Post by Flash on Oct 14, 2007 23:11:59 GMT -5
Rudd backs Venezuelan Thug
Labor's national president and a lineup of Greens politicians are
behind a push to bring the world's most outspoken socialist leader and
virulent US critic to Australia.
In parliament on Tuesday, Treasurer Peter Costello produced a copy of
an online invitation which calls on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
to visit Australia.
The invitation, from a group called the Australia Venezuela Solidarity
Network, lists ALP national president Warren Mundine and Labor senator
Gavin Marshall among its signatories.
"We have watched developments in Venezuela with great interest. We
have been impressed by the great effort that your government has taken
to improve the living standards of the majority of Venezuelans," the
invitation states.
"Although we are on the opposite side of the globe, we feel that our
shared ideals of social justice and democracy bring us close
together ... what Venezuela has been able to achieve in so little time
will be a source of inspiration and ideas for many in Australia."
But Maybe Rudd and the Labor Left should think about
the taking over in Venezuela of oil businesses or shutting
down radio and television stations that don't tout
the Chavez line?
goog;e
As Chavez accelerates Venezuelas shift toward "21st-century
socialism," a decision not to renew RCTV's broadcast license is among
the government's more dramatic steps, and one that has caused serious
concern among free-press advocates. While Venezuelan officials have
accused the 54-year-old station of having collaborated with organizers
of a 2002 coup against Chavez, the Committee to Protect Journalists in
New York, the Organization of American States and the Catholic Church
have warned that press freedoms in Venezuela are in danger.
The case has attracted widespread attention from officials in
Washington and Latin America, for whom the non-renewal of a license
has echoes of right-wing dictatorships of the past, when newspapers
and broadcasters were closed if they veered from the party line.
Though self-censorship and slayings of journalists remain common,
particularly in Colombia and Mexico, the closing of a media outlet for
political reasons has not occurred in years.
Costello warns also of the the high inflation in Venezuela.
Mr Costello said Venezuela's inflation rate of 18 per cent was among
the highest in the world, and yet the invitation praised what Mr
Chavez had done for the country's living standards.
He called on Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd to discipline Labor's
signatories to the letter.
"I would have thought that the leader of the opposition, who is so
concerned about the US alliance, wouldn't have his own senators
inviting to this country a man who called the US president a genocidal
killer and who went to the UN General Assembly and called the
President of the United States the devil," Mr Costello said.
"Now that we're all into the business of protecting the alliance ...
we will be looking forward to the leader of the opposition
disciplining Warren Mundine, disciplining his own senator Gavin
Marshall, and explaining to us what the president of Venezuela could
advise us on how to improve Brutopia here in Australia."
Wait, maybe they admire Chavez for his Israel bashing and Hamas/
Hezbollah loving and his friendship with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad which has
caused a rise in anti-Semitism in Venezuela. There always seems to be
this commonality between Islamists and the anti-war crowd everywhere
in the world.
But with this renewed opposition love for America and the "Alliance."
I am sure Mr. Rudd will quickly assure people that Hugo Chavez is not
welcomed to Australia to be praised.
And the Australian Council of Trade Unions passes motion in support of
Venezuela
After the CFMEU trade union, now the Australian Council of Trade
Unions also passed a resolution in solidarity with Venezuela. The
resolution is broadly based on the ones passed earlier this year by a
number of British trade unions and finally passed unanimously at the
British Trades Union Congress (see Motion 79). We hope this resolution
will spread even further throughout the Australian union movement.
VENEZUELA
The ACTU Executive congratulates and supports the Venezuelan
government for
it's utilisation of the country's wealth and resources for reforms to
benefit
working people, the poor and the landless.
We note the results of the referendum last August in Venezuela that
gave
President Hugo Chavez an overwhelming victory and a strengthened
democratic
mandate.
The ACTU further notes that these results confirm that there is
overwhelming
support amongst working people and the poor for the social program of
the
Chavez government in relation to education, literacy, job training,
health
care, land reform and subsidised food.
However, we view with concern the statements being made by the US
Administration and the oligarchy in Venezuela, which pose a real
threat to
these reforms.
We express our solidarity with free, independent and democratic trade
unionists in Venezuela and reject any outside interference in their
affairs.
We note the independent poll in July that showed over 70% support for
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. We also note the Venezuelan threat
to
suspend oil exports to the US if attacks on its government continue.
We resolve to support the Venezuelan people's efforts to preserve
their
freedom and democracy and especially their right to a democratically
elected
government.
Moved John Maitland Seconded Joe De Bruyn
??.
