This newsletter goes out every month to subscribers. Dec 2005 - Jan 2006 ACE Newsletter, Jan 06 Volume 1 Issue 1 Greetings | Diary Items | Greetings Welcome to the first edition of the Keeping Up With ACE newsletter. The launch has been later than we had hoped because the last couple of months have been very busy indeed. This newsletter will cover all of 2005, and look towards 2006. Hopefully from now on you will be receiving an update from us at the end of each month. We hope that our first edition finds you well and rested after the break. The newsletter is divided into subject headings, but the major theme looks at government policy and why it leads to compounding errors. I will refer to my work in terms of legislation, Parliamentary Committees as well as the ongoing campaigns that I have been waging. But first, here are a few items for your diary: Friday, 10th February 2006 Launch of the Australian Supporters of Democracy in Iran Arthur will be a guest speaker at this event, which will also commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the democratic movement in Iran and discuss directions in Australia's foreign policy towards Iran as a significant regional power. 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm, Dougherty Community Centre, 7 Victoria Street, Chatswood. Saturday 11th February. Save the Styx Dinner, Allambie Heights Community Centre Sunday 12th February Peace Vigil, Pitt St Uniting Church 12md-1.30pm Highlighted Special Event: Tuesday 21, February, Gordon Barton Forum 'Political Imperatives in 2006/07' Castlereagh Hotel, 1st floor, the Masonic Club Building, 169 Castlereagh Street, Sydney. 6 pm - 8pmGreen's Senator Kerry Nettle will add a national perspective to the NSW observations of Lee Rhiannon MLC. Exploring the concept of a "Third Force Alliance" to elect progressive voting blocks in the NSW Legislative Council and the Senate. Background: In September 2005, a commemoration dinner was held to mark the contributions by Gordon Barton to Australia's political history, especially in the formation of The Australia party, which later became the Australian Democrats. It is time for a renewal of 'progressive values' and in previous meetings with this loose coalition of social progressives, it is apparent that there were many strongly held opinions on which policies should be given priority in a progressive 'fight back'. There are many imperatives at State level in the lead up to the NSW election in March 2007 and this forum presents and excellent opportunity for us to work shop with other progressive forces. The emerging threads thus far are: o Establishing a political organisation is difficult and a new one is NOT required; o An electoral alliance should be explored by the Greens and the Democrats around a common election manifesto emphasising shared policy objectives, expressed co-operatively, with differences put aside; o Complementarity of the Green and Democrat "brands" could harvest a sufficient share of the non major party vote (25-30%) to assure election to the Senate of at least one 'third force' candidate in each State through a tight preference swap; o We need to "Get the Senate Back" into the hands of Senators with progressive views. This need was amply illustrated in the closing hours of Parliament; o Effective delivery of preferences in the Senate ballot needs a voter education campaign to explain 'strategic voting' to assure better representation; o Preliminary work on a voter education campaign has begun with $25,000 pledged of the initial target of $100,000. Additional ideas and donations of funds, labour or other resources are needed NOW and later; o A united 'third force' is also needed in the run up to the NSW poll; RSVP: Alice Beauchamp (9427 5577). * 2005 IN REVIEW The Fundamental Flaw(s) in the Iemma Government Firstly, I have come to some conclusions about what the Iemma Government is doing, and, more importantly, why we must change their ways. In its eleventh year, the Iemma Government is tired, arrogant, and addicted to the dogma that it cannot borrow money to build much needed public infrastructure. In pursuit of this goal it has enlisted the private sector through PPP's (Private Public Partnerships), afraid of a perception that governments always borrow irresponsibly and the private sector never does anything that does not make a profit. There are two fundamental flaws in this argument. The first is the assumption that businesses, companies or corporations do not make economic mistakes. Both Governments and Companies are capable of making foolish or wise choices, and both groups are equally subject to outside factors that change the costs involved in a project. The second flaw is the assumption that a profit margin means that everything went right, and that it will stay that way. Before making this assumption it is important to remember that, legally speaking, a private company undertaking any project must hold the shareholders dividend as their most important priority - the project MUST show a profit. If this means changing the specifications, using cheaper materials or using designs that meet cost estimates rather better than the project objectives, then that is what will happen. Wider planning issues surrounding the projects may also be compromised by these changes, but those wider issues are not the concern of the private company! PPP's have shown themselves to be a nonsense that often results in the government and the public paying more than cost price for items like hospitals and roads, but it also means that planning gets lost because each project is seen in isolation. Worse, a project may be delivered on time and on budget but it may not meet the goals of the original project specification. The best example of this problem in 2005 was the Cross-City Tunnel, where we have a proposal to reduce congestion in the city