"PEOPLES' BANK" TAKES SHAPE

by Jeremy Lee
While Australia's Labor Party flounders around in an ever-decreasing circle, a few positive moves are being made across the Tasman. The first tentative signs of a withdrawal from reliance on foreign ownership and capital are beginning to appear. The Kiwibank, to hoots of uneasy derision from the private money-lenders, is being put into place, with a number of Post Offices to act as agencies. Next month the new peoples' bank, wholly New Zealand-owned, will obtain its full banking licence. The first branches will open in Palmerston North and Hawke's Bay, to be followed in April and May by branches in 140 Post-owned outlets. The bank will concentrate on low fees and basic face-to-face service.

The move has already resulted in responses from the private trading banks: " ....In December, Australian-owned ANZ extended its opening hours to the two Saturdays before Christmas in 33 of its New Zealand branches and this month introduced a no-frills bank account for existing customers. An ANZ spokesman said Kiwibank was not the main motivation for the new account .... But this cut little ice with Kiwibank's political champion, Mr. Jim Anderton, New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the left-wing government coalition partner, Alliance. 'The Australian banks should be explaining why they can afford to reduce their fees now, when they couldn't afford to do it until the prospect of competition from Kiwibank arrived,' he said ...." (The Australian Financial Review, 1/2/02)

In a way current moves in New Zealand are a modern re-play of the moves in Australia for a "peoples' bank" 100 years earlier. The move in Australia was described by its main champion, King O'Malley, in the Federal Parliament in September 1909 in these words: "We have before us the greatest question that has yet been submitted for our consideration. It involves Australia's national supremacy in finance, and the peace, good government and prosperity of generations yet unborn. I have laid down my scheme because I am a banker. If I did not understand it, and if I had not had experience among some of the cleverest financial men that America has ever produced, I should not have presumed to submit it to the house. This is no party matter. I am not speaking as a Labor man, or as a Government man, but as an Australian for the whole Commonwealth in order to see if we cannot devise some scheme that will overcome the complexity of modern finance with benefit to the people......"

It seems clear that today's ALP is a rudderless wreck. Either it is going to get back to its own roots, or it will die. If Simon Crean was to issue a genuine challenge to the increasing foreign domination of Australia the popularity of his party would surge. If he simply reminded people of the great achievements of the Labor Party in starting the Commonwealth Bank, and why it was done, we'd get somewhere. Anything, one would think, would be better than being a "lame-duck" leader who dares not articulate the real issues.

ARM-TWISTING THROUGH TAXES

With 60 percent unemployment, its few industries in tatters and its infrastructure decimated, the Palestinians are in an invidious position in the West Bank and Gaza, as what they see as an occupying force continues to pulverize them. Much has been made of the so-called illicit arms from Iran, intercepted on their way to the Palestinians by the Israelis. But nobody mentions the massive arms-supply to Israel from the US, once with the caveat that they should not be used against the Palestinians. Nobody even bothers to mention this fact any more.

Under an agreement made in the early 1990s, Israel collected taxes paid by Palestinians in the territories on goods bought in Israel, which were transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Israel currently holds $US400 million in such taxes, which it has withheld from the Authority for 18 months. It is now proposing to divert such taxes, paid by the Palestinians, to compensation for damage and security to itself, incurred during the escalating war. The Australian Financial Review (1/2/02) concluded:
" .... Over the past 18 months Israel's clampdown on the Palestinians has had a devastating impact ....trade in goods and services has slowed to a trickle and social services are failing .... Yet withholding funds from Mr. Arafat has other consequences, such as making the Palestinian Authority more reliant on Arab countries."

PAYING REFUGEES TO GO HOME

We would be foolish to suggest that Prime Minister Howard reads On Target. But it is true that events are pushing the Government in the way we have suggested in the last couple of issues. The Australian Financial Review (1/2/02) reported:
"Australia will offer financial incentives to encourage Afghan asylum seekers to return to their homeland as part of a multimillion-dollar assistance package for the strife-torn country. The Prime Minister, Mr. John Howard, made the surprise announcement after meeting with Afghanistan's interim leader, Mr. Hamid Karzai, in New York on Wednesday - part of a diplomatic drive by Australia to restore its tarnished international image ....Australia has pledged $40 million towards the restoration of Afghanistan. The incentive scheme is in addition to this money ....."

