QResear.ch

#20439353 at 2024-02-19 08:03:24 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20422699
Fears of asylum seeker influx as people-smugglers adapt

PAIGE TAYLOR and Greg Brown - FEBRUARY 19, 2024

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Australian Border Force fears people-smugglers are investing in faster and more modern boats than ever before, after learning two groups of asylum-seekers found on the far north coast of Western Australia last week had been ordered to wait in the bush for days while the smugglers sailed out of Australian waters.

Some of the 39 men - all of them from Pakistan, Bangladesh or India - told Aboriginal people on the Dampier Peninsula north of Broome that they came to Australia because they wanted to go to Sydney to work and send money home to their families. The entire group was at the South Pacific processing centre of Nauru on Sunday, where they join the 12 unauthorised maritime arrivals who were dropped off on a stretch of the Kimberley coast in November.

The boat that delivered that group three months ago was also never found, and is assumed to have long gone two days later when the asylum-seekers walked into Truscott air base and asked for help. The Australian has been told there is a belief among border force officials that smugglers may have abandoned their practice of sailing vessels directly to Christmas Island or into the path of navy or border force vessels.

This is because, after more than 10 years of Operation Sovereign Borders and advertising campaigns by Australian governments, it is well known that asylum-seekers intercepted at sea are no longer settled in Australia. Smugglers also lose their boats because authorities seize them.

There are now concerns that naive and aspirational men are being sold the lie that if they reach the Australian mainland, they will be allowed to stay. And smugglers who believe they can "drop and run" may be investing in better boats capable of more journeys.

Speaking ahead of arriving in WA for a cabinet meeting on Monday, Anthony Albanese accused Peter Dutton of playing politics with the issue of border security. "We're very confident that Operation Sovereign Borders remains in place. We are implementing the policies that we said we would before the election. And this is just the latest demonstration of it," he said.

"And that is why the Commander ... also made very strong comments about the responsibility that people have in public life to not send the wrong message to the people smugglers."

The Opposition Leader, who oversaw Operation Sovereign Borders for three Liberal prime ministers, accused Labor of not supporting the highly-effective policy at the weekend.

"The government needs to be honest and frank and open in relation to this issue," Mr Dutton said, before launching his party's campaign for the Dunkley by-election next month. "We don't know whether it's one or two boats that have arrived. The Prime Minister himself wasn't aware, so how can two boats get to the Australian mainland without being detected if the same settings were in place that we had under the Coalition in Operation Sovereign Borders?"

(continued)

#20439287 at 2024-02-19 07:40:04 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20400714
>>20422775
A new fleet of warships will be the government's response to a rising China

CAMERON STEWART and Greg Brown - FEBRUARY 19, 2024

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A new fleet of small, well-armed warships will form the centrepiece of a sweeping restructure of the navy as the Albanese government seeks to rebut claims that it has been too slow to respond to the threat posed by China.

The long-awaited review of the navy's surface fleet, to be released on Tuesday, will also retain the troubled $45bn Hunter-class frigate program in Adelaide, but with only six of the anti-submarine ships likely to be ordered rather than the initially planned nine.

It will also seek to shore up Labor votes in South Australia and Western Australia by announcing a plan for continuous naval shipbuilding in both states, despite studies showing substantial savings for buying warships off-the-shelf from overseas.

The decision on the navy's surface fleet comes as the government is under fire for failing to provide any significant increase in defence funding, regardless of warnings last year that Australia faced the gravest strategic outlook in generations.

Criticism of the government's national security credentials is expected to force it to approve an increase in defence spending in the May budget to fund a revamped, enlarged surface fleet as well as the AUKUS nuclear submarines.

The navy is in a parlous state, saddled with the oldest ships in its history, a lack of firepower, not enough crew to sail the existing fleet and the country's biggest new warship project, the Hunter frigates, beset by delays, cost overruns and design problems.

In December, the government was unable to agree to a US navy request to send a warship to the Red Sea because no crew or ship was available for deployment at short notice. The navy has already pulled one Anzac-class frigate from the water because of crew shortages and is looking at mothballing up to two more.

The government is expected on Tuesday to unveil plans for a new fleet of at least eight small warships, either corvette or light patrol frigates, to try to boost the navy's firepower more quickly in response to a rising China.

The new fleet will increase the total number of the navy's current 11 surface combatants and will also increase its firepower, which has fallen by 43 per cent since 1995 at a time when the Chinese navy has become the largest in the world, with more than 370 ships and ?submarines.

The move towards smaller so-called tier-2 warships was foreshadowed in last year's Defence Strategic Review, which called for a navy with a "larger number of smaller surface vessels" to allow more well-armed ships at sea at any one time.

The government has examined a range of options to acquire a fleet of corvettes or light patrol frigates between 3500 and 5000 tonnes from Spain, Germany, Britain, Japan and South Korea. The first few of the new fleet of small warships is likely to be built overseas to accelerate their entry into service, but the rest of the corvette-frigate fleet is likely to be constructed in WA to produce a continuous shipbuilding capacity in that state.

(continued)

#20231395 at 2024-01-12 15:57:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20098526
Labor breaks with US on Israel 'genocide'

Greg Brown - JANUARY 11, 2024

The Albanese government has again broken with the US by refusing to repudiate a genocide case launched by South Africa against Israel in the UN's top court, as crossbench senator David Pocock urges Labor to "publicly support" the international probe.

The International Court of Justice on Thursday began hearings on the genocide case, with South Africa asking the court to order Israel immediately suspend its military operations in Gaza.

South Africa is claiming Israel is in contravention of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, arguing the Jewish state "intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group".

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said it was "not appropriate to comment on matters before the court".

"This is a case brought by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice," the spokeswoman said.

"The ICJ plays a critical role in upholding international law and the rules-based order, and Australia respects the independence of the ICJ and the judicial process."

This is despite US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling South Africa's genocide claims "meritless".

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the Albanese government should "rule out supporting South Africa's unbalanced application against Israel to the ICJ".

Jewish groups were critical of Senator Pocock for backing South Africa's case on Thursday.

Senator Pocock said while Hamas terrorists killed over 1200 people last October, "attacks by Israel have killed more than 23,000 civilians in Gaza".

"Given the extraordinary scale of civilian casualties and human suffering in Gaza and the serious allegations against Israel, I am strongly supportive of the need for a credible and robust examination of Israel's conduct under the Genocide Convention," Senator Pocock said on social media.

"The case South Africa has brought in the International Court of Justice provides a mechanism for this through examination to occur in accordance with international law.

"I urge the Australian government to publicly support the ICJ process and to confirm that they will comply with any ruling and support its enforcement."

Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said Senator Pocock's statement suggested he was "out of his depth".

"Given that he apparently repeats Hamas propaganda lines such as the implicit claim that every single person killed in Israel's defensive war in Gaza is a 'civilian' ... while also regurgitating doubtful Hamas-produced statistics about the number of women and children killed," Dr Rubenstein said.

"As well, while it is understandable that people are very concerned about the undoubted humanitarian cost of the Hamas initiated war against Israel, the fact that Pocock appears not to comprehend that accusing Israel of 'genocide' on the basis of those concerns severely undermines the integrity of the Genocide Convention, also underscores a shallow and poorly-considered approach."

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said Senator Pocock was misguided.

"Senator Pocock has genuine concerns for the protection of civilian life. No one doubts that," Mr Ryvchin said.

"But lending his high office and good name to a cynical anti-peace movement that plays into the hands of vicious jihadists will not achieve that. The only way to end the suffering is to rid the region of Hamas, which has enslaved the Gazan people in its pursuit of the annihilation of Israel and its people."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/labor-breaks-with-us-on-israel-genocide/news-story/da303b6ceb58d50cd40156b8ec471203

#20193851 at 2024-01-06 13:56:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20128051
Republic on ice after Indigenous voice referendum failure

Greg Brown - JANUARY 5, 2024

Labor has junked plans to hold a republic referendum in the next term of parliament, with the ?Albanese government vowing to keep its focus on the cost of living after losing public support during the voice debate.

