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	<title>KADAITCHA &#187; Queensland</title>
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	<description>POLITICS, POETRY &#38; SATIRE</description>
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		<title>Another Month, Another Haet List</title>
		<link>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2011/03/09/another-month-another-haet-list/</link>
		<comments>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2011/03/09/another-month-another-haet-list/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:41:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jinjirrie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BDS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queensland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zionism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apartheid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[imperialism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[international law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Palestine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[war crimes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.kadaitcha.com/?p=8142</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Giyus megaphoney onanistic revelry: Report hate spreading users Fighting hate is a tedious job &#8211; it seems that for every user we report 5 new ones spring up in its place. But this only makes me more determined to stand up to hate and anti Semitism. The list of links today are all of users <span style="color:#668"> . . . &#8594; Read More if you dare: <a href="http://www.kadaitcha.com/2011/03/09/another-month-another-haet-list/">Another Month, Another Haet List</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.kadaitcha.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/giyus.jpg" rel="lightbox[8142]" title="Giyus"><img  src="http://www.kadaitcha.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/giyus-300x284.jpg" alt="Giyus Megaphonies" title="Giyus" width="300" height="284" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-8146" /></a><a href="http://israeligirl.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/03/report-hate-spreading-users-.html" rel="nofollow">Giyus megaphoney onanistic revelry</a>:</p>
<blockquote style="clear:none"><p>Report hate spreading users</p>
<p>Fighting hate is a tedious job &#8211; it seems that for every user we report 5 new ones spring up in its place. But this only makes me more determined to stand up to hate and anti Semitism. The list of links today are all of users that spread hate, promote anti Semitism and de-legitimise Israel. Please report them to Facebook or Twitter respectively.Facebook</p>
<p>Login into your facebook account and click on any of these links. Click on the &#8220;Report/Block this person&#8221; or the &#8220;Report page&#8221; link on the left hand side of the screen.</p>
<p>    * Students for Justice in Palestine &#8211; spreading anti semitic hate messages claiming Israel is engaged in ethnic cleaning<br />
    * Justice for Palestine &#8211; blames Israel of brainwashing Christian children and encourages people to sign up for the next flotilla to Gaza.<br />
    * Abdus Ayydin Rayyan Samad &#8211; justifies shooting rockets on civilians in Israel</p>
<p>Twitter</p>
<p>Login into your twitter account and click on any of these links. click on the options button located on the upper right hand side Twitter button. Choose the 3rd option which would report that user to Twitter.</p>
<p>    * cactijakeye &#8211; bluntly calls himself anti Semitic in his profile &#8211; supports hateful conspiracy theories like 9/11 was an inside Israeli job<br />
    * xXKelly82Xx &#8211; claims Zionists are not human and other fanatic hate speech<br />
    * BoycottAhava &#8211; behind the global campaign to boycott Ahava products claiming Ahava Cosmetics are made by Israeli profiteers in Occupied Palestine.<br />
    * Ziggy stardust &#8211; with twits like &#8220;racist zionist settlers kill Palestinian children&#8221; there is no doubt Ziggy Stardust is anti Zionist and Anti Semitic<br />
    * Remroum &#8211; openly supports terrorism against Israel<br />
    * Tha Captain &#8211; Anti zionist calling Israel a murdering state<br />
    * Ali Abunimah &#8211; constantly spreads Israel Apartheid mantra<br />
    * Jinjirrie  &#8211; Promotes flotilla anti zionist and anti Semitic causes<br />
    * Worldpeace2day &#8211; obsessively promotes Israel Apartheid messages<br />
    * Nouren shiraz &#8211; constantly calling Israel a racist terrorist state engaged in &#8220;ethnic cleansing&#8221;</p>
<p>Thank you for taking part in this effort &#8211; all of us in Giyus.org are for free speech but that does not entitle anyone to delegitimize Israel and spread hate against the Jewish people as a whole.</p></blockquote>
<p>What, then, does one do, when faced with one&#8217;s appearance on this ridiculous haet lsit? Why, message the perpetrator, of course <img  src='http://www.kadaitcha.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Jinjirrie: . @giyusgirl &#8211; pls get yr hasbaroid witchhunt rap correct &#8211; i&#8217;m anti-zionism, anti-occupation, anti-racism &#038; anti-bigotry &#8211; that means you <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/Jinjirrie/status/45115026650050560">#</a></p>
<p>giyusgirl: @Jinjirrie anti-Zionism = no country for Jews = Jews are not entitled to their own country = Antisemitism . Enough said. <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/giyusgirl/status/45169762245935104">#</a></p>
<p>Jinjirrie: . @giyusgirl anti-zionism = anti-racism &#038; anti-fascism = equal rights &#038; true democracy instead of ethnosupremacy = justice <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/Jinjirrie/status/45238205116715009">#</a></p>
<p>This is not the first zionist haet lsit on which I&#8217;ve appeared &#8211; the JIDF have me on several of their puerile witchhunt campaigns also. For some of my historical brushes with them, <a href="http://twitpic.com/2yw9kw">see here</a>.</p>
