Global Voices » Oceania

Australia: What Would Change Your Mind on Climate?

Kevin Rennie — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:22:45 +0000

The scenario is simple. A wily conservative ex-politician and a young climate activist visit their ‘experts’ around the globe together. It’s a futile and inevitably failed attempt to change each other’s mind.

The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) showed a double-header on 26 April 2012: the resulting documentary I Can Change Your Mind, followed by a Q&A panel session. You can also watch both programs on ABC iView till 10 May 2012.

In a post-show post on the ABC’s Drum, Anna Rose of the AYCC (Australian Youth Climate Coalition) shares her doubts about the approach:

Debating those who reject the science of climate change is a risky business. Was it worth it?

…Some people told me that I was naive to think I could ‘win' the argument; that the whole idea of the show played into the denialists' strategy of framing the science as disputed (when there actually isn't any reasonable doubt left) and that it was just an opportunity for Nick to place figures opposing the science into the mainstream media.

You can’t say she wasn’t warned. Graham Readfern had offered Anna his opinion beforehand:

…in my view the show’s format was flawed in that it would put non-peer-reviewed, pseudo science conducted by largely unqualified non-experts alongside decades of genuine peer reviewed scientific research. It might make for engaging telly, but it creates a false sense of balance.
If I were a climate sceptic activist or a fossil fuel lobbyist designing a format for a TV show, this show is what I’d probably come up with.

Twitter brought out the beast in many. Try searching ‘Anna Rose’, ‘Nick Minchin’ or #changeyourmind if you don’t mind personal attacks.

This exchange between Gavid Dwyer and Stu Moffat captures the combative tone of the whole exercise:

@gdfollow:

#qanda Anna Rose's expert Prof Muller hid research showing global warming has stopped. http://ow.ly/1LgkpS #auspol #pmlive #agenda

@stu_moffat:

@Gdfollow #qanda What rubbish! Looking at one 5-10 year graph of surface temps and saying that climate change has stopped is just ignorant!

@Gdfollow:

@stu_moffatt I agree. But if it's ok for Anna rose to sprout horrible unproven non science based rubbish to get point across so can I

@MrDenmore, who regularly blogs about the media at The Failed Estate, compared the show with another Aussie TV program about asylum seekers:

The SBS doco ‘Go Back to Where You Came From” was about challenging ignorance; the ABC's #changeyourmind #qanda is about legitimising it

The blogosphere have also been vocal. Quite a few were live-blogging. Simon of Australian Climate Madness gave up after detecting what he saw as ABC bias by using a pro-climate action scientist in the audience:

APPALLING BIAS to allow Matthew England act as Q&A's “appointed” climate scientist - WTF? Where's Lindzen for balance?

OK, sick of this now. ABC has abandoned any pretence of impartiality. Going offline. *fume*

Roger Jones of Understanding Climate Risk is aware that it’s easy to see what you believe:

What’s the wrap? I think this doco showed how important people’s values and prior assumptions are in influencing the way we view evidence.

He seems to prove his own observation in the next sentence:

I don’t think Q&A achieved all that much but I was glad Matt England was there to clarify a few things.

Loon Pond refused to watch the program but takes Nick Minchin to task about his follow up newspaper article:

Minchin presents himself as open-minded and willing to learn, but all you get in the piece is a repetition by rote of a few talking points, a mish-mash of ignorance and misinformation, all designed to reinforce the bee in Minchin's bonnet.

Tory Maguire, editor of News Limited’s online blogsite The Punch, has her own doubts about human nature:

Not only did they not change each others’ minds, it’s doubtful they would have changed anyone else’s minds either.

Climate researcher Ian McHugh seemed to agree at Crikey:

The sum total of useful commentary on ABC’s stultifying I Can Change Your Mind About Climate …was five minutes of British scientist and author Ben Goldacre. That the most edifying moments in the program included his admission that he’d rather slam his cock in a door than “debate” climate change probably tells those of you who missed it most of what you need to know.

Not everyone was as cynical. In the end Anna Rose Above it, according to Drillvoice:

In all, last night was some great programming. It was challenging, but Anna rose to it. Australia’s soft sceptics were exposed to a likeable, effective climate communicator. Australia’s climate-concerned were exposed to likeable, effective climate communication.

Wake Up 2 The Lies isn’t fooled:

Finally someone stands up to the Australian Youth Climate ~~Coalition~~ Cult and says what a lot of Australians have wanted to say. Climate Depot’s Marc Morano’s fantastic rant from the ABC’s documentary “Can I Change Your Mind About Climate”

Over at The Conversation, Astrophysics professor Michael Ahsley isn't a Morano fan:

Morano is a master of the Gish Gallop, spewing out a rapid-fire string of arguments – sea level is dropping, polar bear populations are increasing, temperatures are going down – which are impossible to refute on the spot in a television debate.

