Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts

RIP Peter Harvey........

Peter Harvey was THE most respected journalist in Australia and set the bar for both professionalism and gentlemanly manners. He was NEVER out of line with his interviews, he always handled himself with such poise and aplomb. He was quite frankly the gold standard of reporting.

He will be sadly missed.

For my American friends, he was basically the Dan Rather of Australia.

Peter Harvey, 1944-2013

A voice never forgotten ... Peter Harvey.

It was probably the most listened to silence on television. The pause between "Peter Harvey" and "Canberra" never stretched so long as to be overly dramatic, but it was there and everyone heard it. The "Peter Harvey" and "Canberra" bits were in that deep, rich voice that said viewers were in the hands of a news master.

Comedians made jokes about the pause and voice and Mike Carlton created a radio character called "Peter Gravey" to send up Harvey and his voice. He might even have been called "The Voice" if John Laws hadn't got their first. Harvey thought it was all very amusing and liked to joke that the "bitumen" baritone tones were because he was Barry White's love child, "I'm just a lot paler than Dad."

Harvey was like that, calm, coolly amusing, never given to hysterics, it was just the news, folks. One reviewer said his smile was rare enough to call for "an action replay".
Others said his delivery was as though Harvey had swallowed a "handful of Mogadons" but the public kept listening, even when he did the weekly "Mailbag" segment on 60 Minutes, a gentle position that did not require a reporter of his calibre.
Harvey, a boy from Bondi, a place he never stopped missing, began his career as a copy boy at The Daily Telegraph in 1960. By 1964 he was a cadet reporter and that year he shared a Walkley Award (with three others) with a story about the shooting of a greyhound trainer at Randwick. Harvey, ever reticent to blow his own trumpet about his work, said later about Australia's highest media award, "That was a good thing to happen. I was 19 at the time. It was nice."

The following year, he went to work for the American magazine Newsweek as a reporter in Vietnam during the war. He was honest enough to admit to being "terrified" there, "I was very frightened all the time ... I left Vietnam totally depressed about the prospects of the war being won."

There was a brief stint back in Australia on 2UE but soon enough he was off again, to London to work on the Guardian. There he took the British Reporter of the Year Award twice, once with a story about drug trafficking from Turkey through Marseilles then and with a story about security and the lack of it in Government departments in Whitehall. The second story lead to a change in UK law.
Back in Australia in 1975, Harvey went to work with the 2GB-Macquarie network in Canberra but was quickly lured away to Channel Nine by Gerard Stone. He covered many of the biggest new stories the country has ever seen in politics as well as doing general interest, such as the 90th anniversary of the Anzac's Gallipoli landing, the 60 anniversary of the end of World War II from France, the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines.

Of course, one of the biggest stories, for him and everyone else, was just months after he joined Nine's Canberra bureau - the Whitlam dismissal in November, 1975.

Harvey was one of the few journalists considered close to Malcolm Fraser, although Harvey always said it was because he was so tall, "I think it was probably because I was one of the very few people he could actually have eyeline contact with in crowds. Malcolm Fraser wasn't close to anyone. I think Tamie Fraser was the only person close to Malcolm Fraser." Harvey didn't want to be too close to any prime minister anyway. "One should never confuse being close to a prime minister or a politician with an absence of shrieking at them ... no reporter has a place for temper tantrums. ... As far as I am concerned, the office of the prime minister, whoever is prime minister is, demands respect."
In Canberra, Harvey had connections and could read events. He broke the news that John Howard had lost the leadership of the liberal Party in 1989, a story that started with a tennis match, or rather the lack of one. Harvey was an enthisuastic tennis player and was bemused when a regular game was cancelled. Then he couldn't find a Liberal Party man anywhere to make up the numbers for another game. Among the major missing where a couple of Andrew Peacock supporters. Curiouser and curiouser.

Harvey took his thoughts to Laurie Oakes, Channel Nine's political editor. Oakes was was intrigued and started ringing around. Howard's press secretary blustered and denied. Other reporters mocked Harvey and Oates and big press names stated confidently that Howard was on his way up. Soon enough, Howard was removed from his position. His press sectretary had told him about Harvey's thoughts but Howard had refused to believe it.

Of course, Harvey wasn't always perfect. In 1986 he reported some early balance of payment figures. Alas for his great scoop, the figures turned to be merely a revision of the previous figures, but it was a rare mistake from such a journalist.

There were rumours in 1990 that Harvey might leave reporting and become John Hewson's press secretary, but Harvey chose to stay on in the work he loved.

In 1994, Alan Ramsey credited Harvey as being the one who saw that there was something not quite right about Alexander Downer's claims to have had nothing to do with the League of Rights, a far right and anti-semitic political organisation, and had passed on his thoughts to Laurie Oakes. Downer, then leader of the Liberal Party, tried to ignore the whole affair, but lost the party leadership in January the following year.

In 1997, Harvey relocated to Sydney but stayed with Channel Nine. The following year saw a quadruple by-pass but Harvey soldiered on and in 2003 he signed on to present the 60 Minutes Mailbag segment.

In 2005, he celebrated 30 years with Channel Nine. A supposedly low-key celebration turned into a party with 200 people and Kerry Packer toasting Harvey. A few notable at the station didn't make the party though - they were on air covering the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
In 2011 and Harvey was on the move again, to Queensland to report on the floods. After seeing the devestation, he took part in a telethon with other of Channel Nine's big names to raise money for the victims.

In October 2012, Harvey was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Vowing to fight the condition, he went back to work for as long as possible. He appeared on 60 Minutes on February 24 and was admitted to hospital a few days later. The news flashed around Australia, appearing on almost every news site on the internet, and a Twitter account #weloveharves was immediately full of good wishes. Even the prime minister went to air to express her sorrow.