Assistant Minister for the ?Republic Matt Thistlethwaite said the failure of the voice had made it "a lot harder" to hold a referendum on the republic if the government won a second term, as was initially planned.

"It's not a priority at the ?moment," Mr Thistlethwaite told The Weekend Australian. "The priority for the government at the moment is obviously dealing with cost-of-living pressure and assisting households and businesses to get through this difficult time."

But Mr Thistlethwaite said an Australian republic remained Labor policy "for the longer term" and it was something that should be discussed with the public "at some stage".

The government's delay on pursuing a republic comes as ?Anthony Albanese this week confirmed King Charles would visit Australia this year.

Monarchists have accused Mr Thistlethwaite of showing dis?respect to Queen Elizabeth, after documents obtained under freedom of information showed he met senior bureaucrats to discuss referendums just six days after the former monarch died.

Mr Thistlethwaite said the meeting with senior officials from the Attorney-General's Department on September 14, 2022, had been planned before the queen died and they decided during discussions it was the wrong time to pursue a republic referendum.

"This was a longstanding meeting that had been organised, prior to the queen's passing, with departmental representatives," he said. "It was the first meeting I'd organised with the secretary of the department and other representatives, and it was mainly to discuss ?resources (and the role) I would play in the voice referendum.

"In terms of the republic, given that the queen had just passed, we agreed that it wasn't the appropriate time to discuss the republic and that the priority for the government was the voice referendum."

A briefing paper prepared ahead of Mr Thistlethwaite's meeting, obtained via a FOI ?request by former Liberal MP Nicolle Flint, showed he discussions were supposed to focus on the "process, authorities, timing and other matters of relevance to referendums and plebiscites".

The briefing note - cleared by Attorney-General's Department secretary Katherine Jones, who also attended the meeting - said progressing a republic would "require strong support from the government, particularly the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General".

The department also prepared advice on holding plebiscites, which Mr Thistlethwaite had considered using to choose a republican model that could be put to a referendum.

Ms Flint said it sounded "fanciful" that the timing of the meeting was coincidental.

"I find it astounding that a new minister in a new government would wait 3? months - from 1 June, 2022, until 14 September, 2022 - to receive preliminary briefing on their portfolio," she said. "If this was in fact a ?coincidence ... why didn't the ?assistant minister postpone the meeting out of respect?"

Australian Monarchist League chairman Eric Abetz said he did not believe Mr Thistlethwaite used the meeting to talk about the voice referendum rather than the republic.

"That explanation seems completely and utterly implausible," he said.

Mr Thistlethwaite conceded he held "general" discussions with officials about the rules of plebiscites, despite this never being proposed as part of the voice referendum process.

The assistant minister said he was entitled to speak to department officials about the voice, given his formal title was the Parliamentary Secretary to the ?Attorney-General.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/republic-on-ice-after-indigenous-voice-referendum-failure/news-story/01f2044ef753659d44f9839c5f80170b

#20142058 at 2023-12-28 10:54:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20098526
>>20136736
Hezbollah and Israel: Security agencies on martyr alert at home

Greg Brown, JOANNA PANAGOPOULOS and ALEXI DEMETRIADI - DECEMBER 28, 2023

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Intelligence agencies are ramping up efforts to prevent local violent attacks inspired by the Middle East conflict, after an Australian man killed in Lebanon by an Israeli air strike was claimed to be a fighter and martyr for Hezbollah and given a military funeral by the terror group.

National security experts are warning there will likely be more Australians going overseas to join terror groups planning strikes on Israel, as the Albanese government was accused of being ?"completely out of match practice" in dealing with the threat from radicalisation.

Two Australians, 30-year-old Ali Bazzi and his 27-year-old brother Ibrahim, were killed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil. Hezbollah claimed through its social media platforms that Ali Bazzi was a fighter for the group that wants to eliminate Israel.

"With greater pride and pride, the Islamic Resistance celebrates the martyr Mujahid Ali Ahmed Bazzi 'Qasim' from the city of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon, who rose as a martyr on the road to Jerusalem," said a statement from the terrorist organisation.

Hezbollah did not claim Ibrahim Bazzi - whose Lebanon-based wife Shourouk Hammoud was also killed in the strike - was a fighter for the group and his Australian-based friends denied he held radical views.

Lebanese media reported that the three were killed when a two-storey building was struck by an ?Israeli warplane overnight on ?December 26.

Israel's air force told local media that it had destroyed Hezbollah military installations and terrorist infrastructure.

Hezbollah is claiming across its social media platforms it organised a street march to honour all three killed in the strike. "(In attendance were) members (loyal to Hezbollah), Hassan Fadlallah and Hussein Jishi (both MPs), Hezbollah's first Jabal Amel district official Abdullah Nasser, and a number of scholars, activists, figures, families of martyrs, and large crowds of people who flocked from various villages and towns," a Hezbollah statement said.

Amid concerns Australians were being radicalised by anti-?Israel terror groups, Acting Home Affairs Minister Andrew Giles said the government was working with agencies to prevent violent attacks inspired by overseas events.

"Social cohesion is our most valuable national asset," Mr Giles said. "Our government is working with our intelligence agencies to ensure that violence overseas does not precipitate violence in Australia."

A spokeswoman for the Australian Federal Police said Australians travelling overseas to fight with a non-government armed group could be committing a criminal offence.

"The AFP remains alert to information or intelligence that indicates any individual or group's propensity for, or movement towards violence," the spokeswoman said.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was unable to say whether ?either of the brothers was a member of Hezbollah. "We are aware of the announcement made by ?Hezbollah claiming links to one of the Australians killed. We are seeking to establish the facts," Mr Dreyfus said. "Hezbollah is a listed terrorist organisation under Australian law."

He said Australia had communicated with Israel following the air strike, but said he would not disclose what was discussed.

Mr Dreyfus urged Australians against travelling to Lebanon, where there was daily military activity. "For Australians in Lebanon, we urge you to leave while commercial options remain available," he added.

(continued)

#19650029 at 2023-10-02 09:07:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

>>19606805
Voice campaign gets ugly as early voting begins

Greg Brown and JOE KELLY - OCTOBER 1, 2023

Special Minister of State Don Farrell has urged anyone who feels threatened during the voice referendum to contact police, as Yes and No campaigners trade barbs over which side has more extremists.

Ahead of pre-polling commencing on Monday, No campaigners have written to the Australian Electoral Commission complaining their volunteers were worried about their safety standing at booths.

But a Labor spokeswoman described the Advance Australia letter as a "cynical attempt by the No campaign to distract from the extreme and dangerous far-right influencers they've attracted".

"If Advance Australia are aware of threatening or criminal behaviour they should report it to the police," the spokeswoman said. "The No campaign only focus on creating fear, they offer no solutions and no progress."

The Albanese government last week accused far-right influencers of hijacking the No campaign after a member of the Proud Boys and neo-Nazi Tom Sewell attended their rallies.

Senator Farrell said no one should feel unsafe on a polling booth. "Threats or intimidation towards anyone engaging in their democratic rights is completely unacceptable," he said.

"Australia has a strong democracy and conducts elections and referenda in safety and security.

"If people that are engaging in democratic activity feel threatened they should contact the police."

In the letter to the AEC, obtained by The Australian, Advance Australia executive director Matthew Sheahan raised concerns about No events being "marred by aggressive and, in some cases, violent protesters".

Mr Sheahan asked the AEC to detail measures it was taking to protect volunteers on booths.