The ABC, as our national broadcaster, is supposed to help us to form our views by presenting competing ideas. Many feel that giving equal time to the small percentage of scientists and commentators who are climate sceptics, delayers or deniers provides unwarranted weight to their arguments not true balance. Academic Stephan Lewandowsky argues:

What would it take for a documentary to provide a properly balanced perspective on climate science? Simple: Anna Rose should have had 97 scientists in her corner to balance Minchin's sole climate scientist. Because 97 out of 100 actual experts know that the climate is changing due to human greenhouse emissions. Two are undecided and one in 100 opposes the mainstream science.

Australian Broadcaster Wins First Indigenous Journalism Award

Simon Maghakyan — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:39:12 +0000

The winner of the first journalism award for indigenous broadcasters hosted by the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN) in Norway on March 29, 2012 was National Indigenous Television from Australia. The winning video and other finalists can be viewed on the WITBN website.

One Day on Earth: Worldwide Collaborative Music Video Released

Juliana Rincón Parra — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:21:58 +0000

A new music video has been released in preparation for the worldwide screening of the Global Collaborative film One Day on Earth, which will take place in locations all around the planet on Earth Day (22 April, 2012). The video features musicians, poets and dancers captured on film all during the same 24 hour period in 10 October, 2010, artfully recut and remixed by Cut Chemist.

The collaborative film One Day on Earth was filmed all on the same day, October 10, 2010, with more than 3,000 hours of footage sent in from all corners of the world, showcasing the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occurs in one day. The Global Screening will take place on Earth Day (April 22, 2012) in every country of the world, with the assistance of World Heritage Sites and the United Nations.

The music video includes footage from India, Papua New Guinea, Benin, Burkina Faso, USA, China, North Korea, Mongolia, Kenya, Afghanistan, Jamaica, Spain, Taiwan and many other locations.

You can read more about the upcoming screening on our previous post One Day on Earth: Global Screening of Worldwide Collaborative Film and you can sign up for a screening in your city or town on the One Day on Earth site.

Australia: Mining Magnate's Bizarre Claim of CIA Coal Conspiracy

Kevin Rennie — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:37:38 +0000

In a “bizarre” outburst mining magnate Clive Palmer joined the ranks of the CIA conspiracy theorists this week during the Queensland State election campaign. Australian bloggers have revelled in his accusations that the CIA funds Green candidates and organisations such as Greenpeace.

Club Troppo’s Don Arthur summarised:

On Tuesday mining magnate Clive Palmer fronted the media and announced that the US Central Intelligence Agency is using the Rockefeller Foundation to fund a campaign to undermine Australia’s coal industry.

His apparent confusion between the Foundation and the Rockerfeller Family Fund brought out a mixture of irony and sarcasm from JD Lang of Independent Australia in ‘Clive Palmer is rich so we should hear him out‘:

It is tempting to dismiss these allegations as the fantastical ravings of an obviously unsound mind; the preposterous and risibly demented squawks of a man possessed by a feverishly overactive imagination, complete lack of general knowledge, and a pitifully underdeveloped cerebral cortex.

…You don’t get to be so very, very, very, VERY rich by living in a complete fantasy world of spooks and conspiracies and reds under the bed all looking to take away your vast, vast, fortune (my precious), do you? Of course not.

In ‘Clive Palmer’s truth is really out there‘, Tory Shepherd seems dogged by conspiracists:

Clive Palmer’s conspiracy is amusing, but not harmless. Every time someone with influence squanders reason, a little truth puppy dies.

Palmer has his supporters. Barnaby is Right doesn’t trust the media to get the story correct:

I am certainly not jerking the knee in a self-glorifying display of imagined-witty insults, spewed bile, and general ad hominem abuse.

Like many journalists.

I am curious to follow up, to decide for myself whether there is any substance to Mr Palmer’s claims.

Especially since my own research over many years suggests there may be more than a little ring of truth in what he has said.

At Pure Poison Dave Gaukroger is also concerned about media, but this time it is lack of coverage by Murdoch platforms:

When a prominent, influential donor and supporter of one of our major political parties announces that the intelligence agency of a foreign power is orchestrating a campaign against Australian interests you think that’d be pretty big news. Apparently not if that person is Clive Palmer.

Colin of whatintheworld is worried about another world order, adding the United Nations to the CIA covert campaign:

It has started with the Carbon Tax and will continue until every resource property and industry is completely under the rules and regulations of the UN all in the name of sustainability.

Watching the Deniers must have been following Colin as he sees parallels with Palmer’s climate scepticism:

Conspiracy thinking and the fear of the “other” runs deep within the denial movement.

In the deniers world bankers, scientists, the UN, Freemasons, Greens and socialists are plotting to take over the globe and reduce our living standards on par with the stone age.

