tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67284289599550892532023-06-21T13:29:37.738+09:30Andrew PhillipsAndrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-89549880996115332462010-08-14T17:25:00.001+09:302010-08-19T15:29:05.128+09:30Election promisesI read with great interest a letter and leaflet sent to me by Jamie Briggs, Member for Mayo following my application for a postal vote.<br />
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The promises were very appealing - repaying debt, stopping taxes and stopping "the boats" not to mention "doing the right thing", but it made me realise that no where in the letter were any details of exactly how this was going to be accomplished.<br />
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For example, in order to repay Labor's massive debt before my children are grandparents, one would assume that money must be acquired from somewhere. Certainly, governments can reduce their own spending but any thinking person would come to the conclusion that the money will be raised either through increased taxes or by selling what few assets the Australian public possess.<br />
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Stopping the boats is also of great concern to many voters, yet the letter is again short on detail. There are many ways to "stop a boat". Do the Liberals intend to use millions in Australian taxes to theoretically "bribe" a foreign nation to house these boat people for a few months until we fly them the rest of the way? Or will millions be sent to dictatorships overseas to deal with the issue at home? Perhaps "stopping the boats" involves our own navy?<br />
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Regardless of the questions and the lack of detail, at least we can be assured that Mr. Briggs and the Liberals intend to "do the right thing" - but again, like beauty, that is all in the eye of the beholder.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-83862026267860788242010-07-29T21:29:00.005+09:302010-08-02T15:36:30.246+09:30Minimal choice<i>29th July 2010</i><br />
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Although an independent candidate for the rural seat of Mayo, I was most disappointed at the announcement by the Nationals in SA of their decision to not contest any seats in this state.<br />
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Admittedly, on more than one occasion I have criticised the position taken by Nationals leadership on a variety of issues in the Stock Journal. It has been disapppointing the party's leadership has been silent on issues such as the financial burden on farmers stemming from the former government's debt forgiveness for Iraq, population pressure on arable land, the threats to primary producers' livelihoods posed by poorly planned Free Trade Agreements, WTO dictatorial attitudes and reduced quarantine regulations, not to mention the general impression that the leadership would prefer to keep urban based Liberals on side rather than speak out in defence of regional communities.<br />
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However, despite faults with interstate leadership, no one can doubt the connection and loyalty the grassroots Nationals membership have towards their communities and their first hand understanding of the invaluable role played by primary producers in the economic welfare of our nation.<br />
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This has been clearly supported by the calibre of candidates the Party has often produced, as could be seen by the performance of people such as Deb Thiele in previous elections.<br />
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One can understand the desire to conserve resources for a solid campaign effort in future, but the decision by the local Nationals to not contest one seat or even provide a Senate team to give regional South Australians a choice and to hopefully stimulate some debate on issues of concern to us leaves the democratic process so much poorer as a result.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-5012705623663743332010-07-05T11:01:00.003+09:302010-07-21T12:05:39.409+09:30Profiteering in supermarkets?<em>5th July 2010</em><br />
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Like most Australians, I certainly would not begrudge primary producers displaying signs of relief at the news of lamb tipping the $5/kg mark and celebrating some degree of good fortune.<br />
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Many Australian consumers, particularly those in urban areas, do not appreciate the work that goes into running a property nor the many factors that can have a negative effect on the farmer's bottom line.<br />
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However, as a person also involved in the retail sector I cannot understand how some supermarkets are charging consumers between $27 and (according to reports on ABCs Landline) over $41/kg for lamb!<br />
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Certainly, in a relatively free market, a product can be offered for any price a retailer chooses and the so called "unseen guiding hand of the market" will dictate whether the venture is successful. One expects there to be a mark up to cover the costs of transport, processing and power in supermarkets to keep the meat fresh, but surely such a difference in pricing indicates nothing more than blatant profiteering?<br />
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The prices demanded by the retail sector are not a true indication of the price paid to the producer of the good. Again, it may be considered an economic heresy in today's enlightened age, but isn't some form of guideline required here?<br />
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The price consumers see on the packet goes a long way to the influencing the position in which they imagine our farmers to be. They hear there is a shortage of lamb and see $41/kg in the meat cabinet and assume the farmers are driving new 4WDs and sunning themselves each year on a beach in the Bahamas.<br />
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Supermarkets need to be made accountable to both their consumers and to the supplier of their product, either through the pressure of a primary industry representative body with some teeth, or by the actions of an educated consumer-preferably a combination of both.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-75486474234741032052010-05-18T19:27:00.006+09:302010-07-21T13:52:49.333+09:30Mining super tax could cost Australians a lot<em>18th May 2010</em><br />
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The proposed mining super tax could possibly cost the Australian people a lot more than the loss of investment and local jobs.<br />
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The implementation of such a scheme could quite likely leave the Australian taxpayer open to compensation payments to foreign owned mining companies, under Bilateral Investment Treaties signed with countries such as China.<br />
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BITs are used to protect foreign investors from the actions of the other signatory state which could potentially affect the value of their investments. When one considers the involvement of China's Chinalco in our mining sector and the fact that BHP and Rio Tinto are 40% and 70% foreign owned respectively-Australian taxpayers have cause for concern.<br />
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Rudd may well be on moral high ground when he declares that Australians have a right to a greater share of our nation's resources, but he might want to consider reclaiming a degree of national sovereignty first and removing us from the myriad of Free Trade Agreements our governments have shackled us to first.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-55195095775068111272010-04-15T21:04:00.006+09:302010-07-21T15:56:45.493+09:30Foreign apples put our local fruit industry at risk<em>15th April 2010</em><br />
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It comes as no surprise the World Trade Organization has finally dictated New Zealand apples must be allowed into our market, especially considering the consistent push by Bio Security Australia to bring us to this situation, despite repeated protests by local producers.<br />
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As outrageous as this decision is given the fact that it puts at risk an industry worth $50million locally and $500million nationally, it also raises a number of very important questions.<br />
