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Thursday 27 June 2013

The new Australian Labor Party

The new Labor Party of Australia
by GDL

On the 10th of June (see below), I wrote that there was political instability in Australia.
This period of uncertainty was becoming unhealthy and could not last as it was bad for
the country both socially and economically. The government was in a sort of stalemate
and business was losing confidence and well as consumers. There was a need to break the deadlock.

Then on Wednesday 26th June, some brave members of the Labour took the bull by the horns
and requested a leadership spill. The once deposed leader Kevin Rudd stood as a challenger to
sitting prime minister Julia Gillard and eventually won the contest.
So on Thursday 27th June Australians had a new prime minister, Honourable Kevin Rudd.
Three years later Kevin Rudd had his revenge on Julia Gillard and she was deposed the same way.
She cannot be too angry as she now bears the consequence of her own action. She paid the price
of deposing a first time sitting prime minister to fulfil her ambition of being the first female
prime minister of Australia. In retrospect she must be saying that she went to fast or burned
the red light.

Julia Gillard did not win the  elections in 2010 but managed to stay in power by negotiating with the Greens and the independents. Her alliance with the Greens was a mistake and was toxic; they forced her to introduce a carbon tax and prevented her to contain the asylym seekers, who came en masse during her term of office. This was another of her many failed policies.

During the prime minister ship of Julia Gillard, the opposition led by Tony Abbott was surfing on a wave of popularity. All the polls were favourable to the opposition from every corners. The polls indicated that voters were sick of this government and its prime minister. But whether they really
wanted a change of government and did they really trust the opposition and wanted Tony Abbott to be the next prime minster, was the real debate.
The question was answered by a snap poll which taken the night that Kevin Rudd replaced Julia Gillard as leader of the labor party. It showed that the primary vote of the labor party had increased by seven points, that on the two party preferred the result  was 50-50 and  that Kevin Rudd was the preferred prime minister. The polls also showed that it will not be a landslide victory of the opposition but a rather close election.

Now the opposition has a real battle on their hands. They cannot be complacent and can no longer
practice the politics of negativity, can no longer use slogans and has to put forward their policies
and plans for the country. Tony Abbott which was up to now sleeping quietly, has to wake up and
show his party's credentials. No excuse will be accepted by the voters, it is only three months to the
general elections and the people need to know the social and economic policies of the opposition.
The media which have up to now focused on the government troubles, will now shift their
attention to the opposition by scrutinising their policies. The pressure is now squarely on the opposition.

The real contest starts now, it is not a personality contest but one of ideas and policies. The party
who can convince the voters that they can best govern for the good and welfare of all the citizens
will be the winner.
Kevin Rudd has already taken the lead. It is up to Tony Abbott to follow.

Friday 21 June 2013

Thursday 20 th June : World refugee day.

World refugee day : reflection par GDL.

Following the first and second world wars, many people in Europe were displaced
i.e. had to flee their own countries because of the remnants of the wars.
The Jews, most particularly, paid the price after the atrocities by the Germans under
Hitler and had to hide or flee from their counties of origin. It was a prelude to the
refugees (or displaced people) as we know them today. The refugees came from
Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Checkoslovakia looking for protection. They were
hosted by countries like France, Israel and as far as Australia  and the USA.
The advent of repressive and dictatorial regimes in Latin America also caused refugees
from Chile, El Salvador, Argentina  to flee persecutions.
Civil wars in Lebanon, Vietnam and Korea also added to the phenomenon of refugee.
In the new century, civil wars in Africa have added to the lot of refugees. Today the
war in Syria has caused 1.5 million Syrians to flee their country.

After World War II, in 1951,  leaders of many countries met in Geneva and signed the
Convention on Refugees. The 1967 protocol amended the Convention to include
universal coverage as it only applied to Europe. Among the many countries,
Australia also signed the convention, which means that it will accommodate refugees.
The convention also establishes the role and duties of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees.

