SUSAN SARANDON: Speak Your Truth, Even if Your Voice Shakes – Huffington Post article

It was never time to send our troops – it’s way past time to bring them home…

SUSAN SARANDON: Speak Your Truth, Even if Your Voice Shakes

from @perthtones’ iPhone. with love for our beloved Mary Travers, now become the wind.

Yet another MP stands aside over mental illness ABC News Article link.

Mental health – we’ve all got it!

It’s time to get serious about funding and education.

To view on a PC/Mac please use this link

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/19/2690719.htm

To view on a mobile please use this link

http://m.abc.net.au/browse?page=11144&articleid=2690719&cat=Justin

from @perthtones’ iPhone

Four weeks after oil spill began, Govt response inadequate: Greens

Four weeks after oil spill began, Govt response inadequate: Greens

The Australian Greens say that four weeks after oil began spilling into the Timor Sea, the Government’s response in regards to addressing potential marine impacts is insufficient.

“Today marks exactly four weeks since the Montara wellhead emergency began and yet we are still not seeing an adequate response by Government to address all the potential impacts on marine life, including large marine mammals such as whales and turtles, fish and corals,” Greens Senator for Western Australia Rachel Siewert said.

“Instead, what we have seen from the Federal Government from day one is a reluctance to admit the extent of the spill and only a partial response to the wide range of potential environmental impacts that marine scientists are concerned about.

“The birds found to be sick or dying from the oil this week may be only the most visible part of the problem – the spread of hydrocarbons through the water, potentially been made worse by the widespread use of chemical dispersants, means that there may be long-term impacts on commercially-important fish stocks, the marine ecosystem and the diverse coral colonies around Ashmore Reef,” Senator Siewert continued.

“Scientists are extremely concerned about the imminent spawning of fish such as red emperor and an imminent coral spawning period, as fish larvae and eggs and coral spawn are likely to be especially vulnerable to oil and chemicals.

“I acknowledge that the area is remote but it has been four weeks now and the concerns held by fishers and scientists have been voiced from the beginning: by this time, a full investigation to address both short and long-term marine ecosystem impacts should have got off the ground,” Senator Siewert said.

“It is very disturbing that the lack of comprehensive monitoring by the Government means that an non-government organisation, WWF, has had to take the initiative to carry out a scientific survey next week.”

Yesterday (Thurs 17/09/2009), the Senate voted to support a Greens’ motion that any inquiry into the oil spill should cover all aspects of the incident, including environmental impacts, as well as the effectiveness of the clean-up response.

Note to editors: Senator Rachel Siewert is in Perth today and is available for comment.

For more information or media enquiries please call Eloise Dortch on 0415 507 763

Fail: Minister shifts goalposts on Internet filtering

Fail: Minister shifts goalposts on Internet filtering

The Australian Greens say that Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has scored another Internet filtering own-goal this week, this time contradicting a statement on his own ministerial blog.

Yesterday (Wed 17/9/09) in Senate Question Time, Senator Conroy directly contradicted his earlier position on net filtering of peer-to-peer internet traffic.

Greens Communications Spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the Minister was either trying to hide some quiet goalpost-shifting or was simply unaware he had contradicted himself.

“Maybe the minister doesn’t read his own blog,” Senator Ludlam suggested.

Minister Conroy posted the following comment on his official departmental blog on 22 December 2008:

“Technology that filters peer-to-peer and BitTorrent traffic does exist and it is anticipated that the effectiveness of this will be tested in the live pilot trial.” http://www.archive.dbcde.gov.au/2009/july/future_directions_blog/topics/civil_and_confident_society_online/internet_filtering_wont_stop_peer_to_peer_and_bittorrent_traffic_so_why_bother

However, yesterday, Minister Conroy admonished Senator Ludlam for seeking information on what proportion of illegal net traffic the government’s filter would actually block.

Minister Conroy: “As Senator Ludlam well knows, there has never been a suggestion by this government that peer-to-peer traffic would or could be blocked by our filter. It has never been suggested. So for you to continue to make the suggestion that we are attempting to do that just misleads the chamber and the Australian public, Senator Ludlam, and you know better than that. We are not attempting to suggest that the filter can capture peer-to-peer traffic.”

“We received another vivid demonstration yesterday of why people are right to be suspicious of this pointless waste of $44 million,” Senator Ludlam said.

“The Greens support measures that will achieve better protection for children from objectionable online material, but Minister Conroy reminded us again that the mandatory internet filtering scheme started out as ill-conceived and has just gone downhill from there.”

For more information or media enquiries please call Eloise Dortch on 0415 507 763

Info, video, resources Australian Policy Online Weekly Briefing – 09 September 2009

from @perthtones’ iPhone

Begin forwarded

Subject: APO Weekly Briefing – 09 September 2009

Congratulations to Tom Griffiths and Inside Story for winning the Alfred Deakin Prize in the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards for the essay We Have Still Not Lived Long Enough about the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria. This is the first time an online publication has won the award – not bad for a magazine barely a year old.

New commentary

Books will survive, but not on paper

07 September, 2009 | Susan Hayes, Literature Director at the Australia Council, outlines her thoughts on digital publishing in The Australian.

Award for bushfire essay

04 September, 2009 | Testimony from the 1939 and 2009 fires suggests there is one thing we never seem to learn from history, writes Tom Griffiths in this award-winning essay

Back to health again

02 September, 2009 | The Preventive Health Taskforce’s advice is entirely predictable, writes Jack Waterford in the Canberra Times

Nothing exceeds like success

07 September, 2009 | Greater transparency is the fairest way of avoiding dubious lobbying practices, writes Flavio Menezes

How do we decide the fate of another?

07 September, 2009 | The story of Mary illustrates the complexity of making decisions for other people, writes John Chesterman in The Age

New research

Creative Economy

Children’s television standards 2009

Australian Communications and Media Authority
08 September, 2009 | Australian children will continue to be catered for on commercial television via quotas for children’s (C) and preschool children’s (P) programs under these new standards.

The geography of creativity

NESTA – National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
04 September, 2009 | This ongoing NESTA project employs economic geography techniques to examine the importance of the location of creative industries if they are to play a positive role in innovation and growth.

