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Australian National Sovereignty and Economic Welfare in Peril? Feedback from the AUSMIN Meeting in Brisbane

By Denis Bright

Decades ago – in 1951 – the ANZUS Pact promised ongoing consultations about strategic policies within the US Global Alliance. Now, from the elite surroundings of Queensland’s Government House in Brisbane, media statements from AUSMIN have taken everyone back to school days. Our elected leaders are now the principals in a frightening new age in which preparation for war is a key element in foreign and strategic policies (Joint Statement from AUSMIN 29 July 2023):

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles hosted the U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on 29 July in Brisbane to advance the Australia-U.S. Alliance and their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and globally. Building on the high tempo of engagement between leaders and ministers, including the meeting between Prime Minister Albanese and President Biden in May 2023, the Ministers and Secretaries (the principals) determined that the Alliance has never been stronger. Based on a bond of shared values, it remains a partnership of strategic interest – premised on a common determination to preserve stability, prosperity, and peace.

For our visiting US Principals, it seems that peace will be delivered by exporting cluster bombs to extend the war in Europe.

National sovereignty is always imperiled by unnecessary secrecy like the Treaty of London (1915) which moved Italy from neutrality to becoming a participant in the Great War (1914-18) at the instigation of the British Government.

Extracts from the Treaty of London 1915

ARTICLE 2. On her part, Italy undertakes to use her entire resources for the purpose of waging war jointly with France, Great Britain, and Russia against all their enemies.

ARTICLE 3. The French and British fleets shall render active and permanent assistance to Italy…

ARTICLE 11. Italy shall receive a share of any eventual war indemnity corresponding to their efforts and her sacrifices.

ARTICLE 13. In the event of France and Great Britain increasing their colonial territories in Africa at the expense of Germany, those two Powers agree in principle that Italy may claim some equitable compensation…

ARTICLE 14. Great Britain undertakes to facilitate the immediate conclusion, under equitable conditions, of a loan of at least 50,000,000 pounds…

ARTICLE 16. The present arrangement shall be held secret.

It would have been better for Italy if a brave Julian Assange from the era told the Italian people about the secret strategic deals with Britain in 1915. Italy’s involvement in the Great War brought family tragedies, mass immigration, financial ruin and the rise of fascism in its wake.

The current militarization of the global economy by potential friend and foe alike will ultimately be ended by accidental conflict or economic recession from burnt out commitments and distortion of investment flows globally. Going too far by Australian leaders risks schism in the Labor Movement as in the Great War or tensions within the Labor Party during the Cold War in the 1950s and more recently when New Zealand withdrew from the ANZUS Pact over visits by naval vessels that were either nuclear powered or carrying nuclear weapons or both in the 1980s.

If there is a chink in the armour of public support for Australia’s defence commitments to the US Global Alliance, it lies in medium and long-term concerns about the costs of the AUKUS defence commitments which are apparent in the Lowy Institute’s 2023 Polling.

The financial costs of the submarine deal is the real chink in favourable Australian public opinion towards more participation in the US Global Alliance.

Despite the outpouring of patriotic rhetoric at the launching event in Mobile, Alabama, Austal Limited Australia had not finalized its Australian taxation commitments from an annual revenue of $579.4 million in 2020-21 by 2 November 2022. The tax owing under review by the ATO was a paltry $28 million due to legalized tax minimization by the company’s accountants. Austal’s explanation of these processes is well covered in the 2022 Annual Report from Austal Australia which can easily be perused by interested readers.

Orders for AUKUS vessels and commitments to the QUAD Defence Arrangements will provide windfall revenue for the military and industrial complexes of Britain and the USA for a generation ahead until 2050. In the traditions of the original ANZUS Defence Alliance of 1951, our bipartisan strategic commitments were always consistent with adherence to the UN Charter and to open discussion of defence arrangements.

Behind the scenes intrigues by defence chiefs and intel services through their media releases are a quite inadequate substitute for these democratic consultations.

