asked to: "Clap - if you believe in fairies".
Of course they do clap and Tink is rescued from the brink of oblivion.

There are so many parallels with the present situation in Australia.

Firstly, there is Howard as "Tinkerbell". With polls plummeting ever lower, his ability to keep flapping his gossamer wings is doubtful. He looks likely to expire at any moment.

Then there is the APEC charade: $350 million to produce what, exactly.....?

"I don't want to overstate it, but it is a big step forward to get China, Russia and the United States, the major polluters to agree on the need for an aspirational goal (to cut emissions by 2050)." Source: Fairfax Digital

Its like half the leaders of the world all hold hands, close their eyes, and say: "Yes, I believe in fairies too" - maybe something wonderful will happen and the world will survive without Global Warming. OK, can we go home now???"

The Americans don't believe in global warming, and carbon emission limits. They refuse to sign up for the Kyoto Protocol. India and China didn't sign up. Australia didn't sign up.
But its all right folks, we have a self imposed "Aspirational Goal" --- to do "something".

That's right boys. Hold hands, "Clap - if you believe in fairies"

Tinkerbell is still waving her little flimsy wings just a bit. Maybe Howard can survive the week. Maybe.

There, that was worth $350 million, wasn't it?
Sydney's reputation as a tourist magnet is in tatters.

Late news has it that Turnbull and Downer have decided that Howard has to go, (according to an ABC interview a few minutes ago, with a Sky News representative - David Speers). ABC 702 radio - 9:40am.
Read the story here.

What cost to the nation, to stoke the ego of a fading politician?
I don't think it was worth it, do you?
But then, to be honest, I never did.

Rudd "strippergate" a complete distraction.

The Kevin Rudd "Strippergate" story is a complete distraction from the real story of this last week. The world economy is in melt-down, and yet all Australian journalist want to talk about is the temperature in Kevin's Jocks. (That post is the worst-taste item I have seen published, so I give you the link, just in case you wish to see how bad Australian journalism can get - The Journo concerned (Jack Marx) apparently got sacked for it - but he should have a future writing "books meant to be read with one-hand" (p*rnography).

Back to the real story - it is not just the American "Sub-Prime" lending market - did you know that the Australian Dollar lost 10 cents in the last week (against the US Dollar)?

Source: http://www.x-rates.com/d/USD/AUD/graph120.html

Nope? Well, that's hardly a surprise. The ABC radio and television has been completely consumed by the Strippergate story. It is a disgrace (their lack of "perspective" I mean.) They have completely missed the real story of the week.

So, Alexander Downer, or whoever did leak the story, has done a huge favour to the Government of Shame. The real story has been buried, in favour of journalistic opinion based upon rumour, based in turn upon sordid memories of journalists and politicians.

Folly of Kevin '03 steals the show from Kevin07 - The Age - 84 related articles »
MPs laugh off strip club visits as Rudd pain continues

(Google search result "Bob Brown" + "Kevin Rudd"). Did you see that - 84 related articles! 84! That proves my theory, I believe.

*****

Meanwhile, remember next time you hear John Howard say that the economy is in great shape - that it is simply a lie. Wrong in fact. Wrong in "understanding" of economic fundamentals. We are skating over very thin ice - in a time of global warming, that's not a good strategy.

Remember also this telling line by Dr Bob Brown: Going to a strip club is nothing compared to sending Australian troops to war, Greens Senator Bob Brown says.
(Reuters | Monday, 20 August 2007)

Didn't you know? Hicks was trying to "destroy our civilisation".

Guantanamo Bay "inmate"
One leading Liberal is blaming the Hicks team for the "timing" of the plea bargain.

They may as well blame him for trying to destabilise the Government for the last 5 years, by limping round in shackles and an orange jump suit, just to look good on Television, and to attract sympathy.

He is even accused here of trying to "destroy our civilization".

*****

If you don't believe me? Read it here:

According to "The Age" website: "Mr Turnbull said he had been wondering for some time what the motivations were behind stalling a plea deal.
crikey.com.au
"As a lawyer the thing that I find interesting is that Hicks' lawyers did not seek to get a deal done a lot earlier," Mr Turnbull told ABC radio today.

"I mean David Hicks on a substantive test, on a factual test, was always guilty - he was caught red-handed," he said.

"Whether he was a foot soldier or more important than that nonetheless he was definitely working with the terrorists, he was seeking to destroy our civilisation."

"Given those circumstances, I've always wondered whether his failure to get a deal done and the apparent lack of interest to get a deal done, I've often wondered what their motivations were there."

*****

Mr Turnbull: I must ask you: Hicks was always guilty of what, exactly?
Under which set of laws, Mr Turnbull?
Australian laws? I don't think so - otherwise we could have charged him here, which we all know we cannot do.
American "made-up charges", which are not real laws on the US Statute Books?

How could he have been always guilty of laws invented after his capture, and incarceration?

As Crikey.com.au suggested (see their courtroom sketch above) Hicks was guilty "by incarceration".

*****

Mr Turnbull, you said it, so please explain!

Oh, and by the way, under which of your portfolio responsibilities are you commenting - Is it as Minister for the Environment or Minister for Water Resources? Surely you are not commenting on matters outside your portfolio responsibilities?

Or are you speaking, from jealousy, that John Howard, Alex Downer and Phillip Ruddock are getting all the headlines on this story? Surely not???