The future of the Internet and broadband… and how to enable it

Robert Atkinson, Richard Bennett | Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
07 September, 2009 | After 35 years of use, the Internet is reaching its design limits. The next 35 years of networking require a new architecture that can maintain the accepted services such as the Web as well as innovative new services that haven’t yet been deployed.

Increasing arts demand through better arts learning

The Wallace Foundation
04 September, 2009 | The key to increasing demand for the arts may well lie in reversing the 30-year-long downtrend in arts learning both in and out of school.

Intercultural dialogue through the arts and culture? Concepts, policies, programmes, practices

International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
04 September, 2009 | This survey report discusses intercultural dialogue as the new priority for arts and cultural policy makers around the world.

Towards green ICT strategies

Christian Reimsbach Kounatze | OECD Directorate of Science, Technology and Industry
07 September, 2009 | This OECD report analyses government programmes and business initiatives on ICT and the environment to address environmental challenges, particularly global warming and energy use.

Open access to journal content as a case study in unlocking IP

Roger Clarke, Danny Kingsley | SCRIPTed
04 September, 2009 | This paper assesses the extent to which the theoretical openness of access to refereed papers in open access journals is being exploited in practice.

Reinventing rural places

Chris Gibson, Anna Stewart | Festivals Project, Faculty of Science
07 September, 2009 | This ARC funded research project asked whether the proliferation of rural festivals in recent years has been significant for rural communities in contrast to their apparent short-lived nature?

Economics

Superannuation 2009-2010

Leslie Nielson | Information and Research Services, Parliamentary Library
07 September, 2009 | This paper is designed to provide readers with a summary of superannuation taxation, contribution, preservation and payment rules.

Framing the global economic downturn

Paul ‘t Hart, Karen Tindall | ANU E Press
07 September, 2009 | Using systematic content analysis of speeches and media coverage, this volume offers a unique comparative assessment of public leadership in eight countries and the EU in times of crisis.

Message to the G20: Defeating protectionism begins at home

Bill Carmichael, Saul Eslake, Mark Thirlwell | Lowy Institute for International Policy
07 September, 2009 | This paper argues that the advice that G20 leaders have received to date fails to deal with the underlying causes of protectionism which results from decisions taken by governments at home, for domestic reasons.

Education

“Under pressure I fall back to being a teacher…”

Lyn Yates, Brenda Holt | Australian Educational Researcher
04 September, 2009 | This article examines a Victorian high school’s implementation of a new Year 9 program which was intended to interrupt a traditional academic curriculum and to create an imagined oasis of care and personal development for students.

Feathers in the nest: establishing a supportive environment for women researchers

Nicole Hartley, Angela Dobele | Australian Educational Researcher
04 September, 2009 | This paper discusses research examining the attitudes and behaviours of researching women in academia and considers the effect of these factors on successful researching outcomes.

Building an international research collaboration in early childhood education and care

Deborah Brennan, Fran Press | Social Policy Research Centre
03 September, 2009 | The policy domain of childhood education and care (ECEC) has experienced a huge surge of attention in recent years. However, while national governments have forged ahead with a range of policy initiatives, little comparative research has been undertaken.

Environment & Planning

Fuel consumption by new passenger vehicles in Australia 1979-2008

Mark Cregan, David Gargett | Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics
07 September, 2009 | Since 2001 the overall trend in fuel consumption has continued to decrease with average new light vehicle fuel consumption down 8.4 per cent to 8.14 litres per 100 kilometres.

Monthly airport traffic data for top ten airports: January 2008 to current

Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics
07 September, 2009 | This report provides monthly updates of revenue passengers and aircraft movement data for scheduled operations at top ten airports in Australia and including the totals for all Australian airports.

Health

Health care expenditure on chronic kidney disease in Australia 2004-05

Frances Green | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
03 September, 2009 | Chronic kidney disease contributes substantially to health care expenditure in Australia and is increasing much faster than expenditure on total health care.

Is uptake of genetic testing for colorectal cancer influenced by knowledge of insurance implications?

Louise A. Keogh | Medical Journal of Australia
06 September, 2009 | This study found that people are choosing not to obtain genetic information because of how it will affect their eligibility for insurance, despite the fact that early screening can prevent cancer from progressing.

Moving beyond ‘rates, roads and rubbish’: How do local governments make choices about healthy public policy to prevent obesity?

Steven Allender | Australia and New Zealand Health Policy
07 September, 2009 | This paper asks if regulatory intervention at local government level to create environments for healthy nutrition and increased physical activity could be a solution to the growing obesity epidemic.

Evaluation of the Integrated Service Project for clients with challenging behaviour

Karen Fisher, Shannon McDermott, Ryan Gleeson | Social Policy Research Centre
03 September, 2009 | The Integrated Services Project for Clients with Challenging Behaviour (ISP) aims to decrease the adverse impact of challenging behaviour on clients, the community, and the service system. This report documents the progress of the program since 2005.

Indigenous

The Indigenous Resiliency Project: a worked example of community-based participatory research

Julie Mooney-Somers, Lisa Maher | New South Wales Public Health Bulletin
07 September, 2009 | This case study is used to demonstrate how a group of university-based researchers and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services have used Community-based participatory research to work with young Indigenous Australians in relation to bloodborne viruses and sexually transmissible infections.

Preventable chronic diseases in Aboriginal populations

Department of Health and Families
07 September, 2009 | The purpose of this paper is to provide background information about chronic diseases in the Aboriginal population in the NT and to stimulate input and comment to assist in the revision of the Preventable Chronic diseases Strategy (PCDS) and implementation plan.

Mutant messages 2: Victoria’s Indigenous family violence plan

Kyllie Cripps, Leanne Miller | Indigenous Law Bulletin
08 September, 2009 | This article critiques Victoria’s ten year plan, Strong Culture, Strong Peoples, Strong Families: Towards a Safer Future for Indigenous Families and Communities.

International

Rational to rationalise? Australia’s future naval combat helicopters revisited

Andrew Davies | Australian Strategic Policy Institute
03 September, 2009 | ASPI has long argued that aviation is an area of capability shortfall in the Australian Navy but urges ‘hasten slowly’ in procuring new combat helicopters.

Indonesia: Noordin Top’s support base

International Crisis Group
07 September, 2009 | The 17 July 2009 Jakarta hotel bombings have produced calls for a strengthened security apparatus and harsher laws, but the more urgent priority is to understand the terrorists’ local support base and target government programs accordingly, according to this report.

