Dear Julia

Letters to the Prime Minister

Notes

Dear @JuliaGillard, have you seen this funny little ditty from Tripod (circa 2008)?

And after Christmas Island last week, and all that ‘blood on your hands’ business, what do you make of THIS:

Santa Claus took advantage of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) award-winning visa wizard service and knew he could leave it until Christmas Eve to apply for – and obtain – his visa online.

Given Santa’s intention to engage in limited work, of a highly specialised and non-ongoing nature while in Australia, he had previously used the business (short stay) subclass 456 visa. However, the wizard told him he was also eligible to apply online using the eVisitor system.

A DIAC spokesman said today Santa’s visa was approved online instantaneously, given the happiness and economic benefits that had resulted from previous visits and his excellent record of compliance with past visa conditions.

“Perhaps Santa left his visa shopping to the last minute because he’d read about our award-winning initiatives and the ease with which he could apply,” a DIAC spokesman said. “We want to ensure the only red tape in which Santa gets mired is the kind his elves use to tie bows on presents at the North Pole.”

The spokesman said the department’s visa wizard and the citizenship wizard were part of the 21st century online services the department was developing.

“This means faster and better services tailored to the needs of all our clients – not just Santa,” the spokesman said. “While it’s widely known how efficiently Santa manages his time, we do recommend he doesn’t leave it quite so late next year.”

DIAC’s online visa and citizenship sites won its second award with a first prize in the business process category at the international FutureGov Government Technology Awards in Bali in 2009. This followed the wizards’ first prize at the prestigious e-Awards for Excellence in e­-Government at the CeBIT international business technology conference in Sydney earlier the same year.

Media Enquiries: National Communications Branch (02) 6264 2244

It’s a joke, right? A hilariously dark, twisted joke set up by a brilliant satirist in the DIAC National Communications Branch to expose the tragic mess that our immigration and visa system has become, right?

Because why else would the Department put out such a media statement when children have died and families who have lost everything have been locked up… why else?

Why?

I hope you have a Happy Christmas — unlike those who are locked up, alone, and traumatised in detention centres around our great country.

With seasons greetings,
Sunili

Filed under asylum seekers refugees

1 note

An open letter to Julia Gillard, re Julian Assange #wikileaks

Thank you to @Lizzie_OShea and @Jeff_Sparrow for putting together this excellent letter and the EXCELLENT list of co-signatories.

Dear Prime Minister,

We note with concern the increasingly violent rhetoric directed towards Julian Assange of WikiLeaks.

“We should treat Mr Assange the same way as other high-value terrorist targets: Kill him,” writes conservative columnist Jeffrey T Kuhner in the Washington Times.

William Kristol, former chief of staff to vice president Dan Quayle, asks, “Why can’t we use our various assets to harass, snatch or neutralize Julian Assange and his collaborators, wherever they are?”

“Why isn’t Julian Assange dead?” writes the prominent US pundit Jonah Goldberg.

“The CIA should have already killed Julian Assange,” says John Hawkins on the Right Wing News site.

Sarah Palin, a likely presidential candidate, compares Assange to an Al Qaeda leader; Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania senator and potential presidential contender, accuses Assange of “terrorism”.

And so on and so forth.

Such calls cannot be dismissed as bluster. Over the last decade, we have seen the normalisation of extrajudicial measures once unthinkable, from ‘extraordinary rendition’ (kidnapping) to ‘enhanced interrogation’ (torture).

In that context, we now have grave concerns for Mr Assange’s wellbeing.

Irrespective of the political controversies surrounding WikiLeaks, Mr Assange remains entitled to conduct his affairs in safety, and to receive procedural fairness in any legal proceedings against him.

As is well known, Mr Assange is an Australian citizen.

We therefore call upon you to condemn, on behalf of the Australian Government, calls for physical harm to be inflicted upon Mr Assange, and to state publicly that you will ensure Mr Assange receives the rights and protections to which he is entitled, irrespective of whether the unlawful threats against him come from individuals or states.