<p>Zionism  is a secular political ideology which grew alongside other nationalist movements in the 19th century. Similar to some other nationalisms, zionism exhibits toxic symptoms of white supremacism in its colonialism &#8211; indigenous arabs were and are regarded largely as inconvenient sub-humans, to be expelled and exterminated whilst the entitled, privileged &#8216;race&#8217; usurp their land. Racists like @giyusgirl see indigenous Palestinians in Israel and the Territories it occupies as excess humans, and that challenging this zionist ethnosupremacism and colonialism is &#8216;anti-semitic&#8217;.  Yet *all* colonialism is chauvinistic, shored up by a sense of rightness, privilege and entitlement. The erroneous concept of &#8216;races&#8217; is essential to racists who desire superior privileges for their own &#8216;race&#8217;. There is only one race, the human race, and all humans are entitled to equal rights, respect and dignity wherever they may be, wherever they were born. </p>
<p><strong>Palestine / Israel Links</strong></p>
<p>@georgehale Get this: On Thursday&#8217;s &#8220;day of rage&#8221;, Israel settlers distributed <a href="http://is.gd/BKbOcx">threatening flyers</a> to several diplomats in the West Bank. <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/georgehale/status/45108220917846016">#</a></p>
<p><strong>Australia Links</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2011/03/spectre-of-democracy.html">The Spectre of Democracy : All you need to know that is wrong with The Australian is in this picture:</a><br />
<a href="http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m75681&#038;hd=&#038;size=1&#038;l=e">Darkness at Noon: Bradley Manning</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/shes-back-hanson-to-run-20110308-1bmqh.html">She&#8217;s back: Hanson to run</a> </p>
<p><strong>Other Links</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/10-03-08-celebrating-international-women.html">Celebrating International Women&#8217;s Day</a> : A day of working women&#8217;s solidarity<br />
<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hGuaVwJDfJI7vRgu0XYDJZApqogw?docId=CNG.18fc58cd464ba5d3197d3444a57e8dcf.3b1">UAE activists demand direct elections</a><br />
<a href="http://ionglobaltrends.blogspot.com/2011/03/whistleblowers-despite-reforms-insiders.html">Whistleblowers: Despite reforms, insiders who blow the whistle at institutions like the World Bank, face retaliation</a><br />
<a href="http://ionglobaltrends.blogspot.com/2011/03/cote-divoire-its-sheer-horror-were.html">Cote D&#8217;ivoire: “It’s sheer horror we’re living here… People are being burned alive and hacked to bits&#8221;</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/03/07/2011-03-07_haunting_911_video_by_nypd_surfaces.html">Haunting 9/11 video captured by NYPD helicopter shows World Trade Center&#8217;s Twin Towers collapse</a></p>
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		<title>Big Wet</title>
		<link>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2011/01/11/big-wet/</link>
		<comments>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2011/01/11/big-wet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 07:28:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jinjirrie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queensland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weather]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.kadaitcha.com/?p=6539</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ In our drenched little paradise, we have plenty of supplies to survive weeks of isolation if necessary and are situated well above the creek below. With luck, the power will stay on! My father did the first comprehensive scientific Australian study based on all available historic rainfall measurements. I asked him many years ago <span style="color:#668"> . . . &#8594; Read More if you dare: <a href="http://www.kadaitcha.com/2011/01/11/big-wet/">Big Wet</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img  src="http://www.kadaitcha.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/floods3.jpg" alt="First cutoff point" title="First cutoff point" width="650" height="488" style="margin-right:30px" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-6536" /><br />
<img  src="http://www.kadaitcha.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/floods7.jpg" alt="Flooded creek" title="Flooded creek" width="650" height="488" style="margin-right:30px" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-6537" /></p>
<p>In our drenched little paradise, we have plenty of supplies to survive weeks of isolation if necessary and are situated well above the creek below. With luck, the power will stay on!</p>
<p>My father did the first comprehensive scientific Australian study based on all available historic rainfall measurements. I asked him many years ago whether anthropogenic effects were more dominant than solar cycles. He refused to give a definitive answer. Theodor Landscheidt predicted <a href="http://www.john-daly.com/solar/solar.htm">solar and climate cycles of 36 years give or take a bit</a>. It&#8217;s now 37 years since the 1974 Brisbane deluge. In his last paper, Landscheidt also predicted a new little Ice Age, with the <a href="http://www.schulphysik.de/klima/landscheidt/iceage.htm">Gleissberg minimum occurring around 2030</a>. </p>
<blockquote style="clear:none;"><p>
We need not wait until 2030 to see whether the forecast of the next deep Gleissberg minimum is correct. A declining trend in solar activity and global temperature should become manifest long before the deepest point in the development. The current 11-year sunspot cycle 23 with its considerably weaker activity seems to be a first indication of the new trend, especially as it was predicted on the basis of solar motion cycles two decades ago. As to temperature, only El Nino periods should interrupt the downward trend, but even El Ninos should become less frequent and strong. The outcome of this further long-range climate forecast solely based on solar activity may be considered to be a touchstone of the IPCC&#8217;s hypothesis of man-made global warming. </p></blockquote>
<p>Of course, if humans don&#8217;t change their habits now, the resultant combined heating from solar and anthropogenic effects after 2030 might turn out to be catastrophic. </p>
<p>During natural crises like these, one can&#8217;t help but think of Dorothea MacKellar&#8217;s iconic settler colonial poem, which I&#8217;ve always detested.</p>
<blockquote style="clear:none"><p>My Country<br />
by Dorothea McKellar<br />
(1885–1968)</p>
<p>The love of field and coppice,<br />
Of green and shaded lanes,<br />
Of ordered woods and gardens<br />
Is running in your veins.<br />
Strong love of grey-blue distance,<br />
Brown streams and soft, dim skies -<br />
I know but cannot share it,<br />
My love is otherwise.</p>
<p>I love a sunburnt country,<br />
A land of sweeping plains,<br />
Of ragged mountain ranges,<br />
Of droughts and flooding rains.<br />
I love her far horizons,<br />
