The Chippery: Commentary on Australian politics

Vale Jack Evans

2009-10-06T12:16:00.003+10:00

The former Australian Democrats senator, Jack Evans, passed away. Oct 2 2009. Julia Melland, the current Australian Democrats national president writes:

A former Senator, National President and National Campaign Director, Jack Evans was instrumental in the formation of the Australian Democrats, and was a significant figure in many of our greatest moments, including rafting the Franklin River with Don Chipp all those years ago.

Jack was a man of visions and ideas. He wanted to make things happen, and often they did. People would get caught up in his enthusiasm and share his vision and work hard to make it happen. He had a deep and commanding voice and chose his words carefully. He didn’t prattle on, but spoke with quiet dignity after listening to others opinions. Therefore – people listened, felt heard and had confidence in his ability to deliver.

He was a deal maker, pulling people together to make things happen. He was also very cautious and very much kept what he saw as the Party’s best interest deep in his heart. He was very protective of the Party when he could see people who’s intent was questionable or potentially problematic and some took this as obstructionist. He knew how to be a strategist and develop ways of achieving goals. Jack never spoke ill of people despite the criticisms he would inevitably receive and had a remarkable ability to tenaciously push through obstacles, disregarding personal cost.

There was nothing more he loved, it seemed, than talking about political ideas, about ways to address the big issues, about the way the Democrats could continue to make a difference. He remained absolutely committed to the ideals of the Party and those remaining have a responsibility to Jack to do their best to ensure those ideals are not lost from the political landscape.

He remained very private about his personal side, yet once one of his friends he was warm and gracious, always showing a keen interest in those around him.

People like Jack Evans are rare – I know he touched and inspired many Australian Democrats and others across the country. To those close to him we offer our deepest and most heartfelt condolences. We will all miss him.

Farewell Democrats?

2008-06-30T22:50:00.005+10:00

Well today (30 June 2008) is the last day for Senate representation by the Australian Democrats in about 30 years. It's a momentous, and sad, day. It is the last day of federal parliamentary representation for four Australian Democrats senators, Andrew Bartlett, Natasha Stott Despoja, Lyn Allison, and Andrew Murray. It may well be the end of an era for Australian Politics, but if so it was an era that saw a party fight for fairness and responsibility in public policy and legislation. While the Democrats may not have had a monopoly on these values they certainly were the most consistent in living up to them. This, of course, made the number of inevitable falls from grace all the more difficult for the Australian public to accept. There is a lot of sorrow and regret at the loss of this representation and on reflection an acknowledgment that when they held the balance of power in the Senate, which they did in many years, they managed that task responsibly and Australians were the better for it. Too late now for such lamenting, however, we will look to see what political force might emerge to fill the gap, what will be the form of a movement that befits the 21st century that stands for equity, balance and sustainability in our political landscape. Surely the politics of self interest that hold the mainstream parties to ransom and the single issue blinkedness of minority parties are not all that we can hope for. Today we have seen the passing of an era, born of the 1970s optimism and utopianism, but tempered by pragmatism and a commitment to democratic inclusion. We look forward to a renewed Australian Democrats or, more likely, a new force to occupy the space their departure leaves bare.

"australian democrats"

Australia's new citizenship test criticised

2007-10-07T23:46:00.000+10:00

The leader of the Australian Democrats, Lyn Allison, has criticised the new citizenship test, the passing of which is now mandatory before receiving Australian Citizenship. Allison points out that the test, or any written test, is not a fair indicator of a person's dedication to Australia, their potential to contribute to the country, nor their fitnes to achieve the right to vote. She goes on to say that

The new citizenship test ... is a national embarrassment. Fitness for Australian citizenship will be based on the ability of would-be citizens to memorise a short but selective history of Australia and with it some pretty obscure facts... But this citizenship test is much more than propaganda and aspirations. For some, it will represent an insurmountable barrier to citizenship and therefore a denial of the right to vote in Australian elections. It's yet another assault by the Howard Government on democracy. Not everyone wishing to become an Australian citizen has the advantage of a formal education, and many will struggle to read, let alone memorise, all of the irrelevant information in Becoming an Australian Citizen. You can't judge a person's fitness for citizenship based on a test any more than you can judge a political party's fitness for government based on its promises.

Allison dissects and parodies the new citizenship test in a video posted to YouTube.

