To: the Hon Prime Minister Julia Gillard Cc

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

To: the Hon Prime Minister Julia Gillard Cc: the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Kevin Rudd MP We write you as concerned members of the Australian legal community. We refer to the letter from the distinguished human rights lawyer, Gareth Pierce, who acts for Julian Assange in the UK solicitor, dated 15 September 2011. Mr. Assange has not been charged with a crime in any jurisdiction; and an investigation by your Government has found that he has not done anything that would amount to a crime under Australian law. We know you will agree that Mr. Assange has a right to a fair trial and to be treated equally before the law, like any citizen of a country which respects the rule of law. His case is a major test of the strength of our judicial system and our commitment to a free and fearless press. We request that the Australian Government take serious note of the matters raised in Ms. Peirce’s letter – the grave implications of which you may not be aware – and that, as prime minister charged with upholding our country’s international reputation, you do everything in your power to ensure that Mr. Assange is treated fairly and his rights respected. With the prospect of the legal perils as explained in the letter, we are concerned that there is a very real danger that Mr. Assange’s case will result in another human rights disaster as faced by David Hicks and the resulting damage to our country’s good name. We call upon the Australian Government (delete ref. to Minister for Foreign Affairs) to respond to the serious matters and questions raised. In particular, we wish to know what specifically the Australian government is doing to prevent a 'temporary surrender' order imposed on an Australian citizen who has not been charged with any crime. We very much look forward to your response. Gillard letter.doc .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Juila Gillard, 45, Says the Problem for Women in Politics Is That There Is Not a Set Image of What a Woman Leader Should Look Like
Juila Gillard, 45, says the problem for women in politics is that there is not a set image of what a woman leader should look like. Men, she says, simply get better-quality suits, shirts and ties. ‘Women have so many more options it’s easier to criticise,’ she says. ‘You have to take it with a grain of salt and a fair bit of good humour.’ in proﬁ le JULIA GILLARD From hostel to HISTORY She’s one of our most senior female politicians and one day she could have the top job. But what’s she really like? JULIE McCROSSIN meets Julia Gillard f you want to get to know Julia Gillard There is no sign of that clipped, robotic the White House, where people rarely sleep and understand what drives her political voice that often appears in her sound-bites or go home, has a lot in common with her Ipassions, you have to know the story of on the news. If she gets the chance to talk a life in parliament. her Welsh immigrant family, especially that of bit longer, as she does these days in the chatty There’s not much spare space in her ofﬁ ce, her father, John. world of breakfast television with her regular meeting room and en-suite bathroom. The It’s been a long journey from the appearances on Nine’s Today show debating window offers a glimpse of a courtyard Pennington Migrant Hostel in Adelaide, the Liberal Party’s heavyweight Tony Abbott, with trees. Aboriginal art by Maggie Long where Gillard arrived in 1966 at age four with you hear a more natural voice.
[Show full text]
Comparing the Dynamics of Party Leadership Survival in Britain and Australia: Brown, Rudd and Gillard
This is a repository copy of Comparing the dynamics of party leadership survival in Britain and Australia: Brown, Rudd and Gillard. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/82697/ Version: Accepted Version Article: Heppell, T and Bennister, M (2015) Comparing the dynamics of party leadership survival in Britain and Australia: Brown, Rudd and Gillard. Government and Opposition, FirstV. 1 - 26. ISSN 1477-7053 https://doi.org/10.1017/gov.2014.31 Reuse Unless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version - refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher’s website. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Comparing the Dynamics of Party Leadership Survival in Britain and Australia: Brown, Rudd and Gillard Abstract This article examines the interaction between the respective party structures of the Australian Labor Party and the British Labour Party as a means of assessing the strategic options facing aspiring challengers for the party leadership.
[Show full text]
Australia in the "Asian Century" Or Is It Lost in Asia? Australia Maintains a Delusion of Reality
Australia in the "Asian Century" or is it Lost in Asia? Australia maintains a delusion of reality China and the US - The Australian dilemma. Murray Hunter The Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard released a long awaited white paper Australia in the Asian Century yesterday, which has been "wowed" by the Australian media. The white paper basically affirms that Australia's future lies with Asia and consequently immense economic opportunities exist for Australia to grab. The paper hinges the nation's strategy of becoming a competitive force within the region through skills development, innovation, infrastructure, the tax system, regulatory reform, and environmental sustainability. However before a nation can become a competitive force, it must have an accepted place in the region. On this key strategy the White paper does little more than make a "rally call" to Australians to come out and make it happen. The paper also reeks of Austro-centrism where most of the points made in the document are written with the expectation that Australia will win out of closer ties with Asia without necessarily giving much back in exchange - such as Australia having closer ties with Asian universities in order to attract students and skilled workers. Rather one-way to say the least. The Australian China US relationships Not surprisingly, the document still goes out to reaffirm Australia's loyalty to the United States. This could be seen as Premier Julia Gillard's metaphoric statement of "all the way with LBJ". Historically the US is seen as a savior from invasion by the Japanese during WWII and consequently there has been a total commitment from successive Australian governments through the cold war until the present time for US foreign policy.