Cartoon from New Matilda: courtesy Fiona Katauskas

Palmer’s claims have raised a number of other conspiracies related to political power. He has a high profile in conservative politics as an active participant in and major financial donor to the Liberal and National Parties. He has been active in his opposition to the Gillard government’s Mining Profits tax. He also plans a High Court challenge to its Carbon price legislation.

His alleged misuse of and influence on the political process has given rise to an ugly war of words with Wayne Swan, Federal Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister. At the academic blog The Conversation, Jean-Paul Gagnon is clearly concerned that money speaks too loudly:

There is great anxiety among scholars over the influence of money, vested interests, and corporate lobbies in most modern governments.

… Swan’s position is more in line with the broad international and deep humanistic ethos of democracy. Palmer has no legitimacy and his comments have served to further erode the power of money, crass materialism and useless greed.

In addition, past accusations of CIA meddling in Oz politics have resurfaced such as Don Arthur’s reference to a right wing cultural journal:

While there’s no evidence that Australian green groups are being funded by the CIA there is one Australian organisation known to have received CIA funding — Quadrant magazine.

Twittter tag #clivepalmer has also added to the conspiracy theories with many wacky contributions.

Finally online advocacy organisation GetUp! has released a video parody of a CIA response:

As they say: One person's conspiracy is another person's reality.

Video: Studying, Creating and Editing Videos with Cerebral Palsy

Juliana Rincón Parra — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:18:04 +0000

Christopher Hill is a young man living with cerebral palsy, and through the video One switch. One head. The world. produced, directed and edited by himself he explains how he uses one button to connect to the world through his computer. (via engadget)

Norway Hosts First Journalism Award for Indigenous Broadcasters

Simon Maghakyan — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:17:53 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

Norway is widely known for hosting the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize Awards. This month, the Scandinavian country is hosting the debut of another important yet largely unknown journalism award ceremony for the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network (WITBN) on March 29, 2012.

Nine finalists have been selected out of 24 entries in the indepth reporting category of the WITBN Indigenous Journalism Awards (2012 WIJA). The ceremony will be held in Kautokeino, Sápmi, Norway.

The official announcement from WIJA explains:

2012 WIJA is the first international Indigenous journalism award dedicated to presenting Indigenous perspectives through journalism in television and audiovisual media. While journalistic standards and ethics are the essences of this honor, the awards in particular look for the portrayal of Indigenous perspectives on stories of local, national or international impact.

This videos shows the 2012 finalists from indigenous networks in developed countries such as Taiwan, Australia, Norway, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.

One of the nominated programs, from Māori Television, Aotearoa New Zealand, covers what should be labeled as “Occupy Easter Island” (it started a year before the Occupy movement in the U.S.), a rarely reported protest by Rapanui activists who occupied a government-owned hotel for half a year, demanding recognition of Indigenous rights and demonstrating the unfairness of occupation.

'We are ready to die for our land' says Rapanui activist in program broadcast by Maori Television of New Zealand

Easter Island (or Rapa Nui) is a land where colonization has forced the indigenous population to a small corner of the land, and where tourism had created an unsustainable economy. The sustainability problem is widespread in indigenous peoples' struggles all over the world to survive and preserve their culture.

The indigenous use of broadcast journalism and modern technology to promote the rights of their communities is a step forward. Read more about the finalists and their programs, here.

AMAZIGH NRK Sápmi Norway

AMNESTY CHIEF VISIT TO UTOPIA National Indigenous Television, Australia

JOURNEY HOME Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Canada

KIMBERLY GAS HUB SERIES National Indigenous Television, Australia

POLITICIAN REPORTS HIMSELF TO THE POLICE NRK Sápmi, Norway

TE PITO O TE HENUA Māori Television, Aotearoa New Zealand

THE VALUE OF WATER ‘Ōiwi TV, Hawai’i

VUVU’S LAST PIECE OF LAND Taiwan Indigenous Television, Taiwan

WATER EXPLOITATION Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Canada

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

Australia: Prime Minister Julia Gillard Wins Big in Leadership Dogfight

Kevin Rennie — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 07:05:52 +0000

There have been very mixed reactions to Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s decisive victory over former PM Kevin Rudd in the leadership challenge. The vote amongst Australian Labor Party parliamentarians (the caucus) was 71 – 31, despite opinions polls showing Rudd having much higher popularity with voters.

Can she unite the party and make sure that her only opponent is Opposition leader Tony Abbott?

Image courtesy: Jon Kudelka

The blogosphere has been active in assessing whether it will be a fresh start for Gillard’s government. On his progressive blog Public Opinion, Gary Sauer-Thompson is pessimistic:

All the rhetoric about healing should be taken with a grain of salt. The wounds are too raw and deep, there is a fundamental disconnect between the Gillard Government and the broader Australian electorate, the Gillard Government faces the existential threat of being destroyed in the 2013 election, and the Abbott-led opposition will only increase the grenade throwing.