"australian democrats"

Haneef case highlights eroding civil rights

2007-07-26T10:03:00.000+10:00

The current case in Australia where Dr. Mohammad Haneef, who is accused of "recklessly" associating with those accused of terrorism (the recent car bombing at Glasgow airport), has revealed the extent to which there has been a general erosion of the safety nets provided by due process for both citizens and visa holders in this country. Australian Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlet comments:

It is a fundamental principle in any democracy that a person should only be imprisoned following the use of a fair and transparent process, free of political interference.

The case of Dr Mohammed Haneef is a stark demonstration of the way the Migration Act enables politically motivated decisions to be used to imprison people, regardless of judicial processes.

The Democrats have consistently been calling for an urgent reform of the Migration Act:

The Democrats believe that more than ever there needs to be proper independent oversight of the use of ministerial powers;

We believe there must be mechanisms to prevent violations of natural justice and to protect due process and the presumption of innocence.

We should be outraged by such reckless treatment of a person in our country because tomorrow it may be us. This issue is not about supporting terrorism, nor about the guilt or innocence of Dr. Haneef, it is about protecting our fundamental rights and freedoms. You can take action by signing a petition here.

Native Title Amendment Bill

2007-03-02T14:39:00.000+10:00

The senate will soon consider changes to Native Title legislation. The new Bill amends the Native Title Act 1993 to implement reforms to a number of aspects of the native title system. However, the Australian democrats have major concerns that the proposed amendments not only have the potential to further limit the ability of Indigenous people to have their native title rights recognised but will also create greater uncertainty, conflict and confusion by threatening the independence of native title representative bodies, compromising the mediation process and reducing Ministerial accountability. Senator Bartlett will be moving amendments and says that these amednments must be passed for the Democrats to support the Bill.

Call for Senate enquiry into water

2007-02-15T15:07:00.000+10:00

Australian Democrat's Senator for Queensland, Andrew Bartlett, has called for a Senate Inquiry into water management in Australia. The federal and state governments are in discussions about water management arrangements in a last minute panic instigated by a crisis that consecutive Australian governments have precipitated by their environmental negligence. This situation, according to Senator Bartlett, is potentially a recipe for rash and ill-considered solutions.

"There was a serious lack of consultation during the development phase, with stakeholders such as the Murray-Darling Basin Commission and experts in the field left on the sidelines, and this is continuing to happen. The Murray-Darling Basin Commission has been forced to write letters to the Prime Minister outlining concerns because he refuses to consult properly."

"I will push to refer the federal government's water plan to a Senate Inquiry for thorough examination if the states give the deal the go ahead."

The Senate can play a constructive role in consulting widely and recommending sensible suggestions into the water management debate. The current sidelining of the Senate by the Government is missing opportunities to make parliament work effectively for the country on important matters, such as water management. particularly when the politicians with the most experience in environmental issues, The Greens and the Australian Democrats, can fully participate if the Senate is involved through an inquiry.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats, Water, Environment

Sustainable Transport

2007-02-10T18:14:00.001+10:00

As part of a broader campaign to encourage sustainable living, members of the Queensland Democrats are helping support the Walk for Sustainable Transport in Brisbane on Saturday 17 February 2007. Here are the details:

11am meet at Queens Park, Brisbane City (Cnr George and Elizabeth Street)
Talks by Phil Heywood (professor), Mary Maher (planner) and David Engwicht (author)
Walk through city to parliament house

If we are to pursue sustainable lifestyles then it will be critical to encourage walking, cycling and use of public transport in our cities. This public demonstration of support for sustainable transport is an important part of civic activism to speed up the process of governmental support and encouragement for ways of living more gracefully on our planet.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats, Transport

Queensland plebiscite on water recycling

2006-12-18T12:02:00.000+10:00

In March 2007 the Queensland state government will hold a referendum to get support for plans for increased water recycling initiatives. These initatives will be an important step in the process of achieving a more sustainable lifestyle in the increasingly drought-ridden Australian landscape. Democrat's Senator for Queensland, Andrew Bartlett, says in a recent post:

Together with the Queensland Democrats I will be campaigning hard for a yes vote for the March 2007 referendum on water recycling Water recycling is a key alternative to destructive and expensive measures such as dams.