We urge you to confirm publicly Australia’s commitment to freedom of political communication; to refrain from cancelling Mr Assange’s passport, in the absence of clear proof that such a step is warranted; to provide assistance and advocacy to Mr Assange; and do everything in your power to ensure that any legal proceedings taken against him comply fully with the principles of law and procedural fairness.

A statement by you to this effect should not be controversial – it is a simple commitment to democratic principles and the rule of law.

We believe this case represents something of a watershed, with implications that extend beyond Mr Assange and WikiLeaks. In many parts of the globe, death threats routinely silence those who would publish or disseminate controversial material. If these incitements to violence against Mr Assange, a recipient of Amnesty International’s Media Award, are allowed to stand, a disturbing new precedent will have been established in the English-speaking world.

In this crucial time, a strong statement by you and your Government can make an important difference.

We look forward to your response.

Dr Jeff Sparrow, author and editor 
Lizzie O’Shea, Social Justice Lawyer, Maurice Blackburn
Professor Noam Chomsky, writer and academic 
Antony Loewenstein, journalist and author
Mungo MacCallum, journalist and writer
Professor Peter Singer, author and academic
Adam Bandt, MP
Senator Bob Brown
Senator Scott Ludlam
Julian Burnside QC, barrister
Jeff Lawrence, Secretary, Australian Council of Trade Unions
Professor Raimond Gaita, author and academic
Rob Stary, lawyer 
Lieutenant Colonel (ret) Lance Collins, Australian Intelligence Corps, writer
The Hon Alastair Nicholson AO RFD QC
Brian Walters SC, barrister
Professor Larissa Behrendt, academic
Emeritus Professor Stuart Rees, academic, Sydney Peace Foundation
Mary Kostakidis, Chair, Sydney Peace Foundation
Professor Wendy Bacon, journalist
Christos Tsiolkas, author
James Bradley, author and journalist
Julian Morrow, comedian and television producer
Louise Swinn, publisher
Helen Garner, novelist
Professor Dennis Altman, writer and academic
Dr Leslie Cannold, author, ethicist, commentator 
John Birmingham, writer
Guy Rundle, writer
Alex Miller, writer
Sophie Cunningham, editor and author
Castan Centre for Human Rights Law
Professor Judith Brett, author and academic
Stephen Keim SC, President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights
Phil Lynch, Executive Director, Human Rights Law Resource Centre
Sylvia Hale, MLC
Sophie Black, editor
David Ritter, lawyer and historian
Dr Scott Burchill, writer and academic
Dr Mark Davis, author and academic
Henry Rosenbloom, publisher
Ben Naparstek, editor
Chris Feik, editor
Louise Swinn, publisher
Stephen Warne, barrister 
Dr John Dwyer QC
Hilary McPhee, writer, publisher
Joan Dwyer OAM
Greg Barns, barrister
James Button, journalist
Owen Richardson, critic
Michelle Griffin, editor
John Timlin, literary Agent & producer
Ann Cunningham, lawyer and publisher
Alison Croggon, author, critic
Daniel Keene, playwright
Dr Nick Shimmin, editor/writer 
