tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19769054674141642362024-03-14T14:03:13.334+11:00The Deadly NewtPolitics, news and general musings of a regional reporter.The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-1065145949033566112013-01-03T19:09:00.003+11:002013-01-03T19:09:40.958+11:00The winds of change..... www.thedeadlynewt.comAfter much consideration, I've moved "The Deadly Newt" to its new home at <a href="http://www.thedeadlynewt.com/">www.thedeadlynewt.com</a> over the past few days. Given a few projects that I've been working on, the extra server space has started to come in handy.<br />
<br />
I'll be keeping this site up though, for both backup and cross-posting reasons.<br />
<br />
<br />
Kate.The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-37731151388736599432012-10-08T22:00:00.000+11:002012-10-08T23:42:07.001+11:00Exclusive - ACL calls Warren Entsch's "LGBT Study Tour" offer a "Hyperbole"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FHv_PIaxhEo/UHKphRprp6I/AAAAAAAAAFo/_WbJcNIDRMs/s1600/4247196-16x9-700x394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FHv_PIaxhEo/UHKphRprp6I/AAAAAAAAAFo/_WbJcNIDRMs/s320/4247196-16x9-700x394.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Wallace - Managing Director of ACL - <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-06/christian-lobby-gay-comments-27spiteful2c-disgusting27/4247364" target="_blank">Courtesy of ABC News 24</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A couple of weeks ago, <a href="http://thedeadlynewt.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/warren-entsch-human-rights-and.html">
I conducted an interview with The Honourable Member for Leichardt in
the Australian House of Representatives, Warren Entsch.</a> As many
of you would know, Warren is the <a href="http://warrenentsch.com.au/">Chief
Opposition Whip for the Coalition</a>, while he is also one of the
most ardent supporters of Same Sex and Gender Diverse rights in the
current federal parliament.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
During that interview, Warren stated
that he'd like to take <a href="http://www.acl.org.au/">Jim Wallace
of the Australian Christian Lobby</a> on a Same Sex and Gender
Diverse study tour throughout Mr Wallace's local area. Such a study
tour would include a trip to the local cemetery where a roll-call of
suicide victims due to homophobic and transphobic comments and actions would be
read out, followed by meetings with the families of the suicide
victims in question as well as a group of devoted long-term same sex
couples. Needless to say, it was a genuine and sincere offer that
Warren made.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Recently I approached the Australian
Christian Lobby, in order to ask what Mr Wallace's response to this
particular offer was. After being unable to reach any members of the
ACL Executive and their staff for comment over the past few weeks, I
finally succeeded in reaching one of Mr Wallace's Press Secretaries, a Mr Ben Williams, at about
3pm this afternoon. For the record, I informed Mr Williams of both my preferred and legal names at this time. After describing Warren's offer in detail to Mr
Williams, I was immediately told over the phone on the record that he was certain that
Mr Wallace was “Unlikely to respond to such hyperbole”. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole">Now
if you break out a dictionary,</a> you will see that “Hyperbole”
is essentially another word for “exaggeration”. Given the
thoughtfulness in his voice, the sincerity in his eye and his track
record in regards to Same Sex and Gender Diverse rights however, this
offer was no meagre act of exaggeration on Warren Entsch's part, as implied by the Australian Christian Lobby.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Now while I'm not surprised by the
response from the Australian Christian Lobby over this issue, one
must question their intentions and values if they aren't willing to
take a simple, honest and honourable offer like the one made by the
Chief Opposition Whip at face value. <a href="http://www.acl.org.au/2012/09/mr-gay-activists-deliberately-misleading-to-shut-down-debate/">Given
that Mr Wallace has recently stated in public that “there needs to
be an open and honest debate” in regards to Mariage Equality</a>
and other Same-Sex and Gender Diverse rights, you've got to wonder
why the executives of the Australian Christian Lobby are refusing to
engage in one of the few activities that might give their position on
minority issues credibility amongst the religious and non-religious
public.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If Mr Wallace and the other executive
members of the Australian Christian Lobby who share his opinions on
Same-Sex and Gender Diverse rights are as certain of their values and
the accuracy of their ideas as they claim, then they should have
nothing to fear by testing them in a real life situation. If they
aren't willing to do so, one must also question their claims about
not being homophobic and transphobic with their comments and actions
as well. </div>
The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-4841615190262624152012-09-22T23:38:00.003+10:002012-09-23T00:40:47.968+10:00Warren Entsch, Human Rights and the Australian Christian Lobby<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://warrenentsch.com.au/Portals/_default/Skins/SkinTemplate/images/warren-entsch-mp.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://warrenentsch.com.au/Portals/_default/Skins/SkinTemplate/images/warren-entsch-mp.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hon. Warren Entsch MP, courtesy of www.warrenentsch.com.au</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
(Radio Interview attached after "The Jump") <br />
<br />
It's not often that I'm stunned when I
hear something that comes out of the mouth of a politician (or anyone
for that matter), though an interview that I conducted with Warren
Entsch in Parliament House about 10 days ago, most certainly knocked me
for six. As a matter of fact, parts of the interview nearly brought
me to tears. That says a lot, as I'm normally unflappable when it
comes to controlling my emotions during various interviews.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As a lot of people have probably found
out over the last few days due to the Marriage Equality debate, Warren Entsch is the Chief Opposition
Whip for the Coalition in the Australian House of Representatives.
He's also one of the most ardent supporters for Same-Sex and Gender
Diverse rights within the Conservative movement in Australia. From raising the rights of a Gay
SAS soldier with Prime Minister Howard to protecting a Transwoman who later became a Doctor in
rural Australia, he's done a lot of stuff behind the scenes in order
to protect minorities over the years, purely because he thinks it's the right and
honourable thing to do.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As the
Australian Christian Lobby's Jim Wallace found out recently, it also a
role that he takes extremely seriously.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When I first walked into Warren Entsch's office on the
Ground Floor of the “Reps” side of Parliament House, I honestly
didn't know what to expect. While I'd met and dined with various
Government and Shadow Cabinet officials in the past, I'd never
actually interviewed one. From the Crocodile heads on his office Cabinet through
to paintings of stockmen droving cattle on the wall though, I had a feeling that I could get some really touching, unique and honest content out of one of Australia's most respected rural politicians, if I played my cards right. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
What came next most certainly didn't disappoint.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
(Audio from the interview and more after the jump!!)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In order to get the ball rolling and to
get a more stable feel for Warren Entsch, I decided to start
by asking him what his role as the "Chief Opposition Whip" entails. While Journalists such
as myself are fully versed with what being a “Whip” means, (e.g.