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Producers have a right to know if the former and highly inadequate inspection guidelines stipulated by Biosecurity Australia,including the need for a single inspection of apples and the acceptance of apples harvested from trees actually showing signs of fireblight have been overturned in the interests of local producers' livelihoods.<br />
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Australians also have a right to ask why our politicians remain silent on an issue of national interest? Their silence is conspicuous and an insult to the efforts and diligence shown by regional Australians to create a successful industry with an enviable reputation as a clean green provider of high quality produce.<br />
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Their silence appears to speak volumes in regards to their penchant for economic rationalist dogma and their total disdain for their constituents.<br />
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Furthermore, can the government reassure local producers they will be compensated for any economic hardship encountered should their properties become infected due to this ridiculous decision? Perhaps they believe local taxpayers' will have no problem footing the bill to keep foreign producers happy, or alternatively producers are expected to pay higher insurance premiums to cover the expected loss?<br />
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Australian primary producers make an invaluable contribution to our nation's economy, through the millions in export dollars, the provision of employment and creation of regional businesses to the simple fact they feed our nation. For too long they have had their interests ignored and betrayed- perhaps this recent decision is an indication it is time for a change.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-61003544820641050502010-02-23T09:01:00.003+10:302010-07-21T13:50:16.137+09:30Immigration vetting needed<em>23rd February 2010</em><br />
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The penchant held by successive governments for wasting taxpayer funds never ceases to surprise me.<br />
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Recent reports inform us that we will soon be permitted to read the new White Paper on a study into the threat posed by home-grown terrorism and the alarming trend of locals being recruited by so called extremists to Jihad against our culture.<br />
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The report has spurred the government to announce it will allocate $70 million towards improved vetting of prospective migrants.<br />
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Perhaps this could have been avoided entirely if successive governments had listened to large sections of the Australian constituency who have expressed concern about the issue of immigration levels and it's composition, rather than sweeping the issue under the carpet and denigrating their concerns as nothing more than xenophobic hysteria.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-52084502520381698912010-02-13T17:06:00.004+10:302010-07-21T13:51:46.898+09:30Royalties for Regions<em>13th February 2010</em><br />
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I was quite impressed by the recent letter from new Nationals leader, Jacky Abbott.<br />
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It is indeed heartening to see the Nationals grab a policy and running with it in the hope that a more equitable distribution of our states' wealth will come to regional Australia.<br />
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Royalties for Regions sounds promising, but how much will regional SA get following downturns in revenue from mining operations in our state in future? Do the Nationals intend to lock regional funding to the fluctuations of an unpredictable mining sector attracting ever more foreign control?<br />
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Given the leadership of the National Party's track record of ignoring, even betraying the interests of those of us working in regional areas (as we have witnessed following their silence on the Iraqi debt forgiveness, the Howard Government's attempts to change quarantine standards to allow imported foods and the belated defence of primary producers on the issue of property rights), I can understand why they are leaping at a program which appears to have brought benefits to our counterparts in WA.<br />
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However, the devil could well be in the detail for such schemes and I look forward to assurances from Nationals' leadership regional SA will not in fact be worse off should the bottom fall out of our very poor excuse for a mining boom in this state!<br />
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Should this eventuate, what is their fall back plan to ensure adequate funding continues to regional development, hospitals and our schools?Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-51763465714511987752010-01-20T06:49:00.010+10:302010-07-21T13:53:39.758+09:30Protect local producers to ensure a decent national standard of living<em>20th January 2010</em><br />
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I listened with interest as our PM urged Australians to work “harder and smarter” to ensure our standard of living.<br />
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As a former manufacturing worker, I recall hearing the same exhortations from our previous Labor leaders-Hawke and Keating. The catchword back then under a new style of government was “corporatization” and while our leaders were being wined and dined by the high flyers in business, those of us in what was left of our nation’s manufacturing sector did indeed work harder and smarter.<br />
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Reforms to the workplace led to us accepting changes in conditions ensuring “flexibility” and rewarded for our efforts with payrises between 1.25 and 3%. The changes, we were assured, would ensure job stability and the ability to compete on the world stage.<br />
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Regardless of our efforts, department after department were packed up and sent off to China.;<br />
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Perhaps if Australians wish to ensure their standard of living, we could begin by electing governments interested in protecting Australian industry and primary producers. Protecting Australian jobs is defending our standard of living.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-33239710313847495212010-01-06T19:14:00.002+10:302010-07-21T13:56:30.335+09:30Multiculturalism Advocates' Campaign of Contempt<em>6th January 2010</em><br />
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All is not well in the Ivory Tower. When the arrogant elite begin to have concerns about changes in society's attitudes and it becomes evident that the general population are once again thinking for themselves, the poor hacks in some sections of our media cartel swing into action and begin the campaign of contempt.<br />
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Lashings of guilt inducing self loathing vitriol splash across our screens and the pages of our papers, the very same papers we are told reflect the attitudes of the nation and supply us with the truth. Time to herd the sheeple back into the pens and make them accept the condition determined for them and their grandchildren.<br />
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Judging by the columns served up for consumption by the Adelaide Advertiser the last two days, it would appear our "intellectual keepers" have suddenly realised the brumbies are bolting and are frantically falling over themselves to shut the gate before too much damage is done to their cozy situation. The tactics used were obvious and printed to coincide with the concern by authorities regarding the recent stabbing of a young Indian in the Yarraville area.<br />
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Of concern is the fact that once again the "wannabe intelligentsia" work themselves into a frenzy even before the facts are known. As soon as someone of non European heritage is assaulted or robbed, the perpetrators are naturally assumed to be White-and none are worse than those nasty Anglo Saxons, after all, as former SA Premier Don Dunstan once proudly declared, Anglo Saxons are the biggest race of mongrels to walk the Earth.....<br />
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The Advertiser sent their star Queen of Cultural Self Loathing, Tory Shepherd "Straying From the Flock" (as she trumpets in a most self satisfied way) in to soften up those readers who might just be thinking of seeing things in a different way.<br />