[Show full text]
12. the Labor Party Campaign and Aftermath
12. The Labor Party Campaign and Aftermath George Wright Disunity versus discipline Labor did not so much lose the election as lose government. In Australian football terms, we had put the Liberals 10 goals ahead when the year started. Labor’s defeat in 2013 had been determined years earlier as we persisted with a jaw-dropping lack of unity and seemingly endless infighting. It is remarkable that, amid all of that, we advanced literally hundreds of legislative reforms. However, very few of those were noticed by the public as a result of the number of news stories on our disunity. Even though Kevin Rudd’s opponents went silently after he resumed the leadership in June 2013, the years of infighting and undermining had left Labor in an unwinnable position. The policy changes, the legislation passed, and the reforms delivered counted for very little against an overwhelming perception of disunity. All the Coalition had to do to win was hold their nerve when we inevitably made a comeback, as we did when Kevin Rudd resumed the Labor leadership. The crucial thing that the Coalition had in spades, and ruthlessly drove home their advantage with, was the biggest thing Labor’s team lacked: discipline. Any observer of politics would observe that really where the problems for the Labor Party started was when we removed a first-term prime minister [Kevin Rudd in 2010]. Whatever the details of our incapacity to get over that, the truth is that we never did. Figure 1: Extract from George Wright’s responses to questions following his address to the National Press Club, 29 October 2013 Source: Australianpolitics.com—<australianpolitics.com/2013/10/29/george-wright-alp-federal-election- analysis.html>.
[Show full text]
5. Women in Australian Politics: Mothers Only Need Apply
CONTEMPORARY GENDER ISSUES 5. Women in Australian politics: Mothers only need apply ABSTRACT When Julia Gillard considered running for the leadership of the Austral- ian Labor Party in early 2005, her political enemies immediately raised three reasons for opposing her: she is female, single and without children. These criticisms prompted a flurry of discussion in the media about the relevance of a person’s family situation to their ability to work effectively in politics. This article examines the treatment of female politicians by the press over the more than 80 years since the first woman appeared in any Australian parliament. It finds that there continues to be pressure on women to continue in the traditional roles of wife and mother, while more recently, female politicians have had to contend with an extra layer of coverage concentrating on their sexual attributes. CATHY JENKINS Griffith University, Queensland Introduction N JANUARY 2005 the Australian Labor Party was in the throes of elect- ing a new leader. One of those considering running to replace outgoing Ileader Mark Latham was Julia Gillard, a frontbencher who had proved her mettle in the shadow portfolios of immigration, indigenous affairs and health. But there were perceived problems. Gillard is female, single and child free, and her political enemies wasted no time in using these attributes as weapons against her. Many media outlets were prepared to jump on the sin- gle-and-child-free issue, with help from their political sources. ‘The relation- ship between sources and journalists resembles a dance, for sources seek access to journalists, and journalists seek access to sources, but more often than not, sources do the leading’ (Gans 1979, p.
[Show full text]
The Rudd Government Australian Commonwealth Administration 2007–2010
The Rudd Government Australian Commonwealth Administration 2007–2010 The Rudd Government Australian Commonwealth Administration 2007–2010 Edited by Chris Aulich and Mark Evans Published by ANU E Press The Australian National University Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: [email protected] This title is also available online at: http://epress.anu.edu.au/rudd_citation.html National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Title: The Rudd government : Australian Commonwealth administration 2007 - 2010 / edited by Chris Aulich and Mark Evans. ISBN: 9781921862069 (pbk.) 9781921862076 (eBook) Notes: Includes bibliographical references. Subjects: Rudd, Kevin, 1957---Political and social views. Australian Labor Party. Public administration--Australia. Australia--Politics and government--2001- Other Authors/Contributors: Aulich, Chris, 1947- Evans, Mark Dr. Dewey Number: 324.29407 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design by ANU E Press Illustrations by David Pope, The Canberra Times Printed by Griffin Press Funding for this monograph series has been provided by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government Research Program. This edition © 2010 ANU E Press Contents Acknowledgments . vii Contributors . ix Part I. Introduction 1 . It was the best of times; it was the worst of times . 3 Chris Aulich 2 . Issues and agendas for the term . 17 John Wanna Part II. The Institutions of Government 3 . The Australian Public Service: new agendas and reform . 35 John Halligan 4 . Continuity and change in the outer public sector .
