Too easy
Why not run an advert seeking a volunteer Canberra correspondent? The quality of questions at Parliament house is often poor. Any AJA member can go to Parliament House media conferences. It's time Paul and Gareth stopped getting such an easy ride.
Gilbert Shelton
New Farm Qld
Greens and Democrats
Nobody cares less who leads the Liberal Party, that archaic Jurassic dinosaur of the 1950s which is irrelevant to everyone in the 1990s.
The Greens and the Democrats are the only alternative to Labor, a party which could win every federal election until 2020 through mass media manipulation and propaganda. Labor should be the federal government for at least thirty years.
But what would Labor achieve if it won federal government for the next eight elections except to service big business well and steal Liberal Party policies like Fightback! until the year dot.
Sure, the Liberal Party is dead, buried and forgotten, but unless the Greens and perhaps the Democrats can get control of federal government within the next three decades of expected Labor rule and dominance, Australia could well be dead and buried by overseas big business. The Greens are sure to become a big force in all politics before the year 2020, as the Liberals disappear.
The Greens — small today but huge tomorrow! Remember Labor was only as big and significant in 1890s politics as the Greens are in 1990s politics. Look at Labor today, Greens, Greenies tomorrow. You'll be surprised at the Greens' advancement into politics in the next century as the Greens will be a major party in government — locally, statewide and federally — next century.
Assumpta Howard
Gwynneville NSW
Support needed
Readers of the "Looking out" column by Brandon Astor Jones will be glad to know that arrangements have been made for his daughter, her husband and four grandchildren to visit him on May 20, and we are looking forward to hearing about the visit soon. I am sure it will be the event of his lifetime.
In the meantime, Brandon's readers may like to also help him in the following way. His resentencing trial will be heard very soon and Brandon could either be resentenced to be executed or could be given life imprisonment. This will be decided by a jury, and it would helpful if letters of commendation could be sent to his attorney, mentioning Brandon's achievements as a journalist, his deep concern for the poor, especially the children and his attempts to improve social justice and oppose racism through his newspaper articles. (Brandon was unable to write very well when he was first imprisoned but during the past 16 years of imprisonment he has worked hard to improve his education in very difficult circumstances, and deserves to be commended for the high standard he has now reached.)
Please send letters to: Michael Mears, Attorney at Law, Georgia Resource Center, 920 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30306, USA.
Sincere thanks to everyone for any help you can give.
Stephanie Wilkinson
Coordinator, Australians Against Executions
Seven Hills NSW
Water reuse
Friends of the Earth Water Catchment Collective is undertaking research into reuse of grey water in the home. This includes home built and commercial grey water systems, sewerage recycling systems, composting toilets, reed beds, ground pits, rainwater tanks, garden vegetation, vegetation type mulching and garden design to reduce or eliminate water use.
We are aiming to develop a register of households, individuals and communities who are currently using these systems. Further, (and hopefully from the register) we are seeking interested parties who would be in a position to trial these non-traditional supply sources and reuse technologies for Melbourne water. By developing this register we are hoping to learn the extent of people currently using these technologies and practices, and establish the viability of these technologies and practices, economically and physically.
Parts of this register will be confidential because of legal aspects, but at the same time the "confidential cases" will add to statistics allowing a true reporting. So please, if you have an illegal system, provide us with some information but not necessarily your name.
Please contact us if you have any of these operating systems in your home community.
Natalie Moxham
Friends of the Earth, Melbourne
Ph 419 8700, fax 416 2081