Justice

Palermo on the Pacific Rim: Organised crime offences in the Asia Pacific Region

Andreas Schloenhardt | United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
03 September, 2009 | This paper suggests that ‘We must recognise the failure of the “organised crime laws” to win the “war on organised crime”.’

Politics

Web 2.0: The new tools for democratic conversations – a snapshot of initiatives in government

eGovernment Resource Centre
07 September, 2009 |

Beautiful politicians

Amy King, Andrew Leigh | Centre for Economic Policy Research
04 September, 2009 | Are beautiful politicians more likely to be elected?

Reforming public services

Eidos Institute
07 September, 2009 | British polician Alan Milburn’s speech given at an Eidos breakfast in Brisbane in September. Milburn led a radical reform of the UK’s national health service to devolve decision-making, increase provider autonomy, diversify supply and empower patients.

Social Policy

“and there’s no real way that you could … make it totally fair”

Alan Campbell | Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse
03 September, 2009 | This article discusses children’s perceptions about how decisions were made immediately after their parent’ separation, their own participation in these decisions and their thoughts about the concept of equal parenting time.

Impact of paternal temporary absence on children left behind

Alison Booth, Yuji Tamura | Centre for Economics Policy Research
04 September, 2009 | Using the first two waves of the Vietnam Living Standards Survey, this paper investigates how a father’s temporary absence affects children left behind in terms of their school attendance, household expenditures on education, and nonhousework labour supply in the 1990s.

Doing better for children

OECD
07 September, 2009 | What is the actual state of child well-being today? How much are governments spending on children and are they spending it at the right times?

Culturally responsive family dispute resolution in family relationship centres

Susan Armstrong | Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse
03 September, 2009 | This article examines aspects of post-separation services and service provision and summarises the literature related to the provision of culturally responsive family dispute resolution.

Child migrants from the United Kingdom

Janet Phillips, Coral Dow | Information and Research Services, Parliamentary Library
07 September, 2009 | Between 1922 and 1967 about 150,000 children with an average age of eight years and nine months were shipped from Great Britain to help populate the British Dominions of Canada, Rhodesia, New Zealand and Australia with ‘good white stock’.

Review of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999: issues paper

Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
08 September, 2009 | Set up to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the EOWW Act, this review will consider practical ways to improve the equal opportunity framework to deliver better outcomes for Australian women.

The wellbeing of Australians: gambling, chocolate and swine flu

Robert A. Cummins | Australian Centre on Quality of Life
04 September, 2009 | The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index monitors the subjective wellbeing of the Australian population. The first survey was conducted in April 2001 and this report concerns the 21st survey, undertaken in May 2009.

Royal commissions and official inquiries

Australian Law Reform Commission
08 September, 2009 | A legislative framework is required to govern the establishment and operation of official inquiries at the federal level to ensure that such inquiries have adequate investigatory powers while the rights of individuals are protected, according to this discussion paper.

New audio

The future of museums – Part One

04 September, 2009 | The way we interact with museums and their collections is changing fast, and so too is the way they’re now engaging with us.

Schooling and the common good

04 September, 2009 | Jack Keating discusses his new report on education with Peter Clarke in Inside Story

The new Australian alcohol guidelines: what happens now?

07 September, 2009 | The National Health and Medical Reserach Council (NHMRC) recently released the Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol. These new guidelines are different in many ways from the previous ones (NHMRC 2001) and aim to establish the evidence base on reducing alcohol-related health risks.

Why Privacy Matters

03 September, 2009 | In this speech for Privacy Victoria, former High Court judge Michael Kirby addresses local and international issues of privacy protection.

New video

Alana Valentine on the role Australian stories in theatre

07 September, 2009 | More than any other artform, theatre preserves and recycles “classic” works. While there is certainly a place for this, does it come at the cost of new voices?

Death on Palm Island

07 September, 2009 | In November 2004 on Palm Island an Aboriginal man, Cameron Doomadgee, was arrested for swearing at a police officer. Forty minutes later he was dead in custody.

Alan Milburn on reforming public services

07 September, 2009 | Alan Milburn led a radical reform of the UKs national health service to devolve decision-making, increase provider autonomy, diversify supply and empower patients. He is a proponent of citizen-centred public services.

What’s so good about democracy?

07 September, 2009 | Professor John Keane, author of “The Life and Death of Democracy”, discusses the history of an evolving ideal that continues to shape our world, from the Ancients through to today.

New jobs

Executive Director

South Australian Council of Social Service 07 September, 2009 | The South Australian Council of Social Services (SACOSS) is the peak non-government representative body for the health and community services sector in South Australia. SACOSS is a not for profit organisation, with a belief and vision of Justice, Opportunity and Shared Wealth for all South Australians. SACOSS provides a strong and independent voice for fair and just public policy and equitable and responsive services. SACOSS members help to build a more just

New events

‘Counter-memorialisation’?: The destruction of monuments in minority nationalist and subversive militancy

LOCATION:	Room SPW226, Swinburne University, Hawthorn Campus
ORGANISED BY:	Institute of Social Research

10 September, 2009 | This seminar, presented by Dr Daniel Leach, aims to provide an overview of the history of monument destruction as a subversive tactic, drawing upon key examples and examining their symbolic, political and historical impacts.

Evidence-based policy

LOCATION:	National Convention Centre
ORGANISED BY:	Criterion conferences

28 October, 2009 |

How to lay the groundwork today for better use of evidence tomorrow – Productivity Commission An evaluation of the UK Government’s use of evidence based policy and the implications for Australia What your public really thinks about you and your policies – Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research

The Art of Good Health and Wellbeing – International Arts and Health Conference, Australia

LOCATION:	Glasshouse Arts Conference and Entertainment Centre
ORGANISED BY:	Arts and Health Australia

10 November, 2009 | Join 600 delegates from the USA, UK, Canada and Australia for this major international arts and health conference which will explore how creative activities are being utilised to aid and improve health and wellbeing in individuals and in communities.

New books

Australian arts organisations directory

04 September, 2009 | A comprehensive 26-page directory containing contact details for nearly 200 Australian arts organisations.

