Tag: ALP Shames Australia

Israel, Israel Crimes

Australia, Israel and the ICC. One rule for Ukraine, another for Palestine – Michael West

A different response by Albanese. Gaza and Kiev Square

How many times have you heard Australian political leaders and senior bureaucrats intone our country’s belief in, and strategic reliance on the international community conforming to the ‘rules-based international order’?

But how consistent is a country like Australia likely to be when faced with supporting orders and obligations flowing from last week’s actions of rules-based entities like the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) when it doesn’t suit us or our own domestic values environment? Let alone those espoused by our ally, the United States?

Source: Australia, Israel and the ICC. One rule for Ukraine, another for Palestine – Michael West

ALP Government,

Richard Marles concealed war crimes report, denying justice for David McBride – Michael West

Whistleblower

Et tu, Mark Dreyfus

If Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus’ refusal to drop the McBride prosecution wasn’t bad enough, his cabinet colleague Marles’ concealment of the Afghanistan oversight report is a new low for the Albanese government.

Not only does Marles’ repeated defiance of Senate orders based on non-existent “advice” constitute contempt of Parliament, his obfuscation to the Royal Commission shows a similarly contemptuous attitude towards the ultimate avenue of government transparency available under the Australian democratic model.

All this with the aim of perverting the outcome of a criminal trial that jailed the only person yet to be held accountable for Afghanistan war crimes – the whistleblower.

McBride’s lawyer, Mark Davis, announced an appeal against Mossop’s rulings “on the meaning of duty” moments after his client was marched out of court to jail. According to Davis, “This is an issue of national importance, indeed international importance, that a Western nation has such a narrow definition of duty.”

We can only speculate at this stage what role the Defence Minister’s handling of the Afghanistan war crimes oversight report might play in that appeal.

 

Source: Richard Marles concealed war crimes report, denying justice for David McBride – Michael West

ALP Government,

The killing continues, but Australia’s Government stands firm in supporting Israel and criminalising Palestine – Michael West

Nasser Mashni

As the civilian death toll in Gaza exceeds 25,500 Palestinians, at least 10,400 of whom were children, the Australian Government reaffirms its position in a statement almost entirely focused on Hamas that it took two weeks to curate. Farah Abdurahman reports.

Source: The killing continues, but Australia’s Government stands firm in supporting Israel and criminalising Palestine – Michael West

ALP Government,

Santos’ wins fracking approval for Towrie gas development from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek – Michael West

Tanya Plibersek

At 4:55 pm yesterday afternoon, Tanya Plibersek approved another Santos fracking project to go ahead in Queensland’s Surat Basin. No announcement or fanfare, and only a single researcher keeping a close eye picked it up, reports Callum Foote.

Source: Santos’ wins fracking approval for Towrie gas development from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek – Michael West