International Issues

Cybersafety Committee Report on Cybercrime Convention Legislation

Speech | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Friday 19th August 2011, 5:20pm
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Senator LUDLAM (Western Australia) (12:40): I am very pleased to follow Senator Bilyk's remarks, the chair of the Committee on Cyber-Safety. I will be fairly brief. First of all, I would like to thank the chair, the deputy chair and the rest of the committee for putting together what I think is a very important and very focused report in a very, very short time frame. As usual when bills such as these come through from the Attorney-General's Department, they are always in an inordinate hurry and they are always on fire for the parliament to urgently to dispose of the bills. I thank the efforts of the chair, the deputy chair and the secretariat for getting a coherent report into this bill.

I think the chair, Senator Bilyk, has perhaps undersold the efforts of the committee to the extent that the committee majority report made some very strong recommendations for changes to the Cybercrime Legislation Amendment Bill 2011. I hope that the Attorney-General does not simply give the report of the cyber-safety committee a once-over and present the bill unamended to the chamber next week. I strongly advise the government against pursuing that course of action and advise it to read the report and to read the unanimous recommendations that the committee put forward because they actually recommend major surgery to this bill both in terms of amendments and in terms of clarifications.

Govt wasting money in action against Hicks’ book

Media Release | Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young
Wednesday 3rd August 2011, 1:31pm
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The Federal Government is wasting taxpayers' money in its NSW Supreme Court action to try recovering the proceeds of David Hicks' memoir, the Australian Greens say.

Greens repeat call for govt to support for students from restive Arab countries

Media Release | Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young
Wednesday 27th July 2011, 5:15pm
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The Australian Greens have again called for the Federal Government to support students from restive Arab countries, such as Libya and Syria, who are in Australia on student visas.

Govt must act to protect water licences from foreign ownership

Media Release | Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young
Friday 1st July 2011, 11:02am
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The Australian Greens are calling on the federal government to alter the powers of the Foreign Investment Review Board to include water licences.

After Nigel Brennan’s ordeal: Senate agrees to inquiry on Australians held for ransom

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown
Monday 27th June 2011, 12:36pm
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In the wake of Queensland photographer Nigel Brennan's ordeal, shackled to the floor for years in Somalia, the Senate has agreed to a Greens' move for an inquiry and to help Australians kidnapped in the future, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

Greens Leader Bob Brown's motion passed the Senate on Thursday. He moved:

That the following matters be referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for inquiry and report by 19 September 2011:

(a) the effectiveness of the Australian Government's response to Australian citizens who are kidnapped and held for ransom overseas, including but not limited to the response of the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the consular assistance in the relevant country;

(b) how the Australian Government's response in these situations compares to the approach taken by other countries;

(c) measures that could be taken by the Australian Government to improve the handling of its assistance to Australian citizens and their families; and

(d) any other related matter.

"Brennan's ordeal, graphically detailed in his book The Price of Life being released tomorrow, points to Australia needing to do better for any of its citizens caught in this horror predicament in future. If the inquiry can help in this way, it will be very worthwhile," Senator Brown said.

 

Govt must help students in limbo following 'Arab spring'

Media Release | Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young
Saturday 25th June 2011, 9:59am
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The Australian Greens will in the next sitting of parliament call on the Gillard government to help students in Australia who are from countries caught up in the Arab uprising.

Australia’s 1,500 troops should come home: Brown

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown
Thursday 23rd June 2011, 12:08pm
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Greens Leader Bob Brown today called for Prime Minister Julia Gillard to emulate US President Barack Obama's plan for an early withdrawal from Afghanistan.


"President Obama plans to remove 10,000 troops by the end of this year, and a total of 33,000 by September next year. Australia should follow the lead of the United States, Canada and the Netherlands and bring our 1,500 troops home from Afghanistan this year," Senator Brown said.


"A Galaxy poll has shown that most Australians want our troops brought home from Afghanistan. The level of opposition is higher than during the Vietnam War."


"Australia's troops should be safely home for Christmas," Senator Brown said.


 


 

Tibet motion passes Senate

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown
Wednesday 15th June 2011, 4:47pm
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Supported by the Coalition, a motion from Senators Bob Brown and Nick Xenophon backing the wishes of the Tibetan people to have the Dalai Lama return to Tibet was passed in the Senate today. The government opposed the motion, which reads:


That the Senate:


a. endorses the meetings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Coalition leaders Messers Tony Abbott and Warren Truss, and Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown;
b. expresses disappointment that neither the Prime Minister (Ms Gillard) nor the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Rudd) were available to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama;
c. notes that the last Prime Minister to meet His Holiness was Mr John Howard in 2007; and
d. wishes the people of Tibet well in their aspiration to have His Holiness return home to Tibet's capital, Lhasa.


"This recognition of the lost freedom of Tibetans to have their spiritual leader at home will be welcomed by seven million Tibetans, including those in exile around the world," Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Canberra.


 

Dalai Lama to deliver dose of compassion

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown
Monday 13th June 2011, 2:10pm
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Greens Leader Bob Brown says that he, along with many other members of the national parliament, is looking forward to the visit to Canberra tomorrow by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.


"Too often politics is a spiritually dead zone. It needs a good dose of long-sighted compassion and who better than Tibet's Nobel peace prize winner to provide it," Senator Brown said in Hobart.


"I am working hard to urge Prime Minister Gillard to meet His Holiness. There will be a great feeling of pleasure around Australia if she takes ten minutes off to do just that."


"If it is good enough to meet the overseas boss of Xstrata, it is good enough for our Prime Minister to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama."

Brown calls for the Prime Minister to meet the Dalai Lama

Media Release | Spokesperson Bob Brown
Saturday 11th June 2011, 1:00pm
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Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says Prime Minister Julia Gillard will be on hugely popular ground with Australians if she meets His Holiness the Dalai Lama when he visits Canberra next week.


"I met His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Melbourne on Friday and will see him again on Tuesday. US President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama at the White House. Australians will want the Prime Minister to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Parliament House," Senator Brown said in Hobart.


"Bob Carr's sour little dig at His Holiness and, curiously, at the same time, Western Australians, represents the minority viewpoint that we should kowtow to the Beijing bosses," Senator Brown said.