Australasian Journal of ArtsHealth

04 September, 2009 | The Australasian Journal of ArtsHealth (AJAH) is a new, international, blind-peer-reviewed electronic journal providing an outlet for researchers and practitioners working in the broad areas arts and health.

New websites

Australian Public Service Commission

07 September, 2009 | This site promotes good practice in managing people, supports leadership and learning and development in the Australian Public Service (APS), fosters ethical behaviour and workplaces that value diversity.

Michael Moore’s film at Cannes

Can’t wait to see it

TIME: Moore’s New Film Goes For Broke

from @perthtones’ iPhone

Bravehearts: break silence on child sexual assault, wear white tomorrow

from @perthtones’ iPhone

Please pass this info on to ALL your contacts today.

When Bravehearts speak up we needto listen to stop the cycle of abuse

forwarded message:

Bravehearts: break silence on child sexual assault, wear white tomorrow

Australians declare: ‘IT’S ALL WHITE TO SAY NO’ to child sexual assault

FOR WHITE BALLOON DAY, TUES 8TH SEPT

- Aussies encouraged to wear white on White Balloon Day -

7th September 2009: Bravehearts is calling on all Australians to wear white and ‘break the silence’ on child sexual assault for White Balloon Day on Tuesday 8th September (tomorrow), during Child Protection Week (7th to 13th September).

Bravehearts, Australia’s leading child protection advocacy group and the only charity specifically and holistically dedicated to child sexual assault in Australia, holds its annual national awareness and fundraising campaign, ‘White Balloon Day’ during Child Protection Week to increase awareness about child sexual assault and to highlight the need for attitudinal change in this area. This supports the significant education, prevention and early intervention programs run by Bravehearts.

White Balloon Day will be launched at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday 7th September by The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, The Hon. MP Jenny Macklin, The Hon. MP Bronwyn Bishop and Bravehearts Founder and Executive Director Ms Hetty Johnston.

Alarming disclosure statistics show that one in five Australian children is sexually assaulted before they turn eighteen¹. Last year, 55,000 children around Australia were substantiated to have been abused; these were the children coming to the attention of child protection services. Knowing that most victims will not disclose until adulthood and more than half will never disclose, real figures are estimated to be five times this level.

White Balloon Day is fast becoming the signature event of Child Protection Week and its purpose is to protect children from sexual assault (through the Bravehearts education and counselling programs). An often taboo and difficult subject to discuss, White Balloon Day sends a positive message of support to victims of child sexual assault, encouraging them to ‘break the silence’ and speak out to protect themselves and others from potential future harm. .

How can Australians participate in White Balloon Day?

The ‘White Balloon’ was adopted by Bravehearts as a symbol of support for survivors of child sexual abuse. Tuesday the 8th of September 2009 marks the 13th anniversary of the event in Australia, the slogan being “Child Sexual Assault: It’s all WHITE to say NO”. Bravehearts encourages all Australians to purchase an official white balloon, or white balloon day enviro-bag from any Terry White Chemist and to wear white, the colour symbolising a child’s innocence – to show support for victims, help shift attitudes and break down the stigma and silence associated with child sexual assault.

Ms Johnston said, “Child sexual assault can happen to anybody. As a parent of a child sexual assault survivor, I have witnessed first-hand the trauma a child victim faces from this devastating crime. White Balloon Day is about breaking the silence on child sexual assault. Silence around child sexual assault is the worst enemy of children, and White Balloon Day is an opportunity for the community to come together, find a collective voice, show support for victims and their families, and say: ‘we will not tolerate our children being harmed in this way’.”

“We are delighted that so many Australians and successive Governments support Bravehearts’ groundbreaking work in this area, and that they have joined us to help spread the word about this very important campaign,” Ms Johnston said.

“All children deserve the best chance at a happy childhood and White Balloon Day helps many children achieve this,” said Johnston. “We can, as a community, make a difference in this area through action and education. White Balloon Day is forging a movement for change in community attitude towards child sexual assault. Changing awareness is changing behaviour, and this helps to protect Australian children.”

White Balloon Day works. In 1999, the White Balloon Day campaign resulted in a 514% increase in disclosures of child sexual assault to Queensland Police Headquarters alone.

“With official White Balloon Day events confirmed around Australia, 2009 is the year for bringing awareness of child sexual assault home to a much larger audience of children, parents, Government and communities. We can all be Bravehearts – by supporting this cause. I call upon all Australians to help protect

our children by supporting White Balloon Day; and to help make Australia the safest place in the world to raise a child,” Ms Johnston concluded.

White Balloon Day 2009 supporters include The Nine Network, Terry White Chemists, Google Australia, MySpace Australia, Bendigo Bank and Dymocks – who are all coming together to help get Australians get involved.

YOU CAN HELP – A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY

Ø $10.00 donation = preventative education for one child in a school or day care centre

Ø $25.00 donation = a crisis telephone call with a qualified Bravehearts counsellor

Ø $50.00 donation = a one-on-one Bravehearts counselling session for a child in crisis

Ø Order a Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure DVD for $19.95 + postage

For more information and details on where to purchase official white balloons:

White Balloon Day http://www.whiteballoonday.com.au

Bravehearts You Tube Channel http://www.youtube.com/bravehearts

Bravehearts MySpace Channel http://www.myspace.com/braveheartsaustralia

¹ Australian Institute of Criminology 1993, Second Conference on Violence. Based on ABS Population Data from June 2008, one in five children under the age of eighteen years represents almost 1,000,000 children.

Media Contact:

Amanda McGregor ph: 02 9492 1004/ m: 0411 222 311 / amanda@launchgroup.com.au

About Bravehearts White Balloon Day: Bravehearts is Australia’s leading child protection advocacy group. Founded by Hetty Johnston in 1997, and based in Queensland, 2009 marks the 13th Anniversary of ‘White Balloon Day’. Bravehearts is the only Australian children’s charity holistically dedicated to the issue of child sexual assault, and has evolved into an organisation whose purpose is to provide therapeutic support and advocacy services to survivors of child sexual assault. Bravehearts is forging a movement for change in how child sexual assault is dealt with by the criminal justice sector, government institutions, churches and the community at large.

