Kevin Rudd

WGAR News: Living Black Radio's Marc Tong interviews Kirstie Parker: Congress Opposes RDA Amendments

Newsletter date: 2 December 2013

Contents:

* SBS Living Black Radio's Marc Tong interviews Co-Chair of Congress Kirstie Parker: Congress Opposes RDA Amendments
* Geoffrey Brahm Levey & Helen Pringle, ABC The Drum: Why the 'Bolt laws' should stay
* ABC Lateline: "Professor Gillian Triggs, the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission discusses freedom of speech."
* Marina Freri, SBS Radionews: Groups combine to oppose Racial Discrimination Act change
* Brooke Boney, NITV News: Attorney-General under fire over Racial Discrimination Act

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To the beleaguered league from the future

by Christian Bentley

It is easy to notice that we have two Coalitions in this country, as the ever so observing Mr. Abbott so politely feels the need to whine about to every corner of Australia.

But who cares? Both are incompetent. Both are unwilling to change for the better. Both are old, both are obsolete, both are clueless, and both are so desperate to cling on to every and any form of power that they have left, so much so as that they'd sell their souls to keep it.

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Democracy needs reform—The cruelty of poll driven politics in Australia

After a series of sudden and drastic moved initiated by a handful of people within some fractions of the Australia Labor Party on Wednesday evening,  Australians woke up the next morning (24 June 2010) watching their elected Prime Minister (Kevin Rudd) cried in front of the TV screen after he was told by the dozens of his colleagues he was finished as prime minister. (Herald Sun, 25 June 2010)

Diverting attention from addiction to coal

While Kevin Rudd announced a crackdown on tobacco advertising and increased sales tax on cigarettes, attention was diverted from the elephant in the livingroom: climate change and addiction to coal. At the same time Friends of the Earth Australia denounced the development of two new coal export terminals near Bowen in North Queensland, insisting the expansion of Queensland's biggest contributor to climate change must come to an end. Adding an extra $2 sales tax a pack to cigarettes is a diversion from the real problem: Australia's multi-billion dollar addiction to coal. What Kevin Rudd needs to do is put a $35 per tonne carbon levy on coal to send a significant message to business and the public on climate change and public health.

Related: Punishing the people who stand up for the common good | Conservationists and scientists angry at Rudd retreat on climate | Crikey: Pity the coal lobbyists are more powerful than the tobacco lobbyists

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Promotion: 

Conservationists and scientists angry at Rudd retreat on climate

Conservationists and scientists have reacted angrily to the breathtaking act by the Rudd Government in taking the emissions trading scheme - the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme - of the legliative agenda for two to three years, delaying central action on climate change - the setting of a carbon price.

The Getup organisation have launched a public No confidence vote saying that Kevin Rudd has lost the courage of his convictions. He needs to hear loud and clear that he just lost our confidence as a result.

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Coalition Climate Policy just "tinkering at the edges" say academics and scientists

While the politicians debate 5% emissions reduction under Kevin Rudd's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme or Tony Abbott's incentive based Emissions Reduction Fund, it may be instructive to go back to what the scientists say we need:
25-40% reduction in emissions by 2020 for a reasonable chance to avoid dangerous climate change and stay under 2 degrees warming.

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UN leaked document verifies world heading for 3 degree plus temperatures

A leaked draft UNFCC document dated 15th December shows that current committments of emissions reductions "remain on an unsustainable pathway that could lead to concentrations equal or above 550ppm with the related temperature raise around 3 degrees C.".

Australia is trying to buy off small Islands at Copenhagen climate talks

Pressure is clearly building on poor countries to back down from strong climate targets here in Copenhagen. At a powerful press conference this morning, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu accused Australia of setting up a private meeting with a number of small island states and trying to bribe them into accepting the 2 degrees C target that would mean extinction for their islands.

Related Articles: Tuvalu makes a Stand | Tuvalu Climate Adaption Issues

Related Videos : A Plea from Melbourne (5:58), Tuvalu at Copenhagen: 'The Fate Of My Country Rests In Your Hands' | Tuvalu Islands might disappear by 2050 | Clemmie James on Tuvalu and climate change awareness