MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year 2013.
www.lecourriercreole.com

Keep listening to Radio Kontak on the net.
Click on the link below
http://station.voscast.com/5000bc537c8f9/
 The best music ....so entertaining.
Les plus belles chansons francaises et anglaises,
des chansons nostalgiques et des chansons souvenirs.

Politics:
A Maurice, le declin et la fin du regne de Navin Ramgoolam
a commence avec les elections villageoises et municipales.
Bizin are sa kalite majakaro et abus de pouvoir de Navin Ramgoolam.
Navin Ramgoolam indigne d'etre un PM.
Il n'est pas serieux et aime plutot s'amuser.
Sa vie personelle est tintee de scandales.
Ses aventures rocambolesques noctures sont maintenant exposees
le public en sait plus qu'il ne le croit.
Bizin botte son derriere et envoy li dan karo kann.

2013 is election year in Australia.
Le duel entre Julia Gillard et Tony Abbott s'annonce acharne.
la date des elections fixee au 14 Septembre 2013.
La course largee....

All the news and analysis regarding the campaign and the elections,
tune in to Emission Kontak Dimanche on 89.3 fm
Live on the internet at www.893fm.com.au

Cheers
GDL

Council Elections in Mauritius

Elections Municipales a Maurice par GDL

The recent council elections in Mauritius saw  the opposition winning three out of the five councils.
In can be said, three and a half because in Curepipe, the opposition did not win nor did loose. Each of the major blocks won seven seats each. One independent from the MMSD will decide who will administer the town for the next five years.

It was a lost for the government as they have been too long in control of the towns. Instead of having the elections after the five-year term, they stayed in power for another two years. This postponement of the elections was purely a tactic from the central government allowing the councillors to stay in their positions and enjoyed. Unfortunately, they did not use these additional two years towards a more responsible approach but kept indulging in inner bickering, routs and corrupt behaviours.
It looks as if the sound and effective administration of the towns and the welfare of the city dwellers was not their priority.

The leader of the Government and the ruling coalition realising that their councillors have not been up to scratch, put a new team to face the elections. The Prime Minster, Navin Ramgoolam, invested in the campaigns and even danced the sega in the streets to attract media attention. He also got mad when the national television did not show him campaigning at Cite Atlee in Curepipe.

According to an article by Anil Gayan which appeared in L'Express on 11th December 2012, Navin Ramgoolam played the division game during the campaign. He has a type of rhetoric to the Muslims of Plaine Verte and used another language to the Hindus of Palma and La Source. According to the author, this was an attempt at balkanising Mauritius and dividing the electorate on community grounds. Anil Gayan expressed his disgust at such a tactic by the Prime Minister of the country. Many times Navin forget that he is a statesperson and feel more comfortable in the politician role. This is not only a weakness on his part but a shortcoming. He lacks the stature of a PM.

However, this is no strange or new; Navin Ramgoolam  won the past elections while playing on the emotions of the Hindus in rural areas telling them not to vote Paul Berenger as he is not an Hindu. This strategy of divide and rule has up to now worked in his favour. But not this time it seems.

This time he  tried to sow division between the Muslims and the Hindus and targeted Aneerood Jughnuth as the enemy of Muslims. He vehemently attacked SAJ seein him as a direct competitor,  more so because the Jughnuths  are of the same cast as him, Vaish. The results in Sodnac in Quatre Bornes show that there is a change of voting patters of the Hindus. They do not overwhelmingly support Navin Ramgoolam and his corrupt government.

While the victory was overwhelming in Beau Bassin/ Rose Hill, the results were tighter  in Port Louis and Quatre Bornes but a win is a win. It was a psychological boost for the opposition which will give hope to their supporters that the next general elections are winnable.

No matter what happened in Curepipe, the facts are, the government has lost control over the town councils and apparently even in the village councils. The voters sanctioned the government councillors for their lack of dignity, for their abuse of power, the maladministration of the towns and their manze, bwar, amuse, voyager attitudes.

The writings are on the walls for the government alliance. Having all the ministers on the campaign trail,( some even to the extent of bribing the electorate with macaroni packets), was toxic for the government as they are all perceived to be corrupt and incompetent. They repulse the people more than they attract them. There was also the broyani affair which the people of Quatres Bornes were waiting to sanction Nita Deerplasing,  the campaign manager in the town.

The Remake 2000, through these results received the blessing of the people of the towns ( and also of the villages ). But the tandem SAJ and PB need to work harder and not take for granted that the wave is bulding up and the tsunami will strike in 2015.

George's Blog: The lucky country by GDL

George's Blog: The lucky country by GDL: In Australia, we do ot seem to be afraid of uncertainty and not scared of what tomorrow will be. We take forgranted that live in the world...

The lucky country by GDL

In Australia, we do ot seem to be afraid of uncertainty and not scared of what tomorrow will be. We take forgranted that we live in the land of plenty, in the lucky country and that we are  allright. How many times have we not heard, said to someone in trouble, " You'll be allright mate".

In Australia, we have seen boom and bust, we have seen recession and growth, we have seen changes from left wing to right wing governments, we have seen natural catastrophes like flood, fire, cyclones, even earthquakes, but we are still going.

Australia is in fact the lucky country. Many migrants who were living in abject poverty, living on the edge and starving in their thirdworld contries, or again in refugee camps  where tomorrow culd not even be compemplated, have come to this country and now living like a decent human being.
Some have come from wartorn countries to find peace and harmony in Australia, and sleeping tight at night. Others have fled persecutions and discrimnation to find their self-esteem restored here.
Others without any qualifications whatsoever, or could not even say a word of english, have found their way in life here. Not  only they are living very comfrotably, but have had children who are today graduades and professionals.

Australia is a first world  country by living standard and its high GDP per capita.  The country has a rich deposit of mineral resources, has vast arabe land and pastures, and the fundamentals of its economy are strong. We have 10 percent of the very rich, a very big middle class and a very small percentage of  proletariat. Poverty is a relative term in Australia. Someone will  find that he is poor  only by comparison. A relatively poor person in Australia, will always be able to cut his/her clothes according to the cloth. There is always a shop where a poor person can find what he/she needs, and/or find ways to have a roof over his/her head.

Australia is a generous welfare state, with an effective social security system including dole for the unemployed, invalidity benefits, new start allowance, Austudy for the students, and a means-tested old aged pension, just to name a few.

Like most of the developed world and economies, Australia has its social problems. The level of mental health is very high, 285 people are diagnosed with diabetes everyday, there is a high rate of death from cancer and alcohol related diseases. The unemployment rate, if it is only around five percent, means that close to 400,000 people are living on the dole and not able to envisage a clear future. The youth suicide is high and drugs is on the rise among the youth.
There is a proliferation of nursing home because of our ageing population, and that the baby boomers have now reached retirement age. Many children found it easier to send their old ones in nursing homes rather than to care for them, even if it amounts to paying back their respect and dues to their fathers and mothers.
With affluence come individualism and Australians and even migrants, are going down that path. In Australia most people do not know the name of their neighbour and rarely hear a cry for help and step out of your comfort zone and lend a hand, not even find the time to do it. The call is most of the time simply ignored.
This is what characterises our society, the modern and post modern society: individualism, indifference, consumerism, competition, greed, money, money and money.... And the individual will only find this out the day he/she faces the hard reality. But then its is already too late, after the nursing home is the grave, and then forgotten for ever..