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It took almost ten paragraphs of inane drivel about car stickers for Ms. Shepherd to warm to her subject- being what a bunch of narrow minded, insensitive, moronic yobs we Australians are.<br />
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Lamenting about the growing number of "Australia. If you don't love it-leave" stickers on the back of cars (obviously sported by morons who don't understand the whole benefit of being part of the Global Village. Pack rapes by gangs of Moslem youths, stabbings and car jackings by gangs of "alienated" African youths, heroin deaths brought to your neighbourhood by your friendly local Triad members, unemployment as factory workers watch their jobs go overseas, farms quarantined due to the importation of produce from developing nations with poor production standards-just to name a few-but of course these don't affect you if you live on the leafy side of town), Ms. Shepherd proceeded to attack her fellow Australians who air their views on the internet.<br />
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Internet sites, including a Facebook group which at one point had 65,000 members but "now only has around 500 after some sort of intervention" (well, we guess you could call hacking by rabid far left activists opposed to freedom of speech "some sort of intervention" Tory) were criticised by Ms. Shepherd as having a "mishmash of claims" and advocating a "Monolithic Australian culture, as though it is something enshrined in law". Well no, Tory, but perhaps it might be advantageous if it were supported by both the government and the education system rather than undermined.<br />
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Then again, we shouldn't be too harsh in our criticism of Ms. Shepherd's rambling thoughts. This is, after all, the same woman who seems to revel in an endless campaign to denigrate Western society's contribution to the world in general, belittle our culture's Christian heritage at every opportunity and hop on any controversial bandwagon that might pass her cluttered cubicle in the hallowed building that is occupied by the Advertiser. Right to die, right to kill, right to same sex marriages, where she'll draw the line is anybody's guess, but those of us wanting to protect the country we love know there is one right she won't defend- the right to free speech and freedom of expression. She just can't help herself.<br />
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Having done her job at convincing the reader that they belong to an odious group of moronic narrow minded human beings who have contributed nothing to the world and can lay claim to nothing, at least to the best of her ability, the Advertiser served up an opinion piece from one Verma Vinay, a Sydney resident whose contributions to our sterile and unproductive culture include being a "poet, author and freelance journalist".<br />
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Makes one feel quite inadequate.<br />
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Mr. Vinay began his column with a list of mildly imaginative, albeit dated, racist chants as proof of our nation's sinister racist underbelly. Mr. Vinay condemned our apparently "stringent but ineffective" anti discrimination laws for not deterring opponents to multiculturalism (clearly the likes of Mr. Vinay won't be happy until we see those nasty rednecks turned out of their homes as their assets are seized and the breadwinner is gaoled for a decade or more to silence him or her, leaving the family without a parent to instruct innocent children in the evils of outmoded ideals such as traditional values and national pride?).<br />
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Of course Mr. Vinay's self righteous rant didn't put him off the need to tell us the racial heritage of one "strapping Anglo Saxon rugby player" who was fined for supposed racial taunts on the field. This was followed by an awful indulgence in racial stereotyping with the claim "Indian doctors are the only ones open on a weekend". Oh really? I must tell my narrow minded, culturally sterile and unproductive European doctor to shut up her operations on the weekend-stupid girl.<br />
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Of course, Indian society is always welcoming of foreign culture and beliefs. We'll just ignore the barbaric activities in the past by followers of a Hindu Goddess which involved ritual strangulation, and more recently, the burning of Christian missionaries and their families in cars and homes by devout Hindus. Still, as Mr. Vinay assures us, ignorance breeds fear. Perhaps it was fear that motivated someone to send a letter to our Party P.O Box several years ago, urging us to continue our stand against Moslem immigration. The man claimed he was a Sikh residing in Adelaide.<br />
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Mr. Vinay then turned his attention on the media for supposedly giving "cursory coverage" of recent attacks on Indians here in Australia. Well, I am not sure exactly what Mr. Vinay was expecting (perhaps loop coverage as one witnessed following the 9/11 attack?), but it certainly seemed mention was made on every news bulletin on every station. The only criticism I have of the reports were lack of detail. The reports lacked detail because no one knows who the perpetrators were, their motives or their racial heritage. In fact, when the attacks began I remember hearing one report make the mistake of mentioning hostilities between the Indian and African communities.<br />
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Never let the entire story get in the way of a good campaign of self hatred.<br />
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Unfortunately for the likes of Ms. Shepherd and Mr. Vinay, Australians have begun to awaken as a people. We are tired of the endless campaign by elitist, self righteous, dictatorial advocates of the borderless world to instill in us a sense of undeserved guilt and self loathing. The endless campaign to make us think we have contributed nothing to the world, have no value and would be nothing without the contribution of those who have no cultural, ethical or physical similarity to us.<br />
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It has nothing to do with racial superiority and everything to do with rights, the same rights that belong to all people in the world, the right to territory, self determination , sovereignty and identity.<br />
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I would like to close with a few words regarding Ms. Shepherd's final paragraph. "Australia is now-and will always be, despite the best efforts of the racists (presumably any Aussie who doesn't fall into line with her perverted cultural vision) and the politicians who pander to them-multicultural. That's Australia- if you don't love it, leave".<br />
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What Ms. Shepherd fails to realise is this process of undermining the identity and values we seek to preserve is underway throughout the Western world. To where would she have us go? When the West "invaded" non Caucasian nations, it was declared imperialism and the inhabitants of those lands eventually expelled Westerners and declared self sovereignty (with all the benefits). We'll gloss over the tactics used by the likes of Kenya's Mau Mau and other such groups which were encouraged in their campaign for self determination by people such as Ms. Shepherd, but when Westerners seek to protect their identity, their values and desire a territory in which to develop these cultural traits, they're supposedly "racist".<br />
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Ms. Shepherd and her ilk need to realise that we indeed do love Australia, in the same way as all people love their lands, as is right and entirely natural. <strong>What she also needs to realise is, we won't be leaving.</strong>Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-12944128528931727562009-12-27T21:38:00.002+10:302010-07-21T13:57:11.981+09:30Beef industry protection needed<em>27th December 2009</em><br />
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I read with some concern the letter by Richard Charmen (SJ 24/12) of the NSW Farmers Assoc regarding the possible changes to food policy which would allow importation of beef from BSE infected countries.<br />
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I can well understand the relief, albeit limited, that comes from Senator Heffernan's call for an inquiry into the proposed changes.<br />