organising MPs and Senators so that they vote according to Party
lines etc) most people aren't fully versed with the ins and outs of
Parliament. Not only that, but it also allowed Warren to see that while I
was going to ask him a series of tough and honest questions, that I
wasn't going to ambush him.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Straight after that, I moved onto how
Warren Entsch became a supporter of the Same Sex and Gender Diverse
community. While I was aware that he'd stood up against various
parts of the Coalition over the “Affirmation of the Marriage Act”
in 2004, I was unaware of just how deeply he had engaged with this
particular minority throughout the remainder of the Howard
Government. From standing up at a lot of Party room meetings through
to taking the case of a highly decorated gay SAS soldier who was
about to be deployed and wanted various securities in place
financially and otherwise for his life partner if he was killed or
severely injured in Afghanistan to the Prime Minister, the words that flowed from him in a
kind, considerate, respectful and honest manner packed a punch.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.thedeadlynewt.com/Warren%20Entsch%2013-9-12%20APH%20-%20Chief%20Opp%20Whip%27s%20Office.mp3" target="_blank"><br /></a>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.thedeadlynewt.com/Warren%20Entsch%2013-9-12%20APH%20-%20Chief%20Opp%20Whip%27s%20Office.mp3" target="_blank">Audio - An Interview with The Hon. Warren Entsch, MP for Leichhardt</a>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As the interview progressed, Warren
Entsch really started to get into his element as he described how he had
encouraged Prime Minister Howard and other members of the Coalition,
to realise that a person's level of bravery or capability isn't
determined by their sexuality or gender identity. Given the body
language that he was starting to openly express, it wasn't hard to
see that this particular change in John Howard's perspective towards
Same Sex and Gender Diverse people, as well as the fact that Senator
Barnaby Joyce was the first politician in the Coalition party-room to
rise up in support of his concerns were matters of great pride and
satisfaction for the Chief Opposition Whip.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Armed with that knowledge, I decided to
bring a few more recent events into the interview, by asking him
about specific human rights, and if he had the chance, how he would
get people such as Jim Wallace and his supporters within the
Australian Christian Lobby to become more acceptive of the Same-Sex
and Gender Diverse community.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After stating his belief that most of Mr Wallace's comments were probably a result of the Marriage
Equality debate, Warren proceeded to describe the level of offence that he felt as a result of Mr Wallace's personal conduct both in the media and at specific events.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He then proceeded to describe how he'd
like to challenge Mr Wallace to visit his local cemetery with him, during which time he'd present him with a roll of the names of the Same-Sex and Gender Diverse people buried in that particular cemetery who had committed suicide due to the types of comments and other forms of discrimination that people like Mr Wallace have made against them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He then stated that he'd then like to take Mr Wallace to meet with some of the suicide victims families, in order to showcase the destructive influence that words of discrimination can have on entire families and communities in general. He then made a reference to also introducing him to a group of gay and lesbian couples, who've maintained stable, long-term loving relationships with one another for decades. That's a challenge that would result in Mr Wallace and his organisation loosing a lot of credibility and respect within society if he refused to accept it, especially given the deep Non-denominational and Baptist Christian faith that Warren Entsch and Mr Wallace possess, respectively.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After this, we then started to explore
the issue of online bulling and abuse, which raised a couple of hot
topics of its own. Apparently due to the high level of abuse that a
lot of minority groups have been receiving from specific websites,
forums and social media outlets within Australia, Warren has
been investigating the legalities of “outting” such individuals
to various law enforcement authorities via parliament.
</div>
<br />
About two thirds of the way through the interview, I think that Warren started to suspect that as well as being a reporter,
that I was also member of the Gender Diverse community. That's because what was supposed to be a
short 10 minute interview quickly became a 30 minute one, as soon as he realised that we were exploring issues that were partially reflective upon my own life. This fact really started to hit home when he stated that while he's
fiercely heterosexual, he's more than willing to be whatever people
need him to be, in order to help them find the level of support,
acceptance and stability that they need in order to live happy and
healthy lives.
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As I attempted to wrap up the
interview Warren then proceeded to take the reigns, so to speak, and
explain his role in the creation of the LGBTI Support Fellowship
within Parliament House. He then proceeded to state why he hasn't
been an active supporter of the Marriage Equality legislation that's
been currently placed before parliament, even though he supports the
concept itself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In a more open manner than I've ever seen any politician use, Warren stated that he believes that Marriage rights should be the last chapter of the Same Sex and Gender Diverse struggle for
equality. He then proceeded to defend his position by saying that there's a lot of extremely important work that would probably be left untouched in regards to health and aged care as well as Gender Diverse rights, if the signature element of the Same Sex and Gender Diverse equal rights movement was signed off on now.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Whether you agree with Warren on that
particular issue or not, it is a valid and thoroughly well
thought-out reason for his refusal to support the marriage equality movement
at this time, <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/cory-bernardi-picked-the-worst-of-times-for-a-beastly-outburst/story-e6frgd0x-1226478988686" target="_blank">in contrast to some of the views that have been offered by some of his colleagues in Parliament.</a> While there have been a lot
of victories for same-sex attracted people over the years, these
victories haven't always been extended to the gender diverse parts of
the wider community.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It was at this particular time that I
decided to go for broke and confirm Warren's suspicions that I'm
Transgender, while dropping a question on him about rural support
services, given my own personal experiences in that area. If there's
one thing that I'll remember from my interview with Warren until the day I die,
it's the response that he gave to that particular question.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Warren stated that during his youth, he
had worked on a rural station with a cousin of one of the women that
he was dating. Warren said that every weekend he'd buy this
particular guy beer, as he'd go to the pub with the rest of the men,
though barely have enough money to cover his expenses. Furthermore,
the more this particular guy drank, the more feminine he became.
