Reporting on world events from a Bairnsdale Conservative perspective.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
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* Thirtieth anniversary of Elvis' death * Schools anti war act scrutinied * Land rights have led to poverty * Lead paint and what China knew
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Land rights 'have led to poverty' By Adam Gartrell and David Crawshaw HISTORIC land rights decisions like Mabo have impoverished Aborigines, not freed or empowered them, federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough said today.
Mr Brough told the National Press Club in Canberra that he believed the High Court's Mabo and Wik decisions, which delivered land rights to indigenous people, were "very important".
"But what got lost in the debate was people thought it was the holy grail, that releasing land would free people and empower people," he said.
"It's done just the opposite.
"It's actually impoverished them."
Mr Brough said the land rights decisions have locked people into collective tenure.
"We need to actually recognise that communism didn't work, collectivism didn't work," he said.
"It doesn't work to say a collective owns it and you don't have anything."
Mr Brough said ownership of land needed to be properly mixed with economic opportunity.
"If we get that balance right, people will flourish."
Meanwhile, the Government today refused to amend its Northern Territory intervention laws to ensure Aboriginal people are compensated for losing control of their land under the terms outlined by the constitution.
The laws say the Government will offer "a reasonable amount" of compensation to indigenous communities whose land will be placed under Commonwealth control on five year leases.
However, Australia's constitution requires compensation to be paid on "just terms".
Mr Brough said the Commonwealth's drafters had told him that the legislation was drafted appropriately and it was in line with the constitution.
"If anyone gives me advice to the contrary which is sound, then we would adhere to it," he said.
"It is done in good faith. We've made it very clear, the Prime Minister and I, that this is about just terms and we will honour that.
"There is nothing to hide here."
The Senate today continued to debate the Government's draft laws, which are now expected to pass tomorrow.
The Government today also knocked back a proposal to hold a compulsory annual review of its NT intervention.
Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett admonished the Government for refusing to consider any changes put forward by non-Coalition senators.
"It is a grave mistake for the Government to be totally intransigent to amendments to this Bill, to refuse to accept any ideas just because they can, just because they want to show they're running the show, they're in control, nobody else has any role to play and everyone else should just shut up and sit on the sidelines and get out of the way, including indigenous communities," Senator Bartlett said.
Much ado about school's anti-war act from news.com.au THE NSW education authority has defended a school's anti-war themed entry in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge and said the event was about freedom of expression.
The Federal Government has accused northern Sydney's Davidson High School of hijacking the annual event to protest against a visit by US President George W Bush for next month's Sydney APEC summit.
Mr Bush will be in Sydney when the event is staged on September 6.
The school's production, Bad Knight II, depicts Mr Bush as the pilot of a crashing plane and attacks the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop questioned whether the students were performing material of their own choice.
One pupil involved in the production said the concept for the performance came from one of the school's teachers and did not represent the views of all the students involved.
"There appears to be a teacher's political agenda here," Ms Bishop told ABC Radio.
"And I think that's a shame, because I'm concerned that the message of the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge will get lost if the event is hijacked in this way."
But the NSW Department of Education said while the idea may have come from a teacher, parents and students had been advised of the content of the performance and had been free to withdraw.
"The department supports the school and the way they have gone about their Rock Eisteddfod production," a department spokesman said.
"No student could participate without signed parental approval."
The spokesman said the production looked at the causes of the Iraq war and also concentrated on the loss of civilian and military lives.
"This is not about politics, it's about the ability of students to express their views in the atmosphere of a stage production," he said.
Rock Eisteddfod Challenge executive producer Peter Sjoquist said organisers had no say in the themes schools chose for the event.
"Our view is that we provide a professional venue and crew to these schools to enable them to perform on stage," he said.
"The choice of theme is up to the school, parents and students.
"We don't get involved in censorship."
Opposition education spokesman Andrew Stoner said the NSW Government needed to make it clear that politicising the classroom was unacceptable, whether it was against Mr Bush, Prime Minister John Howard or Labor leader Kevin Rudd.
"The Department of Education should ensure the positives of the Rock Eisteddfod are not overshadowed by divisive politics," Mr Stoner said.