Meanwhile, former Labor Federal Minister Peter Walsh has hit out lustily at the "soft-labor" elitists who are trying to exploit the detention-centre issue. After hitting out at the likes of Malcolm Fraser, Carmen Lawrence, Robert Manne and Duncan Kerr, Walsh pointed out that "mandatory detention" was introduced not by the Liberals but by Labor in the early 1990s. Mandatory detention laws were introduced in Western Australia when Carmen Lawrence was Premier.

Peter Walsh went on: " .... The self righteous seem to believe that Australia should take more refugees and not worry about the few (about 3,500 annually in recent years) who enter the country illegally. There are two gaping holes in the proposition. If the illegal entrants were welcomed and allowed to melt into the general community without even testing their refugee claim the 3,500 would increase dramatically. The problem would become unmanageable as it already has in the UK and much of Western Europe. "To my knowledge none of the righteous has declared they want a borderless immigration policy. They are therefore obliged to specify the refugee intake they believe to be acceptable and how they would lock the gate when that number has been reached. ...." Which of course, while they play on our heart-strings, they cannot and will not do.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ENDS

The 2,700 delegates to the WEF in Manhattan paid $US25,000 to attend left at the end with little achieved. Jenni Russell (AFR, 1/2/02) described it thus: " .... It's the sheer concentration of individuals in possession of power, wealth or knowledge that makes the privately run forum so desirable to its participants. The thousand chief executives who attend its annual meeting control, between them, more than 70 percent of international trade. Every year they are joined by a couple of dozen presidents and prime ministers, by senior journalists, a changing selection of leading thinkers, academics and diplomats, and by rising stars of the business world. Access is by invitation only, costs quite a few thousand dollars a time for business participants, and is ruthlessly controlled ....."

Paul Kelly in The Australian (6/2/02,who has never hidden his globalist preferences, wrote: "The business hubris often displayed at the World Economic Forum is dead, a victim of terror, recession and scandal .... In New York last weekend there was a conviction that the global system needs renovation but few solutions were on offer .....New York's meeting was dominated by vulnerability, fragility and uncertainty. Israel's political genius Shimon Peres said: 'Confusion is part of our liberty; if everything was clear then we wouldn't know what freedom was.' Bill Clinton was typically superficial: 'You can't have the benefits of globalisation without the vulnerabilities.'"

Kelly reported economist Paul Krugman as one of the most specific: "Krugman told the business audience to end its patronizing complaints about poor governance in developing nations given Enron's exposure of the flaws of US capitalism. .... Morgan Stanley's chief economist, Stephen Roach, said the US contributed 40 percent of world gross domestic product growth in the five years to 2001 and there was no replacement locomotive. The US was taking the world down; a double-dip recession in 2002 was a real risk ...."
The payment of $US25,000 by delegates to hear such platitudes must have dismayed a few.

GLOBAL SABRE-RATTLING

President Bush's "State-of-the-Union" address, and his subsequent war-budget were, to any objective listener, appalling. The "axis-of-evil" was enlarged to include North Korea, Iraq and Iran. His eyes shone, and his audience cheered at the thought of an enlarged war. Shares in armament industries defied the recession in the rest of the world and rocketed up.

The Australian Financial Review (6/2/02) said: "The US President, Mr. George Bush, formally launched a new era of deficit spending, sending a $US2.13 trillion ($A4.17 trillion) Budget that requires tens of millions of dollars of federal borrowing to pay for vast increases in the military and homeland security spending .... A year ago, the Administration said it could cut the amount of federal debt outstanding by $US1.6 trillion by 2007. Instead, the figure goes up by $58 billion. ....Administration officials defended their changed stance with a simple answer: 'This is war'....." The Budget has allocated $US379 billion to defence - the biggest arms build-up for decades.

The Australian (6/2/02) commented: " .... On Wall Street, defence stocks made strong gains, led by fighter jet manufacturers Boeing and Lockheed Martin and warship and submarine builder Northropp Grumman ...."
Just to keep the world free, happy and contented - so long as we do as we are told!

A QUEEN SPEAKS TO HER PEOPLE

by Betty Luks
There were many loyal Australians who quietly celebrated the 50th year of our Queen's ascension to the throne. West Australia reported enjoying a 'magical' evening at their dinner with guest speaker Mr. Phillip Benwell of the Monarchist League. It is appropriate for those who share the same values to celebrate and have fellowship together. We encourage all our readers to organise an occasion to celebrate the event sometime during the year.

