North Coast Voices currently does not have a date it is recommencing regular posts. Please check by in a week's time.
Clarencegirl still on the sick list. New date for resumption of posting is Saturday, 22 February 2025.
North Coast Voices will not be posting for the next four days.
Back again hopefully by Saturday 15 February 2025.
A Protect Trans Youth National Day of Action took place across Australia on Saturday 8 February 2025, with a rally for the NSW North Coast taking place in Lismore City at 11am at Pride Corner on the corner of Molesworth and Magellan streets, Lismore.
The rally called on the Queensland Crisafulli LNP Government to reinstate full care for trans youth, particularly those under 18 years of age.
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| Lismore Protect Trans Youth Rally IMAGE: Rebecca Rushbrook, Trans Justice Project, 08.02.25 |
The national organizers of the rally taking the position that the banning of hormone therapy by Health Minister Tim Nicholls is a politically motivated attack that undermines the right of trans youth to grow up happy, healthy, and with the freedom to be themselves.
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| Lismore Protect Trans Youth Rally IMAGE: Rebecca Rushbrook, Trans Justice Project, 08.02.25 |
This media release became public shortly after the end of the fourth court sitting day in NSD189/2024: Antoinette Lattouf v Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
ABC staff ‘disgusted’ by handling of Lattouf case
2025-02-06 16:38:00 #MEAAMedia #WithMEAA MediaRoom Releases
The ABC must commission an independent inquiry into the broadcaster’s independence from outside interference and apologise for allowing external pressure to influence the dismissal of Antoinette Lattouf and attempts to have other journalists sacked in recent years.
Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance members at the ABC want the inquiry to be conducted within 12 months and the full report released publicly.
Following a union meeting today, they are also demanding complete end to the “special hotlines” that some groups are able to leverage to influence the ABC and improved transparency about complaints and lobbying activities directed at the Chair and managing director.
“Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance members at the ABC are dismayed by the revelations emerging from the Antoinette Lattouf trial and disgusted by the ABC’s handling of the case,” said the ABC National House Committee.
“The ABC’s position that Ms Lattouf has not “demonstrated the existence of a Lebanese, Arab or Middle Eastern race” destroys any hope that the ABC intends to address the systemic racism identified by the Janke review of last year.
“As a public broadcaster, the ABC must act as a model litigant. We demand it immediately disavows this position and acknowledges, without qualification, that Lebanese, Arab and Middle Eastern people can be subject to racial discrimination.
“The trial has confirmed our worst fears: the ABC’s independence is not adequately protected. Across successive leaderships, political pressure has influenced the ABC chair, leading to breaches of our independence. There has been no commitment to change from the new leadership.
“It’s therefore not enough to change the personnel. The system allowing those breaches needs to be changed.
“ABC staff work tirelessly to build and maintain the ABC’s independence and integrity. It is the board’s legal duty to protect that independence and integrity. But time and again we see ABC chairs and managing directors do the opposite.
“ABC’s staff know social media rules are supposed to ensure the ABC isn’t brought into disrepute, yet this court proceeding has badly harmed the ABC’s reputation.
“This must stop. We demand changes be made to ensure it does.
Resolution
ABC MEAA members demand:
1. An explicit acceptance by the ABC that they will not require any proof that it is possible to be racist to a Lebanese/Arab/ Middle Eastern person and an apology for making that argument in court.
2. An independent inquiry, designed in collaboration with the ABC MEAA National House Committee, to examine the ABC’s independence and how outside pressure may have inappropriately influenced the ABC, including the attempts to sack Emma Alberici and Andrew Probyn, revealed in 2018, and the sacking of Antoinette Lattouf. Since these cases appear to demonstrate inappropriate outside influence despite personnel changes across successive leadership teams, the inquiry should consider potential legislative, corporate culture or policy changes that might be required, as well as changing or clarifying the roles of the Chair and managing director, to better protect the ABC’s integrity and independence. The inquiry should be conducted within 12 months and a full report be released publicly.
3. A full apology to Antoinette Lattouf, ABC staff and the public for allowing external pressure to influence the ABC, undermining the ABC’s independence and hard-won trust.
4. An acknowledgement from Chair Kim Williams that what occurred before his time with the sacking of Lattouf was unacceptable and a commitment to stop it happening again.