GDL.

cultural ghetto

Assimilation, multiculturalism or cultural ghettos by GDL

The case of a Mauritian artist revisiting Australia has sparked passionate debate among the Mauritian community in Australia. The debate was even echoed by  the Mauritian media.
It all started when a local artist, Mr Lindsay Xavier  expressed surprise to see the Mauritian sega singer back in Australia after his pitiful performance the year before.
According to Mr Xavier, last time the artist in question, arrived on stage two and a half hours late and only performed for forty minutes all while repeating the same songs.                                                    
Mr Xavier made the point on Emission Kontak that the those who were at the concert were disappointed with his performance as felt that they were taken for a drive.                                             " All I am asking is quality. An artist should always give the best of himself in front of a paid assistance. It is not asking too much from a professional. " he said.
 Following on from what he witnessed last time, Mr Xavier explained that he will surely not attend the next show. Mr Xavier was backed by the Secretary of the Mauritian Community Welfare Association of Sydney and a radio broadcaster, Mr Lamvohee, who advocated that these shows are not doing any good  to the community and that some of the artists here can do a better job.                   The concert went ahead and it was not surprising that the turnout was meagre. However, despite the low attendance the artist made a better performance than last year. It was obvious that a lesson seems to have been learnt there.
Unfortunately, some in the same Mauritian community attacked vehemently Mr Xavier, and Mr Lamvohee,  to the extent of personal attacks and libel. Their attacks were based on the grounds that both Mr Xavier and Mr Lamvohee are downgrading Mauritian artists and the Mauritian sega.
On Emission Kontak, Mr Xavier brushed aside these accusations as false and malicious, that it was clear  that some have not understood, or deliberately deformed and misconstrued the facts, preferring to attack the messenger rather than the message.

The debate was amplified by a member of the community from Melbourne who went as far as accusing  the Mauritians  of Sydney of not being true blue Mauritians and lowering their self-esteem.  All this  because they did not attend  the sega show in Sydney (!!!) while there was 500 or more Mauritians attending the concert n Melbourne. It was a clear strategy of reigniting the old rivalry of Sydney v/s Melbourne.

The lesson to be drawn from this episode is that the Mauritians of Sydney look more opened and have not closed themselves in their Mauritian cultural ghetto. It is true and clear that Mauritians of Sydney do not flock together as much as those of Melbourne.
Sydney is a bigger metropolis and  a  more sophisticated city. Such a situation seems to have taken its toll on the Sydney inhabitants in general, not only on Mauritians. In Sydney there are more things happening, there is a wider choice of leisure and entertainment. It is therefore  normal for people to be exposed to a different lifestyle and influenced by the prevailing atmosphere.

This episode also denotes that Mauritians of Melbourne are more linked with their motherland and more embedded in their culture to the extent of  always being together at sports and cultural events. While it is not a bad thing it itself, whereas those of Sydney are more likely to think and decide where to go and have a good time.

GDL.

Obama winner or loser ?

A win for Obama or a lost for Romney ? by gdl.

While 50.2 percent of Americans rejoicing of the reelection of Barak Obama, there are still 49.8 percent of Americans who think that Obama' first term as President of the USA was a failure.
Those who disapproved Obama's social, economic domestic policies, as well as his military and foreign policies, are said to be more on the conservative side, or coming from the conservative states.
These so called conservatives, accepted the Mitt Romney's policies no matter how controversial they are seen by the other side. Romney's voters are categorised to be from the right ( traditional Republicans) and from the far right( followers of the Tea Party). They reject social policies like the rights of marriage to gays and lesbians, are anti-abortionists and more inward looking. They opine that America should lead the world (unipolar) and confrontation with the Arab world (an open war with Iran for example) and accusing China of currency manipulation are good policies!!!
Obama's first term has not been overwhelmingly good. America has a deficit of $16 trillion dollars and an unemployment rate is nearly eight percent. There is a looming  "fiscal cliff" of $600 billion to face on the 1 January of 2013. However, Obama ended the war in Iraq, withdrawing the troops from Afghanistan and killed Osama Bin Laden, are the positive highlights of his first term. He  has also managed quite well the Global Financial Crisis and there are ominous signs that the America's economy is recovering, although still very ailing.
The results from these elections show that the USA is divided into 2 blocks. On one side the progressists, and on the other the conservatives. The victory at the electoral colleges,( state based) means nothing besides the popular vote. The popular vote is the real reflection of the Americans' mood in terms of real democracy.
Obama knows that he has 49.8 percent of Americans watching, and expecting him to fall and fail. But,  as he will not be standing for elections again, he has nothing to lose in opening up and compromise with the Senate and House of reps to overcome the "fiscal cliff" on one side, and bring down the deficit to a reasonable level on the other. These are  the real challenges for Obama and his team. The "reasonable" budget deficit acceptable by the IMF is normally three percent of GDP while America's deficit is nor more than 50 percent of its GDP, actaully 84 percent !!!! .
Surely, this is a mammoth job for the Democrats, let alone unachievable by the Obama's administration in the next forr years. It is virtually impossible for them to even balance the budget in the next for years. Again the legacy of Barak Obama, when he will definitely leave office, will not be bright in this field and will leave Hillary Clinton, (who is poised to be the next Democrate candidate to the Presidency ) to " please explain ".
But so what the USA have always lived the deficit anyway...

