Australian War Graves desecrated in Libya

Tuesday 6^th March 2012/ac

Australian War Graves desecrated in Libya

I was shocked and appalled to see footage of Australian War Graves being desecrated in Libya.

Footage of violent extremists smashing and violating Australian War Graves is highly disrespectful to those brave Australian servicemen who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of Libya from aggression during the Second World War.

More than 1000 servicemen who lost their lives in the Western Desert wars in 1942 and 1943 are buried at the site, including at least 55 Australians.

The sacrifice of these young servicemen allowed us all to enjoy the freedom and liberty that many of us today now take for granted. Their vision of a just world was not unlike the vision the rebels in Libya had to liberate them from the tyranny of Colonel Gaddafi. Many of the same countries who helped Libya in 1942 and 1943 came to their aid again last year.

Religious fanaticism and fundamentalism never bring about a better world. People who think their religious beliefs entitle them to violence against members of their own families, members of their communities, or people of different beliefs, are totally and utterly wrong and must be resisted at every turn. The perpetrators of this horrific behaviour must be brought to justice.

Kelvin Thomson MP

Federal Member for Wills

Workers Who Are Experiencing Domestic Violence Should Be Supported

Gary Johns in an article titled “Social work not employer’s business” (The Australian, 16 February 2012) advocates against employers providing support for victims of domestic violence by claiming that domestic violence is not a work related issue and that “production related costs (of domestic violence) are avoidable by hiring a new worker”.

I believe Mr Johns has not availed himself of all the facts on this issue.

Safe at Home, Safe at Work? National Domestic Violence and the Workplace Survey, which had over 3600 respondents, highlights the impact of domestic violence in the workplace and clearly demonstrates that domestic violence is a workplace issue that affects safety and productivity.

Thirty percent of respondents, working people, had experienced domestic violence. Domestic violence had affected the capacity of 15% to get to work, with workers being physically restrained, keys hidden or phones smashed. For one in five workers experiencing domestic violence, their partner or ex-partner continued to abuse them by turning up at their workplace or by making abusive phone calls or emails.

Workplaces who support workers experiencing domestic violence by providing leave to attend court for a protection order, by developing safety plans to stop the abuse at work, and by being decent caring people, do make a difference to people trying to stay in their homes and in their jobs through the crisis.

I believe workers who experience domestic violence should be supported in their workplace, and I would encourage employers to do so not only because it is the right thing to do, but also to promote higher morale and productivity in the workplace.

Proposed New Coal-Fired Power Station for Victoria

Victoria currently has 120 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year. We have a legislated target – it is Victorian law – that we must reduce this by 20 per cent by 2020 – in other words come down by 24 million tonnes a year. I am told by Environment Victoria that if the HRL 600 MW power station proceeds, it will produce around 4 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year. It’s hard to see how we can meet a target which is minus 24 million tonnes, if we proceed with projects that are plus 4 million tonnes.

The only money this project has so far is government money – the Howard Government allocated it $100 million in 2007, but the money has not yet been spent, as the conditions for spending the money haven’t been met. The State Government allocated $50 million – I understand most of this money has not yet been spent. No private money.

The Commonwealth Government is presently reviewing this proposed outlay, and the State Government should be doing the same. The Commonwealth Government is committed to producing a budget surplus next year, which is not easy given the global economic circumstances, and there are better ways to spend, or not spend, $100 million. And the State Government says it can’t afford to underground powerlines in bushfire prone areas, even though the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission says it’s a bad idea to have our electricity infrastructure and assets above ground on days of high fire danger risk.

The State Government says this power plant is necessary to meet Victoria’s power needs, but they put roadblocks in the way of renewable energy. They are requiring wind energy proposals to have the consent of every person living within 2 kilometres of the turbines! Seriously – have you ever heard of any other item of energy or transport infrastructure where this is the case – freeways, or airports, or power stations? I have constituents who are opposing the Brunswick Terminal Station upgrade who would give their right arm to have a 2 kilometre wide power of veto! The State Government is ringbarking renewable energy, while bankrolling fossil fuels.

On Monday the United Nations High Level Panel on Global Sustainability delivered its report to Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. It has some heavy duty players on it – I had the pleasure of listening to them at the United Nations in New York last year – Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland, Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister and former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the former Prime Minister of Mozambique, Luisa Diogo. Now among 56 recommendations this Panel recommended that governments should phase out subsidies for fossil fuels by 2020.

Repeat – The United Nations High Level Panel on Global Sustainability has this week recommended that governments phase out subsidies for fossil fuels by 2020.