that has resulted in a great deal more congestion and the threat of penalties for under-patronage. This issue of under-patronage, and the lengths the government must go to in order to avoid a loss for the road operators, becomes even more complicated in the long-term. Petrol prices continue to rise in response to a decline in oil availability - less oil will mean higher petrol prices and less people using toll roads . The Cross City Tunnel The Cross-City Tunnel was suggested in response to an Expression of Interest on Sydney's transport problem. It involved an RTA (Roads and Traffic Authority) road tunnel under the city that would remove truck traffic from the CBD. The government was also determined that it would not put a cent of taxpayers' money into the project. This meant the road tunnel was negotiated with the proponents conditional on the fact that lanes on William Street would be blocked so that people could not use the existing roads. More importantly, future rail links to the Eastern Suburbs were also sacrificed , as these would lessen revenue for the tunnel. If the lanes are re-opened, or the rail is built, there is an extra cost, (not currently known) thatwould have to be negotiated with the tunnel owners . Effectively, planning for Sydney is no longer in the hands of the NSW Government. ACTION POINT: In 2006, I will be keeping an eye on proposals for two further toll roads (the M4East and the F6) and the absurd proposal to build a desalination plant with Public Private Partnerships. The Sale of the Snowy Mountains Scheme Even more unsettling than these 'gaffes' over the public interest in new public infrastructure, is the manoeuvring taking place around infrastructure that is being sold off to facilitate the entry of the private sector into areas such as power and water. A good example of quick gain for long-term pain, is the decision to sell off the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a proposal that snuck through over Christmas. It has had little attention in the media as yet, but this is sure to make a splash in 2006. As most kids know, the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme produces electricity and redirects water inland to irrigation areas. What is less well known is that the Snowy hydro-electricity is critical for the maintenance of power at peak periods in NSW. Though it is only a small fraction of the power generated, it can be used at peak periods when blackouts would otherwise occur. The water is pumped up at non-peak periods, then flows down to generate again. The Snowy effectively 'stores' electricity in the form of stored water. NSW has a shortage of power at peak periods, and without this Snowy water, NSW would have to build more peak-load generating stations. If generating interests get hold of the Snowy, we take a risk on the possibility that they would sell the water to irrigators, rather than keeping it on hand for energy emergencies. Instead it would be in their interests to build new peak load generators, which the public who would have finance. The NSW government is once again grabbing the money in the short-term, but loses the ability to control power and water in NSW. ACTION POINTS: · Air Conditioning is the main cause of significant new demand for energy. Exercise consumer power and move away from energy intensive air conditioning. Use other technologies such as evaporative cooling in low humidity areas. Look at changes you can make to insulation including double glazing windows. The environmentally sustainable building model BASIX will begin applying to home renovation in mid 2006. · Call or email your local member stating your support for renovation and building measures that enforce a 40% reduction in green house gases through the BASIX system and voice your opposition to any new coal fired power station. Legislative Action in 2005: Stormwater While we are talking about losing control of water policy and having no plans, the government recently passed the Local Government Amendment (Stormwater) Act, which empowered Councils to raise levies to pay for stormwater works. Given the water shortage, and the fact that the government intends to address it by a $1 billion desalination plant, one might wonder why the legislation laid down no particular vision for developing a coherent system of stormwater management amidst the many local government areas. I can only speculate that the government was not willing to put any money into a sensible plan for recycling the water and would rather have the Councils criticised for raising levies to get rid of it. Without an overarching vision for stormwater management it will be harder to pull their individual systems together for the purpose of using this valuable resource. ACTION POINT: It will be very important to work with Local Government in providing the leadership that the state government has abandoned. Councils must be encouraged to work on a management plan that will facilitate the re-use of stormwater in the near future. The Desalination Plant While the government's decision to put the proposed desalination plant at Kurnell on hold, I remain suspicious of their long-term plans for supplying Sydney's water needs. Had they bothered to take the advice of their own report, which states that it is 2.5 times cheaper to re-use waste water, they might have a rethink. Recycling has advantages that a Desalination Plant in Kurnell cannot match. Over fifty percent of Sydney's wastewater is sent to the Malabar Sewage Treatment Plant, and the government conveniently owns the land adjacent to it, making it an ideal site for a recycling project. Cost is especially relevant in a year when the state's finances are looking particularly grim. We can only wonder why the Government first mooted a desalination plant in the first place!. Is it because it cannot get out of contracts that "authorise" industrial pollution in the sewage? Or is it because it had promised a deal for the plant to a consortium? Answers to our questions concerning these issues have been very evasive to date. ACTION POINT: I can report with pride that a small but dedicated NSW Democrat team is assembling a submission to the inquiry into the desalination plant . Please send your letters/submissions by 17th February 2006 to: "Inquiry into a Sustainable Water Supply for Sydney", General Purpose Standing Committee No 5,Parliament House Sydney 2000. email: gpscno5@parliament.nsw.gov.au. Companion Animals Bill We put up a spirited campaign to have the experts heard on the subject of so-called 'dangerous dogs', giving assistance and support to many animal welfare and breeder groups.. Once again, the Iemma Government showed arrogance in its handling of the Companion Animals Amendment Bill 2005, banning certain 'breeds' of dogs despite evidence from experts that it is not the breed, but their training that counts. Ironically, it turns out that there has been no compliance with the original Companion Animals Act, which stated that money would be spent on a dog owner education programme. Caravan Park Residents Lose their Homes In terms of the Labor government's commitment to social justice, the Residential Parks Amendment (Statutory Review) Act was an important object lesson. Residential Parks are the technical term for the old caravan parks where people have bought large mobile homes. Most of the value of these homes is in the location, having effectively become subdivisions in choice locations for people who otherwise would not have been able to afford to live there. Legally, they were still camping sites, so when the park owners wanted to sell or develop the parks, the people who had been long-term tenants (and had spent up to hundreds of thousands on their sites, were being kicked out or harassed by some owners. To remedy this situation, the government has passed legislation that compensates the tenants for the re-sale value of the mobile home. The end result? All the money went to the park owner, who made a motza, while the elderly retired resident has the value of a second hand mobile home, but no nowhere to go. Assets Sales The government continues to sell assets as fast as it can. While, the Government Assets Register details the assets that are considered surplus to our needs, t neither the public nor the parliament is allowed to see it, meaning that we have to FOI bits of it as we find out about each sale. One of the most spectacular examples in 2005 is coming out through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on the sale of Sydney Markets. It would appear that an asset that might be worth as much as a billion dollars (if rezoned high rise residential) was sold for $83 million, and it seems that even this money has not been paid. Beacon Hill High School is also being sold, as are a number of other schools. Interestingly, while the Teachers' Federation policy has ensured that they do not become private schools, the reality is that that the schools are then SOLD to developers. This fire sale will come back to bite us when the population density rises, and schools will be crowded on small lots with no room for sports ovals or playgrounds. Other pieces of legislation worthy of mention: Luna Park Site Amendment (Noise Control) Bill. Here I was criticised for supporting the government, which sought to make it impossible for residents to sue a division of Multiplex for noise at Luna Park, provided they stayed within the noise guidelines of the Local Environment Plan (LEP). A group of residents funded by a developer were suing about noise, and said that the government was trying to keep the contract with Multiplex a secret. While there is little doubt that the government have effectively given Multiplex the site and allowed them to develop lucrative buildings with the rides as a sideline, my view was if the noise action succeeded, there would be no more rides at Luna Park. There would also be no music, which would be a pity, as Luna Park has begun to provide much needed space for live music. The Terrorism Bill gave the police even more extra powers, despite the fact that the arrests of a number of suspected terrorists were ably performed under the existing laws. NSW residents can now look forward to detention without trial for fourteen days. Other aspects of the legislation are unsettling in less obvious ways. Although evidence can be reviewed by a Court, the defence will not get to see it, making it very difficult to stop the detention order being rolled over indefinitely. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre of NSW has some very clearly laid out concerns that are well worth examining. See http://www.piac.asn.au/ The Law Enforcement Amendment (Public Safety) Bill was of the same genre as the NSW terrorism bill. Parliament was recalled in December to pass this law after the Cronulla riots. The Police are now able to demand information on who uses your car, view mobile phone records and stop the free movement of citizens through the use of roadblocks. Significantly, the majority of persons stopped and questioned on their way into Bondi, on the weekend following the riots at Cronulla, were youths of 'middle-eastern appearance'. A form of discrimination that is unlikely to ease the sense of alienation felt by the many different communities that are lumped together and stigmatized under this inaccurate term. It is time we took a much more inclusive look at our society. I have spoken to people who feel that the level of discrimination they are exposed to is increasing, and they are right. John Howard has cut the National Asian Languages Strategy in Australian Schools (NALSAS) funding, stopped welfare benefits for newly arrived migrants, and lessened adult migrant education