Revisiting Bali ten years later

Bali without the Sari club 10 years later, by GDL

Ten years ago there was a bomb at the Sari Club which killed 220 westerners.  While the Sari Club has disappeared and in its place now  just a car park,  next to it is the memorial that will always remind visitors of the atrocity which happened there in 2002. The memorial has become to some extent, a tourist attraction as everyone who goes to Bali visits the memorial.
While the memory of the bombing will stand there forever, the memory of the killings seems to have disappeared in view of the strong coming back to Bali by westerners. The comeback denotes that the fear of any new bombing in Bali does not even cross the mind of westerners or tourists when they book their holidays to Bali. The fact remains that that Bali is still the cheapest holidays in Asia where the weather is always warm, the beaches beautiful, the hotels affordable, the food and  beers are still very cheap.                                                                                                                                                 Bali  welcomes some 2.5 million tourists every year. The demand is increasing as hotel constructions are seen everywhere on Bali .From January to June 2012, 1,369,758 tourists arrived in Bali representing a cumulative growth of 7.7 percent . In June 2012,  238,296 foreign visitors came to Bali. Extrapolating foreign arrivals by assuming a steady 7.7 percent growth rate through the end of the current year, Bali should welcome close to 3 million tourists by the end of 2012. According to some very optimistic projections, in 2015 number of visitors can go as high as 5 million.
Bali Island has much to offer, beautiful beaches, cheap shopping at Cuta, night life and entertainment, varied cuisine, the country side is beautiful, the safari parks, the volcano, the big temple, etc… The best way to go around is to hire a car fully air-conditioned with a chauffeur from dawn to dusk for only $30. Balenese respect the tourists and do their utmost to get them to come again.
However the island is fast becoming overcrowded with 3 millions inhabitants of whom 95 percent are of the Hindu faith, three percent Christians and two percent Muslims. Religion is not in the forefront as Balinese, except for the few Islamists fanatics, understand secularism. Not a single women in Bali wears the “Saree” and the men will only wear their “Sarong and Udong ” for religious ceremonies.
The construction of a new international airport on Lombok is poised to alleviate Bali and promoting the island, but this does not seem to be the case until now. Lombok is a Muslim island, it has the same temperature and beautiful beaches and hotels but the atmosphere and ambiance at Lombok is far from the one in Bali. Time will tell if  Lombock will pick up.
The competitions to Bali, however, are coming from the Gilli Islands namely Gilli Tragawan, Gilli Meno and Gilli Air. These small islands are little paradises where there are no cars, no motor bikes, no traffic, no noise or any form of pollution. Tourists tour the islands on bike or horse carts. The hotels on Gilli Tragawan for example, are of high standard and most tourists coming to Bali would spend at least three nights on Gilli Tragawan. Dining out on Gilli Tragawan is a real delice with a wide choice of grilled seafood and salad bar.
Back to Bali. Herald Sun Insight editor Keith Moor, spent months interviewing people, examining thousands of pages of court transcripts and having exclusive access to a range of police and other documents - all of which enabled him to piece together why and how a group of fanatical Muslims declared war on the West, and attacked Westerners simply out enjoying themselves. Much of the details came from the mouths of the bombers themselves in witness statements made to police. Moor's report traced the bombers' background, reconstructed what happened on the night through the eyes of those in the Sari Club and Paddy's Pub, and examined the police hunt for the terrorists. The conclusion is that the ideology of Bin Laden has found its way in Bali among some young and weak Muslims who believe that the Jihad must go on.                                                                                     
If the fear of another bombing, as pointed out above, seems to have somehow disappeared, this is like discarding the reality or playing the ostrich. The possibility of another bombing in Bali still exists as long as there are elements of Jamma Islamia on Bali. The treat is definitely still there. When Julia Gillard and her delegation visited the island for the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the killings of Australians by Islamists of Jamma Islamia, there was a threat which prompted the Indonesia government to take extra security measures. Much has been done in that respect since the bombings.  The Indonesian government takes any threat seriously even though their intelligence service is now very effective. Security measures are very high and everyone is checked when entering big hotels; but this is not the case fro the pubs and nightclubs of Cuta, Legian and Seminiak.  Places like Ku de Ta and Potato Head, which attract up-market tourists, have  very strong security measures. This is surely not a hazard but rather an omen that these places could be potential targets.
However, the possibility of any bomb on the Gillis is very very remote and they should and will remain the little paradises, not lost, of the Indian Ocean. This is excellent news.
                                                                         

Al Qaida presence in Australlia by GDL

 

 

"AL-QA'IDA sympathisers were among those involved in violent weekend protests in Sydney, which saw Muslim men engage in a series of running battles with officers from both the NSW and Australian Federal Police.Several of the hundreds of demonstrators who marched on the city's US consulate were carrying the black flags adopted by the proscribed terror organisation and its splinter groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq."(The Australian newspaper).

The protesters, these Islamists fundamentalists extremists who have no moral values, used women and children during their uncivilised and unlawful protest to show how hatred was at the centre of their message. Some photos show children holding signs saying: "Behead those that insult the prophet." This demonstrates how low some can go with such a savage and bellingerent mentality.

"Some of this will have to be looked at from a legal perspective to see what offences are actually committed by some of these text messages," Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldastold the Seven Network on Monday. (The daily Telegraph)

It is the wish of all law abiding citizens of Australia that these rascals be dealt with severely to serve as a lesson to others with the same mindset. From what we saw in TV on Saturday, it is obvious that some people cannot adapt to the western democracy style and philosophy.

What we saw can only be qualified as barbaric behaviours which is the modus operandi of these extremists. It is needless to educate them, a waste of time; if they have not changed they will never change.They deserve other treatments tailored for their needs.

Australia has for too long been too tolerant to extremism  in the name of political correctness. The Labour government with its involvemnt in Afghanitan, its lack of a coherent migration policy and its failure on border protection, is encouraging criminals and other extremists to enter the country without proper check and balances of their backgrounds. No surprise that some of them come without any identification. They purposely destroyed these. 

The unlawful protest by these extremists was disgusting and enraging to say the least. Australia should have tougher laws to deal with these extremists.They should be expelled from the country as they do not understand what democracy stands for and what are Australian values.

Go back to where you come from....you are the parias of our society.

WE DO NOT WANT YOU HERE.

 

Australian Politics

BY GDL
Labour finally gave in and embraced the pacific solution to stop the boats.
The expert panel, besides other recommendations, found that offshore processing
is actually a deterrent to people trying to get in Australia by the backdoor.
Since the Labor party came to power in 2007, we have seen an armada of boats loaded with
queue jumpers, paying people smugglers, to get into Australia as "refugees".
The report also highlighted that Julia Gillard has been unable to find the right policy to stop the boats.
Her Malasia solution was questioned and found to be ineffective.
Since the Labor party came to power, 22,456 "asylum seekers" have arrived on 385 boats.
The Labor party accepted all the recommendations of the expert panel and have
already taken measures to reopen the centres on Nauru and Manus Island.
Had the Labor party listened and compromised with the opposition before, this would
have saved taxpayers millions and millions of dollars. But there was too much pride.!
The report confirmed that Kevin Rudd was wrong reversing the pacific solution.
Kevin Rudd also reversed the Temporary Protection Visa which saw a sudden increase of
those coming by boats claiming to be "refugees'!
The Greens, these communists idiots, still want to abolish border protection and let every boat with "these" people claiming to be "refugees" be allowed to come in and stay. How stupid because the message is going out and all refugees and non refugees, including criminals, around the world will pay people smugglers and get into our country by the backdoor. The Greens need to be silenced and told to f....off.

The Greens are dangerous leftists ideolgists more dangerous than One Nation of Pauline Hanson

Australians should  get rid of  The Greens  at the next general elections.
by GDL.

The Greens use this name to hide their true colour which is RED, the colour of the
hard extreme left communist party. That is why they are called watermelons, green on the outside and red  inside. They are virtual radicals, anarchists, harden left wing ideologists who are still living in the past centuries, still indoctrinated by the writings of  Marx, Angels,Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, Mao,Castro and all these failed political leaders.
The Greens are anti-capitalism, anti-business, anti-jobs. They do not believe in the private sector, in entrepreneurship and in the concept that investment and business generate wealth and provide
a sense of humanity to the workers; that anyone has the potential to move up and prosper. They just want people to stay a the lower rung of the ladder as proletarians, but at the same time want a revolution against the private sector. B...S....

The Greens in Australia started as an ecological movement in Tasmania with this man Bob Brown.
They protested against the construction of a dam because that meant trees will have to be cut down. They wanted to save the forest of Tasmania and still advocating that they should be no logging at all in Tasmania. This is unrealistic as many people in Tasmania depend on logging for their survival, to have a job and feed their families. There are many many trees in the forest of Tasmania that can be logged without damaging the ecological balance and sustainability. It only needs good planning, where to log and replant the fallen trees.No no no said the Greens, no compromise.

