One of the people accused of helping refugees escape from Woomera is
asking for letters of support. Please write to:
timothy daniel collins
port augusta prison
po box 6
port augusta
SA 5700
(Tim can't receive any books or papers but can receive cash and money
orders).
This week's stories: Politicians Are Bastards...Yes, All Of Them...
Victorians see politicians as liars and believe they arrange 'jobs for
the boys' and don't act in the community's best interest, according to a
new study by Monash University.
One person who took part in the study said "I think we should turn it
into 'Big Brother' and vote them out week by week". Another said that
"if you worked in politics you probably wouldn't advertise the fact",
and that state leaders are "just chosen for presentation and selling
skills". Other comments included "I can't have access to my super, why
should they?" and that politicians' behaviour in Parliament is
"ridiculous. I'd rather watch 'Beauty and the Beast'".
(The Age, March 6).
A high-profile unionist who left the Labor Party and joined the Greens,
saying that the Labor Party was too right wing, says that the Greens may
be just as bad.
Dean Mighell says that he "found it really hard to reconcile that some
of the Greens' candidates couldn't care less about kids being able to
afford to go to school or the public health system. People call them
middle-class tree huggers and they did everything in regional areas to
reinforce that that was the case".
Mr Mighell said that with the Greens had good social policies in
inner-city Melbourne, but they "tend to be optional" everywhere else.
(Melbourne Times, March 5).
Wealth inequality in Australia has gotten worse since 1992, according to
a new statement by the Catholic Church. Dr Bruce Duncan from the Yarra
Theological Union said that poverty in Australia has started to
disproportionately affect children. Dr Duncan said that in 2000, more
than 300,000 families with children under 15 had no one in full time
paid work. The report also notes that there has been "an explosion of
executive remuneration levels".
(The Age, March 8).
New figures on refugee children in detention show that the government
has broken its promise to improve conditions and made only "cosmetic
changes", according to refugee advocates.
Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock released guidelines saying that
unaccompanied children would be placed in foster care and women and
children would be offered an alternative to high-security detention centres.
Immigration Department figures show that the proportion of children in
detention has decreased by 0.4 of 1 percent.
A study by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
found "epidemic" levels of self-harm and suicide in detention centres.
Dr Louise Newman, who helped put the study together, said that chidren
could be "re-traumatised by the things that they witness or experience
in detention".
Dr Newman said that unaccompanied children were particularly at risk.
(The Age, March 9).
A new enquiry into the abuse of children in orphanages and foster homes
from the 1920s to the 70s is expected to expose governments and
churches. Children in institutions were often seperated from their
siblings and subject to corporal punishment and 'penal routines'.
Sexual abuse was also rife in many homes.
(The Age, March 8).
Two prisoners died at a US military base, apparently after being beaten.
Former prisoners at the base say that detainees are chained to the
ceiling, shackled so tightly that blood flow stops, kept naked and
hooded, and kicked to keep them awake.
The autopsy of the two prisoners says that they suffered from "blunt
force injuries" and classified the deaths as homicides.
A captured Al-Qaeda leader is believed to be being held at the same base.
United States officials say that the CIA is applying "the full range of
permissable techniques". Reports say that he "probably does not know
what country he is in or even what day it is". The CIA says he is being
held outside of the US so that he is not subject to constitutional
protections.
Cofer Black, head of the CIA Counterterrorism Centre, is said to have
declared that interrogators had been given 'greater leeway in
interpreting the law'. One Al-Qaeda member is said to have had his
painkillers withheld, which he needed after being shot in the groin.
Former CIA officer Larry Johnson said a "sleep deprivation and reward
system" would be used. He added that "I don't see a constitutional
right to have eight hours of sleep". In fact the US Constitution
forbids 'cruel and unusual punishment' even for convicted criminals, let
alone suspects.
(The Age, March 6 and 8).
The seas may rise faster than predicted due to global warming, according
to a study published in the US magazine 'Science'. The study suggests
that sea levels might rise up to several metres.
(The Age, March 8).
The government has not released a report on the health of veterans of
the first Gulf War. A spokesperson for the Defence Minister said the
report would be released "soon", but did not give a date.
(The Age, March 9).
anarchist news service
write to James, PO Box 503, Newtown NSW 2042
or email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
contact us to get ATNTF emailed directly to you.
If you like All the News That Fits, forward it on.
Some other Australian anarchist contacts:
Love and Rage is a new anarchist, non-profit record label. The first CD
will be out in a few weeks - 20 songs for $10 within Australia (overseas
prices available soon). Address is PO Box 503, Newtown NSW 2042.
www.angry.at/thegovernment - anarchist website with fliers for download,
contacts etc. Please note, this is the same website that was at the
address www.angry.at/politicians.
www.angry.at/racists - Anarchist/anti-racist music site with free mp3s,
Real Audio, Real Video, internet radio, band interviews etc. Also
includes the text of 'Escape', an anarchist novel -
www.geocities.com/skipnewborn/novel.doc
www.dolearmy.org - information for unemployed people.
www.activate.8m.com - anarchist magazine aimed at teenagers.
All the News That Fits appears in the Anarchist Age Weekly Review
(www.vicnet.net.au/~anarchist - PO Box 20 Parkville VIC 3052) and The
Ham (www.theham.cat.org.au), as well as Melbourne Indymedia
(www.melbourne.indymedia.org).
Media outlets mentioned in All the News That Fits are sources - items
are not direct quotes from news media. Background information may have
been gathered from sources in addition to media outlets cited. Where no
source is cited, the information has been gathered from direct sources.
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