This is a government under siege. It is fighting issues of authority, legitimacy and trust in difficult times amidst the angst stirred up by its policy reforms.

At The Drum, former secondary teacher Malcolm Farnsworth sees it as a case of “sink or swim” together for the Australian Labor Party:

The Labor caucus has bound itself to Julia Gillard. It is impossible to imagine a Rudd revival.

… The message to the electorate is also stark and direct. Forget Kevin Rudd, he's not coming back. June 2010 was then. Now it's Gillard or Abbott. Make your choice.

Do not sell Julia Gillard short is the warning from government opponent Steve Kates at ‘libertarian and centre-right’ Catallaxy Files:

She wins, and is now the most powerful Prime Minister this country has had in years. There is nothing she wants that is beyond her grasp being in cahoots as she is with her soulmates in the Greens.

… I fear people misjudge Julia’s competence. She has shown herself incredibly able at the job of leading a party and it is she who is Prime Minister…

Cosimina, ‘Personal and Corporate Image Branding’, is aware of the dangers of highlighting a female politician’s appearance but does it anyway:

In order for her to successfully win the next election the Labor party must work extremely hard in rebuilding the Gillard Brand & Image.

…The changes in her appearance need to be subtle and continuous. julia needs to dress with authority…

… Julia needs to work on tone, speed, and breathing techniques. One comment I always get is “she is stiff” so body language and motion definitely need attention…

Politician should not be about clothes and fashion but unfortunately we are a society that judges – so accept it and work with it.

Business Spectator’s Rob Burgess is full of optimism in Gillard is now a real threat to Abbott, hoping a policy debate will replace personality politics:

So let the contest of ideas, and the communication of those ideas begin. If Abbott really rises to that challenge, Gillard is finished.

But if something like serious political debate emerges in this country in the next 17 months there's a good chance Abbott has a problem.

As a member of Abbott’s Liberal Party, The Red and the Blue’s Yale Stephens sees a glass less than half full for Labor:

People don’t like her; they don’t trust her; they don’t believe anything she has to say; and they certainly don’t support her.

There has been a lot of rhetoric from Labor types today about the imperative to all come together; to “heal;” and to “unify.”

All of that is noble sentiment, but the problem remains: Rudd might have been a disloyal troublemaker, but ultimately the government’s problem is its leader.

In contrast, Catching Up poses the question Do you know who our PM is?

I believe most do not.

Many do not know her, but they all know she is bad, sly and a liar.

The answer:

What we do know: Those who know her personally and are close, have nothing but praise for her guts, ability and loyalty.

Law professor James Allan, writing for the conservative think tank Centre for Independent Studies, is Looking for an analogy:

Then there is the federal Labor brand. If anyone thinks there can be unity after this, that the party can re-unite and get on with things, then I’d like to smoke what he’s smoking.

And how can Gillard deal with the Liberal election campaign when it repeats all the accusations first made by Labor people themselves?

Finally, the inevitable sports satire came from the White Maggot (the name refers to umpires who traditionally wore white) in Rudd set to challenge Gillard as Bulldogs Number 1 Ticket Holder. The Western Bulldogs is an Australian Football League club located in Footscray, part of Julia Gillard’s electorate. The prime minister will be hoping that her bark is at least the equal of her bite.

Personal Disclosure: I have been a member of the Australian Labor Party for 40 years.

Australia: Political Paralysis Before Leadership Vote

Kevin Rennie — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:02:38 +0000

Australia’s governing party will decide between the leadership of the country's current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the one she deposed in 2010, Kevin Rudd. Following months of speculation, Australian Labor Party parliamentarians will vote after a very self-destructive confrontation this week.

As well as bloggers such as Lavartus Prodeo and their legions of commenters, Twitter users have taken to the task with gusto. #respill has been the tag of choice for many whilst the somewhat bizarre #kevenge seems to capture the mood of many others in Twitterville.

Kevin Rudd's daughter Jessica knows the value of a well-timed tweet. This one got plenty of publicity:

@Jess_Rudd: Effing proud of you, Dad. xxxx

The “effing” seemed to fit after the video of her father Happy Little Vegemite that was released earlier in the week. The video contains numerous expletives:

There were suggestions from both sides that the other had posted the video - either to embarrass Rudd or to humanise him. Cassie White could see both in the ex-PM's swearing:

@cassie_white: I get that this video is supposed to embarrass @KRuddMP but it just makes me like him http://bit.ly/w02qvX An Aussie who swears, SHOCK!!

