THE VULNERABILITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

by Jeremy Lee
Good local government is woven into the history of the English-speaking peoples. The idea was that as much as possible should be decided on a local basis, for it was at this level that the most basic interests of people lay. Their homes, families, education, entertainment, church and productive activities were lived at local level.

Before Australia existed there were councils, shires, parishes, mayors and aldermen in the British system. Each elected person was known locally, and woe betide him if he started lording it over others. In the lovely villages that bedecked the hills and vales of England there were no Town Clerks, CEOs, town planners, council engineers etc. Development was by local consultation.
When a young couple wanted to build a cottage, all the locals met to decide which was the best site. The result was quaintness, with winding streets, village squares and, of course, the "Common", on which everybody had the right to run a few geese, a cow or a goat. The English village was an island of charm and contentment. The few petty thieves and rogues were sat in the stocks for all to see and jeer at. A little public humiliation was better than a lot of jail.

Many local ideas appeared in early Australia. Local Government Acts in our early history contained a lot of rights for ratepayers - which have disappeared without trace. In New South Wales a ratepayer who was short of cash could pay in work or kind. In other words, he could pay with an agreed quantity of wheat or vegetables; or he could demand of his shire some work to pay off his rates. The shire was obliged to accept his offer. Naturally, every effort was made to keep rates within the reach of all. The late Professor Gates of the University of Queensland, who specialized in Local Government, stated that a Council with more than 10,000 inhabitants quickly lost touch with ratepayers. And, of course, councilors, aldermen and even mayors gave their services free.

RATIONALISATION

All that has gone. Councils have been amalgamated and increasingly subjected to State Planning Legislation - so much more 'efficient', you know! The Gold Coast Council is near enough the size of Tasmania in terms of numbers. The Brisbane City Council is the largest in the southern hemisphere.

No State has suffered as much as Victoria. Under that paragon of Premiers, Jeff Kennett, Local Government was literally torn apart, amalgamated, and made into administrative regions of the State Government. Elected councils were dismissed, or put under non-elected CEOs who trod roughshod over local desires, traditions and customs. Ironically, Kennett had campaigned passionately against such a move before he became Premier. He swore that no such move would take place without local referendums. One or two were held. But when they indicated a preference for things as they were, no more referendums were held.

REAPING THE WHIRLWIND

The latest news from Victoria (Michelle Rose, Herald and Weekly Times, 17/10/03) tells the sad story: "Lavish credit card spending by council bosses has left ratepayers with a million-dollar bill that includes boarding kennel fees, Grand Final tickets and fancy dress costumes. As ratepayers buckle under their highest-ever bills, a Herald-Sun investigation found 110 councillors swiped ratepayer-funded credit cards thousands of times in the past two years. Personalised number plates, limo hire, valet parking, staff awards, gifts, deluxe car washes, international phone calls, liquor and clothing are among items billed to council credit cards. A former Greater Dandenong Mayor even used his card to pay for a $7.05 McDonalds meal.

Credit cards are used in addition to reimbursed expenses - annual allowances up to $57,500 for suburban councilors and $110,000 for City of Melbourne councilors. Council executives collect annual salary packages of up to $250,000, plus bonuses. As allowances and salaries rise, so have rates - up an average 7 per cent across Victoria this year.

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information shows details of credit card spending at hotels, restaurants, car parks, shops, travel companies and online stores. Greater Dandenong was the biggest spender, running up $160,000 on 11 cards over the past two calendar years. Outer-eastern Casey spent the most per capita, splurging $157,000 on four cards - almost $40,000 each. Both councils' average rates just rose $41 to $599 in Greater Dandenong and $674 in Casey.

Documents also reveal
CHIEF executives, directors and councilors at the 20 councils have access to at least $506,000 credit each month, with monthly limits ranging from $1,000 to unlimited.

TWO councils - Bayside and Darebin - have no policies on credit card use and Stonnington allows its mayor to use the card for personal expenditure as long as it is reimbursed.

DIRECTORS and councilors were ordered to pay back almost $1,000 for personal items bought with ratepayer-funded credit cards.

COUNCIL leaders spent almost $150,000 on meals at some of Australia's top restaurants and $150,000 staying at ritzy hotels across the globe.