[Show full text]
Gillard Hopes for Commuter-Led Head of Steam
News Store Page 1 of 1 Gillard hopes for commuter-led head of steam Author: Phillip Coorey CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Publication: Sydney Morning Herald Date: 11/08/2010 Section: News and Features Words: 442 Page: 6 Source: SMH TODAY'S promise by Julia Gillard that her government, if re- elected, will fund the majority of the cost for a rail link between Parramatta and Epping will tick a number of boxes for Labor. If well received, the announcement will bolster Labor's prospects in a crucial clutch of seats in western Sydney, reverse the trend that has seen significant infrastructure funds withheld from a hapless NSW government, and play to Gillard's original election campaign theme of sustainability. This election, she declared in the first days of the campaign, would be about "our very quality of life". Western Sydney's infrastructure has failed to keep up with the pressures of burgeoning population growth. If the current growth rate continues unabated, the region's population will double within 40 years. The proposed link will cut 25 minutes off the trip from Chatswood to Parramatta and take pressure off the western line. Commuters in five key seats will benefit - Parramatta, Bennelong, Lindsay, Greenway and Macarthur. Importantly, the government will put a timetable on the project. It says it will be completed in 2017. That's two more elections after this one but a commitment nonetheless. The Commonwealth's contribution of $2.1 billion will not be available until 2014-15, which is two elections away. This ensures the government can meet its promise to return the budget to surplus by 2012-13.
[Show full text]
Ebook Download the Stalking of Julia Gillard: How the Media and Team
THE STALKING OF JULIA GILLARD: HOW THE MEDIA AND TEAM RUDD BROUGHT DOWN THE PRIME MINISTER PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Kerry-Anne Walsh | 320 pages | 15 Feb 2014 | Allen & Unwin | 9781742379227 | English | Sydney, Australia The Stalking of Julia Gillard: How the Media and Team Rudd Brought Down the Prime Minister PDF Book July 11, at pm. It reminds one that journalists have often been compared to used car salesmen, the sale is the important thing not the truth. On this point Walsh remarks: One wonders if their bile and venom would be directed at a man; the disrespect they show Gillard and the office of prime minister is unprecedented. Disastrous because the book is just as quickly out of date as soon as it arrives on shelves. I've also heard good things about "Downfall". Does Walshe hold out her book as the definitive work or did she make and break a pact with MH that she would write a book to suit his wants on this? And the Daily Telegraph and The Age have never been the bastions of truth - ummm der! Given the negotiation that would have had to happen to get any legislation passed, this can only be seen as successful and a testament to their ability to negotiate with independents and other members of parliament. Leaks, rumours, polls and deniability: Kerry-Anne Walsh paints an ugly picture of Kevin Rudds road back to the prime ministership. It is about a politician who was never given a fair go; not in the media, not by Rudd, not by some in caucus.
[Show full text]
27 Gillard Web July 2013
27 Julia Eileen GILLARD Prime Minister 24 June 2010 – 27 June 2013 • Julia Gillard became the 27th Prime Minister after she was elected unopposed in a ballot for the leadership of the Australian Labor Party. • Member of the Australian Labor Party. • Member of the House of Representatives for Lalor (Vic) 1998-, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Education and Minister for Social Inclusion 2007-2010. Main achievements (2010-13) • The first woman to become Prime Minister, and the first woman to be Deputy Prime Minister. • Introduced the Clean Energy Bill 2011, a package of legislation establishing an emissions trading scheme to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions. • Introduced the National Disability Insurance Scheme, DisabilityCare Australia • Introduced legislation to reform the education system following the Gonski review, including funding to primary and secondary education. Personal life • Born 29 September 1961 in Barry, Glamorgan, Wales. Father John was a coal miner. • As a child suffered respiratory problems. Emigrated with her family to Adelaide in 1966 as ’£10 poms’ as a warmer climate was more suited to her health. • Attended Unley High School, University of Adelaide and University of Melbourne, graduating with arts and law degrees in 1986. • President of the Australian Union of Students 1983-1984 • Joined law firm Slater and Gordon in 1987. • Chief of Staff to Victorian ALP leader (later Premier) John Brumby 1996-1998 • Partner (since 2006) is Tim Mathieson. Character ‘Julia Gillard answers questions readily, laughs easily and has a nice line in self-deprecation...she is easy to talk to, hiding any natural wariness behind a smiling and relaxed manner.