Bravehearts currently provides counselling services to hundreds of children a year (with a long waiting list due to limited funds) at a cost of nearly half a million dollars per annum. As well as supporting survivors of child sexual assault, Bravehearts is unique in that they also focus on prevention (through their highly acclaimed children’s education campaign) and early intervention, as well as healing and activism. If you have any questions about child sexual abuse, or to contact Bravehearts, call their toll free number: 1800 114 474

About the Bravehearts Education Campaign: Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure

Research has found that one of the greatest tools for reducing child sexual assault is children’s ability to recognise unsafe feelings and inappropriate actions towards them. Bravehearts have created an interactive CD-Rom ‘Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure’ which is used as an educational tool at schools and in homes across Australia. The CD-Rom has been expanded into a live, interactive, fun show that is presented in schools to over 20,000 children between the ages of 4 and 8 each year. More than 63,000 children around Australia have now seen the education program.

Sally Robertson
Account Director
Launch management group

p: + 61 2 9492 1089 e: sally@launchgroup.com.au

m: + 61 400 927 003 a: 169 Blues Point Rd, NorthSydney NSW 2060

w: launchgroup.com.au

Australia’s vulnerable and disadvantaged caught in spiral of drug use

Australia’s vulnerable and disadvantaged caught in spiral of drug use

The relationship between drug use and disadvantage in Australia is inextricably linked. Those who are most vulnerable include: young people, indigenous, the homeless, people in jail and those who are living with mental illness.

The Anex 09 Australian Drugs Conference – Drugs in Hard Times will gather industry experts and representatives from drugs, health, welfare, justice and police services from non-government and government to spotlight the issues and feedback to government on gaps in policy and provide research and information from the frontline.

Illicit drug use is significantly higher in some of Australia’s key minority and disadvantaged communities:

• Conservative estimates suggest that drug use among the homeless is ten times higher than that of the broader community
• Recent illicit drug use is significantly higher amongst people who are unemployed or unable to work than the employed, students and those engaged in home duties
• The connection between incarceration, drug use and reoffending, shows that eight in every 10 reoffending prisoners have a history of injecting drug use

There are more than 50 speakers who are available for interview depending on your specific interest. We have tabulated this into the attached Speaker Spreadsheet for quick reference. Within the spreadsheet are abstracts and biographies cross referenced to the topics/research papers that the speakers are presenting on.

Please contact Daya Lichtenstein or myself at the conference press office to coordinate your story interest and interviews on 02 9212 3888.

We look forward to working with you on coverage of the Anex 09 Australian Drugs Conference.

Jenny Muir and Daya Lichtenstein

Primary Communication

Tel: 61 2 9212 3888

Email: jmuir@primary-pr.com

www.primary-pr.com

Australian Drugs Conference_Drugs in Hard Times_ Announced.pdf

09 Anex Australian Drugs Conference – Media FACT SHEET.pdf

Conference: Mental Health in the Bush – Annual Rural and Remote Mental Health Conference 2009

THE WA COUNTRY HEALTH SERVICE ANNUAL RURAL AND REMOTE MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE 2009 11TH – 13TH NOVEMBER 2009 KALGOORLIE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA The Invitation to Register and Program-at-a-Glance are now available via the following link: WACHS Internet The 2009 Conference theme is ‘Mental health in the bush: challenge, innovation, resilience’, exploring innovative strategies to involve: Children and adolescents Consumers and carers Drug and alcohol and mental health issues Aboriginal communities Working in partnerships will be a continuous thread throughout the conference The two-and-a-half day conference program will include oral presentations; practical workshops; social program and the following and notable keynote speakers: Professor Steven Allsop, National Drug & Research Institute, Curtin University of Technology. Professor Ernest Hunter, Psychiatrist, Queensland Health & Adjunct Prof. School of Population Health. Dr Tracey Westerman, Founder & Director, Indigenous Psychological Services. Professor Graham Martin, Director Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Queensland. Keith Wilson, Carer Representative. Liz Waters, Consumer Consultant. Further information is available from the Conference Coordinator, Tanya Harley, email Tanya.harley@health.wa.gov.au Message Authorised by: Office of the Director General

Invitation to Register.pdf

Keynote Speakers.pdf

Program-at-a-Glance.pdf

Australian Policy Online – news,resources,research,audio,video, commentary, links – Spring

New commentary

End of the road for great infrastructure fee grab

31 August, 2009 | Traffic projections for toll roads have far exceeded actual traffic, writes Michael West in The Age

Women and hidden unemployment

31 August, 2009 | Marie Coleman discusses a new Australia Institute report in On Line Opinion

The state of affairs in health

27 August, 2009 | Angela Beaton and Lesley Russell introduce their analysis of the 2009-10 state and territory health budgets

Former politicians make incestuous lobbyists

26 August, 2009 | The process of making public policy shouldn’t be like a school reunion, writes John Warhurst in Eureka Street

Bradfield voters deserve better

01 September, 2009 | Labor risks alienating its supporters by not fielding a candidate in the by-election for this blue-ribbon seat, writes Paul Williams in the Courier-Mail

Let them land: remembering Tampa

27 August, 2009 | On the anniversay of the Tampa affair, Michelle Dimasi and Linda Briskman look at the impact on Christmas Islanders, then and now

New research

Creative Economy

Copyright in the digital age

Francis Gurry | World Intellectual Property Organization
31 August, 2009 | In this transcript of his Press Club address, Francis Gurry, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, looks at the challenges for copyright law.

Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning

U.S. Department of Education and SRI International
30 August, 2009 | On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction according to this US report examining the comparative research on online versus traditional classroom teaching from 1996 to 2008.

Cultural funding by government, 2007-08

Australian Bureau of Statistics
28 August, 2009 | This publication contains estimates of Australian public funding for arts and cultural activities, facilities and services across the three levels of government for 2007-08.

The mandatory blacklist and computer games

Colin Jacobs | Electronic Frontiers Australia
31 August, 2009 | The recent announcement by the Federal Government that the mandatory blacklist will explicitly target computer and video games has caused much alarm. This page by Electronic Frontiers Australia aims to cover the issue quickly and will be updated as matters progress.

Clay: From wellbeing to art

Josie Cavallaro | Accessible Arts
28 August, 2009 | This paper draws on the author’s experience in working alongside emerging artists with a disability and as an advocate for access to the arts for people with a disability.

Economics

How much did the 2009 fiscal stimulus boost spending?