During this time, Warren said that he had to defend his friend on a
number of different occasions, due to the dangerous situations that
they regularly found themselves in by trying to be themselves in a deeply traditional
rural area.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After not seeing his former workmate
for a number of months, Warren asked the parents of his girlfriend at
the time what had happened to him. During this time, a young woman
walked through the bar they were staying at. Instead of buying
alcohol, Warren's former colleague Allanah, had been saving her money
so that she could start her transition, while paying her own way
through High School, University and Medical School. Warren then stated
that Allanah is now a Doctor who tends to the medical needs of rural
and remote communities within Far North Queensland.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Given how toxic society and politics in general can be, it's important that we all realise that regardless of politics and ideology, there's always role-models and mentors out there that we can look to guidance, regardless of our own personal situations. From the Chief Opposition Whip to all of the members of the Parliamentary LGBTI Support Fellowship, members of the SAS and even a Doctor in Far North Queensland, there's always somebody willing to listen and offer support.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Interviews such as this also show that you should never judge a book solely by it's cover.</div>
The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-67628480623848555262012-09-10T20:18:00.003+10:002012-09-10T20:20:48.886+10:00Flags, Embassies, Ambassadors and 9/11<style type="text/css">
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Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich and other
employees of the US State Department attached 2,996 miniature flags
to the gates of the US Embassy in Canberra earlier today in order to
commemorate the 11<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the September 11
terrorist attacks in the United States of America. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ambassador Bleich reflecting on the victims of 9/11 at the US Embassy in Canberra (10-9-12)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The flag attachment ceremony was in
preparation for the official September 11<sup>th</sup> commemoration
events that will be taking place at the US Embassy tomorrow at
4-30pm. The main commemoration event will include remarks by both
Ambassador Bleich and Foriegn Minister Bob Carr, followed by a
presentation of flags by the U.S. Embassy’s Marine Security Guard
Detachment.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
Ambassador Bleich said that September
11 was a day of global signifigance, as a result of over 90 different
countries losing citizens as a result of the attacks in Washington
DC, Pennsylvania and New York City. The Ambassador then stated that
he hopes that the world can reflect on the lessons learned from
September 11 in a way that benefits humanity as a whole.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
During the following press conference the
Ambassador also answered questions in regards to newly proposed
internet regulations that would be used to counter state-sanctioned
and individual terrorist acts, as well as international criminal
syndicates.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Audio -- <a href="http://www.thedeadlynewt.com/Ambassador%20Bleich%2010-9-12%20A.mp3" target="_blank">Press Conference and flag-planting ceremony</a> --<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
“We believe in an unfiltered
internet, as it is the key to drawing nations together and that we do
understand one another. There's an old saying that sunlight is the
greatest disinfectant, and so we want an open internet.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
At the same time we also understand
that the internet can be used by criminal networks and by nation
states in dangerous ways, so we are working to strike the right
balance.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-33260240014400376812012-08-10T17:29:00.002+10:002012-08-22T17:21:13.421+10:00Newsrooms, Glass-Jaws and "Anonymous" Interns<style type="text/css">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Farrago's Editorial team and room. (University of Melbourne)</td></tr>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A couple of days ago
there was quite a bit of <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/stick-it-up-your-undergrad/story-e6frg996-1226445068103">drama
on Twitter after a certain "anonymous" young “upstart”</a> from the
University of Melbourne's <a href="http://union.unimelb.edu.au/farrago/">Farrago newspaper</a> dared to call News Ltd's Herald Sun <a href="http://printgraphics.net.au/myfiles/Farrago_5_2012/files/assets/basic-html/page27.html">a “hetero-normative” publication</a>. Apparently the young journalism student (a.k.a. "Intern") in question had taken
offence from the fact that newsrooms can occasionally be the breeding
ground of dark humour and other forms of bleak comedy, predominantly
due to the high levels of stress, tension and tragedy that pass
through a newsroom's hallowed walls on a daily basis.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While that doesn't
excuse homophobia, transphobia, sexism and other forms of directed
personal abuse within the workplace <a href="https://twitter.com/colvinius/status/233193915946258432">as
veterans like Mark Colvin have stated</a>, the presence of such
comedy is the sign of a relatively healthy newsroom once you realise
that it means that journalists and other media professionals are
talking through the emotional traumas that most have to witness or
experience on a daily basis. We all know that there's a lot of
really gruesome and disturbing content that Journalists have to
pursue and then edit out, before a broadcast ever goes to air or a
newspaper goes to print. While the public may get a sanitised
version of events as they are occurring, more often than not
Journalists don't, which can lead to some pretty serious mental
health issues down the road if <a href="https://twitter.com/colvinius/status/233148742767886336">the</a><a href="https://twitter.com/colvinius/status/233148742767886336">y
don't have a coping mechanism (such as dark humour) in place</a>.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If the Intern had been
dropped into either an emergency services or military environment,
she undoubtedly would have encountered similar attitudes from
doctors, police, soldiers, paramedics, nurses and firefighters alike. That's
because when people face a similar type of tragedy or stress together
on a daily basis, a tribalistic culture starts to form both within
their select group and their industry as a whole. When that happens,
all sorts of crude, innovative and outright dirty jokes come flying
out of the woodwork, as a way of people getting things off their
chests. Without that level of release, bad things nearly always
happen.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Journalists are no
exception to that rule, as evidenced by an explosive piece that was
penned by NewsWeek's Michael Ware only a couple of months ago.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
(More after the Jump!!)</div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After spending most of
the past decade embedded with military units fighting in Iraq and
Afghanistan, Ware wrote a personal reflection on what war does to the
mental health of soldiers and journalists alike <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/27/michael-ware-on-the-things-war-makes-you-see.html">when
they don't have access to appropriate levels of psychological release</a>
on a daily basis. Within some of the most heartfelt and soul
destroying paragraphs that I've ever read, he documented how
depression, grief and post-traumatic stress disorder can become a
life-long disability that literally destroys an otherwise healthy
mind.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/27/michael-ware-on-the-things-war-makes-you-see.html">For example:</a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"To this day my mind
still reels with war’s usual kaleidoscope: dead kids splayed out,
often in bits; screaming mates; crimson tides from al Qaeda suicide
bombings creeping across asphalt. I still see ... things.</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> Other things I cannot
remember, even when told of them, but I know they haunt my sleep; I
tore my left shoulder right out of its socket during a dream one
Friday night; awakened by the hellish sound of someone screaming
before realising it was me."</i></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While most reporters
aren't war correspondents like Ware, it's next to impossible to find
a journalist who hasn't been traumatised by something that they've
covered throughout their career. <a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/herald-sun-intern-debacle-is-a-hard-lesson-in-newsroom-culture-8716">From
pursuing pedophiles through to murder scenes, car crashes, falls off
horses and other accidents, there's a lot of gruesome material that
journalists regularly witness which can stay with them for years.</a>
While most are able to recover in some way, shape or form and move
on with their lives, others like Ware are left permanently scarred in
ways that make it nearly impossible for them to resume their previous
careers and lives. While journalists in a newsroom have access to a
support network of sorts via dark humour, Ware didn't and the
destructive results of it show.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A while back a friend
of mine who's trained as a counsellor told me that while mental
health professionals worry about people who are talking with them
about traumas that they've been through, it's the ones that aren't
talking about those same traumas that give them nightmares at night.
That's because while the people who are talking through stuff in some
way, shape or form are dealing with the issues that have been forced
upon them, those who aren't talking more often than not are
struggling to survive. So while dark humour and comedy might sound
unprofessional when it comes from journalists on various occasions,
it does have its place within a newsroom on the proviso that it
doesn't become a personalised attack.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That said, I think that
everybody needs to take a deep breath and remember that we are all
<a href="https://twitter.com/MargaretSimons/status/233476474231984128">dealing
with a University student here</a>. While her writing style may have
about as much grace as a rogue bull in a china shop, few (if any) of
us were able to set the world on fire with the first few stories that
we either wrote or broadcast live to air. Furthermore, a few of my
colleagues need to look at themselves in a mirror before they start
<a href="https://twitter.com/bennpackham/status/233764345291616256">casting
stones at this young woman</a>.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While her article may
have been anonymous, <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/stick-it-up-your-undergrad/story-e6frg996-1226445068103">it's
not as if newspapers</a> and <a href="http://newmatilda.com/2012/08/09/bring-digital-future">online
media outlets</a> don't commission such content on a daily basis.
