Geert Wilders, the ultra-right Dutch anti-immigration and anti-Islam MP has been on Lateline to talk about his Australian tour and to promote his hateful and intolerant views. His visit is just the latest round in a potential conservative resurgence.
But while we can't afford to ignore this trend, we should be hopeful for what Getup members can achieve together in this election year. A close Federal election creates great opportunities for us to make progress on the issues we all care about. We know, because we've done it before. At the last election GetUp members racked up some amazing achievements. But the best is yet to come.
Can you help make this Getup's best election yet?
www.getup.org.au/what-were-fighting-for
It's getting ugly out there.
Last week, a candidate from Katter's Australia Party had to be reprimanded for comparing gay marriage to paedophilia. On Friday, an esteemed ABC journalist and his two year old daughter were hurled racist vitriol while travelling on a Sydney bus1.
Then, on Monday, ABC's 7:30 covered the launch of a new political party, "Rise Up" (name sound familiar?!), that is waging a war against multiculturalism, marriage equality, climate action, and pretty much everything we stand for. Best of all, cringe-worthy climate denier Lord Monckton is touring our country again. Appalling? Yes. It's time to rally the troops.
Right now, these are the kinds of ideas that dominate our newspapers and news feeds. Now more than ever we need to mobilise and prove that racism, intolerance and hate isn't the norm. Among the rising tide of intolerance, let's show Australia that these people don't speak for us.
www.getup.org.au/what-were-fighting-for
There's no overstating how important this election year is for the issues we've all worked for.
We're up against much more than a rogue racist outburst and the formation of a couple of fringe right-wing groups hoping to follow in the footsteps of America's tea party movement. What we're witnessing is a rise in conservative forces and policies that threaten much of what we've fought for.
That doesn't mean we should lose hope. If anything, recent events should serve as a call to action for a bold, positive movement.
We know the kind of impact our movement can have in an election year.
Last election, GetUp members...
Won a High Court case that put 169,000 disenfranchised voters on the roll -- so many that in 11 electorates, those voters determined the result.
Raised over 4 million dollars to run national TV and print ads, becoming one of the biggest political media buyers in the country and reclaiming the airwaves from vested interests like Clubs Australia and the Minerals Council.
Volunteered on the ground in our tens of thousands, speaking directly with our neighbours through doorknocking, local events, and handing out election scorecards.
Helped keep climate action on the agenda, fought for a fair go for aslyum seekers, and won over 2 billion dollars in commitments for mental health care.
This election, we can do it again. We'll start with hundreds of face-to-face meetings across the country next month (stay tuned), meeting up with other local GetUp members to set our agenda for the year. Then, together, we'll roll out a national campaign to put the issues GetUp members care about at the forefront this election -- a campaign planned, funded, and powered by all of us.
Can you get it started by committing to a small, weekly donation to power everything we do for this election? Small weekly donations starting now are particularly helpful. They mean that we can plan our campaign: buying ad spots in advance for our cheeky campaigns (spots get snapped up quickly); hiring volunteer coordinators; building technology to enrol young voters; renting extra office space for volunteers.
www.getup.org.au/what-were-fighting-for
Last election we changed the game. This time there's even more at stake and it's critical we mobilise. Tony Abbott has called the election a referendum on climate action, at a time when there is more alarming evidence than at any point in history about just how rapidly our climate is changing. The Parliament we elect this September will make policy decisions with far-reaching effects on our communities, environment and our cultural fabric. Let's get to work!
Thanks for being part of it,
The GetUp team.
PS - In case you missed the coverage on Monday, both Sunrise and ABC's 7:30 interviewed the new political party called "Rise Up," a group whose leader once publically stated that the Black Saturday bushfires were caused by laws that allow abortion2, and whose keynote speaker was cringe-worthy climate denier Lord Monckton (not a Lord, also not a scientist). With voices like that filling our news, we must work even harder to demonstrate that they don't speak for us. They have the right to free speech, but that doesn't mean we have to sit by in silence. Will you help us get in fighting form this election year?
1Jeremy Fernandez, My Rosa Parks moment in Sydney 2013, The Drum, 11 February 2013.
2 Pastor's abortion dream inflames bushfire tragedy, The Age, 11 February 2009
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GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations. If you have trouble with any links in this posting, please go directly to www.getup.org.au. Authorised by Sam Mclean, Level 2, 104 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010.