They managed to get into the upper house (the senate) on the slogan that they care about the environment and some people believe in them, as most people agree that the environment should be protected. But once they start tasting power and politics in the senate, they move to other policy areas
e.g. that drugs, abortion, gay marriage, euthanasia should be legalised. Then they move to clean energy policy claiming that Australia should stop burning  fossils fuel ( gas and coal) to produce electricity. For them nuclear energy is very very bad for the environment and dangerous because of radiation. They want all energy producing plants to be closed down, no more mining of the land neither and stop exports of energy to other countries. This is economic irrationality when Australia is a net exporter of energy.
They want Australia to rely only on sun, wind and geothermal and other natural energy sources . They do not care if people will loose jobs. As always, they will not compromise. They voted against Kevin Rudd's ETS and CPRS where the cost of carbon would have been only $5.00. They twisted the arms of Julia Gillard, and her minority government, to impose a $23 per ton on carbon emission.
The Greens are the real red devils behind the carbon tax which poor Julia and her ministers now have to defend by compensating and over compensation those who will face  higher electricity bills.

On the issue of refugees, if the Greens get their way, our country will be swamped by boat people claiming to be refugees which are not only queue jumpers.There  could be among them, harden  criminals, terrorists, islamist fundamentalists,  mafia or drug dealers who will only upset the social fabric of our country. This is what onshore processing means and the Greens will not compromise on offshore processing. They do not care how much taxpayers money are being spent on the queue jumpers who cannot wait for their turns.
The Greens are the first ones responsible for the influx of boats coming to our shores in the north from Indonesia. They are responsible for encouraging people smuggling and finally responsible for those who died and will die at sea. This is why the Greens are a bunch of dangerous idealists anarchists far from the crocodile tears of the idiosyncratic Sarah Henson-Young, not to mention the wierd Bob Brown and the stupid Christine Mills and the antisemitic Lea Reanon.
The Greens should f...off to the land of dreamers. Dans koro kann comme on dit a Maurice..

Clean energy in the future

The carbon tax or the Clean Energy Future
by GDL.

The Carbon Tax, as the opposition likes to call it, was implemented on the 1st of July 2012 in Australia. From that day some 300 big polluters will pay $23 for every ton of carbon emission they release in the atmosphere.
The opposition, the Liberals and Nationals, has campaigned vigorously and continues to campaign hard against what they call a bad tax. They say it will not reduce gas emissions but instead will raise the  cost of living of Australians. They also said that as from the 1st July, everything will go wrong in Australia: prices of goods, services and commodities will go up, many small business will close shops. They even said that some of the towns where electricity is produced, like Wyalla and La Trobe valley, will become ghost towns.

Well the 1st of July is there and gone and nothing dramatic has happened. However it is still too soon to measure the real impact of the carbon tax on the economy. Prices of electricity has already gone up but this is irrelevant of the carbon tax as electricity prices had gone up by 78% in the last ten years.

We will monitor  in the days and month to come whether the big supermarkets will put the prices up, less sales and less discounts. This will be the real test for everyone as it will hit our pockets directly.

The same scare campaign was run by labour when the Liberals introduced the GST of 10%. Today we live with it and continue to enjoy life. The same will happen with the carbon tax, like any tax we will live with it and soon we will forget about it.

But maybe not, as this will be the centrepiece of the opposition electoral campaign in a year or so. However, we will then be in a better position to judge who was right and who was wrong.
We will be in a position to assess whether it was a good thing to make polluters pay for damaging the atmosphere and whether this has caused massive job lost and raise the cost of living.

The Labor government has already compensated, and they will again compensate, those who could be worse off under the Clean Energy Future legislation.  They linked the legislation with tax reforms and already more than a million Australians will pay no tax while others  will save around $2,000 every year. Pensioners has received a lump sum of $300 and families with children in schools have received some $800.

The opposition say they will repeal the tax if they come to power. Tony Abbott said there will be no carbon tax under his government. This will not be possible even if they win a big majority in the lower house because the Greens and Labor will have a  majority in the senate and will surely block the new legislation of repealing the Clean Energy Legislation.
In reality there will be a carbon tax if Mr Abbott wins for some months or years unless he triggers a double dissolution and win outright majority in the senate. So in the years to come we can expect not one but two federal elections in a row. If again the Greens and Labour controls the senate, the carbon tax will stay.
If the sky has not fallen on our heads on the 1st of July, the question remains should we have done it now when the rest of the world has not moved ? But should we wait for the rest of the world to move and then  follow ? Should we have done nothing ? Is the  cost of doing nothing not more that doing something now. But have we done it the right way ? The answers are not blowing in the wind but will come from YOU.

The boat people by GDL

The boat people: refugees, illegals or people smuggling?

By GDL

The controversy surrounding the boat people lies in the paradox that the history of migration to Australia started in 1788 with the boat people coming from England They were both convicts and free people. Some even came for religious freedom. The irony at the time was, they did not have a visa and came as invaders of the land habited by the aborigines. Yes, invaders because it has now been proved that Australia was not a “terra nullius” as the English, at the time, wanted us to believe. They can even be called “illegals” in modern terms.

The English and Europeans and even those coming from the colonies like Mauritius at the time, did not need a visa to settle down in the land down under up and until Federation. In the 1940s many workers, particularly from Italy came to build up the infrastructures. The Italians were escaping not persecution, but recession from Europe. Many also went to the USA at the time.
Japanese after the wars were granted permission to stay in Australia for having fought against Japan invasion. Were they the first refugees?
Many Germans and Jews came to Australia during and after the world wars to escape persecutions. They can also be called refugees.
Then came the official mass refugees from Lebanon, Vietnam, and more recently from Sudan. There are also those pacific islanders who come by the New Zealand's backdoor, are they also illegals?
In the 60s and 70s many more came by boat from everywhere but this time with a visa. Those from Latin America were definitely escaping dictatorial regimes prevailing at the time in a turmoil South America, with dictators like Pinochet, Somoza, Castro, Perone and others…
The great exodus of the 60s and early 70s to Australia happened for obvious reasons; the migrants were fleeing from political unrest. Can they also be qualified as “refugees”? The creoles of Mauritius were selling everything to embark on the boats to escape the Creole bashing by the newly Hindu establishment in Mauritius. They can also be called “refugees” of modern time.
Anyone who say or can prove that he or she is ‘persecuted” in his/her country for religious, ethnic or political reasons can claim refugee status under the UNHCR.
It this a too simplistic definition? How can the Australian authorities contest if someone come by boat and claim refugee status? Specially when they have deliberately destroyed their papers.
Note that it is not only those few who come by boats who claim refugee status in Australia but many who come with a tourist or visitor visa. These people having paid a return ticket, having proved to the Australia High Commission that that have financial means to cover their short stay in Australia, but as soon as they land in Australia do not want to go back.
According to the Department of Immigration, 80 % of the over-stayers have applied for a refugee visa and the rest 20 % have no intention to surrender to the authorities.They are harboured by relatives and claim refugee status. Is this fair and correct? Mind you that if some fail to prove that their lives are in danger if they go back, many others finally obtain permanent residency.
Where does that leave us concerning the boat people who are becoming the political football of Labor, Liberal and Greens ? No one seems to have a solution to the problem. Onshore or offshore processing, TPV or PPV or turning back the boats will not solve the problem as long as there is a market for people smugglers.
The boat people are definitely queue jumpers who think they have no chance going by the door because of the long processing queues at the UNHCR offices. Are they to be blamed when they learned that most of the boat people have finally obtained permanent residency in Australia?  For them it is worth paying people smugglers and the corrupt Indonesia police, get on a boat and make way to Australia. The people smugglers are very smart, they follow closely the political debate in Australia and know exactly how and when to sell their product. Their rate of success, be it under Liberals and more so under labour government, is high. So why should they stop as long as there is a market and a good product to sell to the “refugees’? 
Australian taxpayers are surely disgusted with the continuous saga of boat people. While the labor government is bleeding over the controversy, the Liberals are making a mockery of the situation and drawing political capital out of it, as every new boat that arrives is a nail in the coffin of Julia Gillard and the Labor government.