A new pro-Rudd user appeared @Vote4Rudd which asks, “Follow us if you want Kevin Rudd back!” Despite Kevin’s supposed popularity it had only 141 followers after two days.

Parliamentarians who have not yet indicated how they will vote are being hounded on twitter. Journalists such as @ABCNews24’s reporter Latika Bourke seem relentless. After stalking Anthony Albanese MP for days she live-tweeted his whole radio interview:

@latikambourke: Anthony Albanese says he's old fashioned and told first the people he is NOT voting for. GIllard/Swan then he phoned Rudd. #respill

Her tweeting is a case study in itself in the use of social media for professional journalism.

The media have fallen back on the old cliché about soap operas, bur neither the prime minsiter nor netizen Tom Taylor were amused:

@TomTaylorMade: Gillard: ‘This is not an episode of Celebrity Big Brother.' We know. The public can vote in Celebrity Big Brother.

Some #kevenge tweets from today (25 February) seem appropriate:

‏@bennpackham: Rudd is well behind at this stage but this whole people power thing is pure evil genius #kevenge

@AshGhebranious: Julia , ever since you got this Kevin Rudd monkey off your back, you have been sounding really impressive. #auspol #respill #kevenge

@SuzyJacobs: Guillard will never escape the stink of her succession #auspoll #respill #kevenge

Captain Danger is clearly disillusioned with the mass media's groupthink:

@CaPtAiN_dAnGeR_: i follow too many Aussie journos. it's like a freakin echo chamber in here #respill #kevenge #albolove

The vote is 10.30 AM Monday 27 February, Canberra time. My next post will cover the fallout from Monday's vote.

Personal Disclosure: As a member of the Australian Labor Party for 40 years, I have made my position on the leadership challenge clear online: #ISupportGillard

Australia: Climate Skeptics in Denial Over Heartlandgate Controversy

Kevin Rennie — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 05:25:12 +0000

Allegations of the Heartland Institute funding an Australian scientist to promote climate skepticism have brought denials from fellow skeptics in response to a barrage of criticism.

dana1981 at Skeptical Science ‘Getting skeptical about climate science skepticism’ was quick to share “major exposé posts on DeSmogBlog” in Heartland Insider Exposes Institute's Budget and Strategy:

Heartland's policy positions, strategies and budget distinguish it clear as a lobby firm that is misrepresenting itself as a “think tank” - it budgets $4.1 million of its $6.4 million in projected expenditures for Editorial, Government Relations, Communications, Fundraising, and Publications, and the only activity it plans that could vaguely be considered policy development is the writing of a curriculum package for use in confusing high schoolers about climate change.

Jennifer Marohasy is a regular critic of climate change activists on her self-titled blog. She reposted Heartland’s denial and a statement by Bob Carter, the scientist in question, with a clear message in Tiny Budget for Heartland Institute Trying to Counter Global Climate Madness and Scientific Fraud:

The Heartland Institute is a 28-year-old national nonprofit organization with offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, DC. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems.

Response from Heartland Institute

In the war on climate change ….. Your Democracy’s John Richardson was concerned about the sources of Heartland’s funding:

But the cache raises an equal number of questions – such as the identify of an anonymous donor that has been a mainstay of Heartland. The unnamed donor, who contributed $4.6m in 2008, has since scaled back contributions. Even so, the donor's $979,000 contribution in 2011 accounted for 20% of Heartland's overall budget, the fundraising plan says.

In a detailed post at Australian Climate Madness, Simon accepted Heartland’s claims that documents had been “fabricated”. He was also keen to dismiss comparisons with the email controversy Climategate:

In terms of moral equivalence, what Heartland is doing is not surprising; seems to be no different than what other advocacy groups do. The IPCC is a very different organization, and also the CRU/UEA, with explicit requirements for government accountability. So in terms of a scandal, I would have to say that Heartlandgate is nowhere near Climategate.

Online media site Crikey has reported on the leaks and raised the role of an Australian think tank:

The Institute for Public Affairs has previously sponsored Heartland’s climate change conferences — where Carter has been a regular speaker — which almost exclusively feature experts and academics who disagree that human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases through burning fossil fuels represent a significant risk.

Jennifer Marohasy, quoted above, worked for the IPA as a researcher for 5 years.

In a follow-up on the Crikey blog Rooted, Amber Jamieson speculated about the identity of the alleged donor in Who’s the Anonymous Donor keeping a climate sceptic think tank afloat?

Meanwhile Joanne Nova, of JoNova: Science, carbon, climate and tax - Tackling tribal groupthink, seemed upbeat about the controversy:

The believers of man-made-weather-disasters are wetting themselves with excitement. It painful to watch grown men drool.

She saw Heartland as a very efficient operation and took a swipe at climate change advocates on the public payroll:

And if Bob Carter receives an honorarium type amount of $1500 a month, the pull of those big dollars must be powerfully tempting for people like Tim Flannery who struggle along on about $1200 each day he works.