"The vitriol and hostility directed at our volunteers has been deeply unsettling," he wrote.

"Many of our volunteers have conveyed ... apprehensions about participating in the democratic process of pre-poll and election day campaigning, fearing potential confrontations with hostile individuals or groups of individuals.

"Such fears are antithetical to the democratic ethos of our country and our collective belief in the right to participate in the democratic process without fear or hindrance."

A spokesman for the AEC said it had "engaged with law enforcement agencies regarding upcoming polling activities".

With 1.5 million people so far applying to vote via post, pre-polling will begin on Monday in Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Early voting will commence on Tuesday in NSW, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT.

The Australian understands the Yes campaign expects to "significantly outnumber" the No side with pre-poll volunteers, able to tap into the 50,000 people who signed up to support a constitutional voice.

Yes23 campaign director Dean Parkin said the voice would act as an "independent advisory committee that will give advice on matters affecting Indigenous Australians in areas such as education, health, housing and jobs".

"I encourage Australians to look closely at the question they are being asked," he said. "As early voting opens, Australians should be aware of the choice. A Yes vote is our best shot at better outcomes for Indigenous Australians ... a No vote will mean more of the same."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/voice-campaign-gets-ugly-as-early-voting-begins/news-story/6c887bb3afdee3354e60d79cfebd9935

#19587850 at 2023-09-21 11:00:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

>>19581632
Covid pandemic royal commission refusal 'a protection racket', says Coalition

Greg Brown, SARAH ISON and TRICIA RIVERA - SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

The Coalition has accused Anthony Albanese of running a ?"protection racket" for Labor premiers after refusing to hold a royal commission into the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Prime Minister and Health Minister Mark Butler are on Thursday expected to announce an inquiry into the handling the pandemic, but it will not have the investigative powers of a royal commission.

The inquiry will reportedly last for 12 months and be led by a panel of experts including an epidemiologist and an economist.

Before the election, Mr Albanese said there needed to be a royal commission or "some form of inquiry" into the handling of the pandemic. "It is beyond doubt that you will need an assessment. Whether that be a royal commission or some form of inquiry, that will need to happen," he said ahead of the 2022 poll.

A month before the May 2022 election, a Labor-dominated parliamentary committee recommended "a royal commission be established to examine Australia's response to the Covid-19 pandemic to inform preparedness for future Covid-19 waves and future pandemics".

Opposition Health spokeswoman Anne Ruston accused Mr Albanese of walking back on an "initial commitment" to hold a royal commission.

"In the absence of the states and territories being compelled to participate it looks like nothing more than a protection racket for the state premiers," Senator Ruston said.

She said Australia was one of the best performing countries in the world throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

"However, with the power of hindsight, we have the opportunity to explore how we could do things better if faced with similar challenges again and we should all be open to learning from the experience," she said.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said there was "no doubt in my mind" Mr Albanese fell short of announcing a royal commission into the management of the pandemic to protect Labor premiers, particularly Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.

"They're not delivering a royal commission and there's only one reason why ... and that's because a royal commission into Covid would have to look at national cabinet, would have to look at that function to keep us all safe through a global pandemic," she told Sky News on Wednesday night.

"But then look at the different jurisdictions' reactions and that means seriously examining the ?actions of Premier Daniel Andrews.".

Infectious disease expert Robert Booy said the inquiry was needed to investigate what the country could have done better.

"One might argue that some of our social-distancing approaches effectively locking people up in tower blocks was excessive and locking whole states down without compassion for people needing medical attention didn't make sense either," he told The Australian.

"An inquiry is a useful thing to do," he said.

Professor Booy, a consultant to vaccine manufacturers and an honorary professor at the University of Sydney, said he didn't believe a royal commission was necessary.

"It's not as if there are any huge blunders that need to be unearthed or addressed," Professor Booy said.

"For the first time in history we've had a preventive specific vaccine available for a new pandemic and in the main that probably prevented millions of deaths around the world and certainly thousands of deaths in Australia."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/covid-pandemic-royal-commission-refusal-a-protection-racket-says-coalition/news-story/a26855d0fd0c7d33e8acee01e4b5473b

#19505163 at 2023-09-07 10:37:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

AUKUS deal not moving through US Congress as smoothly as hoped, senator warns

Brad Ryan and Jade Macmillan - 7 September 2023

Congress is at risk of "doing Beijing's work" if it fails to pass legislation necessary to the AUKUS deal, the US Senate's foreign relations chairman has warned.

Two years since the deal to supply Australia with American submarines was announced, senior members of congress are urging their colleagues not to hold up laws to authorise their delivery.

Bob Menendez, the chairman of the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, told a hearing in Washington that congress's implementation of the deal had "not gone as smoothly as some of us would have hoped".

But he said China's recent behaviour towards Australia meant "time is of the essence" in the trilateral agreement between Australia, the US and the UK.

"They [China] are aggressively trying to influence Australian politics and civil society, buying critical infrastructure like port facilities in Darwin, making political donations, even hacking Australian parliament and major political parties," Senator Menendez said.

"This is a critical moment."

But some Republicans have been raising concerns about elements of the deal, arguing Canberra's $3 billion investment is not enough to ensure the US can supply Australia with submarines while also meeting its own military needs.

Republican Senator Roger Wicker, who blocked a plan to fast-track congressional approval for part of the deal in July, told Politico at the time: "It makes sense to be sure we have enough submarines for our own security needs before we endorse that pillar of the [AUKUS] agreement."

Senator Menendez, a Democrat, today said congress "needs to play its part if the agreement is going to work".

"If we fail to move forward with full congressional support of AUKUS, including the nuclear-powered submarines, we are doing Beijing's job for them," he said.

Bipartisan support despite Republicans' reservations

Under the deal, Australia will buy at least three Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines from the US before eventually producing its own.

But congress needs to pass legislation to authorise the deal.

A group of 25 Republicans wrote to President Joe Biden in July, warning the plan to supply Australia with submarines would "unacceptably weaken" the American fleet unless funding for US production was increased.

Senator Bill Hagerty, one of the letter's signatories, told today's hearing AUKUS had strong bipartisan support despite those reservations.

"I can't think of a single member of congress, whether they'd be Republican or Democrat, that doesn't support AUKUS and, at least, the objectives of AUKUS," he said.

"I think the question before the president and congress right now is how to implement AUKUS quickly."

Sub supply shortage

A sticking point for the group of Republicans is a current shortage of attack submarines in the US fleet.

Military leaders say the Navy requires 66 attack subs, but currently only has 49, with about a third of those out of action due to maintenance.

Senator Hagerty and others have been pushing for a plan for the US to build 2.5 Virginia-class submarines a year - about double the current rate of production.

"The [Biden] administration still hasn't put forward a credible long-term plan to ensure that our navy meet its requirements to have 66 attack subs in a reasonable timeframe," he said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that's a problem."

Assistant Secretary of Defense Mara Karlin conceded the US's defence industrial base was "not as strong as anyone would like it to be".

"With congress's leadership and support, the administration has been able to put in billions of dollars - indeed, approximately $4 billion in the latest president's budget - for both production and maintenance of submarines," she said.

"And so there's a lot of really hard work to help increase those numbers."

Greg Brown, a senior analyst at the Washington office of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), said he believed there was broad backing for AUKUS, despite differing views over how it should be implemented.

"I think there's still lots of room for optimism, and nobody should get too concerned yet," he said.

"But just realise that the process in the United States is very complex and very murky."

The first Virginia-class submarines are due to be delivered to Australia sometime in the 2030s.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-07/aukus-senate-commitee-hearing-washington-submarines/102824604

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6hGaIrAzoQ

#19392379 at 2023-08-20 10:26:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19188991
>>19382314
China's warning on AUKUS

Greg Brown and SARAH ISON - AUGUST 20, 2023

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China has warned against being made the target of the AUKUS agreement as union leaders vow to apply heavy scrutiny over the government's jobs pledge for the construction of nuclear submarines.