GIFTS to staff and visitors, including jewelry, shoes, electrical goods, fine china and flowers cost ratepayers $16,000.

MAROONDAH Council refused to release its card statements, claiming use of the ratepayer-funded cards was private.

SEVERAL officers breached policies, including two who used cards for cash advances.

The Herald-Sun found council policies on credit cards ranged from one paragraph to 20 pages and some did not include a list of banned items. Municipal Association of Victoria chief executive Rob Spence called on councils to develop strict rules for credit card use "There needs to be limits and controls on what they can spend on," Mr Spence said. He said most councils used credit cards wisely and use was monitored by the Auditor-General.

Dandenong Resident and Ratepayers' Association spokeswoman Christine Ware said spending by Greater Dandenong Council was staggering. "We accept there is going to be some level of expenses … but the fact they exceeded Melbourne, who could have a far bigger need in that area, is unbelievable," she said. But Dandenong chief executive Warwick Heine said the council used credit cards instead of reimbursement to have more control over spending. "It has significantly reduced cash handling, which is one of our biggest exposures to the potential for fraud," he said.

Casey residents were "stunned" council director Jennie Lee used her credit card to pay almost $800 in boarding kennel fees while on eight business trips. "Everyone else who ever goes away needs to find someone to look after their pets," Cranbourne and District Residents Association spokeswoman Joanne Blanch said. The council said in a statement it paid kennel fees "to allow (Ms Lees) to attend activities for and on behalf of council where it is necessary that she be away".

A Moonee Valley council spokeswoman said former mayor Don Cornish paid $468 for Grand Final tickets in 2001 "when Moonee Valley's only team, Essendon, featured in the Grand Final". Moonee Valley, where average rates jumped $89 to $856, also paid $550 to hire costumes for a staff revue.

Melbourne Council paid fines of $500 for an overdue car registration and $40 for a CityLink "no tag in vehicle" fee. Banyule, in the northern suburbs, paid $496 for personalized number plates BCC 01 for its $40,000 half electric, half petrol pool car. Boroondara, Frankston, Glen Eira, Kingston, Monash, Moreland, Nillumbik and Whittlesea councils do not issue credit cards to executive management and councilors. (end of article)

Whew! And we thought that Peter Reith was the only Victorian to have trouble with credit cards! Does anyone care? Or do we just shrug our shoulders as though we expect nothing less? Perhaps irate Victorians will be the first to bring the stocks back!

ECCLESIA ANGLICANA LIBERA SIT

So reads the great Magna Carta of 1215 ("The Church in England shall be free ") Without in the least wishing to offend the many good Anglicans in our midst, that venerable institution does seem to have got itself into a spot of trouble! The English journal Right Now! (Oct-Nov. 2003) gives the following disturbing picture: "In the 50 years between 1930 and 1980 the Church of England lost half its members. This decline continued, albeit at a slightly slower rate, during the 1980s. It seems actually to have accelerated during the subsequent "great leap forward of the "Decade of Evangelism".

There is, however, one figure which has gone up. "There are now double the number of bishops and dignitaries than there were when the Church was more than twice its current size…." Which makes one wonder? If present trends continue, will the C of E diminish to one last final figure - a future Archbishop of Canterbury? And, if so, what happens to the vast investments made by the church over the centuries? It looks as though the last Archbishop will be a very lonely, but very rich, prelate.

MAHATHIR'S SPEECH

by Betty Luks
No matter what the news item, you can be sure if it appears somewhere in the mainline media, it will have the establishment's own 'spin' on the story - for our daily consumption. Malaysia's Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed's speech to the Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference in Putrajaya is no exception.

Having read Mahathir's full speech, which in effect, was a plea to those leaders and nations predominately of the Muslim faith, for unity of purpose and goals, was along these lines:

We must stop fighting among ourselves, we must see our religious faith as a unifying force.
We must prevent the different religious factions from dividing us and thereby weakening us as nations and peoples.
We have to start to think smart and long-term, because that is what the Jews have done. They have used their brains and not their brawn and look where they are now.
We cannot fight them through brawn alone. We must use our brains also.
We must think, because we are up against a people who do. "They survived 2000 years of programs not by hitting back, but by thinking. They invented and successfully promoted Socialism, Communism, human rights and democracy so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong, so they may enjoy equal rights with others." "With these they have now gained control of the most powerful countries and they, this tiny community, have become a world power."