I love her jewel-sea,<br />
Her beauty and her terror –<br />
The wide brown land for me!</p>
<p>The stark white ring-barked forests,<br />
All tragic to the moon,<br />
The sapphire-misted mountains,<br />
The hot gold hush of noon,<br />
Green tangle of the brushes<br />
Where lithe lianas coil,<br />
And orchids deck the tree-tops,<br />
And ferns the warm dark soil.</p>
<p>Core of my heart, my country!<br />
Her pitiless blue sky,<br />
When, sick at heart, around us<br />
We see the cattle die –<br />
But then the grey clouds gather,<br />
And we can bless again<br />
The drumming of an army,<br />
The steady soaking rain.</p>
<p>Core of my heart, my country!<br />
Land of the rainbow gold,<br />
For flood and fire and famine<br />
She pays us back threefold.<br />
Over the thirsty paddocks,<br />
Watch, after many days,<br />
The filmy veil of greenness<br />
That thickens as we gaze.</p>
<p>An opal-hearted country,<br />
A wilful, lavish land –<br />
All you who have not loved her,<br />
You will not understand –<br />
Though earth holds many splendours,<br />
Wherever I may die,<br />
I know to what brown country<br />
My homing thoughts will fly.</p></blockquote>
<p>How much richer are the words of Oogderoo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)</p>
<blockquote><p>Municipal Gum</p>
<p>Gumtree in the city street,<br />
Hard bitumen around your feet,<br />
Rather you should be<br />
In the cool world of leafy forest halls<br />
And wild bird calls<br />
Here you seems to me<br />
Like that poor cart-horse<br />
Castrated, broken, a thing wronged,<br />
Strapped and buckled, its hell prolonged,<br />
Whose hung head and listless mien express<br />
Its hopelessness.<br />
Municipal gum, it is dolorous<br />
To see you thus<br />
Set in your black grass of bitumen—<br />
O fellow citizen,<br />
What have they done to us? </p></blockquote>
<p>And my own contribution:</p>
<blockquote><p>Leave the Land Alone</p>
<p>We share this land of timeless dreams,<br />
mysteries of tree and bone,<br />
tribal journeys of dance and song<br />
symbols painted on stone.<br />
Songlines of the indigenes,<br />
they used to call it home,<br />
broken by colonial greed<br />
the land had never known.</p>
<p>We poison lakes and dam up streams,<br />
this land that is our home,<br />
quarry the hills and cut down trees,<br />
don’t know how to leave it alone.<br />
Why do we break this fragile land<br />
and bring it to its knees?<br />
Our eyes are blind with dollar signs,<br />
so much that we should see.</p>
<p>Do you fear the force of machinery<br />
and big money lying?<br />
it’s hard to live guilt-free<br />
when the country’s dying,<br />
All that’s part of you and me<br />
laid waste by greed and scheming,<br />
don’t you know we’ve taken enough,<br />
Let the land lie dreaming.</p>
<p>Jinjirrie</p></blockquote>
<p>Below are some links for people who are in flood prone areas near Brisbane &#8211; please seek high ground in advance because the floods have not yet peaked and may be higher than 1974. Look after your neighbours and keep safe. </p>
<p><strong>Weather Links</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/qld/fld_reports/brisbane_jan1974.pdf" target="_blank">1974 Brisbane Floods</a> [.pdf]<br />
<a href="http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/#maps">Brisbane Suburbs 1974 Flood maps</a><br />
@QPSmedia: If you are outside of Australia and need urgent flood information, please contact +61 7 3055 6200 #thebigwet #qldfloods <a href="http://twitter.com/QPSmedia/statuses/24748625082978304">#</a><br />
<a href="http://qldfloods.org/">Queensland Floods </a> &#8211; Floods resource site<br />
<a href="http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html">Donate to the flood relief appeal</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.thechronicle.com.au/photos/galleries/flooding-around-ipswich-january-11/#id=flooding-around-ipswich-january-11&#038;num=6">New images: Flooding around Ipswich Update 3.55pm</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/01/11/happy-birthday-mum-i-love-you-i%E2%80%99ll-come-help-clean-up-as-soon-as-i-can-get-through/">Happy birthday, mum, I love you. I’ll come help clean up as soon as I can get through</a><br />
<a href="http://seeker401.wordpress.com/2010/04/27/follow-the-sun-to-the-landscheidt-minimum/">Follow the Sun to the Landscheidt Minimum</a><br />
<a href="http://www.schulphysik.de/klima/landscheidt/iceage.htm">New Little Ice Age Instead of Global Warming?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.john-daly.com/solar/solar.htm">SOLAR ACTIVITY: A DOMINANT FACTOR IN CLIMATE DYNAMICS</a><br />
<a href="http://bourabai.narod.ru/landscheidt/">Theodor Landscheidt</a><br />
<a href="http://landscheidt.wordpress.com/papers-by-dr-theodor-landscheidt/">Landscheidt Cycles Research</a></p>
<p><strong>Today&#8217;s Palestine / Israel Links</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://jfjfp.com/?p=20218&#038;utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=state-terrorism">Richard Falk: Israel’s Violence Against Separation Wall Protests: Along the Road of STATE TERRORISM</a><br />
<a href="http://mondoweiss.net/2011/01/why-it-will-be-said-one-day-that-anti-zionists-had-a-better-grasp-on-20th-c-history-than-uri-avnery-or-tom-friedman.html">Why it will be said one day that anti-Zionists had a better grasp on 20th C history than Uri Avnery or Tom Friedman</a><br />
<a href="http://jnoubiyeh.com/2011/01/palestinians-in-gaza-face-health-crisis.html">Palestinians in Gaza face health crisis</a><br />
<a href="http://972mag.com/what-happens-when-arab-money-gets-too-close-to-the-jewish-cause/">What happens when Arab money gets too close to the Jewish cause?</a><br />
<a href="http://australiansforpalestine.com/36162">ZOABI: There can be no coexistence with a racist consensus</a><br />
<a href="http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/shameful-imprisonment-1.336333">Jonathan Pollak : Shameful imprisonment : Non-violent demonstration is not merely the right of every citizen, but also the duty of everyone who wishes to fight against wrong.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/defend-tutu/">In Defence of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu</a><br />
<a href="http://politicalcorrection.org/fpmatters/201101100007">Fox News, Glenn Beck &#038; The Jews</a></p>
