JUNE 2018


FIRST AMENDMENT.

The USA has 27 Amendments to it's Constitution.

I might meet some opposition here, but I believe that the first ten are listed in order importance.

The next 17 are important afterthoughts.

And the first amendment reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Most US citizens I have met seem to think (but maybe they were just being polite?) that we Australians have a de facto first amendment.

Let me disabuse you mates. 
  • We have section 18C. (Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act makes it unlawful for someone to do an act that is reasonably likely to “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate” someone because of their race or ethnicity.)
  • Then we had Professor Peter Ridd who was sacked from Cook University for writing a paper that established that coral dieoff was not the disaster that the alarmists claim.  And incidentally rubbishing the alarmist research.
  • And now we have the ANU (Australian National University, our version of Harvard or Yale) refusing to accept an offer of 30 annual scholarships worth $25,000 each from the Ramsay Centre to offer a "Bachelor of Western Civilization" degree.

The ANU says that they cannot accept because they want to "retain, without compromise, our academic integrity, autonomy and freedom".

Ha!
 
COMMENT FROM "THE AUSTRALIAN"

The Australian newspaper online permits comments.  I found the following comment interisting....

Otalp

Given that the Turnbull Liberal Party is now so closely ideologically aligned with Labor, it is little wonder that the Liberals are split concerning Australia's continuing membership of the Human Rights Council.

This is the same Human Rights Council that has provided the platform for the OIC (57 member-state Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and largest voting block in the UN) to systematically and methodically set about shutting down free speech and along with it, public discussion and debate in non-Islamic countries - the same Human Rights Council that has facilitated and continues to facilitate OIC efforts to have non-Islamic countries enact laws to impose legal penalties on their citizens for breaching Islamic codes of behaviour and concepts of free speech.

UNHRC Resolution 16/18 is an example.  Instigated by the OIC within the UNHRC, Resolution 16/18 was the centrepiece of the OIC's Ten Year Programme of Action - a major goal of which was to have Islamophobia criminalised in non-Islamic jurisdictions. And that is very relevant in Australia right now.

Resolution 16/18 was championed by Hillary Clinton when she was US Secretary of State and, reflecting either Australia's willing complicity in the suppression of free speech and/or its stupidity, Australia co-sponsored Resolution 16/18 in March, 2011 when Julia Gillard was Prime Minister.

Curiously, it was Julia Gillard who, as Prime Minister, gave $10.3 million of Australian taxpayer's funds to the Clinton Foundation and then $300 million of Australian taxpayer's funds to the Clinton-affiliated Global Partnership for Education.  Perhaps even more curiously, the Chairperson of that Global Partnership for Education now is none other than Julia Gillard.

I admire James Patterson and Eric Abetz but, with respect to them both, they are mistaken in suggesting Australia can achieve anything useful by remaining in the UNHRC.  It's too far gone.

I agree with Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Craig Kelly and AJA President, David Adler. 

It's time for Australia to say goodbye to the UNHRC.

While we are at it, it's also time to make it clear that Australia will no longer submit to outsiders who seek to dictate what can and cannot be publicly discussed and debated in Australia.  

Therefore, it's time for Australia also to withdraw its support for UNHRC Resolution 16/18.


TOTALITARIANISM

From GETUP on Facebook...

Today, Parliament faces a decision of serious consequence.

We’ve received concerning legal advice that legislation proposed by the Turnbull government will criminalise activities that ordinary people know are of vital importance to the healthy functioning of democracy.

And yet, with the support of the Labor Party, that legislation is set to pass. Today.

Under this new “Espionage” Bill...

Espionage” will be redefined to capture people who report on breaches of international law, or other misconduct, by the Australian Government. It will be punishable by up to life in prison. Merely possessing evidence of a breach could entail a 25 year sentence.

“Sabotage” will be redefined to capture peaceful protesters campaigning on global issues who obstruct public property. Blocking a road to protest the export of coal, or an international war, will be punishable by a 20 year prison sentence. Planning such activity would carry a 7 year prison sentence.

This bill will be a weapon for any government that wishes to shut down its political enemies. It is catastrophically sloppy, potentially unconstitutional legislation, being rushed through Parliament without transparent, thorough public consultation.

And the stakes are just too high to let that slide.

Spread the word.


Normally I am not a fan of GETUP, but if this information is true, the least I can do is spread the word.

 MAIL TO barvennon@hotmail.com