Hopes of US co-operation in releasing Julian Assange who is languishing in Belmarsh Prison in London while awaiting extradition to the USA to face charges for breaches of the US Espionage Act were dashed at the recent AUSMIN Meeting. Defence analyst Chelsea Manning who actually released the Pentagon documents to Julian Assange for publication had his charges commuted by President Obama in 2017.

These documents are largely in the public domain through sites like ChatGPT which can retrieve the gist of most items released but without adequate referencing by the AI robots at Opensystems in San Francisco. Readers can avail themselves of the resources of ChatGPT in the absence of full and frank media releases from Australian government strategic agencies.

Environmental risks of nuclear-powered ship visits to Australian ports also add to the policy dilemmas facing Australians.

It was the Morrison Government which welcomed the ageing French nuclear powered submarine to HMAS Stirling near Perth in late 2020 en route to naval manoeuvres near Guam and likely stealth operations in the South China Sea to test China’s maritime intelligence. Such manoeuvres in troubled waters are hazardous operations. This epic seven-month voyage to the Indo-Pacific Basin was well covered in this YouTube video.

The New York Times (31 March 1994) and other global media outlets of the nuclear accident involving the nuclear-powered submarine off Toulon. ChatGPT has a blind spot about the reporting of this incident from media monitoring:

Ten sailors died today in an accident aboard a French nuclear-propelled submarine that was taking part in naval exercises in the Mediterranean off Toulon, the Defense Ministry announced.

A ministry spokesman said that the Émeraude, a 2,400-ton Rubis-class attack submarine, did not carry nuclear missiles and that its 48-megawatt nuclear reactor was not damaged in the accident, which occurred when a burst pipe released high pressure steam into a turbine compartment.

“The steam is certainly not radioactive,” Rear Adm. Philippe Roy said at a news conference in the southern port city of Toulon this evening.

Hours after the accident, the navy recalled three other nuclear-propelled submarines — two from the Mediterranean and one from the Atlantic — pending an investigation. “We are recalling them because we are asking questions about what happened,” Admiral Roy said.

Since I covered this topic the WA State Police Minister’s Office has kindly provided details of protocols operating for the containment of accidents involving nuclear powered ship visits which possibly carry nuclear weapons under Don’t Ask Won’t Tell Protocols operating within the US Global Alliance. It was most appreciated when the Hon. Paul Papalia’s Perth office to provide this statement for the preparation of this article which has been added in its entirety:

The Commissioner of Police is the hazard Management Agency for Radiation Escape from a Nuclear-Powered Warship (NPW) as defined within the Emergency Management Regulations 2006. The Commissioner of Police holds the responsibility for ensuring all necessary actions and services are in place to protect the public in the event of radiation escape from a NPW. This includes coordinating emergency response efforts and taking appropriate measures to mitigate risks associated with radiation exposure.

To provide a comprehensive framework for managing this hazard, the State Hazard Plan (SHP)-HAZMAT Annex A Radiation Escape from a NPW has been developed. The SHP, along with other related plans, outlines the arrangements for managing various hazards within Western Australia.

To mitigate the risk of any collisions, the Western Australia (WA) Police Force provides an escort for NPWs while they are moving within port limits. This measure is take as part of the arrangements for visiting NPWs and aims to ensure the safety and security of both the ship and the surrounding area.

It is important to note the SHP contains unclassified material, consequently considerations of nuclear weapons are not part of the Visiting Ships Panel (Nuclear) administrative process. The WA Police Force is unable to provide further comment in relation to nuclear weapons.

Nuclear powered vessels from countries in the US Global Alliance have been visiting Australian ports since 1960. The details of these visits can be monitored on the web sites of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and the Departments of Defence itself in both Australian and the USA.

Specialist staff within DFAT will of course have access to some classified documents generated by the US Department of Defense and its related intel networks. To guard against the emergence of any new generation of Australians wishing to follow in the traditions of Chelsea Manning of Oklahoma, it is my understanding from personal communications from just one staff member on my reporting rounds for AIM Network that personal phones and communication systems are all monitored by local intel services and probably by overseas agencies as well.