Dr. Mahathir observed
"None of our countries are truly independent. We are under pressure to conform to our oppressors' wishes about how we should behave, how we should govern our lands, how we should think even."
(Hands up all those battling Australians who can relate to Mahathir's complaint about the "pressure to conform" - by our own politicians and bureaucrats and the endless laws and rules and regulations being churned out, in this 'land of the free'? Sit down and list the bureaucratic rules and regulations which now tell you how you should behave, how you will be governed, and how you will think. What Mahathir sees happening on the Muslim-world-scale we can see happening in this country.)

"Today, if they want to raid our country, kill our people, destroy our villages and towns, there is nothing substantial that we can do. Is it Islam which has caused all these? Or is it that we have failed to do our duty according to our religion? Our only reaction is to become more and more angry. Angry people cannot think properly…"

And now for the establishment's 'spin'

Ed Cropley, Reuters reported: "Mahathir, who steps down at the end of the month after 22 years in power, told the Bangkok Post, 21st October, 2003 in an interview that widespread criticism of his recent remark that "Jews rule the world by proxy" proved he was right… News accounts had ignored his condemnation of all violence, including suicide bombings, and his call on Muslims to heed the teachings of the Koran and talk peace with Israel, he said. Asked why he thought this was the case, Mahathir replied: "Well, many newspapers are owned by Jews. They only see that angle and they have a powerful influence over the thinking of many people. Only their side of the picture is given now."

Out come the 'big guns'

The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre (notice the key word, the 'guilt-by-association' word, the Nazi-hunting centre) said Mahathir's speech could spur violence against Jews. (By the same token, Ariel Sharon's remarks, about Muslim-Palestinian Yasser Arafat could also 'spur violence' against Palestinian-Muslims).
"This is incitement against Jews (Mahathir's comments) and it provides a rationale and motivation for terror (another key 'guilt-by-association' word) against Jews," Ephraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Israel, told Reuters. The World Union for Progressive Judaism, an umbrella body grouping liberal and reform Jewish communities around the world, urged acting U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan to speak out against Mahathir's "racist remarks"."

'Racist' remarks? It is quite okay to link the word 'Muslims' with all sorts of infamies - real or invented - but not to link the activities of the Jews with the Jews. That is racist. As for Australia's Prime Minister John Howard, what can one say about a fellow-Australian who has sold out his own country and his own people for a mess of pottage?

Most Australians believe in the sovereignty of a nation, the real freedom of her people, the rule of law, the great human freedoms: to worship, to think, to speak, to choose, to be ambitious, to be independent, to be industrious, to acquire skill and to seek and earn reward.*
* Taken from "A (1949) Statement of Liberal Party Beliefs".

As I read Mahathir's speech, I am impressed those are his aims for the Muslim world. Is that so bad? We were commanded "to do unto others as you would have them do unto you." What is good for us should hold good for others.

COMMONWEALTH BANK'S 'REPUBLIC MARKETING SYSTEM'

by Philip Benwell
National Chairman, Australian Monarchist League.

"At the time of the Referendum we saw many people, including heads of corporations and banks - who should have known better, enthusiastically promoting a republic. Following the devastating defeat of their fundamentally flawed 'utopia' these misguided creatures were thereafter conspicuous only by their silence. However we are now outraged to learn that the Commonwealth Bank has named its new marketing initiative as the "Republic Customer Relationship Marketing System", or the 'Republic CRM'.

One wonders why a bank would use a name which is today synonymous with defeat. Unless, that is, they have an agenda we know nothing about. Whatever the reason, the more the word 'republic' is used, the more these people hope that the electorate will become conditioned to accept constitutional change.

The Chairman of the Commonwealth bank is Mr. John T Ralph AC and the Managing Director, Mr. David V Murray. The Bank website does not include an email address, only an on-line form. However they do have a toll free complaint hotline at: Phone - 1800 805 605 and Fax - 1800 028 542. The Bank may think that it is being clever. IT IS UP TO US TO PROVE THE OPPOSITE TO THEM.

Please therefore give consideration to phoning this toll-free number to register your outrage at the Bank's use of their shareholder's (and customer's) resources to promote a republic."