"Students in our public schools must be allowed the chance to develop their own viewpoints as they grow up."
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said students should be allowed to express themselves.
"I've seen George Bush many times on television and I've heard him say that he believes in people's free speech," he said.
"I don't think George Bush would want any intervention by a state or commonwealth minister that would curtail the right of those students to make their point."
China 'knew of Mattel toy fault' By Ben Blanchard and Vivi Lin in Beijing CHINA knew about problems with magnets on toys as long ago as March, an industry official said following a second huge recall, including more than 440,000 in Australia, of Chinese-made Mattel toys.
Mattel, the largest US toy company, recalled millions more Chinese-made toys overnight due to hazards from the magnets and lead paint and warned it may recall more products as it steps up testing.
Faults known 'since March'
"We knew about the situation, because since March some toys had been recalled due to magnetic parts problems," an official with the China Toy Association, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.
She did not elaborate on why it had taken so long for something to be done.
The new recall involves 18.2 million magnetic toys globally with magnets or magnetic parts that can be dislodged.
An estimated 441,200 toys, which may release “small, powerful magnets” were now being recalled in Australia after 170 reports worldwide of it happening.
First recall due to lead paint
A statement from the company’s Australian arm said that it was also recalling about 23,000 die-cast cars based on the “Sarge” character from the film CARS.
The company said the Sarge toys were being recalled because of “impermissable” levels of lead paint. Lead has been linked to health problems in children, including brain damage.
About 253,000 of the Sarge toy cars were being recalled world-wide.
Chinese officials meeting to discuss recall
The China Toy Association would meet the Commerce Ministry and quality watchdog later in the day to discuss the recall, the official said.
A statement on the association's website said Chinese-made toys were overwhelmingly safe and the Government took the issue very seriously.
China has been struggling to convince the world its products are safe after a series of scandals over tainted pet food, drugs, tyres, toys and toothpaste.
Mattel has advised that anyone concerned about the recall in Australia can contact the company via a website, www.service.mattel.com, by email at infoaust@mattel.com or by calling 1800-674-753 between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
3 comments:
Land rights 'have led to poverty'
By Adam Gartrell and David Crawshaw
HISTORIC land rights decisions like Mabo have impoverished Aborigines, not freed or empowered them, federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough said today.
Mr Brough told the National Press Club in Canberra that he believed the High Court's Mabo and Wik decisions, which delivered land rights to indigenous people, were "very important".
"But what got lost in the debate was people thought it was the holy grail, that releasing land would free people and empower people," he said.
"It's done just the opposite.
"It's actually impoverished them."
Mr Brough said the land rights decisions have locked people into collective tenure.
"We need to actually recognise that communism didn't work, collectivism didn't work," he said.
"It doesn't work to say a collective owns it and you don't have anything."
Mr Brough said ownership of land needed to be properly mixed with economic opportunity.
"If we get that balance right, people will flourish."
Meanwhile, the Government today refused to amend its Northern Territory intervention laws to ensure Aboriginal people are compensated for losing control of their land under the terms outlined by the constitution.
The laws say the Government will offer "a reasonable amount" of compensation to indigenous communities whose land will be placed under Commonwealth control on five year leases.
However, Australia's constitution requires compensation to be paid on "just terms".
Mr Brough said the Commonwealth's drafters had told him that the legislation was drafted appropriately and it was in line with the constitution.
"If anyone gives me advice to the contrary which is sound, then we would adhere to it," he said.
"It is done in good faith. We've made it very clear, the Prime Minister and I, that this is about just terms and we will honour that.
"There is nothing to hide here."
The Senate today continued to debate the Government's draft laws, which are now expected to pass tomorrow.
The Government today also knocked back a proposal to hold a compulsory annual review of its NT intervention.
Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett admonished the Government for refusing to consider any changes put forward by non-Coalition senators.
"It is a grave mistake for the Government to be totally intransigent to amendments to this Bill, to refuse to accept any ideas just because they can, just because they want to show they're running the show, they're in control, nobody else has any role to play and everyone else should just shut up and sit on the sidelines and get out of the way, including indigenous communities," Senator Bartlett said.