Whilst ChatGPT is tightening up on the topics on which it is able to release information, it can still provide a wealth of anecdotal information to assist in the reporting of hearsay on strategic and intelligence matters. Reporters can work on this anecdotal information by perusing reliable documents in the public domain such as annual reports of companies within the global military industrial complexes.

Like the manufacturers of lethal weapons during the Great War, not all corporate data can be withheld from potential investors and curious members of the general public. Corporations here and overseas will make windfall profits from defence contracts. ChatGPT could offer these details of key defence companies operating in Australia:

  1. Thales Australia: Thales is a major defense contractor with operations in various sectors, including aerospace, defense, security, and transportation. They have a significant presence in Australia and are involved in projects such as armoured vehicles, naval systems, and communications.
  2. Austal: Austal is an Australian shipbuilding company known for designing and manufacturing high-speed aluminum vessels for defense and commercial purposes.
  3. BAE Systems Australia: BAE Systems is a global defense company with a significant presence in Australia, involved in areas such as maritime, aerospace, and land systems.
  4. Rheinmetall Defence Australia: Rheinmetall is a German defense company with operations in Australia, focusing on armored vehicles and defense technology.
  5. ASC (Australian Submarine Corporation): ASC is a government-owned company that specializes in submarine maintenance, sustainment, and upgrades.

US Companies operating in Australia who are likely to gain from international strategic tensions include:

  1. Lockheed Martin Australia: Lockheed Martin is a prominent U.S. defense contractor, and its Australian subsidiary, Lockheed Martin Australia, operates in the country. They are involved in various defense projects, including aerospace, cybersecurity, and naval systems.
  2. Boeing Defence Australia (BDA): Boeing, a major U.S. defense and aerospace company, has a subsidiary known as Boeing Defence Australia. BDA is actively engaged in providing defense products, services, and solutions in Australia, including aviation and intelligence systems.
  3. Northrop Grumman Australia: Northrop Grumman, another U.S. defense company, has a presence in Australia through its subsidiary Northrop Grumman Australia. They focus on delivering advanced defense and security technologies and systems.
  4. General Dynamics Land Systems – Australia (GDLS-A): General Dynamics is a U.S. defense contractor, and its Australian subsidiary GDLS-A is involved in the design, engineering, and support of military land systems.
  5. Raytheon Australia: Raytheon, a major U.S. defense and technology company, has a presence in Australia through its subsidiary Raytheon Australia. They are active in areas such as defense systems, cybersecurity, and intelligence.

Inquisitive readers can easily check which prominent Australian family is a big shareholder in Austal Limited which manufactured the USS Canberra in Mobile, Alabama prior to its commissioning in Sydney on 22 July 2023. With so many millions to spare, this family is a prominent investor in the Ukrainian Development Fund with just a small holding of US $500 million.

More than a century ago during the Great War (1914-18) peace initiatives were by-passed because both sides of the conflict in Europe hope for strategic advantages from continuing the fighting. These peace initiatives involved the Vatican under Pope Benedict XV and ultimately diplomatic engagement between the warring parties in 1916-17.

More than a century later, Pope Francis has authorized his peace envoy in Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna to visit Washington, Kiev, Moscow and Beijing to sound out the possibilities for an end to the current conflicts with colleagues from the Vatican secretariat of state. As in the Great War, initial efforts are on behalf of the civilian victims of warfare. These efforts became mainstream in the Great War as noted by Philip Zelikow in his book for the US Woodrow Wilson Institute.

The Road Less Travelled: The Secret Battle to End the Great War, 1916-1917

For more than five months, from August 1916 to the end of January 1917, leaders from the United States, Britain, and Germany held secret peace negotiations in an attempt to end the Great War. They did so far out of public sight – one reason why their effort, which came astonishingly close to ending the war and saving millions of lives, is little understood today. In The Road Less Travelled.

As Australia is not a current non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, our immediate efforts for some token welfare support for the victims of war can be made through the efforts of NZ’s UN Ambassador Carolyn Schwalger (NZ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade). NZ is still officially outside the US Global Alliance but is kept well in the loop by the Australian Government.