Senator Bartlett has an online petition which you can sign to show your support for more water recycling measures.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats

Mourning the loss of Don Chipp

2006-08-29T20:44:00.000+10:00

We are deeply saddened at the news that Don Chipp, in honour of whom this blog is named, passed away on Monday evening 28 August 2006 from pneumonia. In the words of Heather Jeffcoat the acting president of the Australian Democrats,

Don was a caring human being, and a master politician who, through his passion, commitment and charisma inspired hundreds of thousands of Australians to take a keen interest in the future of their country.

Don's Party, his beloved Australian Democrats, founded on the principles of Honesty, Tolerance and Compassion, burst onto the political scene in 1977 and for the greater part of the next quarter of a century held the balance of power in the Australian Parliament.

He will be missed by all those who knew him and by those touched by his compassion and action. Australia is a better place because of Don Chipp's vision and enthusiasm. May he rest in peace, and may his vision for a fairer and more tolerant society live on.

Senator Andrew Bartlett has a fine obituary to Don Chipp on his blog .

Technorati Tags: australian politics, australian democrats, don chipp

Cut Australia's Carbon Emissions

2006-08-28T21:28:00.000+10:00

It is time to do more about cutting Australia's green house gas emissions. Australia has one of the highest, if not the highest, carbon emissions per capita and the low costs of electricity today is mortgaging our children's future.

We need to put in place policies to reduce and offset carbon emissions, especially from coal-fired power stations. While the Australian Democrats have been calling for such a move for many years the current federal coalition government is sitting on its hands. Many state Labor governments are taking moves to address the situation but not in an overly coordinated way. For example, the NSW government has initiated an emissions trading scheme and the Queensland government is investing $300 million in research and development in "clean" coal.

Carbon trading can work now to encourage a reduction in overall green house gas levels, however, it does enable polluters to side-step their obligations to some extent. Clean coal research is necessary but will take at least ten years to begin to make an impact and is still not a renewable energy source. Wind, solar and hydro power schemes are renewable but at present not scalable to take sufficient load off Australia's reliance on coal-fired power stations.

We need political leadership (rather than the current recalcitrance) at the federal level to pursue a balanced and coordinated approach, both across the country and across the variety of strategies that will address the problem. We also need to understand that there must be some sacrifice in regard electricity and other fuel costs because we are on borrowed time and not paying the full costs. It may well be possible to offset these additional costs with savings through energy efficiency and minimising energy use.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats, Carbon Trading, Clean Coal

Restricting Democracy

2006-08-21T21:32:00.000+10:00

In proposed changes to the Commonwealth Electoral Act the conservative federal government is proposing to restrict the ability of Australian's to exercise their right to vote and at the same time protect those who wish to influence the political process through financial donations to political parties.

Among the changes is a reduction in the time, after the announcement on an election, that the person has to enroll to vote or update their details on the roll. The time reduction to come into effect from 2007 is down from several days to several hours. This has been highlighted by the recent snap election announcement in Queensland where some people thought they may have been caught out by the legislative changes. The change particularly effects young voters who may not have enrolled to vote and those who have shifted house since the last election and may not have updated their electoral roll address details. This potentially disenfranchises hundreds of thousands of voters.

Another significant change in the legislation is the raising of the threshold for anonymous donations to political parties from $1,500 to $10,000. As well, closely related parties (i.e., members of the same family) are treated separately, as are donations to different state and territory party branches. As a result, a rich family could secretly donate hundreds of thousands to a party. A report from the parliamentary library indicates that based on 2004-5 figure as much as $8 million in donations would become anonymous. To add insult to injury, the tax free threshold for political donations has been increased from $100 to $1500 per annum. This effectively moves millions of dollars from the common wealth to political parties.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats, Democracy

Democrat disruptions

2006-07-18T21:18:00.000+10:00

Internal problems plague all political parties. In recent days Australia has witnessed a very high level disagreement between the Prime Minister and Treasurer over the future leadership of the parliamentary Liberal party. In a minor upset by comparison, the former national president of the Australian Democrats, Richard Pascoe, has quit after only three weeks in the job. He was reportedly frustrated by lack of disciplinary action against South Australian MP Sandra Kanck who recently told Parliament that a rave party is a safer environment than a bar and the drug ecstasy is not dangerous. The Democrats members, especially those such as Mr Pascoe who take on national positions, do need to be more stable in the interests of party stability, even amidst an often volatile political environment. This is not to igmnore the fact that Ms Kanck's comments were ill advised and that Senator Allison probably should have shown greater leadership in distancing the party from them.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats

