Damaging Australia's reputation: the dab hands of the financial & banking system, the politicians and the military.

Picture from The Age

... and, Networkers, just in case you thought it was only the politicians who are damaging Australia's reputation with corrupt activity (see link in last sentence about paying people smugglers), here is our wonderful banking system on display.  Of course, the Commonwealth Bank​ is not alone.  The organisation at the pinnacle of Austrailia's financial system, the Reserve Bank of Australia, has its problems as well. Recall the Securency scandal. And then you may also recall the NAB​ scandal. And the ANZ scandal.  And then there is Westpac and to top it all, the cream on the cake (so to speak), the millionaires club of Macquarie Bank. 

So - wotcha reckon, Networkers?  

Are all those previously referenced descendants of Ned Kelly​ or do they make Ned look respectable?  Just remember - these people hide behind a cloak of financial and business respectability ---- and they are trashing Australia's reputation.

To further explain how our politicians - and our military - are damaging Australia's reputation, Amnesty International has a lot to say. 

Investing with your social conscience

The cries for justice are heard in the land .... but they are ignored

From CorpWatch JP Morgan to Escape Criminal Charges for $13 Billion by Pratap Chatterjee October 22nd, 2013

Home Defenders League protest in Washington DC in 2013. Photo: Stephen Melkisethian. Used under Creative Commons license. JP Morgan, the Wall Street bank, is expected to announce that it will escape criminal prosecution for its role in the sub-prime mortgage crisis in return for paying the U.S. government roughly $3 billion, plus $6 billion to investors, and another $4 billion to compensate home owners. The federal government is believed to working on an agreement with the bank to drop several criminal investigations, notably into the sale of shoddy mortgage securities to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the government-controlled mortgage finance companies) by Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual, now owned by JP Morgan. In simple terms these banks made huge profits lending money to poor people to buy overpriced homes and then packaged up the bad loans, labeling them high quality for sale to the government and overseas investors. When the 2008 economic crisis hit, the house prices crashed and many homeowners lost their jobs, making them unable to repay their loans. The $13 billion agreement has been trumpeted as the biggest payout levied on a single company, although there is some doubt about the veracity of such a statement. The $4 billion in payments to struggling homeowners are necessary for the bank, which would otherwise lose even more money if it had to evict borrowers by foreclosing on them. Reuters also reports that JP Morgan could be allowed to get a tax deduction for the fines paid which will reduce its actual cash costs by $4 billion. Critics say that the government has failed to protect the public interest. "A settlement of this kind would release JP Morgan and its officers from civil and criminal liability for a wide range of alleged frauds,” writes William Black, a former bank regulator who led investigations of the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. “JP Morgan should pay the damages it caused to others through fraud. In cases where a firm's senior officers engage in a wide range of frauds, the courts should award punitive damages against the officers and the firm. Not everyone is as upset. The bank enjoys plenty of support in the mainstream media, notably because JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon has “assiduously cultivated a following among financial journalists, who love his comeback-kid life story — after his ouster as heir apparent to Sanford Weill at Citigroup,” says USA Today. Dimon recently announced that he is not a bit ashamed of his company. "I am so damn proud of this company. That's what I think about when I wake up everyday," Dimon told CNBC. "We’re gaining market share. We're doing great stuff." Such assertions promoted the Washington Post to accuse the government of “political persecution” of the bank. Alex Pareene, a writer at Salon, pointed out the irony of praising a bank for making greater profits by comparing the fine to one imposed on a restaurant. "No one would say 'Yeah, but the restaurant's making a lot of money. There's only a little bit of poison in the food,” he said on CNBC. Senior Wall Street executives are definitely relieved by the deal. After all 25 years ago, some 1,000 bankers were convicted by the Justice Department, for their role in the savings and loans crisis. CEOs like Charles Keating Jr. of Lincoln Savings and Loan and David Paul of Centrust Bank, went to jail for years. The Obama administration has not been as aggressive in its pursuit of bankers. Just150 have been charged, none of whom are top bosses. The “too-big-to-jail” approach to bankers and their “too-big-to-fail” banks have been condemned by veteran observers. “Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission -- have taken a kid-glove approach to the corporate criminal activity that arguably inflicts far more damage on society than all street crime combined,” says Russell Mokhiber, the editor of Corporate Crime Reporter, who recently organized a conference titled titled “Neither Admit Nor Deny: Corporate Crime in the Age of Deferred Prosecutions, Consent Decrees, Whistleblowers & Monitors." Mike Koehler, a professor at the Southern Illinois School of Law, told the attendees: “DOJ has championed an alternative reality that has become problematic: it sends the message that justice can be bought.”

Looks like an intriguing watch on 4C on Monday night: PNG, corruption, 457 rorts, and money laundering in Oz

Preying on Paradise

By Marian Wilkinson and Lisa McGregor

Posted September 19, 2013 16:50:00

(Photos by Louie Eroglu, Four Corners)

Monday 23 September 2013

A businessman in Papua New Guinea is accused of taking millions of dollars for government work that has never been completed. He is charged but released on bail. Then, using an Australian issued 457 Visa, he comes to this country and avoids justice, telling authorities he is too sick to travel back to PNG.