Much ado about school's anti-war act
from news.com.au
THE NSW education authority has defended a school's anti-war themed entry in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge and said the event was about freedom of expression.
The Federal Government has accused northern Sydney's Davidson High School of hijacking the annual event to protest against a visit by US President George W Bush for next month's Sydney APEC summit.
Mr Bush will be in Sydney when the event is staged on September 6.
The school's production, Bad Knight II, depicts Mr Bush as the pilot of a crashing plane and attacks the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop questioned whether the students were performing material of their own choice.
One pupil involved in the production said the concept for the performance came from one of the school's teachers and did not represent the views of all the students involved.
"There appears to be a teacher's political agenda here," Ms Bishop told ABC Radio.
"And I think that's a shame, because I'm concerned that the message of the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge will get lost if the event is hijacked in this way."
But the NSW Department of Education said while the idea may have come from a teacher, parents and students had been advised of the content of the performance and had been free to withdraw.
"The department supports the school and the way they have gone about their Rock Eisteddfod production," a department spokesman said.
"No student could participate without signed parental approval."
The spokesman said the production looked at the causes of the Iraq war and also concentrated on the loss of civilian and military lives.
"This is not about politics, it's about the ability of students to express their views in the atmosphere of a stage production," he said.
Rock Eisteddfod Challenge executive producer Peter Sjoquist said organisers had no say in the themes schools chose for the event.
"Our view is that we provide a professional venue and crew to these schools to enable them to perform on stage," he said.
"The choice of theme is up to the school, parents and students.
"We don't get involved in censorship."
Opposition education spokesman Andrew Stoner said the NSW Government needed to make it clear that politicising the classroom was unacceptable, whether it was against Mr Bush, Prime Minister John Howard or Labor leader Kevin Rudd.
"The Department of Education should ensure the positives of the Rock Eisteddfod are not overshadowed by divisive politics," Mr Stoner said.
"Students in our public schools must be allowed the chance to develop their own viewpoints as they grow up."
NSW Premier Morris Iemma said students should be allowed to express themselves.
"I've seen George Bush many times on television and I've heard him say that he believes in people's free speech," he said.
"I don't think George Bush would want any intervention by a state or commonwealth minister that would curtail the right of those students to make their point."
China 'knew of Mattel toy fault'
By Ben Blanchard and Vivi Lin in Beijing
CHINA knew about problems with magnets on toys as long ago as March, an industry official said following a second huge recall, including more than 440,000 in Australia, of Chinese-made Mattel toys.
Mattel, the largest US toy company, recalled millions more Chinese-made toys overnight due to hazards from the magnets and lead paint and warned it may recall more products as it steps up testing.
Faults known 'since March'
"We knew about the situation, because since March some toys had been recalled due to magnetic parts problems," an official with the China Toy Association, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.
She did not elaborate on why it had taken so long for something to be done.
The new recall involves 18.2 million magnetic toys globally with magnets or magnetic parts that can be dislodged.
An estimated 441,200 toys, which may release “small, powerful magnets” were now being recalled in Australia after 170 reports worldwide of it happening.
First recall due to lead paint
A statement from the company’s Australian arm said that it was also recalling about 23,000 die-cast cars based on the “Sarge” character from the film CARS.
The company said the Sarge toys were being recalled because of “impermissable” levels of lead paint. Lead has been linked to health problems in children, including brain damage.
About 253,000 of the Sarge toy cars were being recalled world-wide.
Chinese officials meeting to discuss recall
The China Toy Association would meet the Commerce Ministry and quality watchdog later in the day to discuss the recall, the official said.
A statement on the association's website said Chinese-made toys were overwhelmingly safe and the Government took the issue very seriously.
China has been struggling to convince the world its products are safe after a series of scandals over tainted pet food, drugs, tyres, toys and toothpaste.
Mattel has advised that anyone concerned about the recall in Australia can contact the company via a website, www.service.mattel.com, by email at infoaust@mattel.com or by calling 1800-674-753 between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
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