More often than not, a newspaper with multiple editors will have an
unaccredited editorial somewhere within the first couple of pages of
each individual edition, which uses anonymity to stir up public
sentiment over various issues. Furthermore, it is rare that a
newspaper offers a right of reply to an editorial piece, which gives
further <a href="https://twitter.com/GrogsGamut/status/233469783931240448">credibility
to some of the “Glass-jaw” comments</a> that have been made about
the press since this story broke.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm also slightly
disturbed by the <a href="http://www.vexnews.com/2012/08/bully-to-you-sasha-burdens-anono-sledging-was-workplace-bullying-say-legal-experts/">vindictive
nature</a> of some of <a href="http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/a_confidence_and_opportunity_betrayed_as_is_the_way/#.UCRsa88-NGE.twitter">the
comments </a>that have been placed towards the Intern in question, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/stories/s3564454.htm">by
a handful of columnists who should know better</a>. Sure she's upset
the apple-cart and has probably misunderstood a couple of the
gestures that were made towards her in good faith, though she's also
highlighted something that we all know happens in every workplace
once in a while: That some people take <a href="http://www.vexnews.com/2012/08/bully-to-you-sasha-burdens-anono-sledging-was-workplace-bullying-say-legal-experts/">their
comments just a teeny-tiny bit too far</a>, on occasion.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If we can't take the
comments that <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/article-pits-hun-against-student-intern-20120808-23un9.html">a
student (of all people) makes in a University newspaper</a> without
<a href="http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breaking-news-blog/herald-sun-editors-are-homophobic-and-sexist/20120809-23vgr.html">going
off our rockers</a>, then we've got more problems in our industry
than what a <a href="http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/lifestyle/article/-/14510478/interns-war-of-words">disgruntled
and disillusioned journalism intern</a> can ever cause. Given that
none of us know what the psychological condition of this student is,
it's also important that we keep the age of this Intern in mind since
older and more experienced members of the media <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/too-great-a-burden/story-e6frg6z6-1111116178599">have
tragically succumbed to other levels of scrutiny in the past</a>.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Given my own personal
situation, I also feel compelled to address some of the other
allegations that have been made within the former Intern's article.
As most of you would know, I've been out of the closet as both a
<a href="http://dailydose.us/2010/10/02/kates-corner-being-outted-in-aussie-society/">Trans-woman
and as a lesbian-leaning bisexual</a> since 2008. While I don't
actively promote my own personal history, I'm not afraid to use it as
an advantage when I'm pursuing a story on occasion as well. While
being a member of the wider Same-Sex and Gender Diverse community can
court controversy on occasion, it is only one small part of who I am
as a person and should be treated as such.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While I'm dead certain
that being “Trans” has cost me a couple of jobs in both the
public and commercial media sectors that I otherwise would've gotten,
I'm also certain that it has opened more doors for me than what have
been closed in my face. Because of my unique background, I've been
able to meet a lot of people throughout my career who've been more
than worth wading through a river of muck created by arrogant and
close minded jerks in order to meet.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
People like <a href="https://twitter.com/rosiebeaton">Rosie
Beaton</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/colvinius/status/233150385014075393">Mark
Colvin</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/meadea">Amanda Meade,</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/wendy_harmer">Wendy Harmer</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/carolduncan">Carol
Duncan</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/craignorenbergs">Craig
Norenbergs</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/neilmcmahon">Neil
McMahon</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/tommyxtopher">Tommy
Christopher</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kirstimelville">Kirsti Melville</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AndreaHoABC">Andrea Ho</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/julieposetti">Julie Posetti</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RhiannaPatrick">Rhianna
Patrick</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Tzarimas">Helen Tzarimas</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/LindaMottram">Linda Mottram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/monaeltahawy">Mona
Eltahawy</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/seacorro">Zoe Daniel</a>,
<a href="https://twitter.com/jessradio">Jess Hill</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/rosemaryCNN">Rosemary
Church</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/kcarruthers">Kate Carruthers</a>
and my old station manager <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisjahnsen">Chris
Jahnsen</a> have all had a hand in teaching me how to stand up for
and be myself. While I don't go looking for drama, the fact that I
know how to properly take crap and also dish it out when necessary,
has saved me a lot of stress and angst over recent times. In essence,
the support of friends and mentors such as those that I've listed
above has helped mould me both as a person and as a journalist.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
More often than not,
situations are what you make of them and I'd much rather make
lemonade out of lemons than the other way round. I think that's a
lesson that this young intern should learn from this entire incident.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So while it's blatantly
obvious that the Intern needs to work on her writing and analytical
skills, it's also evident that a few of my colleagues need to wake up
to themselves. While being the subject of criticism may suck at
times, whenever it's constructive in nature it needs to be taken at
face value and examined rather than ridiculed. While I think that she
should have <a href="http://raws.adc.rmit.edu.au/~e81843/blog2/?p=2024">raised
her concerns in a more subtle manner via the appropriate University
authorities</a> and diversity officers within News Ltd, I hope that
she is able to brush her critics aside and stay in the industry.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-15580283747764551732012-07-31T23:00:00.000+10:002012-07-31T23:00:01.845+10:00Policy Wonkette - Julie Bishop and the new Columbo Plan<style type="text/css">
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<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Over the weekend I
attended a function that was hosted by the Inverell branch of the
National Party. Driven by their deep desire to defeat Tony Windsor
and reclaim the seat of New England at the next federal election, the
Nationals had invited the Deputy Leader of the Opposition Julie
Bishop up for a Breakfast lecture and tour throughout the northern
area of the electorate. While ordinarily such appearances are just
an opportunity to beat the ideological drum and promote the electoral
prospects of local members, the Deputy Leader came out with all guns
blazing and released new information on Coalition policy as well.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A0U5YbtBe1U/UBfQvqbE_nI/AAAAAAAAAE4/h_q4ltWciW4/s1600/IMG_0846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A0U5YbtBe1U/UBfQvqbE_nI/AAAAAAAAAE4/h_q4ltWciW4/s400/IMG_0846.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Senator John Williams (Nationals Senator for NSW) and The Hon Julie Bishop (Deputy Leader of the Opposition)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Now those of you who
follow my content regularly would know that while I hate politics, I
absolutely adore policy as if it were a finely aged red wine. While
politics is a nitty-gritty, ideological knife-party that we've got to
deal with whether we like it or not, policy dictates what a party
thinks, what their goals are and how they think they are going to be
able to achieve it. Consequently it's a more clear-cut field to
examine and report on, if you've got a broad understanding of
history, science and economics.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
(More after the jump, plus audio)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
Take for example the
Coalition's desire to reinvigorate and increase the funding of the
Columbo Plan. While Julie Bishop dropped some well-placed barbs on
Tony Windsor, the Greens, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard throughout her
lecture, the vast majority of her comments kept on returning to the
original educational ideals that have been a part of that particular
