"But I’m not going to put a general tag [of] racism on the Australian community, I do not accept that there is underlying racism in this country." – John HoWARd.

Really. Even in the wake of one NATION™‘s  popularity. The findings of the Palmer report. The hatred of middle-easterners. Issa’s harrowing experience where the mob accused him of having a bomb.

As someone who is other (although born here), has antecedents who are other, lives with people who are a different other – I disagree.

This event has shattered Australia’s idyll. I now understand my father’s protection (and fear) for us.
I wonder where/if this will end? Or will we always have the fear of this racist violence being just behind the next wave.

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Update: PM’s avoidant behaviour escalates.   

Senator Fielding has used his newfound notoriety to assist the agenda of my Family First party.

Trouble is he is not as long-standing as Harradine, nor has he the credibility, experience or respect of his fellow Australians to be anything more than an inoffensive poster boy for the Christian right. He was strangely silent last month when Australians discussed 48 hour cooling-off periods prior to terminating a late-term pregancy. Now after some homo-social bonding in the PM’s office he’s on fire. Like all spotfires, there is little fuel.

While he may identify as patriarchal, and try to save us from ouselves, he will never be the ‘The Father of the Senate’.

He may however, go on to be Steve whatshisname, second cousin – once removed.

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Senator Fielding is defending his decision in the light of criticism leveled at his vote to push through the government’s VSU policy not being family (where a parent is at University) friendly.  He is quoted as saying,   

"Everybody in the community needs access to childcare and they need to pay for it themselves. You don’t ask everybody else to pay."

Using his logic then I should get a reduction in my taxes. See I don’t use childcare at all, but am clearly subsidising part of its cost impact to families through Centrelink payments.  I do not think that it is fair that I should have to subsidise the cost of caring for other people’s children.  To paraphrase the Family First Senator – You breed them you pay for them. 

I am amazed that the Senator made such an obvious error in either judgment or understanding (or both).  Clearly the nature of the common good, a sense of community if you will, is what makes Australia the society that it is.  Admittedly under HoWARd we are moving towards a less socialist, caring society, but by and large Australians do not begrudge the assistance we provide through our taxes to welfare.  Be that a baby bonus or a drought subsidy.

Or has the good Senator, in that one statement given Australians a glimpse of his prejudices, narrowness of thought and political agenda?

The Senator is right to expect his offices not to be trashed, but he is wrong if he thinks that he remains unaccountable to the voters.

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HoWARd is described as behaving like he is drunk with power in the Senate. I agree. When drunk, many men become licentious and promiscuous looking for someone or something they can have sex with… pulse and consent optional. On one such drunken, power fuelled rampage John and Brendan bought the promisekeeper Steve Fielding a Long Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against the Wall. And Steve drank it.

I am beyond surprise at how cheaply Senator Steve Fielding sold his vote to allow the government to have their Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Student Union fees) Bill 2005.

Lyn Allison’s push for changes to existing legislation must have really had the numbers in parliament and I now understand why the conscience vote wasn’t prioritised for this year. HoWARd (and Nelson) had to have something bright and shiny to offer Steve. Family First is clear about it’s policy on abortion.

It seems HoWARd et al have tired of the old Senate slut Barnaby, and a new rentboy has emerged in Steve Fielding.

Steve Fielding – we know what your are and now we know what you are worth.

I’m going to rejoice when the conscience vote finally comes and all sorts of people remember the self-determining women that are their mothers, sisters, nieces, cousins, girlfriends, wives and mistresses.

Then it will be Steve who? Family First what?

A Senator who can’t or won’t be accountable deserves to be irrelevant.

I was listening to The Health Report presented by Dr. Norman Swan on ABC’s Radio National.  His topic was RU486 – Some possible side effects and his guest was Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Harvard Medical School in Boston and Director of Obstetrics at Massachusetts General Hospital – Michael Greene.

This was a very informative discussion between an Australian Doctor who may one day (again) have a patient who would benefit from RU486 and a Professor who is familiar with research involving the outcomes of more than a million RU486 users in the world.

"Many women say it (RU486 procedure) feels quote “more natural” unquote, many women say they feel under more control if you will. And then many women prefer to be able to just receive this medication from a physician in a physician’s office rather than having to go to what’s identified as an ‘abortion facility’ or an ‘abortion clinic’." -Professor Greene.

It was my kind of program – long on evidence and short on belief. 

Unfortunately the Australian government has not prioritised the need for a broadening of choice for Australian women and a conscience vote is not likely until the new year. 

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