So why should the Libs collaborate with the failed policy of government to save them?  This is where Julia becomes ridiculous in trying to get the collaboration of the Libs for the Malaysian solution. The Libs have enough grounds not to collaborate. They want the government to implement the Howard policy which “worked” to score more political points.  

The core of the problem is that endemic corruption in Indonesia is favoring people smuggling.  It has to be stopped. The boats have to be stopped from Indonesia. But can one stop corruption in Indonesia ?? You must be joking!!!

Even if it seems that the Government is giving grounds, as far a reintroducing TPV and considering Nauru, they will surely not adopt the only policy advocated by the Libs. It would be ‘loosing face” towards the public. But what has labor got to loose when they seem to have already lost everything?

Someone who is drowning does not choose which hand to catch be it a friend or a foe. In these circumstances it is better to try something rather than continue to bang heads against the wall.
Julia and the Labor government has nothing to loose by embracing the Libs policy of
TPV and turning back the boats. Unless they do not care about the millions of our dollars being spent on Christmas Island and with the new refugee centres.

But taxpayers that we are  do.!

Jakarta, where postmodernism and Muslim intersect

By GDL

With a population of more than 230 million where around 85 percent are Muslims, Indonesia is said to be the biggest Muslim country. While this statement could be correct, to say that it is a conservative society is probably incorrect. Being a Muslim country does not necessarily mean a conservative society as far as Jakarta in particular, and Indonesia in general, are concerned.

While there  is a very small minority, if not a pocket of Muslim fundamentalists, (as it is probably the case in many western countries), they tend to be more vocal and visible, going to the extent of using unconventional methods to make themselves heard. These fundamentalists are only trying to destabilise the country as they have no plan for the future. Their only aim is to make Indonesia an Islamic Republic, and would not care less for the betterment of the millions. The Bali bombing following September 11, was a very bad publicity for the country, mainly from western countries like Australia. Indonesia, however, seems to have recovered from that ugly and sad event.Since the attempted murder on the President Susilo Bambang Yudihoyono, following his overwhelming second time election, the terrorists are closely watched and the Jamiah Islamya has meanwhile, been dismantled.

Save for these fundamentalists, the “Muslims” of Indonesia are very open and progressive. They do not follow strict Muslim or Sharia laws. The Muslim religion was introduced well after the Hindu and Buddhist religions in the archipelago, by Arab merchants in the 16^th and 17^th Centuries. In fact the songs and dance are still closer to the Indian ones. The danduk is more of the Bollywood style.

Mr Jacques Santoo, a French businessman who is married to a Muslim Indonesian and has lived in Indonesia for more than 20 years, explained, “Among most Indonesians, Islam is only an element in a syncretic belief system that also includes Animist and Hindu-Buddhist concepts. Javanese culture for example, has its own authenticity, specificity, customs, traditions, family rules and social structure which are not disturbed by the Islam religion. Javanese (and Sundanese) are noticeably more open to western culture in their consumption patterns and lifestyle. Some of the shopping centres are very modern and are always full and overcrowded on Sundays.”

For the Javanese, as well as for the other ethnic groups like the Sundanese, Mandurese and Coastal Malays and Balinese, there is a noticeable demarcation between culture and religion. All while being Muslim, the religious belief does not impinge or influence the Javanese culture. This is very obvious and conspicuous when visiting Jakarta and mixing with the people.
Never will anyone be greeted by “Salam malaikum” but rather by “Salamat pagi or Salamat tidur ” meaning Good Morning, or Good Night”.
The language, Bahasa Indonesia, is the lingua franca of Indonesia. It is a symbol of unity and nationalism, adopted as the official and national language, among the 300 different languages spoken throughout Indonesia. It is a dynamic language which is contently absorbing new vocabulary including English, which is the most popular foreign language.
It is very appreciated if the visitor could speak a few words of Indonesia which will be rewarded by “Wah, saudah lancar bahasa Indonesia” (oh, you speak Indonesian!”)  which is a compliment to your fluency.

Mrs Danielle Adolphe an expat teacher, who has worked in Jakarta for many years. said, “Javanese are generally shy but very polite, agreeable and do not like arguing. Faced with an embarrassing situation they will simply smile as a way of withdrawal.”
The people Indonesia put emphasis on politeness and civilities. For example they will never accept a gift if you do not insist. The word “Tolong” (please) and “Terima kasih” (Thank you) are always present in conversation with a bow.

While from outside there is the perception that Indonesia is a conservative Muslim society, the internal reality is completely different. If some girls or women wear the Jilab it absolutely does not mean that they are conservative or submissive. These ladies are on the contrary very free and open. The Jilab (covering the head only) is very elegantly worn with T-shirt and tight jean. Two young “Muslim” girls could be seen riding their motorbikes until late at night, even in the remote country areas.

As opposed to the hypocrisy in the western world, the sex industry is a booming business and brothels are fully legalised as they form a big part of the economic activity. They provide jobs for the millions who would otherwise be unemployed and living in abject poverty. It is the case not only for the girls, but also all other associated jobs like cleaners, bar attendants, etc… There are many big and sophisticated brothels in Jakarta, where hundreds of young and beautiful girls “work” in the open. The brothels are mere big entertainment centres. These are places for locals and tourists can freely consume alcohol, socialise, listen to live music and watch a show. This industry forms a big part of the strong aggregate internal consumer demands.

With a market of more than 230 million consumers, Indonesian’s economy is very strong. If it is now ranked among the top ten economies in the world, it is poised to be the fourth behind China, USA, Europe and India by the year 2040. This vast country covers the biggest part of the intersection between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is the gateway to these two oceans.
Indonesia’s economy escaped the global financial crisis because of its strong reliance on internal consumer demands and imports for only 20 percent of its GDP. The country produces it own petrol besides being rich in mineral resources like gold and iron ore. The GDP per capita is around $U4,334.
If there are ominous signs of wealth, if not opulence, in Indonesia like top class hotels and boutiques and luxurious cars, there are still many facets of a third world country. There are many old and shabby buildings and houses and millions are still living below the poverty line. However this should be taken with care as poverty is a relative concept in Indonesia, not to be interpreted and applied with the same measurement of western societies. Indonesians though “poor” are happy, always smiling and do not complain. They are very enterprising and are content with what they have.

Happiness is what you make out of it. It is something that money can’t buy specially in Indonesia.

