Yet another trial balloon regarding disassembling Australian democracy, this time from the Labor Party:

Abolish states, defence minister says

Australia is the most over-governed nation on Earth and reforms should include abolishing the states, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon says.

Presenting the inaugural Edmund Barton Lecture at Newcastle University, Mr Fitzgibbon said the country was still paying heavily for the agreements by which the states passed some powers to the new commonwealth to achieve federation in 1901.

Barton, a leading figure in the push for federation and Australia’s first prime minister, was the first member for Hunter, although he never lived in the electorate.

Mr Fitzgibbon, the current Hunter MP, said the agreements on federation may or may not be described as a mistake – Barton and others were in no position to achieve otherwise.

But, he said: “It’s a system that leaves us the most over-governed country in the world”.

“Fourteen houses of parliament for 22 million people. In Tasmania, they have an MP for every 8,000 electors.”

Mr Fitzgibbon said the duplication, inefficiencies, buck passing and blame shifting cost the economy billions.

He said the Business Council of Australia put the cost at $9 billion a year.

Wholesale constitutional reform was long overdue and the starting point should be true independence, he said.

“It is past time for an Australian republic.

Fitzgibbon conflates the issue of dismantling federalism with that of implementing an Australian republic, ignoring the fact that the premises of the two are actually mutually exclusive.

Yes- it’s indeed well past due time for Australia to be a republic, with an Australian elected by the Australian people (NOT appointed by Parliament) as head of state.

No- we should not abolish states. Federalism decentralises authority, preventing Canberra from being the unfettered centre of power in Australia. Federalism is generally a good hedge against totalitarianism.

While John HoWARd did eventually find a route around federalism via the Corporations Power to force WorkChoices on the states, given he had control of not only government but the House and Senate as well, the fact that HoWARd had to fight his policies through the level of state governments forced debate on the issue rather than letting him jam it all up our noses wholesale, by edict. The debate itself, despite the states losing the case in the High Court, did eventually lead to HoWARd’s undoing at the 2007 elections.

HoWARd demonstrated that a PM with absolute power not only can but will defy the best interests of the Australian people to drive an ideological agenda.

Diversification of authority between Canberra and sovereign state governments, with many layers to the onion, is a good thing. A primary intent in establishing an Australian republic is to cut kings and queens out of the loop. Having a layer of state governments may be costly and may sometimes seem like a duplication of effort, but it’s simply a cost of maintaining a democratic government which answers to the people instead of the other way around.

Abolishing federalism by way of abolishing state governments permits a de-facto monarchy, with power just as absolute- there’s just no crowns.

-weez

You have GOT to be kidding me.

Protests need our blessing, say police

Joel Gibson, Jano Gibson and Linda Morris
July 2, 2008

POLICE have told organisations planning to campaign during World Youth Day events they need to have placards, banners and T-shirts pre-approved or risk losing their protest “rights” – even those groups representing victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests.

The State Government faced a public backlash yesterday after the Herald revealed laws had been quietly introduced to prevent people “causing annoyance” to participants in the huge Catholic event which will climax with the Pope’s arrival in Sydney in two weeks.

During a meeting with two leading victims groups yesterday, senior police said protesters would also have to include details of their planned messages.

Protesting without police clearance could result in demonstrators being charged under extraordinary new powers which came into effect yesterday. […]

OK, let me see if I have this right.

1) Morris Iemma spends millions of dollars of public money on throwing a party for a certain denomination of a religion, without consulting the taxpayers.

2) The taxpayers represent dozens of religions… and it’s highly likely some would not be afforded the same consideration.

3) Now Morrie has moved to suppress public dissent on the matter with the force of the NSW Police, again without consulting the citizens.

And guess what? He can… whether the suppression was requested by the Catholics or whether the rather coincidentally Catholic Mr Iemma merely volunteered to surrender our flimsy few free speech rights of his own volition.

This whole World Youth Day (month?) thing stinks to high heaven- and should go before ICAC, sooner than later.

It’s no wonder the NSW government are opposed to a constitutional Bill of Rights, where citizens have some opportunity through the courts to enjoin government from abuse of power- and do so in a timely fashion.

Imagine how complex it would be for government to abuse power if we did have a constitutional Bill of Rights.

-weez

Keep the altar boy poo off your wanger with a Ratzfranger!

Don’t have a crazy downunder World Youth Day fling without one!

-weez

From James in Melbourne, a contributor to Dunlop’s Noise Ltd blog:

Might I remind James that there’s laws in this country against animal abuse.

