More unions and campaign groups have endorsed the national "End the lies" protests scheduled for the October 2-3 weekend, including the Western Australian branch of the Maritime Union of Australia. Following are some messages of support for the rallies.
Tim Gooden, assistant secretary, Geelong Trades Hall Council
Geelong Trades Hall has endorsed the "End the lies" rallies in both Geelong and Melbourne on October 2-3.
Trades Hall feels that it is imperative to raise issues like Australian involvement in the Iraq war and the treatment of refugees in the public domain before the federal election. It is unlikely that the corporate media will discuss the important issues that affect working people. The media will probably just report on the sidetrack issues that the big party spin-doctors are pushing.
We see it as Trades Hall's responsibility to take up issues on behalf of working people. We want to highlight the Coalition's attacks on unions through the Workplace Relations Act and the royal commission into the building industry.
These are issues that must not be washed away by the spin-doctors and media hype. It is equally important to put the Labor Party on notice. It can't slip into power and ignore these issues either. If taking to the streets is the only way to ensure workers' demands are heard, then that is what we must do.
Jane Keogh, ACT Refugee Action Committee
The "End the lies" campaign is a great rallying point for the millions who want more integrity in politics. The challenge of the campaign is to get more ordinary Australians to care about the lies. Too many seem to expect lies from their politicians and shrug off the issue — until they begin to see how it hits them personally. Many are so easily conned by a combination of politicians and the media.
This campaign won't end with this election, but needs to be carried on with lasting vigilance over what politicians say and what they hide and what the media chooses to report and decides to ignore. Green Left Weekly does a good job on this and we need this. Tony Kevin is a great role model. Maybe Tony's crusade and the "End the lies" campaign will be the forerunner to a national move for integrity in public life.
From Green Left Weekly, September 22, 2004.
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