funds. Excluded groups need help and continuing their exclusion is a recipe for disaster in the medium term. Committees and Inquiries Committees copped a lot of flack from the media in 2005, but its my belief that this is a poor reaction to the much more troubling issue of how governments use the information and recommendations that Parliamentary Committees produce. These reports represent hundreds of hours work by the public and advocacy groups, and I am staggered that they are so often ignored. It is especially hard when issues come up time and time again because recommendations have not been implemented. Inquiries into Riots in NSW I was responsible for setting up the inquiry into the Redfern riots, which were triggered by the death of an Aboriginal youth who believed that he was being chased police. The Committee found that there was ongoing disadvantage in Aboriginal Communities and recommended improved strategies to deal with it. If the Redfern riots could be blamed on the neglect of aboriginal disadvantage, the Macquarie Fields riots, triggered by another police pursuit which resulted in the deaths of two men, could not. The government was happy to have delayed the Macquarie Fields inquiry until after all the by-elections caused by the resignation of the Premier, Bob Carr. They seemed to want to squeeze it between the end of Parliament and Christmas so that no one would notice. They really did not want anyone to ask if social disadvantage, with a touch of Police heavy-handedness, was the recipe for a riot. Ironically, even as the Macquarie Fields Inquiry got up speed, and despite the example provided by the Paris riots (where disadvantaged Arab youth vented their frustration with ongoing disadvantage), the government wanted to stick with the idea that it could not happen here. Then Cronulla exploded into ethnic violence. It is important to have the discussion about Macquarie Fields, and it is important that we learn from these incidents. Professor Tony Vinson (who lectured me as a student more than thirty years ago) said then, that ten readily available social indicators (such as unemployment, poverty, welfare dependence, and school truancy) could be used to predict where crime will happen. His conclusion was that if these matters were addressed, crime could be lessened. This is a view that has yet to be acknowledged by the 'law and order' brigade. Details of the Macquarie Fields Inquiry are below. Inquiry into Electoral Matters I was also involved in the Inquiry into Electoral Matters during 2005. This committee looked at the voting system for the Upper House in the 2003 election, and it's findings will have very significant implications for how we deal with preferences for the March 2007 State Election. After the fiasco of the 'TableCloth' Upper House ballot in 1999 State Election, legislation was passed to tighten party registration laws. The same legislation also abolished 'ticket voting', where parties would lodge a 'ticket' which determined the flow of preferences, and introduced 'optional preferential' voting above the line. So voters can now vote for more than one political party for the NSW Upper House, in their order of preference. The new above the line optional preferential voting system was very effective in stopping preference flows between minor parties. Where a voter does not show contingent preferences for each and every candidate, the ballot "exhausts" (i.e. stops dead ) at the point where no further preferences are shown/selected. The effect of the major parties 'Just Vote 1' campaigns, as well as the traditional expectation that preferences would be allocated by a 'ticket vote' meant that the voters did not know to fill in preferences horizontally above the line. The major parties encouraged the voters to 'Just Vote 1" on their 'How to Vote' cards and campaign material, taking further advantage of voters. The State Electoral Office (S.E.O.) education campaign about the changes was minimal with very little material to educate voters on the new ballot system. As a result the Labor party received two extra seats at the expense of minor parties. The Funeral Inquiry My office has worked extensively with New South Wales Council of Social Services (NCOSS) and the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (C.P.S.A.) of NSW on issues in the funeral industry, resulting in a reasonable outcome.. One of the areas of most concern for NCOSS, and CPSA was the growing consolidation of big players in the funeral industry, resulting in the dominance of a few corporations. As most people recognise that a small pool of competitors offers less choice to consumers, we were concerned that the spiralling costs of funerals may be related to this consolidation. Additionally, these corporations had been attempting to create a regulatory body which would use its regulatory power to impose standards that are technically for health and safety but which make it very difficult for new businesses to get their foot in the door. Much good has been achieved in the final recommendations of the inquiry, with a working party to produce a code of practice for operators, an items index for consumers to compare prices and people will soon have the option to organize funerals without having to go through a director. Another win is that cardboard coffins will now become more widely available, bringing down the cost of funerals and giving those of us who are environmentally conscious a wider choice... You can find the report on the NSW Parliamentary website at http://bulletin/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/v3home The Dental Health Inquiry The Inquiry into Dental Services in NSW has been a much more complicated matter. The Association for the Promotion of Oral Health, pointed out to my office the woeful state of dental health in NSW. On the basis of their information I was