A quelque chose malheur est bon by GDL

The "BOMB" scare which happened on MK 943 last Wednesday has been the talk of the town and non stopping. I have been flooded ever since by phone calls, sms and emails.
While it was a serous matter and no joke, never in the history of Air Mauritius has the carrier been subject to  so much publicity. One can say it was bad publicity but as marketers tend to say,  any publicity is good publicity.

Indeed I concur that it was a "good" publicity,  not only for Air Mauritius, but also for Mauritius as well. Never has Air Mauritius or the MTPA been able to reach the entire Australian market during their many many years of presence in Australia.(and around the world).

I explain: from the moment the news broke out, all the media, traditional, new and social, in Australia and around the world reported the news. A world wide audience heard the word "Mauritius." and discovered it.
In Australia alone, some 27 million now know where  Mauritius is and that there is an airline with flights Sydney, Melbourne, Perth if they want to visit the tourist paradise of the Indian Ocean.
The other good publicity was, how the crew handled the matter so professionally. At the end of the day, it was only a can of soft drinks. This reassured passengers of the safety image that Air Mauritius has always projected, " Passengers' safety come first".

"Sadly" this came at a time when Air Mauritius is pulling out of Melbourne, a city which has been loyal to the airline and filling its planes. Even in this precarious time there were 181 passengers on board MK while Air Austral for example, is flying near empty from Sydney.

I said earlier  that I received many communications  from Mauritians of Australia and overseas.
While some were very concerned, others were  trying to find out more, some were even trying to play Inspector Colombo  like:
When and where exactly was the can of soft drinks? Was it full or empty? Was the word bomb stuck to the can or was it hand written on it ? What type of pen was used ?
Someone even joked  : C'etait une bombe "alerte" !
One funny comment went " Mo crawr zot ti pe ecrir BOMBLI" and did not have time for the "LI".  A passenger might have stuck some of these badly smelt commodity in a can of soft drink. It could have been from the previous flight Mauritius- Australia. As Mauritians bring in achards in Australia, zot osi ti pe apporte Bomli.!!!

These are the more serious comments I received :

 - C'est une mise en scene.

- This cannot come from any passenger, No way!

- A scenario to portray  Australia is bad.

- Another excuse from MK to pull out of Australia.

- It is politically motivated by Port Louis to blame/penalise the Creoles of Australia.

- This exemplifies the tension that exists between the parties at MK.

- Someone somewhere want to take a revenge on Air Mauritius.

Anyway, it was a day to be remembered for Air Mauritius, a good souvenir of Australia.
But as said earlier never had Air Mauritius received so much  exposure.

GDL.

Le changement il est deja la

By GDL.

During the Presidential campaign, the Socialist candidate Francois Hollande slogan was
" Le changement c'est maintenant".
Actually it did not take long for the French people to see " le changement" as soon as Mr Francois Hollande was officially intronised as President of France.
His first visit to Germany to discuss European matters or " La crise Euro" was a victory for Francois Holland as his " croissance" (growth) was "considered" by the Chancellor Angla Merkel, who said initially, she was opposed to " la croissance" and preferred " l'austerite" ( austerity measures).

Francois Hollande took his concept of "la croissance"  to the G8 meeting and succeded in convincing President Obama and the rest of the G8, that growth was the way forward. There was even an editorial saying how Angela Merkel was " isolated" on her concept of austerity.

The second great " changement" which the French people and the world was quick to notice, was the composition new French Government. It was a marked contrast with the Sarkosy and Fillon style. For the first time France has a government with 17 female ministers and so many young talents.

The third change was Francois Holland's victory in maintaining that the French military troups will be back to France by the end of this year. Barak Obama. apparently tried to convince Francois Hollande to change his mind but he resisted. That's what we call "n'avoir pas froid aux yeux" even while having an eye to eye contact with the most powerful person in earth.

Ah, j'allais oublier cette reduction de salaires des Ministres de 30%. Quel exemple pour les politiciens de Maurice et de L'Australie !! Je dirai plutot une claque a l'UMP.
Le changement en France est non seulement "maintenant", mais il est deja la.

GDL.

Divorce in decline in Australia

Divorce in Decline in Australia, by GDL

Strangely as it may sound divorce is in decline in Australia. The number of divorces granted in Australia has been decreasing each year since reaching a peak in 2001. A recent report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, shows that divorce is in decline and marriage is on the rise. In 2009 there were 118,756 marriages registered and 121,176 in 2010. This represents an increase of 0.9 per cent or 1,058 more marriages. It is the highest number in any one single year. In contrast, there were only 47,209 cases of divorce in 2009 as compared to 52,700 on 2004. Why this turnaround when one decade ago, one out of 3 marriages ended in divorce?

Studies carried out on a marriage breakdown found many reasons e.g. marrying too early, poor communication, basic unhappiness, loss of love, incompatibility, infidelity, mental illness, emotional problems, deception over expectations of roles, low education, low income, parental divorce, early pregnancy, interpersonal conflict, just to name a few. It is also found that very often divorce is very much associated with economic circumstances and if the couple’s financial situation is stable, the couple has one thing less to argue about.

On the other hand, the Institute has identified the following attributes of healthy couples are: a sense of respect and feeling appreciated, trust and fidelity, good sexual relations, good communication, shared values, cooperation and mutual support, enjoyment of shared time, a sense of spirituality and the ability to be flexible when confronted with frustrations and changes, appreciation for each other.

Commenting on the decline in divorce, Peter Macdonald, Head of Demographics at the Australia National University, found that one reason for the divorce in decline, could be the trend of living together before marriage. He said that in 2008, seventy-eight percent of marriages were preceded by a couple cohabiting.

The economic argument also looks valid towards the longer duration of some marriages. The Australian economy has been strong for the past decade, and there has been a low rate of unemployment. The economy of Australia was not so much affected during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 and we did not face any recession as opposed toUSAand other European countries. As the economy continues to grow with the unprecedented mining boom, and record exports to China, and the other Asian Countries, this seems to have positive impact both on the economy as well as on social life. It coincides with the fact that families seem to be sticking tougher more.

Another factor contributing to the decline of divorce is the new composition of Australian population i.e. the increasinglyAustraliamulticulturalism. According to the population census conducted last year, 27 percent of Australian residents were born overseas and increasingly, coming from South East Asia.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics,

“From the beginning of the 1970s until the late 1980s, the proportion of the population born overseas remained steady at about 20% and, following an increase in immigration levels at the end of the 1980s, rose to 23% in 1990. Further arrivals of migrants in the 1990s and 2000s contributed to the increase in the overseas-born population, with their proportion of the overall resident population rising to 27% by 30 June 2010.”

The census also shows that the fastest growing community is to be those coming from India. These new migrants usually have a strong belief in spirituality, marriage and family life. As the Family Institute study found that spirituality is a contributing factor to longer relationship, divorce rate in these Asian communities is consequently very low. This also contributes to getting the numbers of marriage up and the rate divorce down.

My neighbours, a young couple coming from India, explained:

“Marriage is sacred in the Hindu religion. Very often marriage is arranged by the two families who consequently become very close, a small community is formed. The lengthy ceremony of marriage itself denotes how important this event is. There is always “surveillance” from the parents to see that the marriage works. A breakdown is a shame to both families.”

The overall news that divorce is in decline, means that there is less family breakdowns and less suffering both for the couples and particularly for children. Fewer divorces denote more stability on the social front which also have positive outcome for the economy at the individual, family and national levels.