Visit and join
google australia.politics.moderated
groups.google.com/group/australiapoliticsmoderated
Labor's national president and a lineup of Greens politicians are
behind a push to bring the world's most outspoken socialist leader and
virulent US critic to Australia.
In parliament on Tuesday, Treasurer Peter Costello produced a copy of
an online invitation which calls on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
to visit Australia.
The invitation, from a group called the Australia Venezuela Solidarity
Network, lists ALP national president Warren Mundine and Labor senator
Gavin Marshall among its signatories.
"We have watched developments in Venezuela with great interest. We
have been impressed by the great effort that your government has taken
to improve the living standards of the majority of Venezuelans," the
invitation states.
"Although we are on the opposite side of the globe, we feel that our
shared ideals of social justice and democracy bring us close
together ... what Venezuela has been able to achieve in so little time
will be a source of inspiration and ideas for many in Australia."
But Maybe Rudd and the Labor Left should think about
the taking over in Venezuela of oil businesses or shutting
down radio and television stations that don't tout
the Chavez line?
goog;e
As Chavez accelerates Venezuelas shift toward "21st-century
socialism," a decision not to renew RCTV's broadcast license is among
the government's more dramatic steps, and one that has caused serious
concern among free-press advocates. While Venezuelan officials have
accused the 54-year-old station of having collaborated with organizers
of a 2002 coup against Chavez, the Committee to Protect Journalists in
New York, the Organization of American States and the Catholic Church
have warned that press freedoms in Venezuela are in danger.
The case has attracted widespread attention from officials in
Washington and Latin America, for whom the non-renewal of a license
has echoes of right-wing dictatorships of the past, when newspapers
and broadcasters were closed if they veered from the party line.
Though self-censorship and slayings of journalists remain common,
particularly in Colombia and Mexico, the closing of a media outlet for
political reasons has not occurred in years.
Costello warns also of the the high inflation in Venezuela.
Mr Costello said Venezuela's inflation rate of 18 per cent was among
the highest in the world, and yet the invitation praised what Mr
Chavez had done for the country's living standards.
He called on Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd to discipline Labor's
signatories to the letter.
"I would have thought that the leader of the opposition, who is so
concerned about the US alliance, wouldn't have his own senators
inviting to this country a man who called the US president a genocidal
killer and who went to the UN General Assembly and called the
President of the United States the devil," Mr Costello said.
"Now that we're all into the business of protecting the alliance ...
we will be looking forward to the leader of the opposition
disciplining Warren Mundine, disciplining his own senator Gavin
Marshall, and explaining to us what the president of Venezuela could
advise us on how to improve Brutopia here in Australia."
Wait, maybe they admire Chavez for his Israel bashing and Hamas/
Hezbollah loving and his friendship with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad which has
caused a rise in anti-Semitism in Venezuela. There always seems to be
this commonality between Islamists and the anti-war crowd everywhere
in the world.
But with this renewed opposition love for America and the "Alliance."
I am sure Mr. Rudd will quickly assure people that Hugo Chavez is not
welcomed to Australia to be praised.
And the Australian Council of Trade Unions passes motion in support of
Venezuela
After the CFMEU trade union, now the Australian Council of Trade
Unions also passed a resolution in solidarity with Venezuela. The
resolution is broadly based on the ones passed earlier this year by a
number of British trade unions and finally passed unanimously at the
British Trades Union Congress (see Motion 79). We hope this resolution
will spread even further throughout the Australian union movement.
VENEZUELA
The ACTU Executive congratulates and supports the Venezuelan
government for
it's utilisation of the country's wealth and resources for reforms to
benefit
working people, the poor and the landless.
We note the results of the referendum last August in Venezuela that
gave
President Hugo Chavez an overwhelming victory and a strengthened
democratic
mandate.
The ACTU further notes that these results confirm that there is
overwhelming
support amongst working people and the poor for the social program of
the
Chavez government in relation to education, literacy, job training,
health
care, land reform and subsidised food.
However, we view with concern the statements being made by the US
Administration and the oligarchy in Venezuela, which pose a real
threat to
these reforms.
We express our solidarity with free, independent and democratic trade
unionists in Venezuela and reject any outside interference in their
affairs.
We note the independent poll in July that showed over 70% support for
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. We also note the Venezuelan threat
to
suspend oil exports to the US if attacks on its government continue.
We resolve to support the Venezuelan people's efforts to preserve
their
freedom and democracy and especially their right to a democratically
elected
government.
Moved John Maitland Seconded Joe De Bruyn
??.Visit and join
google australia.politics.moderated
groups.google.com/group/australiapoliticsmoderated