Supporting governments which are involved in the use of cluster bombs to counter Russian aggression against Ukraine is dramatically at odds with the values of the broader Labor Movement and this opposition should be taken up by delegates from the progressive wings of the Labor Party within the National Conference. Supporters of lobbyists from the commercial military industrial complexes across the US Global Alliance have no affinity with Labor Values and should be exposed by committed delegates who believe in peace and disarmament.

 

Denis Bright (pictured) is a financial member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). Denis is committed to consensus-building in these difficult times. Your feedback from readers advances the cause of citizens’ journalism. Full names are not required when making comments. However, a valid email must be submitted if you decide to hit the Replies Button.

 

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23 comments

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  1. rubio@central coast

    How could progressive delegates at Labor’s National Conference in August 2023 support this AUKUS deal to provide economic assistance from Australian taxpayers to nasty British and US military corporations? Why is the Labor Left so silent on these issues?

  2. Phil Pryor

    Here we are, a flea on the fringed hairs of pubic zone submission to Big Overseas Interests, on a world stage of utter destruction as is possible by a W W 3. May Aukus collapse under it own weight of stupidity, aggressive vicious ambition to dominate a world, otherwise quite peaceful compared to other times and horrors. Surely dialogue, compromise, discussion, co-operation, mutual respect, advancement of a safer world environment, broad based prosperity and a feeling of real security is DESIRABLE.

  3. Even Stephen

    Maintain your rage, Phil. AUKUS should not be Labor Policy and was imposed by Scott Morrison upon the new government in 2022. Julian Assage should be a national hero/heroine for his commitment to human solidarity. Born in the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Harvard educated and Columbia Law School Graduate Antony Blinken should have a better command of conflict resolution. Cluster bombs are instruments of destruction and at odds with the UN Charter. which was a foundation of the ANZUS Pact in 1951. Australian leaders should stand firm on values to uphold Julian Assange from Townsmville as a martyr for peace and Australian national sovereignty. Even the US Ambassador in Canberra needs to identify with JFK’s willingness to take risks for peace during the Missile Crisis with support from the late Pope John XXIII and Nikita Krushchev who all helped to take the world from the bring of destruction.

  4. Burleigh Waters

    Thanks Denis for your meticulous research, Our national security is definitely in peril from great and powerful friends whose corporations in Britain and the USA where corporations make huge profits from the sale of weapons of mass destruction at taxpayers expense
    while so many Australians are homeless every night. Italians paid dearly for the interference from Britain through the Treaty of London in 1915. This exercise will break Australia financially in the event of a major recession in the future.

  5. Leila

    Italy was broken by that secret Treaty of London in 1915. Thanks Denis for the strategic reminders of those terrible times

  6. Douglas Pritchard

    Not so very long ago 3 contestants for the title of Mastermind sat round a case of port one evening in London, and as the final drops ran out they announced to the world what we now know as AUKUS.
    Golly, we said, where did that come from?
    It should be no surprise that our Scottty, and Londons Boris, and that fella from over the seas (cant recall his name, but he is ancient) dreamed up such a clusterf**k.
    We have acknowledges that 2 of them are completely bonkers, and have consigned them to oblivion.
    Giving the French a poke in the eye is one thing, but Biden should be bigger than that.
    So how can a directive from Washington still survive when we have ALL seen the stupidity of the AUKUS creators?
    And when I say ALL, i include Albo, Marles, and Wong.

  7. Sarah

    AUKUS should not be part of Australian Labor policy – it is not helpful to Australia and would not deliver for us for many years . To be teaming up with country supplying cluster bombs to Ukraine is also not acceptable.
    The fact that the U.S. are still insistent on extraditing Julian Assange from the U.K.to the U.S., shows that we really have very little influence with the U.S. and we can only hope they will not drag us into yet another conflict.