This is indeed good news for the whole Australian society.

Sources:

TheInstitute of Family Studies www.afs.gov.au

The family Law Courtwww.familylawcourts.gov.au

The Australian Bureau of Statistics: www.abs.gov.au/

The Sydney Morning Herald, Sept 2001

The Age Sept 2009

A Labor surplus budget after so many years

It was a promise they made after the spending spree of the past 5 years i.e since labour came back to office in 2007. From a surplus budget left by Peter Costello, it went down last year to negative $44b.

Labour had to deliver on its promises by hook or by crook to get the budget back in surplus although by a minimal 1.5 b. It also had to give away some goodies as the general elections looms and this is exactly what Treasurer Wayne Swan did.

Labour presented a budget which is tailored for the lower and middle class, for the battlers. A budget with cutting income tax is rare. The tax free threshold tripled going for $6,000 to $18,200. This means that people earning less that $18,200 will pay zero tax and if it has been deducted at source, they will get the refund. This represents some 1.5 million taxpayers paying no tax al all.
It also means that all those earning beyond $18,200 will not pay tax on the first $18,500 which was at the rate of 22%. It represents a saving of close to $2,000.
Pensioners will get an increase of $338 and families with school children will get $410 for primary and $820 for secondary students among other benefits.

The budget forecasts a surplus of $1.5 billion coming from a deficit of $44 billion. It means that new revenues and savings will amount to $45.5 billions. While cost cuttings have been a hard thing for labour who always favour big spending and deficit budgets, they have now done it. It affects many government departments and some public servants will face redundancies.
This surplus, according to wayne Swan, will continue to increase over the years. But remember this is only a forecast and will only come to reality or not at May of next year.

Most of the government revenues will come from the Mineral Resources Rental Tax and the new Carbon Tax. They are both taxes on big business. The MRRT is fair when we know that billionaires are getting everyday richer exploiting our land. It takes great courage to tax these powerful people like Clive Palmer, Gina Reinhart and Mr Forrest who are favoured by the Liberals.
The Carbon Tax will be imposed on some 200 businesses who are consistently and continuously polluting our atmosphere. It aims at reducing emission by 5% by 2020. The CT will be changed into an Emission Trading Scheme after some time.

In the budget speech there was hardly any mention of the Carbon Tax. These words are toxic to the government as this is the Black Caviar ( the winning horse) of the opposition. Campaigning against the carbon tax has caused damage to the government. It has become a slogan which hammered by Tony Abbott so much so that the majority of Australians now believe that it is a bad tax, that will affect us all. It comes into effect on 1st July and it is only after a few months, or a year later that we will feel the real effect of this tax, if it will really drag prices up and our standard of living down. It remains to be seen and proved. If it doesn't it will surely backfire on the opposition as this is their only weapon. A weapon that Tony Abbott used extensively in his budget speech reply.

The budget of Wayne Swan was definitely a leftist and an electoralist one. It shows that Labor wants to connect back to its base i.e the lower and middle classes. Will this pay off in the months to come ?
The answer will be in the polls three months before August 2013. But for now, labor is still in deep shit. Their battle is definitely uphill.
GDL

Quand un Premier Ministre ment.

If you have followed the events of the 1st of May in Mauritius, you would have noticed that all speeches were dominated by 2 topics: Medpoint and RochesNoireGate.
While much is known about Medpoint(Gate) little was known about the RochesNoiresGate.
The event related to Roches Noires happened in the night of the 2-3 July 2011.
It all started about a Rolex watch belonging to the Prime Minister of Mauritius Navin Ramgoolam, that was allegedly stolen in a bungalow at Roches Noires.
The bungalow is said to belong to the PM which he bought for 40 millions rupees. Only God knows if that is true...!! as no one dares to contradict him.
The strange thing is that the PM initially said that he was not in the bungalow that night and if so how comes that his watch was there ? But he said that is not true and he still have his Rolex ? Is this the same Rolex asked SAJ ou bien Rolez faire piti ?
Then the PM said he actually went to the bungalow that night and later said he only stayed for a little while. However  he did not say who were in the bungalow that night . Some said there was a woman, others say that there were a at least six people there partying,  a second version of the Macarena party !!  You surely remember the Macarena party 15 years ago at Albion!!!   15  years later we have another of these secret party at Roches Noires !!!??.
In a meeting in Port Louis, first Paul Beranger, then Sir Aneeropod Jughnuth revived the events of the 2-3 July 2011 at Roches Noires implicating the Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam.
SAJ talked about a macarena party at Roches Noires where the PM was present and he even talked about " couteau emba la gorge " !!
What really happened that night in the bungalow is a real mystery although there has been many versions by the people of Mauritius. Personne  pa kone mais nou tou kone ki ti pase sa swar la !!!

Anyway following the macarena party at Albion, many has been written and said about les frasques du PM et ses sorties nocturnes. A journalist even called these night adventures  " les demons de minuits" from the tube of Mario Ramsamy and le Groupe Images.

The other question raised by SAJ, Is the death of a person in police cell linked to the Roches Noires party ? Did that person know too much and had to be silenced ?
The answers my friend are blowing in the wind as Bob Dylan sang.
This is the RochesNoireGate. Only an independent enquiry can shed light on whether the PM lied and why.
Meanwhile enjoy a sega made in Mauritius.

.

Distasteful politics in Australia

The Labor Party in disgrace over the Craig Thomson saga.
By GDL.

The Craig Thomson saga and the incompetence that the Labor party manifested since 2007, are surely the obvious reasons why they are at the lowest point in the polls.
This week surfaced again(sic!) Craig Thomson's affair, with the report from Fair Work Australia. It took four years for Fair Work Australia to investigate whether Craig Thomson, the Labor MP for Dobell, and other members of the Health Services Union, had acted improperly and whether they should be prosecuted for criminal offences.
As reported in the press months ago, Craig Thomson had allegedly used the union credit card for his own enjoyment, i.e to pay for prostitutes, dinner, travel and cash outs which amount to more than $100,000. These expenses  appeared on the bank statements and signatures affixed to the payments. Mr Thomson continues to deny all wrongdoings.
After four years of enquiry, Fair Work Australia submitted its report into allegations of unfair use of HSU's finance by its former Federal Secretary, to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution. 
The report was not made public but it is understood, that, it  named three members of the HSU. There  are apparently 118 cases of wrongdoings and 71 cases of breach which are liable to prosecution.
In a bizarre twist, the DPP declared, after receiving the report, that it will not act on this document to engage in prosecutions. It is up to the HSU or Fair Work Australia to lay formal charges to the DPP to consider prosecution. This was not the case with the enquiry report.
It is no strange, under these circumstances that, in the general public's  mind,  there is an attempt of cover up somewhere. The Opposition leader was quick to highlight the failure of Fair Work to provide prosecutors with the brief of evidence required and qualified this as a deliberate act of " obstruction of justice."

Mr, Abbott told radio 2GB, "I think the public are concluding that basically a protection racket has been at work here inside officialdom to look after Craig Thomson and the Gillard government.”
For her part the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, brushed off any suggestions that Fair Work Australia was trying to protect the government by concealing any wrongdoing by Mr Thomson, whose departure from parliament would threaten Labor slim's parliamentary majority.She said the workplace watchdog was wholly independent. 