Crime fighters in Papua New Guinea say this type of behaviour is all too common:

"Their families are down in Australia and their property is down there. They gamble heavily in Australian casinos, they bring money from Papua New Guinea down to Australia. And the evidence is in - they use Australian bank accounts to launder PNG corruptly-obtained money."

Next on Four Corners, reporter Marian Wilkinson travels north to investigate the extent of corruption in Papua New Guinea and the apparent failure of Australian officials to play their part in tracking down stolen money. She speaks with the Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, who tells her he's determined to stamp out behaviour that is undermining his country's future.

"Some of our own ministers have been investigated as we speak. Nobody has been protected by this government and I can assure you that we are committed to this fight that we have started..."

But how far does this commitment to stamp out corruption extend?

The Prime Minister of PNG has just announced the next stage of an ambitious plan - creating new laws that would bring the massive Ok Tedi copper mine into a financial trust that would control the country's key national assets. The Prime Minister tells Four Corners this will minimise the possibility of corrupt behaviour. Others warn this move is ill-advised and could, in fact, raise the risk of money being syphoned off.

"The danger could be that if the team decided that they really wanted to look after themselves, rather than the broader interests of the nation, they could do extremely well for themselves and the nation could be severely short-changed." Paul Barker, PNG Institute of National Affairs

Australians have a vested interest in stopping corruption in Papua New Guinea. The reality is that corruption there is indirectly costing Australian taxpayers millions of dollars. Each year the Federal Government delivers over $500 million in aid to our northern neighbour. At the same time corruption fighters in PNG claim 25 per cent of their country's budget is lost in detectable fraud. In effect, the aid sent north is being used in part to subsidise basic services when the PNG budget is being swindled away.

"I think Australia should really focus in helping us to combat corruption and to show the seriousness start repatriating proceeds of crime that are deposited in Australian bank accounts..." Sam Koim, Head of PNG's 'Task Force Sweep'

"Preying on Paradise", reported by Marian Wilkinson and presented by Kerry O'Brien, goes to air on Monday 23rd September at 8.30pm on ABC1. It is replayed on Tuesday 24th September at 11.35pm. It can also be seen on ABC News 24 on Saturday at 8.00pm, on ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar 2013-06-19

Green Left Weekly Activist Calendar

June 19, 2013

Protest Banksters walk of shame! Saturday, June 29, 1pm. Coburg Mall, Victoria St, Coburg. Ever feel like you're living in a banksters paradise? The big four banks (CBA, NAB, ANZ, Westpac) are together the most concentrated and profitable set of banks in the world. Last year the big four raised their cash profits to a combined total of $25.1 billion. The banks are ripping off home loan borrowers, gouging customers with fees, and sacking workers while paying their executives huge salaries and bonuses. Join Margarita Windisch, Socialist Alliance candidate for Wills, for the banksters walk of shame! For more info ph 9639 8622 or 0400 320 602.

Public meeting War: what is it good for? Iraq veteran speaks out Thursday, July 4, 6:30pm. Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. Iraq Veterans Against the War spokesperson Vince Emanuele is returning to Australia to talk about the real and ongoing impact of the US- and Australian-based wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Vince is one of the protagonists in the new film On the Bridge, a powerful anti-war documentary interviewing veterans suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Organised by Stop the War Coalition, Marrickville Peace Group, StandFast and WikiLeaks Australian Citizens Alliance.

This is the regular Melbourne activist calendar compiled by Green Left Weekly. Emailed to subscribers each Wednesday fortnight, it is a one-stop listing of the main left and progressive events in Melbourne and Geelong. Since it began in early 1991, Green Left Weekly has offered an indispensable alternative to the lies of the big-business media and has helped build the various movements for social change. To subscribe toGreen Left Weekly, visit our secure online website for rates and payment at Green Left Weekly or call our national hotline on 1800 634 206. You can also contact us at the Resistance Centre, 5th floor, 407 Swanston St, City; ph 9639 8622. In Geelong we are at the Activist Centre, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St (opening hours: Mon 2-4.30pm, Fri 10am-4.30pm); ph 5222 6900. New email address? Not already receiving this calendar regularly? Want to subscribe someone else? Let us know at Greenleft Melbourne.

Other coming events

Until Friday, June 21

Exhibition: Limbo 24/7: Tales from the cages of detention. An installation of photographs, film and digital storytelling created by Jema Stellato Pledger. Darebin Intercultural Centre, 59A Roseberry Avenue, Preston.

Wednesday, June 19

Public meeting: Whose earth is it anyhow? What kind of human will live in the anthropocene?.Speaker:Clive Hamilton, Professor of Public Ethics at Charles Sturt University in Canberra; for 14 years, until 2008, he was executive director of the Australia Institute, a think tank he founded. 7pm. Melbourne Law School, 185 Pelham St, Carlton. To register visit Law School.

Thursday, June 20

Rally: Free our asylum seekers! This World Refugee Day let us speak out and creatively act against the Australian government's inhumane policies against those who seek refuge at our shores. Offshore processing is costly, in every sense of the word. Join your voices to ours, stand up for our neighbours. 8am vigil; 1pm speakout. Opposite DIAC, cnr Spring & Lonsdale Sts, City.