Andrew Leigh | Economics Program, Research School of Social Sciences
27 August, 2009 | Forty percent of households who said that they received the payment reported having spent it.

Survey into paid maternity leave, sex-based harassment initiatives and the gender pay gap

Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency
31 August, 2009 | Over 2,300 reporting organisations participated in the 2009 survey representing more than one million female employees. This report is the second in a suite of EOWA surveys examining gender issues in the workplace.

Education

Culture and creative learning: a literature review

Ken Jones | Creativity, Culture and Education
28 August, 2009 | This report examines the idea of culture as it has permeated policy-making, public debate, practices in schools and academic writing in the UK.

What makes a difference? How measuring the non-academic outcomes of schooling can help guide school practice

Prue Anderson, Julian Fraillon | Australian Council for Educational Research
31 August, 2009 | Using examples from the Melbourne Declaration on the Educational Goals for Young Australians and from work completed by ACER, this paper examines the challenges of measuring and improving the non-academic outcomes of schooling.

The qualities of quality: Understanding excellence in arts education

Steve Seidel | Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education
28 August, 2009 | For many children in the United States, arts education, if offered at all, is uninspired and infrequent. So what do arts educators and others think are the key attributes of ‘quality’ in arts learning in K-12?

Environment & Planning

The trade and trade policy implications of different policy responses to societal concerns

Monika Tothova | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
28 August, 2009 | This study examines a number of societal concerns as they pertain to farming activities and how these are addressed at the domestic level as well as within the framework of applicable provisions of WTO agreements.

Market mechanisms for recovering water in the Murray-Darling Basin

Productivity Commission
27 August, 2009 | This issues paper looks at alternative market-based mechanisms that could be used to diversify the federal government’s water purchase program and secure access to the suite of entitlements necessary to restore balance to the use of the resource.

A fair share for older people

COTA National
27 August, 2009 | This discussion paper supports the Federal Government’s National Building Initiative which will add 20,000 new social housing dwellings in the coming years but urges long and medium term planning to underpin this short term initiative.

Investment of Commonwealth and state funds in public passenger transport infrastructure and services

Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee
26 August, 2009 | Public transport and active transport create community benefits which justify supporting them with public subsidies, according to this report which makes a series of recommendations for encouraging a shift away from private cars.

Innovative financing for homeownership: the potential for shared equity initiatives in Australia

Simon Pinnegar | Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute
31 August, 2009 | This project aims to provide a comprehensive appraisal of the appropriateness and potential for shared equity approaches to assist Australian lower and moderate income households into affordable and sustainable home ownership.

Health

Keeping dementia front of mind: incidence and prevalence 2009-2050

Access Economics
01 September, 2009 | Commissioned by Alzheimer’s Australia, this report provides estimates and projections of prevalence and incidence for people with dementia in Australia, states and territories.

BreastScreen Australia monitoring report 2005-06

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
27 August, 2009 | This report reveals that mortality from breast cancer has decreased steadily since the BreastScreen Australia Program commenced in 1991, from 66 to 47 deaths per 100,000 women.

Primary health care reform in Australia

Department of Health and Ageing
01 September, 2009 | This report provides background to the Draft National Primary Health Care Strategy as well as providing evidence to support future investment in, and reform of, the primary health care system.

eHealth data and health identifiers

Australian Privacy Foundation
31 August, 2009 | This document presents a concise statement of general principles and specific criteria to support the assessment of proposals for eHealth initiatives and eHealth regulatory measures.

Evaluation of the severe domestic squalor project

Shannon McDermott | Social Policy Research Centre
31 August, 2009 | This evaluation plan outlines the questions that are to be addressed in the evaluation of the Domestic Squalor Program in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, and the methods used to address these questions.

Indigenous

Garma Festival 2009 key forum address

Robyn Archer | Australia Council for the Arts
28 August, 2009 | The 2009 Garma Festival Key Forum focussed on the creative industries and how they interface with Indigenous Australians.

Our future in our hands: creating a sustainable national representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Australian Human Rights Commission
01 September, 2009 | This report proposes a model for a new national representative body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Review of the misuse of kava among Indigenous people

Belinda Urquhart, Neil Thomson | Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin
28 August, 2009 | A considerable body of research exists highlighting the deleterious impact of alcohol on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people, but much less attention has been directed to the impact of kava.

International

‘We cry for justice’: Impunity persists 10 years on in Timor-Leste

Amnesty International
27 August, 2009 | A decade after Timor-Leste voted for independence, a culture of impunity continues to haunt the country’s people.

Burma and North Korea: Smoke or fire

Andrew Selth | Australian Strategic Policy Institute
28 August, 2009 | This paper examines the strategic challenges posed by Burma’s increasing cooperation with North Korea, including recent claims of a secret nuclear weapons program.

A long and winding road: Australia’s role in building an Afghan National Army

Raspal Khosa | Australian Strategic Policy Institute
28 August, 2009 | This paper examines the challenges for the ADF raising the effectiveness of an Afghan National Army brigade while combating the Taliban-dominated insurgency in southern Afghanistan.

Justice

An international tribunal for Timor-Leste: an idea that won’t go away

Patrick Walsh | Nautilus Institute
28 August, 2009 | Patrick Walsh, Senior Adviser to the Post-CAVR Technical Secretariat, writes of the re-emergence of calls for an international tribunal for past crimes in Timor-Leste.

Anti-human trafficking manual for criminal justice practitioners

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime | United Nations
31 August, 2009 | This document is designed to be used by criminal justice practitioners in the prevention of human trafficking, the protection of its victims, the prosecution of its culprits and in the international cooperation needed to achieve these goals.

Recorded crime: offenders, selected states and territories, 2007-08

Australian Bureau of Statistics
28 August, 2009 | Police proceeded against 295,600 alleged offenders during 2007-08, according to the first release of recorded crime offender statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Politics

Civilising – A continuing Australian project?

Tim Rowse | Australian Review of Public Affairs
28 August, 2009 | It seems to many historians that Australia was an exception within the story of British colonisation in the extent to which the native presence here was denied, dismissed and, subsequently, degraded.

Social Policy

Speak up: arts and disability priorities for NSW

Accessible Arts
31 August, 2009 | This report is the result of a three year consultation project. It identifies key findings, issues and solutions to promote full inclusion, access and cultural opportunities in the arts for people with disability.