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Unfortunately for Australian primary producers, successive governments have for decades continue to erode the security of our farmers and the Coalition's record,in general, is less than glowing in regards to speaking up for farmers.<br />
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Who can forget Australian wheatgrowers bearing the loss of millions following Howard's altruistic move to wipe out Iraq's debt for wheat shipments, or Downer's reticence to speak out against Biosecurity Australia's plan to allow in NZ apples possibly carrying fireblight, not to mention stone fruit from Chile?<br />
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Furthermore, did any Party listen to concerns voiced by Australian pig farmers in regards to planned pork imports and possible changes to import regulations and their concerns about the introduction of Post Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome, or care about the millions lost to Queensland producers due to the importation of diseased fruit carrying Black Sigatoka and Moko diseases?<br />
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Indeed, the risk of such changes to the livelihood of our producers is great and the damage to our nation's reputation is unthinkable. However, Mr. Charmen should not be putting forward the question of compensation for producers should the government pursue this course of action, on behalf of his members he should be demanding that the government abandon the whole idea entirely.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-26356097339969701382009-12-16T16:57:00.003+10:302010-07-21T13:57:45.955+09:30Copenhagen hypocrisy<em>16th December 2009</em><br />
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It is interesting to note in the sideshow that is the Copenhagen conference that a relatively small nation like Australia has one of the largest delegations in Denmark.<br />
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PM Rudd, in his desperation to appear an important world figure has surrounded himself with such a large entourage that the international community should find it hard to ignore his hypocrisy.<br />
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Ever the jetsetter, Kev 747's hangers on have reportedly contributed the equivalent of over 1800 tonnes of greenhouse emmissions, the same amount produced by over 2000 Malawi citizens in a week.<br />
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Certainly there is a need to have delegates at an international conference, but surely the burden on the taxpayer and the embarrassing hypocrisy could have been avoided by a video conference link in this day and age?Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-19521249752985348582009-12-07T20:52:00.000+10:302010-07-21T11:34:25.522+09:30Swiss Referendum Exposes Hypocrisy of Official Multiculturalism.<em>7th December 2009</em> <br />
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Many readers have probably heard the results of Switzerland's recent referendum proposing the banning of future construction of minarets on mosques in the country.<br />
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The referendum proposal, pushed by the Swiss People's Party was passed through a vote of 57.5% in favour of the proposal over 42.5 against and supported by 22 out of 26 cantons (states).<br />
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As one could expect from internationalist media outlets, the campaign of vitriol and hysteria following the results was swift and relied upon the tried and proven emotional slogans and mealy mouthed platitudes (hell, if you repeat the same lie often enough it becomes truth in the minds of an unthinking populace).<br />
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Reports of small numbers of liberal Swiss protesting outside parliament with placards "This is not my Switzerland" and "Swiss passport for sale" and interviews with Moslem community representatives declaring it to be "a sad day for religious freedom" with claims "Muslims indeed will not feel safe anymore" are examples of the petulance displayed by the liberal left when things do not go their way.<br />
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<strong>When one considers the reality of the proposal, it really covers little more than the area of planning regulations. The four mosques currently in existence with minarets will remain. There is no restriction on the moslems in Swiss territory opening new mosques, no restriction on them educating their offspring in the ways of their culture or their faith. We will not see bulldozers ripping through mosques nor mass repatriation of moslems living in Switzerland.</strong><br />
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<strong><em>Pretty tame really....</em></strong><br />
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However, supporters of the global village never let the facts get in the way of a healthy dose of propaganda. Labelling Switzerland's reportedly largest party (Advertiser, 1st Dec 2009) "the far right" Swiss People's Party one can see the panic entering into the minds of these people. Across the world, people are awakening to the reality of globalisation and showing their reticence to accept the mindless, self destructive swill often served up for consumption by a media with little concern for the issues of national interest, freedom of speech or sovereignty.<br />
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Amnesty International has labeled the vote "a violation of freedom of religion" and declared the decision of the Swiss people in their own territory would "probably be overturned by the Swiss Supreme Court or the European Court of Human Rights".<br />
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So much for democracy and national sovereignty in the eyes of narrow minded globalists.<br />
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The issue of the European Court should be a lesson to those of us whose nations have not yet been absorbed into "regional bodies". The European Court and Euro Parliament in Brussels has interfered with the internal affairs of European nations, violating their sovereignty since it's inception. Considering PM Rudd has made his desire for an Asia Pacific Union quite plain for all to see, the developments in Europe and the destruction of freedom should be a lesson to all of us.<br />
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It is interesting to note how interested Moslems become in the idea of religious freedom when Europe tries to curb their naturally expansionist instincts. Omar Al-Rawi of the Islamic Denomination of Austria declared the vote as indicating "the Swiss have failed to give a clear signal for diversity, freedom of religion and human rights" while Mohammed Sharfiq of Britain's Ramadhan Foundation youth organisation lamented that "It's a sad day for freedom of religion" and "A constitutional amendment that's targeted towards one religious community is discriminatory and abhorrent".<br />
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No doubt Sharfiq will soon be campaigning to have the exclusion zone around Mecca denying entry into the region by non moslems removed. Likewise, he will also be condemning the burning of churches in moslem nations, fighting for the rights of non moslems to worship and educate freely in moslem nations? Of course, he will obviously leave the relative comfort and safety of Britain to lead this campaign at the coal face in Saudi Arabia.......<br />
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<strong>Sharfiq has conveniently overlooked the Islamic protests in his host nation. Protests showing participants holding placards calling for those who defy Islam to be beheaded and declaring that Europe's "9/11 is on the way".</strong><br />
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Taner Hatipoglu of the Federation of Islamic Organisations has expressed concern that the construction and planning decision will make moslems feel "no longer safe".<br />
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Indeed, I always make sure I have armed security when my council refuses permission to build another shed on my property-dark days indeed.....<br />
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Perhaps if these representatives really wish to know what it is to lack feelings of security, they should talk to the many victims of pack rape by moslem youths around Europe, the women raped by African immigrants, the families who have had to move from their streets due to intimidation by the very people to whom their governments gave sanctuary and freedom.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-7334512713023400002009-11-28T12:53:00.006+10:302010-07-21T13:59:05.578+09:30Climate change - an open, honest and reasoned debate is needed<em>28th November 2009</em><br />