And the last word should go to Harvey, "Always run like you're coming second by refusing to ever accept that it's down and out or anywhere near it. Keep the stories relevant and of value. Stay up to date and always run harder than the competition."

Peter Harvey is survived by his wife, Anne, and children Claire and Adam.

Harriet Veitch

One Thirsty Koala...

The poor thing must've been on the verge of death to do this........

Thirsty koala follows walker, drinks three bottles of water

Woo-Hyang Sun gives a drink to a koala at Athelstone. Picture: Supplied Source: adelaidenow

A THIRSTY koala has made the rare move of climbing down a tree before following a walker along suburban roads, drinking three bottles of water over an hour.

It took three bottles of water to satisfy the marsupial who was snapped during Woo-Hyang Sun's morning walk through the Adelaide foothills on Thursday, January 24.
"I was walking near the Black Hill Conservation Park entrance (when) my husband spotted a koala in a tree," Mrs Sun said.
"We took some photos, and initially the koala looked scared.

Woo-Hyang Sun gives a drink to a koala at Athelstone. Picture: Supplied

"She kept looking at me and looked like she wanted something, so I poured some water in my palm, and the koala drank it at once." But that was not enough.
As the temperature began to rise, the thirsty koala became even more ambitious.

Woo-Hyang Sun gives a drink to a koala at Athelstone. Picture: Supplied

After sustaining long eye contact with Mrs Sun's husband for several minutes, the koala succumbed to the prospect of a cool drink of water and climbed down from the tree, not at all phased by her suburban surroundings.
Not only did the koala hit the streets of Athelstone for a leisurely stroll, it almost threatened to get behind the wheel of Mrs Sun's car.
"When I opened the car door, she was poking her head to look inside my car, I guess for more water?," she said.

Joo-Sung Sun helps out a thirsty koala at Athelstone. Picture: Supplied

"I could not leave as I was worried about her safety, so lead her back to a tree in the park, using the water as a bait. I had to give her yet another bottle of water before she let me go."
"At times she grabbed the bottle to tip it higher, just like humans, and as if she's done it many times before," Mrs Sun said.
"After she finished the whole bottle, she was waving her hand, I guess, for more water.
"She followed me for an hour and ended up drinking three bottles altogether - definitely the friendliest koala I've ever seen."

My Anthem Is Racist......

Apparently...........

This is the article........

ANTHONY Mundine has revealed why he plans to boycott Australia's national anthem tomorrow - he wants to to 'educate and unite Australians', it has been reported.
After The Daily Telegraph last week revealed his plans to boycott the anthem at Wednesday's IBF world title clash with Daniel Geale, Mundine has spoken about his reasons for the protest.
"I don't mean to incite any racism or anything like that," Mundine told Fairfax Media.
"I am just trying to make people aware and educate them because most of them don't know the story.
"The truth is, that anthem was composed in the 1800s when Aborigines were considered fauna. From 1901 to 1973 there was a White Australia Policy to make Australia white, and guess what the theme song of that policy was - Advance Australia Fair. So what are they really singing, Advance Australia White.

"I am a guy who has always stood up for what I believe in, and if people were educated on that and knew the facts they would say 'let's change it for the better - for all Australians'," Mundine said.
"I am not trying to divide people, I am trying to unite people. I have got white brothers, I have got white friends that I grew up with from school, but I want Australia to recognise the injustices and the wrongs, and it is an injustice that it still is the anthem.
"I want something that represents all Australians, not just something that represents the white Australia, which back in those days was very racist. There is still racism today but let's try to breed it out and move forward."

Last Thursday, a curt Mundine arrived at a public training session refusing to talk to media after The Daily Telegraph revealed his plans to boycott the anthem.
However television reporters closed on Mundine following his public sessions to ask if he "denied" the story.
"I got nothing to say, baby," Mundine said.
Asked again if he denied the story, Mundine again replied: "I got nothing to say."
Then asked if he would protest the anthem, Mundine said: "I may, I may not."

The open answer has thrown preparations into a spin, with nobody sure what Mundine plans to do.
Subsequently, nobody is sure what the reaction will be. Already extra security has been hired to avoid the judges potentially being abused, as happened during their first fight, but they will now also be on heightened alarm when the anthem begins.

While Mundine is aware of the outrage it will cause not only ringside but around Australia, he is also acutely aware that the fight is being televised live across Australia and New Zealand and beamed on delay into America and the United Kingdom.

While its effect as a political statement will be debatable, he undoubtedly sees it as an opportunity to underline his role as an Aboriginal activist.
Last October he kicked off this fight with Geale by raising his concerns and, with the fight near, is revisiting his political statements about the plight of Aboriginals.
Mundine's camp believed they had convinced him to back down from plans to protest the anthem after conversations drifted back and forth on Wednesday, when Mundine began the day adamant he would carry through with the protest.

By the end of the day, though, he had begun to waver on his plans and Team Mundine believed he planned to drop the protest. The to and fro continued last Thursday when Mundine arrived at the public training session and told the crowd over a microphone to ignore the newspapers.
"They're trying to sidetrack me, take me off my game because they know they're in trouble," he said.
Yet by the time he had finished training he was again clearly considering the protest, leaving everybody unsure what will happen on fight night.

Pay-per-views figures are expected to reach somewhere between 80,000-100,000 homes with thousands more watching in pubs and clubs. With American Kimbo Slice on the undercard, a large pickup is expected overseas, commanding Mundine an audience of potential millions to make his point. The threat has lit a fresh fuse ahead of Wednesday's world title fight, the first time two Aboriginals have fought for a legitimate world title. Geale refused to be sidetracked, saying: "He has tried every little thing he can to try to throw me off my game, but no matter what he does it's not going to throw me off my game."