Bill O’Shea, lawyer, former President, Law Institute of Victoria
Dianne Otto, Professor of Law, Melbourne Law School
Professor Frank Hutchinson,Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPACS), University of Sydney
Anthony Georgeff, editor
Max Gillies, actor
Shane Maloney, writer
Louis Armand, author and publisher
Jenna Price, academic and journalist
Tanja Kovac, National Cooordinator EMILY’s List Australia
Dr Russell Grigg, academic
Dr Justin Clemens, writer and academic
Susan Morairty, Lawyer
David Hirsch, Barrister
Cr Anne O’Shea
Kathryn Crosby, Candidates Online
Dr Robert Sparrow, academic
Jennifer Mills, author
Foong Ling Kong, editor
Tim Norton,  Online Campaigns Co-ordinator,  Oxfam Australia
Elisabeth Wynhausen, writer 
Ben Slade, Lawyer
Nikki Anderson, publisher
Dan Cass
Professor Diane Bell, author and academic
Dr Philipa Rothfield, academic
Gary Cazalet, academic
Dr David Coady, academic
Dr Matthew Sharpe, writer and academic
Dr Tamas Pataki, writer and academic
Miska Mandic
Associate Professor Jake Lynch, academic
Professor Simon During, academic
Michael Brull, writer
Dr Geoff Boucher, academic
Jacinda Woodhead, writer and editor
Dr Rjurik Davidson, writer and editor
Mic Looby, writer
Jane Gleeson-White, writer and editor
Alex Skutenko, editor
Associate Professor John Collins, academic
Professor Philip Pettit, academic
Dr Christopher Scanlon, writer and academic
Dr Lawrie Zion, journalist
Johannes Jakob, editor
Sunili Govinnage, lawyer
Michael Bates, lawyer 
Bridget Maidment, editor
Bryce Ives, theatre director
Sarah Darmody, writer
Jill Sparrow, writer
Lyn Bender, psychologist 
Meredith Rose, editor
Dr Ellie Rennie, President, Engage Media
Ryan Paine, editor
Simon Cooper, editor 
Chris Haan, lawyer
Carmela Baranowska, journalist.
Clinton Ellicott, publisher
Dr Charles Richardson, writer and academic
Phillip Frazer, publisher
Geoff Lemon, journalist
Jaya Savige, poet and editor
Johannes Jakob, editor
Kate Bree Geyer; journalist
Chay-Ya Clancy, performer
Lisa Greenaway, editor, writer
Chris Kennett - screenwriter, journalist
Kasey Edwards, author
Dr. Janine Little, academic
Dr Andrew Milner, writer and academic
Patricia Cornelius, writer
Elisa Berg, publisher
Lily Keil, editor
Jenny Sinclair
Roselina Rose
Stephen Luntz
PM Newton
Bryan Cooke
Kristen Obaid
Ryan Haldane-Underwood
Patrick Gardner
Robert Sinnerbrink 
Kathryn Millist
Anne Coombs
Karen Pickering
Sarah Mizrahi
Suzanne Ingleton
Jessica Crouch
Michael Ingleton 
Matt Griffin
Jane Allen
Tom Curtis
John Connell
David Garland
Stuart Hall
Meredith Tucker-Evans
Phil Perkins
Alexandra Adsett
Tom Doig, editor 
Beth Jackson
Peter Mattessi
Robert Sinnerbrink  
Greg Black 
Paul Ashton 
Sigi Jottkandt
Kym Connell, lawyer
Silma Ihram
Nicole Papaleo, lawyer
Melissa Forbes
Matthew Ryan
Ben Gook
Daniel East 
Bridget Ikin
Lisa O’Connell 
Melissa Cranenburgh
John Bryson
Michael Farrell
Melissa Reeves  
Dr Emma Cox
Michael Green
Margherita Tracanelli
David Carlin, writer
Bridget McDonnell
Geoff Page, writer
Rebecca Interdonato
Roxane Ludbrook-Ingleton
Stefan Caramia
Ash Plummer