Andrew Murray will not stand for preselection

2006-07-07T07:09:00.000+10:00

Senator Andrew Murray, Australian Democrat senator for Western Australia, has announced that the will not be running at the next federal election expected some time early in 2007. Senator Murray has served two terms as Senator for Western Australia. This announcement has both positive and negative aspects for the Australian Democrats. It the Western Australian Democrats will have to campaign hard to get a new candidate known to the electorate, but it will also remove from the political spectrum a Senator somewhat tainted by scandals over leadership and intra-party wrangling in years past. Senator Murray spoke positively about the future of the democrats at the time his announcement, commenting that he felt sure Australians would realise how much they needed the Democrats in the Senate as a voice for fairness after witnessing the recent abuses of parliamentary power by the Howard government who currently control both houses.

Technorati Tags: australian politics, Australian Democrats, australian senate

Industrial Relations uproar

2006-06-29T16:38:00.000+10:00

The recent protests opposing the federal governments changes to industrial relations laws show that many Australia's are upset with the way the Government is treating its citizens in this regard. What is even more surprising is that many people who may not normally support the Labour movement are also unsettled by the lack of legislative safety nets for workers who are in a significantly exposed position when negotiating terms and conditions with their employers. This trend is highlighted by recent comments from Australian Democrats senator Andrew Murray.

"The new federal IR regime is unfair, un-Australian and unwise, and is to the detriment of Australian fair-go values."

There are some workers whose skills are in high demand that can benefit from an individually negotiated settlement, but the vast majority of salary earners cannot. The Government points to the exceptions to try to prove the rule, they also hope that they have encouraged enough workers to set up a small businesses themselves that the constituency for Trade Unions has been undermined. The Australians Democrats have a long history of supporting the rights of workers to fair IR laws, even though they are often more well known as a party that supports small business. A measure of the broad agreement that the current IR laws go beyond a test for reasonable fairness are responses from all areas of the community that the Government is undermining Australia's egalitarian values with such legislation.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats, industrial relations

Further support for Biodiesel amendment

2006-06-22T23:01:00.000+10:00

In a show of support for Senator Lyn Allison's proposed amendment to the fule tax bill before the Australian parliament, the Coalition Senator Barnaby Joyce says he will cross the floor and support the Democrats amendment to provide greater tax rebates for farmers who purchase biodiesel. This underscores the sense of the Australian Democrats amendments and their general position on supporting environmentally and economically sensible energy policy (as discussed in an earlier post). Unfortunatly, even the defection of a government Senator may be to no avail (and perhaps hints at grandstanding) given that the opposition Labour party intend to support the Government on this bill; simply underscoring the fact that there is no choice between major parties on the majority of issues.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats, alternative fuel

Government seeks to further restrict the Senate

2006-06-22T03:57:00.000+10:00

The Howard government is proposing changes to parliamentry committee processes that would see the number of Senate committees reduced from 16 to 10 and only allow coalition senators to chair those committees. There are some increases to other senate operations, such as more estimates committees, and the government claims it will save some money, but overall this is an audatious misuse of power designed to stifle the voices of opposition and to disrupt the processes of democratic enquiry. As the journalist Kerry O'Brien noted on the ABC's 7.30 report,

The Government's proposed changes to the Senate committee process has been branded evil by the Opposition Leader and have been widely interpreted as just the latest manifestation of hubris delivered courtesy of the Government's Senate majority... Not surprisingly, Labor, the independents and the minor parties are all crying foul and point to this as further proof that the Government is running from scrutiny - and not just in the Senate

This move even has the labour party crying fowl with Senator Robert Ray calling it an "emasculation of the senate as an institution" and opposition leader Kim Beazley called the move "a systematic display of arrogance and avoidance of scrutiny."

Technorati Tags: australian politics, Australian Democrats, australian senate

Proposed Fuel Tax Bill limits uptake of alternative fuels

2006-06-15T18:55:00.000+10:00

The federal government is introducing a fuel tax bill that has incentives on fuels the wrong way around. Instead of encouraging alternative fuels, such as bio-fuels, it is reducing the incentives for them. This will increase the cost of bio fuels and other alternative engery sources and have the duel negative effects of promoting the continued polution of our world through fossule fuel usage, and of harming the already struggling growth of the Australian alternative fuel industry. It is also a hit on Australian farmers who produce the raw products for our bio-fuels. As Senator Lyn Allison remarks:

"It makes no sense to cripple this renewable fuel industry at a time when Australia faces higher and higher oil imports. Australia is a backwater in promoting alternative fuels and this is either a very clumsy mistake or another sop to the big oil companies."

