This week marks the start of the first sitting in Parliament for the Rudd Government. Today Prime Minister Rudd gave the apology to the Stolen Generation. *** I will continue to write posts on the Becrux blog.
Also tagged 'Pharoz', Becrux, blog, Hope, posts, Rudd, Rudd Government, Stolen Generation, Today Prime Minister RuddIn the words of one of the High Court judges, Justice (later Chief Justice) Brennan, in 1992: It would be a parody of democracy to confer on the people a power to choose their Parliament but to deny the freedom of public discussion from which people derive their political judgments Freedom of public discussion of government is not merely a desirable political privilege;
Also tagged ACTs, Australia, Australian Constitution, Cambridge University Press, Chief Justice Brennan, Communication, Constitution, Five, Freedom, Helen Irving, High Court, Ideas, If I, informed, Justice, Political, public, Relevant, Voters, Yet IThis, I presume, would have been done through a procedure other than the usual one of Section 128 which can only change the Constitution itself, but not the preamble or covering clauses of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900.
Also tagged Act, ACTs, American, Australia Act, Australia Constitution Act, Australian Constitution, Australian Crown, Australian Republic, Britain, British, British Parliament, changing, Commonwealth, Computer, Constitution, Copernican, Covering, CPU, Crown, Government, Governor-General, Great Britain, Her Majesty, Ideas, Ireland, July, Namely, Queen, republic, Section, Senate, Statute, Systems, The Australian Constitution, The Constitution, The Constitutional, The House, This Act, This I, United Kingdom, WestminsterThe first step with regard to the media laws, if they are obviously being used to stifle our democratic freedoms, is an exercise of Section 58 of the Constitution: or that he reserves the law for the Queens pleasure.
Also tagged And I, Australia, Australian Islamic, Balkans, Constitution, Culture Wars, election, Enter Senator Helen Coonan, Europe, general, GG, Governor-General, Helen, Houses, Howard, Imam, Iraq, Islam, Jews, laws, Liberal Party, Media, Muslim, Muslims, NSW, OK, Queen, race, racist, Section, Section I, Senator Fielding, Sydney, Terror, The ABC, The Cronulla, The Flags Act, True, War on Terror, WoodsThe Queen may disallow any law within one year from the Governor-General’s assent, and such disallowance on being made known by the Governor-General by speech or message to each of the Houses of the Parliament, or by Proclamation, shall annul the law from the day when the disallowance is so made known.
Also tagged 59, Constitution, disallowance, Governor General's, Governor-General, Houses, known, Labor MPs, laws, National, Proclamation, Section, The Age, The Queen, U-turnA Government that would be remembered more by reference to barnyard animals (parrots, donkeys, and chickens only yesterday), and that seems to be ‘challenged’ with regard to understanding even basic liberal democratic institutions – they don’t even seem to know what responsible government is – just can not be taken seriously.
Also tagged A Government, Australia, Government, Howard, Howard Government, Iraq, laws, parody, person, The IR, This Government, War on TerrorHere is a quick pass at where I think the boundary between effective collective thought and nonsense lies: The collective is more likely to be smart when it isn’t defining its own questions, when the goodness of an answer can be evaluated by a simple result (such as a single numeric value,) and when the information system which informs the collective is filtered by a quality control mechanism that relies on individuals to a high degree.
Also tagged Break, collective, Collectives, DIGITAL MAOISM The Hazards, Edge, Howard Executive, Imagine, Individual, It's, Meanwhile, New Online Collectivism By Jaron Lanier, optimal, Political Theory, pre-Internet, Senate, STUPID, Super-energized, Technical, The Internet, War on Terror, way, WikipediaThe emphasis on law and order, ueber alles, to lock in authoritarian regimes – and the failure of politics to become an open forum for dissent and constructive debate to help solve problems – manifests as violent riots and bully tactics. Don’t be so negative – look at everything that you have – it could be taken away from you – so cheer up, you are safe.