treaty and organisation for the past 72 years.<br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Audio Recordings</span></b></u></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Audio story - <a href="http://soundcloud.com/katedoak/julie-bishop-29-7-12">http://soundcloud.com/katedoak/julie-bishop-29-7-12</a></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lecture audio - <a href="http://soundcloud.com/katedoak/julie-bishop-lecture-inverell"><span id="permalink-path">http://soundcloud.com/katedoak/</span>julie-bishop-lecture-inverell</a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When you factor in that
key areas of that organisation's mandate were referenced frequently
throughout the lecture, it's not hard to see what Julie Bishop's
signature foreign policy as Shadow Foreign Minister will be in the
lead-up to the next election. Migration, education, regional
security, infrastructure and economics are all key areas of global
development that the Columbo Plan has successfully addressed in the
past throughout South-East Asia.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While Julie Bishop may
have recognised the value of reviewing and expanding the Columbo Plan
from an educational perspective however, it is evident that she
hasn't realised the potential of the plan from developmental and
humanitarian standpoint, given the answer that she provided during
the press conference. Throughout it's mandate the Columbo Plan has
not only given developing nations training on how to manage airports,
factories, dams, railways and other infrastructure, but it has also
given key assistance to build said infrastructure in the first place.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
By developing an
updated Columbo Plan, it is possible that the long-term causes of
regional insecurity, economic instability and social inequality could
be dealt with in a detailed and sustainable manner. While turning
back asylum seekers to Indonesia, Pacific Solutions, Malaysian
Solutions and On-shore processing maybe politically advantageous
band-aid options for all members of Parliament, reinvigorating this
organisation would make it more attractive for people to stay in
their home countries. Not only would that be beneficial from a
humanitarian perspective, but it would also be great for economic and
trade reasons as well.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Later during the press
conference, I also had the chance to ask the Deputy Leader of the
Opposition a couple of questions in regards to the Coalition's
policies on the NBN and investigating the broader impacts of child
abuse within the wider community. After being informed by Senator
Barnaby Joyce in an interview earlier this year that the Coalition's
broadband policy will continue to focus heavily on wireless, I
decided to see if I could provoke a detailed policy response out of
Julie Bishop by referencing physics.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As more and more people
connect to a wireless network such as 3G, the local network will
progressively slow down due to the traffic that's being placed on it
until it becomes near impossible to upload or download anything from
the internet. Since getting around this would mean that the laws of
physics would have to be broken, I decided to phrase my question in
that particular manner.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In between testing my
mettle with a playful death stare, Julie Bishop stated that the
Coalition's proper policy was to use a mixture of technologies where
suitable, rather than the blanket wireless coverage that Senator
Joyce had been pushing for. This in turn suggests that while the
Coalition has been making a lot of noise about the cost of the NBN,
that they are supportive of the way that NBNco's project planners
have been designing and rolling out the NBN as a whole. While costs
should always be a primary focus of attention, this discrete
admission essentially gives the Coalition's seal of approval to the
NBN's currently planned capabilities.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Julie Bishop also
raised a very interesting point in regards to pedophilia and child
abuse, after I dropped a question on her about whether or not the
Coalition would support a Royal Commission into that particular area.
Given that service clubs, schools, police and even ABC staff have
been caught up in child abuse and pornography cases over recent
years, it was worthwhile seeing if they'd support a broad
investigation that didn't focus solely on the church.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In response to this
question Julie Bishop stated that reports and investigations of such
nature should be compiled by the states, rather than at a federal
level. When you factor in that she acknowledged that the primary
arguments behind the Northern Territory Intervention were based on
state-authorised reports, this shows that the states can have a major
influence on the Federal Government when it comes to child protection
policy.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Since the vast
majority of these reports are primarily the result of Parliamentary
Enquiries rather than the official outcomes of investigations done by
trained and experienced investigators, serious questions have got to
be asked about the accuracy and practicality of such reports. Given
that Julie Bishop and other politicians from across the entire
political spectrum have stated that children deserve the right to be
safe from harm, this is an issue that needs to be looked at deeper
than it currently is at federal and state levels alike.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If there's one other
thing that I learned from interviewing Julie Bishop, it's that a lot
of members of the Canberra Press Gallery need to improve their
analytical, time management and interviewing skills. Rather than serving up innuendo and speculation as if they were on a menu at some <span class="st">café</span>, we need to be fearless champions of the facts, honesty and accuracy so that the electorate can make informed decisions about the choices placed in front of them.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sadly over the past couple of decades, the art of asking tough, yet fair and honest questions has been largely lost by a lot of journalists. While ordinarily politicians like Julie Bishop shy away from tough questions, they aren't afraid to answer them if they can see that there's a genuine level of professionalism present within the question at hand.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
By having journalists ask tough questions on policy and politics with accuracy and integrity, we can give the public what they want while increasing the viability of both old and new media across the market as a whole. As product quality has become more important than consumer loyalty, the media industry as a whole needs to listen to the public if it is going to remain relevant in the digital age. While financial salvation awaits media organisations that are nimble enough to realise this, revenue losses and eventual oblivion await those who don't.</div>
<br /><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-22238423289619916542012-06-30T23:43:00.000+10:002012-06-30T23:46:09.518+10:00Couch Cycling - Tour de France 2012 - Day 1 - Prologue<style type="text/css">
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If there's one thing that never ceases
to amaze me about the Tour de France, it's the amount of money that's
invested in it by various teams, sponsors and the French in general. <a href="https://twitter.com/Maxdelincel/status/219023330479579136">Take for example the photo below provided by @Maxdelincel.</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--pNxqLz7hvw/T-72N19CSMI/AAAAAAAAAEo/BNW3GFW-hgk/s1600/AwogjwMCIAImp0V.jpg_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--pNxqLz7hvw/T-72N19CSMI/AAAAAAAAAEo/BNW3GFW-hgk/s320/AwogjwMCIAImp0V.jpg_large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
At first thought you'd think that the
photo in question is of a shed with BMC Racing painted onto it. If
you look closer however, it's quickly evident that the monster of an
object is in fact a humongous bus that's been designed with only one
thought in mind: Getting a BMC Racing rider across the line first at any of
the major races in the UCI Road Racing Calender.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
But as most sportspeople know, buses
and training facilities aren't anywhere near as valuable as the minds
of the people that use them.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
When you really think about it, events such as the Tour De France are essentially a representation of life unfolding in all of it's glory. For a three week
period, it showcases all of what we are, all of what we have been and
all of what we can be in the future. For a cyclist, it is one of the
few events that can define the rest of a person's life both on and
off the bike. By grabbing courage by the throat and throwing it
towards your own inner-wolves with the right psychological training,
tests of endurance like the Tour de France show how you can accomplish the unthinkable even when the entire world feels
to be against you.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
One primary example would be <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jul/22/tour-de-france-stage-19-live">Stage 19 of the 2011 Tour de France</a>. After having a catastrophic bike failure
early in what turned out to be a very mountainous stage, Cadel Evans
shredded the competition by using the power of self-confidence and
the ability to think tactically on his feet along with the rest of
his team and support staff.<br />
(More after the jump) </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If you've got those particular
characteristics and human resources in your pocket, then one way or