Mundine trained yesterday in a black T-shirt with an Aboriginal flag printed across the front.

Sadly - This bozo who beats up people for a living is a role model for indigenous youth.

Yes - a role model.

And he comes out with this shite and people listen coz he is Anthony "The Man" Mundine.

Personally - I am so sick of reverse racism that I could vomit. I don't think I need to say anything else except "My Fair Lady" - I believe they were using the word FAIR in the same context as our national anthem - My Beautiful Lady - Advance Australia Beautiful.

Oy vey......

D
xox

Australia Day 2013....

Our nations' official holiday.

More can be found HERE...

Tasmania Is Burning....

There is a huge bushfire that is burning in Tasmania. It has already levelled a small town to cinders.

Full story HERE...

Bestiality Enters Gay Wedding Debate...

LIBERAL Senator Cory Bernardi has suggested legalising same sex marriage would lead to demands for bestiality to also be sanctioned.
Speaking in Parliament last night on a gay marriage bill sponsored by four Labor senators, Senator Bernardi said the push for same-sex marriage was part of an attack on ''our enduring institutions.''

Senator Cory Bernardi. Photo: Andrew Meares

''It is another chip in the fabric of our social mores,'' he said. ''The time has come to ask, when will it end? If we are prepared to redefine marriage … what is the next step? The next step … is having three people that love each other should be able to enter into a permanent union endorsed by society, or four people. There are even some creepy people out there, who say that it's OK to have consensual sexual relations between humans and animals. Will that be a future step?''

Labor Senator Helen Polley also spoke against the bill. She said two-thirds of the correspondence she had received on the issue had urged her to oppose change. She read aloud a letter from a constituent which said same-sex marriage could ''create another stolen generation by putting adult desires above the needs of children''.

Sue Boyce: 'I support the intention of the bill.' Photo: Paul Harris

But another Labor senator, Doug Cameron, said arguments about children being disadvantaged by being brought up be same-sex couples ''denies the reality of some children facing absolutely terrible lives with heterosexual couples''. Labor Senator John Faulkner said the debate was not really about the value of marriage, or its role in society. ''It is a debate on the simple question of whether it is right for a government to deny some of its citizens access to a secular, government-recognised status on the basis of the gender of the person they choose to share their life with,'' he said.

Liberal senator Sue Boyce will defy Tony Abbott by speaking in favour of a bill to legalise gay marriage, and has not ruled out crossing the floor to vote for it. Senators last night resumed debating the bill, sponsored by Labor senators Trish Crossin, Carol Brown, Louise Pratt and Gavin Marshall.
A vote on the private member's bill from Labor MP Stephen Jones, which is being debated today by the House of Representatives, is likely today or tomorrow. A vote in both houses this week - which will see both bills defeated - would clear the issue off the government's agenda.

Senator Boyce, of Queensland, has previously publicly expressed support for same-sex marriage. But the Coalition has maintained a position of opposing change to marriage laws, and Coalition MHRs and senators are bound to vote against it. ''I support the intention of the bill,'' Senator Boyce told The Age yesterday. Senator Boyce said she was still considering how she would vote.

Australian Greens senator Richard Di Natale was in the chamber when Senator Bernardi made his ‘‘offensive and appalling’’ comments.
‘‘What an affront to those parents whose kids are struggling with their sexuality, who are suffering from anxiety and depression and self-harming because their kids’ choices around sexuality are being compared to bestiality,’’ he said. ‘‘What an appalling, appalling statement from somebody whose standards in the parliament need to lift.’’

Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce - who is opposed to gay marriage and civil unions - said the same-sex marriage debate was one that attracted strong views and that, ‘‘we should all be allowed to express those strong views’’. Senator Joyce said he was in no position to make criticisms of Senator Boyce and her reported intentions to cross the floor. ‘‘I would be the last person to start saying that someone crossing the floor should be punished because otherwise I would be hung, drawn, quartered and flogged,’’ he said. Senator Joyce crossed the floor multiple times during the Howard government era, most notably on legislation that made changes to the Trade Practices Act in 2005.
with Jessica Wright

Un-Australian - Gay Marriage Bill Defeated.........

A Labor MP's bill to legalise same-sex marriage has been overwhelmingly defeated in the House of Representatives.
The result of the vote was 42-98.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott sat on the same side of the chamber to vote against the private bill, proposed by Labor backbencher Stephen Jones.
Labor allowed its members a conscience vote on the issue - meaning they did not have to all vote in the same way - but the coalition did not.
The government's front bench was split on the vote, with Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan and cabinet minister Chris Bowen voting with the coalition to oppose the bill.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd also voted to defeat the legislation.
Ministers who voted for the bill included Peter Garrett, Nicola Roxon, Jenny Macklin, Anthony Albanese, Greg Combet, Tanya Plibersek, Kate Ellis, Bill Shorten, and Gary Gray.

Independent MP Tony Windsor voted against the bill while Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie voted for it. Earlier, Australian Greens MP Adam Bandt tried to stop the parliament taking the vote.
He said there should be no decision on the matter until coalition members were given a conscience vote.

"I fear that we are about to witness a very cynical move to put this vote quickly in an attempt to clear it off the political agenda," he told parliament.

A failed vote on Wednesday would not deter the Greens from continuing attempts to remove discrimination from the Marriage Act.