Immigration detention in Australia: facilities, services and transparency

Joint Standing Committee on Migration
26 August, 2009 | The standard of the accommodation and facilities provided at many immigration detention centres is of a serious concern, according to this report

Children beyond dispute

Jennifer McIntosh, Caroline Long, Yvonne D. Wells | Family Transitions, Relationships Australia and La Trobe University
27 August, 2009 | This four year follow-up study assesses outcomes from post-separation family dispute resolution.

We have a voice, hear us: settlement experiences of refugees and migrants from the Horn of Africa

Eileen Pittaway, Chrisanta Muli | Centre for Refugee Research
31 August, 2009 | Despite their experiences of persecution and forced migration, many refugees from the Horn of Africa are settling successfully and working not only for themselves, but to assist their communities here and in Africa. This report looks at their experiences.

The cost of a free education: cost as a barrier to Australian public education

Sharon Bond, Michael Horn | Brotherhood of St Laurence
31 August, 2009 | Concerned about financial barriers to participation, the authors of this report canvassed the cost burden to parents of education in a government school. To achieve 90 per cent Year 12 attainment, they found, will require educational policy reform.

The impact of the recession on women

David Richardson | The Australia Institute
27 August, 2009 | Women account for up to 80 percent of Australia’s hidden unemployed, according to this report.

New audio

Tim O’Reilly and the concept of web squared

27 August, 2009 | Tim O’Reilly coined the term ‘Web 2.0′, now he has a new concept called ‘Web Squared’. This program looks at what it entails and how it differs from the idea of the internet of things

Legislative changes to philanthropic funds sparks debate on disclosure

31 August, 2009 |

Private philanthropy in Australia has been enjoying a bit of a boom in recent years, as a growing number of wealthy families and individuals set up investment trusts and channel the profits into good works.

Open access and the future of scholarly communication: dissemination, prestige, and impact

31 August, 2009 | This presentation describes current developments within the scholarly communications landscape and provides an indicator of possible future directions.

Urbanisation and our relationship with the city

27 August, 2009 | The 21st century will see ever increasing levels of urbanisation. In this program we look at the way we engage with the city. What do we need to take into account to ensure greater harmony between our future needs as individuals and the needs of the metropolis. Read Transcript

Indigenous arts: ethics, rights and the code of conduct

31 August, 2009 |

This discussion considers how Indigenous artists can engage with the arts industry on an equal footing.

Temporary migration: a permanent policy change?

31 August, 2009 | Peter Mares discusses the implications for this fundamental shift in Australian immigration policy.

New video

A new regulator for the ASX

31 August, 2009 | Australia’s financial watchdog, Australian Securities and Investiment Commission, to take over regulatory duties of the Australian Securities Exchange from 2010.

Is capitalism good for our health?

31 August, 2009 | In this talk at the Adelaide Festival of Ideas, health researcher and WHO Commissioner Professor Fran Baum discusses the determining factors of our mental and physical health, particularly wealth and equality within societies.

Japan election impact

31 August, 2009 | Whitney Fitzsimmons speaks to Malcolm Cook, East Asia Program Director at the Lowy Institute, about the economic impacts of the change in government in Japan.

Global warming – government subsidies, action, taxation, policy

31 August, 2009 | Future government policy, distortion of national energy markets with regulations, tax reliefs and direct subsidies.

David Kilcullen and Julian Burnside on tactics in the Iraq War

31 August, 2009 | This conversation at the Melbourne Writers Festival covers the ethics and tactics of contemporary warfare.

New jobs

Post Doctoral Research Fellow/Research Fellow (Education)

Charles Sturt University 28 August, 2009 | Post Doctoral Research Fellow/Research Fellow (Education) Full Time, Fixed Term (3 years) (1 Position)Full Time, Fixed Term (3 years) or Full Time, Continuing* (1 position)

New submissions

NATSEM Top-Up for Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship

30 October, 2009 | NATSEM is offering two Top-Up scholarships for students wishing to undertake a higher degree by research on a full-time basis at the Doctoral degree level with NATSEM at the University of Canberra, commencing in 2010 Successful applicants for this scholarship will focus their original research in advanced microsimulation modelling technique or microdata analysis with preference given to applicants whose research relates to one or more of NATSEM’s models

New events

Brotherhood of St Laurence lunchtime research seminar – Monitoring poverty and social exclusion

LOCATION:	Brotherhood of St Laurence, 67 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Fr Tucker’s room
ORGANISED BY:	Guy Palmer, The Poverty Site, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

03 September, 2009 | The Labour Party’s manifesto for the 1997 General Election in the United Kingdom did not even mention either ‘poverty’ or ‘social exclusion’. Ten years later, ‘poverty and social exclusion’ has a high political profile in the UK, with many relevant polices in play and with the extent or otherwise of progress being a matter of substantial political importance. Guy will outline the reasons for this, the main policies that have been introduced to effect change, and the extent to which they have been successful in reducing poverty and social exclusion. He will also discuss a r

Cultural Studies: Past, Present and Future a symposium on the state of cultural studies

LOCATION:	Social Sciences and Humanities Library Conference Room
ORGANISED BY:	Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies, University of Queensland

03 September, 2009 | Speakers Graeme Turner – (University of Queensland):Introduction: ‘What’s Become of Cultural Studies?’ Chris Rojek (Brunel University West London: ‘Stuart Hall and the Birmingham School’ Frances Bonner (University of Queensland): ‘These are a few of my favourite things’ John Hartley (Queensland University of Technology) ‘From cultural studies to cultural science’ Discussant Melissa Gregg (The University of Sydney) There will be a break at 3.15pm at which afternoon tea will be served

The Ever-Changing New Media User

LOCATION:	Room 207, AGSE Building, Swinburne University, Hawthorn Campus
ORGANISED BY:	Institute of Social Research

15 September, 2009 | Drawing on ten years of data and insights from a worldwide project in 30 countries, Jeffrey Cole, director of the Center for the Digital Future, will separate myth from reality as he describes how the Internet, mobile and broadband are changing the fabric of daily life.

Human rights and international peace and security

LOCATION:	UNSW Law School
ORGANISED BY:	UNSW Law School

17 September, 2009 | Hina Jilani, the human rights lawyer famous for her ground-breaking work for women’s rights in the difficult circumstances of Pakistan, and for representing the United Nations in many arenas of conflict, including Dafur and Gaza, will deliver the 2009 Hal Wootten Lecture at the University of NSW.