The Queen's Silver Jubilee message - points to ponder
It is fitting that we should ponder on part of Her Majesty's 1977 Silver Jubilee address delivered in the Guildhall London before representatives of the Nations and the Commonwealth:
"At the Silver Jubilee of 1935, and at my Coronation, the Empire and the Commonwealth came to London. This time the travelling is in both directions and I think we can claim to be doing our fair share. "During these last twenty-five years I have travelled widely throughout the Commonwealth as its head, and during those years I have seen, from a unique position of advantage, the last great phase of the transformation of the Empire into Commonwealth and the transformation of the Crown from an emblem of dominion into a symbol of free and voluntary association. In all history this has no precedent...." (emphasis added).

British columnist Hugo Young has described the Queen as "the rock of stability round which the forces of every kind of experiment in radical change may safely rage." - Listener, February 2nd, 2002.

Sadly, we acknowledge the death of Princess Margaret on Saturday, February 9th, Her Majesty's younger sister. Our hearts go out also to Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, at the loss of her daughter.

SOCIETY CENTRED UPON THE PERSON

It is the objective of the Australian League of Rights to help extend that right of free and voluntary association. It is not just a right of heads of governments, it is a right which belongs to all men and women - to all Australians. It is the objective, the putting into practice, in all aspects of human association, of the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Anthony Cooney, discussed just such a concept, developed by C.H. Douglas in Social Credit teaching, as viewing "Society as a set of dynamic relationships centred upon the person".

The individual, that is you, me, each individual, considered collectively as 'Society', is more important than the group. Just as each nation, who form the group of nations called the Commonwealth, is part of the free and voluntary association, so the same principle applies to each individual who forms the group, whether the group is the family, the community or the nation.

STATE ELECTIONS - SOUTH AUSTRALIA

At the time of writing, the election has resulted in a 'hung' parliament'. The fate of both Liberal and Labor parties hinge on the final results of two electorates, Hartley and Norwood. Although, counting is so close for other electorates the final results could drag out for a couple of weeks. Interestingly, the complaint was made the counting was slow (inferring the fault was that of the booths' staff), but could it have been the voters chose their own order of preference? We will have to wait a while to find that out.

Major parties are losing their support base
What was obvious, the major parties are losing their support base. Labor's primary vote was around 36-37 percent and the Liberals could only claim about 39 percent for their primary vote. One National Party and three Independents won seats (each is a sitting member, although two are disenchanted Liberals) and could hold the balance of power. The Democrats suffered a crushing blow with a loss of around 12 percent of their support base. One thing you can't take away from the professional politicians - their ability to put the most positive 'spin' on what was, in effect, a reprimand by the South Australian people towards these traitorous and corrupt party-politicians.

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! NASA SCIENTIST 'HOSES DOWN' GLOBAL WARMING

The following is taken from an internet-posted article by Patrick Michaels. February 3rd, 2002. Mr. Michaels is a senior fellow in environmental studies at the Cato Institute USA. NASA extinguishes global-warming fire:

"The NASA scientist who lit the bonfire of the global warming vanities with his flamboyant testimony 14 years ago, has turned the hose on its dying embers." And well, well, (not) more surprisingly still, "There is now no reason for the Bush administration to give an inch on Kyoto." George Bush and his cronies can now go 'full steam ahead' with his 'anti-terrorism offence campaign' which will at the same time take up the slack in the US economy.

The about-turn by this flamboyant NASA scientist means Mr. Bush was able to lead "the world by being the first to walk away from Kyoto, and science has proven him correct. NASA's James Hansen now predicts precisely the same, small amount of warming for the next 50 years that the much derided 'climate skeptics' predicted all along," says Mr. Michaels. "How did Mr. Hansen, once the darling of the green apocalyptics, come to adopt the scientific position they detest? According to Mr. Michaels, the answer to that question is quite simple: "Nature compelled, and NASA disposed."
No matter that while the systems are controlled by the usurious-debt-money-system, the earth will continue to be pillaged and raped - all in the name of 'progress', or 'anti-terrorism' - take your pick -by the military/industrial junta in control of America.