  8. ajogrady

    As Albanese cries Crocodile tears for the Australian chopper crew how many more grieving families will their be as the body bags keep coming when Albanese and Marles commit Australian youth to yet another losing war of US instigation this time against Australia’s, by far, number one trading partner, China.
    One of the most extraordinary moments in politics in the last five years has been watching Anthony Albanese, notionally from the left of Labour, adopt, without any internal democracy within the Labor Party, without any public investigation of it, adopt wholeheartedly Scott Morrison’s AUKUS plan. It’s perhaps one of the most extraordinary betrayals of the
    public interest and Labor’s historic anti-nuclear platform. it’s deeply dangerous, and it is leading us down a pathway to war.
    Is there anything more senseless, irrational, ludicrous or for that matter more treacherous and treasonous then for the Australia government to declare war on its number one by far trading partner, China? Would this US inspired war benefit Australia and Australian’s living standatds? NO! The exact opposite would occur. Trade with China would stop and Australia’s economy would collapse. Trade with China has gifted Australians with standards of living that are envied around the world.
    Make no mistake, the Albanese government knows that in joining the US fight against China, Australia will be left defenceless on American withdrawal. And only a dodo could not know this risk is high. Maybe the government doesn’t appreciate that war for America is different. It is the war which matters, not the result. “Winning” is incidental.
    More fundamentally still, the question then becomes ‘What have or did the governments of Hungary, Norway, the Philippines, and the former puppet government of Afghanistan, possess that Australian governments do not?’ The answer will have something to do with conceptions of genuine sovereignty and obligations to transparency foreign to Australian governments, particularly the incumbent Albanese government.

    Labor’s serial betrayal of Australia

    Very bad advice: $368b nuclear submarines and the Federal budget

  9. Stella

    Denis, Thanks for an interesting and well researched article.

  10. Burleigh Waters

    Looks like ajogrady and I are coming from the same page.

    Like Britain in the past, its conservative and even liberal leaders leaders could not respond constructively to the economic development of Germany prior to 1914. US leaders know that China is an emergent country with a vast economic outreach that has brought so much prosperity to Australians. Hopefully, delegates will want to protect our national sovereignty when Labor’s National Convention convenes in mid-August. Delegates should reject the need to cripple Austrlaians with future AUKUS debts to those corporate empires which are exposed in Denis’ article and the risks of visits by US submarines to our ports with their stockpiles of nuclear weapons to start World War III in the event of an unfortunate incident in those troubled waters up north off Hainan and in the Taiwan Strait.

  11. Terence Mills

    The tragic accident off the Whitsunday coast involving a MRH-90 Taipan helicopter participating the the Talisman Sabre exercises has many similarities to the ditching of a similar military helicopter in the waters just off Jervis Bay in New South Wales, on 23 March 2023. Fortunately in the Jervis Bay ditching there were no lives lost.

    Both choppers were engaged in night-time activities over water.

    Whilst the Army have been very reluctant to release the findings on the March ditching at Jervis Bay it has been suggested by army insiders that a software update that could have prevented engine failures had not been installed on Australia’s entire fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters.

    “…several Army insiders familiar with the Taipan fleet say a simple IT patch could prevent the potentially devastating “hot starting” of the aircraft. A “hot start” occurs when a pilot restarts the engine during a mission, shortly after powering down, instead of simply leaving the engine to idle before taking off again.”

    ‘However, ADF sources who declined to be identified told ABC News that the software update had only ever been installed on a small number of Australia’s now 47-strong fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters.’

    Let’s hope that this time there is a thorough and open public enquiry.

  12. Even Stephen

    Moderation is needed from the gun ho factions within the Albanese Government to protect the integrity of the government as a responsible centre-left government. The Federal Labor Movement split in 1915, 1932 and 1955 when sections of the Party moved too far to the right on economic and related foreign policy issues. Premier Lang in NSW was dismissed by the Governor when he appealed to federal caucus to seek relief from War Debt Replayments from the Great War to British banks. There was a near split in the ranks in 1984 when the Hawke Government formed AUSMIN to placate the Left Faction which sympathized with NZ’s ban on nuclear powered vessels and submarines. . In 2023, the Left faction is remarkably silent on the AUSMIN issue and may be involved in behind the scenes negoatiations before National Conference.