Climate researcher Tony Rafter’s tweet seemed apt, given all the claims and counterclaims of hypocrisy:

@tonyrafter 12:26 AM - 16 Feb 12
“If you like your hypocrisy sandwiches served with a side order of double standards” check out the #Heartlandgate leaked docs! bit.ly/wBV2Kn

Issues related to funding of and by think tanks, and their independence and objectivity, are an ongoing source of online debate down under.

Australia Day: Fury Follows Aboriginal Tent Embassy Protest

Kevin Rennie — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:18:19 +0000

Australia Day ceremonies are usually the dullest of events. But not when Australia’s political leaders are together just walking distance from a gathering at the contentious Aboriginal Tent Embassy. When the crowd there heard a report that earlier in the day Opposition leader Tony Abbott had suggested its removal, a spontaneous protest took place at the Lobby restaurant where Prime Minister Julia Gillard was awarding emergency medals.

The fracas quickly turned to farce. Developments have included: that Mr Abbott’s remarks were misreported; the original tip-off came via Tony Hodges, one of the PM's media advisors (who has since resigned); accusations of a media beat-up of violence; a shoe lost by Ms Gillard was returned after suggestions of an ebay auction; a go-between was named followed by strong denials. At least that’s the best guess at the moment.

Preston Institute knew who to blame in Silly Advisers, Silly Media – This is Canberra, Today:

Yesterday’s “outrage” involving the PM and Tony Abbott has been one of the more diverting stories doing the rounds of our media. It appears to tell us more about the media and contemporary politics more than it does about Australia’s protesting spirit.

The story itself, of an escape from a Canberra restaurant besieged by unarmed protestors, provided some great footage for the TV print media to run around the world and back.

…The reality seems to be more prosaic, with Gillard and Abbott under little substantial threat.

In a very detailed analysis at the The Conscience Vote Marian Dalton argued that:

If no one remembers anything else from Australia Day, they’ll remember the footage of Prime Minister Julia Gillard being dragged to safety…

It was an ugly display, and it did nothing good for the cause of the Tent Embassy.

What remains, then, is a shameful display of behaviour that did nothing but harm the cause of indigenous rights, and the Tent Embassy in particular.

Skepticlawyer couldn’t resist the imagery of the abandoned shoe in her post When one’s IQ is less than one’s shoe size, and we’re only talking one shoe…

Tony Abbott gives me the screaming heaves, he really does. He’s the worst sort of godbothering big government conservative. But he did not call for the tent embassy to be ‘torn down’ and he did not ‘incite a riot’. Any rioting – as is usually the case – was the responsibility of the rioters.

There is speculation in the media that Tony Hodges misquoted Abbott, making his comments more aggressive. In a perverse way, I hope that’s true, because to respond to the above with violence suggests that at least some people in Australia have made their way into political cloud-cuckoo-land.

In the post, Australia Day 2012: Evil prevails, when good men say nothing, Gladly the cross-eyed bear defends the need for the tent embassy but not the manner of protest:

Indigenous Australians have every reason to be angry. They have every reason to defend their embassy. But this is Australia and, whatever our history, whatever the mistakes of the past, here, today, we do not fight political battles with physical violence.

…I am sickened and appalled at what appears to have been an attempt by some Aboriginal activists and their cohorts to bully and frighten Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday.

In the latest twist, johnboy revealed on RiotAct’s open forum that:

In the Canberra Times the Secretary of Unions ACT, Kim Sattler, is denying she was the one who riled up the Tent Embassy with news from the Prime Minister’s Office that Tony Abbott was in the nearby lobby restaurant.
When contacted by the Sunday Canberra Times this morning, Ms Sattler said she had been at the tent embassy but she was not the go between.
“I heard it from the crowd,’’ she said.
This is a bit tricky as The Age reports that Prime Minister Gillard is saying it was Ms Sattler.

Who knows the truth at this stage.

Mike Stuchbery captured the spirit of things on his self-titled blog:

There’s the soundbite, the outrage, the money shot and what’s left is for the carrion-eaters to blog and crow about.

Nobody comes away from today’s events in Canberra looking good.

Least of all, the protesters

He even has an eyewitness in his “little brother”, if you’re interested in an alleged firsthand account.

Perhaps modern politics is more about image than about reality. And a contest amongst both media and commentariat to be the most outraged. Ironically too many were ready to chastise the tent embassy crowd for reacting hastily to incorrect information, only to do the same thing themselves to media reports.

Video: Online Media by and for Indigenous People

Juliana Rincón Parra — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:26:18 +0000

Intercontinental Cry has a list of 12 recommended films on indigenous issues, some made by indigenous people from Brazil, Australia, Panama, USA, Northern Kenya, Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Australia: Politician Sprayed Over Migrant Deodorant “Dog-Whistle”

Kevin Rennie — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:34:36 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.