After senior ministers warned at Labor's national conference the AUKUS deal was needed to prevent war with China and limit its regional influence, a Chinese embassy spokesman said bilateral or multilateral defence agreements should be "conducive to world peace and stability and not target any third party or harm others' interests".

With Labor's support for AUKUS cemented in its policy platform last week, Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Sunday said a nuclear submarine fleet would act as a balance to China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Senator Wong said the goal of strengthening military capability was to ensure that "no country ever thinks that conflict is worth it".

"We are seeing more challenging strategic circumstances. The question is not commenting about it, the question is what we do about it, and what we have to do with other countries is to ensure that there is a strategic balance in the region," Senator Wong told ABC's Insiders program.

"That we want to make sure that no country ever thinks that conflict is worth it.

"That's the calculation, we always have to change and we do that both by deterrence and reassurance."

During the national conference debate about AUKUS on Friday, Defence Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy warned that China would have 21 nuclear submarines and 200 major warships in the water by 2030.

In a major slapdown of China, Mr Conroy said it was against Australia's interest to have "one power dominate our ?region, especially one that breaches international laws".

On Sunday, Senator Wong conceded not all workers on the submarine projects would be members of unions, despite the platform vowing to support thousands of "well-paid unionised jobs" through the AUKUS deal.

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Victoria secretary Tony Mavromatis said Senator Wong should be backing union jobs for the submarine projects.

"Penny Wong probably needs to be reminded it is the unions that support the ALP," Mr Mavromatis said.

"All workers enjoy the benefits of the union movement and they should participate in it to support their conditions and entitlements.

"My understanding of the agreement is it will create good jobs and union jobs."

Mr Mavromatis said unions would be keeping a very close eye on whether the government keeps its jobs pledge for the AUKUS program.

"We will be watching how it all unfolds and making sure Australian jobs are participating in the build of AUKUS until they start building them in South Australia," he said.

"We are disappointed, we spoke against (AUKUS) but we are just going to have to watch that they will do what they said they would do."

(continued)

#19231918 at 2023-07-24 11:56:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19026316 (pb)
>>18960157 (pb)
>>19188991
Doug Cameron warns Anthony Albanese of contest over nuke subs, Palestine at conference

BEN PACKHAM, Greg Brown and JOANNA PANAGOPOULOS - JULY 24, 2023

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Left-wing former senator Doug Cameron has warned Anthony Albanese he faces a contest at the ALP national conference over nuclear submarines and Palestine.

Anthony Albanese has warned Labor's powerful policy forum he wants the AUKUS nuclear submarine plan to go unchallenged at the ALP national conference, as hard-Left figures prepare to attack the government's cornerstone national security policy.

Federal Labor MPs are working to head off disunity on AUKUS and Left-wing demands for a timeline on recognising Palestine, in line with the Prime Minister's directions this month to Labor's national policymaking committee.

Mr Cameron said he would be "gobsmacked" if national delegates listened to the PM's calls not to challenge the issues when they meet in Brisbane next month.

"The ALP Left have a proud history of challenging bad policy at ALP Nat Conference," Mr Cameron tweeted.

"Would be gobsmacked if nuclear subs, regressive tax cuts and Palestine are not debated. Political discipline does not mean the Left subjugate themselves to leadership decrees on what can be debated."

Union members from Victoria, including members from ?construction, manufacturing, electrical and public transport, are planning to revisit the challenge when national delegates meet in Brisbane next month.

The move comes amid criticism of the AUKUS pact by senior party figures including Paul Keating, Bob Carr and Gareth Evans, who have argued the nuclear subs plan is ill-conceived, overpriced, and will bind Australia's strategic fate to America's.

A hostile motion on AUKUS would be embarrassing for Mr Albanese, who stood beside US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March to announce Australia would buy three to five US Virginia-class subs and build eight new UK-designed boats in Adelaide.

Any change to the party's position on Palestine would also represent a challenge to the Prime Minister's authority, and that of Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Supporters of Israel are concerned the government's reluctance to debate AUKUS on the floor of the national conference could result in a deal in which the party calls on the government to recognise the Palestinian state within this term of parliament.

A similar motion passed at the Victorian ALP conference in a factional deal under which an anti-AUKUS motion pulled from the agenda at the last minute.

The withdrawn motion would have called on the federal government to "suspend any further involvement in the AUKUS pact, including the development of nuclear-powered submarines".

A Victorian Labor source said "categorically" that a similar motion would be moved in Brisbane next month. There are concerns some Queensland delegates could also speak out against the nuclear submarine deal.

The state's ALP conference in June voted down a motion "congratulating" the Albanese government on the AUKUS pact, with Queensland Labor president John Battams and two state MPs - Ali King and Jonty Bush - among those who voted against it.

Fears of policy brawls over AUKUS and Palestine have been compounded by the factional make-up of national conference delegates, with the Left to have a clear majority on the floor for the first time in decades.

However, the dynamics of the summit are difficult to predict, as Mr Albanese and Senator Wong are both key figures within the Left faction. Senior Left-aligned MPs are also working hard to keep a lid on potential policy challenges.

(continued)

#18153811 at 2023-01-16 08:27:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18087967
>>18128882
Albanese confident US powerbrokers will keep faith in AUKUS

Greg Brown - JANUARY 16, 2023

1/2

Anthony Albanese is directly lobbying members of US congress to hold the line in supporting the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal as it comes under criticism in America, calling the pact essential in strengthening Australia's defence capabilities.

In an interview with The Australian on his priorities for the year, the Prime Minister also vowed to continue improving relations with China in 2023 after his successful meetings with Beijing's paramount leader, Xi Jinping, last year. While the government is moving to improve relations with China, it is also focused on bolstering military capacity to respond to Beijing's attempts to exert strategic influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the first quarter of the year, the government will choose a preferred nuclear submarine partner under the AUKUS deal and ?release a review into military capabilities, led by former defence minister Stephen Smith and former ADF chief Angus Houston.

Mr Albanese said he was confident US President Joe Biden would stick with the AUKUS agreement despite domestic political pressure.

"I'm confident that this is a good agreement, not just for Australia, but a good agreement for the United States and for the United Kingdom," Mr Albanese said.

"It is in our common interest that by strengthening each other's defence capacities, you end up with a much greater outcome for all three countries as well as collectively."

Earlier this month, heads of the US Senate armed services committee warned Mr Biden the AUKUS deal could become "a zero-sum game" for the allocation of "scarce, highly advanced" US ?nuclear boats.

Democrat Jack Reed and ?Republican James Inhofe called for a "sober assessment" of the agreement between the US, Australia and Britain, and explicitly warned against selling Australia submarines off the production line to meet the capacity gap that Canberra faces, with newly built boats not expected to be operational until the 2040s. In a leaked letter to Mr Biden, Senator Reed and Senator Inhofe warned that the AUKUS pact risked stretching the nation's industrial base "to breaking point".

The Prime Minister said he was engaging with members of the US congress over the deal, and ?declared the issues being raised at home and abroad were "legitimate" and being worked through.

"The concerns that were raised about workforce capacity and sovereign capability are legitimate ones that I would expect people in the United States in significant positions to raise, just like we are making sure that Australia's national sovereignty is looked after as well," Mr Albanese said.

"I'm sure our counterparts in the United Kingdom (are doing) the same thing.

"I have met members of the Senate, in the congress, here in Australia and engaged with them directly and in a really positive manner. Australia's standing of course is, I think, very important. We are reliable partners and that is why that engagement is important.