PRIVATISATION IS A 'LIVE WIRE' WARNS SENATOR HARRIS

In a media release January 30th, 2001, Senator Len Harris has warned Australians they had better look at what is happening to another one of Australia's high-flying corporations. He has warned us, we can't say we weren't told. Senator Harris has slammed the government's 1998 decision to privatise the National Transmission Network, (NTN) reiterating One Nation's policy that important communications networks should remain wholly Australian owned.
"I am gravely concerned by revelations that British American company NTL, the parent of NTL Australia, which purchased the national transmission network, is financially crippled with debts to the tune of $US17 billion," Senator Harris said.

He has told us, "Our National Transmission Network will be up for grabs in this shake out and it is likely to be sold to another offshore parent. Although there are safeguards to ensure continuity of transmissions and access for broadcasters, the bottom line is that network is at the mercy of market forces and a cartel of international banks and investors."
"Eventually, someone will have to pay for the debt burden which NTL has accumulated and we need to ensure that the costs of debt restructuring are not passed on via higher charges and fees for the ABC, SBS and our community broadcasters."

Privatisation supposed to be more 'efficient'
Privatisation is supposed to be more efficient, more innovative and reliable, but here is another example of a corporation buying up one of our national assets and the parent going belly up. "Although NTL Australia has announced no job losses - yet," said the Senator, "the long-term security of 100 Australian jobs may be in jeopardy.
Communications assets are a critical component of our national defence and security and should not be in the hands of offshore companies."

BUSH EAGER TO ESCAPE THE STENCH OF ENRON SCANDAL

"Houston and Texas have always been more business-oriented than the rest of the country," said Stephen Klineberg, a Rice University sociology professor and author of an annual survey that 'takes the pulse of Houstonians'. "The belief here is that the role of government is to facilitate private enterprise. Texas is America writ large. It's an exaggeration of that concept."

As hard as he tries, Mr. Bush can't shake the image that he was Enron's man - closer to one particular company than any of the previous 42 presidents were, to any one company.

Please note
'Private' enterprise and 'Free' enterprise not the same thing: 'Private' enterprise is not the same thing as 'free' enterprise. 'Private' enterprise, as expressed by the Judaeo-American philosophy, is the economic/political system based on the usurious-debt-money-system known throughout history as Mammon.
'Free' enterprise (free: meaning not in bondage to another) is a system (as the League of Rights understands the term) based on Natural Law and the Common Good. There is the world of difference and you must discipline yourselves to understand the differences. This country will not change direction unless the people insist upon the changes.

How can Australians insist on changes when they do not know what is fundamentally wrong? We recommend Eric Butler's and Jeremy Lee's books and videos on the subject. Inquire at your State Book Service, details are on the back of On Target.

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

"Like Houston itself, which rose from a steaming bayou to become the fourth-largest city in the United States, Enron was built on a simple concept: governments in Austin and Washington should stand back and let business do its thing. To ensure it got its way (with deregulated energy markets and little government oversight) Enron gave handsomely to politicians of all stripes - but mostly to those who shared that idea."
"Without the Houston-based energy giant and fundraising dynamo Kenneth Lay, who resigned as chairman last week, it's unlikely Mr. Bush would have come this far," explains Mr. Barrie McKenna of www.globeandmail.com website.

"Now the former Texas governor is struggling to escape the stench that is wafting up from the inquiries into the largest bankruptcy in US history - a tale filled with dark deeds, ruined lives and fortunes lost. But not the fortunes of the elite who ran it - just the savings and funds of the employees and investors. (www.globeandmail.com)

Enron a broking business
Deregulation saw Enron develop as a broking business matching buyers and sellers of energy. It grew into the seventh largest U.S. company with $100-billion in revenues. In which case - how much energy did Enron actually produce - if any? "The General Accounting Office (GAO) - the investigative arm of Congress - is threatening to go to court to get details of meetings last year between Enron executives and White House officials. Mr. Bush has insisted that disclosure would mark a dangerous encroachment on his office's ability to do business. Spokesman Ari Fleischer said the GAO is asking "for information that oversteps its bounds."

Meanwhile, the FBI and securities regulators are investigating allegations of fraud and obstruction of justice at Enron. As Bush prepared for one of his speeches on the issue, Barrie McKenna says, "he refused to meet with laid-off Enron employees who travelled from Houston to Washington by bus to plead for financial aid."
Two criminal inquiries and six congressional committee hearings have been launched.

BASIC FUND

MAYOR OF PORT LINCOLN WRITES TO RUDDOCK

WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE DINNER

QUEENSLAND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

BETTY LUKS FOR NORTH QUEENSLAND

INVERELL FORUM