GetUp! Action For Australia

Latest campaign: Our ad off the air

Posted by

Kelsey

The major commercial networks are refusing to run our ad. Two weeks ago, we submitted this TV ad highlighting the involvement of Woolworths and Coles in owning and operating dangerous high loss poker machines. So far every network has refused to run it, but that doesn’t mean they win.

It is no secret that Woolworths and Coles are major network clients, spending millions on TV advertising each year. We expected some reluctance – even delay – but we didn’t anticipate being told flat out by a Channel Ten advertising representative that there’s “no chance” the network would consider running our ad during their popular show, MasterChef. 

If they thought this would deter our movement, they’re wrong. We’ve just finished signing a contract for an impactful cinema ad buy across the country. Thanks to you we’ll be running our ad in places like Bankstown, Wetherill Park and many more beginning next week. It will be running during movies in key areas where there is a high concentration of poker machines – reaching core customers of Coles and Woolworths.

Right now Woolworths and Coles are laying low, hoping that if they sit quiet, networks will continue to reject our ads, and eventually we’ll just go away. Well, we’re not giving up. Together we will keep showing them that movements powered by people with conviction cannot be silenced.  After the cinema ad run spreads our message to the people who need to see it, we will continue to campaign for Woolworths and Coles to voluntarily adopt reforms that are good for their communities and customers. Reforms that are not only backed by the Productivity Commission ^[1] and independent research, but also by the overwhelming majority of Australians ^[2]. 

Thanks for standing up for the vulnerable in our communities,

Erin, for the GetUp team.

PS – If you’d like to contribute to support this ad campaign, click here.

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Event: Join us at a climate forum in Parramatta

Posted by

Kelsey

If you’re near Parramatta, would you join us for a climate forum with Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, Tim Flannery, tomorrow night? RSVP here.

Yesterday the Climate Commission released a new report on the impact of climate change in NSW. It found that weather extremes are increasing in NSW, and those of us in the western suburbs feel it most.

Record-breaking hot days have more than doubled across Australia since 1960 and heat-waves in the western suburbs have increased in duration and intensity. The report found that this is “the critical decade” for action on climate change – and NSW is well positioned to take advantage of the new clean energy economy.

Tonight, some of Australia’s foremost climate authorities will be on hand to take your questions and explain the latest science, including the impacts and opportunities for our local area.

Where: Parramatta RSL club
When: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM, tomorrow, Tuesday 15 May. Doors open 6.00pm.
RSVP: http://climatecommission.gov.au/events/?event_id=28#dbem-rsvp

It’s an open forum – but it’s best to RSVP to reserve your place.

Parramatta RSL is on the corner of Macquarie & O’Connell Streets — just down the street from Parramatta Stadium and about 10 minutes walk from the station. You can also take the loop bus, which runs every 10 minutes from stops around Parra.

The Climate Commission is Australia’s chief independent authority on climate change. Unfortunately, some in the press have attempted to take today’s report out of context. They may seek to report that tomorrow’s forum was full of animosity and skepticism – that Australia’s peak climate authority wasn’t welcome in Sydney’s west.

Let’s show up tomorrow to hear the latest on climate without the spin – and to make sure nobody can report that Sydney’s west wasn’t interested in tackling dangerous climate change.

Hope to see you there,
Erin and Sam, for the GetUp team.

PS – you can read the full Climate Commission report here.

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Latest campaign: No charge. No trial. No appeal.

Posted by

Kelsey

Yesterday was mothers day, but Ranjani and her two sons, aged 6 and 8, didn’t celebrate. It was their fourth day of indefinite detention – without charge, without trial, without appeal.

How could this happen in Australia? Ranjani was verified as a refugee last year after fleeing the civil war in Sri Lanka. She has been living in community detention in Melbourne and was married six weeks ago.

On Thursday, she was told to pick up her kids from school in Melbourne. ASIO had revised Ranjani’s security finding. As a refugee, she cannot be returned to Sri Lanka, so she and her kids will be held indefinitely in a residential section of Villawood detention centre. She has no right of appeal — nor even to know the case against her.

46 other refugees are currently detained under the same circumstances. On Friday morning, one of them, Kumar, attempted suicide in a Melbourne detention facility.

No matter what, we mustn’t allow anyone – let alone refugee children – to be detained indefinitely without appeal.

Not in our country. Not in our name. Let’s forward this to friends and family and demand the Attorney General takes urgent action to give refugees like Ranjani a right of appeal:

www.getup.org.au/AppealToReason

Independent review and appeal are basic principles of modern justice. ASIO, like all decision makers, must be subject to checks and balances.

This year, a Parliamentary Committee, chaired by a Government MP, came up with this and 30 other recommendations to reform immigration detention. They found that “acute mental illness is widespread across the detention network.” Almost 90 per cent of detainees suffer clinically significant depression. Half have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and a quarter report suicidal thoughts.

