LEAGUE NATIONAL WEEKEND SPIRITUAL FEAST

The 1989 National Weekend of The Australian League of Rights was a major watershed in the history of the League. It demonstrated beyond all doubt that not only had the massive national anti-League campaign, triggered by the notorious Senator Boswell attack early in 1988, completely failed, confirming the essence of Mr. David Thompson's brilliant address at The New Times Dinner in which the young N.S.W. League State Director said that the impact of a movement like the League could be measured by the quality of its opponents. We should welcome enemies of the ability of a Phillip Adams, said Mr. Thompson, and, as Christians we should also love them. "But how can you love your enemies unless you have enemies?" asked David Thompson.

Chairing his first New Times Dinner, David Thompson's response to the toast to The New Times was an example of the spiritual and intellectual content of the highest order. Its impact was electric as was the address of the Dinner Guest of Honour, the Rev. Cedric Jacobs, M.B.E., C.P., J.P., who was given a standing ovation at the conclusion of his address. A dinner guest was heard to comment that the Uniting Church had rendered Australia at least one outstanding service when they sought to deprive Cedric Jacobs of a parish and an income. This outstanding man of genuine Aboriginal background had responded to his Church's attitude that he saw this as a challenge to take his mission to a much bigger congregation - the Australian people. He praised the League of Rights for the role it was playing in making this possible.

In a type of personal testimony, Cedric Jacobs clearly revealed that he was a man who believed that his faith would sustain him. One of the highlights of his address was the revelation of how in 1981 he had led a delegation of Aborigines to a United Nations Committee in Geneva. Cedric Jacobs was scheduled to present papers concerning the alleged oppression of the Australian Aborigines. The material to be presented had been prepared by the radical activists dominating National Aboriginal Conference. As he left by air for Geneva Cedric Jacobs, accompanied by the Conference' s senior research officer, became disturbed by the nature of the paper he was to present. It contained allegations, which he knew were not true. He agonised about what he should do. As his plane flew over the Pacific he sat back to watch the film to be shown. It happened to be The Chariots of Fire, which is based on the Scottish runner Eric Little, later to die as a Christian missionary in China, who refused to run on a Sunday at the Paris Olympic Games in the early twenties. Even when personally appealed to put his nation's standing first by the then Prince of Wales, Little firmly declined, stating that his first loyalty was to his principles. Cedric Jacobs said this film made such an impact on him that he broke down in tears and resolved there and then to tear up the speech prepared for him. When he reached Geneva he re-wrote the speech and caused a tremendous stir among the radicals when he presented it.

There was loud applause when National Director Mr. Eric Butler announced at the Dinner that the young West Australian John Lane, who has not long become 21, was to join the League full time next year. John Lane is representative of the growing number of young people of ability who are joining the ranks of the League. John Lane delivered a short but inspiring Paper at the National Seminar on the Saturday. The Papers presented were of the highest quality, with the final Paper being given by the Rev. Cedric Jacobs. Book sales were massive.

The Action Seminar on the Sunday took the League to new heights the major highlight being the report by Mr. Jim Cronin, the man whose Action group on the West Coast coined a new term, "Bank Watch". This was a classic example of grassroots work of the highest standard. A full report on this campaign and "Bank Watch" is being prepared. Representatives were present from all States. Three of the Reports were given by young University students. David Thompson outlined the League's strategy concerning what is clearly emerging as a major issue, that of the environment. Once again the League is leading.

The Action Seminar covered all aspects of the League's work and ongoing programme. National Director Eric Butler said that in his opinion the Seminar was one of the most inspiring in the history of the League, and matched the great challenges now confronting the nation. It was imperative that adequate financial support be provided to finance the expansion. Numbered amongst those present at the Action Seminar was Mr. Barry Tattersall, another man moved by faith. His contribution was most stimulating. Over a hundred representatives of the League left at the conclusion of the weekend to take the good news back to their respective States and districts: The League is on the verge of new and greater offensives.

A GLOBAL GREEN AGENDA

by David Thompson
A series of international conferences are gradually yielding the spectre of a global environmental agenda, being ultimately controlled through the U.N. But the global green agenda has little to do with solving environmental problems. Rather, it has to do with the centralisation of power on a global scale. It is all about the erosion of national sovereignty. It is clear that Australia's Fabians and their sympathisers are in complete accord with the agenda. Governor General Hayden made the comment that solutions to environmental problems extended beyond the sovereign rights of nations. Mr. Hawke will be pushing for joint international action on the environment at the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting in Kuala Lumpur later this month. The Commonwealth Secretary General, Sir Shridath Ramphal, is actively developing the agenda.