Public meeting: Latin America stands up! Kevin Bracken (Maritime Union Victorian secretary) will give a talk about his recent experience in Cuba and Central America; Marcelo Chimbolema (an Indigenous representative from Ecuador, currently in Australia) will speak about his community and Indigenous communities in Ecuador. A short documentary will be shown at the beginning of the forum, The peoples of Central America and the Caribe. 6:30pm. Victorian Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. For more info ph 0425 539 149.

Concert: World Refugee Day. To mark Refugee Day, RISE and the Islamic Council of Victoria present an evening of film, performance and discussion at the State Library. The evening features a screening of New Life, New Land, a 20-minute documentary that tells inspiring stories of five refugees from the Horn of Africa who are making a new life in a new land. The three men and two women featured in the film have all achieved real success in their new lives. The screening will be followed by live spoken word, theatre performances and a panel discussion with Director Abdi Malik Osman and two of the refugees featured in the film, Deng Adut and Idil Abdullahi. Organised by RISE and the Islamic Council of Victoria. 7pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. For more info ph Tania Canas 0400 241 072 or Feriyal Glaidous 0401 941 302.

Thursday, June 20-Friday, June 21

Conference: Immigration in diversified Australia: Today and tomorrow's challenges. In 1962, Melbourne University Press published a volume by the Immigration Reform Group entitled Immigration: Control or Colour Bar? The Background to 'White Australia' and a proposal for change. It played an important part in the national debate which led to the dismantling of the White Australia Policy. Fifty years on, the Asia Institute-based Population, Migration and Multicultural Studies Network is commemorating the significant achievement of this publication and the Immigration Reform Group's influence during the 1960s. The conference is free, registration is essential. The Spot Basement Theatre, 198 Berkeley St, University of Melbourne. To register visit Asia Institute.

Exhibition: Limbo 24/7: Tales from the cages of detention. A theatrical event telling the stories of asylum seekers and detainees. Created by Jema Stellato Pledger with Phil Carroll, Carmelina Di Guglielmo, Kavisha Mazzella, Kiki Luisetta & Khiara Ariza Stellato Pledger. 11am. Darebin Intercultural Centre, 59A Roseberry Ave, Preston.

Friday, June 21

Fundraiser: Comedy benefit for Beyond Zero Radio. Standup comedy with Matt Grantham, Neil Sinclair, Danny McGinlay, Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall. 7pm. Portland Hotel, cnr Russell & Little Collins Sts, City. All proceeds will go to keep our radio shows on air with community radio 3CR! So come along for a laugh, meet some of the BZE team, and support BZE in keeping the message out there.

Film screening: West Papua film night. A great opportunity to engaged with West Papuan community and being informed about recent updates in West Papua. Guest speaker: Isak Morin (academic from Cenderawasih University in Jayapura, currently undertaking a post-graduate course in Melbourne). Finger food, coffee and tea will be provided on the night. 7:30pm. Kindness House, 288 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. $5. Donations are welcome. All funds raised goes to political prisoners in West Papua.

Friday, June 21-Sunday, June 23

Sydney Conference: Australian Climate Action Summit. Join with climate activists to share our experiences and knowledge to help build an even stronger Climate Action Movement! Special rates for students and unemployed to make it affordable to all. For bookings or info visit Climate Action Summit.

Saturday, June 22

Rally: Walk together. An opportunity for all Australians to join together in celebration of our diversity and in recognition that for the sake of our future we need to learn to 'walk together'. If we're all people, we're all equal. 1pm. Parliament House, cnr Spring & Bourke Sts, City.

Saturday, June 22-Sunday, June 23

The annual New International Bookshop Big Red Book Fair. As usual it's going to be a huge event with a raffle, sausage sizzle and heaps of bargains on new and second-hand books. Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South.

Tuesday, June 25

Rally: Save Bastion Point (Melbourne protest) Extra effort needed now for our campaign to Save Bastion Point in Mallacoota. East Gippsland Shire Council will meet on July 2 to approve/not approve the tender for the construction of Option 3b. (We hope to have a strong presence at this meeting. The council meeting will be held at the Corporate Centre, 273 Main St, Bairnsdale, commencing at 6pm.) 12:30pm. Parliament House steps, Spring St, City. For more info email Save Bastion Point or visit Save Bastion Point.

Thursday, June 27

Rally: Childbirth Rights Rally. Childbirth rights are human rights. A peaceful gathering of people demanding women's right to choice in childbirth. Medical interventions in childbirth are at record highs with no concurrent gains in safety for mothers and babies. Many women report feeling abused and disrespected in their experience of maternity care. They feel disempowered rather than empowered by their birth experience. It is time that we claim back our own power in childbirth. Our right to informed consent and informed refusal. Our bodies, our babies, our right to decide. 10am. The Women's Hospital, cnr Grattan St & Flemington Rd, Parkville.Organised by Campaign for Women's Reproductive Rights.

Fundraiser: TCFUA Benefit for Bangladesh. 1227 workers died after their garment factory collapsed on April 24. Bangladeshi garment workers, who make many of the clothes sold in Australian shops, need your support. Money raised is for Rana Plaza injured workers, the families of those killed and for union health and safety work in Bangladesh. Performers include Corinne Grant (MC) and Ashley Naylor (Even). 7pm. Celtic Club, 316-320 Queen St, City. $50/$30/$100 ( solidarity). To RSVP ph 9639 2955 or email TCFUA.

