The NEXT coming Oz election thread!

In that case, let's bring back isolationism! :wink:

A girl has to have some place to vent, goddsmmit!

I thought you did well in the other thread, Deb. I liked the Oz responses there. I just loathe the "going for the man & not the ball" aspect of many of those US politics thread, that's all ... find it an incredible turn-off.

I'm wondering, would information like this (re Scott Parkin) be available to us if the proposed "anti-terror" legislation is passed? Just how much access would we have to any such ASIO-inspired actions? Anyone know?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/deported-activist-not-violent-admits-asio-chief/2005/11/01/1130720518428.html

That cartoons works on so many levels.

"Honest John"

Well, here we go .... ! :

Parliament in uproar as IR bill tabled
November 2, 2005 - 2:23PM/SMH

Federal Parliament opened in uproar today as the Government introduced a mammoth bill which is set to change the face of industrial relations in Australia.

Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews read highlights from the 687-page Work Choices Bill to the House of Representatives with Prime Minister John Howard close by.

The bill has become highly contentious since it was first signalled by Mr Howard in May, and has been backed by a Government advertising campaign worth more than $40 million, while opposed by a vigorous ACTU campaign.

The Opposition, led by an angry IR spokesman Stephen Smith, immediately sought to have consideration of the bill postponed to another day through use of parliamentary tactics.

Labor wants a much longer inquiry into the bill than the Government has been prepared to allow.

Amid shouting and taunting from both sides, Mr Smith claimed the Government was in breach of the rules because it had not allowed all members of the Opposition a copy of the bill. ... <cont>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/parliament-in-uproar-as-ir-bill-tabled/2005/11/02/1130823257420.html

Staying put: strikes to be banned for five years on new projects
By David Humphries
November 2, 2005/SMH

New projects and industries will be quarantined from industrial action for five years, instead of the previously proposed one, under late changes expected in the Government's new workplace legislation.

Penalties for employers and workers who fail in their legal obligation to give notice of industrial disputes are likely to jump. The current maximum penalty is $33,000 for companies and unions and $6600 for individuals ... <cont>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/strikes-to-be-banned-for-five-years/2005/11/01/1130823210670.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/workers-face-jail-under-new-ir-laws-beazley/2005/11/02/1130823257423.html

Workers face jail under new IR laws: Beazley
November 2, 2005 - 2:23PM/SMH


Workers could be thrown in jail if they reveal they have an Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA) under the Government's workplace changes, Labor says.

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley slammed the laws as an attack on the freedoms of Australian workers and said Labor would campaign against them at the next federal election.

He said the laws, introduced to Parliament today, were filled with catch 22s, including banning workers from discussing whether they have an AWA.

"To reveal the fact that a person is in receipt of an AWA, [is] an offence that can produce a jail term," Mr Beazley told reporters.

"This is taking ordinary human discourse on our wages and conditions and criminalising it. It's as simple as that.

"This is a major threat to Australian freedoms as well as it being a major threat to Australian living standards."

Mr Beazley said employers who tried to introduce rules or requirements that were banned under the new laws also faced massive fines and six months' jail. ... <cont>

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/workers-face-jail-under-new-ir-laws-beazley/2005/11/02/1130823257423.html

Hmmmmmmmmm .... :

Last Update: Wednesday, November 2, 2005. 8:23pm (AEDT)

Terrorist threat timing a coincidence: PM

The Prime Minister has rejected suggestions his announcement that Australia is facing a possible terrorist threat has been timed to avoid scrutiny of the industrial relations and counter-terrorism laws.

John Howard says he has intelligence now he did not have at the weekend, and the information concerns him.

However, Mr Howard has refused to outline the details of the threat.

He says the Government is doing everything it can to protect the community.

Mr Howard has told Channel 9 he has not timed the announcement of the threat to coincide with the workplace relations legislation, which was introduced into Parliament today.

"It is purely coincidental," he said. ... <cont>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1496437.htm

Poor fella, my country

State plans High Court IR challenge
November 2, 2005 - 2:01PM

Queensland is prepared to launch a High Court challenge against the federal government's new workplace relations laws.

It says the legislation will neither simplify nor combine industrial relations into one system.

Premier Peter Beattie said today the state government was seeking legal advice but expected to launch a High Court challenge once the final legislation was available. ......

...... "This is a very heavy attack on the social fabric of Australian society," Mr Beattie said, referring to the 687-page bill introduced into federal parliament today.

"It's supposed to be a simplification of Australian industrial relations - it doesn't seem to me to be very simple, it seems a very heavy imposition."

Mr Beattie said preliminary legal advice showed Australia would still have two industrial relations systems under the proposed workplace relations reforms, with only the mix of workers changing under state and federal jurisdiction.

Under the current system, 70 per cent of workers fall under state jurisdiction and 30 per cent are under the commonwealth. After the reforms, 40 per cent of workers would be subject to state jurisdiction and 60 per cent under the Commonwealth, Mr Beattie said.

"In other words we don't end up with a unified system as the federal government has been claiming," he said.

"Unless our legal advice advises otherwise, we will challenge it in the High Court." ... <cont>

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/state-plans-high-court-ir-challenge/2005/11/02/1130823256330.html

Last Update: Wednesday, November 2, 2005. 5:02pm (AEDT)

Howard secures approval for terrorism laws

The Prime Minister has secured the support of enough state and territory leaders to introduce the proposed anti-terrorism laws into federal Parliament. ... <cont>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1496339.htm

Its quite outrageous how govts in Britain US and Australia are treating their people. They send off our military to die for a lie, then expect our votes for keeping us safe.

John Howard says he has intelligence
The government has intelligence
police intelligence................ (sorry gf)
security agency intelligence

somethings wrong here? Can't quite put my finger on it hmmmmmm

IRAQ HAS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

yeah right little johnny!

It's alright dadpad, the old oxymoron is well known :wink:

But I reckon what has happened is this. Somewhere someone has said something and it's been picked up. This "threat" could be weeks, months, years away or may never eventuate (this specific "threat" I mean). But right in there is a tiny kernal of justification for Howard to pull a Bush and ramp up the terra rhetoric so that he can get his damned IR legislation through.

Forget the CT laws - this is about panicking the electorate and putting the "Opposition" (excuse me while I repress the urge to vomit) in a corner while Howard rams through his ideological obsession.

While we're all alert and alarmed Howard will take us back to the old master-servant days and give us less rights as workers than the average American.

Sigh....

oh you poor dear rabbit