"I'm confident going forward that we will have a positive outcome."

(continued)

#18079491 at 2023-01-05 08:39:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18052595
>>18071573
China 'hypocritical' on Covid testing requirement

Greg Brown - JANUARY 5, 2023

Australians will need to take a PCR test ahead of going to China when its borders reopen next week, prompting accusations the communist nation was being hypocritical for condemning countries that are adopting the exact same requirements on Chinese travellers.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior fellow Peter Jennings said he was not surprised about the double standards being displayed by Beijing, after a Chinese government spokesman said the regime was preparing to retaliate against nations that were forcing its citizens to undertake a Covid test ahead of entry.

"That is very much how they operate, it is always to shift the blame on to another country," Mr Jennings said.

"We shouldn't be taking any notice of it."

Last week, China's National Health Commission said international visitors would no longer need to quarantine on arrival.

However, the requirement for travellers to take a PCR test 48 hours ahead of arriving in China will remain.

Jim Chalmers said he was not "not especially" concerned about Beijing's threats to retaliate against Australia and other nations that have decided to temporarily screen Chinese travellers.

"If they take any steps in response to the responsible steps we've taken, then that will be a matter for them. I'm not going to pre-empt or guess what they might do," the Treasurer told ABC radio.

Dr Chalmers said there was "lot of concern around the global health community and the global economy about the transparency and quality of data that we see out of China on Covid".

"It's really important to get as much transparency as we can so that we can understand the implications for us here in Australia," Dr Chalmers said.

Lowy Institute senior fellow Richard McGregor said China's threats were probably aimed at the domestic audience and would unlikely amount to much.

"I don't think, at the moment, this has any large implications for the bilateral relationship," Mr McGregor said. "There are many countries that are asking this of China and it is not an onerous requirement. The Chinese have been getting tested nearly everyday for over three years."

The European Union on Wednesday was moving to set co-ordinated control on passengers coming from China, after EU member states France, Spain and Italy unveiled independent testing requirements.

But New Zealand announced it would buck the trend and instead implement a voluntary testing system for Chinese travellers.

New Zealand Science Minister Ayesha Verrall - an infectious-diseases physician - said Chinese travellers posed a ""minimal public health threat".

"(Chinese) visitors won't contribute significantly to our Covid case numbers meaning entry restrictions aren't required or justified," she said.

Responding to China's threats of retaliation, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the testing requirement was "an approach that is based solely and exclusively on science".

Back in Australia, opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the government's handling of the Covid outbreak in China was "perplexing".

"It is so perplexing and concerning that Anthony Albanese doesn't seem to be fronting the cameras or hitting the airwaves himself to explain why they've ignored the advice of the chief medical officer," Senator Birmingham told 2GB radio.

"Why it is that they have flip flopped in their position over the course of the last week or so, and just what the actual rationale for it is, because the story just seems to keep changing."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/china-hypocritical-on-covid-testing/news-story/ddd1a781b2e58cf25c75e1f2721513b2

#18071573 at 2023-01-04 08:24:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18052595
China threatens payback over new Covid measures

Greg Brown and WILL GLASGOW - JANUARY 3, 2023

1/2

China has warned it will retaliate against nations that have imposed "discriminatory" Covid-19 testing requirements on travellers leaving the communist nation, arguing the policy is political and lacks a scientific basis.

The warning from Beijing comes as Peter Dutton accused ?Anthony Albanese of mishandling the response to China's Covid-19 outbreak while key ?industry groups stand by new requirements despite the shake-up not being recommended by official health advice.

"Some countries adopt entry restriction measures only targeting China, which lacks a scientific basis," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing on Tuesday night.

"We firmly oppose the practice of manipulating epidemic prevention and control measures to achieve political goals, and will take corresponding measures according to the principle of reciprocity according to different situations.

"New strains can emerge anywhere, so there is no need for special entry restrictions on China.

"China always believes that the epidemic prevention measures of various countries should be scientific and appropriate, and should not take the opportunity to ?engage in political manipulation, discriminatory practices, and normal personnel exchanges, exchanges and co-operation should not be affected."

Australia on Sunday joined more than a dozen nations including the US, Britain, India and Japan, to require the screening of travellers entering from China over concern about a lack of transparency of data that would indicate the emergence of new strains of Covid.

The Opposition Leader said on Tuesday there was "chaos and confusion" within the government over the handling of ?Chinese arrivals after Health Minister Mark Butler rebuffed advice from Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly that found no new testing requirements were needed.

Extra information released by the government on Tuesday clarified that travellers to Australia from China - including Hong Kong and Macau - could use a rapid antigen test to prove they were free from Covid, but the testing would have to be administered or supervised by a medical practitioner.

Under the new rules, which take effect from Thursday, a negative test must be returned 48 hours before departure, with the exception of airline crew, children under 12 and those with evidence they have contracted Covid-19 in the past 30 days and are no longer infectious.

More stringent requirements will apply to passengers using RATs than those taking PCR tests.

"If a RAT test is used, a certificate from the medical practitioner administering, or super?vising, the test will be required," the new information said.

"This certificate should include: the date and time of the test; the name of the individual tested; the type of test conducted; the brand and make of the test; that the specimen for the test was collected, and the test was carried out, by or under the supervision of a medical practitioner; the result of the test; the signature of the medical practitioner providing the certificate."

Australian citizens returning from China will also need to comply with the new measures.

(continued)

#16736936 at 2022-07-15 12:58:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition

>>16705037
>>16705051
Labor states, unions turn on Anthony Albanese over new Covid crisis

ROSIE LEWIS, Greg Brown and EWIN HANNAN - JULY 15, 2022

1/2

Anthony Albanese will convene an emergency meeting of national cabinet on Monday as his government is accused by state ALP leaders and union bosses of delivering mixed messages on the Covid-19 pandemic and withdrawing support measures at the worst possible time.

The Prime Minister bowed to pressure to hold the snap cabinet meeting after he returns from the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji following calls by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for an update from chief medical officer Paul Kelly on the increasing number of Covid cases.

There is growing dissent within the labour movement over Mr Albanese's refusal to reinstate pandemic leave payments and extend free RATs for pensioners, as more than 310,000 Australians recover from Covid and millions more are expected to catch the virus in coming weeks.

Mr Albanese on Thursday faced calls from NSW Labor leader Chris Minns and one of his own MPs, backbencher and paediatrician Mike Freelander, to extend Covid-19 support.

Health Services Union national secretary Lloyd Williams said Mr Albanese was being "too stubborn" and needed to reinstate the measures for at least six weeks as cases are expected to peak.

"The timing couldn't be worse. The public health system is being overwhelmed and the projections we're hearing from health experts (are) quite dire," Mr Williams told The Australian.

A spokesman for the Queensland Premier told The Australian Ms Palaszczuk was confident an extension of Covid welfare policies would be looked at by national cabinet.

And the Andrews government in Victoria also said it was "as important as ever" people isolated when they had Covid and any measures to support that should be continued.

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Palaszczuk said Dr Kelly needed to give premiers more information on hospitalisations and rising cases as soon as possible.

"We're just getting a bit of mixed messages at the moment. I think the country just wants to know how this wave is going," she told Nine's Today show.

Despite surging cases and hospitalisations across the country, state governments have resisted restrictions such as mask mandates to stop the winter wave.

The AFL on Thursday also removed compulsory vaccinations for its players, just a day after NSW removed the need for visitors to nursing homes to have had anti-coronavirus jabs.

The Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers have doubled down on their decision to keep the Coalition's time frame to stop the Covid support measures, while the New Zealand government offered free masks and rapid antigen tests to its citizens in a bid to relieve pressure on the country's health system.