<p><strong>Today&#8217;s Wikileaks Links</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/wikileaks_calls_for_sarah_palins_arrest.php">Wikileaks Calls for Sarah Palin&#8217;s Arrest</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-10/u-s-twitter-subpoena-on-wikileaks-is-harassment-lawyer-says.html">U.S. Twitter Subpoena Is Harassment, Lawyer Says</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/01/twitter/">Twitter’s Response to WikiLeaks Subpoena Should Be the Industry Standard</a><br />
<a href="http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/WikiLeaks_might_move_to_Switzerland.html?cid=29202292">WikiLeaks might move to Switzerland</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fsilaw.com/~/media/Files/Assange%20Skeleton%20Argument%2011_01_2011.ashx">PROVISIONAL SKELETON ARGUMENT ON BEHALF OF MR. ASSANGE </a><br />
<a href="http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16567&#038;ew_0_a_id=372411">US Embassy: Iceland Wikileaks Probe Legal</a><br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/11/julian-assange-wikileaks-execution-gantanamo">WikiLeaks: Julian Assange &#8216;faces execution or Guantánamo detention&#8217;</a></p>
<p><strong>Other Links</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://gawker.com/5511705/">Obama Does Something Bloodthirsty Enough to Please the Psychos</a><br />
<a href="http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/jared-lee-loughner-friend-voicemail-phone-message?page=1">Exclusive: Loughner Friend Explains Alleged Gunman&#8217;s Grudge Against Giffords</a> &#8211; lucid dreaming, a story with a character named Angel<br />
<a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/01/10/lafantasie_political_violene/index.html">Our permanent culture of political violence</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/remember-john-lewis-warning-about-violent-talk?wpisrc=xs_wp_0005">Remember John Lewis&#8217; Warning About Violent Talk?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.al-bab.com/blog/2011/blog1101a.htm#tunisia_the_brink_of_revolution">Tunisia: the brink of revolution</a></p>
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		<title>Wikileaks Protecting the Henhouse</title>
		<link>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2010/12/07/wikileaks-protecting-the-henhouse/</link>
		<comments>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2010/12/07/wikileaks-protecting-the-henhouse/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:58:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jinjirrie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Censorship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Corporations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Imperialism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queensland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Snake Oil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[justice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wikileaks]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Julian Assange is disallowed bail and Joh Bjelke Petersen&#8217;s &#8216;chooks&#8217; exit the courthouse. It is their henhouse Assange and Wikileaks aim to protect. Democratic societies need a strong media and WikiLeaks is part of that media. The media helps keep government honest. WikiLeaks has revealed some hard truths about the Iraq and Afghan wars, and <span style="color:#668"> . . . &#8594; Read More if you dare: <a href="http://www.kadaitcha.com/2010/12/07/wikileaks-protecting-the-henhouse/">Wikileaks Protecting the Henhouse</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Julian Assange is <a href="http://twitter.com/Jinjirrie/statuses/12164010480766976">disallowed bail</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joh_Bjelke-Petersen">Joh Bjelke Petersen&#8217;s &#8216;chooks&#8217;</a> exit the courthouse.  It is their henhouse <a href="http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/mediadiary/index.php">Assange and Wikileaks aim to protect</a>.</p>
<blockquote><p>Democratic societies need a strong media and WikiLeaks is part of that media. The media helps keep government honest. WikiLeaks has revealed some hard truths about the Iraq and Afghan wars, and broken stories about corporate corruption. </p></blockquote>
<p>His &#8216;<a href="http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/our-collections/treasures-curios/jerilderie-letter">Jerilderie letter</a>&#8216; <a href="http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/mediadiary/index.php/australianmedia/comments/julian1/">Op-ed in the Australia</a> reminisces about the bad old days in Queensland, when Julian would have been a very bright young Townsville lad, aware of the corrupt police investigating police culture which the Fitzgerald Inquiry addressed in 1987, and the police investigation of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Jones_%28backpacker%29">disappearance of backpacker, Tony Jones</a>.</p>
<blockquote><p>The first attempts of the Jones family to phone in a missing persons report on 11 November 1982 were complicated by red tape. The police investigation only commenced three days later when family members travelled some five thousand kilometres to file the report in person. As stated at the inquest, basic police inquiries were neglected: for example, police failed to get a report from the hospital on treatment Jones had received prior to his disappearance and at least one key witness mentioned by the coroner was never interviewed. The family was also left without police assistance when they conducted a door-knock inquiry in the vicinity of the phone booth in Bowen Road, Rosslea, which was the last confirmed whereabouts. Police did not release an identikit sketch of a suspect until 10 years after they received information about the suspect.</p>
<p>Media reports on the inquest highlighted other problems with the investigation, reporting that some of the witness statements were missing and that the former investigating officer had been uncooperative with coronial inquiries. The media also reported that it was 2001 before statements were obtained from several people who first approached police in 1982.</p>
<p>Other criticisms were voiced by the coroner and the coroner&#8217;s assistant. Coroner Fisher said “more attention should have been given to early investigation”, while his assistant, Sergeant Kym Farquharson-Jones, said the inquest evidence showed police investigations into the disappearance were “not sufficient by today&#8217;s standard”.</p>