While I understand that legal procedures can be quite complex at times, I am surprised that despite all that has been written and said in the media, it has taken four years for Fair Work Australia to "properly" investigate whether Craig Thomson had misused the union's money. I found this unacceptable that after four years of enquiry, there is still no signs of whether Craig has committed a criminal offence.   Is this Australia or another Australia ?

I find it hard, not to believe or suspect that everything is done to delay that the case goes to Court, in view of the Gillard's  minority government. If Craig Thomson is found guilty, he brings down the Gillard's government with him. The longer it takes the better it is for the government to rely on Craig Thomson's vote. It might take up to the general elections.

I have the impression that I am living in a third world country in Asia or Africa, where the separation of powers is not embedded in the constitution and where corrupt politicians do everything to pervert the course of justice. 

For my part, I am really disgusted by the way this saga is turning. This Gillard's Labour Government is just  a disgrace.

Politics and democarcy in island paradise Mauritius.

It is always said that democracy is the worst system but unfortunately there is no better one.
Democracy was invented in ancient Greece with a view of giving a government by the people, for the people.  En passant, it is sad to see how the once great civilisation which was Greece, has turned out today in a bankrupt country. This denotes that the government was not for the people but rather against the interest of the people. Now the people are suffering and no doubt not supporting the government.!!

In the island paradise Mauritius, it seems that democracy has got a particular or different meaning, taking from the past two general elections when the same party, namely the Labour Party came back to power. What is particular in Mauritius is that there is no clear demarcation between the party and the government.
It is true however that it in a democracy, it is the winning party which forms government. However  the notion or role of a government is not the same as the party. They are and should be different in operations, in objectives and practice.
A party, is a group of people call politicians, which competes against another party or parties in the quest for power.
A government on the other hand, is composed of minsters who are sworn in to work for the good of all the citizens, their social, cultural and economic well being. The main aim of a government is to work in the best interest of the nation and the country.

In Mauritius it is different. Once the general elections over, the incoming government favours only its supporters, i.e members of the party, their friends and families. Everything is done to favour those who have worked for the party in helping them win power. In this case it is not a government for all the citizens but a government for some citizens.
This state of affairs is not good omen as it amounts to corruption. But you know what ? Corruption has been a way of life in Mauritius since  Seewoosagur Ramgoolam took power in 1953. Since then corruption perpetuates and became worse after Mauritius became independent when the  same S. Ramgoolam became Prime Minister.
Today, corruption is endemic in Mauritius. You ask any member of the public in Mauritius and he or she will tell you that there is corruption at all levels of government and there is nothing they can do about it. They will tell you that we also get into it if we want to "move forward".
Navin Ramgoolam, the son of the late Sir Seewosagur Ramgoolam, was educated in England, in a western society and country which has a long tradition of democracy and transparency.
With such a background one would have expected Navin to modernise his third world country and make it a model of governance for other third world countries to follow.
But contrary to all expectations, Navin became more embedded in politics just as his old father. He uses the same tactics of appealing only to the Hindu majority to support him and keep him as PM.
In return,  he gives them all the favours and privileges and in so  doing let corruptions continues to flourish. The government ministers nominate their friends or relatives at the head of government corporations and parastatal  bodies even though they have no qualifications and skills.And guess what ? The results are catastrophic. But this is no problem for the government as they use public money to cover up and get the money back from taxing the citizens.
Most of the time,  the money that the government spends, flows back  in the hands and pockets of those  friends of the Labour government, The same money is afterwards use to finance the electoral campaign of the Labour Party which gets back in power again and so goes in circle.
This is how Mauritius is governed and this is how democracy functions is the island paradise.

Firehawks Band in Sydney for Independence day on 17th March

For the first time in Sydney, the Mauritian community  celebrated the anniversary of the Independence of Mauritius. Une celebration pas comme les autres fois!!!

For the occasion the ball will was held at the Redgum Centre, on Saturday 17th March, at Wentworthville featuring the Firehawks Band from Mauritius. It was a special night and very different from the balls we used to have in Sydney.
Some 300 patrons were crowded in the function centre dancing all night long to a band which  played a variety of music  pleasing everyone from 17 to 77. They were kept on their toes till 2 a.m the next day.
The band is composed of  9 young musicians, among whom 2 female singers and children of great musicians like Gerard Cimiotti and Karl Brasse.
Mr Ben Nursoo, President of the Mauritian Community Welfare Association, made a speech on the night appealing to the Mauritian community to support the projects of the MCWAA and to make our voice heard within the wider Australian Community.
Mr Alain Laxale, a major sponsor of MCWAA, urged the attendance to support the community radio broadcasting live every Sunday on 89.3 fm at 10 a.m (Sydney time).
Due to the size of the hall some 100 people who called one or two days before the ball, missed out.
Those who had the chance of securing a ticket and a seat were not disappointed at all,  most of them said they had a memorable night.
Mr Stellio Rivet, a great musician from the greatest band of Mauritius in the 70s, The Blue Stars said,
 " Man, what a band and what a ball!!. Du jamais vue a Sydney!!"
Dr Gerard Adolphe wrote," I have been in Sydney for more than 45 years and have never seen such a ball. Congratulations to the organisers."
The organising committee take this opportunity to thank for all those who contributed to make the night a successful and enjoyable one.
The next function will be in October. Watch this space.
See you there.

Jimmy Harmon's interview by GDL

Listen to Jimmy Harmon talking about Institut Cardinal Margeot

The Rodriguan Social Club of Victoria

OPINION of GDL

 

The Rodriguan Social Club of Victoria, a model of solidarity and success.

I was very impressed when I walked into the clubhouse of the RSCV for the first time on 19 February 2012. While the interior decoration of the club is very original, the atmosphere is so welcoming.

It is immediately felt that all the members are very connected to the club as a building but more so as a group who share the same commitment, the same values and the same passion. There is a great feeling of belonging and solidarity among the members.

What is more impressive is the cordial, friendly, community and family atmosphere that prevail where anyone and everyone is put at ease straightaway.

The Rodriguan Social Club of Victoria can be classified as a model of democracy.

While the club is under the leadership of a Central Committee, it operates with full disclosure and transparency. Power is decentralised, all the members are involved in one way or another in the running of the club. In politics we call this participative democracy a new and modern paradigm which is gaining momentum and more consideration.

This model is working perfectly for the club. It is a strategy which allows the RSCV to reach its aims, goals and objectives. It keeps the bond among members while focussing on the bigger picture.

The members, and rightly so, have a sense of pride of what they have achieved. It is a dream comes true, as was put to me by the President Cyril Appadoo.

But it is also a dream that they are living in the reality. A baby that is being taken care of with much attention and which is growing and developping.

The other intangible, but how big, achievement of the RSCV is they way they are keeping the Rodriguan legacy and culture alive in a western city which is also very multicultural. They have consistently value their food, music and dances.

The Rodriguan Community of Victoria has made their culture, and their country of origin, known to the wider Australian Community through their frequent participations in festivals and other cultural events.

There is no doubt that this community has positioned itself strongly and conspicuously on the social and cultural landscape of Victoria .

 Bravo a Fidou, Cyril, Mikel. Leo et les autres.