<div dir="ltr"><div><br></div>I completely agree. Commence email on politics, so feel free to tune out now :)<div><br></div><div>The Australian senate used to have a strong showing from the Democrats, who used to be a strong party which stood up for transparency, honesty and middle-ground solutions rather than spin. Their motto was "keep the bastards honest". Both their commitment to that motto and their electoral support have long since waned.</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">Unfortunately, the remaining parties are doing little to respond to the more authoritarian and less transparent processes of current and recent past governments. The Greens have clear political standpoint, which is fine if you agree with it, but they don't necessarily appeal broadly, and thus don't necessarily get the political clout to force the hand of power.</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">The parties which support technical issues, being (so far as I have noticed as a mostly apathetic political animal) are The Pirate Party and the Wikileaks Party, neither of whom seem really than integrated into the realities of politics in Australia. I think it's a real shame there's no room any more for the straight bat in politics, and also a shame that technical issues aren't being pushed forward in that way.</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">I feel that part of the issue is that the amount of money required to advance a political issue is very large if the issues are not necessarily already important to a wide audience. </div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">I have absolutely no idea whether there should be a "Technology party" or a "Science and technology party" but I think it's an interesting idea. And we need to bring back someone to keep the bastards honest*.</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">-T</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">*which doesn't appear to be the Democrats any more<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Nov 27, 2013 at 5:16 PM, Randall Crook <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rcrook@vtown.com.au" target="_blank">rcrook@vtown.com.au</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Intriguing enough my own MP and one of my senators have not even bothered to reply to my questioning of their stance on the details leaked.<br>
<br>
The other senator had a lackey respond with the usual "great benefit to the Australian people" crap and fobbed me of with the public consultation once negotiation are complete.<br>
<br>
I replied, pointing out that consulting the public after the deal is done, is a waste of everyone's time and money. The consultation should be happening now while the deal is being formulated.<br>
<br>
I feel we are about to be sold down the river again, just like the last "free" trade agreement with the Americans. We are being force fed the American version of freedom, which is none at all.<br>
<br>
Randall.<br>
<div><div class="h5"><br>
> On 27 Nov 2013, at 16:20, Bianca Gibson <<a href="mailto:bianca.rachel.gibson@gmail.com">bianca.rachel.gibson@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
> Choice's petition has over 10,000 signatures, and they are looking for donations to help publicise it. They say that it could get agreed to in early December, so there isn't long left. Links in EFA article from the previous message.<br>
><br>
> Lots of concerns in the leaked text, as outlined in the EFA article. Fair use is only mentioned once.<br>
><br>
> Bianca<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>--------------------------------------------------<br>Tennessee Leeuwenburg<br><a href="http://myownhat.blogspot.com/">http://myownhat.blogspot.com/</a><br>"Don't believe everything you think"
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