Dingo
Sydney Water, the corporatised body in control of the water resources of Australia's biggest city and its environs, last week provided a fine example of corporate principles and ethics. The managing director of Sydney Water, Greg Robinson, was instrumental in deciding on the architect awarded a contract to redesign the headquarters of Sydney Water. He just happened to be the same architect who designed Robinson's holiday home on the NSW north coast, and who also happened to have studied at the same university as Robinson's wife.* * * As Immigration Minister, Philip Ruddock's creed was "Lock 'em up". As Attorney-General Ruddock's cry is still "Lock 'em up". He's calling for ASIO to be given increased powers on top of the draconian powers of arrest and detention it already has. Ruddock says the ASIO laws passed last March are "fourth rate" and wants the secret police body to be able to question non-English speaking suspects for twice as long as English speakers. This is apparently because a non-English speaking detainee recently had the hide to answer questions through an interpreter, so the 24 hours of questioning was deemed only half as useful.* * * And the terrorism beat-up continued last week when Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty claimed that Pacific islands could be used as launching pads for terrorist attacks on Australia. Keelty said that it is "not beyond a possibility" that small Pacific island nations "may be used as staging points to commit crime". This is part of the "failed states" strategy the Howard Government used to invade and occupy the Solomon Islands. Dingo would like some proof because none has been forthcoming. The terrorists who are supposedly threatening Australia are a lot like the non-existent WMDs used as a pretext to invade Iraq. So, where are they? There's been invasions of people's civil liberties with police raids on family homes; there's been a bloke deported to France; there are the two Australians who have been locked up by the US military without being charged for two years; there are the innuendo, slander and lies by the Government against asylum seekers . but no terrorists.* * * CAPITALIST HOG OF THE WEEK: is logging transnational Gunns. In the pristine Styx Forests of Tasmania, Gunns has the backing of the state to rip in and cut down Australia's tallest trees, wipe out endangered species and add to the greenhouse crisis. All that is standing between their greed and the ecological disaster that would result from it are peaceful protestors who for months have faced up to the bulldozers and the Tasmanian Police. To offer support and solidarity phone the Wilderness Society on 0409 944 891.