There has been a contest for the worst pun following remarks by Teresa Gambaro, a Federal Member of the Australian Parliament. She called for immigrants on work visas to be taught ‘social norms’ such as the use of deodorants and waiting in orderly queues. (My post title is a poor contender.)

Teresa Gambaro

At Independent Australia, Tess Lawrence's post ‘Gambaro goes the raw prawn‘, is biting in its satire:

I am calling on Teresa to organise a Senate Select Committee so we can really thrash out this serious issue in the first session of Parliament. In fact, I want to see the wearing of deodorant become mandatory and written into our Constitution.

And shameless in its play on words:

You are clearly Prime Ministerial material by any measure, Dear Teresa. From henceforth, let the armpits be the electoral litmus test. You bring a whole new meaning to the hair of the dog.

Before any politician should covet the Upper House, we the People, should examine their Upper Lip.

Unless politicians pass the sniff test, they should remain on the nose of the Australian people.

The Castlemaine Independent’s satirist suggests that Politicians must wear deodorant:

Politicians should be taught about the importance of wearing deodorant…

Ms Gambaro said …she was concerned about politicians not integrating into the community because they were behind the eight-ball on health, hygiene and lifestyle, as well as on climate change, industrial relations, refugees and a host of other issues.

Marion Elizabeth Diamond of Historians are Past Caring doesn’t use deodorants and wonders during her musings on the “great unwashed”:

But I never knew before that my personal habits made me un-Australian.

Gambaro has her defenders. Dom looks at the broader issue of “cultural awareness training“:

… We can provide these people with assistance that they need in a way that respects them as people, and is flexible enough to see them as individuals and people capable of independent thought.
We're all so sensitive of difference, and its denial, that we're not willing to assist people with basic cultural training that could help them. Gambaro's right, she just needs some media training.

Speaking ‘In Support of Integration‘, Suzer, “an American expat living in Australia with her Aussie husband”, also supports her:

Taken out of context, one might easily judge Ms Gambaro. I'm dissappointed to see migrant advocacy groups take immediate offense, rather than seeing that Ms Gambaro might actually be an advocate herself for new migrants. Diversity training in Australian workplaces is not only a good idea, but a necessity, for both current and new Australians, so that we can learn about each other.

Your Democracy was less than kind to either Gambaro or cabbies when it reposted from Crikey:

Teresa Gambaro clearly encountered a smelly taxi driver or two over the festive period. It sparked a thought-bubble (to be generous) in the opposition citizenship spokesperson's mind…

Meanwhile, amid accusations of dog-whistling, Teresa Gambaro backs off migrant remarks after a rebuke from a senior Conservative parliamentary colleague. She claims to have been “misconstrued”. She can join the end of a very long, orderly queue of pollies claiming that!

(Dog-whistling “employs coded language that appears to mean one thing to the general population but has a different or more specific meaning for a targeted subgroup of the audience”.)

Even the cartoonists are commenting, though it is probably not that kind of dog that Jon Kudelka has in mind:

Image courtesy of Jon Kudelka Cartoons

Finally, Opposition spokeswoman Teresa Gambaro has cracked the age-old question of why we all can’t just get along, and the answer turns out to be deodorant. Seriously. You can’t make this stuff up.

The Twitter hashtag #gambaro has more dreadful jokes and some serious comment. Check it out while the poop is still fresh.

This post is part of our special coverage on Refugees.

COP17: Young Trackers Share Final Thoughts on Climate Change Talks

Andrea Arzaba — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:24:04 +0000

Adopt a Negotiator Project trackers updated their blogs daily during the two weeks of climate change talks at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, COP17, held from November 28 to December 9, 2011, in South Africa. Trackers followed negotiations from their regional perspectives, writing in languages like Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, French, Polish and English.

One of the major results of the conference was the second commitment of the Kyoto Protocol, the only legally binding international treaty to reduce green house emissions. However, the commitment was weak, as major polluters like Canada, US, Japan, Russia, Australia and New Zealand refused to sign into this second period.

Climate activists and organizations of civil society were disappointed about the outcomes of the conference, especially because countries agreed to a new legal instrument that will replace the Kyoto Protocol by 2020, when urgent action is needed.

