Candidate in Labor's Ballina community preselection pledges to reject political donations from gas industry, science deniers, unethical companies & banks

Keith Williams Media Release 29 August 2014:

Keith Williams, candidate in Labor's Ballina community preselection, has announced self-imposed rules on donations and fundraising to address what he calls the disturbing influence of money in politics.

In what he claims is an Australian first, Mr Williams has published a campaign budget, excluded a wide range of potential donors and limited the maximum donation he will accept to $500 per person.

"We must end this preoccupation with raising funds so we can outspend our political opponents. It's a cancer. Instead of being a contest of ideas, politics is reduced to a battle of marketing budgets."

He said the continuing revelations of the Independent Commission Against Corruption had made him stop and think before deciding to put his hand up for preselection. "Did I really want to enter a world where your ability to raise funds is seemingly more important than your contribution to public debate? I decided I would, but on my terms."

Mr Williams says publishing his Ethics Policy before commencing fundraising was an important first step. "It's about taking personal responsibility and saying I won't be a part of that system."

"I'm not so naive as to think I can campaign without funds, so I have set clear rules around what I believe is acceptable." 

"I don't believe anyone should be running for public office and accepting donations from a business or person that could benefit from their influence.  Voters need to know that you are beholden to them and them alone."

"My own sense of ethics also tells me that I don't want to accept donations from those that abuse vulnerable people, cause ill-health or environmental destruction, lie or cheat. Defining what I meant by that was probably the hardest part of the whole process"

Mr Williams believes people are heartily sick of seeing politicians quote the law when challenged about their behaviour. He cites the recent example of Joe Hockey claiming $270 a night in expenses to stay in a Canberra house owned by his wife. "It may be legal, but it certainly isn't ethical."

"There are a lot of things I'd like to achieve in politics.  Better care for those with mental illness, ridding our ocean of plastic and creating sustainable jobs in this community are just a few of the things on my list. But unless we insist on higher ethical standards in politics we will be fighting the carpetbaggers and rent seekers every step of the way."

"The advantage of community preselections, such as this one for Ballina, is that is gives candidates an opportunity to talk about issues like ethics, without the usual "he said, she said" of party political debate. 

"This is an exciting time to be a member of the Labor Party. Things are changing. You can feel it. I'm proud to be a part of that change."

Voting in the Ballina preselection opens on Monday.

Ethics

I am standing for election because I want to change what is happening to politics in Australia.
Ethics is not about the Law. It's about personal responsibility and values.
These are my ethics and values.

Ethical Conduct Policy

This policy outlines my personal commitment to electors.  It will govern the conduct of my campaign for Labor Party Preselection and, if successful, as the Labor Party Candidate for the state seat of Ballina. It is also my commitment to electors if I am bestowed the honour of representing the electorate in Parliament.

My Pledge

I shall at all times act with honesty and integrity.
I will do no favours nor accept any gifts that may create a future obligation.
I shall speak out against corruption. I will remember, "The standard you walk past, is the standard you accept".  I will not remain silent, regardless of who it is.
I will respect my community. I will work with the community and its representatives to develop practical solutions to the problems we face.
I will respect community choices. Ballina and Byron (and our many other towns) are different communities and have different needs and priorities. I will remember that we don't all want the same thing.
I will conduct myself politely and with consideration for others at all times.

My Commitments

To ensure a transparent approach to all fundraising activities.
To comply with all electoral funding law requirements.
To comply with all Labor Party Rules regarding fundraising.
To provide certainty to electors that their representative is beholden to them and them alone.
To enable sufficient funds to be raised to inform electors of the principles, values and policies I represent.
To run an election campaign that focuses on ideas to improve our community, meet the needs of the vulnerable, ensure that good quality health and education are available to all, create employment and protect our environment.

My Rules

In addition to any and all other NSW legal requirements* the campaign will:

• Not accept donations greater than $500 in any one instance or from one individual in total. 
• Not accept donations from any company or associated persons that are reliant on a Government (Local, State or Federal) Lease or Licence for its primary business operation.
• Eg. Mining & Petroleum, Banks, Operators of Utilities (power & water), Commercial Fishers, Forestry, Licensed tourism operators in Public Spaces (National Parks), etc.
• Not accept donations from any company or associated persons that are engaged in unethical conduct that contributes to:
• The inhumane treatment of vulnerable people,
• Human ill health and suffering,
• Destruction or pollution of the habitat of threatened species,
• The denial of science and basic fact, or
• Other misleading or deceptive conduct.

*Developers, Gambling & Tobacco interests are already excluded.  Other suggested exclusions are welcome. 
Any amounts received in excess of the above limits or that can not be verified as complying with the above exclusions will be forwarded to the Ballina Branch of St Vincent De Paul to use at their discretion to assist people experiencing homelessness.

My Campaign 

The campaign will focus on the issues and ideas relevant to our community. No resources will be directed towards negative advertising targeting political opponents.
The total Preselection Campaign budget is $4,000 comprising;
Printed materials, including flyers $1000
Community Radio Sponsorships $800
Ads in local newspapers $800
Signage     $500
Volunteer supplies  $500
Venue hire    $400
This budget will be subject to change.  An up to date version of the budget will be maintained on the Ethics Page on my website at www.keithwill.com
This Policy is open for comment and revision. If I have missed something, please let me know via email at: keith@keithwill.com 

Keith Williams

Candidate

Ballina Community Preselection

Australian Labor Party

www.keithwill.com

Has 'Captain Catholic' and his merry band of Christian fascisti finally wrecked a proud tradition of secular public education in Australia?