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In response to George Poulos' letter lamenting the availability of a machine to which one can "hook up" members of the pseudo conservative Coalition to suitably indoctrinate reticent MPs as to the "reality" of man made climate change-has Mr. Poulos stopped to consider these MPs might just be doing their job?<br />
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The whole issue of climate change does appear to be fact. The climate is changing, as it always has.However, these "dissident" MPs are merely reflecting the concerns of a large number of their constituents (I hear it's called democracy)on the issue.<br />
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Given the one sided debate on climate change, the total disregard of the opinion of many in the scientific community who question the degree to which man's activity has actually contributed to the change in climate, it is little wonder many have become more than cautious over any scheme which appears to be little more than a blatant tax grab.<br />
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What we don't need is a mythical machine to indoctrinate people-what we do need is an open, honest and reasoned debate on the issue covering all the facts.<br />
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Only by this method can we hope to come to a unified and effective response to the challenges that await us in future.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-28740655113711291692009-11-02T21:31:00.002+10:302010-07-21T13:59:41.928+09:30Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers<em>2nd November 2009</em><br />
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The refusal of Sri Lankan "asylum seekers" to leave an Australian vessel in Indonesia, coupled with their request to be granted asylum in countries such as New Zealand or Canada should Australia refuse is irrefutable proof these people are nothing more than economic "refugees" shopping for a better place to live and not fleeing persecution.<br />
<br />
If this were so, then they would be thankful for the relative security offered by Indonesian authorities in Indonesian territory.<br />
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For the Australian government to waste tens of millions of dollars of Australian taxpayer funds to continue this ridiculous farce is nothing short of unforgivable.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-72028086896257286532009-07-29T18:57:00.003+09:302010-07-21T14:00:17.652+09:30The Prime Minister's anti-protectionism<em>29th July 2009</em><br />
<br />
The recent tirade directed by PM Rudd against his union followers should leave little doubt as to his allegiances.<br />
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Concerned with the security of Australian jobs, unions recently put forward the suggestion that governments show preference for local producers when purchasing for their departments-only to be met with derision from our globalism obsessed PM.<br />
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In his condemnation of the idea that Australian governments should use Australian taxes to support the industries that employ the Australians who pay the taxes, Rudd ridiculously asserted that such an idea would bring about the collapse of the world economy and blamed such behaviour for creating the Great Depression.<br />
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Conjuring the "Protectionist Bogeyman", Rudd would have us believe that those supporting the idea of buying locally, supporting Australian primary producers, manufacturing workers and transport workers would also build a wall around the continent and refuse any imports whatsoever-a ridiculous suggestion.<br />
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It is an irrefutable fact that this country cannot produce everything and must import some goods, as is the case with every nation on earth, however, the implementation of a sensible and moderate system of tariffs along with a campaign to raise awareness of and support for a Buy Australian campaign has nothing to do with "isolationism".<br />
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Governments should be leading the way in supporting our producers. This can be done by purchasing locally where ever possible for government supplies, buying directly from Australian farmers and manufacturers when supplying foreign aid in preference to millions in taxes handed directly to often inhumane and brutal regimes and also educating the general population of the benefits of buying locally.<br />
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It is time for Rudd to be honest with his constituents and not engage in economic scaremongering, confusing moderate "protectionism" with isolationism.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-19846556418259531412009-07-11T10:27:00.001+09:302010-07-21T11:27:45.156+09:30Protectionism - Globalism Advocates "Go on the Offensive"?<em>11th July 2009</em> <br />
<br />
Some readers might have had the misfortune to read a column by one David Penberthy of the Adelaide Advertiser on June 19th, in which Dave gently tried to educate all his "Prole" readers of the reality of modern day economics.<br />
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Beginning his opinion piece, which fortunately for those of us refusing to fall into step with the plan of the elite to sell out our nation's future for a pittance went on for the best part of an entire page, Dave made a half hearted attempt to portray an understanding of our concerns for Australian jobs. Claiming to have grown up in Adelaide's "very own Detroit" and recognising the importance major manufacturing plants had on the extended economy of the whole city, Dave made a valiant attempt to portray himself as "one of us", the only difference being his vast knowledge and firm grip on reality, while the dumb masses foolishly cling to the sentiments of the past.<br />
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One must admire the ability of Dave to go from understanding the deep anxiety felt by the apparently uneducated masses, to an all out assault on those who "foolishly" try to turn back the clock-all in the space of 5 paragraphs.<br />
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Dripping with contempt, Dave made his disdain for anyone trying to save what is left of Australian manufacturing quite obvious. Like all those desperate to identify with the "wannabe intelligentsia", Dave knows too well the kudos that comes from denigrating his own nation and it's people. After this little effort, Penberthy is sure to get many more invites to luncheon with the chardonnay set in the leafy suburbs, far from his embarrassing roots in Adelaide's "mini Detroit".<br />
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Penberthy began by applauding the apparently bipartisan position held by the nest of vipers in our Federal Parliament regarding the value of "free trade", before turning his vitriol upon the state governments of both NSW and Victoria, labeling them "pre Whitlamite drongos" for having the audacity to actually introduce a system of sourcing supplies from Australian manufacturers before buying from foreigners-a move Penberthy describes as "idiotic populism".<br />
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<strong>Australian taxes taken by Australian governments and used to buy products made by the Australians who pay the taxes.</strong> One can imagine Penberthy foaming at the mouth, banging away at his keyboard in a fit of rage at the cracks appearing in the quest for his beloved global village.....<br />
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Apparently, according to Penberthy, the actions of these two governments are not only idiotic populism but have also "trashed Australia's reputation" and have "pandered to prejudice".<br />
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Poor Dave, perhaps it is a recognition of the reality of today's economic climate? Perhaps these governments have realised that if local industry and business goes to the wall, retrenching Australian workers, then there will be no one around to pay the myriad of government fees, charges, levies and taxes which ensure the machinery of government bureaucracy continues to operate year after year? If we lose our local producers and our workforce is thrown on the scrap heap, KRudd's $60billion annual deficit will begin to look like child's play as governments seek ever increasing foreign loans to keep the apparatus of government operating. Remember Whitlam Dave?<br />