At the time of this re-blogging, there are 4269 comments on The ABC Drum site to this letter.

Filed under wikileaks freedom of speach rule of law

Notes

You could learn a lot of things from Alannah, Julia

Her last interview says all that needs to be said about what happened over the weekend. You should have a chat to her and get her on board to help to REALLY “move forward” — she get’s shit done!

Actually, the one regret I do have is that I didn’t campaign with her over the last couple of months. (I really wanted to, but there were just too many things I needed to deal with at the time.)

She’s a bloody legend.

2 notes

Hey Julia, guess what? Well: I TOLD YOU SO.

Hahaha it was so bloody brilliant watching Paul Howes on the #ABCnews24 panel with TJones — the poor fella looked like he’d seen a ghost.

I hope he’s going to have less of a say in how things get done in the ALP, now. Because if Mr Rabbit got one thing right in his non-prematurely triumphant speech last night, it was that this country has completely had enough of Howes & Friends’ bullshit.

Good on those guys for everything they do for their unions, sure. But tell they need to butt out of the ALP. Now.

The good thing for everyone is that Senator Ray has already done the review into the last two months’ mess. He just happened to have written it two years ago!!

Go read it.

Regards, Sunili

Filed under factions unions hung parliament

1 note

Yawn

Yeah. I get it, Julia: you don’t care. Well. Neither do I.

It’s been an epic couple of weeks for me. And for the first time in years I have been completely over politics. I’ve been too busy thinking about what matters to me.

And none of it involves politics, let alone this election. I can’t believe how disenchanted I am — I turned 26 last week and it is clear the naïve idealism of my yoof has completely disappeared.

It’s going to be odd to not be handing out How To Votes next week.

But I’ve decided that my Saturdays are more important than being part of Labor’s Pamphlet Army. Even on E-Day.

Yours in languor Sunili

1 note

I am getting so much spam from The Libs, Julia — it’s gross. This came today from Steve Irons — currently member for Swan (that’s my marge electorate). Apparently he is a ‘single custodian father’ (as @MisterShuffles would say: What The Quack?!), which qualifies him to talk about paid parental leave. Also, apparently I am the only person in my household of three who is qualified to get spam about paid parental leave. I live with my boyfriend and my brother and while usually get two copies of everything* I was the only one blessed with this particular marvel. Apparently I might be planning to have a family and might care about PPL…. but my definitely boyfriend isn’t ……… I heard Andrew Robb being interviewed by Lyndal Curtis this morning and was GOBSMACKED by their whole father-at-the-mother’s-wage thing. Wow. Not only are they ADMITTING that women get paid less (let’s leave THAT issue for later!)… They are punishing dads AND families at the same time?! And then ARobb JUSTIFIED IT (ignoring the pay gap, but continuing the sexism) by saying the whole point of the policy was to let MOTHERS BOND WITH THEIR KIDS even though they are begrudgingly letting the ladies back to work because we need more cogs in the machines so we need to keep them in the workforce…. Wow. I honestly didn’t think it’d be possible to get SO MUCH SEXISM INTO A SINGLE POLICY!!! You cannot let this slide, Julia! This is atrocious!! Now… I heard about Laurie Oakes’ cabinet leak scoop thingy… And I don’t really care whether or not you supported it or not or if you didn’t what your reasons were. It’s been a few weeks now and I realise that we probably have different views on what colour the sky is, so, frankly, your opinions mean jack to me any more. What I still have a tendril of hope / faith / whatever in is your consultative approach (and hey — PPL eventually got through so hurrah). Maybe you’ll listen to me on just one thing, eh? Anyway, so yeah, if you do, it’s this: fight back on the bullshit sexism crap from the bastard Tories, ok? Call them out on absolute crap like this, and those bloody journos asking about Tim’s involvement in campaigning and all that crap. Tell them to get stuffed. Diplomatically, of course. But do it. Point out that we’re not in the fifties any more and that neither women NOR MEN in this country will put up with this rubbish any longer. Thanks in advance, Sunili PS: I just glanced at the comparison table on the back of this letter… Is it true that the ALP policy doesn’t pay dads? Because, ok, that is effing lame. Fix that You might as well call it Paid Maternal Leave. There is no way women can have careers AND kids without society normalising the dual role that is needed by both parents (no matter what gender…… I will also leave THAT issue til later…) in order to even have a shot at making it work. So fix it. Don’t punish dads. Because that’s sexism too. * Two copies of all addressed campaign spam: apparently the AEC think my brother and are married due to the common surname, cause we get joint mail — though, strangely it’s addressed to ‘Mr & Miss’… It’s clearly not for paper saving purposes cause why would the boyf ges his own… again: WTQ?)

I am getting so much spam from The Libs, Julia — it’s gross.

This came today from Steve Irons — currently member for Swan (that’s my marge electorate).

Apparently he is a ‘single custodian father’ (as @MisterShuffles would say: What The Quack?!), which qualifies him to talk about paid parental leave.

Also, apparently I am the only person in my household of three who is qualified to get spam about paid parental leave.

I live with my boyfriend and my brother and while usually get two copies of everything* I was the only one blessed with this particular marvel.

Apparently I might be planning to have a family and might care about PPL…. but my definitely boyfriend isn’t ………

I heard Andrew Robb being interviewed by Lyndal Curtis this morning and was GOBSMACKED by their whole father-at-the-mother’s-wage thing.