Film screening: Cultural Flows films Melbourne premiere. After a successful 'on-Country' launch in Tooleybuc, NSW, members of the Wadi Wadi and Mutthi Mutthi Aboriginal Nations will be travelling to Melbourne for the Premiere of the Cultural Flows films: two powerfully-shot documentaries that explore Indigenous Australian’s deep connections to the rivers and waterways in their country. 6:30pm. Bella Union Theatre, Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. Free event.

Thursday, June 27-Friday, July 26

Theatre: The Dragon. A dragon has held sway over a cowering village for centuries, when a brave Lancelot arrives to vanquish the beast. The problem? The townsfolk have become quite fond of the tyrant and the impositions he makes . . . including the annual human sacrifice! But don't be fooled, there is more to this fairytale than meets the eye. Beneath the merriment lies a keen-witted exploration of political corruption and the perils of complacency. With Melbourne's comic maestros Tripod bringing their iconic musical spoofery to the stage while playing the beast in question, and stellar performances from Jimi Bani (Mabo) and Kim Gyngell (Full Frontal), you won't want to miss the laugh-until-you-ache hilarity of The Dragon. To book visitDragon.

Friday, June 28

Fundraiser: Sea Shepherd film night. Speakers: Bob Brown; Sea Shepherd Crew; Greens MP Colleen Hartland. Screening: (1) Operation Kimberley Miinimbi. (2) Premier short film from the most recent Southern Ocean anti-whaling trip. In April Woodside announced that they would be shelving plans to build a mega gas-hub at James Price Point in The Kimberley, saving the worlds largest Humpback Whale nursery and one of Australia's most beautiful natural assets from needless environmental destruction. Saving James Price Point was the result of a tireless campaign lead by the Goolarabooloo Indigenous People, Sea Shepherd, The Greens and environmental organizations across the country. Join Bob Brown and Sea Shepherd to watch this magnificent documentary. 7pm. Sun Theatre, 8 Ballarat St, Yarraville. $20. Tickets are limited so be sure to purchase your ticket online at Sea Shepherd.

Friday, June 28

Film screening: No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka. Both a film of record and a call to action, No Fire Zone is a devastating expose of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka: the culmination of a three year investigation. Screening followed by Q&A session with film-maker, Callum Macrae. 6:30pm. Carrillo Gantner Theatre, Sidney Myer Asian Centre, University of Melbourne, Near Gate 6, Swanston St, Parkville. For bookings or info visit No Fire Zone.

Saturday, June 29

Protest: Banksters walk of shame. Ever feel like you're living in a banksters paradise? The big four banks (CBA, NAB, ANZ, Westpac) are together the most concentrated and profitable set of banks in the world. Last year the big four raised their cash profits to a combined total of $25.1 billion. The banks are ripping off home loan borrowers, gouging customers with fees, and sacking workers while paying their executives huge salaries and bonuses. Join Margarita Windisch, Socialist Alliance candidate for Wills, for the banksters walk of shame! 1pm. Coburg Mall. For more info ph 9639 8622 or 0400 320 602.

Fundraiser: Big Red Quiz Night. Laughs and prizes galore are guaranteed, so book your table (for 8 people) before they run out. $25/$15. Book online to receive a free $25 gift voucher to spend at the Big Red Book Fair! Federation of Education Unions, 120 Clarendon St, Southbank. To book email NIBS or ph 9662 3744.

Sunday, June 30

Rally: Tamarod / Rebel Campaign. Rebel campaign world wide solidarity action aims at making it clear to the Egyptian government and the world that the Egyptian people world wide reject the Brotherhood rule and its disregard for democracy and human rights. 1pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. For more info ph Raafat Ebrahim 0448 153 500.

Wednesday, July 3

Public meeting: Temporary migrant workers & unions. In Australia the number of workers on short-term visas has generated media discussion. 'Guest workers' are found in many countries around the world. Many of these workers are very vulnerable due to their precarious residency/legal status. What are the best ways to organise and protect these workers? 6pm. Evatt room, Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria sts, Carlton South. Organised by Australia Asia Worker Links.

Thursday, July 4

Rally: Taxi drivers protest. A series of protests have hit Melbourne airport in recent weeks against cuts to fares that can be charged for short trips from the airport. Recently drivers protested against a new fare system implemented at the airport earlier this year, which sometimes sees them wait two hours for a fare of less than $10. As drivers are paid based on fares collected, rather than a fixed wage, this amounts to a pay cut for drivers. Drivers have vowed to continue protests until they win. 11am. Parliament House, Spring St, City.

Public meeting: War: what is it good for? Iraq veteran speaks out. Iraq Veterans Against the War spokesperson Vince Emanuele is returning to Australia to talk about the real and ongoing impact of the US- and Australian-based wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Vince is one of the protagonists in the new film On the Bridge, a powerful anti-war documentary interviewing veterans suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 6:30pm. Trades Hall, cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton South. Organised by Stop the War Coalition, Marrickville Peace Group, StandFast and WikiLeaks Australian Citizens Alliance.