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Penberthy also failed to mention the fact that a large number of emergency services personnel developed skin disorders and respiratory problems following the issue of Chinese made uniforms-but don't let the truth get in the way of a good dressing down Dave....<br />
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Like a good internationalist, Dave began quaking in his designer boots at the thought of Australia being "dragged before the World Trade Organisation" for "this illegal act". Former governments ensnared our nation in this agreement, knowing full well the result of their actions. If governments really did give a damn for the national interest, as they keep reassuring us at any possible opportunity, then they would revoke this and any other piece of internationalist rubbish and start governing for the good of Australians as an independent, sovereign nation-not some worthless regional vassal state inhabited by mindless economic units supplying raw materials for the Asian Tiger economies.<br />
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Jumping on the bandwagon of the "educated elite" concerned about a possible rise in "protectionism" (damn those working class people wanting to work for a living), Penberthy turns his venom upon the general public. He claims that the general public have such an irrational view over the issue that "you could hold two days worth of psychological seminars around them".<br />
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<strong>Head cases, the lot of you.</strong><br />
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Penberthy gave us the benefit of his worldly experience by informing us that "vegemite is a mysterious salty paste coming in jars", Arnotts do nothing more than "mix flour, eggs, sugar together and package them in a variety of guises" and "akubras are dead rabbits turned into a hat shape". One can see light bulbs suddenly burning brightly over the heads of the unenlightened thanks to Dave's words of wisdom there.<br />
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Not content to give us time to digest such in depth arguments, the article went on to show just where the author's priorities lie. Apparently, Australian icons should not hold the same place in our nation's psyche as "the 1983 Americas Cup team or Don Bradman's Invincibles".<br />
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Too right Dave, a bunch of blokes floating in a boat off Fremantle whopping Yankee butt and another bunch of blokes embarrassing the "Poms" at their own game is nothing like Australians creating their own businesses from nothing, employing Australians to make the products (often the best in the world) and supporting a myriad of other Australian businesses in the process.<br />
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Indeed, the fleeting glory of a sportsman and the momentary warm, fuzzy glow one feels as one sees that sportsman waving the nation's flag (dreaming of all the sponsorship deals coming his way) is nothing like the security felt as an Australian employee clocks off from his job and takes his pay home to his family, or that felt by an Australian farmer knowing his property is safe as he receives a fair price for his produce-unless the Woolies/Coles cartel chooses to import cheap and substandard produce from overseas.<br />
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Focusing on China and an imminent "Free Trade" Agreement, Penberthy once again takes a soothing tone reassuring us that we really only have a $480million trade deficit with "our Chinese friends" once you crunch the figures. Let's just ignore the fact these figures are prior to any FTA being signed with our so called "friends". Let's also ignore the inconvenient truth that China also has eyes on our mining sector as well as our farms, although, admittedly that will depend upon our nation liberalising any restrictions on both investment and the importation of labour-according to our Chinese friend, Xie Guoli, a senior Chinese Trade Official. Never mind Dave, I'm sure our bipartisan Federal parliamentary "representatives" can rectify that pesky little issue.<br />
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Furthermore, Penberthy and his ilk continue to ignore FTAs are not restricted to a single nation such as China, no, our governments are happy to sign anything shoved under their collective noses, including an FTA with Thailand, with Indonesia (let's just forget their little party trick of suddenly adding tariffs on Australian primary produce so they have something to offer at the table in return for open access to the Australian market), with the US (we're sure Penberthy wouldn't need reminding that Australian lamb exports to the US actually increased considerably under the "protectionist" Clinton administration with their penchant for tariffs)-so the list goes on. Any two bit dictatorship with ready access to cheap, even slave, labour will be lining up for a piece of the Australian market.<br />
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Penberthy would also have a convenient memory lapse regarding the signing of the US/ Canadian FTA. The Canadians were sold the same line given to us, the dangling carrot of lucrative exports, massive markets, increased standard of living, but the reality was a net loss of over 200 000 Canadian jobs. Nevertheless, internationalist journo hacks like Penberthy would probably just sneer at the ridiculous "impassioned affection" the Canadians hold for their jobs and suggest psychological evaluation.<br />
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It is probably a little unfair to focus on Dave's attack on so called protectionism, which in reality is akin to being slapped with a wilting lettuce leaf, after all, his column was just another in a long line of vocal attacks coming from such notable identities as PM KRudd, and former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who despite resigning from politics and costing taxpayers a bucket load of money for a by-election in Mayo, cannot seem to keep his nose out of it.<br />
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Collectively, these people use misinformation and outright lies about the protectionist position. They would have the Australian people believe "protectionism" is all about building an insular country, cut off economically from the rest of the world, spurning interaction and trade with our neighbours.<br />
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Isn't it strange that such people never take the time to actually "interact" with the advocates of domestic protection in order to ascertain exactly what the position is that we support? No, it is much easier to fill newspaper columns with half truths and twisted claims, omitting facts and continue to herd Australians like unthinking wildebeest into the global corral.<br />
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Protectionism merely recognises the reality there is no such thing as a level playing field. The introduction of moderate and sensible tariffs to protect local manufacturers and farmers in fact alleviates this discrepancy and helps local producers to compete on their home ground against goods produced by cheap or slave labour, by companies not bound by environmental protection legislation and other such criteria we in the West often take for granted.<br />
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The much maligned protectionists are not interested in building a wall around our respective nations. Australian protectionists call for a number of measures to ensure Australian consumers are better informed to make a choice of "economic nationalism" over "economic rationalism".<br />
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Such measures can include more transparent labeling of products to inform consumers of country of origin, foreign ownership and the percentage of foreign produce used in the production of a good.<br />
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Protectionists also aim for a government which will increase R&D support to encourage value adding of Australian raw produce, rather than viewing our nation as a supplier of cheap raw material, shipping it off to some tin pot dictatorship to be made into shoddy products using slave and child labour and sold back to us at an exorbitant profit.<br />
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Advocates of the global village continue to launch themselves into a mindless panic at the mere thought of a return to industry protection. In a fashion reminiscent of the torment experienced by those who saw a "Red under every bed", they seek to attack at any opportunity any possibility of an open discussion regarding support or preference for Australian producers. What do they fear? How do they think trade was conducted prior to their obsession with a borderless world?<br />