Also tagged Australia, Australia's, Australian, Australians, Because I, Democracy, DFAT, Don't, East Timor PNG The Solomon Islands Fiji, Freedom, Howard, Noah, Oh, phones, Piss, power, That's, thoughtJoyce Parliament vote on ice – National – theage.com.au ONE of Julian McGauran’s final acts before he defected from the Nationals to the Liberals was to send Barnaby Joyce to Antarctica for a month. “I think Julian McGauran probably thought it was a brilliant idea,” Senator Joyce told The Sunday Age.
Also tagged Antarctica, Australian Antarctic Territory, Barnaby Joyce, Commonwealth Games, Government, Hey, I'm, Joyce, Joyce Parliament, Julian McGauran, Julian McGauran's, Liberals, Looks, march, MPs, National, Nationals', Parliament's, Queensland, senator, Senator Joyce, The Sunday Age, They Liberal MPs, think, We'llThe Australian republic must rise again – Editorial – Opinion – smh.com.au To mark its 175th anniversary, the Herald will run a series of occasional editorials on major themes in contemporary Australia. They must acknowledge the reality of popular sentiment and begin the debate on how a head of state can be elected within a new constitution which preserves the best elements – including its stability – of the old constitution yet acknowledges the desire for popular election.
Also tagged AS THE, Australia, Australia's, Australian, Australian Republic, Australians, Constitution, Coperncian, Editorial, German, head, herald, Irish, November, On Australia Day, Opinion, state, The AustralianTruth, Justice and The American Way has given way to Lies an’ thuggery as the neo-cons hold sway The cult of the Thuggees Travellers beware the friendly stranger who lays on the flattery, lest that stranger become a strangler…
Also tagged explain, Flattery, Individually, lies, people, public, Question Time, The American Way, The Dorothy Dixers, Thuggees, Travellers, Truth Justice, TyrantsTerror laws edge closer despite concerns – National – smh.com.au: “Terror laws edge closer despite concerns The federal government has rejected a last-ditch bid by Australia’s peak lawyer body to scrap new anti-terror laws which are set to be passed by parliament tomorrow.
Also tagged 'It, 'The, 'This, ABC, ALP, AS THEY ARE NOW, Australia, Australia Senator Ludwig, Australia's, Australian, Australian Democrats, Australian Law Reform Commission, Bill, Commonwealth Crimes Act, Costello, George Brandis, Gerard, Government, Government Senate, House, Howard, Imagine, IN THE CURRENT DRAFT You, Insiders, IR Tomorrow, Joe Ludwig, John North, Labor, Labor Party, Law Council, laws, Liberal, Mr North, Natasha Stott Despoja, National, NOT UP TO SCRATCH, NOW This, Opposition, RBA Board, Representatives, Robert Hill, Sedition, Senate, Senate AS THEY ARE NOW, Senator Brandis, Senator Hill, Terror, THE ISSUE IS THAT IMPORTANT It, The Law Council, The Senate, There'sRepublican model ‘critical’ – National – theage.com.au: “Republican model ‘critical’ By Phillip Hudson November 20, 2005 REPUBLICANS who are split over whether a president should be elected by the people or chosen by politicians must agree on one model if they want ‘to be rid of the monarchy’, says shadow attorney-general Nicola Roxon.
Also tagged 'A, 'If, 'What, ARM, ARM Youth Night, Australian Republic, Australian Republican Movement, But Ms Roxon, By Phillip Hudson, Labor Government, Labor Shadow Attorney General Nicola Roxon MP, model, ms, Ms Roxon, National, Nicola Roxon, Nicola Roxon MP Senator Mitch Fifield The, November, President, republican, Republicans, roxon, says, The Republic, The Victorian Branch, Tuesday, Victorian Branch, Victorian Liberal Senator Mitch Fifield, Which Way ForwardBut when someone consistently comes up with the goods – for instance the article in the Weekend Australian about the Republic and the need to get around the reserve powers could be easily solved with the Copernican Models that I helped design, and there are so many other examples as well – you won’t find anyone in the political class paying credit where it is due.
Also tagged All I, ALP, Australians, Capital Gains, Copernican Models, Even Paul Kelly, GST, Howard, Howard's, However I, Huge, Independent, Liberal Government, Migration Act, Native Title Act, Once Howard, people, post-Tampa, Pre-Traumatic Stress, republic, Senate, Senate Inquiry, senator, Senator Andrew Bartlett, someone, stress, Terror, Watching, ways, Weekend AustralianThere is a four year jail term for anyone who breaks a condition of a Control Order with the proposed anti-terror laws. While the reasons for the AFP to issue control orders may be hidden and scant, arbitrary even, it will be the breaking of Control Orders which will be the main offense under this regime, in my opinion.
