Uranium exports
Last year, the federal government weakened Australian laws that regulate the export of uranium, in order to open up markets in China. Now a further weakening of Australian controls and safeguards is proposed to do the same for India.
India has not signed on to international efforts towards disarmament, and has a dirty record of testing nuclear weapons on the border of its nuclear neighbour Pakistan. Only last month, Pakistan tested another nuclear-capable missile.
This dangerous nuclear brinkmanship cannot be ignored. In the context of this ongoing nuclear standoff, Pakistan could well look unkindly on any proposals for exporting more weapons fuel to its neighbour.
Proposals to nominally separate India's nuclear weapons program from any new supply of uranium are particularly unimpressive. Even if such false accounting can be implemented, it would only free up India's existing supplies of uranium for use in its existing nuclear weapons program.
If Australia does indeed sign up to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership when President Bush visits this September, any pretence at bilateral safeguards will be lost. Whatever promises Alexander Downer can dream up to legitimise this dangerous trade will be totally irrelevant if Australian uranium is provided via an intermediary through this plan.
Justin Tutty
Darwin, NT
Haneef I
The speech Kevin Andrews gave on July 31 trying to justify his actions against Dr Mohamed Haneef was a lot of rubbish. The last time I heard similar rubbish was when the government gave us the dreadful propaganda story about the children overboard with the Tampa affair — and we believed them then. Are we going to be so gullible again?
I hope Haneef's lawyers do not let this die and make the government accountable for labelling this man as a terrorist because he is related to people in England.
Until today I would have said we would not have a terrorist attack here in Australia, but now I am afraid. Not so much of so-called terrorists, but of our own government.
We need a new government — quick! A new government that will put the word "multicultural" back in the title of the Department of Immigration.
England certainly has its problems with people who have committed acts of terrorism there. I wonder what has happened to these people who are "homegrown" terrorists to make them commit such atrocities.
I am afraid people like our minister of immigration may be feeding feelings of oppression. I see Andrews as racist. I quite often think of the following statement whenever we have an occurrence like this: "One man's terrorist, is another man's freedom fighter"
Kerrie Lay
Toongabbie, Qld
Haneef II
The government of PM John Howard continues to make allegations against Dr Haneef in what it appears to be no more than a cover up of the criminal allegations made and of the violations of the civil and human rights of Dr Haneef.
The allegations made by immigration minister Kevin Andrews that the so-called material and advice given him by the Australian Federal Police and by the solicitor-general, provide evidence that Haneef was involved in terrorism, or had fore-knowledge of terrorism, is to be expected from the Howard government since, for many years now, it has been violating the civil and human rights of everyone in Australia.
The statement made by Andrews that he put the security of Australians first is nothing more than an attenpt to put fear in the minds of Australians to cover up the false allegations made against Haneef.
If the AFP and the Howard government had evidence Haneef was involved in terrorism why did the DPP drop the charge against him? Why was this "evidence" not presented in a criminal case against Haneef?
The cancellation of Haneef's working visa was an attempt by the Howard government to conceal the violations of Haneef's civil and human rights by forcing him to leave the country.
Pedro Alfaro
Miller, NSW
Mersey Hospital
PM John Howard's political stunt in relation to the Mersey Hospital in Devonport in a double wammy exercise in pork-barreling. The marginal seat situation in any close election invites political leaders of both major parties to engage in largesse which has nothing to do with economic or health responsibility. If, in this particular case, the situation allows the PM to rubbish an ALP state in the process the temptation becomes irresistible.
What really matters here is the cause of this opportunism. It is the single-member electoral district. In other words, Australia's dominant electoral system is the problem as it the problem for so many other political system deficiencies, including the two-party system itself. Yet, this appears to be a taboo subject for discussion in Australia.
Pork-barreling is a widespread, costly malpractice at most elections. It is a scourge that can only be avoided by changing the electoral system to proportional representation with multi-member electorates.
Klaas Woldring
Pearl Beach, NSW
Howard NT intervention
Sadly, the Howard government's proposal to sequester Aboriginal parents' welfare payments as punishment for their children's school truancy, other than contravening the Racial Discrimination Act, is again a demonstration of attempting to fix a social problem with a financial remedy.
Further, the timing of this proposal is quite peculiar, in that family violence and truancy have been evident in Indigenous communities (and many other community groups) for some time, and so one can only view it in light of the pending federal election, and the lack of recent terrorist activities that normally titillate the agendas of conservative politicians.
The logic in financially penalising those who do not adhere to welfare measures by removing these benefits is flawed. When someone is addicted to heroin, and lacks funds to finance this addiction, they do not desist from their indulgence. Rather, they commit crime to procure the drug.
Similarly, financially penalising those on welfare, who are already on the poverty line, will not make them change their ways. A financial penalty will not cure an alcohol addiction, nor will it prevent family violence. Removing legal 'X' rated pornography is inexplicably weird, and one can only surmise that it is a reflection of a neo-conservative (Christian?) agenda claiming the moral high ground. It is doubtful that effectiveness of this latter point is conducive to empirical evidence.
This tough proposal is evidence that the Howard government does not understand the issues relating to Indigenous communities. It will take more than forced health checks, financial penalties and a little spring cleaning to deal with some entrenched social issues in these communities.
What is required is the expansion of resources to these communities, combined with a sense of ownership and self respect. This requires not only funding, but time and earnest good will, not condemnation. It seems that 11 years of a conservative government has created a divide between the marginalised and disadvantaged and the mainstream; prisoners losing their civil right to vote, refugees being illegally detained offshore, and now moral guardianship through shameful and conditional welfare provision.
Dave Taylor
East Oakliegh, Vic
Landfill
Ten years ago, Australia was rated second behind the USA as the highest per capita producers of landfill in the world. Since then, the introduction of the GST has only seen further growth in the "throw away economy", there has been little commitment to introducing "extended producer responsibility".
The Howard government remains asleep at the wheel of the speeding garbage truck that we know as Australian society.
Tony Backhouse
Dee Why, NSW
Alcohol
Given the problems with alcohol in the Kimberley could I suggest it be declared a Muslim province. I understand Muslims don't believe in consuming alcohol. Maybe they are not so silly after all? Let's not stop there. Maybe we should be opening Muslim schools for Aboriginal kids so they can be educated against the perils of alcohol. We could even ask John Howard to send in the troops. I'm sure they would be far happier invading a Muslim province given their experience in Iraq!
Colin Hughes
Swan View, WA