Leader of the House Anthony Albanese rejected the suggestion the vote was somehow a surprise to members. He said that opposing even having a vote did nothing to advance the cause.
The House of Representatives is also considering another bill to legalise same sex marriage, sponsored by Greens MP Adam Bandt and independent Andrew Wilkie.

A sad day in Australia....... the so called "Lucky Country" ..... I don't feel very lucky today...........

Shalom

D
xox

'I think we're going to owe smokers a big apology when the homosexual community's own statistics for its health.' Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

The head of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) Jim Wallace says smoking is healthier than the lifestyle that would be promoted by same-sex marriage.
Mr Wallace made the claim in a debate on marriage equality with Greens leader Christine Milne at the University of Tasmania today.
Answering a question from a student on the relevance of his views, he said health statistics among the gay community were worse than those for smokers.

"I think we're going to owe smokers a big apology when the homosexual community's own statistics for its health - which it presents when it wants more money for health - are that is has higher rates of drug-taking, of suicide, it has the life of a male reduced by up to 20 years," he told the audience.
"The life of smokers is reduced by something like seven to 10 years and yet we tell all our kids at school they shouldn't smoke."

After the debate, Mr Wallace said the figures saddened him.
"But what I'm saying is we need to be aware that the homosexual lifestyle carries these problems and ... normalising the lifestyle by the attribution of marriage, for instance, has to be considered in what it does encouraging people into it," he said.
Mr Wallace said legalising same-sex marriage in other countries had not reduced risk factors for gay people.

"Where gay marriage has been introduced, or civil unions, it hasn't changed the level of suicide," he said.
"We have to accept the unfortunate levels of suicide, the unfortunate levels of excessive drug use (are) because of the nature of the lifestyle.
"I am very sorry for that. My heart goes out to those people. But it is a fact."

Senator Milne said discrimination in laws such as the Marriage Act was a contributor to any health concerns.
"What I know is that the mental health issues for young gay people particularly are certainly increased when discrimination occurs," she told reporters.

There was little love lost between Mr Wallace and Senator Milne during the debate.
Senator Milne accused the ACL of homophobia and said Christians should be more concerned with poverty than homosexuality.

She said with bills before the federal parliament and Tasmania's lower house last week passing a same-sex marriage bill, change was inevitable.

Mr Wallace accused the Greens of demonising churches with "hate language" and caring more for trees than children.

He described gay activism as "bullying" and said a climate had been created for "legislation by fatigue".
AAP

Kookaburra In The Backyard.............

No really.............

Same-sex protesters gather at Queensland's Parliament House

gay marriage protest Queensland parliament

PROTEST: Gay marriage activists gather outside Queensland Parliament House. Source: The Courier-Mail

A CROWD of protesters has gathered outside Parliament House ahead of debate over proposed changes to Queensland's civil partnership laws.

Same-sex "civil unions" and the state-sanctioned ceremonies which celebrate them look set to become a thing of the past from tonight as the LNP seeks to urgently amend the legislation.
Debate on the new Government's changes to the controversial Civil Partnerships Act, which was passed under the Labor Government late last year is underway in State Parliament.
About 100 gay rights activists protested outside ahead of proceedings, chanting: "Campbell Newman, LNP champions of bigotry".
The law which was introduced as a private members Bill by former Treasurer Andrew Fraser allows all couples to register their "civil union" and hold a ceremony if they so wish.
The Newman Government is seeking to have the partnerships renamed "registered relationships" and scrap the ceremonies.
Opening the debate, Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said the proposed changes were a "slap in the face" for same-sex couples.
"I fundamentally believe in equality for all Queenslanders including people in same-sex relations," she said.

Deputy Speaker Mark Robinson asked for silence after members of the public gallery burst in to applause during Ms Palaszczuk 's speech.

Deception Bay resident Jasmine Linton and her partner of eight years Emma Butcher were among the protestors rallying outside State Parliament.
The pair had a marriage ceremony four years ago and chose to make their partnership legal this year via the newly-minted civil union laws.
“It was one of the most exciting days ever when we heard that you could get civil unioned in Queensland,” Ms Linton said.
“When Campbell Newman came out last week and said that he would leave the civil unions the same but not have a ceremony we were really upset because it’s like you can register something but we don’t want to see it, it’s not okay.
“It’s complete homophobia, it’s discrimination.”
Ms Butcher said renaming civil unions to registered relationships was offensive because “it’s the same as registering your dog”.
Ms Palaszczuk attacked the government for rushing the legislation through and said the Government needed to accept same sex relationships were a “reality”.

“We need to accept that in our society we need to accept there are different view but the community attitudes around this issue and you must move with the times,” she said.

“Queensland has come a long way and this parliament should not remove rights from decent Queenslanders whose only sin is that they are in a committed loving same-sex relationship and want to officially celebrate that relationship.”

Speaking is support of the amendments Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said the LNP’s changes struck a good balance. “If we can be accused of anything we can be accused of not going as far as some people wanted us to go.” Deputy Speaker Mark Robinson has warned the public gallery for a second time after some onlookers jeered when Lawrence Springborg said marriage was between a man and a woman.

Mr Robinson said he would clear the gallery if he had to intervene again.

Later, a member of the public was removed from the public gallery after calling out during Member for Coomera Michal Crandon’s speech. The outburst occurred as Mr Crandon said the law allowed people to “register their interest in one another” prompting a man watching on from the gallery to call out “we’re not animals". Others in the gallery applauded as the man was removed by police and security. Deputy Speaker Mark Robinson again threatened to clear the entire Gallery if there were any more outbursts.