Also tagged AFP, anti-terror, Australians, Beazley, Contol Orders, Control, Control Order, Control Orders, laws, orders, Political, right, Right We, That's, unionsAustralian Labor Party: Earth calling Ruddock: Terror laws need public scrutiny: “Earth calling Ruddock: Terror laws need public scrutiny Nicola Roxon – Shadow Attorney-General Media Statement – 26th October 2005 Philip Ruddock today made the extraordinary claim that there has been enough public scrutiny of the Anti-Terrorism Bill even though the Government has not released the Bill.
Also tagged Anti-Terrorism Bill, Anyway, Australian, Australian Labor Party, Australians, Bill, Constitution, Earth, Government, High Court, House, Howard, Justifying, Media Statement, Melbourne Cup Ruddock, Nicola Roxon, October, Philip Ruddock, public, Representatives, right, Ruddock, scrutiny, Shadow Attorney-General, Terror, War on TerrorVoters say yes to terror Australis – National – smh.com.au: “Australians overwhelmingly endorse the anti-terrorism plan agreed by the Commonwealth, states and territories, but strongly oppose the one key point of political dispute – John Howard’s push to give police new shoot-to-kill powers over suspects.
Also tagged According, August, Australian, Australians, Australis, BINGO, cent, Commonwealth, Funny, Governments, Herald Poll, Howard's, John Howard's, Labor, Mr Beazley, Mr Howard, National, OK, people, Prime Minister's, public, support, suspects, The ALP, Three-quarters, Voters, War on Terror, Well I, Well NO ThereCensus of Population and Housing – Census Data Enhancement The following text is from the following PDF document: Census Data Enhancement – Statement of Intention “CENSUS DATA ENHANCEMENT PROJECT – STATEMENT OF INTENTION Background The primary objective of the Census Data Enhancement (CDE) project was to enhance the value of the Census by combining it with future censuses and possibly other datasets held by the ABS.
Also tagged A Discussion Paper, ABS, ABS However, ABS Position, ABS The, April, Australian Statistician, Background, CDE, Census, Census Data Enhancement, Census Data Enhancement CDE, CENSUS DATA ENHANCEMENT PROJECT, changes, data, datasets, Government, Houses, Housing, Indigenous, intention, names, National Archives, National Identity Card, Note, Official Statistics, PDF, Population, Population Census, public, records, SLCD, Statement, STATEMENT OF INTENTION, statistical, Statistical Longitudinal Census Dataset SLCD, Statistics Act, The ABS, The ABS Proposal, The PIA, The SLCD, Underpinning, United Nations Fundamental Principles, War on TerrorLaws for a secret state without any safeguards – Opinion – smh.com.au: “…Professor Naomi Chazan said, in the recent Gandel Oration in Melbourne: ‘There is one standard and one standard for all, and the challenge that is posed by terrorism is how to defend the rights of those that we don’t agree with?.How can we defend the rights, the basic human and civil rights, of those whose ideas we simply abhor?’ Unless we do so, the terrorists have already had a significant victory.
Also tagged 'Fundamentalism, 'He, 'There, Churchill, English, executive, Gandel Oration, Habeas Corpus, Howard's, Justice, laws, Melbourne, October, Opinion, Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, principles, Professor Naomi Chazan, Rights, State Library, Stephen Murray-Smith Memorial Lecture, Thomas Paine, Unless, Victoria, War on TerrorDeflating terror’s bubble – Michelle Grattan – Opinion – theage.com.au: “Stanhope’s defiant action prompted the Government (through calls from bureaucrats, including the head of the PM’s department, Peter Shergold) to try unsuccessfully to get the draft bill taken down.
Also tagged Absolutely, Anyway, Besides, Christmas, Deflating, Government, Howard, legislation, Michelle Grattan, Opinion, people, Peter Shergold, PM's, PM's Office, Stanhope, Stanhope's, War on Terror, work
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