Well I failed, but Rudd government doing okay...

First an update on Buy Nothing Day the Saturday before last... I failed miserably to buy nothing on Buy Nothing Day. Not only was it a Saturday but a day when the Howard government was chucked out after 11 years, meaning a celebration was absolutely in order!

First I bought a sausage on bread at the polling booth where I volunteered because I was hungry. Second I bought some hommus to take to the party. Third we bought some wine on the way to the party. Then I almost but not quite sold my soul to the Greens.

On the topic of greening, I want to publicly commend Rudd for already ratifying the Kyoto Protocol to a standing ovation. (Well effectively ratified. Apparently the UN takes around 90 working days to make it official... wow what a bureaucracy!)

Australia received huge applause at a UN conference on climate change in Bali after it was announced Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had begun to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

Mr Rudd says signing the instrument of ratification means Australia will be a full member of the Kyoto Protocol before March next year.

This means Australia's greenhouse gas emissions should not be higher than 8 per cent above 1990 levels.

Some delegates of the 12-day conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) also gave a standing ovation over the signing. (source)

I don't care much for the grumblings that all this is yet to be properly costed and that it might have a deleterious effect on the economy. This is a win for public consciousness; a measurable shift in the zeitgeist. I look forward to the newly-raised awareness people will start to have, given Australia's sudden and decisive ratification of Kyoto. Now, there is no silly defence of "Well I'm sure if it was a serious problem John Howard would be doing something about it". Those people, happy to trust in their almighty leader, have just been told in no uncertain terms that human-caused climate change is a problem.

Not only did Rudd deliver on this Kyoto promise sooner than expected, but I notice he has set up a series of public accountability mechanisms that show potential to both encourage productivity and discourage unfulfilled promises from the new government. See first his 5 key aims (via Gam) and second Crikey's assessment:

Kevin Rudd has indicated that he's going to be big on report cards during his term. Report cards for his ministers, a report card for himself... (source)

I shouldn't be surprised. This is just basic good, responsible management, but it's such a shock to the system after 11 years!

Categorised as: politics, society
Technorati Tags: climate change, Australian politics, Kevin Rudd, Kyoto Protocol, accountability, Green politics

Boycott Zimbabwe cricket match? Only if it doesn't hurt the economy!

Recently there's been a lot of discussion about the quandary of the Australian cricket team as to whether they should fulfil their contract obligation to play the Zimbabwean team in Zimbabwe or to boycott the match or request for it to be played elsewhere to avoid giving the Mugabe an "enormous propaganda boost",^[source] which would likely impose a $2 million fine on the team from the ICC.

While John Howard and Alexander Downer initially 'strongly urged' the Aussie cricket team to do the 'right thing' and cancel their Zimbabwe tour, they have gradually stepped up the tone of their words as the story has gained media coverage to the point where, now, they have effectively banned the team from participating in the Zimbabwe tour. "[Australian] Cricketers won't play in Zimbabwe while Mugabe's in power", said Downer in one media statement.^[source] And apparently they'll be blocking cricketers request for VISAs if they try.

There are two questions this issue raises in my mind. First, is it of significant practical benefit to ordinary Zimbabweans in the long term to make this stance (even if in the short term it could be to their detriment, as Gam points out, due to the loss of potential revenue from international visitors)? I suspect it would be -- particularly in the long term, so I support the Howard-Downer stance on this, even though I suspect they came to it on realpolitik rather than moral grounds.

The second question is whether most people, most Australians, would be prepared to take the same moral stance in a consistent manner, when it would certainly be to Australia's overall economic detriment -- at least in the short term?

For instance -- and this is a fact about which it seems few people are aware -- there are nine children of prominent ministers of the Mugabe regime studying here in Australia,^[source] no doubt paying big bucks for their schooling or university places. Should these nine Zimbabweans be deported in line with the Howard-Downer moral stance on the cricket issue? Absolutely. Will hurt Australia's reputation for providing full-fee-paying international students with schooling and university degrees. Yes it would.

Should Australia then also boycott sporting events in China, based on China's current human rights record? If so, should Australia also deport all Chinese full-fee-paying students, especially those whose parents are in powerful positions in the ruling Communist party in China? Now that would seriously be to Australia's economic detriment, given the amount of money made from full-fee-paying students from China who study here. I somehow doubt either Howard or Kevin Rudd would publicly suggest any such boycott against China because that's not what Australians want. A secure economy is apparently more important than moral considerations.

And I seriously doubt either Howard or Rudd will make moves to deport the Zimbabwean students here until a big stink is raised about it in mainstream media. Full credit to Crikey for bringing it to my attention months ago! And now you know too.

The information about children of Zimbabwe's elite studying in Australia came from an article in Crikey.com.au (16 April 2007)^{[subscriber link]} from which I paste an excerpt here:

Zimbabwe leaders' children in Australia: who's here by Jane Nethercote

Crikey can now name nine children of senior figures in the disgraced regime of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe who are either studying or resident in Australia.

The children live here despite the Australian Government's financial and travel sanctions against close associates and supporters of the Mugabe regime.

...

Today, the ZIC has identified at least nine children either studying or resident in Australia:

1. Sylvester Chihuri, son of Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri
2. Tendai Nguni, son of Sylvester Nguni, Deputy Minister for Agriculture
3. Kudzai Muchena, son of Olivia Muchena, Minister for Science & Technology Development
4. Thelma Chombo, daughter of Minister for Local Government, Ignatius Chombo
5. Taona Karimanzira, son of Harare Provincial Governor David Karimanzira, is in Brisbane
6. Emmerson Mnangagwa, son of Emerson Mnangagwa, Minister for Rural Housing
7. Pride Gono, Praise Gono, Passion Gono (children of Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono). Pride and Praise, twin sisters, are at Latrobe University in Melbourne. Passion is a son of Gideon Gono, and is said to be working in Sydney.

The current Australian government bans against Zimbabwean figures don't extend to family members. However, in order to send children to Australia and support them while here, financial transactions must surely be taking place, if not by leaders of the ZANU-PF then on their behalf.

...

Mugabe image courtesy of BBC: Zimbabwe 'abuse stepped up' (17 April 2003).

Categorised as: media, philosophy, politics
Technorati Tags: Australian politics, realpolitik, John Howard, Alexander Downer, Kevin Rudd, boycott, Australian cricket team, Mugabe regime, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwean students, Australian universities, ethics