"The former government made the decision that this support would stop on the first of July. That was foreshadowed a long while in advance. We'll continue to address these issues based upon the health advice," Mr Albanese told the Nine Network. "I have spoken with state and territory premiers and chief ministers in the last week about a range of issues ... We'll continue to monitor what's necessary and we'll take what action is necessary."

Mr Williams said the government should put budget concerns aside to tackle the latest spike in Covid-19 cases by reinstating pandemic leave payments, warning that emergency and essential workers had run down their personal leave to the point where they had none left. "The decision (to cut payments) clearly has been taken because of the government concern about the budgetary mess they've been left but this is a public health issue and ... they should revisit," he said.

(continued)

#16366776 at 2022-05-30 08:12:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

>>16344039
New Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton vows to target 'forgotten Australians'

Greg Brown - MAY 30, 2022

1/2

New Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton says his leadership will focus on the "forgotten Australians" in suburban and rural Australia, as he claims there will be tough times ahead under the Albanese government.

Mr Dutton was elected unopposed at a partyroom meeting in Canberra on Monday morning. NSW MP Sussan Ley was elected deputy leader.

Mr Dutton said the party he leads "won't be Labor lite" as vowed to turn the Coalition into a viable alternative ahead of the 2025 election.

"We will have presented a plan to the Australian people which will clean up Labor's inevitable mess and lay out our own vision," Mr Dutton said.

"Already they're breaking promises and foreshadowing policy shifts. They weren't ready to govern."

Ms Ley said the party was determined to win back the support of women.

Support for 'sensible' action of climate change

Mr Dutton said he was "passionate" about taking action on climate change in a "sensible way".

He said electricity prices would go up under Labor.

"We have to have policies to help us meet our international obligations which of course we will," he said.

"We have to be responsible domestically with our own settings and we have to be very mindful (of what) people can afford in what will be a very difficult couple of years under Labor.

"We'll support policies which aren't going to turn lights off in small businesses, aren't going to send families broke in the suburbs because they can't afford Labor's power bill.

"And I want to support domestic manufacturing."

Dutton's regret over walking out on 2008 apology

Mr Dutton said he was "very happy" to speak to the government about a referendum on a constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament.

He issued regret for walking out of Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generation in 2008.

"For me, at the time, I believed that the apology should be given when the problems were resolved and the problems are not resolved," he said.

"There are little boys and girls in parts of our country in 2022, in this year, that slept in a shipping container last night to get through the hours of darkness in Indigenous communities and it's completely unacceptable."

Mr Dutton said he had no regrets about his strong language on China ahead of the last election, despite it costing the Liberal Party support in seats with high numbers of Chinese-Australians.

"The issue of China under President Xi is the biggest issue our country will face in our lifetimes. That's the reality," Mr Dutton said.

"That's the assessment of the American, British, Japanese, Indians and it's our assessment as well."

(continued)

#16325727 at 2022-05-23 07:34:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16320374
Dutton 'will be leader' amid pending stoush on Liberal direction, says Alan Tudge

Greg Brown, MAX MADDISON and PAUL GARVEY - MAY 23, 2022

Liberal MP Alan Tudge says Peter Dutton "will be leader" of the new opposition amid a push from conservative MPs to focus on winning outer suburban seats from Labor at the next election.

Mr Tudge said Mr Dutton would be an "incredibly effective" opposition leader and backed a woman to become deputy Liberal leader.

"There are people like Sussan Ley, Jane Hume, Michaelia Cash who are all very capable people able to assume that role," Mr Tudge said.

Liberal sources confirmed Mr Dutton had the numbers to become leader, with a party room ballot to be held by mid next month.

Bass MP Bridget Archer said she would consider running for deputy leader if she believed the party planned on going further to the right.

"I've seen some early commentary around that the party should move further to the right and I will certainly work hard to prevent that from occurring," she told the ABC.

Ms Ley also left the door open to running as deputy, saying the party needed to do more on both women and climate change.

"I heard the message about women, I heard the message of climate," she told Sky News on Monday morning.

"We needed to do better on both of those positions."

Liberal MPs say it is possible for the deputy leader to be in the Senate, noting former senator Fred Chaney was deputy to former leader John Hewson.

There is a widespread view among Liberal MPs that the party has an image problem with women that needs to be rectified.

With Mr Dutton unpopular in Sydney and Melbourne seats that were won by teal independents, Liberal MPs have told The Australian the pathway to victory at the next election was by winning seats from Labor in the outer suburbs.

"There is too much of an obsession with the teal seats," one MP said.

Conservative Liberal MPs say winning the outer Melbourne seat of McEwen at the next election would be easier than winning inner city Kooyong, in a strategy that would confirm the realignment of the political system.

Moderate MPs would likely be resistant to any push to abandon the affluent heartland seats in the capital cities, with the debate to set the philosophical direction for the Liberals.

Sources said there would likely be a party room meeting in Canberra in the first or second week of June.

With Labor state premiers helping Anthony Albanese's election campaign, West Australian Premier Mark McGowan was early off the blocks in slamming Mr Dutton.

"He's an extremist. I don't think he represents modern Australia at all, he doesn't seem to listen, he's extremely conservative, and I actually don't think he's that smart," Mr McGowan said.

"I've seen him present on things, I don't really pick up there's much there. As opposed to Morrison, Morrison was a clever guy. I don't think Peter Dutton is fit to be Prime Minister."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/dutton-will-be-leader-amid-pending-stoush-on-liberal-direction/news-story/5870fd1126934b85d46d61bfe0e439f7

#16086213 at 2022-04-16 09:48:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

>>16047076
Election 2022: Scott Morrison seeks second coming of a miracle and Josh fights climate challengers

Greg Brown - APRIL 15, 2022

Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg both had plenty to pray about as they walked side by side into a synagogue in East Melbourne for a Passover service.

Good Friday and the first day of Passover landed on the same day this year and brought a moment of relative calm to the election campaign for a Prime Minister who is searching for a second miracle win and a Treasurer fighting off a ?credible challenge in his seat of Kooyong from Climate 200-backed independent Monique Ryan.

Liberal sources had foreshadowed that Mr Morrison would probably visit Kooyong during the campaign given internal party polling shows Mr Frydenberg's primary vote has fallen in the past three months from 47 per cent to 44 per cent.

The only problem was that Mr Morrison is not an electoral positive in the Liberal heartland seat where there is a growing resentment over the Coalition's climate change policies.

Mr Morrison, who also attended a Good Friday church service in the ultra-marginal electorate of Chisholm, used his Christian faith to relate to the Jewish conGregation.

"Our faith inspires us and we share it with our children," he said.

"So our children and our communities never forget.

"Never, ever forget the incredible price that has been paid for our freedom and our liberty. And the wonderful life we're allowed to live in this country."

Liberal strategists said Mr Frydenberg was on track to win Kooyong on a thin margin but was reliant on his personal approval ratings to overcome the cashed-up "voices of" candidate.

Mr Frydenberg's primary vote in the 2019 election was 49.4 per cent - five points higher than he is currently polling - with the Greens picking up 21 per cent and independent Oliver Yates at nearly 9 per cent.

The Treasurer's primary vote in 2019 was down from 58 per cent in 2016, with the two-party preferred margin slipping to 6.4 per cent.

Before arriving at the synagogue, Mr Morrison dropped into a fundraising drive for Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, agreeing to pour $2m of federal funding towards the annual Good Friday Appeal.

On Friday morning, he attended the Syndal Baptist Church with Chisholm MP Gladys Liu.

The seat, held on a margin of 0.5 per cent, is being heavily targeted by Labor as polls show a swing away from the Coalition in Victoria. But Liberal strategists say Ms Liu's strong local presence gives her a reasonable chance of holding onto the seat for another three years.