-weez

When you don’t have any constitutional protections for free expression nor against government sponsorship of religion, this is what you get when the government has spent $86 million of taxpayer dough for a sectarian shindig- and doesn’t want to be embarrassed:

Thou shalt not annoy on Youth Day

Jano Gibson, Linda Morris and Joel Gibson
July 1, 2008

EXTRAORDINARY new powers will allow police to arrest and fine people for “causing annoyance” to World Youth Day participants and permit partial strip searches at hundreds of Sydney sites, beginning today.

The laws, which operate until the end of July, have the potential to make a crime of wearing a T-shirt with a message on it, undertaking a Chaser-style stunt, handing out condoms at protests, riding a skateboard or even playing music, critics say.

Police and volunteers from the State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service will be able to direct people to cease engaging in conduct that “causes annoyance or inconvenience to participants in a World Youth Day event”.

People who fail to comply will be subject to a $5500 fine.

The president of the NSW Bar Association, Anna Katzmann, SC, described the regulations as “unnecessary and repugnant”.

The Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said if someone exposed themselves in public, they faced a fine of only $1100 or six months’ jail under the Summary Offences Act.

“So if someone flashes a WYD participant they will face a $1100 penalty but if they wear an anti-Catholic T-shirt they could face a $5500 penalty,” she said. […]

Alan Jones can demonise Muslims at will- which surely causes them annoyance and inconvenience. Will there be a $5500 penalty the next time the Parrot ‘leads this charge‘? Not bloody likely.

Just because cathlicks are obligated to believe that their ex-nazi, paedophilia-concealing pope is infallible doesn’t mean I’m under the same constraint. Here we have a gang of sexist and homophobic idiots who condemn thousands of their own members to a slow, lingering death from HIV because- get this- they say that god hates condoms (it’s in the Bible, you know). This regressive teaching is infinitely worse than parents who think vaccination is some sort of evil conspiracy and whose children go on to become a public health hazard through their susceptibility to and carriage through the community of easily preventable diseases. According to John Watkins, this anti-community practise isn’t deserving of free public comment nor protest.

That’s but one valid critique of the cathlicks and how their dark-ages preachings affect people who wouldn’t set foot in a church in a million years… but their rights to free expression and rights to move freely through Australia presently exceed my own.

Bullshit!

-weez

Welcome pope fans!

Body of holy man arrives ahead of Pope

The body of an inspirational Catholic who died in 1925 has arrived in Sydney for World Youth Day.

The body of Pier Giorgio Frassati, who was beatified in 1990 by Pope John Paul II, has been transported from the Turin Cathedral to Sydney following a farewell mass. (more…)

In the latest act of philistinism at SBS, the former public service broadcaster, now packed with ads and shows designed to attract just about anyone but those with an interest in foreign language programming, has been ‘rebranded.’ In an incredibly lame attempt to play on the Special Broadcasting Service acronym, the tagline ‘Six billion stories and counting…’ has been added…

…which is somehow vaguely reminiscent of some other massively crass commercialism…

(more…)

George Carlin, dead at 71.

Thanks for the inspiration, man.

Now get your shit away from my stuff.

-weez

Since reservoir levels have risen to 65%, NSW will relax water restrictions as of this weekend, allowing residents to wash cars with trigger-spray hoses.

In other news, construction sallies forth on the $2 billion desalination plant at Kurnell, which will consume massive amounts of (wind farmed?) electricity and yet only be able to supply 20% of Sydney’s water needs. Sydney Water have received approval to increase the average home’s water costs by $245 per annum by 2012 to fund the desal plant.

I wonder how many car washes (and toilet flushes) with drinking water you get for $2billion. I’d hazard a guess that $2billion would probably significantly subsidise a hell of a lot of rainwater tanks for watering gardens, washing cars and flushing toilets, requiring no electricity, wind powered or not.

-weez

While he’s taking a break from his day job, Bosco the Clown is now available for light family entertainment, children’s parties and mixing with somewhat polite society.

Your sides (and factions) will SPLIT when Bosco says his famous catchphrase!

“Happy birthday, ya fuckin’ cunts! No, I don’t do balloons. Don’t you know who I am?”

BWAAHAHAHAH!! Wot a scream!

Bosco’s an endless barrel of belly laffs! Bosco’s slapstick comedy of errors, throwing his impressive weight around, makes sure all your guests will be absolutely bullied into hilarity! You’ll be in tears!

Don’t miss out! Book now!

-weez