In January, Ramphal produced a Cambridge speech "A Global Green Agenda" in which he said: "Underlying the Brundtland Commissions message of a 'common future' was the premise that we must think of our planet not only as a world of many states, but also as the state of our one world. That we must be ready to nurture tomorrow's concepts of global governance, not have them stifled at birth by yesterday's notions of national sovereignty; that human survival may not be secured save by the reach of enforceable law across environmentally invisible frontiers." Ramphal, of course, serves as a member of the Brundtland Commission, the World Commission for Environment and Development.

GARETH EVANS AND GLOBAL LAW
In March, Foreign Minister Gareth Evans addressed the International Law Association in Sydney, spelling out the Australian position on the 'global agenda': "The task ahead will be to persuade countries in our region that environmental concerns transcend national sovereignties and that every country has a responsibility to protect the environment for future generations. I represented the Prime Minister at a summit meeting in The Hague, of 24 Heads of State, which adopted a declaration designed to give political impetus to urgent international efforts to tackle the problems of climate change ... to deal with the unprecedented global threat posed by the greenhouse effect, the depletion of the ozone layer and related phenomena. The signatories to the declaration have acknowledged and agreed to promote a number of principles, including: - The development, within the U.N. framework, of new institutional authority to combat further global warming of the atmosphere; - The adoption of appropriate measures to promote the effective implementation of and compliance with the decisions of this authority, the decisions which will be subject to "control" by the International Court of Justice....

GLOBAL GREEN POLICE
A careful reading of these statements, and of Mr. Gorbachev's U.N. address in December 1988, hints very strongly at the emergence of a global green police force. This new policing body will apparently have the power to make and enforce new international environmental legislation, in order to save the world! Sonny Ramphal speaks of "enforceable law across environmentally invisible frontiers." Senator Evans is fully aware of the emerging role of the U.N. He is now actively lobbying for the job of President of the U.N. General Assembly (The Age, 2/10/89). Evans is the spiritual successor of Dr. H.V. Evatt, who first filled this office being fully aware of the role the United Nations, could play in disposing of Australia's sovereignty. Evans sniffs the fulfillment of the long-term goals.

LABOR ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH

WHY UNIONS ARE IN DECLINE

From The Australian, October 2nd:
"Workers could be in for yet another round of regression with the A.C.T.U's. vision of the future which is aimed at having six large unions in Australia to look after them. "The A.C.T.U., representing a minority of workers, certainly takes a lot of power unto itself in making that proposal. "The reason most unions have lost numbers is the lack of membership servicing. If all of the unions are to merge into six corporate juggernauts, service to the individual members will be practically nonexistent. The smaller organisations, particularly the craft unions, give value for money to individuals.
"A union's role is to protect the interests of each member including such day-to-day exigencies as ensuring proper payment of wages, representing in cases of victimisation, in workers' compensation matters, advising on superannuation, conditions of employment and other entitlements, protecting against unsafe working conditions and making representations where necessary to governments for better legislative protections. That is why a union member pays subscriptions.
"Instead, unions have become too political. Time and money is spent on legal fees in objecting to other unions' coverage and objecting to applications by associations for registration. It is spent on expanding power bases, on elaborate conferences with all of the associated fringe benefits of expensive air travel, accommodation and other perks, and, of course, in funding the A.C.T.U. and, in turn, the Labor Party.

"The A.C.T.U. is more concerned with dominating the very government of the country than it is with Joe Bloggs, humble financial member. Joe is never told how far behind the cost of living is his wage. Nor is he consulted. "He receives a pile of different coloured ballot papers at the time of the annual elections of the union. He doesn't know any of the candidates. It is a big corporate business and he has to pay for it. "And whether he votes Labor or not, part of his subs goes to the A.L.P. He has no say in that either.
"He's neither left nor right, nor centre left nor centre nor centre nor socialist left nor new right. He's simply left right out.

"The move towards fewer and larger unions, a policy seemingly common to Labor and Liberal Parties (though for different reasons), is in fact only to make the union power brokers more powerful in their own right; awesomely so. Business will rue the day it happened. And Joe can go jump. "Were they genuinely interested in becoming more relevant they would go out into the field and do the job for which they are paid, just like Joe has to do." (Donald R. Gray, Collaroy Plateau, N.S.W.)