Mr Morrison was acknowledged during the church service and there was a prayer that Australia's leaders act with God's "wisdom, compassion, justice and mercy".

"We pray, Lord, that you will do great things through our leaders," said church member Fiona Brown.

Mr Morrison - who this week refused to commit to legislating a religious discrimination act if he was re-elected - did not invite cameras into the service, in contrast to an Easter Sunday service during the 2019 campaign.

But the cameras were there afterwards to see him mingle with parishioners - his first random interactions with voters since the beginning of the Prime Minister's highly controlled campaign.

Mr Morrison said Easter was "above politics" as he refused to take questions about political ?issues.

He revealed he would be at his local church in Sydney on Sunday and made sure religious voters were aware that his faith was a central part of his life.

"Good Friday and Easter Sunday means everything to me. It's my faith. It has informed me, encouraged me, guided me, over my entire life. It's how I was raised in my family, in a church just like this one," Mr Morrison said.

"Easter is about faith. It's about hope. It's about being able to look forward to the future with confidence and encouraged by your ?beliefs. It's a very personal thing for me."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/election-2022-scott-morrison-seeks-second-coming-of-a-miracle-and-josh-fights-climate-challengers/news-story/ee18a8ad5147f614e97c8d90f9f8a70a

#15924382 at 2022-03-23 09:10:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15873706
Kimberley Kitching inquiry calls leave ALP split

Greg Brown - MARCH 22, 2022

Former union leader and Labor MP Jennie George has joined calls for an independent inquiry into allegations the late Kimberley Kitching was bullied by the party's Senate leadership team, with sitting MPs divided over whether a formal investigation should be held.

The debate comes as the party's national executive is set to endorse a timeline resolving preselections in Victoria and the NSW seat of Parramatta, which would see candidates unveiled on budget day.

There is suspicion in Labor ranks that Anthony Albanese is using the national executive to "get square" with his factional ?enemies, with claims the ?announcement of candidates on budget day is designed to bury the airtime of any internal feuding.

Under the national executive process, Mr Albanese's nemesis Kim Carr is likely to be replaced on Victoria's Senate ticket, while the Ferguson Left faction in NSW - the bitter rival to Mr Albanese's Hard Left faction - would be weakened through the parachuting in of economist Andrew Carlton as the candidate for Parramatta.

Ms George, the former president of the ACTU and MP from 2001 to 2010, said the allegations about Kitching's treatment were "very serious, requiring thorough and independent investigation".

"People should be permitted to speak freely and have their disagreements in party meetings," Ms George wrote in a letter to The Australian. "More specifically, it must be recognised that in the absence of defined rules and procedures, MPs are left vulnerable to arbitrary treatment.

"As a minimum there must be procedural fairness and an ?appeals process. No self-respecting Labor person would put up with anything less than this in any other workplace. That's why an independent inquiry is needed."

Former Labor MP Michael Danby is calling for an inquiry. There is also support within the parliamentary party but MPs will not speak publicly for fear of ?retribution.

Some Labor MPs are furious Mr Albanese has limited his media presence and refused to call an inquiry into the alleged bullying, despite accusing Scott Morrison of not fronting up and showing leadership during difficult times. "He (Mr Albanese) is doing exactly what he accuses Morrison of doing," one MP said.

Mr Morrison accused Mr ?Albanese of being "gutless" for ?refusing to hold a press conference since Saturday, despite Labor's emphatic victory in the South Australian election.

The Prime Minister said Mr Albanese's decision to create an annual award in Kitching's honour "does not dismiss the fact that serious allegations have been made". "He can't just dismiss away hard issues. That's not what prime ministers can do, and this is someone who wants to be prime minister," Mr Morrison said.

"At the first sign of hard questions, and we're not even into the campaign, he has gone into complete hiding. Frankly, I think it's pretty gutless."

One Labor MP claimed Mr ?Albanese had been quick to crack down only on figures in the ?labour movement who were his factional adversaries, including Victorian construction union boss John Setka and former Victorian powerbroker Adem Somyurek. "He holds a grudge pretty well," the MP said.

Labor senators Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher, who are accused of ostracising Kitching, are close supporters of Mr Albanese. Other MPs are angry Bill Shorten raised the treatment of Kitching the day after her death, believing it led to a cavalcade of unfair accusations levelled at Labor senators.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/kimberley-kitching-inquiry-calls-leave-alp-split/news-story/f8473f9af1ad9694609e28272ac782b1

#15896201 at 2022-03-19 06:33:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15873706
Anthony Albanese's MPs back Kimberley Kitching bullying probe

Greg Brown and SHARRI MARKSON - MARCH 18, 2022

Growing numbers of Labor MPs are backing an independent inquiry into allegations Kimberley Kitching was bullied by her Senate colleagues and raised concerns about the "rotten" culture within the party's senior circles.

The Weekend Australian has spoken to four MPs who want an investigation into the treatment of Senator Kitching by the Senate leadership team, with one senator saying it was "not a nice place to be working".

"I want change and we have got to set in motion the procedures to have some change because it is just wrong," a Labor senator said. "Their behaviour and the atmosphere is just rotten and that has got to be addressed.

"There is without a doubt in anyone's mind who actually knew her, cared for her, have witnessed the behaviour, that this did impact on her health."

Several Labor senators told The Weekend Australian that people who voiced differing opinions from the leadership group were frozen out and ostracised.

"They don't like anyone who challenges them," one said. "I have never seen (the culture in the Labor Senate team) as bad as this."

The MPs, who declined to be identified for fear of retribution, were stunned by the rejection of allegations of mistreatment of Senator Kitching from Penny Wong, Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher.

"People are denying things that so many people know happened," a senator said.

A second Labor senator said the statement was "not credible", while another claimed to be "shocked by the statement".

One Labor MP said he was disappointed with Anthony Albanese's lacklustre response to the claims that have arisen since Kitching's death.

"I can't contemplate there not being a proper inquiry into what happened," he said. "It's a view that's shared by many people. Most sensible people can have sympathy for what's happening."

Other MPs, some of who were close to Senator Kitching, argue she was not bullied but was subjected to the regular brutality of politics. The MPs say she was a tough operator who could give as good as she received.

"Blind Freddy knows no one actually likes each other in the party," one Labor figure said.

But MPs who do not think Senator Kitching was bullied concede Labor was paying the price for making political hay over allegations of culture problems in the Coalition.

In a joint statement, Senator Wong, Senator Keneally and Senator Gallagher denied they bullied Kitching.

"Politics is a challenging profession. Contests can be robust and interactions difficult. All of its participants at times act or speak in ways that can impact on others negatively. We have and do reflect on this, as individuals and as leaders," the statement said.

However, Senator Wong confirmed she had made a disparaging comment about Senator Kitching not having children.

"Senator Wong discussed the matter with Senator Kitching and apologised," the statement said. "Senator Wong understood that apology was accepted."

Mr Albanese said on Friday he was "proud" to have senators Wong, Keneally and Gallagher on his team.

"That's not to say that we can't always look to do better. Politics is a really tough business," he said.

Scott Morrison accused Mr Albanese of "going missing" on the issue. "As soon as things get a bit difficult for the Leader of the Opposition, he goes missing. He vanishes," Mr Morrison said.

"He's got some uncomfortable questions that he needs to answer in relation to the conduct of his own party, but that's for him to ?address."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/anthony-albaneses-mps-back-kimberley-kitching-bullying-probe/news-story/a2dc72e7dda556ce418ea468c43040d0

#15411907 at 2022-01-19 06:59:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

Nuclear subs, China aggression to top UK talks

Greg Brown - JANUARY 19, 2022

1/2

Scott Morrison will host Britain's foreign affairs and defence ministers in Sydney for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic this week, ahead of senior ministerial-level talks aimed at strengthening defence co-operation and advancing the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will arrive in Sydney this week and meet the Prime Minister at Kirribilli House on Thursday, as the government pushes for Western allies to have a stronger presence in the Indo-Pacific as a counterbalance to China.