Protesters march in Melbourne for gay marriage rights. Photo: Craig Sillitoe

The vote on gay marriage has been brought forward from the end of the year and could be held as early as August following concerns from Labor's Right that the debate is damaging the party.
It is accepted on all sides that the push to legalise gay marriage will be defeated.
According to sources, in this morning's caucus meeting the government whip Joel Fitzgibbon said that due to the desire of some within Labor to "hasten the process", more time would be allotted for the debate, meaning the vote could be held earlier. Because the bill, sponsored by Labor's Stephen Jones, is a private member's bill, there is only limited time for debate on Mondays.Without extra time allotted, there would have been no final vote until the end of the year at the earliest.

Greens MP Adam Bandt has his own separate bill and will delay a vote on that until later this year or early next year in the hope public pressure changes minds.
"It should be done not just because it's popular but because it is right," he said.
"But I'm optimistic of achieving reform within the life of this Parliament, with some more discussion and more persuasion."

The Finance Minister, Penny Wong, one of the strongest proponents for a change to the Marriage Act, said yesterday that change would eventually come.
"I think the campaign is not going to go away because ultimately it's a campaign for people's equality," she said.

A seven-member parliamentary committee split 4-2 against same-sex marriage yesterday with one abstention as it handed down a report that contained no recommendations, only information for all politicians to use to inform their final decision.
The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, will vote against gay marriage but has allowed Labor MPs a conscience vote.
Number-crunchers estimate about 36 of the 70 Labor MPs will vote for same-sex marriage, while 10 to 15 are undecided and the rest will vote against.
Tony Abbott will not allow a conscience vote and all Coalition MPs are bound to vote against same-sex marriage. Backbenchers can cross the floor but any frontbencher who does so would have to resign from the shadow ministry. Malcolm Turnbull said he would like to support the bill but it would cost him his job.

Parliament's standing committee on social policy and legal affairs received a record 276,437 responses to an online survey it conducted as part of its inquiry.
The committee chairman, Labor MP Graham Perrett, along with fellow Labor MP Laura Smyth, came out in favour of gay marriage. Liberal MPs Sharman Stone and Ross Vasta and Labor's Mike Symon and Shayne Neumann were opposed. The other member, Liberal moderate Judi Moylan, gave no separate opinion.

Church groups and the Australian Christian Lobby have fiercely campaigned against gay marriage, despite Labor's bill exonerating the churches and any other religious groups from having to marry gay people.
Mr Perrett, who holds a marginal Queensland seat, said ''it is important to remember that God did not write the Marriage Act. It is written by lawyers and legislators and must reflect the views and values of today."

With public opinion polls consistently showing majority support for same-sex marriage, Mr Perrett said it was incumbent upon MPs to respond to growing public support "by categorically opposing laws that legitimise discrimination".
Ms Stone and Mr Vasta said the Liberals had promised before the federal election not to legalise gay marriage.
''I do not accept that the view towards marriage has changed since the 2010 federal election,'' Ms Stone added.

VLOG - My PM Says It's Ok.........

Pro-gay Marriage MPs Get Hate Mail.....

FEDERAL MPs advocating same-sex marriage have received a barrage of hate mail, including accusations they are supporting sexual dysfunction and taking away free speech.

Several MPs from all sides of politics, including senior ministers Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese, Labor MP Stephen Jones, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young and New South Wales Liberal MP Catherine Cusack, have received angry responses to their support for same-sex marriage.

Deputy leader of the Greens Adam Bandt described some of his correspondence as ''vitriolic''.

Illustration: Matt Golding.

''It is unfortunate that supporters of equal love are the target of abuse, and I hope it doesn't become an inevitable part of the path to equality,'' he said.

Some politicians told The Sunday Age they have been upset by the level of abuse in some correspondence. Many expect more vitriol when Parliament starts to debate the legislation on same-sex marriage later this year. While many writers put their names to letters, others were posting anonymous abusive comments on social networking sites.

''The attacks and homophobia we have all experienced on Twitter, Facebook and the street will not deter us from standing up for what is right,'' Mr Bandt said.

Some material seen by The Sunday Age cannot be quoted because of its graphic nature. One of the letters sent to a Labor MP accused her of trying to promote ''unhealthy addictions''.

''A small minority of heterosexuals fail their biological reality and as a consequence of dysfunctional experiences, developmental and emotional immaturity become addicted to homosexual practices,'' the letter said. ''Unhealthy addictions need healthy solutions and redefining marriage will not heal biological self-deception and self-delusional fantasies.''

Another letter said MPs were trying to indoctrinate children ''with compulsory homosexual propaganda in violation of parental rights''.

A Senate committee examining the gay marriage legislation received more than 75,000 submissions, forcing it to delay the its report. Although Labor last year changed its platform to support gay marriage, MPs will be given a conscience vote on the subject. Coalition leader Tony Abbott has committed the opposition to voting against the legislation. The NSW Legislative Council passed a motion last month calling for legalisation of gay marriage. Unlike the federal Liberal Party, the NSW Liberals allowed a conscience vote on the issue.

..............A very proud day for my country......... sigh..........

James Magnussen

Australia's Gold Medal hope in the 100m freestyle at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Oh yeah - he's hot as too.............

...2 Hate......White Power Party In My Backyard !!! ...

....actually it is going to occur on the Gold Coast - about 60miles south of Brisbane - but the fact that it is occurring at ALL in a country that has anti-discrimination legislation and laws against inciting hatred is absolutely disgusting.... it should be shut down and banned........

