Danger – Time Portal Opens in Australia and Drags Populace Back into the Past

Do you remember playing the ‘if you could go back in time what would you change‘ game?  Well here in the land of Oz it’s no longer a hypothetical what if scenario.  The current government is hell-bent on rewriting history, gutting future development and isolating us from the rest of the civilized world.

They’re busily revoking hard won environmental protection laws, re-visiting [with pride mind you]  The White Australia Policy, rewriting the curriculum to ignore indigenous and multi-cultural Australia, standing apart from Climate Change policy and sending Women’s Rights into the void.  Sadly that’s just an overview of the many changes we’re facing here from a government increasingly dismissive of public opinion as well as international and domestic law.

Today was White Ribbon day, an event led by men to show their support for women and their disapproval of violence against women around the world. Tony Abbott, who is not only our PM but is the self-appointed Minister for Women, was the only male in parliament today not wearing a ribbon.

Despite the fact that he joined the governor general for a White Ribbon day event he continues to remain oblivious to current gender roles and his own blinkered vision.

He has a long history of treating women as less than in both public and private life.  This may sound a little picky but it is indicative of a government who have ministers that declare putting women in headlock is reasonable if you are her husband.

It is also the same government who has ministers telling the UN that violence against women was not torture and not the responsibility of government.  Karapanagiotidis of Asylum Seekers Resource Centre  condemned the Abbott Government saying:

it was the first in 25 years to argue that the CAT does not apply to violence against women, and called it “a dark day in Australia’s history”.

As for Climate Change and moving toward lower carbon emissions as well as future development in renewable energy it seems that our government is once again going backwards.  

As the rest of the world makes commitments to long-term reduction of emissions and funding for renewable energy our government removes the Carbon Tax, cuts funding to environmental protection agencies, slashes the Renewable Energy Targets [because – get this – they worked too well and were taking profits away from mining companies] and accuses the Bureau of Meteorology of being ‘in league’ with environmental terrorists by providing false weather data [yep he really is our PM and yep he may as well be wearing a tin foil hat].  

If that’s not enough to have you shaking your head at the stupidity of it all Abbott say’s his proudest moment at the recent G20 [Oh don’t get me started on that event] was ‘standing up for coal’ as the rest of the world leaders spoke of moving away from fossil fuel based energy.  Well he is the man who goes around saying ‘coal is good for humanity‘ [I kid you not].

On top of that, just when other countries have slowed their import of brown coal and a number of Australian mines closed down for a ‘rest period’ due to oversupply this government, along with the Qld State government is opening the Carmichael Mine, which is planned to be the largest coal mine in the Southern Hemisphere.

Lack of support for this project hasn’t dampened their efforts.  Bank after bank has pulled out of funding the project and our largest importers have reduced their requirements for the product along with issuing statements that there are plans to reduce them even further.  All of this combined with the dangerous reputation of the Adani group has raised community protest to an all time high.

Now the sensible thing to do would be to at least put the project on hold or better still cancel it, as advised by the environmental protection agencies due to the issue of contaminating the water table as well as further damage to the Great Barrier Reef with the planned expansion of Abbott Point coal terminal.

But no, what’s our government going to do, well I’ll tell you they’re planning to sell public assets to fund the Adani group to build a mine no one wants to mine coal that no one will buy.  [massive surplus on the market is not expected to reduce until at least 2016].  There is a great deal more to be said, especially in regards to human rights and education but for now I’ll hop off my soapbox and rest up so I am ready for a new rant tomorrow.

I’m so very angry about what is happening in this country but under it there is fear and a great deal of it.  The potential damage the LNP can do while they are in office is staggering and considering what they have already done the future does not bode well.

However there is some light at the end of the tunnel as the state election in Victoria are set for the coming weekend and it looks as if the LNP government there is going to be not just out on the street but pushed into the wilderness for a long time.  Next up will be the Qld elections and boy does Newman have to go.  After that we go federal and all things being even [which they rarely are] we’ll be kicking Tony and his ‘boys’ to the curb.