another you are always going to be a human missile once you step onto
a bike. Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie proved this on countless
occasions as well, which in turn has probably been what has prompted
the recent drug charges against Armstrong as well. While it's human
nature to support a winner, it's also human nature to doubt the
honesty of a competitor that wins something time after time just by
trying something different in a way that others were never expecting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
In many ways I believe that Cadel Evans
should be viewed as the favourite for this year's Tour de France, as
he has all of these factors down-pat in a way that no one has had in
a way since Armstrong won the first of his several Tour de Frances
while Bradley Wiggins doesn't. Regardless of what people say, Sky is
always going to be a <a href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/video-cavendish-hasnt-lost-speed-says-coach">split team whenever you have both Wiggins and asprinter like Mark Cavendish on the same team, even if the latter wants to focus primarily on the Olympics.</a><br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Given that the<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2165141/Mark-Cavendish-exclusive-Im-control-freak.html"> Olympics will be on only a week after end of this year's Tour</a>, Cavendish will be wanting to
preserve as much energy as he possibly can in order to preserve his
own shot at glory. Throw in the fact that he's a control freak, not a climber and extremely competitive as an individual, it is obvious that Cavendish's
usefulness as a Domestique will have to come into question once we get into the business end of this year's Tour de France.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
Unlike Wiggins however, Cadel Evans
will have a team that is focusing solely on him throughout the
entirety of the Tour. While Wiggins has had a very successful season
this year, Cadel hasn't been far off his best throughout most of the
events that he's competed in this year either. <a href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bmc-counts-on-experience-and-team-spirit-at-tour-de-france">Furthermore, Cadel knows exactly what he has to do in order to win the Tour de France now, which is an experience that no other rider in this year's race currently has.</a> With that, Cadel and his team will be able to ride their race with a level of insight and experience that Wiggins doesn't currently have.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/tour-de-france-2012/news/37228/o-grady-warns-of-hectic-tour-opening">If Cadel is able to harness that experience immediately from the start of the Prologue today, </a>then the psychological mountain that Wiggins will have to conquer in order to beat him will become immeasurably harder. If he lets Wiggins ride over him throughout the early stages of this years race however, then Cadel will have trouble reining Wiggins in come the business end of the Tour given the level of confidence that would undoubtedly grow within Team Sky as a result. While the Tour obviously can't be won in the first week, it most certainly can be lost if people aren't careful.</div>The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-63529090355796531542012-05-01T15:53:00.004+10:002012-05-01T15:58:47.065+10:00Slippergate - Christopher Pyne's pint-sized problems over Ashby<br />
In news just coming to light via Fairfax's <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/jesswrightstuff">Jess Wright</a>, the Manager of Opposition Business <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/pyne-confirms-i-had-drinks-with-slippers-accuser-20120501-1xweb.html">Christopher Pyne met with James Ashby over personal matters a month</a> before he made his <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-27/slippers-parliamentary-future-still-unclear/3976424?section=qld">sexual harassment and cabcharge allegations</a> against Peter Slipper.<br />
<br />
In a stunning line of events, Mr Pyne and Mr Ashby were having drinks with another Slipper staffer, when the personal matters were raised. Mr Pyne then apparently requested Mr Ashby's mobile phone number after the meeting for later use. As both the mystery over <a href="http://thedeadlynewt.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/dirty-sexy-politics-slipper-saga.html">Mr Ashby's social media activities </a>and this latest bombshell have shown however, there's still a lot that we don't know about this story.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/pyne-confirms-i-had-drinks-with-slippers-accuser-20120501-1xweb.html">The National Times' Jess Wright:</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
COALITION frontbencher Christopher Pyne spent almost two hours
drinking and chatting with James Ashby a month before the political
staffer lodged court documents accusing Speaker Peter Slipper of sexual
harassment and misusing Cabcharge dockets.<br />
The <b><a href="http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/"><i>National Times</i></a></b>
has learnt that on the night of March 19, about 9.30pm, Mr Pyne - the
manager of opposition business in the House of Representatives - met Mr
Ashby and another Slipper staffer in the Speaker's office. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Two separate sources have confirmed details of the meeting to the <i>National Times</i>. Both insist Mr Pyne rang back later the same evening to request Mr Ashby's mobile phone number.</blockquote>
<br />
Jess Wright's story is <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/pyne-confirms-i-had-drinks-with-slippers-accuser-20120501-1xweb.html#ixzz1tar6ee5D">available in full here</a>.The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-87659022137795438512012-05-01T15:16:00.002+10:002012-05-01T15:24:43.744+10:00"The Deadly Newt" meets "The Heckler" ~ Slippergate & The Sunday AgeOver the weekend I received a delightful little surprise, courtesy of <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/pm/2012/04/29/">The Sunday Age</a>.<br />
<br />
Tucked away on page 16 alongside an <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/dont-tell-anyone-but-the-shocking-truth-about-conspiracy-theories-is-20120428-1xrj6.html">op-ed written by Annabel Crabb</a> was a column written by The Age's cheeky but lovable analyst of a million faces, <i><b>The Heckler</b></i>. As an international man (or woman) of mystery, <i><b>The Heckler</b></i> referenced my previous post about the social media habits of Peter Slipper's former staffer (and current sexual harassment plaintiff), James Ashby, within their weekly column. While the article itself isn't available online, it is available via The Age's iPad app and the screenshot that I have provided below. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wp_74o93EnA/T59Uif8LYmI/AAAAAAAAAEE/5Zgnq5JRomw/s1600/IMG_0006.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wp_74o93EnA/T59Uif8LYmI/AAAAAAAAAEE/5Zgnq5JRomw/s640/IMG_0006.PNG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of "The Sunday Age" - Screenshot 29th April 2012 - Page 16 (Digital Print Edition)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
~~ More after the "Jump" ~~</div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While The Sunday Age's version is distinctly different
from the Sydney Morning Herald's column under the same name, <b><i>The Heckler</i></b>'s weekly column is normally quite an interesting read. As you can see, this week's edition is no exception.</div>
<br />
The presence of Annabel Crabb's article and The Heckler on the same page also showcases an interesting contrast of what constitutes "evidence" within the nation's media. While Annabel is correct in saying that there isn't enough evidence to show that a Coalition conspiracy theory is a play, there is enough evidence from the "normalization" of Mr Ashby's social media accounts to show that there is more to this story than we currently know. As a result, journalists should continue to question Mr Ashby's motives, intentions and actions until everything fully comes to light.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Given the superb analysis provided within the rest of <i><b>The Heckler</b></i>'s article, it is surprising that The Age doesn't have a Twitter account & permanent website for this insightful, yet humorously provocative & delightful little column.The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-72672149656393531572012-04-28T13:30:00.001+10:002013-11-13T17:40:29.058+11:00From the Archives - The Tiny Tony Abbott Tapes of 1979(Cross-posted from <a href="http://blog.une.edu.au/tunefm/2010/08/05/election-2010-an-abbott-interview-from-1979/" target="_blank">TUNE!FM 106.9</a>)<br />
<h2 id="post-1730">
<a href="http://blog.une.edu.au/tunefm/2010/08/05/election-2010-an-abbott-interview-from-1979/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link: Election 2010 – An Abbott Interview… from 1979">Election 2010 – An Abbott Interview… from 1979</a></h2>
By Kate Doak.<br />
<b>5th August 2010</b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Tony </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Abbott
has always been a magnet for controversy, so you can imagine my
surprise when an interview from his studies in 1979 at the University of
Sydney was found within TUNE! FM’s archives early last week. Given that
I’m a sucker for history (even though I hate politics), I fired up the
old Reel-to-Reel Tape machine and settled down for some aural pleasure.