Fundraiser film screening: Harlan County. Support 3CR's radiothon and enjoy a classic labour history documentary. Harlan County is a 1976 documentary about striking coal miners in Harlan County, Kentucky USA, and their battle against Duke Power and corruption in their own union, the UMWA. Doors open 7pm; movie starts 7:45pm. The Owl and the Pussycat, 34 Swan St, Richmond (opposite Richmond Station). There will also be live music before and after the movie, by the Glitter Rats. $15/$10 (all proceeds go to 3CR Radiothon). Light food available. Drinks for sale at the bar.

Friday, July 5-Tuesday, July 9

Launceston Conference: Students of Sustainability. A five-day camping conference for anyone interested in creating a more ecologically & socially sustainable world. University of Tasmania, Launceston Campus. For bookings or info visit SOS.

Saturday, July 6

Rally: in support of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Details to be announced. Organised by the Pirate Party and Wikileaks Australia Citizens Alliance.

Tuesday, July 9

Public meeting: MAPW Victorian branch dinner. Peter Wigg will reflect on issues raised at the recent German IPPNW conference on small arms, where he presented a workshop with our president, Dr Jenny Grounds. 6.30pm (for 7pm). La Notte,140 Lygon St, Carlton. $35 (student members subsidised at $20). To RSVP email MAPW.

Thursday, July 11

Public meeting: Asylum seekers in limbo. No right to work: the cruelty of the 'no advantage' policy.Around 17,000 asylum seekers have been released into the community because of over-crowding in Australia's detention system. 10,000 of them who arrived after August 13 in 2012 must wait five years for a visa under the cruel 'no advantage' policy. During this time they will have no right to work, or volunteer, will receive just 89% of the dole (around $220 per week), and get no other government assistance. Charities say they are being overwhelmed. This forum will hear from some of those who work first hand with asylum seekers. 6:30pm. Multi-Cultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St, City. Organised by Refugee Action Collective.

Friday, July 12

Rally: NAIDOC march. NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 10am. Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, 186 Nicholson St, Fitzroy.

Friday, July 12-Sunday, July 14

Film screening: Arab film festival. Aims to address contemporary misrepresentations of Arab peoples and cultures by reflecting the complexity and diversity of Arab experiences, and providing a critical space presenting alternative representations of Arab subjects, cultures and narratives on screen. A community-managed cultural event, the festival supports freedom of thought, expression and information, as well as diversity of screen media to enable democratic cultural expression to flourish. Our opening night in every state is the Australian premiere of the Egyptian film After the battle, directed by Yousry Nasrallah. Check out all films at Arab film fest.

Sunday, July 14

Comedy: Political Asylum Comedy Room. Political Asylum is a topical, political standup show, featuring some of the best political comedians in Australia. It takes place on the second Sunday of every month at The Brunswick Green in Melbourne. Guidelines for performers are simple: Political Asylum is the place for intelligent, topical, political humour. 5:30pm. The Brunswick Green, 313 Sydney Rd, Brunswick. $10/$5. For more info visit Political Asylum.

Monday, July 15-Thursday, July 18

Conference: NOWSA (Network of Women Students Australia). NOWSA is an annual conference of women students across the country. The conference is an opportunity for networking and skill-sharing among women grassroots student activists. The conference is open to all students who identify as or experience oppression as a woman. Melbourne University. For bookings or info visit NOWSA.

Sunday, July 22

Rally: International day of action against multinationals. Demand Indigenous and workers' rights! Stop the plunder of our planet! 6:30pm. State Library, 328 Swanston St, City. Organised by LASNET

Saturday, July 27

Public meeting: Commemoration of the July 1983 ethnic violence against the Tamils in Sri Lanka.30 years ago in July 1983 (Black July) a government-sanctioned pogrom in Sri Lanka triggered the exodus of Tamils from that island. This Sri Lankan state sanctioned pogrom saw the killing, torture and rape of thousands of Tamils. Over 3000 Tamils were killed, thousands more were seriously injured and there was large-scale destruction of Tamil property and businesses. Not even one of the perpetrators has been charged or punished for these calculated atrocities. In order to mark the 30th anniversary of the Black July tragedy and to highlight the curent plight of the Tamil peopole and other human rights issues that are still continuing unabated in Sri Lanka, a remembrance meeting has been organised. 4pm. Hungarian Community Centre, 760 Boronia Rd, Vermont.

Saturday, August 17

Rally: Equal Love 9th Anniversary Rally. Equal Love's next rally will mark the 9th anniversary since John Howard changed the marriage act to state that marriage shall be strictly 'an institution between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others'. The August rally is 4 weeks before the federal election and is expected to  send a loud and passionate message to both major parties demanding equality. 1pm. State Library, cnr Swanston & La Trobe Sts, City.

Wednesday, August 21

Public meeting: How can we stop the race to the bottom on refugee policy? The 2013 election sees Abbott and Gillard competing over who can kick refugees the hardest. Abbott wants to 'stop the boats', risking lives by towing boats back to sea. Gillard is budgeting $7.5 billion over the next 4 years to detain asylum seekers and implement the failed Howard era policy of offshore processing. Grill the candidates for the federal seat of Melbourne and join the Refugee Action Collective for a discussion on how we can win a genuinely humane policy towards refugees. Speakers: Adam Bandt (Greens); Margarita Windisch (Socialist Alliance); Cath Bowtell (ALP); Chris Breen (Refugee Action Collective); a refugee speaker. 6:30pm. Multi-Cultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St, City. Organised by Refugee Action Collective.

