Postmodern Trendoid III wrote on Aug 15
th, 2012 at 2:12pm:
____ wrote on Aug 15
th, 2012 at 12:16pm:
How come Australia can only have a pig skin coloured head of state.
Is it time to have a black, brown, yellow or mixed coloured skin head of state, to reflect our multicultural community.
Is this entrenched racisms?
Thank you for all your posts on this topic. With every post you show why the Greens will never become a mainstream political party.
Australians are smart enough to figure out who the real racists are. INCOMING Greens senator Lee Rhiannon says she will support a controversial boycott of Israel right up until she enters Federal Parliament.
She will continue to speak out for the sanctions against Israel even though it clashes with the policies of federal Greens leader Bob Brown.
And Ms Rhiannon insisted the stance, part of the Greens' New South Wales platform, is not anti-Israel.
She told Sky News the aim was to "bring forward policies that will work for Palestinians because at the moment Palestinians just don't have a lot of the human rights we take for granted''.
"I said that yes, we have that position in NSW and I'll support the NSW position. But it's not something we're taking to the Federal Parliament,'' she said.
Mr Brown suggested Labor should share some of the flak over Marrickville Council's decision to ban Israeli products.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd earlier today slammed the boycott as "nuts" but Senator Brown said that it was not just the NSW Greens that had voted for it.
"It was four Labor councillors that made that policy possible," he told reporters in Canberra.
"Kevin Rudd's Labor party is as every bit responsible for the outcome ... as the Greens were.
"So he might address that issue."
The federal coalition has already called on Prime Minister Julia Gillard to distance herself from the Labor councillors who voted for the boycott in December.
More than 20 ALP-affiliated unions have also backed banning trade links with Israel.
Ms Rhiannon said the boycott was part of a global movement.
She said: "My own position is that its not an anti-Israel position at all.
"It is about a boycott to bring forward policies that will work for Palestinians because at the moment Palestinians just don't have a lot of the human rights we take for granted, they cant move easily around their country, there's not equity in jobs and education, they cant be confident their house isn't going to be blown up.''
The NSW Greens were strong contenders for the state seat of Marrickville until its candidate, the local mayor Fiona Byrne, was targeted by a media campaign over her inconsistent position on the boycott to isolate Israel.
The move has drawn the ire of politicians, business leaders and the Jewish community.
The Greens controlled council continues to back sanctions, even though its own business papers have revealed it could cost it $4 million.
Ms Byrne issued a statement yesterday saying the sanctions would be implemented in such a way as to not financially disadvantage residents and businesses.
New Premier Barry O'Farrell has written to Marrickville mayor Fiona Byrne threatening to sack the council unless it drops the boycott within 28 days.
"We're happy to take whatever action is required to get Marrickville Council back focused on the needs of its ratepayers, not trying to engage in foreign affairs," he told Macquarie Radio today.
He advised Ms Byrne to leave the council and run for federal parliament if she wanted to pursue the boycott
http://www.news.com.au/national-old/ill-supprt-israel-boycott-despite-party-line-says-incoming-greens-senator-lee-rhiannon/story-e6frfkw9-1226039686834