The HRL grants would be a good place for we Victorians to start.

Proposed changes to environmental laws will undermine protection of endangered species

I am concerned about proposed changes by the Baillieu Government to laws governing the protection of rare wildlife, specifically the following proposed change to the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2007:

“Forest management planning and all forestry operations must comply with measures specified in relevant Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Action Statements, unless determined by the Secretary that the requirements of an Action Statement do not apply, and any Flora and Fauna Guarantee Orders.”

I am most concerned that this will allow the Department of Sustainability and Environment Secretary to approve any and all forests planned for logging, regardless of whether endangered wildlife live there.  This will take out the required protection for threatened species and their habitat.

I believe this will undermine the legal framework that protects our biodiversity, along with the necessary transparency and accountability required to ensure proper enforcement of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act’s Individual Action Statements for species protection.

I would like to encourage those concerned about this issue to send their comments to the following email address forestry.code@dse.vic.gov.au of the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

Collapse of Fish Stocks

An investigation of the fishing industry in the southern Pacific by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists shows how the fate of the jack mackerel may foretell the progressive collapse of fish stocks in all oceans.

From 2006 to 2011, scientists estimate, jack mackerel stock declined 63 per cent.

The South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation, formed in 2006 at the initiative of Australia and New Zealand along with Chile, has endeavoured without much success to date to protect fish, particularly jack mackerel. They have concluded that an annual catch beyond 520,000 tonnes will further deplete jack mackerel stocks

Industrial fishing interests are resistant to the implementation of a quota system. Some have thumbed their nose at the science and research that highlights the gravity of the issue.

Reporters and staff from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists working with the Chilean investigative journalism centre Ciper, have traced how eight groups with a near monopoly on the industry have pressured the Chilean government to set quotas above scientific advice.

The troubling reality is that voluntary restraints have not worked in protecting fish stocks and that a binding convention is required to ensure the jack mackerel does not disappear from the southern seas.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS UNACCEPTABLE

I am one of the Male Parliamentarians for the Elimination of Violence against Women who has taken the White Ribbon Pledge – not to commit, not to condone and not to stay silent about violence against women. One of the things we have committed to is to raise awareness of the issue within our electorates, and I want to do something about discharging that obligation today.

A core part of Australian citizenship is respect for Australian law and the Australian legal system. And a core part of the Australian legal system is that violence against women, sometimes referred to as domestic violence or family violence, is never acceptable.

Domestic violence is an abuse of power perpetrated mainly, but not only, by men against women either during a relationship or after separation. It can take many forms – physical violence, coercive sex, emotional abuse, such as blaming the woman for all the problems in a relationship, or constantly undermining their self-esteem and self-worth, forbidding or physically preventing the victim from going out and meeting people – in effect imprisonment. It can take the form of using religious teachings or cultural tradition as an excuse for violence.

In Australia religious teachings and cultural traditions are not more important than the right of women to equal treatment with men, not more important than the right of all of us to be free of violence or the fear of it, nor are they more important than Australian law. And practices such as so-called ‘honour’ killings, dowry murder, trafficking in women and girls, female genital mutilation, and forced marriages are all breaches of Australian law and are not allowed in this country.

Unfortunately surveys suggest that our laws against domestic violence are often broken.

Over 50% of Australian women report experiencing at least one incident of physical violence or sexual violence by a man during their lifetime.

Sadly, much of this violence is perpetrated on women by men who they know. The most frequent category of perpetrators is current or previous male partners. The second most frequent category is male family members or friends. The most common location for physical assaults to occur for women is in their own home.

I hope you will agree with me that this is unacceptable and has to change. Being a good Australian man or woman means building safe and healthy relationships – partnerships, involving joint decision making and shared responsibilities. It means economic equality, emotional honesty, respect. It means supporting your partner’s goals and valuing their opinions.

Australia is a terrific country. I know you know that. I look forward to working with you in the future to make it an even better one. I congratulate you on the important decision you have taken, and I wish you well in everything that you do in the future. I look forward to working with you to build the great nation of Australia in prosperity, peace and freedom.

Reform of Live Animal Export Trade Should Not Be Delayed

The Government should not agree to the demand by live animal exporter Graham Daws for an extension to the end of February deadline for new regulations to apply to live animals exported to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Turkey.

The Australian people are not indifferent to the treatment of live animals once they are exported from Australia. It is a matter of very great concern to them. In my experience most people are surprised and unimpressed to learn that we do not know how animals are treated once they leave Australia, and will expect the industry and the government to rectify this unsatisfactory situation within the announced timeframe.