GREENS REPORT THEIR CANBERRA PROTEST 'WELL SUPPORTED'

"The Greens received overwhelming support for protest action at the Parliament House address by US President George W Bush," claimed Senator Bob Brown, 24/01/03.

Both Senators Brown and Kerry Nettle, were ordered out of parliament yesterday after interrupting Mr. Bush's speech. Some government MPs tried to physically prevent the Greens senators from approaching Mr. Bush after he addressed parliament. Their website claims "calls to The Greens had been running 80-90 per cent in favour of the protest. People say they're proud to be Australian, that they feel we've made the parliament into a democratic place, we had a right to stand up and make submissions for Australians being treated differently and appallingly by President Bush in Guantanamo Bay," he told Channel Nine. Bush has already 'repatriated' Americans from Guantanamo Bay.
Sen. Brown said the action achieved much, "It achieved a recognition that two Australians are being kept in that tortuous hell-hole of Guantanamo Bay."

President Bush has repatriated the Americans out of that torture camp and ...the issue was raised by Prime Minister Howard as a result of the Greens' actions. President Bush has agreed now to fast-track the process of bringing these men to trial. "I feel very strongly about this," said Sen. Brown, "I'm an Australian. I do not want to see Australians being treated second class by anybody else, nor would President Bush allow that as far as Americans are concerned. It took the Greens to stand up for Australians on that issue."

AN OPEN LETTER TO: GEORGE W. BUSH - JOHN HOWARD - ALEXANDER DOWNER

The following Open Letter appeared in "The Courier", an Adelaide Hills newspaper with a circulation in the electorate of Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"It was wrong to invade Iraq. It was wrong to bomb Baghdad and Basra. Iraq was not a threat to any other country, and certainly not to Australia. Nearly 8,000 civilian Iraqis have been killed, and more than 20,000 wounded. Hospitals, power plants, and water pumping stations were destroyed, leading to widespread sickness and hardship. Thousands of Iraqi families have lost sons and fathers who resisted the invasion. Iraq is now in a state of chaos without any clear leadership.

Crime and terrorism are now widespread. American soldiers are being killed and wounded unnecessarily. Many Australians warned you of the stupidity of a war against Iraq, and of the political and physical chaos this would cause, but in your ignorance and naivety you mislead people about the reasons for the war, and went against the wishes of nearly every member of the United Nations. There is now no clear or quick solution to the damage you have caused. The bereaved will never forget the "Coalition of the Willing," or your "Shock and Awe" bombing.

You should pay compensation for the destruction caused. We can only hope that wiser leaders will prevail, and that such miscalculated and cruel acts of war will not again be done in our name."

This letter has been supported by the following
Signed by around 150 Australian citizens (including a number of well known Democrat MPs.)

SUPPLEMENTS AND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH PRODUCTS

by Don Auchterlonie
April 29th, 2003 was a turning point for the health industry in Australia. Pan Pharmaceuticals, the supplier of 75% of Australia's complimentary healthcare products, was ordered by the Therapeutic Goods Authority (TGA) to do the largest, quickest and most comprehensive recall of health products in the world. Some public confusion exists from drug industry misinformation referring to nutritional supplements as drugs. Humans require dozens of essential nutrients to stay alive. The need for these products is increasing as food grown on demineralised soils fails to provide optimum nutrition. Orthodox doctors claim that the standard western diet contains adequate nutrition in spite of the fact that 75% of Australian deaths are a result of lifestyle.

In the weeks that followed, the media was awash with negative stories about nutritional supplements, Pan and its CEO. And yet the TGA failed to document the substance that had triggered this recall. The TGA says its role is to "protect the health and safety of all Australians".

It is rather lenient regarding complaints lodged about pharmaceutical drugs. Without going into the many complaints lodged by people affected by these drugs we can note that 10,000 deaths occur annually in Australia due to medical procedures and drug associated events. In 1963 the UN and WHO formed the Codex Alimentarious Commission, made up of delegates representing large multi-national pharmaceutical companies and government regulating authorities including the TGA and FDA (USA). There are no representatives of small manufacturers and retailers at Codex meetings. Thus the business of Codex meetings is to put restrictions on the sale and use of vitamins, food supplements and herbs. (With acknowledgements to researcher, author and journalist Eve Hillary.)