Wednesday, December 4-Saturday, December 13

Venezuela Solidarity Brigade: Participatory democracy, solidarity & socialism. Witness a people's revolution in the making. The Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network's 14th solidarity brigade to Venezuela this December is a very special opportunity to observe, learn about and be inspired by the Bolivarian revolution that is transforming Latin America and challenging the greed, exploitation and destructiveness of global capitalism by showing that a better world is possible. For bookings or info visit AVSN.

Geelong & regional Victoria

Friday, June 21

Geelong Red Cinema: Home. A stunning exploration of the fact that there is no Planet B. Meal at 6:30pm; film starts 7pm. Downstairs, Geelong Trades Hall, 127 Myers St, Geelong. Entry by donation. For more info ph 5222 6900.

Sunday, June 23

Mirboo North Public meeting: Coal and CSG-free Mirboo North. Community information session in response to the growing concern regarding the current state of play regarding coal and CSG mining in Mirboo North and districts. The township of Mirboo North has a pending exploration application for coal by Mantle Mining. This license would include the local primary and high schools, the aged care facility, main shopping precinct, and people's homes. Outlying areas are covered by other exploration licenses. This industry is invasive, destructive and highly unregulated. There is ever increasing concern that Energy and Resources Minister Nicholas Kotsiras will remove the moratorium on fracking and B-Tex chemical use.Speakers: Jo McCubbin (Doctors for the Environment); Gavin Mudd (Monash University); Felicity Milner (Environment Defenders Office). 2pm. Mirboo North Football Club Rooms, Strzelecki Highway, Mirboo North. For more info ph Ann Clark 0425 761 041.

Campaign committees

Beyond Zero Emissions Melbourne branch meetings. BZE's monthly branch meetings are a way for current and prospective BZE volunteers to meet up, get to know each other and discuss upcoming events such as presentations, stalls, film nights and discussion groups. Meets on the third Monday of every month at Level 2, Kindness House, 288 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Active and prospective volunteers welcome. For more info email Chitra Perez or ph 0401 087 085.

Friends of the Earth's Anti-Nuclear & Clean Energy (ACE) collective meetings. Wednesdays. FoE office, 312 Smith St, Collingwood. For meeting times & more info email Zin.

Indigenous Social Justice Association. The Indigenous Social Justice Association was established in January 2005 to organise a Melbourne rally and march as part of a National Day of Action to mark the first anniversary of the death of Kamilaroi teenager, TJ Hickey in Redfern, and to demand a fresh inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death. Those organising this held consultations with interested members of the Victorian Aboriginal community. Participants in these consultations enthusiastically supported the proposal for a Melbourne rally to demand justice for TJ but asked that this not be a one-off event but part of an ongoing effort to permanently stop Aboriginal deaths in custody. During 2013, ISJA will meet the first Thursday of every month. For more info visit ISJA.

Melbourne Feminist Action Group. We think it's time to put women's rights back on the public agenda. We've started an open organising group and everyone's invited, from already existing women's rights groups and activist organisations, to women and men who may never have been involved in feminist action in their lives but just want to do something. We want to get together to have that crucial discussion: what can we do, right now, that will give this movement a push? It's open to everyone; anyone who attends can have their say. If you can make it, bring your ideas about what you would like to see happen next. For more info ph 0438 869 790 or email MelbFemAction.

Quit Coal: No New Coal Power for Victoria. A Melbourne-based collective which campaigns against expansion of the coal industry in Victoria. We believe this is important because building new coal infrastructure locks in decades of dirty, old technology, when we should be moving towards clean, renewable energy. Quit Coal meets each Wednesday at 6pm, at FOE, 312 Smith St, Collingwood. For more info visitQuit Coal or email Quit Coal.

Refugee Action Collective (RAC). Established in 2000, RAC is a democratic, grassroots activist collective, representing a broad cross section of the community. It aims to mobilise opposition to Australia's inhuman refugee policies. For more info ph 0413 377 978 or visit RAC.

Victorian Climate Action Calendar. For a comprehensive list of climate action events in our state. The VCAC covers events in Victoria and major events elsewhere and is intended to inform, educate and inspire. To subscribe to the calendar email Monique Decortis. Weekly updates are e-mailed out and online updates are available at VCAC. To add an event to the calendar, please download the Event Template from the website. Feel free to forward the VCAC to other interested people.

Workers Solidarity Network. WSN believes that we, as workers, have the power to improve our working conditions and bring about positive social change. WSN believes that our country is not a real democracy unless we have democratic workplaces where workers have a say. WSN believes that the only way to bring about a fairer share of resources in our society in by forming active unions and community organisations to fight for it. For more info visit WSN.