<p>The view of Sergeant Farquharson-Jones is indicative of the systemic problems highlighted in the Fitzgerald Inquiry report. Tony Fitzgerald QC, who presided over the Commission of Inquiry into Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct, said the Queensland police culture of the 1980s was &#8220;debilitated by misconduct, inefficiency, incompetence, and deficient leadership&#8221;. As a result of the Fitzgerald Inquiry, the Commissioner of Police Terry Lewis, the man who presided over the Queensland police in the early years of the Jones investigation, and whose name appeared on the original police reward for information on the suspected murder of Jones, was subsequently convicted and jailed for corruption.</p></blockquote>
<p>Drugs, sex and gambling were also an integral part <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/24405735/The-History-of-an-Underground-World-An-Introduction-to-the-Thesis-Methodology-and-the-Literature">of the North Queensland police scene</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>In 1983 four men from the Drug Squad in Brisbane arrived in Mareeba unannounced to take Dickson’s file on drug trafficking in Far North Queensland ‘to put on the computer in Canberra’. The files never arrived there. Early in 1984 Dickson was taken off all drug investigations and told not to leave Mareeba without giving full details to the inspector. He was transferred to Townsville in June 1984 and was forbidden to visit Mareeba unless accompanied by a Commissioned Officer.6</p>
<p>Fast Buck$ claimed that a prominent Queensland police officer, who was ‘well-known in the Police Force as the man who controlled (and still controls) escort agencies and gambling in North Queensland — and who was often to be seen in casinos with a call-girl on his knee’ also controlled this Drug Joke. Fast Buck$ also claimed that a prominent National Party minister was ‘an ambitious front man’ for the Mafia in North Queensland, feeding drug money into the coffers of the National Party.7</p>
<p>Although these Fast Buck$ allegations were ignored by the mainstream media, tens of thousands of pink Fast Buck$ Report leaflets were delivered to rush hour commuters during the 1984 election in Brisbane. And Fast Buck$ was given considerable publicity on radio station 4ZZZ.</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzgerald_Inquiry">The Fitzgerald Inquiry was held from 1987-89</a>, presided over by Tony Fitzgerald QC. Fittingly, it was triggered by the work of investigative journalists who risked their lives to winnow out the weevils infesting the Queensland Police Force.</p>
<blockquote><p>The inquiry was established in response to a series of articles on high-level police corruption in The Courier-Mail by reporter Phil Dickie, followed by a Four Corners television report, aired on 11 May 1987, entitled &#8220;The Moonlight State&#8221; with reporter Chris Masters. With Queensland&#8217;s Premier of 18 years, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, out of the state, his deputy Bill Gunn ordered a commission of inquiry.</p></blockquote>
<p>Did the young Assange learn from Fast Buck$ and 4ZZZ&#8217;s role models? Regardless of the <a href="http://twitter.com/Jinjirrie/statuses/12169377059184641">sex-crime</a> distraction and the outcome of Assange&#8217;s hearing, he honours principles which are vital for us all.</p>
<blockquote><p>In its landmark ruling in the Pentagon Papers case, the US Supreme Court said “only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government”. The swirling storm around WikiLeaks today reinforces the need to defend the right of all media to reveal the truth. </p></blockquote>
<p>Undaunted, Wikileaks will continue to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/07/wikileaks-cables-julian-assange-arrest">release the US embassy cables</a>.  Julia Gillard and Robert McClelland may be worried at this point.</p>
<blockquote><p>The Prime Minister and especially the Attorney-General are meant to carry out their duties with dignity and above the fray. Rest assured, these two mean to save their own skins. They will not. </p></blockquote>
<p>Unlike the tawdry flock of politicians and aristocrats incensed and tarnished thus far by its revelations, Wikileaks has been unrelenting in its pursuit of the truth.</p>
<p><strong>LATEST</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://wlcentral.org/node/554">2010-12-08: WikiLeaks events and protests [Update 3]</a><br />
<a href="http://sowhyiswikileaksagoodthingagain.com/">SO WHY IS WIKILEAKS A GOOD THING AGAIN?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/index.html">Anti-WikiLeaks lies and propaganda &#8211; from TNR, Lauer, Feinstein and more</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11937070">Australian PM Julia Gillard comments on Wikileaks</a><br />
<a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2010/12/07/lieberman-new-york-t.html">Lieberman: New York Times may be investigated for espionage</a><br />
<a href="http://antonyloewenstein.com/2010/12/08/this-is-how-australia-is-seen-vassals-used-by-washington-over-wikileaks/?utm_source=Twitter%20Referral&#038;utm_medium=Twitter&#038;utm_campaign=Twitter">This is how Australia is seen; vassals used by Washington over Wikileaks </a><br />
<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/robertson-ready-to-lead-the-defence/story-e6frg6nf-1225967238606">Geoffrey Robertson QC has agreed</a> to act for WikiLeaks&#8217; editor in chief Julian Assange.There are fears the US  &#8216;will use a Swedish arrest warrant to have the Australian whistleblower extradited to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703989004575653280626335258.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop">face charges under the US Espionage Act.</a>&#8216;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11935539">Wikileaks defended by Anonymous hacktivists</a><br />
<a href="http://twitpic.com/3drrg3">Julian Assange Arrest &#038; OSAMA</a></p>
<p>@wikileaks : Let down by the UK justice system&#8217;s bizarre decision to refuse bail to Julian Assange. But #cablegate releases continue as planned.<a href="http://twitter.com/wikileaks/statuses/12114747864391680">#</a><br />
@jrug : Magistrate; &#8220;if these allegations are true there is no way he should be granted bail. That is the dilemma.&#8221; <a href="http://twitter.com/jrug/statuses/12183064142684160">#</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/12/08/australia-make-rights-foreign-policy-priority">Australia: Make Rights a Foreign Policy Priority</a><br />
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/41952.html">Assange: Australian of the year?</a><br />
<a href="http://cynthiayildirim.posterous.com/julian-assange-arrested-in-london-judge-denie">Julian Assange Arrested in London: Judge denies bail: Assange will fight extradition to Sweden</a><br />
