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Friday 10th October 1997
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The decision was made on the basis that of the over 100 attendees less than half could have been fully paid up members of the branch yet when the votes were taken over half of the assembly had voted.

Mr Bishop had also been very outspoken in the press following his election claiming that the formation of an Australian republic would lead to civil war according to today's Queensland Times. Mr Bishop, a seasoned and proud military man who boasts many military medals, is seen here on the right at the Prosper Australia rally last Saturday.

On Wednesday the new presidential nominees were put before a carefully checked membership. About 50 people attended with 45 having voting rights and a ballot paper listing the three presidential candidates was given to each paid up member of the Oxley branch.

The two major contenders were Reg Bishop (who had been previously elected) and Darrel Kelly.

After the nominees gave their presentations and before the voting began two letters were tabled suggesting that Reg Bishop should not be elected to the position because of his outspoken views.

Reg Bishop spoke very forcefully for his nomination, but after the votes were counted he had been beaten by Darrel Kelly who was subsequently elected the president of Pauline Hanson's Oxley branch.

Today the Queensland Times quote Mr Reg Bishop as saying that the voting was stacked... the branch secretary Judy Thorne said that the election was constitutional and independently scrutineered. She said that Mr Bishop's claims were a case of "bad blood" by a failed presidency candidate.

"He (Mr Bishop) was outvoted fairly, squarely and without any shenanigans," Mrs Thorne said.

Mr Bishop has now threatened to take out defamation action against the two members who tabled letters objecting to his election to the position of president of the Oxley branch.

He said he would seek a meeting with Pauline Hanson before taking such action.

It is a shame that Mr Bishop sought to go public on what I saw to be a fair and democratic election.

Here is a comment by Peter Kelly from the aus.politics newsgroup on the disgusting photograph (Pieta II) that is being displayed in a Melbourne art gallery:

"The Melbourne Catholic Arch Bishop wanted to ban the Andre Serrano work Piss Christ. Although he failed in an injunction to have a ban on the National Gallery of Victoria displaying the work he is talking as if the church has won.

"The affair just demonstrates that law against blasphemy is a century past its' use by date. It's high time these archaic laws were consigned to history along with witch hunting and the Spanish Inquisition. Dr George Pell the AB of Melbourne still believes in some sort of theocratic divine right to rule. It is not for the state to require the right sort of respect for religious belief because it requires a state recognition of what should be so respected. This is contrary to the separation of church and state in a modern secular state. It is not for the state to be the bouncer for club faith.

"You can not respect free speech by recognising a concept of blasphemy and you can not legislate for anything more than the surface respect that comes from fear of legal sanctions. This is not the real respect that the church wants and expects to be able to get.

"In a society where blasphemy is allowed is not the respect that is given real respect. Is not reverence for faith genuine in a society where it can be given without fear or favour. That which results from any other way is fools gold."

To some degree I agree with the sentiments expressed by Peter Kelly with respect to blasphemy, but I cannot agree with the disgusting portrayal of what all true Christians of Christ on the Cross being covered in urine (Pieta II) will find offensive in the extreme. It is a shocking travesty that a tax payer funded institution should be allowed to carry such an image.

Yes, this is what the furore is about... Andre Serrano has already got a blemished reputation on the Internet and seems to relish the opportunity to shock. Here is a statement from the website headed "Indeceny on the Internet":

"The nature of these images raise issues of concern for artists. If an image of the notorious Andre Serrano's "Pieta II" (39) were sent to a political enemy to annoy that person, would that count as an intent to send an indecent image to annoy another person and thus violate this clause? In recent years, conservative political groups have sent their followers direct mail decrying a handful of "controversial" grants at NEA and asking for money for conservative political campaigns. If such a conservative fund-raising campaign posted the Serrano image on their Web site to outrage their supporters, would this count as harassment?

"It was intentional, it was arguably an "indecent" image (at least as Jesse Helms understands "indecency"), it was intended to annoy the viewer, ergo, this seems to be illegal "harassment." Ironically, then, this clause might be used to penalise conservative fund-raisers, although that does not appear to be congressional intent. (40)"

Now can you imagine the outcry if the sacred indigenous "Wagyl" was portrayed like this... it would be immediately labelled an act of extreme racism. Or what if the holy Mohammed or Budda was portrayed in this fashion?

There would be riots in the streets of Melbourne... but because we are talking about a mainstream Christian icon it is OK to ridicule the same... and not only get away with it but to be given positive exposure in the press because of it.

We have heard through well placed sources that Murdoch has placed the equivalent of a "D Notice" on any positive publicity on Pauline Hanson or One Nation.

So what is a "D Notice" - it is a formal act of censorship. Quite simply it would not matter if Ms Hanson personally saved a baby by plunging into a river at the risk of her own life, it wouldn't matter if One Nation won the Nobel Peace prize... no News Limited publication would be allowed to touch the story.

We have talked about Australia's Trojan Horse at length and here you can see, first hand, how the media is manipulated.

Yesterday Murdoch was pictured on television holding a silver service for guests... and yes Labor's Kim Beazley was there. To commemorate this special occasion we have set up a new page called The ALP Thug File. The link between thugs and the ALP that News Limited will never let you know about.... for months they have known about the promotion of a boycott of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games by the ALP but have refused to cover the story. Says something doesn't it?

Murdoch's infamous "D" Notice equivalent even has the new press council chief, Professor Dennis Pearce, in a spin - although Pearce looks at it as a "government" issue.

It has been well know for some time that the centre of Australia's heroin epidemic is in Asia. The NCA Report into Asian crime suggests that 96% of heroin starts its pilgrimage to Australia from Asia.

Yesterday a Vietnamese family were arrested on allegation of heroin distribution... in fact they appear to be at the head of a major heroin drug ring which serviced the south western parts of Brisbane.

A man and his wife, both 46, and their 21 year old daughter were arrested by police after a seven month investigation. The arrests took place at their family home in the Brisbane suburb of Inala which has a predominantly Asian population.

The family are alleged to have dealt in heroin for three years and their spoils include:

• A gold coloured Porsche.
• A Honda sedan.
• A large quantity of antique Asian furniture.

The family are apparently the only source of heroin in Queensland which was sold cheaply here and peddled outside schools to children as young as nine.

A recent marketing ploy was to provide "customers" with their first "hit" free.

Nice people...

You say:

I'd just like to comment on what Antonia Feitz said in today's column:

"Amen. If parliament (answerable to the people) and not the Supreme Court (elites answerable to nobody) had decided such matters as Mabo and Wik, things would be very different in Australia today. The Americans are right: the legislature, in our case parliament, should be the arena of citizenship and deliberation in a democracy. Not the adventurous courts."

Firstly, Mabo was a decision of the High Court, which is enshrined within our constitution as the body which protects the citizens against a parliament making laws which are illegal in terms of the constitution. People continually attack the judiciary about Wik and Mabo. The judiciary are simply upholding the constitution and applying the law. If you believe the law is unjust, and for the record I do not, then work to have it changed. If you don't like the constitution then work for a referendum.

I would much prefer to live in an Australia where our laws are upheld and our parliament is balanced by a judiciary, than in a dictatorship. The same constitution that you attack, and the judiciary that you attack, also uphold your right to attack.

Russell.

Business:

The news signalled by US Chief Alan Greenspan caused the Australian Stock Exchange to lose Au$7 billion in just one day with banks being the biggest losers.

Sport:

Quite amazing!

Personal trivia, from the global office:

Have a good one.

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