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Let's face reality, if one party possesses a commodity desired by another, then the transaction will take place at a price agreeable to both-regardless of the presence of a moderate tariff.<br />
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Despite the hysterical claims by the likes of Downer and Rudd and the pseudo intellectual sneering by the likes of Penberthy, the Protectionist "bogeyman" will not return the world to the dark ages nor will they build a giant wall around the continent.<br />
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<strong>All we are demanding is a fair go for our nation's farmers, manufacturers and Australian workers. If you oppose that, then you are living in the wrong country.</strong>Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-43331627700598216172009-07-07T19:56:00.004+09:302010-07-21T14:01:39.902+09:30Climate change and immigration<em>7th July 2009</em><br />
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In the never ending debate regarding climate change, along with the attempts to smear Senator Fielding's character for having the audacity to hold a different opinion, it strikes me as strange both sides have ignored one very important issue.<br />
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A number of aid agencies have now predicted that by 2015, there will be over 250 million people "on the move" due to the effects of climate change.<br />
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If this is the case, considering Australia can barely support the 21million people we have living here due to minimal arable land and our current water crisis, exactly what is our government planning to do when a large percentage of this 250million come knocking on our door?<br />
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Given the indisputable fact that a continent such as ours is already overpopulated, will both sides of the debate face the harsh reality that the only option when faced with such a massive movement of the world's population is to considerably increase defence spending, tighten border control and restrict immigration?<br />
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Perhaps this is the "inconvenient truth" and it is much easier to ignore this issue while denigrating the intelligence of the other side?Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-87175809522858839932009-06-26T20:46:00.005+09:302010-07-21T14:02:04.468+09:30Remember the negative side of globalization<em>26th June 2009</em><br />
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I read with interest the letter by former Nationals candidate Peter McFarlane regarding the discussion about the negative side of globalization.<br />
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Disregarding an apparently slight degree of paranoia that a plague of former One Nation candidates appear to be on the horizon, Mr. McFarlane appears to willfully ignore the points made in the letters written by both Mr. Aldridge and myself.<br />
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The issue is not one of building a so called “protectionist wall” around our nation and cutting off any degree of two way trade. The issue is the fact that our nation’s leaders appear content to pursue a mythical level playing field in which we are supposed to compete against other nations’ economies which operate with a vast amount of cheap and often slave labour, yet still maintain a system of tariffs to protect their own economies. Foolishly, the advocates of liberalization think that the rest of the world will come to the party if only Australia continues to lead the way by example.<br />
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Mr. McFarlane claims that liberalization has given Australia it’s high standard of living. Perhaps he would care to explain how a person’s standard of living is improved as the factory gates are closed behind him, or the income from his farm is undercut by cheap imports?<br />
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If “protectionism through tariffs” is so detrimental to international trade, perhaps Mr.McFarlane would care to explain why Australian lamb exports to the US rose during the years of the Clinton Administration, a government quite content to defend their local producers through a system of sensible tariffs? <br />
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Those of us who seek a return through government policy to a system of limited protectionism do so out of concern for the livelihoods of those few local producers who remain. The policies are not dissimilar to those advocated by current and former Nationals MPs, Barnaby Joyce and Bob Katter.<br />
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For Australians to practice economic nationalism in the face of the failed and disastrous policy of so called economic rationalism by merely supporting, to the best of their ability, our local producers and industries should not be met with disdain and derision by those who have nothing to lose.<br />
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If Mr. McFarlane does not wish to support his fellow Australians, perhaps he is living in the wrong country.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-64445863533013894622009-06-16T17:12:00.006+09:302010-07-21T14:02:38.614+09:30Buy Australian to support Australian businesses and workers<em>16th June 2009</em><br />
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I would like to commend Mr. Aldridge for his comments regarding the threats to Australian businesses and workers.<br />
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The on going campaign to liberalise trade and create a borderless world in which the world's population is reduced to nothing more than voracious consumers without any sense of community has been going on for decades, notably since the signing of the Lima Declaration.<br />
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Successive governments have endangered Australian jobs, both manufacturing and primary industry, in their reckless pursuit of the mythical level playing field-a situation in which the only beneficiaries are those in a position to exploit cheap labour, move capital around the world or exploit the misfortunes of their neighbour as family farms are driven to the wall.<br />
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As a former manufacturing employee, we were assured so long as we "worked smarter", increased workforce flexibility and surrendered conditions, our company would go on to become a world player.<br />
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They certainly became a world player-one by one each department was shifted to China, the company grounds became a holding bay for imported goods and the company took no time in removing the Australian flag from their logo.<br />
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It may please Mr.Aldridge to know that Australians are waking up to the concerns he has expressed. Now employed in retail, I find many customers seeking out Australian, especially locally, produced goods. They are aware the survival of local businesses and farmers is in their hands.<br />
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Governments can help by instituting greater transparency of labelling to inform customers of country of origin and the percentage of foreign ownership.<br />
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Customers can also help by supporting independent supermarkets which often promote Australian produce, or by purchasing from the farmgate or at markets, thereby ensuring farmers get a fair price.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-18933598268456862612009-06-02T12:28:00.003+09:302010-07-21T13:39:24.518+09:30Labor's Concern For Australian Food & Fibre Producers Goes Bush<em>2nd June 2009</em><br />
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I condemned the Rudd Labor Government for diverting Australian taxpayer’s funds from Australian needs to use the money to shore up African support in the United Nations for a seat on the organisation’s Security Council.<br />
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At a time when many of our primary producers are struggling to stay on their farms when faced by drought and increased imports , not to mention the estimated $60 Billion annual deficit provided by Mr.Swan, it is nothing short of obscene for Mr.Rudd to be playing politics with our taxes.<br />