<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/assange-wanted-by-us-for-espionage-offences-20101208-18ouj.html">Assange wanted by US for &#8216;espionage offences&#8217; </a><br />
<a href="http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html">&#8220;Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]&#8220;</a><br />
<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-this-case-must-not-obscure-what-wikileaks-has-told-us-2154109.html">Johann Hari: This case must not obscure what WikiLeaks has told us</a> &#8211; brilliant article which looks at just some of the war crimes uncovered by the cables.<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-zunes/wikileaks-cables-on-weste_b_792862.html">WikiLeaks Cables on Western Sahara Show Role of Ideology in State Department</a><br />
<a href="http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/ben-tripp/32965/wikileaks-and-the-new-fourth-estate">Wikileaks and the New Fourth Estate</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/wikileaks-founde-julian-assange-poised-to-be-labors-david-hicks/comments-fn775xjq-1225967649991">WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange poised to be Labor&#8217;s David Hicks</a><br />
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/08/3088099.htm?site=melbourne">Assange crowd gathers at wrong house</a><br />
Lieberman: New York Times may be investigated for espionage<br />
<a href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/mark-lee-hunter/if-assange-is-spy-so-am-i">If Assange is a spy, then so am I</a><br />
<a href="http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/ben-tripp/32965/wikileaks-and-the-new-fourth-estate">Wikileaks and the New Fourth Estate</a><br />
<a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/floyd12072010.html">Truth in Chains</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11945558">Wikileaks: Australia FM says US to blame, not Assange &#8211; Kevin Rudd finally gets a partial clue.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/rudds-wikileak-cables-could-have-been-penned-by-scorned-labor-caucus-20101208-18oud.html">Rudd&#8217;s WikiLeak cables could have been penned by scorned Labor caucus </a><br />
<a href="http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/factsheets/article/-/article/8470449/?cmp=twitter">Rudd hits back at scathing Wikileaks attack</a><br />
<a href="http://www.efa.org.au/2010/12/08/julian-assange-and-wikileaks-deserve-protection/">Julian Assange and Wikileaks deserve protection</a><br />
<a href="http://emilybellwether.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/how-wikileaks-has-woken-up-journalism/">How Wikileaks has woken up journalism.</a><br />
<a href="http://m.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/wikileaks-goes-underground--in-a-bunker-deep-in-sweden-20101206-18mii.html">WikiLeaks goes underground &#8230; in a bunker deep in Sweden </a><br />
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/08/3087480.htm">Rudd shrugs off &#8216;control freak&#8217; cable</a><br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/07/wikileaks-what-happens-next">WikiLeaks: What happens next?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/julian-assange-has-made-u_b_793504.html">Julian Assange Has Made Us All Safer &#8212; and Been a Great Gift to US National Security</a><br />
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/41934.html">Julian Assange is not your friend</a><br />
<a href="http://indymedia.org.au/2010/12/08/australia-wide-protests-support-of-wikileaks-founder-after-his-arrest-today-in-london">Australia-wide protests support of Wikileaks founder after his arrest today in London</a></p>
<blockquote><p>
People all over Australia and the world are calling for the release of Julian Assange and his protection in the name of free speech and public interest. He has been vilified by politicians and right wing commentators worldwide, with the Canadian PM calling for his assassination!</p>
<p>Let the Aust gov know you support free speech and Wikileaks.<br />
Call on Gillard to protect Assange.</p>
<p>The rally date coincides with International Human Rights Day. Rally organisers say the Australian government has failed to uphold the human rights of Wikileaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange.</p>
<p>Protest actions:</p>
<p>BRISBANE &#8211; 12 noon, this Friday December 10<br />
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 295 Ann Street, City.</p>
<p>SYDNEY- Sydney Town Hall @ 1pm, Friday December 10.</p>
<p>MELBOURNE &#8211; Facebook event for the protest in Melbourne to defend Julian Assange: http://on.fb.me/gHWHyq</p>
<p>Melbourne Protest to defend Julian Assange at State Library, Melbourne 4.30pm, this Friday, Dec 10
</p></blockquote>
<p>Australia and Melbourne Indymedia stand in solidarity with Wikileaks </p>
<p><strong>Other Links</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/breaking-news/cheney-charged-in-halliburton-case/story-e6freuyr-1225967344836">Cheney charged in Halliburton case </a><br />
<a href="http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/12/giving-up-on-israel.html">Giving Up On Israel?</a><br />
<a href="http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m72575&#038;hd=&#038;size=1&#038;l=e">On the hunting of Palestinian children and re-education at the Ofer prison</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/12/08/australia-make-rights-foreign-policy-priority">Australia: Make Rights a Foreign Policy Priority</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/politics/08cong.html?hp">Obama Defends Tax Deal, but His Party Stays Hostile</a><br />
<a href="http://socialistworker.org/2010/12/07/legacy-vietnams-long-struggle">The legacy of Vietnam&#8217;s long struggle</a><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/07/us-israel-settlement-free_n_793441.html#">U.S.: Israel Settlement Freeze Demand Dropped </a><br />
<a href="http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m72575&#038;hd=&#038;size=1&#038;l=e">On the hunting of Palestinian children and re-education at the Ofer prison</a><br />
<a href="http://www.presstv.ir/detail/154440.html">Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza</a><br />
<a href="http://ygurvitz.net/?p=88">Quod erat demonstrandum</a></p>
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		<title>The biggest loser</title>
		<link>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2008/03/17/the-biggest-loser/</link>