There are currently 46 refugees held in detention under these circumstances. Many arrived over two years ago, in 2009, fleeing civil war in Sri Lanka. One family, the Rahavans, have an child, nearly two years old, who was born in detention and has never been free.

No more. It’s time for Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen to respond to the Parliament’s own proposals – and to promise Australians that this will never happen again. Let’s start our campaign by making sure Australia hears about this injustice. Ask friends and family to join the urgent petition:

www.getup.org.au/AppealToReason

With hope,
the GetUp team.

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6 things you might have missed this week

Posted by

Sarah

The week of the budget announcement is always a busy one when it comes to newsworthy headlines, so we’re back with a bumper edition of 6 things you might have missed! Here’s a few things that may have slipped under your radar this week.

1. Last week, the ANU School of Music announced serious cuts to its curriculum. A total of 23 academic and nine administrative staff will be sacked and invited to reapply for 20 available positions. These changes will also see the abandonment of individual music lessons for new students. The cuts have been strongly opposed by ANU students, who have harnessed the power of CommunityRun to make their voices heard. As of today their petition has received over 8600 signatures. To sign the petition or learn more about the campaign visit this page.

Editor’s note: by Friday 5.30pm, ANU’s School of Music campaign was close to 14,000. A phenomenal effort. Join here.

2. What do Whiskas, Malteasers and Hubba Bubba have in common? The answer: they’re all owned by Mars corporation. A disturbing tweet from Oxfam today has highlighted just how much control the largest ten food companies have over what we eat. Check it out for yourself here.

3. Feeling like a bit of a change of scenery? Wanting to escape the city? How about getting your hands dirty? If you answered “yes” to these three questions, then FarmDay 2012 is the thing for you! 2012 is the year of the farmer so why not embrace the opportunity and head out to the country on the 26th or 27th of May for a day of farming fun?

4.One of our favourite grassroots democracy organisations has just made themselves an Instagram account. Check it out and support OurSay here.

5. The National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples is encouraging Australian citizens to contact their local representative and call for an end to intervention in the Northern Territory. To email your local rep visit this site.

6. Feeling like reinventing your life? It would seem you’re in popular company. The Huffington Post posted an article this week celebrating the reinvention of people, companies and countries that we have observed over the past few years. It seems a consensus has been reached that it is just as important to have fun and enjoy your life as it is to make money. Ideas matter, and the idea that positive actions will always overcome negative reinforcement is thriving – we’d urge you all to apply this theory of reinvention to everything you do this week!

PS – One more thing. If you live in a rural area (or know someone who does), can you help a GetUp member out? The University of New England is researching the possible impacts of CSG mining on farmers. They need volunteers to anonymously fill in their survey. You don’t have to live near CSG mining to participate, nor have a particular position on the issue – the survey looks at a range of stressors facing Aussie farmers today. Can you take a bit of time out to answer the survey, or send it to a friend? Here’s the link: http://tinyurl.com/csgsurvey

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Event: Talking about Solar in Tony’s Electorate

Posted by

Kelsey

This Saturday, GetUp members are invited to join the fantastic folks from 100% Renewables in an important local project, chatting to locals from Tony Abbott’s electorate about their stance on renewable energy, solar power and climate action. Can you join us? Email jenny@100percent.org.au to learn more.

Much of what the general public has heard against climate action has come from your local member, Tony Abbott. Now is a chance for him to hear from you. If you happen to have a couple of hours to spare, please consider joining our friends at 100% Renewables to find out what your neighbours think about renewable energy opportunities in Australia. We’ll be collecting information that will be relayed directly to Mr. Abbott at a time when he is still forming his stance on renewable energy investment and his position on the legislated Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).

When? 1pm – 4pm, Saturday, May 12
Where? Manly, West Esplanade – meet outside the Wharf
What? Community polling and doorknocking exercise with 100% Renewables

Want to learn more?

2012 will be a crucial year for Australia’s energy future. With the closure of 2000MW of polluting coal-fired power stations, increased community opposition to coal seam gas, and ever rising coal and gas prices, Australia needs to start getting serious about building big solar.

Large-scale plants employing solar thermal or PV technology are operating and being built in countries across the world, supplying clean, renewable energy and keeping power prices down by harnessing the free, renewable fuel of the sun.

Australia’s experience with solar panels has shown that the more you install, the cheaper solar power becomes, with prices dropping by 80% in the last 18 months alone. Solar projects also bring significant new jobs and regional development opportunities. The legislation of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and establishment of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) provide an important opportunity for Australia to start getting on with the job of building big solar – putting billions towards harnessing technology innovation and providing regulatory and financial mechanisms to build new projects.

All of this is threatened by an Opposition that is determined to undo our hard work and hold Australia back. This makes it more important than ever that we take the streets -not to protest, but to talk to our fellow neighbours about what matters to them, and start local conversations about what happens next in the renewable narrative.

Can you be a part of it? Email jenny@100percent.org.au to learn more.

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