The definition of a refugee according to the UNHCR  is :
"Any person who owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reason of
race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion,
is outside his/her country, is unable to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country."
The Convention also states that -
-Refugees should not be penalised for their illegal entry and stay in the host country
-The principles of non-refoulement is fundamental
-The refugees should have access to Courts, primary education, to work and even
  given a passport called the "Nansen passport"
- The state has to cooperate with the UNHCR in the function of its duties
- While protection is not permanent, once assessed the host country will grant refugee status.

The influx of boat people seeking asylum has become a political issue in Australia.
 It has become  a topic of fierce debates inside and outside parliament to the extent
 that some are advocating that Australia should walk out of the Geneva Convention.
According to the UNHCR, there are at date 45 million refugees wandering around the
world and Australia is accommodating only 0.3% of the refugees.
The same report writes that  Australia remains the preferred country of refugees.

The refugee issue and the non-stop arrival of boat people is a big problem for the Labor
 government who has tried everything to reduce the influx but seems to have failed lamentably.
The opposition accuses the actual government as responsible for this situation because
they dismantles the Howard solution when Kevin Rudd came to power. The opposition
says they have the solution to the problem i.e. they will reintroduce the pacific solution
and temporary protection visa (TPV) and turn back the boats. The Greens, for their part,
welcome all asylum seekers and keep reminding the government of its obligations under
the Geneva convention.

As all indications pointing to a change of government in the September general elections,
all eyes will be on Tony Abbott to stop the boats and turn them back. Failure to stop the
boats and deter asylum seekers to come to Australia, even during its first term
in office, will be regarded as a failure and lie from Tony Abbott.

GDL.


Monday 10 June 2013

Political instability in Australia

Australia needs a strong government
by GDL

The advent of a minority government in Australia since 2010, has but brought instability in the country. Julia Gillard and Labor did not win the elections of 2010, but managed to govern with the support of independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshot.
Labor also had the support of the Greens. This support from the Greens were actually toxic as the latter cornered the government into passing the carbon tax legislation. Gillard promised before the elections that there will be no carbon tax under a government she leads but she later explained that she had no choice. Taxing Carbon is taxing our cheapest form of energy.

Since 2010, there has been political instability in the country. Each piece of legislation had to be negotiated with the independents and the Greens. Many times parliament has to resort to division of votes as there was no clear majority. It was rarely they "yes" have it or the "nos' have it.
Labor had to rely for the most part on the vote of disgraced Craig Thompson and made Peter Slipper, the rat, the speaker to be assured of staying in government.
There was also instability within the Labor party itself. Julia Gillard leadership was challenged twice by Kevin Rudd. The latest challenge resulted in major casualties which saw the resignation of ministers and parliamentary secretaries as well as the whips of government.During the past three years we have also seen cabinet reshuffled three times.

The polls have consistently shown that Labor is in decline but was still showing the unpopularity of Tony Abbott. This was some comfort for the Labor voters; but since Tony Abbott became the preferred prime minister, many saw this as the last straw. It became thus clear that voters have turned their backs on Labor and particularly not listening to Julia Gillard.

The demise of  Labor, besides these instabilities, has also been compounded by many bad decisions and policies starting from the days of Kevin Rudd and all through Julia Gillard's prime ministership. The list is long and exhaustive demonstrating thorough incompetence. Analysts rate Julia Gillard and her government as the worst in the political history of Australia.
This week highlighted the panic in the government ranks to the extent that many have already conceded defeat. This sense of despair was, however, the opportunity for Kevin Rudd to come in the forefront to boost the moral of the Labour supporters.
He made a show of force, mingling with the public to demonstrate that he is still the people's Prime Minster. He also urged his labour colleagues to stand up and fight against Tony Abbott.
This "show" of Kevin Rudd  has again cause for concern to the extent that a reputable journalist like Barry Cassidy of Insiders is saying that support for Julia Gillard has withered and it seems certain that there will be another leadership spill.(sic)
The eventuality of a  Kevin Rudd's return could see another cabinet reshuffle and a new date for the general elections which could be in August.The question remains if Kevin Rudd can repair the damages that he started, and amplified by Julia Gillard. While most analysts (like myself) think it is too late, that the game is over for Labor, others think that Kevin could help save some marginal seats.
Kevin or Gillard will not, according to all polls, be prime minister in September. Who will be the leader of the opposition is also not clear.
It is predicted that  Bill Shorten will be the next leader of the Labor party. We will soon find out.
Qui vivra verra comme le dit souvent mon ami Serge Felix.