able to get support for the Inquiry. What is clear is that NSW spends far less on Dental Health Services than other states. This means that waiting lists for fillings are irrelevant as they become emergency extractions within a couple of years. Much has been said about losing Commonwealth funding for dental services but this is sleight of hand on the NSW Government's part. The money previously contributed by the Commonwealth was a temporary measure aimed at getting us 'caught up' when our waiting lists for treatment had become utterly scandalous. Unlike NSW, Queensland has shown the way in this matter, providing double the funding for their dental services for a much smaller population. The Queensland Government is also increasing the funding available this year, something that the NSW Government has failed to do despite the mounting evidence of dire consequences. It is silly that the whole body, excepting teeth, are covered by Medicare, but this is a problem that Labor designed when they developed Medicare without dentistry. This inquiry has yet to conclude, and we will keep you up to date on its progress. For more information or to view the submissions that have been made to the inquiry just go to the NSW parliamentary website at: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/V3Home and choose Dental Services in NSW from the "Inquiries" menu on the screen. Prisons On the subject of crime, it has to be noted that a large part of our legislation is 'toughening up' on 'law and order'. As a result, prisoner numbers are already at record levels, and more gaols are being built to accommodate them. Prison populations seem to be a microcosm of the outside world with many of the same problems. It might be noted that at a cost of about $65,000 a year per prisoner, the same money could put them in a school or university with their own private tutor, instead they are going to the Universities of Crime and Racism. Despite the security, drug use in prisons a big problem, as is the rise in Hepatitis C due to the sharing of needles. This, in turn, is a problem that will spread to the community in general when the prisoner returns to the outside world. Racism is also a threat to prisoners, with reports of racial gangs forming within prisons. Some prison activists believe that the prison authorities encourage this, using the rival gang members to discipline other prisoners. The cost is high for prisoners and the community. Part of the population density of prisons can be explained by the poor state of the mental health system. While the phenomenon is far more advanced in the United States, Australians are starting to find that it is much easier to get into prison than it is to get help with a mental health problem. A forensic mental health hospital will soon be finished near Long Bay, but how many people are in prisoners in the first instance because this is where the Government puts all its resources? An inquiry into Corrective Services is now being undertaken by General Purpose Standing Committee 3 (GPSC3). See terms of reference below . Continuing Campaigns and Issues Burma I am President of the Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma, which is a Parliamentary group dedicated to the rule of democratic governments in Burma. We had some success when ASEAN chose not to have Burma as its Chair nation. It was too embarrassing for them recognise their ongoing acceptance of Burma's military dictatorship. Smoke-Free Pubs and Clubs The campaign for Smoke-Free pubs and Clubs continues with the Industry strategy to define covered areas as 'outside' as long as 25% of the total area of the ceiling and walls are open. We must put a stop to this, as it would effectively mean that with a bit of a 'lean-to' smoking indoors could stay forever. Gambling Machine Warnings I am interested in having on-screen gaming machine warnings that could display on the screen like TV ads, and a cumulative totalling of a players wins or losses at each session. It is technically feasible, but will create a great flood of predictable denials. Reform of the Australian Constitution Many people believe that there is too much government in Australia, and I am very much interested in creating better outcomes through a rethink about how we are governed. The ever-present discussion about removing a tier of government gets more pressing as evidence emerges that many areas such as health, education, disability and aged services, and transport are victims to the 'cost shifting' that goes on between Federal and State governments. This means that the administration is more complex, wasting time and resources for both governments and the consumers. It also means that these important issues become political footballs. I am currently putting together a model that would eliminate much of this silliness and better represent the interests of more Australians. The James Hardie Asbestos Settlement and the Model it Creates The James Hardie Asbestos negotiations are extremely significant. As most people know, James Hardie exposed their workers to asbestos for many years after it was known that this was very harmful to their health. After a lot of litigation, there are now laws for compensation. In response, Hardies diversified the company, moved their corporate headquarters to the Netherlands, and then set up a fund to pay asbestos victims far too little. State, Federal, International and even local government action forced Hardies to put in place an agreement to meet future claims, or face legislated special taxes and union boycotts at an international level. This model of a company being allowed to trade but having ongoing obligations for its historical malfeasance is an important one. They were only forced to do this because of public sympathy for the asbestos victims, whose plight was made known to all by a well-run campaign and