A matter for His Excellency Dr. Hassan Hanafy Mahmoud El-Laithy to ponder upon, as it reflects the view of many Australians concerning Egypt, its government, judiciary and people

Statement by the National Press Club of Australia

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB CALLS FOR UNCONSCIONABLE

VERDICT IN PETER GRESTE TRIAL TO BE OVERTURNED

The National Press Club of Australia deplores the treatment of Australian journalist Peter Greste, Canadian-Egyptian bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed s and appeals to the Egyptian authorities to ensure, even at this late stage, a sensible and truly just outcome.

By any reasonable assessment the saga involving Peter Greste and his Al-Jazeera colleagues represents a gross miscarriage of justice that the Egyptian Government must overturn.

Throughout the trial, the actions of Egyptian authorities have been unconscionable.

In the extraordinarily extended “trial” not a shred of evidence was produced in support of the charges against the journalists.

There was nothing in the proceedings to suggest that the authorities had the slightest appreciation of the role of journalists and journalism in society, nothing to suggest an appreciation of the damage being done to Egypt’s standing in the international community.

In the wake of this verdict, the claim by Egypt’s President al-Sisi, that the court was independent, respected and beyond criticism, lacks all credibility.

That the former head of the military chose to make such a statement at a military graduation ceremony is an ominous portent.

President al-Sisi must use his power to overturn the penalties imposed on these journalists who were doing no more than their professional duties – and, from the evidence, doing it well.

A failure to act will seriously diminish Egypt’s reputation and influence in regional and world affairs.

ABN 59 208 238 583

STREET ADDRESS 16 National Circuit Barton ACT 2600

POSTAL ADDRESS PO Box 6184 Kingston ACT 2604

TELEPHONE (02) 61212199 FACSIMILE (02) 61212188

EMAIL npc@npc.org.au WEBSITE www.npc.org.au

http://www.npc.org.au/latest-news-members-notice-board/statement-by-the-national-press-club-of-australia.html

How safe is the Clarence Valley Council workplace?

On 19 March 2014 this letter to the editor appearing in The Daily Examiner set the alarm bells ringing, coming as it did on the heels of an earlier letter to the editor by another person and a locally reported application to the Industrial Relations Commission which led to a Clarence Valley Council employee returning to work after being officially dismissed:

Question bullying

Councillor Margaret McKenna's motion in council regarding violence against people on the basis of their sexuality is commendable (DEX, 15/3).

The violation of anyone's human rights is unacceptable in a civilised society.

Bullying and intimidation in the workplace is equally abhorrent and, I would suggest, a far more widespread form of human rights abuse.

If the good councillor were to ask just how many complaints of this kind of abuse have occurred within Clarence Valley Council over the past 12 months, she may be very unpleasantly surprised.

Bullying in the workplace can become endemic if it is not addressed forcefully and publicly. Bullying and intimidation are trademarks of an absence of quality leadership.

The impact on its victims, their families, their work colleagues, and the productivity and morale of the entire organisation is as profound as it is irreparable.

It cannot be contained or hidden.

We live in an age when social media and personal networks can negate any attempted commercial blackmail of mainstream media.

I would suggest Cr McKenna and all Clarence Valley councillors need to address an issue that threatens not only the reputation and integrity of this council but its continuance in office, and they need to do it immediately.

Ian Saunders

Maclean

Bullying in the workplace is a serious issue, but what has been rumoured since then is even more serious. 

There are allegations that the Clarence Valley Council workplace is now so toxic that some employees are quietly beginning to look for jobs elsewhere.

Some spooked by the alleged verbally abusive behaviour of more senior staff, others worried by the alleged scapegoating of workmates and some shocked by alleged threat/s of serious physical violence.

The general impression gathered is that Clarence Valley Council is no longer considered a safe workplace by sections of the wider Clarence Valley community.

I have no idea who Mr. Saunders is, but he appears to have come close to hitting the proverbial nail on the head.

If even one of these allegations has a basis in fact, it is time that all nine shire councillors addressed the issue of how and why local government workplace culture has been allowed to sink to such problematic depths.

Are APPEA and Metgasco Limited massaging the truth?

These are the opening paragraphs of an APPEA 19 June 2014 media release titled Councils shun anti-resources campaign:

Members of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) should be commended for turning their back on anti-natural gas misinformation and scare campaigns and focusing on regional development, APPEA said today.

Two motions, put forward by Griffith City Council in NSW and Moyne Council in Victoria, to respectively restrict and ban natural gas development across Australia were defeated at ALGA’s annual conference in Canberra.

APPEA Chief Operating Officer Eastern Australia, Paul Fennelly said: “Many councils are now alert to a concerted campaign by environmental groups such as the Lock the Gate Alliance to stop natural gas heating our homes, powering our kitchens, supporting agribusiness and driving our manufacturing sector….

On the same day Metgasco Limited posted this media release on its own website under Industry News.

However, when one examines the 82 motions put forward at the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly on 19-20 June 2014, there is another resolution that both the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) and coal seam & tight gas miner Metgasco Limited curiously failed to mention:

Motion 30

Gunnedah Council, NSW

Motion

That the Federal Government retain the primary responsibility for the approval of resource projects, coal seam gas in particular and provide regulation which best preserves and protects our natural resources, including our underground water tables in primary agricultural land from contamination.

Objective

At a time when the general public wants the Federal Government to take a key role in expanded regulation of the coal seam gas industry, the Abbott Government is planning to reduce regulation and to devolve much of it to the states. The expansion of coal seam gas in Australia is an important issue and needs strong leadership to ensure industry claims are properly scrutinized. That is what the Federal Government needs to do, not 7 different states and territories.

Arguments

At a time when the general public wants the Federal Government to take a key role in expanded regulation of the coal seam gas industry, the Abbott Government is planning to reduce regulation and to devolve much of it to the states. The expansion of coal seam gas in Australia is an important issue and needs strong leadership to ensure industry claims are properly scrutinized. That is what the Federal Government needs to do, not 7 different states and territories.

Was this motion not mentioned because it was passed and is now a resolution being progressed by the Australian Local Government Association?

Readers will have to wait until the association publishes its 2014 resolutions to answer that question.

Mark Carnegie wants compulsory civilian national service

Geelong Grammar School alumnus, millionaire founder of M.H. Carnegie & Co, entrepreneur, investor, corporate adviser, property developer, sometime Q&A panellist and business partner of John Singleton, Mark Carnegie, wants both your young and your old conscripted into his part-time civilian ‘army’ – at a huge, ongoing cost to the federal budget bottom line.

And it will be a huge cost considering there are over 11 million employed people in Australia – every one of which would have an employer with his/her hand out for compensation.

The Sydney Morning Herald 20 June 2014:

The occasion was the inaugural Di Gribble Argument, an event to honour the memory of the publisher who loved a good debate. Carnegie’s starting point was his assertion that ‘‘the current state of citizens’ engagement makes me terrified for the Australia we will leave for our children’’.

‘‘More and more people are disengaging completely from politics or becoming single-issue evangelists, a trend which can only lead to the dictatorship of the passionate minority,’’ he argued.

What followed was a lively discussion about the merits of Carnegie’s proposition that civic service, like jury duty, should be made compulsory for all, with employers paid the cost of releasing their workers for one week every few years, and greater demands made on the young and the old….