		<comments>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2008/03/17/the-biggest-loser/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:50:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jinjirrie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queensland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queensland politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sunshine Coast politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Would have to be the Labor Party in Queensland. The low number of voters &#8211; just 70% &#8211; presenting at the compulsory Regional Council polls attested to the lack of enthusiasm Queenslanders had for the forced amalgamations. It would be interesting to know how many voters only voted out of fear of losing representation. Along <span style="color:#668"> . . . &#8594; Read More if you dare: <a href="http://www.kadaitcha.com/2008/03/17/the-biggest-loser/">The biggest loser</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Would have to be the Labor Party in Queensland. The <a href="http://news.smh.com.au/bligh-declares-new-era-in-qld-councils/20080316-1zox.html" target="_blank">low number of voters &#8211; just 70%</a> &#8211; presenting at the compulsory Regional Council polls attested to the lack of enthusiasm Queenslanders had for the forced amalgamations. It would be interesting to know how many voters only voted out of fear of losing representation. Along with the distinctive results from last year&#8217;s plebiscite, the abysmal turnout supports the view that amalgamation was not endorsed by the people, and neither did the people give the government a mandate to betray their will with forced amalgamations.</p>
<p>In Brisbane, the Libs picked up 6 Council seats, whilst in Townsville, long term ALP mayor Tony Mooney lost his position to Thuringowra mayor, Les Tyrell.</p>
<p><a href="http://news.theage.com.au/bligh-declares-new-era-in-qld-councils/20080316-1zox.html" target="_blank">Captain Bligh boasted about the hard decisions</a> made to produce &#8220;larger, better equipped councils in place across all our major regions&#8221;. Better equipped to charge us higher rates and to carry out unilateral armslength State decrees in defiance of resounding public dissent is our cynical reaction. </p>
<p><img class='PxgGlobalImage'  src='http://www.kadaitcha.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/boreen_point.jpg' alt='Sunset at Boreen Point' />Despite the present <a href="http://www.oum.qld.gov.au/?id=411" target="_blank">State Government&#8217;s South East Queensland Regional Plan and Infrastructure Plan</a> and claims that the State government wishes to slow development on the coast of South East Queensland and move population to Beaudesert and Mt. Lindsay, our Sunshine Coast region&#8217;s concept of sustainability, determined as Bob Abbot envisages through community consultative processes well known to Noosa residents, may clash with the State&#8217;s vision to which our new super Council must defer, given that there is still no Federal legal recognition of local government. The Sunshine Coast and other regions which desire and plan for more realistic and truly sustainable development and population caps with majority support from their electors and which had opposed amalgamation can still be overridden by the State. The States can also argue for Federal support on the basis outlined by Andrew McNamara, Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, when he supported <a href="http://www.kadaitcha.com/2008/03/12/sustainability/" target="_blank">population distribution</a> omitting to mention the addition of a more sensible, palatable and sustainable federal policy of negative population growth with a truly innovative economic strategy to match. <a href="http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7128" target="_blank">Rudd has thrown his national condom out the window as well</a>.</p>
<p>Regardless of the warm, fuzzy wording of the SEQRPIP, <a href="http://www.savethemaryriver.com/" target="_blank">the travesty of Traveston Dam</a> has already provided a clear example of the State Government sacrificing the environment and existing landholders for the &#8220;greater good of Queensland&#8221; &#8230; in other words, the good of those requiring development at the expense of irreplaceable natural habitat and communities. </p>
<p>As Captain Bligh called her new lieutenants to a Brisbane summit, <a href="http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/mar/17/bligh-calls-summit-new-mayors/" target="_blank">Bob Abbot expressed similar suspicions</a> about Bligh&#8217;s real agenda:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve got a great fear that the next attack on local government will be in the planning sphere and I think they (state government) need to look very closely at what the communities are saying about how they want to be managed in the future as regards to development,â€ he told a Brisbane newspaper.</p>
<p>&#8220;Any further attack on local government in the development sphere would create another Gold Coast highway koala corridor type fiasco for the government â€“ and would bring them down.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Centralised decision-making may facilitate government planning aligned with big money, yet a government markedly out of step with its constituents could pay a high price at the next State election. Big Bob, with 70% of the Sunshine Coast vote has a clear mandate for sustainability. Perhaps Captain Bligh is counting on voters forgetting her and Beattie&#8217;s attack on democracy by then, yet Howard&#8217;s end was largely due to his deafness to the voice of the people, from his outrageous disregard of public feeling against his draconian no choice work laws, his ignorance of the realities of climate change to his pandering to Bush with the disgraceful war on Iraq.</p>
<p>When politicians step above their role as servants of the people, the people whom they are elected to represent will teach them humility.</p>
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		<title>To vote or not to vote</title>
		<link>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2008/03/11/to-vote-or-not-to-vote/</link>
