Australian politics

Inquiry to review Australia’s diplomatic response against the death penalty

 

Australia Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, has commissioned a parliamentary inquiry to review Australia’s diplomatic efforts against the death penalty, following the executions last April of drug traffickers, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan in Bali.

A parliamentary human rights subcommittee, chaired by former attorney-general Philip Ruddock, will examine Australia’s current engagement on capital punishment, and will recommend further steps the government can take on the world stage.

 

Indonesia - The time for being polite is over !

Amid corruption allegations and political posturing, Indonesia has executed eight people. Two Australians, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, and six other foreigners were gunned down by an Indonesian firing squad in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

In our reaction, we do not need to hold back for fear of being seen as arrogant westerners.

Massive cost of housing and living protests in Israel - why not in Australia?

Israel has become the latest country to be swept by a citizens uprising. On July 30th 150,000 Israeli's both Jews and Arabs marched to demand the government act on the cost of housing and the cost of living more generally. Other specific demands of the protest movement include more affordable child care, more money for public hospitals and opposition to the policies of privitization and the free market that have exacerbated the gap between the rich and poor.

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Extremism essential to Australian culture

by Nick Carson After recent events in Norway it comes as no surprise that the Australian media are bad-mouthing 'extremism', to quote The Age, as having "no place in our culture". They seem to be collectively missing the point. Having an extreme point of view or ideology isn't a crime in itself. Extremism, regardless of the values or ideologies behind it, not only has a place in a given culture, but is quite essential.

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