Neo-Nazi music festival to go ahead

Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie has maintained the stance of his Labor predecessor concerning a major white-pride event to be held in Brisbane this weekend.
The Hammered music festival is expected to draw white supremacists from Australia and overseas to a secret location in the city on Saturday.
Mr Bleijie said while he was “disgusted” by the event, banning it was out of the question in the interests of free speech.
“While the government does not condone neo-Nazi or extremist beliefs, it is not illegal to hold an event such as this,” Mr Bleijie told brisbanetimes.com.au.
“The Queensland government will not ban this festival, but any attendees who incite or commit violence or racism will be dealt with by the police.”
Mr Bleijie's stance echoes that of former Attorney-General Paul Lucas, who dismissed calls for the festival's banning and the punishment of its organisers ahead of the March election.
The lack of action has angered former independent member for Burnett Rob Messenger, who launched a Parliamentary e-Petition against the “Neo Nazi, race hatred-inspired gathering” in January.
Mr Messenger said he was frustrated the views of nearly 2000 petition signatories had been ignored, and allowing Hammered to proceed made Queensland a national “laughing stock”.
“The government, I believe, under current Queensland laws, has the ability to stop the rally,” he said.
“I believe that it breaches anti-discrimination (legislation) as it stands, but in the meantime, and at the very least, the (Attorney-General) should untie the hands of the Queensland police and allow them to investigate the concert promoters and their public advertising.”
The Hammered Festival is organised by a group called the Southern Cross Hammerskins, a local branch of an international association spawned from the American white power skinhead movement.
This is the first year the three-year-old festival will be held in Brisbane, and websites promoting the event say it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Southern Cross Hammerskins in Australia.
Other websites promoting the festival contain pro-Nazi media including YouTube video clips celebrating Adolf Hitler.
Comment was sought from the Southern Cross Hammerskins.

..... this sort of thing is completely un_Australian........ disgusted .... completely disgusted.....

....retch..

.....2 Oz.........Australia’s New Gay Icons........

TIM DUGGAN, founder of Australia’s leading gay and lesbian website SameSame.com.au, reveals the definitive list of Australia’s most influential new gay icons.

Ryan Kwanten ... supporter of AIDS charities in Australian and the US and is slowly earning his gay icon stripes.

For many years if you mentioned the words ‘gay’ and ‘icon’ in the same sentence, you’d instantly conjure up images of Cher straddling a canon, Judy commanding Carnegie Hall, Bette on the beach or Madonna twisting yoga poses into dance moves. But it’s twenty frigging twelve, and us new gays think it’s high time we politely shoved the previous generation of icons back into the closet and anointed a new breed of modern gay icons.

Some of them are gay, some are straight and a few sit somewhere in the middle – yet they’re all united by one thing: a healthy amount of respect and admiration from the gay community for fiercely being who they are. A strong sense of self is the biggest requirement to be considered an icon, and in the lead up to Sydney’s Mardi Gras this weekend, here is our pick of the definitive list of Australia’s most influential new gay icons.

Magda Szubanski ... modern gay icon.

Magda Szubanski
“There’s nothing wrong with being gay,” said Magda Subzanski last month when she confirmed the worst kept secret in television. “If there was a tablet you could take to cure it, I wouldn’t take it.” We loved her before she officially came out, but now she’s assured of her place in the gay canon for showing Australia just how normal (and funny) some of us are. Sure, it took her fifty years to step into the pink spotlight but Magda’s now opened the door to her real life and – perhaps more importantly – finally joined Twitter the day she came out so we can share in every minute detail of her life in 140 characters or less.

Kylie Minogue
It’s been 25 years since Kylie locomotioned into our hearts, and the mere fact we’re still talking abut Charlene almost three decades later is a testament to her talent. She’s made in through the wilderness - well, the Impossible Princess years - she’s beaten cancer, she cracked America (albeit briefly) and she’s managed to turn millions of detractors around to sell out shows all over the world. Although private at times, Kylie’s revealed just enough of herself to keep us interested, and with a sold out performance at Sydney Mardi Gras this weekend, she’s confirmed her place not just as a modern gay icon, but one that’ll be remembered as fondly as Judy, Bette and Cher. Long live the Pop Princess from Camberwell.

Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham became an overnight pin up boy after the Beijing Olympics.

Matthew Mitcham
As the first Australian diver to win an Olympic gold medal since 1924, openly gay Mitcham became an overnight pin up boy after the Beijing Olympics. It might have been because of his cover model looks, or simply that he shrugged off his sexuality as being as much a part of him as his skin colour. He’s been able to back up the success too, winning four silver medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and leading the Mardi Gras Parade in 2009. It’s rare to anoint an icon at just 23 years-old, but Mitcham has clawed his way from depression to the highest sporting honour in the world. For that alone he deserves a gold medal.

Shelley Argent
She’s the ideal mum; a suburban Queensland mother whose son came out as gay to her, which then set her on a journey from ignorance to being one of the most vocal campaigners for gay rights in the country. Supporting mums and dads of gay and lesbians all around the country, Shelley is the best straight ally you could ever ask for, and has just been announced as the Chief of Parade for Sydney Mardi Gras this weekend. For her tireless work, constantly sunny disposition and support in showing other parents just how it’s done as the National Spokeperson for PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), Shelley has rightfully earnt her place as the mother of all homegrown modern gay icons.

Michael Kirby
As one of the most talked Justices on the High Court of Australia, 72 year-old Kirby has had his fair share of public highs and lows. From being (very wrongly) vilified by Bill Heffernan to his nickname as the Great Dissenter, Kirby dug his way deep into the hearts of people everywhere with his legendary opening speech at the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney where his tale of meeting his lifelong partner Johan van Vloten ensured there was not a dry eye left at Aussie Stadium. Kirby is a true hero to people of all ages, confident enough to speak his own mind, and intelligent enough for it to be taken seriously.

Click through to see the full list of Australia’s most influential gay icons.