  13. Even Stphen

    ChatGPT opens up real connections for inquiring minds.

    I see that both Antony Blinken and our US Ambassador in Canberra Carlone Kennedy attended Columbia Law School.

    Did the professors in the International Law School teach them not to interfere in Australian domestic politics as Australiais a sovereign state that supports the UN Charter in rejecting war as an instrument of strategic policy and is appalled by the supply of cluster bombs to expand the current European conflicts.

    Julian Assange is a great Australian patriot who exposed the unnecessary secrecy in the conduct of international relations.

    What Julian published should already be in the public domain and all this is now partially released through ChatGPT.

    Fortunately JFK rejected the advice of his military and did not invade Cuba during the missile crisis of 1962. Like Pope John XXIII, Pope Francis’ envoy, Cardinale Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, is involved in peaceful overtures to Washington, Kiev, Moscow nd later Beijing to end the current conflicts in Europe.

    Expanding NATO into Eastern Europe was never in the traditions of post-1989 moves to end the Cold War. It is still possible to unwind what has been done in 35 years of old tensions.

    Nuclear weapons have no place in Austrlaian ports when US submarines come here on strategic visits. Technically, these wepaons are in US territory mas the vessels are sovereign entities like those nuclear weapon bases in Italy which fly the stars and stripes.

  14. Tessa_M

    Australians can rewind the march to war

  15. James Robo

    Britain showed little mercy for Australia during the Great Depression. Premier Lang of NSW was dismissed by the NSW Governor when he demanded relief from debt incurred during the Great War.

  16. Harry Lime

    We can expect the Stars and Stripes to appear above Parliament House any day now.Hard to tell if it’s an improvement on the Union Jack.Maybe the Jolly Roger would be more apt.After all,there are an awful lot of pirates involved,only these days they are corporate entities that specialise in robbing the public purse.Aided and abetted by dopey politicians who are expecting a sinecure commensurate with their abrogation of the public good.I get this weird feeling that this behaviour has been going on since money became the all consuming deity.

  17. Even Stephen

    Thanks to commentators like Tessa and Harry Lime just now, it is possible to rewind the march to war with cluster bombs and guided missiles.

    Events can change quickly once a political momentum develops.

    In 1966, there was a landslide to the LNP largely in support of the commitment of troops to the US war in Vietnam.

    Within just three years, the tide had turned and Labor was back in the game under a new leader in Gough Whitlam.

    Harry Lime has a sense of humour which goes over well in Australia: “We can expect the Stars and Stripes to appear above Parliament House any day now.Hard to tell if it’s an improvement on the Union Jack.Maybe the Jolly Roger would be more apt.”

    Down at the US Embassy in Canberra, even those skilled analysts do not understand Aussie culture. Even the AI robots at ChatGPT have more publ;ic relations skills and political honesty.

    This is what ChatGPT says about the persuavive work of the US Emnbassy Downunder:

    “It is not uncommon for intelligence services of various countries, including the United States, to operate in foreign embassies. These intelligence services gather information and conduct various activities related to national security and foreign policy interests. Their activities may include monitoring developments in the host country, reporting on sensitive issues, and conducting diplomatic and intelligence operations.

    The extent and specifics of intelligence operations are generally kept classified, and it’s not unusual for intelligence agencies to attempt to influence public opinion on certain matters, including military and security-related issues. This influence can occur through various means, including diplomatic engagements, public relations efforts, and discreet interactions with influential individuals or groups.

    It’s important to note that intelligence activities can be controversial, and they are usually conducted with the aim of furthering a country’s strategic interests and security objectives. However, specific details of such operations are generally not publicly disclosed, and therefore, it can be challenging to determine the full extent of their activities in foreign countries like Australia.