		<comments>http://www.kadaitcha.com/2008/03/11/to-vote-or-not-to-vote/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:03:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jinjirrie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queensland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[democracy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Noosa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Noosa Shire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queensland Council elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[republic]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[What choice do we have? civil disobedience &#8211; in this case opting out of the electoral process &#8211; is seen by some as the last resort for people whose vehement, legitimate wishes been ignored, where democracy has been abandoned in the push for political outcomes which may prove disastrous and which have been imposed through <span style="color:#668"> . . . &#8594; Read More if you dare: <a href="http://www.kadaitcha.com/2008/03/11/to-vote-or-not-to-vote/">To vote or not to vote</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class='PxgGlobalImage'  style="float:right" src='http://www.kadaitcha.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/pomona.jpg' alt='Our beautiful village, Pomona' />What choice do we have? civil disobedience &#8211; in this case <a href="http://www.bovozevo.com/" target="_blank">opting out of the electoral process</a> &#8211; is seen by some as the last resort for people whose vehement, legitimate wishes been ignored, where democracy has been abandoned in the push for political outcomes which may prove disastrous and which have been imposed through <a href="http://www.friendsofnoosa.org/MediaReleases/20071112a.pdf" target="_blank">nefarious deception</a>. Others have joined the Noosa Liberation Army who today took responsibility for <a href="http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/mar/11/poll-sham-shame/">defacing roadside election posters</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>â€œNoosa will secede or de-amalgamate,â€ an email read. â€œItâ€™s just a matter of time! Those who think that this fight can be won without conflict are seriously deluded. This is a war, and we will win, however long it takes.â€</p></blockquote>
<p>Voting in the grandiosely named Sunshine Coast Regional Council Quadrennial Elections is compulsory under the <a href="http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/L/LocGovA93.pdf" target="_blank">state Local Government Act 1993</a>. We, the governed, might argue we are voting for representatives in an illegitimate body which does not as yet exist, and that this flawed representation was proclaimed without the consent and against the wishes of the electorate. </p>
<p>There is no question that the people of Noosa Shire do not want amalgamation &#8211; we have been polled numerous times about this, the last plebiscite being <a href="http://www.friendsofnoosa.org/" target="_blank">96% against it</a>. </p>
<p>Yet if the people of Noosa do not vote, we run the terrible risk of having pro-development Joe Natoli for mayor and reduced representation for Noosa. Regardless of the new super council, <a href="http://www.friendsofnoosa.org/Icons.html" target="_blank">State &#8216;iconic&#8217; legislation</a> provides that development decisions will be made in Brisbane, far from those who are affected and live here. Noosa&#8217;s say in its own future at present is nobbled &#8230; reduced back to vocal community groups, some of which are banding together under the <a href="http://www.noosabiosphere.info" target="_blank">Noosa Biosphere Association</a>.</p>
<p>Local governments are not defined in the Australian Constitution &#8211; they are creations of their respective States. Regionalisation and amalgamation are State controlled and designated. Under the Australian Constitution, States and Territories are the only legal representative entities recognised by the Commonwealth. The present Queensland Government was elected by us, and it can thereafter do what it likes till we vote it out.</p>
<p>Naturally we have thought long and hard about the bigger picture when appealing to the Federal government. Although Kevvie has been approached about the undemocratic actions of the Queensland government by disgruntled Noosa residents amongst members of many such alarmed Queensland communities, and though neither he nor Julia personally supported forced amalgamations, we believe Rudd has a definite goal in mind, to form an Australian republic. With some historical vanity, he would like to be the engineer and steward of its formation. At present, for him it may be prudent to avoid a bun fight about the delineation of Federal and State powers under the existing Constitution, and so he is staying out of the fray, to the detriment of both Noosa residents and the upholding of representative democracy on a community level generally in our State.</p>
<p>Once regionalisation is complete throughout Australia, what need will there be for States? The footballers may not like it, but Brisbane can still play Sydney.</p>
<p>Except for alienated, infuriated folks, people will start identifying with their respective regions. The Sunshine Coast will play Brisbane as usual in soccer. Then the stage will be set for further reorganisation of decision-making and responsibilities.</p>
<p>In the interim, what happens if there is a change of government in Queensland or nationally? What power will we in our communities have had usurped from us, and passed into the mitts of an even more despicable, aggrandising mob?</p>
<p>Perhaps Noosa will be protected by iconic legislation for long enough for a republic to emerge, where the rights of individuals might be defined in such a way to protect the environments in which they live as well. Pigs might fly too. Despite Australians being typical disinterested in politics (is politics an acceptable dinner conversation topic yet?), it is essential that we are engaged in the republic debate, otherwise whilst we attend our barbies and down a few beers, we may get the sort of republic we really don&#8217;t want.</p>
<p>Grassroots democracy can be an annoyance and sometimes a threat to the feds who like things nice and tidy in Canberra. They&#8217;d rather be at lunch or off on a nice junket. Centralised governments who do not respond to vocal communities can be willing to sacrifice happy constituents and healthy environments at the beck and call of the rich and powerful who desire progress at any cost. </p>
<p>Recognised internationally with UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, Noosa, with its achievements in sustainability and community democracy could serve as a model for communities in the new Republic of Australia. It is up to all Australians to reflect upon the choices before them, and speak out to protect our children&#8217;s future and the environment which sustains us all.</p>
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