Wow. Not only are they ADMITTING that women get paid less (let’s leave THAT issue for later!)… They are punishing dads AND families at the same time?!

And then ARobb JUSTIFIED IT (ignoring the pay gap, but continuing the sexism) by saying the whole point of the policy was to let MOTHERS BOND WITH THEIR KIDS even though they are begrudgingly letting the ladies back to work because we need more cogs in the machines so we need to keep them in the workforce….

Wow. I honestly didn’t think it’d be possible to get SO MUCH SEXISM INTO A SINGLE POLICY!!!

You cannot let this slide, Julia! This is atrocious!!

Now… I heard about Laurie Oakes’ cabinet leak scoop thingy… And I don’t really care whether or not you supported it or not or if you didn’t what your reasons were.

It’s been a few weeks now and I realise that we probably have different views on what colour the sky is, so, frankly, your opinions mean jack to me any more.

What I still have a tendril of hope / faith / whatever in is your consultative approach (and hey — PPL eventually got through so hurrah).

Maybe you’ll listen to me on just one thing, eh?

Anyway, so yeah, if you do, it’s this: fight back on the bullshit sexism crap from the bastard Tories, ok?

Call them out on absolute crap like this, and those bloody journos asking about Tim’s involvement in campaigning and all that crap.

Tell them to get stuffed. Diplomatically, of course. But do it.

Point out that we’re not in the fifties any more and that neither women NOR MEN in this country will put up with this rubbish any longer.

Thanks in advance,

Sunili

PS: I just glanced at the comparison table on the back of this letter… Is it true that the ALP policy doesn’t pay dads? Because, ok, that is effing lame. Fix that You might as well call it Paid Maternal Leave. There is no way women can have careers AND kids without society normalising the dual role that is needed by both parents (no matter what gender…… I will also leave THAT issue til later…) in order to even have a shot at making it work. So fix it. Don’t punish dads. Because that’s sexism too.

* Two copies of all addressed campaign spam: apparently the AEC think my brother and are married due to the common surname, cause we get joint mail — though, strangely it’s addressed to ‘Mr & Miss’… It’s clearly not for paper saving purposes cause why would the boyf ges his own… again: WTQ?)

    Filed under ausvotes paid parental leave PPL feminism gender sexism

    1 note

    By the way: the Leaders[‘] Debate tonight was lame.  This campaign has been lame.  You have been also rather unimpressive.  I’m in a marginal electorate, you know.

    Where’s the love, Julia?

    Filed under ausvotes Swan

    0 notes

    So, Mark Latham’s not so crazy after all, is he Julia?

    I read his op-ed in Friday’s AFR this morning.  I was sitting in the kitchen, the winter sunshine streaming in through the window, sipping my coffee, eating breakfast.  You know — just chilling, easy-like-a-Sunday-morning style.

    But with just about every second paragraph I read, there were audible gasps and / or splutters.  Now, I am usually outraged and offended when I read the papers.  Often this is because most of the time, the papers publish sensationalist drivel (see, eg: @paulwallbank’s twitpic from yesterday).

    This morning’s outrage wasn’t due to reading exaggerated crap, though.  It was because I knew that what Latham was saying is true.

    I know it’s true because I have seen it and experienced it first hand during my 7-something-year involvement with the Australian Labor Party.

    I know it is all true because I am an active participant in the Labor Reform Forum (ok, less active since the 2010 State Conference was called of / postponed because of the Election*), which is basically a bunch of ALP members in the WA Branch who are sick of the exact bullshit Latham outlined in his essay.

    Even though I am too involved in stuff and promised myself I wouldn’t join any more committees and whatever, earlier this year I ran for and was elected to be the non-Parliamentary co-coordinator (how bureaucratic chic, no?), which gave me an even deeper insight into the bullshit.

    And ew, does it stink.

    People might brush off Latham these days as being the crazy, bitter, old leader dude who lost the plot after he lost the leadership.  But damn: he’s right on this.  He is totally, utterly, 100% right. 