Personal letters needed
If you are a person using nutritional supplements, this writer would urge you to pick UP your pen and write to your Federal MHR and Senators and bring this issue to their attention and inform them that you expect your representative to retain for you the freedom to choose nutritional supplements. A personal letter, hand written or typed is the most effective - petitions are much less effective. If you are not sure who represents you, ask at your Local Council Office, Post Office or look on the internet. Feel free to copy this as required.

A 'MUST' READ

"Health Betrayal" by Eve Hillary
It is said: "what we eat today walks and talks tomorrow". Eve Hillary graphically describes what our food eats - chickens, pigs, and cattle in modern production facilities. The 'World Food Summit' on 10/6/02 seriously debated the question that FOOD not be recognised as a FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT under pressure from the USA which was pressured by their multi-national corporations.

Corporate farming is pressured on producers by deliberate government policies. Many factory-farm animals don't see a blade of grass during their lifetime. Beef cattle eat genetically-modified corn and other grains and animal tankage pellets. The pellets are made from road-kill, dead and diseased animals and the scrapings from slaughterhouse floors. (The rest of the gory details you can read in the book). The "Health Industry" now has endless opportunity to look for diseases it has caused in the first place. Most of these diseases would be cured by a healthy environment and nutritious food. This is kept very quiet by the corporate media.

A most revealing and important book, worthy of careful study by every person even mildly interested in staying healthy.
Price: $30 including postage.

WANTED FOR ON TARGET WEBSITE ARCHIVES

SYDNEY CONSERVATIVE SPEAKERS' CLUB

ADELAIDE CONSERVATIVE SPEAKERS' CLUB

The next CSC will be held on Monday, 3rd of November, and the venue is the Public Schools' Club, 207 East Terrace (Cnr. Carrington) Adelaide. The guest speaker will be Dr. Alec Burton, M.Sc., Hons. (Lond.), D.C.,(U.K.). Title of his address is: "Are You Sick and Tired of Being Tired and Sick?" Dr. Burton runs the Arcadia Health Clinic and the Australian College of Hygiene in Arcadia, NSW. He has spoken at the CSC once before and was very well received.
A tasty, inviting meal is planned for those who come to the dinner - a two course meal with the choice of Fish or Vegetarian Quiche with vegetables or salad. Dinner will be served from 6.30pm and the public address at 7.30pm. Dinner bookings must be in by Thursday 30th October 2003. Phone/Fax 8395 9826/7. There will be a wide selection of books, audios and videos for purchase. Come early and browse. The message will be audio-taped as usual by the Mayo Tape Library.
Admittance Fee: To help defray costs, an admittance fee of $5 will be charged for those who come to the address only.

Advance notice
Monday 1st December 2003. Jill Lambert will be speaking on the present Zimbabwean (formerly Rhodesia) crisis.

'THE NEW DAY' DINNER & SEMINAR - ALBURY

TWO NEW BOOKS LAUNCHED AT LEAGUE SEMINAR

"The Moral Implications of Centralised Power" by Eric D. Butler.
What a pleasure it was to launch Eric Butler's booklet at the National Seminar. Anthony Cooney graciously wrote an Introduction to the work, in which he outlines the different schools of history, the underlying philosophy of each and their impact upon people's thinking. Two spring to mind, the Progessive School of Marxism and the Cyclical Theory of Oswald Spengler. Mr. Cooney then refers his reader to C. H. Douglas' opposing view with his dictum: "History is the Crystalisation of Politics". Eric Butler used the Bismarkian Reich and its socialist-welfare-state policies and the destructive and corrupting effects of centralised power, not only on those who possess it but equally upon those who suffer it. The remedy, he tells us, is not to try to defeat power with power - to cast out Beelzebub by Beelzebub - but by individual creative initiative, balanced by personal responsibilities. He insists: the essence of freedom is freedom of choice.

"Social Credit - Aspects" by Anthony Cooney.
In this little gem, Cooney gently and patiently guides his readers to the revelation Social Credit is not merely a collection of economic and political theories, but a viewpoint from which we should judge the world and the events about us. In one example, he brilliantly contrasts novelist Ayn Rand's "Ethical Egotism" with Shakespeare's portrayal of "The Bonds of Nature" through his characters in King Lear. Anthony Cooney is a born teacher and this addition to his social credit series is already a winner.