Living Differently: Action Researching through Global Ecological and Economic Meltdown

LOCATION:	Borderlands Cooperative, 2 Minona Street, HAWTHORN
ORGANISED BY:	Action Learning, Action Research Association (ALARA)

18 September, 2009 | In the midst of successive waves of ‘bad news’ about our global economy and ecology, Action Learning and Action Research practitioners are turning their visions, objectives and methodologies to the newly emerging context.

The role of art in times of crisis

LOCATION:	GeelongWestTown Hall, Geelong Courthouse and Arts Precinct
ORGANISED BY:	Regional Arts Victoria

02 October, 2009 | Regional Arts Victoria’s biennial conference will examine the role of the arts in dealing with adversity, responding to recovery and influencing change.

Efficiency in Government Forum 2009

LOCATION:	Crowne Plaza
ORGANISED BY:	Liquid Learning

27 October, 2009 | Liquid Learning is delighted to present the Efficiency in Government Forum featuring a selection of engaging case studies and expert commentaries. The forum will expose delegates to a variety of proven initiatives to drive efficiency within the public sector as well as providing an unparalleled networking opportunity.Explore:

The National Policy Advisors’ Forum 2009

LOCATION:	Rydges Lakeside Hotel
ORGANISED BY:	Liquid Learning

11 November, 2009 | Liquid Learning is delighted to announce its inaugural National Policy Advisors Forum 2009. This event will feature high level case studies and expert commentaries from leading practitioners designed to address the key challenges and professional development areas currently facing policy advisors.Explore:

3rd Annual Indigenous Career Development and Mentoring Forum 2009

LOCATION:	Rydges World Square
ORGANISED BY:	Liquid Learning

17 November, 2009 | Liquid Learning is delighted to announce that it will host the 3rd Annual Indigenous Career Development & Mentoring Forum in November 2009 – the premier meeting place for Indigenous employment managers in Australia. This event will provide practical value through case studies from leading expert and practitioners. This unique interactive format also sets the scene for debate and networking. Explore:

Conference of the International Communication Association: Matters of Communication: Political, Cultural and Technological Challenges

LOCATION:

22 June, 2010 | Politics, culture, technological are matters of communication.

New course

Postgraduate Information Day

26 August, 2009 | Whether you want to upgrade your skills, increase your career opportunities, kick-start a whole new career, or continue your studies, Postgrad Information Day will help you to find out about the many options offered at Swinburne.

New websites

Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia

31 August, 2009 | iGEA is an industry association representing Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video game industry.

Australian Development Gateway

31 August, 2009 | The Australian Development Gateway (ADG) supports members of the development community in their efforts to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region.

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Australia NW Oil Spill, company links to Burma’s military dictatorship? Are we financing the Generals as we pick up the bill for their mess? OP/ED

Atlas West Oil Rig – we know where the oil-spill is going,

West Atlas Oil Spill 1

what about where the profits are going.

Are we helping finance repression in Burma - Myanmar?

The 2007 AP, SMH & Rigzone articles below pose some very disturbing questions about where the profits go from the badly leaking West Atlas Oil Rig.

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Is it possible that our Governments are indirectly financing the illegal Military Junta in Burma/Myanmar and it’s brutal repression.

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Aren’t we meant to be backing UN sanctions against the Generals’ brutal repression and imprisonment of elected leader Aung Saan Suu Kyi?

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Meanwhile we can only wonder at the standards of corporate governance of the operators as “their” oil covers our NW waters, threatening island, reef and mainland ecosystems.

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Excerpts and links to media exposing Burma links are below, including related interview & video from Senator Rachel Siewert.

Click the blue text to see the full story on each

A search of the website Rigzone shows these recent links between the WA Rig’s operator PTTEP and the Generals

PTTEP & CNOOC Ink Asset Swap Deal
NEWS ARTICLE: … of the Union of Myanmar. Under the agreement, the partners comprise PTTEP Myanmar
Limited, a subsidiary of PTTEP with 20% interest. CNOOC Ltd. as the operator …

PTTEP, CNOOC May Discuss Myanmar Gas Block Stake Swap
NEWS ARTICLE: … 24 hours with China National Offshore Oil Corp. about closer business ties that could
include swapping assets in Myanmar, PTTEP’s top executive said Thursday. …

PTTEP May Invest $25 Million in Myanmar Gas Fields
NEWS ARTICLE: Title: PTTEP May Invest $25 Million in Myanmar Gas Fields Date: 8/3/2004 Body: Thailand’s
PTT Exploration and Production PCL may invest $25 million to explore …

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This  2007 AP article from the Star Via AP spells out the economic and political significance of the links

RANGOON’S CORPORATE FRIENDS

TheStar.com | Business | Oil companies fuelling Burma’s junta

Oil companies fuelling Burma’s junta

Foreign firms are fighting for access to untapped energy reserves that some say fund a repressive regime Oct 02, 2007 04:30 AM Thomas Hogue ASSOCIATED PRESS

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From the Sydney Morning Herald, also in 2007 ( how has the structure changed we wonder )

While Burma’s military junta cracks down on pro-democracy protests, oil companies are busy jostling for access to the country’s largely untapped natural gas and oil fields.

Just last Sunday – as marches led by Buddhist monks drew thousands in the country’s biggest cities – Indian Oil Minister Murli Deora was in Burma’s capital Rangoon for the signing of contracts between state-controlled ONGC Videsh Ltd and Burma’s military rulers to explore three offshore blocks.

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Meanwhile, the Governments of Kevin Rudd and Colin Barnett are yet to answer key questions on the lamentable response to the oil disaster by it’s operators, let alone address the issue of profits possibly going to the Generals.

See the link below for the 6PR interview, pictures of the spill taken by the Greens and an interview with Senator Rachel Siewert

Youtube slideshow of the oil slick – also, Kevin Rudd doesn’t even use the word “environment”in his brief spin on air at 6PR with Simon Beaumont (6pr.com.au )

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• New Myanmar Clashes Leave 1 Dead, Dozens Injured (abcnews.go.com)

• CNOOC First-Half Profit Down 55% on Lower Prices (nytimes.com)