Alex Greenwich
You might not know his name, but history will remember Alex as the driving force behind Australia’s long overdue marriage equality campaign. Driven by a desire to marry his partner Victor, Alex fires up the pistons in the engine room every single day as the National Convenor of Australian Marriage Equality. Last week he dined with Julia Gillard to grill her on same-sex marriage and every day he herds the equality message into a coherent and powerful movement. You don’t just become a gay icon, you forge it out of passion and dedication. And when the Australia’s first gay couple stands before a celebrant to legally confirm their relationship to the world, Alex will be the one to thank.

Sia Furler
Singer and songwriter Sia has managed to do the impossible: keep every inch of her credibility whilst guest starring on tracks for Flo Rida (“Wild Ones”) and David Guetta (“Titanium”). It’s a long way from Adelaide for the former girlfriend of Le Tigre’s JD Samson who began her career as an ethereal vocalist and managed to carve out a quirky pop following, even picking up three ARIA Awards last year including Best Pop Release. With her unique vocal style and ability to keep her cool where other artists have failed, Sia’s an icon through and through.

Ryan Kwanten
Vinnie from Home and Away has really grown up. Best known now as the superbly built Jason Stackhouse from cult vampire series True Blood, Kwanten is a massive supporter of AIDS charities in Australian and the US and is slowly earning his gay icon stripes. “My youngest brother Lloyd is gay," he told The Advocate magazine. "He's a doctor, so he got every ounce of intelligence in the family. He was probably about 18 when he came out, and I can wholeheartedly tell you that from the day that he did, he was a changed man for the better. The sheer beauty of who he is really came through." Amen to that.

Molly Meldrum
You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s (almost) gone. After Molly’s recent home accident, we tried to imagine an entertainment world without Molly in it – and it was simply too difficult. The loveable Molly created his own niche in music journalism, befriending his subjects and disarming them in interviews. In the process he became as much of an icon as the stars in front of his microphone. The national outpouring of grief at almost losing Molly confirmed his status as one of the people we really look up to.

The Unknown AFL Player
This month Hawthorn Football Club President Jeff Kennett said he’d be “very surprised” if 40 or less current AFL players weren’t gay. Yet the AFL remains almost the only professional sport in the world where no player, past or present, has ever come out of the closet. It’s due to boofheads like Jason Akermanis who notoriously warned players to never come out. So to whoever the first player is that has the courage to tell they world that they’re proud of who they are, you are Australia’s true modern gay icon. I truly hope there’s enough light peeking through the crack in the closet door for you to reach towards.

.....2 Stoopid.... Islamic Cry Baby's Make Me Sick....

...the latest from an extreme Islamic Community group here in Australia.......

Pay for our trips home - the Islamic Women's Welfare Association

By John Masanauskas
Herald Sun
February 13, 2012 12:00AM

The Islamic Women's Welfare Association says new migrants should get taxpayer subsidies to visit overseas relatives. Picture: Herald Sun

NEW migrants should get taxpayer subsidies to visit overseas relatives, an Islamic group has told the Federal Government.

The Islamic Women's Welfare Association also says Muslims prefer to live close to their own people and Australia should consider how to "facilitate the purchase of homes for new migrants".

In a submission to a federal multicultural inquiry, the association has urged the Government to give tax deductions to newly arrived migrants so they can visit relatives in their homelands.

"Migrants face a lot of sacrifices such as having to travel long distances to visit relatives, spending on communication costs, missing out on some events occurring in native countries etc," the submission said.

"This loss should be compensated by the Government in one way or the other to retain migrants in their country of adoption."

Victorian Muslim and president of the Australian Council of Bosnian Organisations Senada Softic-Telalovic said while some help might be justified for needy refugees who had to go overseas to settle their affairs, she didn't support travel compensation for all newcomers.

"That type of argument will bring out further outrage from those who are so anti-migrant and so anti-multiculturalism," she said. Ms Softic-Telalovic said that Australia was seen as an ideal migration destination and new arrivals shouldn't take the country for granted.

"Migrants and refugees who come out now are in a significantly better position and you could say a more privileged position than those who came out in the 1970s," she said.

Victorian Multicultural and Citizenship Minister Nick Kotsiras said tax breaks for migrant trips abroad was a ridiculous idea.

"We are all equal and no one should get special privileges," he said.

The Islamic welfare association is based in Lakemba, Sydney, which has one of the highest Muslim populations in Australia.

Its submission also said that migrants should be free to build their own places of worship "without prejudice or discrimination from the communities they live (in)".

.........you know - I am glad that someone from their own faith came out and told them how ridiculous an idea this is......... seriously......... I am so sick of extremist cry-babies of ANY faith I could vomit.....

....They wanna go home that bad - I say give them a kayak, a paddle and a pair of floaties..... Don't let the door hit you on your "special needs" arse on the way out bitch.....

... And for the haters who will jump on me - No, I do not dislike Islam - I dislike Islamic separatists...... READ the whole thing properly before coming after me - Mr Sad....I'm talking to you.......

D
.

Tent embassy antics a disaster for the indigenous cause

January 27, 2012 - 12:52PM

Opinion

The image of the self-appointed spokesman for Aborigines, Paul Coe, holding Prime Minister Julia Gillard's shoe and calling for her to "show an act of good faith" and come to the Aboriginal tent embassy in Canberra and collect it - when exactly the opposite was required - reminded me of the last time I encountered Coe.

It was on the steps of a court. Coe had just been struck from the roll of barristers for professional misconduct.