5. A complete end to the “special hotlines” that some groups are able to leverage to influence the ABC. All complaints received by senior executives, the MD or the board must be directed to the ombudsman or appropriate adjudicator with no further action. The ABC should follow its established and rigorous complaints handling process through the Ombudsman’s Office without interference or influence from management. Editorial staff subject to complaints must always be afforded the right to respond before any adverse findings or actions are taken against them.
6. Improved transparency around attempts to influence including the Managing Director and Chair publishing their diaries and summaries of all complaints and lobbying actions received by them.
7. That the incoming MD Hugh Marks meets with the MEAA National House Committee to openly and collaboratively discuss how to ensure these longstanding problems are not repeated.
8. That the ABC does not unduly fold to bad faith external media campaigns.
9. ABC Management will immediately work with ABC MEAA House Committee to review and implement social media policy with transparency.
10. Call on the ABC management to treat staff’s mental health disclosures with respect in all circumstances, and recognise the mental health toll of working in the media industry.
Positive Change For Marine Life Limited, formed in in the NSW Northern Rivers region in 2012, is a not-for-profit registered corporation with a four member board of directors which has a stated community driven mission to empower ocean action, developing long-term initiatives that benefit the sea and the people who rely on it for survival.
Now headquartered in Queensland, it has teams on the ground in Australia (where it first was founded), India and Solomon Islands. These teams are made up of conservation scientists, community engagement specialists, spatial mapping & data specialists, as well as members of the volunteer and intern community - often marine biology or conservation science students.
Positive Change for Marine Life has also partnered groups in Brazil, Japan, Indonesia and Seychelles for specific projects.
Their work appear to complement the work of other Australian environmental groups, such as the NSW Nature Conservation Council.
Positive Change for Marine Life Limited's annual report and financial statement show it to be a responsible ad stable corporation.
However an overbearing, belligerent and volatile 47th President of the United States of America on the day of his inauguration unleashed a policy which resulted in this.......
ECHO, 5 February 2025:
With US President Trump axing funding for aid programs across the globe, it’s also forced a marine conservation group to start laying off staff and stop work while they ‘work around the clock to fill the $300,000 gap that has been created’.
Positive Change for Marine Life co-founder and CEO, Karl Goodsell, told The Echo the not-for-profit, formed in Byron Shire, and most of its Australian employees are located in the North Coast.
‘We started as a small, volunteer-led org in 2011 off the back of work that myself and the cofounder were doing in Japan around sustainable fisheries, dolphin hunting and shark finning issues. We registered in 2012 and have since grown to run programs in seven countries, with teams now in Australia, India and the Solomon Islands who focus on turning waste into wealth, rewilding coastal floodplains and coral reefs and developing sustainable fisheries within some of the world’s marine biodiversity hotspots,’ says Goodsell.
The Trump administration, under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has frozen funds of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), impacting millions across the planet. It’s also put lives at risk in third-world countries, with food monitoring programs being reportedly defunded..... [my yellow highlighting]
Read the full article at
https://www.echo.net.au/2025/02/marine-conservation-group-hit-by-trump-funding-cuts/
ACOSS
welcomes Ombudsman investigation into Targeted Compliance Framework
and income support cancellations
4 February 2024
ACOSS has welcomed the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s investigation into serious issues with the Targeted Compliance Framework with a focus on whether income support cancellations are being made in a way that is lawful, reasonable and fair.
In response to an ACOSS complaint, the Ombudsman today announced it would investigate the Targeted Compliance Framework, which administers penalties to people using employment services. Since 2018, ACOSS has consistently opposed the Targeted Compliance Framework and warned successive Ministers about the serious harm it causes.
ACOSS made a complaint about the Federal Government’s administration of its Targeted Compliance Framework to the Ombudsman in December following the revelation that around 1,000 income support payments may have been illegally cancelled in the period between April 2022 and July 2024.
This system has been plagued by errors in recent years, including previous instances of confirmed illegal payment cancellations and large scale IT problems leading to confusion and distress for people using the system.
“This investigation into this harsh and potentially illegal compliance system is urgently needed,” said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.
“Payment suspensions and cancellation have extremely harmful impacts on people, including not only the loss of income but also potential homelessness, relationship breakdown and destitution. The fact they may be happening illegally is extremely serious.
“Every three months 240,000 people - over a third of people in Workforce Australia - have their payment suspended. The TCF must be urgently removed to prevent further harm to people on low incomes.
“We thank the Commonwealth Ombudsman for opening this investigation and stand ready to assist in any way we can.”
On the matter of the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) situated in The Executive Office Of The President.