Bad all round it seems - unless you are an oil company.

Technorati Tags: australian politics, Australian Democrats, alternative fuel

Stifling democracy

2006-06-13T23:55:00.000+10:00

Since gaining control of the Senate at the last federal election the conservative government have repeatedly limited the time available for the senate to debate legislation. They clearly see it as a rubber stamp on decisions of the executive government and have little interest in listening to proposed amendments that might improve laws. This reveals their disregard for democratic processes of government and a closed mind to new ideas or alternate points of view. As an example of the undemocratic pace of legislative activity, this week there are 25 separate packages of legislation to be voted on in the Senate. Given that a strong senate over many years has been a moderating force against absolute power in Australian parliamentary democracy, it is a shame to see those Senators representing voters and, by implication, the voters themselves across all states of Australia, treated with such disrespect. Bring back a strong and independent Senate to restore Australian democracy.

Technorati Tags: australian politics, Australian Democrats, australian senate

A threat to academic independence

2006-06-08T20:25:00.000+10:00

The Australian Research Council (ARC) is a major conduit for the Australian governments expenditure on research. Proposed legislation sets out to abolish the board of the ARC and place many of the powers of the board directly in the hands of the Minister. This places in jepody the independence and autonomy of the ARC, and by implication Australia's academic community. This is part of a trend of the current government to micro-manage higher education, which has so far resulted in higher student fees, attacks on student unionism, and numerous increases in arduous accountability and bureaucratic reporting. It reveals the mistrust the current administration has in intellectuals and an unhealthy wish to meddle in the details of higher education activities where the government responds with knee jerk reactions and rhetoric. The one good outcome of this governments policy has been the increased research funding in recent years, but the governments ability to manage, rather than meddle, in the application of those funds is now going well beyond the setting of popularist National Research Priorities. At least Senator Natasha Stott Despoja aims to fight this encroachment, stating:

"The ARCs reputation, already tainted by the intervention of the previous Minister, is once again being exposed to the threat of additional intervention through the provisions of this legislation... I will be moving amendments to ameliorate the most concerning aspects of this bill when it is debated in the Senate."

Technorati Tags: politics, Australian Democrats, research

Water wise

2006-06-08T00:30:00.000+10:00

Australia, perhaps more than many nations, has a limited water supply that is under increased pressure from population expansion and drought possibly exasibated by global warming. In Queensland the state government has proposed to build new dams to help ensure a consistent water supply. While it is a good idea to sure up water supplies one of the dam sites, at Mary River near Gympie, seems to be an odd choice and has struck much local opposition. Senator Andrew Bartlet recently toured the area and concludes in his blog that flooding this area is not a sound plan environmentally, socially or financially. While the local governments in South East Queensland have taken significant measures to reduce water consumption there are still many measures that can be used to make more efficient use of water, such as household water tanks and reusing grey water. If the state government is spend money on water infrastructure then it maybe better spent on water recycling and treatment facilities, repairing and improving water pipes and water ways. While some dams are necessary they are expensive undertakings, and it seems that too often governments look for silver bullet solutions, such as dams, without taking the trouble to find creative, efficient and imaginative solutions. There are some exceptions such as the federal governments community water grants scheme and there are other members of the Queensland parliament that have an e-petition to save the Mary River area from being dammed.

Technorati Tags: politics, Australian Democrats

Renewable power not nuclear power

2006-06-07T00:04:00.000+10:00

Australia is in the grips of a revitalised Nuclear energy debate. If only we would spend as much political, intellectual and media energy on encouraging renewable energy sources we might make progress toward a sustainable future.

"The nuclear power debate in not only about economics but whether Australians want a nuclear power plant in their backyard or solar power on their roofs and wind turbines on the hills." Democrats Leader Senator Lyn Allison said today.

The Australian Democrats have long been supporters of renewable energies, and the idea of poluting the world with more nuclear waste that will be around for centuries to come, seems somehow obsene.

It is a pitty that most people might see that we are forced to accept nuclear power now as other carbon fuels run out. It's not too late to look to bio-fules, wind, solar and so on, as Lyn suggests.

Technorati Tags: politics, Australian Democrats, nuclear