Ms Truss and Mr Wallace will attend a formal meeting on Friday with Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Peter Dutton as part of the annual Australia-United Kingdom ministerial consultations.

The discussions will focus on how the allies can better co-?ordinate to respond to "threats and challenges" to the liberal international order and how Britain can be a bigger player in the Indo-Pacific region.

With Australia and Britain both being members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, the talks will canvass how to maintain cyber security and protect critical technology.

They follow Australia, Britain and the US striking the AUKUS deal last September, which will ?facilitate Australia obtaining ?nuclear-powered submarines.

Tensions in the Asia-Pacific amid China's campaign of economic coercion are also expected to be discussed.

Senator Payne said the meetings would consider how the ?nations could increase their ?strategic ties given the "inter?national environment is becoming more complex and challenging". "AUKMIN is a demonstration of the strong partnership between Australia and the United Kingdom, underpinned by a shared commitment to deliver on practical actions that reinforce the sovereignty, resilience and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific," Senator Payne said.

Mr Dutton said the talks would consider ways to strengthen collaboration in defence capability, cyber security, critical technology, deterrence and sustainable investment in infrastructure.

"I've spoken with Defence Secretary Wallace on many occasions, but this trip will mark the first time Ben I meet in person, which I'm very much looking forward to," Mr Dutton said.

"With the United States under AUKUS, we're advancing our plans for Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. But we are also making good progress in many other areas of collaboration, such as in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, cyber and undersea capabilities."

(continued)

#15325605 at 2022-01-07 12:29:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #20 - INSURGENCY Edition

Disturbing rise in childlike sex dolls imported from Asia

Greg Brown - JANUARY 5, 2022

More than 150 childlike sex dolls sent from Japan, Hong Kong and China were stopped from entering Australia last year as federal authorities crack down on child abuse materials.

Australian Border Force officials detected 118 consignments containing 156 child-sex dolls, with the "vast majority" coming from major Asian trading partners. While there were fewer dolls detected last year compared to 2020, the number of consignments intercepted rose 61 per cent.

Assistant Customs Minister Jason Wood said the dolls were intended to sexualise children.

"The Australian government is resolutely focused on combating the attempted import of these vile products, which have no place in Australian society," Mr Wood said. "Child-like sex dolls are symptomatic of the broader global threat posed by child sexual abuse, contact offending and the sexual exploitation of children, all forms of a growing global crime market."

Last February, a Perth man was sentenced to 11 months' jail after being convicted of importing a childlike sex doll.

There have been four criminal prosecutions pursued by ABF on the issue since last May, with a 23-year-old NSW man charged in October.

Last year, Scott Morrison unveiled a 10-year national strategy for the prevention of child sexual abuse, which includes extra law enforcement measures and support for victims.

"Child sexual abuse is happening now. It's happening online, in appalling numbers," Mr Morrison said last year.

"The shocking truth is online child sexual abuse was already ?increasing, and it has spiked in ?response to the Covid-19 restrictions.

"It makes our response all the more urgent and our resolve all the more unshakeable.

"Our enforcement, intelligence and research agencies are tasked with tracking down child sexual abuse wherever it happens."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/disturbing-rise-in-childlike-sex-dolls-imported-from-asia/news-story/8311a50642585127f0c943928109c414

#13915005 at 2021-06-16 07:51:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #16 - INFILTRATION NOT INVASION Edition

>>13907733
Scott Morrison, Boris Johnson agree in-principle to free trade deal

GEOFF CHAMBERS and Greg Brown - JUNE 15, 2021

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Australia is the first nation to secure a post-Brexit free trade deal with the UK in a historic breakthrough, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with Scott Morrison against Chinese aggression.

The pair signed an "agreement in principle" after a three-hour working dinner the night before at 10 Downing Street, with Mr Morrison describing the breakthrough as "the most comprehensive and ambitious agreement that Australia has concluded", alongside New Zealand.

At a joint press conference, the British Prime Minister raised concerns with China's global conduct and said he was hopeful his country could become a more significant trading partner with Australia given the scale of the trade relationship with Beijing.

"I looked at the numbers. I think something like $175bn is Australia's trade with China," Mr Johnson said. "I think Australia's trade with the UK is currently in the order of $15bn. So you can see the difference in the scale. I want to raise that second figure very substantially as a result of what we're doing."

Referencing Beijing's treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang and its "general repression of liberties in Hong Kong" and the way it behaved "particularly towards Australia", Mr Johnson said the UK stood "shoulder to shoulder with our friends".

"Nobody wants to descend into a new cold war with China," he said. "We don't see that as the way forward. This is a difficult relationship where it is vital to engage with China in the most positive way as we can. Where there (are) difficulties evidently ... it's vital that allies, UK and Australia, work together. That's one of the reasons we're sending the Carrier Strike Group you way."

Mr Morrison said the new trade agreement would help make up the "foundation of this broader partnership that Australia and the United Kingdom enjoy". He hailed it as the "right deal" despite earlier stumbling blocks on labour mobility and quotas for Australian agricultural producers.

"This is a foundational partnership for Australia as it is for the UK," the Prime Minister said. "And everything else we do stems from that relationship, our co-operation on defence, on strategic issues, our co-operation on science and research, in dealing with technology challenges to combat climate change and indeed the economic relationship.

"Our economies are stronger by these agreements ... Movement of people, movement of goods, movement of services, this is what underpins the strength of advanced economies and liberal democracies."

The agreement was touted by Mr Johnson as a "prelude to further deals" and a launching pad for entry into the 11-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, although he conceded there were "sensitive issues" that had been confronted by both sides.

(continued)

#13174865 at 2021-03-09 17:44:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #14 - THE ART OF WAR Edition

This year, we'll march on Anzac Day to remember them

Greg Brown and RHIANNON DOWN - MARCH 9, 2021

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Anzac Day marches will be held in every capital city after Scott Morrison said he wanted the national day to proceed, arguing that if people were free to "protest" and "party" then they should be free to honour the nation's war veterans.

The Victorian government was on Tuesday considering plans to declare this year's Anzac Day march in Melbourne a "major event'' which would allow up to 5000 people to participate.

The NSW government ­increased the number of veterans ­allowed to march on April 25 from 500 to 5000 following the Prime Minister's intervention and an outcry from veterans. The decision was made after a crisis meeting between NSW Police Minister David Elliott, health officials and veterans groups.

"If people can party and if ­people can protest, then we can ­remember as a nation, and honour our veterans on Anzac Day," Mr Morrison said. "I would like to see that done as fully and as safely as possible, and I think that is not ­beyond our wits to achieve that. I want Anzac Day on."

Marches and remembrance services were cancelled last year as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated and forced large-scale ­restrictions. Instead, families par­ticipated in emotional, candlelit driveway vigils at dawn to mark the occasion.

Former governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove told The Australian it was time to "get one of our great national days back".

Sir Peter, who served in Vietnam with 9 RAR, said he was "saddened" by the initial plans for just 500 people to be allowed to march in Sydney.

Bigger crowds had been ­allowed at last Saturday's Mardi Gras, which was attended by 30,000 people at the Sydney Cricket Ground and featured 5000 parade participants.

"I was saddened at what I saw as the de facto demise of Anzac Day as a national day, which for many has been as prominent or more so than many of our other national holidays," Sir Peter said

"I hope that in all of the usual places around Australia, veterans and those who observe and ­respect Anzac Day can gather and march or watch in the way we have done since 1916 when, on the shores of the Suez Canal, ­Monash and others made their first commemoration."

(continued)