The NSW Legal Services Tribunal found he had filed an affidavit, that was "substantially false, was known by him to be false and was sworn with the intention of deceiving the court ... the tribunal has not received from Mr Coe any acknowledgement that he recognises and regrets his wrongdoing ... "

Paul Coe, at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra, holds up Julia Gillard's shoe after she lost it during yesterday's protest. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Outside the court, Coe told reporters: "It confirms my view that it is still a white man's world."

I said to him: "You always cry racism when you get caught out."

Coe responded with an expletive and an obscene gesture.

PM dragged from angry mob

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is dragged away by her close protection team police to her car after hundreds of protesters from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy descended on the awards ceremony she was at a few hundred metres away where she was awarding emergency services personnel, in Canberra. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

I told him he was a charlatan.

A reporter from the ABC apologised to Coe for my remarks.

That was in was 1997. Six years later, in 2003, Coe was again investigated for professional misconduct, for accepting legal fees when he was not licensed to practice.

Now Coe, off the public radar for 15 years, has popped up with the Prime Minister's shoe and is grandstanding with it, even though the shoe was acquired during an act of collective hysteria, hate speech and menace.

The shoe should be returned to Gillard, with apologies, but that would require an act of moral courage. So it's not going to happen.

The mayhem when Gillard lost her shoe may have received abundant publicity, and created an image that went around the world, but it is a disaster for the credibility of the indigenous justice movement in Australia, which has been working with other leading Australians and politicians to put a referendum to voters to recognise indigenous people in the constitution.

Now a fringe has muscled into the media glare, pushing aside the constructive majority. This will stick in the public's mind.

The hysteria was driven by Michael Anderson, a co-founder of the Aboriginal tent embassy near Parliament House in Canberra 40 years ago, who whipped up a crowd of demonstrators about Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

This is what Abbott had said during an interview earlier in the day: "Look, I can understand why the tent embassy was established all those years ago. I think a lot has changed for the better since then. We had the historic apology just a few years ago, one of the genuine achievements of Kevin Rudd as prime minister. We had the proposal which is currently for national consideration to recognise indigenous people in the constitution. I think the indigenous people of Australia can be very proud of the respect in which they are held by every Australian and yes, I think a lot has changed since then and I think it probably is time to move on from that."

This is how Anderson characterised Abbott's remarks: "He said the Aboriginal embassy had to go, we heard it on a radio broadcast. We thought no way, so we circled around the building ... It's just madness on the part of Tony Abbott. What he said amounts to inciting racial riots."

The chasm between reality and hysteria is an embarrassment to Anderson.

The irony is that Abbott has spent weeks with indigenous communities searching for ways to end the cycle of failed government policies. He is particularly close to Aboriginal leader Noel Pearson.

A further irony is that indigenous affairs is one area where Gillard and Abbott have put aside their many differences.

It was notable that Gillard, when told her security could not be guaranteed as a gathering of protesters banged on the windows yesterday, made sure to inquire that Abbott, who was also at the ceremony she was attending, would also be looked after.

That has been widely noted, to her credit.

...........Now I have to be honest - I'm not a fan of our Prime Minister - but I am even less of a fan of this guy. And it highlights the issue of activists who harm their own cause. True progress NEVER results from sensational and sometimes violent actions similar to this. I am truly bemused but not surprised by this. Thankfully, we have SERIOUS Indigenous Representatives in this country working WITH our Parliament and State Governments to achieve positive outcomes. Unfortunately, this type of stoopid idiot has an appeal with the ignorant and those who simply want a fight for the fights' sake - with absolutely ZERO interest in the what that fight is actually about!!...

....The other thing here that I am ashamed off is the lack of respect for the Prime Minister. As far as I am concerned - you can dislike the PERSON - but that person is the elected leader of our country. The title of Prime Minister should bring a level of respect - irregardless of whether you the like person in the office or not...

....This was an embarrassing and shameful day for Australia....

......D.

..... Day 1..... Sydney Odyssey.......

......G'day 'n' Shalom my 2 Centers.......

.....Day 1 saw me sleep in to the un-g-dly hour of 9am - 'twas loverly :)....I then rose, showered, and schlepped my way into the city for a head & scrotum shave by the naked barber (see above post coz I', sure you've been there already).......

.....Oh..........and here are the products of me playing Creepy Fat Train Platform Guy With Camera :)........

.....After that I strolled on down to Chinatown.......

View of the Entry to Chinatown from my table

......where I was almost assaulted by an Asian Matron hawking her restaurants lunch specials....... It was such a good deal I couldn't go past it and for $22 Australian Dollars I got THIS.......

.............and it was particularly yummy and I am almost ashamed to say that I left barely a crumb on my plate - YUMMO !!!.....

.....From there I set off for the Sydney Aquarium...... which I passed on as it's now $35 entry for a VERY small aquarium and I'm too cheap for that - even considering how much of a marinelife-phile I am..... So instead I wandered around Darling Harbour which was BEAUTIFUL and - sad to say - the cleanest part of Sydney CBD (really Sydney council, with the millions of tourists you get you can't spend some money on street cleaners??)..........Here are the photos I took of Darling Harbour.......

......After that I jumped on the monorail - switched to the train to come back to the home suburb of my old friends Christopher & Marc - had a quick but excellently made coffee in a cute little Italian cafe ...

.....then bought some wine and came back to the digs where G'Norman the G'Nome (pronounced Guh'Norman) welcomed me home :) .........

.......Now I am updating the blog for you guys after eating 2 bowls of Christophers home made Pea/Parmesan/Spinach & Pepper Risotto - complimented by a glass of Fifth Leg Semillon Sauvignon Blanc......

......Lovely day - can not wait for tomorrow......

Layla Tov & Goodnight all.....

Damien

horney paper storms