Tuesday 4 June 2013

The Rodriguans in Melbourne, a vibrant community

Opinion of GDL
 
Rodriguans have been migrating to Australia since the 1950s. The first families were the Calamels. For those who have been to Rodrigues, the colonial house of the the Calamels still stands near the Francois Leguat's Place. The house is now occupied by the well-known, Ben Gontran.
The wave of Rodriguan migration to Sydney and Melbourne happened in the late 1960s. Among the families who came by boats, the big ones, Patris, and Galileo, were the Castels, the Roussetys, the Meuniers and the Raffauts. Ademar Roussety and his family were the first to settle down in Melbourne, according to Marie Fidou Templin, Secretary of the Club.
The largest diaspora of Rodriguans is in Melbourne in the state of Victoria, Australia. There could be around 2,000 Rodriguans living in Melbourne. They came from the regions of Port Mathurin, Oyster Bay and La Ferme. 
The community of Rodriguans in Melbourne is not only vocal but  visible through the  Rodriguan Social Club of Victoria which is 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 also 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 shares the same commitments, 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 prevails at the club house where anyone and everyone feels at ease straightaway.
 
The Rodriguan Social Club of Victoria is one of the most successful ethnic clubs of Melbourne where the community is gathered frequently for social and cultural activities. There is so much happening at the club that Emission Kontak has developed a slogan when referring to the club, " Il se passe toujours quelque chose au club Rodriguais."
The RSCV, commonly known as " Le Club Rodriguais" is the only Rodriguan Club in the world. This year it is celebrating its 18th anniversary. The club was founded by some well wishers who had a vision for the community and a hub for the members and non members to meet and celebrate their culture and legacy. It did not take long for the club and the Rodriguan community to position themselves as a unique community and distinguishing themselves from the other communities and clubs all while forming part of the wider Australian society.
The RSCV is also different from the other Mauritian clubs of Victoria. This is not to say that there is animosity between these two groups as it used to be in Rodrigues in the 60s and 70s, but instead there  a cordial and close friendship between Mauritians and Rodriguans in Melbourne. There are many Mauritians born as well as some Seychellois who feel a strong sense of 'appartenance' to the Rodriguan club. This is due to the shared creole culture, the friendly atmosphere and the many social and cultural activities which fill the leisure of the many baby boomers of Melbourne.
The history of the club is a successful one. It 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 achieve its many objectives. It keeps the bond among members while focussing on the bigger picture, "OUR Club OUR Culture ".
The establishment of the club and now having their own clubhouse is a milestone for the members. They feel a sense of pride for what they have achieved. It is a dream comes true, as was put to me by the actual President, Cyril Appadoo. It is also a dream that they are living in the reality. A baby that has being taken care of with much attention and which has  grown and developed. It is now a fully proud grown-up, 18 years old.
The other intangible, but how big, achievement of the RSCV is the way they are keeping the Rodriguan's legacy and culture alive, in a western city of Melbourne which is also very multicultural. The club has  consistently and frequently put forward the values of their  cuisine, 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. like Globe to Globe, La Faya or Moumba.
There is no doubt that the Rodriguan community of Melbourne and the RSCV have positioned themselves strategically,  strongly and conspicuously on the social and cultural landscape of Victoria .
 Bravo a Fidou, Cyril, Mikel. Leo et les autres and Happy Birthday to the Klib Rodrigue.