Here are were some of the most relevant conclusions written by the trackers:

South Africa tracker Alex Lenferna reports on the final events in the post “An Interim Disappointment at COP 17″:

I should be on a bus home now; instead I’m sitting in the ICC waiting for the proverbial white smoke to emerge as ministers try to bring COP17 to a close. Last night was supposed to be the closing night for COP 17, but there has been much disagreement among the global community around some very problematic texts that are being discussed around long-term cooperative action and the Kyoto Protocol…

Farrukh Zaman, following Pakistan, writes in “Decisions at COP17: Delayed or Derailed?”:

So while the delay has happened at COP17, let’s hope the negotiations don’t get derailed by postponing them till next year. But just one thing of caution, even though time has and is running out, we don’t need haste decisions; rather we want fair, ambitious and balanced package out of Durban. If that can’t happen here, then COP bis can be our last resort.

France tracker Sébastien Duyck in “Endless conference towards an agreement on never ending negotiations” concludes:

Regarding negotiations for a comprehensive agreement that would include legally binding targets for emissions reduction, the Presidency proposes yet another extension of the discussions. This approach convinces few among the observers still in the conference venue. It appears that we keep relaying on the same solutions (creating a new ad-hoc working group…), despite the fact that they have already been tested repeatedly in the past and have not delivered any successful outcome since the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.

Daily Trackers meeting - COP17, Durban. Photo by Andrea Arzaba

In “Do białego rana. Noc kobiet” (”Until dawn. Women's Night”), Milosz Hordun, Poland's tracker, says:

Ta noc należy do kobiet. Po pierwsze jest Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, przewodnicząca obradom. Zdecydowanie zmęczona ostatnimi dwoma tygodniami. Stara się skutecznie prowadzić strony do celu, udowadniając że afrykański COP może być skuteczny i przełomowy. Często jednak się gubi w procedurach, musi prosić o wsparcie sekretariatu. Jest Conni Hedegaard, unijna komisarz. Także na jej twarzy maluje się zmęczenie. Widać, że trudno jest jej znosić ogromną presję psychiczną, związaną z rozbratem między oczekiwaniami wielu Europejczyków oraz środowisk ekologicznych na całym świecie a możliwościami negocjacyjnymi.

This night is a women's night. First of all, there is Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who chairs the session. She is definitively tired from the last two weeks. She does her best to lead the two sides towards a common goal, proving that the African COP may be successful and become a turning point. However, she gets lost in the proceedings quite often; she has to ask the secretary for help. There is also Connie Hedegaard - European Commissioner [for Climate Action]. Though tiredness is written all over her face, too. You can see how difficult it is for her to handle this enormous pressure as there is a gap between what many Europeans and environmentalist through the globe hope for and negotiating possibilities.

Priti Rajagopalan, from India, summarized the conference's accomplishments in the post “COP17-This is what happened“:

5.18am, International Convention Center, Durban

The verdict is out. What was accomplished at Durban.

1) Something called the Durban railtrack or trackroad ..oh, wait…platform.
2) Empty second commitment period
3) Empty green climate fund
4) Sleepy people most of whom had left by the time the final verdict was given.
5) How manipulative, apparently transparent democratic , multilateral process works.
6) People are looking for CBDR and Bali. If someone finds it, please return it.
7) Unclear mitigation target.
8) Massive failure of a peaceful kind.

To read other final posts of trackers following the United States, Mexico, Australia, China, Canada and New Zealand, among many others, visit Adopt a Negotiator Project webpage.

Andrea Arzaba participated in COP17 as a Young Tracker for Mexico [es].

Thanks to Krzysztof Pawliszak for translating Milosz Hordun's quote.

Global Voices: Donate Today

Georgia Popplewell — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:23:12 +0000

2011 has been an extraordinary year for online content. Global Voices has been there as revolutions happened, dictatorships fell, and network effects rippled through the cities and neighborhoods of our contributors reporting from around the world.

To celebrate what’s been an extremely exciting year for us, we, along with our friends at Morningside Analytics, have created a limited-edition poster that visualizes “attentive clusters” of bloggers who link to Global Voices and cite similar online content. The resulting image portrays the scope of the Global Voices community, and turns it into a work of art that commemorates an important year in the history and impact of citizen media. The poster is available to anyone who donates US$25 or more. Reserve yours today through this link. We’ll be mailing out posters in January 2012.

Even if you don’t want a poster, we’d love your support. Regular donations are tax-deductible in the U.S, and can be made through our Donate page. And please also be sure to share this post with your networks!

Global Voices is a volunteer community of over 500 writers, translators, and digital media activists who bring you underreported stories and conversations from around the world. Watch our new video highlighting images and quotations from some of our supporters:

Global Voices is at the centre of a truly global conversation, and your support helps keep us there. Thank you!

Australia: Comment on the Palestine Boycott, Divestment & Sanction Campaign

Kevin Rennie — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:10:19 +0000

Crikey's NAJ Taylor gathers five of Australia's Middle East diaspora to write about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction of Israel campaign. How effective is it at “balancing the competing harms”? How “useful is [it] for members of the Israeli and Palestinian, as well as Jewish and Muslim, diaspora”?