The Sydney Morning Herald 27 August 2014:

The Abbott government is pushing ahead with a religious-only school chaplaincy scheme following a cabinet debate over whether secular welfare workers should be included in the program.

The government was forced to redesign the $224 million scheme after the High Court ruled it invalid in June for the second time in two years. The court found the Commonwealth had over-reached its funding powers by providing direct payments to chaplain providers.

In a bid to prevent another High Court challenge, the federal government will provide funding to state and territory governments to administer the scheme. This new arrangement strengthens the hand of the states and could see some demand an option for secular welfare workers or tougher qualification standards.

In a cabinet meeting on Monday, Abbott government ministers explored options to extend the scheme to include funding for secular welfare workers. This would have reversed the government's existing policy that funding should be restricted to religious chaplains. 

During the cabinet discussion, Mr Abbott argued that the government should stand by its existing policy. Mr Abbott argued the scheme's original intent was supporting pastoral care in schools and that should remain its focus….

The chaplaincy scheme was introduced by the Howard government in 2006. Labor expanded the scheme to include funding for secular welfare workers in 2011 – an option the government scrapped in this year's budget.

Both challenges in the High Court were brought forward by Toowoomba father Ron Williams, a secularist opposed to public funding for religious workers in public schools.

The government rushed forward its announcement about the new scheme on Wednesday afternoon after Fairfax Media revealed the story online. The government had hoped to avoid a distracting debate on chaplains during the introduction of its sweeping higher education changes into Parliament on Thursday.

On the 347th day since he was sworn in as Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott has this country participating in someone else's civil war

 Abbott announcing he is taking Australia to war - again

Prime Minister Tony Abbott was a minister in the Howard federal government when Australia formed part of the unlawful invasion force in Iraq 2003.

This invasion created the circumstances which led to the current Iraq civil war.

Now Tony Abbott has abandoned any pretence of reluctance and on 31 August 2014 has committed this country to entering this civil war as a military participant delivering weapons to one side in the sectarian armed conflict.

Hypocritically calling this entry into the war a humanitarian mission.

All because he and his government are increasingly unpopular with the majority of voters at home and he hopes to deflect them with jingoism, fifes and drums.

Is fast food giant McDonald's finally paying the price for its arrogance?

There were probably many Yamba residents muttering “I told you so” under their breaths after reading this in The Sydney Morning Herald on 10 August 2014:

Sales at McDonald's have recorded their worst results in over 10 years.

Global sales at the fast food giant dropped 2.5 per cent in June and July.

Not since March 2003, when global sales plunged 3.7 per cent in consecutive months, has the world's biggest restaurant chain suffered such losses.

Australia is part of McDonald's Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa operation, which was the worst performing sector in the second quarter of 2014. Its sales declined 7.3 per cent.  

After similarly disappointing first quarter results, Australia was singled out as a poor performing market in April…..

One aspect of the Australian psyche the multinational fast food chain, McDonald’s, never grasped – if you force yourselves on our communities we tend not to buy your product.

In particular I suspect that the amount of national publicity the Telcoma protestors managed to garner is beginning to impact on many household fast food choices around the country.

Which makes one wonder if the fast food giant’s McDelivery trial will also fall flat on its face in Australia.

Background

http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/search?q=mcdonalds+yamba

The Abbott Family spin cycle continues - this time about the clothes they wear

 Second-hand rose: Margie Abbott in the Salvation Army store in Manly after launching National Op Shop Week on Saturday. 

Photo: Daniel Munoz/Getty Images. The Sydney Morning Herald 23 August 014.

"Op shopping is something that the Abbott family has enjoyed for many years, and may I say, we do it very well” states Margie Abbott, member of a privileged Australian family.

If Margie Abbott regularly purchased clothing at op shops it was a long, long time ago.

This is an image of the Abbott family on federal election night in September 2013; in garb which had come straight from dress designers and probably a bespoke tailor.

Margie Abbott is wearing a custom made Veronica Al Khoury dress, the daughters apparently wearing outfits from Toni Maticevsk and, the man in the centre of this photograph has of course been receiving tailored suits and high quality shirts and ties as ‘gifts’ from one of his supporters, Les Taylor, for a number of years.

All one has to do is trawl though Google Images to find multiple examples of the fact that op shops are alien to the Abbott family.

Quote of the Week

Tony Abbott has obviously learnt nothing from last year's travel rort scandals. He and his Team Australia bombard us with brainwashing messages like the age of entitlement is over, budget emergency and that the country can't afford leaners. He then attends at private function in Melbourne and  arranges a quick "work" visit and press conference to conveniently justify claiming entitlements rather than paying his own way. It's a shameful, brazen abuse of his position and a contemptible waste of hard-earned taxpayers' money. 

[Glen op den Brouw of Liverpool in a letter to the editor, The Sydney Morning Herald 28 August 2014]

The ugly face of Abbott's Team Australia

Letter to the editor in The Daily Examiner on 26 August 2014:

Aussie Islamists

Given the unhappy world situation at this time and the present exposure of the unholy and bestial practices that Australian Islamists, amongst others, are pursuing in Arabia, a whole rethink of where we stand in world affairs is overdue.

At this stage the United States of Australasia, incorporating our Christian neighbours, is worthy of serious consideration.

Thomas Macindoe

Yamba