    If you have concerns about the influence of foreign intelligence services in your country, it’s essential to engage with reliable and credible sources of information, including government statements, independent media outlets, and academic research, to form a well-informed understanding of the situation. Additionally, governments often have measures in place to safeguard national interests and protect against undue external influence.”

    Yes, the Jolly Roger might be a good flag to fly at US Embassy events, Harry Lime.

    Keep up your great comments for the liberation of Australia, Harry.

  18. JulianP

    @Harry Lime. Spot on Harry. The rot has well and truly set in. See below article: Caitlin Johnstone: “The Star-Spangled Kangaroo”. https://consortiumnews.com/2023/07/28/caitlin-johnstone-the-star-spangled-kangaroo/

    Interestingly this article, tho’ originally appearing on Caitlin’s website was republished on other sites including Pearls and Irritations, but the “Star-Spangled Kangaroo” pic has now vanished from the P&I article and been replaced by a boat. ???

  19. Even Stephen

    Belmarch High Security Prison in London has an email service for prisoners which may not be extended to Julian Assange because of his special confinement possibly in solitary detention

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/belmarsh-prison

    High spirited respondents like Harry and JulianP might check out the security protocols for electronic interactions with Julian Assange to keep him informed about Australian interests in his cause.

    Given the comments of the US Secretary of State at AUSMIN, I doubt if Julian would receive a fair trial in the USA.

    The prominent graduates from Columbia Law School in high leadership places are perhaps in need of refresher courses on law and diplomatic protocols.

    So where are the real consultations which were guaranteed in the originial ANZUS Agreement of 1951 with their commitment to upholding the UN Charter and Rules Based Order?

    Only pirates fly without a flag or hoist that Jolly Roger Ensign. Has Australia joined the pirate brigade?

  20. Caz

    It’s obvious that Penny Wong is now just window dressing and Marles( I pegged him as a hawke years ago) has influence over Albanese. Between them they have pinned a big red target on Australia’s back. When push comes to shove what better way for China to demonstrate that the US is no longer the cop on the beat, than to pin that bullseye on US bases on our soil. Albanese better hope that Julian doesn’t die of neglect in Belmarsh prison. Howard brought David Hicks home. Why is it so hard?

  21. Fred

    At the rate at which Australian property, whether farm, commercial or residential, is being sold off to overseas investors, without any requirement for the owners to reside or trade within Australia, it’s only a matter of time before we become a state of China so we would not need to worry about being attacked militarily. 🙂

    Seriously though, the gutless preoccupation by Labor to achieve a “bipartisan” position on the military has led to the acceptance of the AUKUS hangover, an arrangement that will cost us heaps and compromise our safety.

  22. Even Stephen

    Still a very topical article with the approach of the NZ election on 14 October and the distinct possibility of a minority National Party Government with support from the far-right ACT Party might form government. ACT has been gaining support in pre-election polling from disadvantaged voters in NZ beyond its previous support from 8 percent of the electorate.

    These articles arre also a great resource for high school student in making illustrated class presnetations in subjects like Modern History. This might held to explain the large number of shared articles in this series on responses to the elite policy settings which are seldom critically covered in the mainstream media.

    In Australia, defence chiefs are making critical comments to justify continued support for the war in Ukraine and the AUKUS defence deals. What happened to the separation of powers conventions which make elected ministers responsible for such matters?

    As a graduate of Trinity Grammar School in Geelong and the University of Melbourne Law School with Honours, Richard Marles whould be well aware of such conventions.

    It is a different matter under the US Constitution where non-elected secretaries of state in defence and foreign affairs are deeply involved in politics and regularly receive support from the US Embassy in Canberra to assist us with All the Way With the USA Policies in these portfolios and even in national competition laws at state and federal levels.

    So many US firms pay no regular tax in Australia. The latest editions of the no taxation list are due for publication by ABC and SBS News in November: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australia-raked-in-69-billion-through-corporate-taxes-800-big-businesses-paid-nothing-at-all/g964uzff9 (Last statement ON THIS ISSUE)

    Even the military company Cubic Defense is on the negligent multinational with amnesia about Australian Taxation Laws.

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