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dear
reader, I feel compelled to provide some substance to the abstractions and
distractions surrounding the definition of our Australian society. In an
effort to be clear I define our society
as a group of human beings gathered together, primarily but not exlusivly,
for survival purposes. OK…Rather
anthropological, I agree, but if we include the perceived absolute self
rightness of each and every individual within this society to enjoy a way of
life the individual chooses, regardless of the impact this choice may have on
other human beings, then the ‘gathered together’ begin to lack any coherence
beyond individual advancement. The sense of “lack” this generates in those
trodden on by the powerful translates into consumerism
and ego as a means to plug the sense of lack. Finally throw freedom anxiety
into the mix, touted again by those in power, and our societies are so deeply
immersed in the
propaganda of those that govern, that we kill each other competing for the
right to be lied to. |
- Withdrawal from
the Australian-US free trade agreement (AUSFTA) and the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) - The global trade regime of AUSFTA and
WTO will continue to enrich multinational corporations. But for workers,
family farmers, and the environment, it means only one thing, oblivion. As
companies leave Australia in search of low wages, low commodity prices,
anti-union climates, and lax environmental laws AUSFTA will be used to
undermine workers at the negotiation table, forcing wages and benefit
concessions under the threat of moving jobs overseas. Trade treaties must be
conditioned on workers' rights, human rights, and environmental principles. - A negotiated
treaty with the aboriginal races of this continent - The colonisation of this country
dispossessed the original inhabitants of Australia. No genuine attempt has
been made to negotiate a treaty predicated on the expressed vision of Aboriginal
leaders. A treaty and compensation must be supported by all Australians
in recognition of the immense suffering and hardship endured by Aboriginal
populations at the hand of a colonial occupation . - Fair Balance
between Workers and Corporations - Australian workers are working longer
and harder for less pay than 20 years ago. Family farmers are forced of the
land while profits have soared for a handful of agribusiness giants that
increasingly control everything from seed to shelf. What's needed now is a
resurgence of organized labour. A reinvigorated Labour movement needs to
tenaciously defend the rights of workers to organize and bargain
collectively. While the purchasing power of the minimum wage has nose-dived
in the past two decades, Corporate Profits soar. It's time for living wages,
not wages that impoverish hard working Australians. It's time to reverse tax
cuts that benefit the wealthy. We need better sewerage solutions and waste
management, extra money to rebuild schools, public transport systems,
hospitals, roads, bridges, ports including Investment in water and
environmental systems. These type of public investment will do more to
stimulate our economy than tax breaks for the wealthy. - Universal Health
Care - Millions of Australians have minimal
access to health care and have only minimal coverage under Medicare. Those
with extra coverage often pay exorbitant amounts for limited service others
fund questionable health aids. The current profit-driven system, dominated by
private insurance firms and their bureaucracies, has failed. We need to
create a streamlined national health insurance System, Enhanced Medicare for
All. It would be publicly financed health care, predicated on health
maintenance not disease control. It would provide affordable prescription
drugs, thanks to bulk purchasing and a shift in modem pharmacopeia to include
complementary medicine as an equal partner. - Full Social
Security Benefits - Social security is the basic covenant
our society has with workers who have built our economy. At a time when CEOs
earn 240 times the pay of the average worker, it is unconscionable not to
return a safety net. We could make that possible through a progressive tax
structure and reordered national priorities. Social Security must not be corporative. - Renew our
Commitment to Peace and Diplomacy - The doctrine of
"Pre-emption" Is a fool’s path, so is an aggressive, unilateralist
foreign policy that makes our country less secure, not more. Our security
will be enhanced by working with other nations and the UN, instead of acting
like a colonial master race. We are more than a lap dog for the USA who
arrogantly undermines international agreements such as the Anti-Ballistic
Missile Treaty, the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions, the Small
Arms Treaty, the International Criminal Court, and the Kyoto Climate Treaty. What we need is a Minister for Peace,
to establish non-violence as an organizing principle in both domestic and
international affairs. This vision will cut bloated and unneeded weaponry
from a military budget. The economic dividend from this peace policy will be
invested in education, health care, environmental clean-up, urban
infrastructure, Social Security, veterans' benefits, and other pressing
domestic needs.
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