Judicial inquiry into the Balibo killings
We believe that the time has come for a full judicial inquiry with broad terms of reference, into the murder of the Balibo Five journalists, Gary Cunningham, Brian Peters, Malcolm Rennie, Greg Shackleton and Tony Stewart, on 16th October 1975, and Roger East, killed in Dili seven weeks later.
The lives of East Timorese are valuable. Many have died, and East Timorese are still dying in camps inside Indonesia. The reason we believe the Balibo murders in particular must be resolved is to bring to account those within our own political system responsible for the collusion with the Suharto regime, detailed in Hamish McDonald's and Des Ball's recent book, Death in Balibo, Lies in Canberra.
The killing of the journalists was pivotal, locking our foreign policy into what was already a pro-Jakarta line, still promoted by Richard Woolcott and the Jakarta lobby.
Now, as in 1975, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade works outside democratic control. If the future is to be different, with fewer terrible derelictions in foreign policy, there must be a full judicial inquiry into the Balibo Five and Roger East killings.
@8point = Phillip Adams, John Bell, David Bradbury, Elaine Briere, Dr Helen Caldicott, Jane Campion, Noam Chomsky, Ian Cohen, Sister Susan Connelly, Bryce Courtenay, Midget Farrelly, Andrew Ferguson, Father Brian Gore, Rachel Griffiths, Bruce Douglas Haigh, David Helfgott, Elizabeth Jolley, Rabbi Jeffrey Barnet Kamins, Ramona Koval, Jon Land, Stephen Langford, Pat Lowe, Wendy Lowenstein, Sandy McCutcheon, Peter McGregor, Humphrey McQueen, Barry Otto, Maureen Tolfree (nee Peters), Jimmy Pike, John Pilger, Shirley Shackleton, Jane Singleton, Peter Slezak, Dr Roberta Sykes, Johanna Trainor, Professor Tony Vinson, Dr Martin Wesley-Smith, Rob Wesley-Smith, Robyn Williams, David Williamson
Restrictions on 'front' parties
Sue Boland in her letter (GLW #423) about changes to the NSW electoral process writes that "Greens parliamentarians voted for the amendments". This is not true.
Ian Cohen and I did not vote for the Bill or the government's amendments. Speaking in the Upper House on this matter, I detailed the detrimental impact on minor parties of increasing the cost of standing candidates, and also raising the number of members each party requires to gain registration.
We supported all amendments aimed to remove these inequities. Only one amendment went to a vote, and that one was defeated by the combined weight of Labor and the Coalition. The Bill itself went through on the voices as the major parties were in collusion on this issue.
The only input the Greens had to this Bill was to abolish the ability of parties to allocate preferences. This removes the incentive for undemocratic front parties. We consistently opposed changes which made life more difficult for genuine minor parties.
Sue argues a false dichotomy between the major parties and small right-wing parties. They're the same thing — almost always the front parties are set up by the majors. This was done to attack genuine minor parties like The Greens and the Democratic Socialist Party.
Lee Rhiannon
Greens MLC
Sydney
Migration for the rich
How hypocritical conservatives are about migration. Under no circumstances can poor or less talented citizens from the Third World be allowed to freely relocate to the First World. Yet, when it comes to rich and talented First World citizens, it is simply assumed that they are entitled to roam around the globe.
Higher taxes on the better-off in Australia are opposed on the grounds that they might lead to significant migration by affluent and skilled individuals to more unequal wealthy nations such as the US.
This claim is overstated. And higher tax rates would probably increase government revenue even if many people did emigrate. More fundamentally though, why should already fortunate people be allowed to migrate to further advance their privileged position?
Exit visas should not normally be granted to highly skilled or wealthy people seeking to move to the US etc. Punitive departure taxes are another option.
If tight migration restrictions are good enough for the underprivileged of the Third World, they are certainly good enough for the over-privileged of the First World.
Brent Howard
Rydalmere NSW
Colombian death squads
On the internet, Colombian human rights activists publish articles about Colombian right-wing death squads murdering Colombian trade unionists, peasants and citizens of Colombia. Found in these same publications is the slogan: "No More Death Squads".
In order for US Citizens to understand and attach Colombian right-wing death squads to a supporting entity, may I suggest the following new slogan: "STOP Corporate Death Squads!"
This slogan, when published and seen on signs and banners will, without question, allow Americans to understand the connection between Big Corporations and Colombian Corporate Death Squads.
Ross Regnart
USA
Yugoslavia
The CIA-orchestrated overthrow of the elected government of Yugoslavia brings a new threat to peace in the region.
Yugoslavia was the only state in Europe without an American puppet government and represented a barrier to military access to the vast energy resources of the old Soviet Union (which the war in Chechnya has been about). Now those resources lie open to acquisition by United States.
The yapping chorus of approval from deputy leaders of the West may be disgusting but it is not surprising.
Col Friel
Alawa NT
Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal
Several years ago, ABC radio reported that an intelligence general facing trial before the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal was whisked away to Washington by US authorities because of his intimate knowledge of Soviet intelligence secrets. The Nazi general thus avoided standing trial.
At the time of the ABC report, most of those assisting in the trial would have deceased or become very old, but one, Mr Walter J Rockler, was still working in Washington. I wrote to him requesting his confirmation of the ABC report and telephoned him at work. His secretary said that Mr Rockler was not in his office, and then that he was ill.
The point I wish to make is that General Gehlen's escape from justice makes a complete mockery of the whole Nuremberg trial. In the light of this episode, history will have to be rewritten will it not?
James M. Forbes
Toowong Qld
FreightCorp privatisation
While Liberal and Labor governments gloat over the sale of government-owned freight rail services they ignore that other methods of transport such as roads are becoming uneconomical to the point where the transport of goods by this method is costing an arm and a leg for consumers. Simultaneously, private trucking operators and small operators are being forced out of business due to rising costs and competition.
It is ironic that Price Waterhouse Coopers, who recently finished a report on the possible sale of FreightCorp in NSW for the Rail Tram and Bus Union, indicated that the ability to expand the amount of freight carried by rail is likely to diminish in the near future and that the sale of FreightCorp had to proceed as there was not enough work for the existing operators.
This is absolute bullshit. As harsh as the decision would be for truckie owner drivers, governments of all persuasions must invest in modern rail freight terminal facilities, rolling stock and other handling equipment now. Then we will see a willingness (based on economies of scale) of producers transporting goods by rail.
The future of high cost and uneconomic transport by road will not improve as it is likely that the cost of fuel and other running costs will spiral upwards. The future of transport relying on road haulage is too gloomy to contemplate.
There will of course be other spinoffs by moving to rail; roads will be safer, it will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and secure employment could be generated in a government owned and operated rail transport system.
The RTBU proposal to sell all or part of FreightCorp is premature.
Peter Perkins
Sydney
Olympics cult
A few words regarding the extravaganza camouflaged cult of individualism in the Sydney Olympics arena. It was but imperialist cultural expansion. The main aim of it is to control and dominate the psyche. Imperialists are looking for more flexible ways to infiltrate and dominate people's minds. And they infiltrate at a time when the modern capitalist system is falling apart.
The maxims of imperialist ideologues are clear: to embellish modern capitalism by all means; to conceal the anti-humane and unjust nature of it; to impose its lifestyle and cultural standards; and at the same time, to distort such values of equality and social progress.
However, no such extravagantly camouflaged individualism, nor the "modifications" and manoeuvres by modern capitalism, can repeal the laws of history or eliminate the acute antagonism between labour and capital, between monopolies and society.
Vic Savoulian
Mt Druitt NSW
[Abridged.]