    On everything.  Everything:

    … Robert Michaels wrote of how left-of-centre parties inevitable fall under the control of the apparatchiks, men more committed to the the acquisition of power and social status than the radical reform of economic and social relations. Careerism becomes an end in itself, superseding the policy goals and idealism by which the party was initially founded.

    Check.

    Labor has become so tightly focussed on opinion polls and communications strategies that serious policy reform is beyond its reach 

    … 

    Putting communications strategies ahead of sound public policy, for instance, drains Labor of its core beliefs and purpose.

    Check, check  (although, Julia, as I have mentioned before: you guys seem totally oblivious to the fact that communication is a two-way thing. But whatever).

    What began in the 1980s as a system designed to provide stability for the party’s leadership has evolved into a complex network of feuding power bases and personality clashes.  The three original factions — the national Right, Left and Centre-Left — have broken down into a series of sub-factions and fiefdoms.

    …

    After a while, the party itself becomes unrecognisable.  In effect, this is what the factions have achieved

    Check, check, totally check.

    A party which once aspired to the ideals of grass roots participation became an empty shell.  Instead of directing selecting their parliamentary candidates and guiding the development of Labor policy, local branch members were reduced to election campaign fodder.  Branches were the subject of mass stacking, while the party’s conferences became stage-managed charades.

    OH. MY. EFFING. CHECK!!!

    That last one is the guts of what the Labor Reform Forum is trying to fix. 

    But then Party Office Cancelled Christmas State Conference* so we couldn’t even try to bring in the rule changes that’ll help fix the mess.  Then we had a pro-reform candidate run for the position of WA Branch President a couple of months ago, the first time the members had a chance to directly elect someone to the position, and the unions / factions put up their own little apparatchik candidate who, despite strict rules about using Party resources for campaigning somehow managed to send out automated texts to members telling them to vote. How very grassroots.

    Turns out The Man and his mates are just too entrenched.

    Wherein lies my dilemma: do I just give up, post one of the resignation letters I have prepared earlier and go join the Greens (Giovanni keeps telling me to) or do I keep fighting for change?

    Because even through I have been a branch stack myself, and got Young Labor Exec / National Conference Delegate positions out of factional deals I didn’t even know about (I honestly thought they liked me for me. Oh, how naive could I have been?! OMG) I know their stinking game now.

    And because I am the kind of person willing to roll up my sleeves and help clean up a smelly mess when I see it, I am trying to do that.  But it’s hard and it brings me down and I also have a bajillion other causes I care about that I could be helping with (yeah, know: I am totally Cameron from Modern Family.)

    SO yeah: I don’t know what to do.

    Anyway. I’m not sure I should be asking you for advice given the CV Latham set out for you. So I’m going to shut up now.

    Cheers,
    Sunili

    —

    *The Cancelling of Christmas State Conference was supposed to be a sensible practical thing aimed at saving money and freeing everyone up to hit the campaign trail. As important as it is that Party members focus their attention on helping get Labor re-elected, I personally queried whether, in some small part (or for the most part?) this was a deliberate plan by Party Office, secretly hoping this would make us shut up. But I am paranoid like that sometimes.  Maybe I should go join Latham in the loony bin?

    Filed under Labor

    1 note

    amfo asked: Hi Sunili,

    Driving along in my car this afternoon, I happened to hear you on Hack, and remembered you from back in the day at PRAC when our little bros used to hang out. I thought, damn, that Sunili is going places! I'm gonna check out her blog when I get home...
    And I just wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic idea.
    I'm now an English teacher and I'm going to get my Year 10s to have a read of your blogs and write their own Letters to Julia.
    I think it's fantastic that young people + technology are making politics cool for young people.

    Thanks again for the inspiration!

    Regards,

    Amy Foster

    Oh my goodness, hello Amy! I certainly do remember you - and David! Hope you (and the fam!) are well! I will tell my Dad that you wrote to me, he will be ecstatic :)  Thank you so much for writing back.

    I hope your Year 10s enjoy writing their letters, and that they feel that they are able to get engaged in politics.  We certainly can’t let it stay a one-way dialogue. We’ve got to ‘move forward’ ;)

    Cheers!!