[Show full text]
For Immediate Releas E
Measuring Public Opinion For Over 70 Years – The Roy Morgan Research Centre Limited A.B.N. 91 004 433 265 – Quality System Certified to AS/NZS ISO 9001 Finding No. 5626 Available on Website: www.roymorgan.com On June 6, 2014 See Roy Morgan Online Store Electors say Bill Shorten (43%) is ‘Better PM’ than Tony Abbott (38%) for the first time But neither Leader has positive job approval Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (43%, up 7% since October 18-20, 2013) is now regarded as the ‘Better PM’ ahead of Prime Minister Tony Abbott (38%, down 2%) for the first time according to a special telephone Morgan Poll conducted over the last three nights (June 3-5, 2014). Job Performance – Approve/Disapprove Australian electors clearly disapprove of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s handling of his job as Prime Minister with a massive 59% disapproving compared to only 34% that approve and 7% can’t say. E Australian electors have a similar view of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s handling of the job as Opposition Leader; 45% disapprove, 35% approve and 20% can’t say. Analysis by Gender Analysis by gender shows women clearly support Shorten (46%) cf. Abbott (37%) while support from men support Abbott (40%) and Shorten (40%) equally for Better Prime Minister. Majorities of both women (62%) and men (57%) disapprove of Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s handling of the job as Prime Minister compared to only 33% of women and 36% of men that approve. The figures are similar for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten with more women (43%) and men (47%) disapproving of Shorten’s handling of the job as Opposition Leader and only 36% of women and 34% of men approving.
[Show full text]
Gillard/A Murderous Rage Julia Gillard
Gillard/A Murderous Rage Julia Gillard: A Murderous Rage Roslyn Appleby, University of Technology, Sydney Abstract This chapter charts the political career of Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female Prime Minister (2010-2013), and argues that three intertwined discourses of gender shaped how she was perceived and represented in the political domain and in the media. First, Gillard was faced with the challenges such as the “double bind,” by which female leaders are expected to demonstrate qualities stereotypically associated with masculinity, and at the same time to display qualities stereotypically associated with femininity. Second, Gillard faced sexist abuse in politics and media which labelled her an “unintelligible being.” Third, in acts of “strategic essentialism,” Gillard condemned the misogyny she endured, repositioning herself as a coherent political force and marking the re-emergence of feminism in Australian politics. Keywords: normative discourses of gender, misogyny and sexism in media representation, double bind, strategic essentialism Introduction Julia Eileen Gillard served as Australia’s first female Prime Minister for three years and three days. During her time in office, from 2010 to 2013, she introduced a raft of significant social reforms, including improvements in regard to workplace regulation, educational opportunity, and disability care. But it was, arguably, her lack of conformity with normative gender regimes that had the most significant deleterious effect on perceptions and evaluations of her performance as Prime Minister. This chapter charts Julia Gillard’s political career, and argues that three specific discourses of gender shaped the ways in which she was perceived and represented in the political domain, in the media, and by the voting public.
[Show full text]
On 12 November 2012 Prime Minister Julia Gillard Announced a Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Childhood Sexual Abuse…
Lotus Times www.lotusplace.org.au • Queensland • SPECIAL EDITION | NOVEMBER 2018 Lotus Times is published in collaboration with The Special Edition Historical Abuse Network which works collaboratively with people who experienced abuse and neglect in The National Apology to Victims and Survivors of institutions, foster care and detention centres. We Institutional Child Sexual Abuse as presented by Prime acknowledge their courage as they move from adversity Minister of Australia Scott Morrison and Leader of the to hope in seeking public recognition, justice and redress. Opposition Bill Shorten. A National Apology. On 12 November 2012 Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Childhood Sexual Abuse… “Today I have announced that I will be I believe a Royal Commission is the best recommending to the Governor-General way to do this. the establishment of a Royal Commission into institutional responses to instances … I commend the victims involved for and allegations of child sexual abuse in having the courage to speak out. Australia. I believe we must do everything we can to The allegations that have come to light make sure that what has happened in the recently about child sexual abuse have past is never allowed to happen again,” been heartbreaking. – PM Julia Gillard. These are insidious, evil acts to which no child should be subject. The individuals concerned deserve the Almost six years later, after an extensive most thorough of investigations into the Royal Commission, Prime Minister wrongs that have been committed against of Australia Scott Morrison and Leader them. of the Opposition Bill Shorten joined in Parliament to make a formal National They deserve to have their voices heard Apology to Victims and Survivors of and their claims investigated.
[Show full text]