As an amateur Historian, what I heard didn’t disappoint.</span><br />
<h5>
<i><span style="font-family: mceinline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://media.une.edu.au/av//1979TonyAbbottInterview.mp3">Radio UNE – “Campus-Wide” Interview with Tony Abbott from 1979 – Click here to listen</a></span></span></i></h5>
<h5>
<i><span style="font-family: mceinline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">(Note – This Podcast is now being hosted by the University of New England. All audio-downloading issues should now be rectified)</span></span></i></h5>
With a level of charm that only old Tape and Vinyl can deliver, I was
whisked away to a time where Tony Abbott was way less recognizable than
what he is now. Starting the interview off with the trials and
tribulations of student politics and a healthy smattering of
inter-university rivalry, Tony proceeds to take a firm swipe against
both Trade and Student Unions alike while recognizing their
differences. Changing tact, he then switches topics to education,
injects a streak of Christianity and sexism into the discussion and gets
slightly put off when ambushed on the topic of Feminists, Gays,
Migrants and Aboriginals forming their own supportive communities.<br />
Now throughout his career as a Journalist and Politician, Tony Abbott
hasn’t been afraid to say what he thinks. So given his past record on
issues such as Education, Unionism and Women in the Workplace, the
contents of this recording aren’t all that surprising. What is extremely
remarkable however is that Tony was able to present himself in such a
manner at such a young age, and that his positions were soo deeply
entrenched at the time. Normally it takes years for student politicians
to mature regardless of the University that they are studying at, so
it’s extremely surprising that Tony was able to show political
experience beyond his years at that time.<br />
That begs the question, has Mr Abbott really changed over the past
thirty-one years since this interview was recorded? While he’s certainly
gained more than a few grey hairs, has he really changed with the times
or has he become a modern day dinosaur, changing only when he really
has to?<br />
This is a question that only Tony can answer, as even though the
media, his colleagues and enemies alike have closely followed his media
and political careers over the course of the past 30 years, only he can
say “Yes, my personal views have changed, and this is why”. It is also a
question that he has been trying to answer with his actions over the
course of the past couple of weeks, otherwise he wouldn’t have declared
“WorkChoices” dead, or showcased his three daughters as being
exceptional young women and his wife as a bastion of childcare.<br />
It is crucial that this question is answered, because regardless of who wins the election on the 21<sup>st</sup>
of August, Tony Abbott is going to be faced with challenges that he has
never faced before. Tony’s ability to react to these challenges will
influence the state of the Coalition and therefore Australia, for better
or worse. If he can’t adapt quickly or make a snap decision that is
correct even though it might go against his values, then Australian
Politics is in for a rocky road ahead.<br />
Therefore I challenge Mr Abbott to make a return to TUNE! FM via a phone interview, before the 21<sup>st</sup>
of August. As Australia’s future hangs in the balance, Tony must be
able to show that he has changed both as a person and a politician since
his days at the University of Sydney. I also extend this invitation to
all other Federal Politicians as well, as Australians need to know that
their Politicians, whether they be Liberal, National, Labor, Independent
or Green have changed since the 1970′s. Given that the University of
New England is one of Australia’s core Universities and has engaged
Politicians such as Tony Abbott, Julia Gillard, John Howard and Bob
Brown in the past with the Earle Page College Annual Politics Lecture, a
more fitting setting could not be found, particularly as education
becomes a key issue in this election.<br />
___________________________________<br />
<i>Kate Doak is a young Trans-woman who just happens to be the
Operations Manager of TUNE! FM, as well as a fulltime Postgraduate Arts
and Social Sciences student at the University of New England. In her
spare time, she listens to some of the funkiest Dance, Trance and
Progressive music that the world has to offer. She can be contacted via
twitter – </i><i><a href="http://twitter.com/katedoak">@katedoak</a></i>The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1976905467414164236.post-19025346374884296082012-04-23T18:18:00.000+10:002012-04-28T16:45:23.115+10:00Dirty, Sexy Politics - The Slipper Saga<style type="text/css">
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If there's one guarantee about
Australian politics, it's that there's always a stir going on that
the public never sees, or that we refuse to see.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
While the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-22/slipper-stands-aside-amid-harassment-claims/3965212">sexual harassment allegations</a>
made against Speaker Slipper over the weekend are nothing short of
astounding, neither are they surprising. Between <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/07/03/1025667007922.html">politicians
having affairs with one another</a>, Senators <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-28/mary-jo-fisher-shoplifting-panic-attack/3606008">occasionally
shoplifting</a> and Party <a href="http://blog.une.edu.au/tunefm/2010/08/05/election-2010-an-abbott-interview-from-1979/">leaders</a>
making <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201003/r530606_3013340.asx">homophobic
remarks</a> while having <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/gays-hail-abbotts-sister-coming-out-20120407-1wi64.html">closeted
LGBT family members</a>, things
aren't always as clear cut as they may first appear within our
nation's capital.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
Take for example the situation
surrounding James Ashby, who is the staffer who made the allegations
against Slipper. Last month Ashby was caught up in a minor scandal,
after he grabbed a reporter's<a href="http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2012/04/17/slipper-staffer-says-no-to-cops/">
iPhone at a news conference and threw it into scrubland</a>. At the
time I thought that this was pretty weird behaviour for a political
staffer, so I decided to have a look at his online presence in order
to get a feel for what the guy was like. Low and behold, I found
that he had a modest <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/jamesashby">number
of tweets</a>, a <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/james-ashby/32/430/736">LinkedIn
page</a> and accounts on Facebook and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/jameshashby/">Youtube</a>,
all of which seemed pretty tame at the time.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
Due to the way that <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/political-insiders-unsurprised-at-latest-instalment-in-speaker-saga-20120422-1xf50.html">various
politicians</a> and <a href="http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/04/23/peter-slipper-sexual-allegations/">Press Gallery reporters</a> have reacted since the
Slipper sex story broke, its pretty obvious that the general thought around Capital Hill is that Slipper has
engaged in gay activities in the past. Given that more than a few
politicians, journalists and bureaucrats in Canberra are closeted, it
isn't surprising that Slipper's <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/new-details-emerge-on-harassment-claims-as-parties-attack-each-other-over-slipper-rumours/story-fndckad0-1226336296917">supposed sexual orientation has been kept quiet, on the risk that they could be “outted” themselves.</a>
For somebody who has been closeted in the workplace and at home for
years, if not decades, the thought of being “outted” as being
anything other than “normal” would be terrifying.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After the sex scandal allegations broke
on Friday, I decided to have another look at Ashby's social media
accounts in order to see if there was anything I'd missed about his
online and offline personalities. To my immediate surprise, I noticed
that somebody had made a considerable effort to make Ashby's online
activities as non-controversial as possible. Not only had his
Facebook page disappeared, but his LinkedIn profile had been changed
and most of his <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/jamesashby">posts on Twitter</a> had been removed. As well as this,
all of the cached content from these websites had been either wiped
or made in-accessible to the general public. Strangely enough, his
predominantly news-focused YouTube account had been left largely
untouched.<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
(Read more after the jump)<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Intrigued by this, I then asked a few
people who I knew were familiar with Ashby's Twitter profile if they
could remember some of his tweets, just to see if they corresponded
with my own recollection of them. By using Google and parts of these
memorised tweets, I was able to find the following messages that were