some unusual government resolve. If this model were used for tobacco it would change the way that corporate behaviour was judged. I will be trying to sell this model internationally to plaintiff lawyers and legislators. The War in Iraq The war in Iraq goes on, and even George W. Bush is admitting that it does not look like it is going well. Having pulled out the keystone by removing the secular, if brutal, government of Saddam Hussein, Bush has let loose the Kurdish, Sunni and Shia factions and presided over a great loss of life. Now that the Americans and certain naïve allies (who shall remain shameless) have removed these secular groups, the religious groups appear to have won the elections. Dare one say that this was predictable? Is it too early to predict a much more bloody conflict? Are we likely to see the total dissolution of the former nation of Iraq? The campaign against the war in Iraq must revived before there is no more Iraq. Refugees Refugees continue to be appallingly treated by the Howard government. Even though they have consented to let some of the children out. We must keep the pressure up. Mandatory Detention has dishonored Australia in the eyes of the world, whatever denial John Howard or Alexander Downer may make. It is a sad comedown for a once compassionate nation, who paid the passage for migrants in the 1950s, accepted Vietnamese boat people in the 1970s and 1980s, but now locks up refugees in detention camps despite UN condemnation. We have benefited immeasurably from migration of political refugees, it is time we remembered it again. A Department of Peace A significant initiative suggested by John McDonnell, a British MP, was for each nation to have a Department of Peace. The Australian Democrats were asked for their input on the subject, which was delivered by our National President, Biannca Pace. Biannca gave my paper at the launch on 12-13 October . I believe that if as much thought and resources were invested in peace, as is put into war, there is a real possibility of a much happier world. Of Continuing Interest Mental Health Mental Health remains a serious problem, though the government continues to say that it has addressed the problem by allocating an extra $259 million dollars since the 1999 Mental Health Inquiry. The Government has also supposedly set up a mental health director in each Area health Service to make sure that mental health money is not used for other purposes, but it is still not clear that things are improving significantly. Meanwhile, the more successful strategies, such as community mental health facilities are being closed and people are being forced to go very long distances to get the care that is available. It may be necessary to renew the inquiry in 2006 and see how far we have to go! Campbelltown and Western Sydney Health The Government claims to have put an extra $320 million into Western Sydney Area Health Service as a result of these inquiries, which is acknowledgement enough that there was a problem. The Campbelltown Inquiry showed system failures that are probably endemic throughout all Area Health Services. In the face of this acknowledgment, it seems simplistic to blame individuals. Now there is a new campaign to discredit Nola Fraser, the whistleblower who drew attention to the problem at Campbelltown. With all this sleight of hand going on, it can be hard to keep track of the fact that the NSW health system remains chronically under funded, with the State Government wearing the blame for Federal funding cuts that occur via Medicare. It's a subtle game that you get a good view of when you are a doctor. With Medicare failing to keep up with the costs of medical care, patients pay more of the bill and see doctors less often. This tends to mean that people wait longer to get care, and have more serious problems when they do come into contact with the health system. This puts even more strain on the system, and it's a cycle that must be interrupted soon. Whistleblowers Whistleblowers are still all getting a very hard time as 'spin' and control of information remain the hallmarks of both NSW State and Federal governments in Australia. For my money, the solution would be to implement New Zealand's system of Open Government where all 'Official' (i.e. government) information is accessible unless an application is made to the Ombudsman to keep it secret. I continue to try to sell this concept to the major parties in NSW, but they seem very nervous about the idea. The support of whistleblowers is very important. We have had a number of very important matters brought to our attention through their courage. The revelation that the Australian Government lied to the USA, in order to protect Indonesia over East Timor, is a very serious one, as were the intelligence blackouts to the Australian front line troops during the East Timor occupation. Theoretically, whistleblowers have the support of the law, but in practice it is a farce. Finally The speeches that I have made can be found on the Parliamentary website at: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/V3HHBHome Simply choose "Dr. Arthur Chesterfield-Evans" from the Members menu on the screen. As we look towards the last year in the electoral term, I hope that I am doing a reasonable job for the people of NSW. The challenge for this year is to get enough recognition for these efforts and to put together a coalition that will really challenge the so-called 'major' parties in NSW. If you want to get in touch and/or help…. Arthur Chesterfield Evans Parliamentary Office Phone: 02 9230 2303, Facsimile: 02 9230 2866, Email: ACE.MLC@parliament.nsw.gov.au Postal Address: The Hon. Dr Arthur Chesterfield Evans MLC, Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney !

Updated: February 12, 2006 2006 Dec 2005 -Jan 2006

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