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Broad, non-sectarian, activist Socialist Alliance Socialist Alliance is a proud supporter of the Green Left Weekly project and contributes a regular column. Socialist Alliance is a broad, non-sectarian socialist party, dedicated to bringing together all those who want to resist the capitalist assault on our planet and its people and fight for a socialist society that puts people's needs before business profits. Anyone who agrees with the general approach of our policies is welcome to join and organisations are invited to affiliate. For more information visit Socialist Alliance. Join us on Facebook. See our recent statements: Socialist Alliance 2013 federal election campaign: Take back the wealth! Public education needs full funding Nationalise Ford plants to save jobs! Get involved Moreland Socialists The group is open to anyone (even if you live outside the area) who wants to work constructively to support Socialist Alliance councillor Sue Bolton and use her position to build up a stronger activist left presence in Moreland. In general, we meet monthly and alternate between Coburg and Fawkner. If you want to get involved in the group, email us at Socialist Alliance or phone Sue on 9639 8622 or 0413 377 978. For news and opinion visit Sue's Moreland Report. Contact Socialist Alliance. Join with other socialists in the struggle. Melbourne: Visit us at the Resistance Centre, 5th floor, 407 Swanston St, City; ph 9639 8622. In Melbourne, Socialist Alliance meets on the first Tuesday of each month, 6:30pm, at the Resistance Centre. Geelong: Activist Centre, Trades Hall, 127 Myers St (opening hours: Mon 2-4:30pm, Fri 10am-4:30pm); ph 5222 6900.

Links: 'socialism for the 21st century' Links is an online journal which seeks to provide a forum for open and constructive dialogue between active socialists from different political traditions. It seeks to bring together those in the international left who are opposed to neoliberal economic and social policies, and reject the bureaucratic model of 'socialism' that arose in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Inspired by the unfolding socialist revolution in Venezuela, Links is a journal for 'Socialism of the 21st Century' and the discussions and debates flowing from that powerful example of socialist renewal. Paul Le Blanc: Organising for 21st century socialism. Reflections on the history and future of Leninism Australia: How should a united socialist party work? Thailand's 'game of bodies' Latin America's progressive governments: origins, nature and challenges

Let's get the money lenders out of the temple - and cease putting young people into debt for their studies

I don't make a habit of doing direct lifts from the blogs of others but I believe this to be so important and I would like to see something in a similar spirit come to the forefront in Australia. Why should students leave tertiary and vocational education with huge debts at a time when they need to think of establishing a family and home?
BTW, the post is from Susan Thistlewaite's wonderful blog #OCCUPYtheBIBLE

Senator Elizabeth Warren takes on the moneychangers again! Introduces first bill to give students a break on loan interest

Posted on May 8, 2013by Susan Thistlethwaite

Senator Elizabeth Warren is still at it, overturning the tables of the moneychangers in Washington DC.

Occupy protestor dressed as Jesus

Today, Senator Warren just introduced the Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act, her first piece of stand-alone legislation.

The bill would allow students who are eligible for federally subsidized Stafford loans to borrow at the same rate the big banks get through the Federal Reserve discount window.

If Congress does not act, July 1, 2013 the interest rate paid by student borrowers will double from 3.4 to 6.8 percent.  Double.

Meanwhile, the big banks, you know, the same big banks that wrecked the economy, can get a preferred rate of .75%.

Warren’s bill proposes that students be able to get the same preferred rate as the big banks.

This is in line with the biblical trajectory on charging interest. Remember: ““If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to them, and you shall not exact interest from them.” Exodus 22:25

Or at least no more than .75%!

The full text of Sen. Warren’s remarks may be found here.

Can we set up an international movement to be called BANKERS BEHIND BARS.

Further to this post published last week, it's not only Miss Eagle who wants to campaign for Bankers Behind Bars.  Please go here to read more.

With capital punishment, you're not hung until the appeal process is exhausted. Bankruptcy is different ...

I meant to write this post yesterday.  But I dragged my heels.  I knew what I wanted to say. But still I dragged my heels.  Why? The previous two days had been busy. I'm not as young as once I was so I need a longer recovery period than once I did.  But I don't think that was the whole story.  I think it was a mix of sadness, frustration, and outrage.  Perhaps when I get to the end of this post you might share those feelings with me.

Regular readers of The Network may have taken time to read of the Tess Lawrence battle against injustice. Tess's battle continued on Tuesday in the jurisdiction of the Federal Bankruptcy Court of Australia. Tess was in court to plead for an extension of time to appeal against orders declaring her bankrupt.  It is difficult to write about the numerous proceedings arising out of Tess's plight because the words I write might not be intelligible amidst the complexity of what has been going on.

In short, Tess's bankruptcy has come about because of proceedings brought about by McKean Park Lawyers. The reasons for this take many twists and turns which include a threat to Tess's life which left her incapacitated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD).


Piggy-backing on this was a sequestration order issued in October in favour of the National Bank of Australia (NAB) as the priority creditor.

What left me frustrated and outraged were what I consider to be two systemic flaws in operations of the bankruptcy proceedings which militate against defendants, particularly people like Tess who are self-representing litigants, and favour plaintiffs, legal professionals, and bankruptcy trustees.  These three categories comprise a powerful phalanx against those who can't afford legal representation.