directly attributed by Google to Ashby's Twitter account.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKp1uexW2os/T5TxXAavO3I/AAAAAAAAADE/oeTip5ygAMU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-04-23+at+3.56.04+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKp1uexW2os/T5TxXAavO3I/AAAAAAAAADE/oeTip5ygAMU/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-04-23+at+3.56.04+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3 style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Tweet - “<span style="font-weight: normal;">James
Ashby</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">jamesashby
James Ashby</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">. a </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">32yo
friend</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> of </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">mine
tried his first Gaytime icecream this weekend after</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
a </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">fear</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
of </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">buying one just</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">case someone</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
...”</span></h3>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nC8-Cr7hIGA/T5TxQUbimqI/AAAAAAAAAC0/-sizXdiVJY4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-04-23+at+3.53.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nC8-Cr7hIGA/T5TxQUbimqI/AAAAAAAAAC0/-sizXdiVJY4/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-04-23+at+3.53.20+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Tweet -</i> “<i><span style="font-weight: normal;">noticed
Peter Slipper</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> put out a
</span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">statement </span></i><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">today</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
over the </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fisher FDC AGM</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Maleny</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
on </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Saturday"</span></i></b></h3>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
As well as this, I also found instances
where Ashby had referenced his <a href="http://tweetmeme.com/user/jamesashby">Canon EOS 5D camera</a>, which had
<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/leximarkovic/statuses/65722150635577345">prompted discussions previously between Ashby and other photographers</a>
around Australia.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While these references in and of
themselves aren't indicative of what may or may not have happened
between Slipper and Ashby, they do show that Ashby has engaged more
heavily in social media than his various profiles currently suggest.
The fact that Ashby deleted all but one of his tweets (rather than making his account private) also suggests
that there may have been something he wanted to hide once his court
case became public. Regardless of whether Ashby deleted those tweets
for personal or legal reasons, the fact that he deleted them in the
first place could cast serious doubt amongst the public over the
authenticity of his story.</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
The fact that Ashby's own media profile could cause major headaches for his actions against both Slipper and
the Commonwealth, is probably <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/antmac9/status/193645046703194113">what prompted him to hire AnthonyMcClellan of AMC Media</a> as a public relations consultant. <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/slippers-accuser-was-fined-over-phone-threat-20120422-1xf6v.html">Having been fined in court for making threatening phone-calls to rival presenters while being a presenter of NX-FM's (Newcastle) Drive program in 2002,</a> while
also having the recent phone-throwing incident caught on tape, Ashby
probably would have viewed McClellan as being able to paint his
troubled media career in a more sympathetic light to the public.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
Over the weekend I approached McClellan via email, <a href="https://twitter.com/katedoak/status/193918835190013952">Twitter</a> and SMS
for comment in regards to his association with Ashby, as well as
whether he had been involved in the editing of his client's social
media profiles, or had been notified that such actions had taken
place. As of when this article was published, no response had been
made to my queries.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The fact that McClellan is
involved in this case also raises serious questions over what Ashby's
overall intentions are. That's because most people who
are engaged in major legal cases normally leave dealing with the
media to their lawyers. Not only does this mean that crucial aspects
of various cases aren't released unintentionally, it also guarantees
that the lawyers in question have the ability to mould public opinion
in ways that could influence the final outcome of the case itself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Given that McClellan's services don't
often come cheap, one has also got to wonder how Ashby is able to
afford him at this time, <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/speaker-peter-slipper-has-stood-aside-as-speaker-amid-a-sexual-harassment-and-cabcharge-scandal/story-fndckad0-1226335452978">let alone his legal team</a>. Unlike other
people that McClellan has represented previously, <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/antmac9/status/194220370591617026">Ashby is unable</a> to
<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/antmac9/status/194273861167104000">sell his story</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/antmac9/status/194274338084630529">the press</a> as any such action would give the kiss of
death to his court case, as evidenced by the statement McClellan placed on Twitter earlier today. As both of these services would cost a lot of money, it will be interesting to see if Ashby will be able to bankroll both his lawyers and media agent long-term.<br />
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Furthermore even if Ashby's allegations
are true, it's not a sure thing that a court would find Slipper
guilty of sexual harassment. Court cases can take on a life of their own, especially when Justices request evidence of not only your own harassment, but a track-record of previous incidents where the accused has done the same to other people. That could mean providing evidence such as affidavits, recordings and other verifiable material that can be used as support for any existing legal claims. Since this is now a
high-profile case, Ashby could have problems obtaining evidence like that if he hasn't done so already, as a lot of people would feel threatened by the thought of receiving the same level of media attention that Ashby presently is.</div>
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<br />
As a <a href="http://www.unisa.edu.au/hawkeinstitute/cwl/documents/sexual-harassment-report.pdf">recent study by the University of South Australia has shown</a>, civil sexual harassment cases have
been known to drag on for years before a resolution is reached. Due to this, it's surprising that Ashby has decided to take such a public course of action in regards to this case. Having witnessed various workplace complaints previously, I'm aware of how stressful and exhaustive they can be for all parties, even
without getting legal representatives involved. By overlooking
mediation Ashby will now encounter a lot of extra trauma that he
otherwise could have avoided, and that's without even taking the
homophobia which will come from parts of society into account.</div>
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While many people view Ashby as a
“Trojan Horse” who was placed in Slipper's office in order to
bring him down due to his LNP connections, it is important that we
recognise that Ashby would have had to have felt <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-16/sexual-harrasment-complainants-more-likely-to-leave3a-report/3952934/?site=brisbane">genuinely aggrieved as a victim in order to have taken the action that he has</a>. Whether or not his
allegations are true or not will be a matter for the courts, however it
would be a massive affront to both the legal system and Australian
democracy if his claims and evidence aren't heard with an open mind by the general public.</div>
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At the same time however, we must also
recognise that our political leaders, members of parliament and journalists are as
diverse and as human as the rest of us. While it is realistic that we
hold them to certain standards, it is also completely unrealistic and
unfair for us to hold them accountable for what would be non-issues
in any other part of society. If we are to truly become “The land
of the truly free”, we need to accept everyone for who they really
are, not who we think they should be.</div>The Deadly Newthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17696416186103323852noreply@blogger.com6