The full text of the Agreement is available here and the Advisory Committee Reports are available here. The latest information regarding significant trade barriers can be found in the 2021 National Trade Estimate Report, see here.
Australia Trade Summary
U.S. goods and services trade with Australia totaled an estimated $77.1 billion in 2022 (latest data available). Exports were $52.1 billion; imports were $25.0 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade surplus with Australia was $27.1 billion in 2022.
U.S. goods exports to Australia in 2023 were $33.7 billion, up 10.2 percent ($3.1 billion) from 2022 and up 29 percent from 2013. U.S. goods imports from Australia totaled $16.0 billion in 2023, down 1.3 percent ($216 million) from 2022, but up 72 percent from 2013. U.S. exports to Australia account for 1.6 percent of overall U.S. exports in 2023. The U.S. goods trade surplus with Australia was $17.7 billion in 2023, a 23.2 percent increase ($3.3 billion) over 2022.
U.S. exports of services to Australia were an estimated $21.6 billion in 2022, 30.6 percent ($5.1 billion) more than 2021, and 5 percent greater than 2012 levels. U.S. imports of services from Australia were an estimated $8.8 billion in 2022, 41.4 percent ($2.6 billion) more than 2021, and 20 percent greater than 2012 levels. Leading services exports from the U.S. to Australia were in the financial services, travel, and telecommunications, computer, and information services sectors. The United States has a services trade surplus of an estimated $12.7 billion with Australia in 2022, up 24.1 percent from 2021.
U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Australia (stock) was $173.7 billion in 2022, a 1.6 percent decrease from 2021. U.S. direct investment in Australia is led by nonbank holding companies, mining, and manufacturing.
According to OEC.World:
In October 2024, United States exported $2.49B and imported $1.59B from Australia, resulting in a positive trade balance of $901M. Between October 2023 and October 2024 the exports of United States have decreased by $-432M (-14.8%) from $2.93B to $2.49B, while imports increased by $195M (13.9%) from $1.4B to $1.59B.
On the fifth day of the US 47th Presidency the USTR issued the following statement:
USTR Announces Review of Unfair Foreign Trade Practices
January 24, 2025
WASHINGTON-- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced today that it will review foreign trade practices to account for those practices which may be unfair to the United States, including those practices that may be unreasonable or discriminatory and that may burden or restrict United States commerce.
This review is conducted pursuant to Sections 2(c) and 3(c) of the Presidential Memorandum "America First Trade Policy" signed on January 20, 2025.
By 1 February 2025, the 12th day of this current presidency, at least the first three of what appears to be cursory reviews of foreign trade practices (allegedly enabled by US International Emergency Economic Powers Act) had been completed and Canada, Mexico and China had received notice of an increase in tariffs across the board on their goods & services entering American territorial boundaries.
NOTE: Previous to this the vast majority of U.S. imports from Canada and Mexico could enter the U.S. duty-free, thanks to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
From the start date of this new tariff regime on 4 February 2024, these Canadian, Mexican and Chinese goods & services have an estimated combined value at the end of the first 12 months of more than US$1 trillion.
As the actual dollar cost of these tariffs are born predominately by US importers of Canadian, Mexican and Chinese goods/services and businesses are not prohibited from passing 100% of tariff-induced costs onto the consumer, although the impact of these tariffs will be felt in all four national economies it has been calculated that with the initial retaliatory counter tariffs in place US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth will potentially halve in 2025, subsequently significantly impeding America's economic growth.
Now that he has started a trade war with his two largest free trade partners, it appears that Trump wants to temporarily de-escalate tensions and has suspended imposing the new tariffs on Mexico for a month and appears to have spoken with the Canadian prime minister with unspecified results.
There are perhaps lessons here for Australia when Trump announces increased tariffs on Australian exports to the United States.
Hopefully the lesson learnt is that Australia should match any new tariff rates percentage point for percentage point across the board and insist there is no bargaining this position away - either by agreeing to an offer of a smaller increase in US tariffs, by the US excepting certain goods & services from these tariffs or by entering into new or altered agreements on any matter in which Australia and the United States can be thought to have a mutual interest as a condition of an easing or removal of tariffs.
Repeatedly stating with strong emphasis that under the 2005 Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) the US already shows a trade surplus with Australia that it knows it can bank - and it has been certain of that trade surplus almost without exception for the last 123 years since 1901 when the newly established Commonwealth of Australia was exporting A$6.9 million (7.0% of all exports) to the US and was importing from the US A$11.7 million (13.8% of all imports) in return.