It might be one thing for the bigger or more corporate fish such as Alan Bond to appear as a defendant and perhaps laws and systems have been put in place to deal with such people and/or corporations.  However, I believe - from what I saw on Tuesday - that there is no justice for the minnows trying to find their way in this legal and financial ocean.

Tess has missed out on at least one important hearing - and the really important one was the October one where Justice North handed down his sequestration order.  Tess missed out for two reasons.

1. For a lot of the past few months or so, Tess has not been functioning well because of the PSTD which is a direct result of adverse treatment by a particular person in the legal profession on court premises at the time of an earlier hearing and the failure of the judiciary and the legal system to take any action in the matter.  In fact, it was only due to accessing effective psycho-therapeutic treatment that Tess was on her feet stating her case and defending herself on Tuesday.  
2. She did not know the hearing was on.  That's right she received no notice, no documents telling her that her case was being heard on a particular day.  Nor - and this is where the legal system disadvantages people other than those making their living from or attached to the legal profession - is there any need for proof of service (by affidavit or any other means) that the defendant has been advised of the forthcoming legal proceedings.  The only obligation is that, at the very beginning of what can be quite protracted and continuing proceedings, there is a requirement for proof of service at the first hearing. After that, the legal system doesn't require anyone to even bother!

I was amazed at the energy and intelligence and sheer fight with which Tess put her case on Tuesday.  I am not a lawyer but I have worked in and around the law for a substantial part of my working life.  As a union official, I had to prosecute many cases within the Industrial Relations Commission and the Industrial Magistrates Courts.  Didn't lose any of those cases.  So I was quite satisfied with the way in which Tess acquitted herself on Tuesday.  I was more than satisfied since I knew the distress she has been in for some considerable time.  At one stage, I thought there might have been a 60-40 chance of Tess succeeding but as the hours passed this optimism receded.

As the morning's hearing proceeded to a dismal end one fact - which outrages me more than words can express - became clear.  There is an appeal process available following the declaration of bankruptcy and the sequestration order.  Now when capital punishment was still in operation, the powers-that-be couldn't hang a person until the very last possibility of appeal was exhausted.  Not so, it appears, in bankruptcy proceedings.  The Federal Bankruptcy Court appoints a trustee to carry out all the disposition of property and so on.  To put it not so nicely, the trustee picks over the financial bones of the defendant.  However, the trustee does not have to wait until the appeals process is exhausted before doing this.  They take up their tasks immediately if not sooner!

From what was said in court, I understand that the reason that the trustee does not wait for the appeals process to be exhausted is that there are so few appeals.  For all intents and purposes, it appears the general intent is to allow the trustee to go and get on with whatever is necessary to do.  And there are consequences from this attitude, this system of legal convenience.  

Because work has already begun, because costs are thereby incurred by the trustee, and because the trustee has priority in any costs awarded by the court, there is a hesitancy - because then things would get really complicated - by the presiding judge to allow the appeal to succeed.  Because if the appeal was allowed to succeed, how would the already scrambled eggs be unscrambled? If they could be unscrambled, what costs would be incurred - not to mention red faces and inconvenience - in so doing.

• As the priority creditor, NAB (NAB by name, nab by nature?) has long since repossessed Tess's home at Daylesford.  NAB - or those acting on its behalf - have changed the locks and incurred much destruction to Tess's personal belongings; her tools of trade as a working journalist and media analyst; and made the pursuance of her rights difficult insofar as all her files relating to the bankruptcy were taken.  
• Tess brought forward in court that she had placed a number of files and documents - some relating to the bankruptcy case and others of no concern to the case whatsoever - in the custody of a lawyer friend whose offices were subsequently visited by personnel acting for the Law Institute of Victoria who proceeded to take her files.  She has not seen or had access to those files and documents from that day to this.
• Tess made clear to the court that those who were prosecuting her have now taken to persecuting her.

I want to record the appreciation of myself and of Tess to Keith Kaulfuss for his support at court on Tuesday. Keith is a faithful fighter against injustice and, even though he had never met Tess, he was prepared to spend time in court in support.  

The saga continues.  Tess is taking every avenue open to her to pursue her case.  The next episode will be in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

• If you wish to be kept informed so that you too, dear Networkers, can support Tess, please email me at misseaglesnetwork(at)gmail(com).
• If you have a similar story, please be in touch at the aforementioned email address. I am particularly interested in cases which demonstrate, as Tess's does, legal/systemic flaws and inequities which might be able to be addressed by lobbying governments and other jurisdictions for change.  Please keep your story brief and clear.

Tess Lawrence and The Victorian Injustice System - Part 2: Tess tries to get her house back

I first published the material below on 14 January 2012.  Tess has published this piece in the journal for which she writes, Independent Australia, to-day 30 January 2012.  It gives great insight into the effects of this crisis on one individual. 


2 February 2012.  I have posted to-day here on Tess's appearance in court to get an extension of her appeal against bankruptcy.  Please go to the post to see a description of the systemic flaws which work against self-representing litigants.

You may recall this post about Tess Lawrence and her battle with the National Australia Bank.  Tess has sent me this video about the current status of her plight. Tess says:

Dear Brigid, 


Could you please help and circulate this far and wide. I am still trying to find out
where my belongings are - and the police won't help me.

kind regards,
tess