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The role played by our nation’s primary producers in the area of export revenue and the provision of jobs in regional Australia is invaluable. Australian taxation must be used to provide for the critical needs of our country-health, education, pensions for the elderly and infrastructure.<br />
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For the Labor government to slash $60 million from the agriculture Budget while boosting foreign aid to 4 African nations to the tune of $464 million is economic lunacy in today’s financial climate. When one considers the timing of this increase when added to our Governor General’s recent 3 week, 10 African nation tour, Australians have every reason to suspect the motives of this government.<br />
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It is no secret the government desires a return to a seat on the UN Security Council, but while Rudd plays international politics our nation’s debt continues to climb, our pensioners and farmers continue to struggle and the Murray continues to die.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-27146119321049146712009-05-29T21:47:00.005+09:302010-07-21T14:03:51.115+09:30International politics at rural expense<em>29th May 2009</em><br />
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Few could doubt that PM Rudd is now showing his true colours, along with Labor's traditional urban-centric contempt for regional Australians.<br />
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At a time of continued drought, the threat of cheap imports and reduced quarantine standards,coupled with an annual budget deficit of $60 billion, Mr.Rudd no longer makes any pretence of giving a damn about the needs of rural communities.<br />
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Labor has made no secret of it's desire to see Australia return to a seat (albeit temporarily) on the United Nations Security Council. For an internationalist organisation like Labor, it's a veritable "holy grail" to be seen playing with the big boys on the international stage.<br />
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With sleight of hand, Messrs Rudd and Swan have managed to rip $60 million out of the agricultural budget while at the same time boosting so called "foreign aid" to four African nations to the tune of $464 million, in what many media outlets have claimed is an attempt to shore up the support of African nations in the UN for an Australian return to the Security Council.<br />
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One can only suspect the motives and allegiances of this government. While Rudd continues to play international politics with Australian taxes, regional services continue to be neglected, health and education sectors struggle, pensioners continue to scrape by and the Murray continues to die.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-82143796738728694232009-05-28T20:19:00.004+09:302010-07-21T13:40:37.983+09:30Government for all Australians<em>28th May 2009</em><br />
<br />
Ray Hamann (Adv 25/5) has declared that many of us forget that governments are not elected to carry out the wishes of the so called minority.<br />
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On the surface this may be true, however, I have a clear recollection of the election night festivities during which a jubilant Rudd declared that his would be a “government for ALL Australians”.<br />
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Strangely enough, this government is no different to any other Labor government - pandering to a smug group of social engineering elite and once again ignoring the needs and wishes of their traditional core constituency.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-86111860203901456992009-05-10T18:42:00.004+09:302010-07-21T13:44:35.597+09:30Foreign aid<em>10th May 2009</em><br />
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The Rudd government has just finished splashing taxpayers' money about to stimulate the economy-with negligible effect.<br />
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Recently, Wayne Swan admitted we could be looking at a $60 Billion per year deficit for at least 6 years, a debt which will probably be inherited by our children and only repaid by selling off the last few assets our country possesses.<br />
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Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has just announced a further $10 million aid on top of $23.5 million sent to Sri Lanka alone for use by UN agencies.<br />
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One question, if we are running on a $60 Billion annual deficit, from where does this extra $33.5 Billion come and should we be throwing money around when we have rising unemployment, companies collapsing, a struggling health sector, dwindling water supplies and reportedly sub standard education and child care?Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-50449295442412438882009-03-16T15:46:00.004+10:302010-07-21T14:04:45.029+09:30Immigration cuts<em>16th March 2009</em><br />
<br />
Given the current economic situation the recent news by the government to cut immigration by 18 000 is welcome news even though it is only a small step in the right direction.<br />
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However, of concern is the category in which the cuts are to take place- skilled immigration. During times of economic downturn in which local employees lose their jobs, it stands to reason that many may have to look for work for which they are over qualified in order to pay mortgages and feed families.<br />
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Therefore, we have more people seeking the blue collar jobs and part time positions, the very positions which often attract new arrivals such as those settled under "humanitarian" programs.<br />
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Surely, if the government is interested in employment and the national interest, they should be allowing in the skilled immigrants who have finances behind them and skills to contribute to the economy and instead cut the intake in the "humanitarian" category who often have few skills, little English and more often than not require support from the Australian taxpayer?Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6728428959955089253.post-67811092737950187892009-01-14T12:19:00.003+10:302010-07-21T14:05:17.890+09:30Bill of Rights a potential tool of oppression<em>14th January 2009</em><br />
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The implementation of a Bill of Rights is no guarantor of human rights in this country-it is in fact a tool that can be used to further erode the freedoms so many Australians take for granted today.<br />
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We support the right of Australians to freedom of speech and freedom of association.<br />
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The Australian Constitution should be enough to guarantee these rights, if not, then careful changes must be proposed and put to the Australian people in the form of a referendum.<br />
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A Bill of Rights has been enacted by various countries, many of which have had the most brutal and oppressive dictatorships known to man, a perfect example being the Soviet Union-how did a Bill of Rights or a UN Charter defend those persecuted by the government or tortured by the KGB? If anything, such a Bill here could be used to stifle freedom of speech and religious expression.<br />
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A Bill enacted in Australia could be used to seriously curtail criticism of beliefs or behaviour one finds abhorrent in defence of “human rights”. Where would that leave those wanting to voice their concern about practices such as polygamy, sodomy, female circumcision and abortion?<br />
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Furthermore, a Bill could be used to deny the right of an employer to employ the most suitable candidate for a position-as in the case of religious based schools wanting teachers to support the Christian ethos of their institution.<br />
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Such a move, intent on transferring power from Parliament to unaccountable judiciary is fraught with dangers to the freedoms given to us by previous generations, not least those who gave their lives upon the battlefield- it must be rejected outright.Andrew Phillipshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16949647649207267421noreply@blogger.com0