Howard government "cash for comment" in higher education

When Brendan Nelson got a complaint from a constituent about the absence of right-wing views in a reading list for a history subject at Macquarie University, the Minister (for Defence, not Education) passed the complaint on to the University's vice-chancellor Steven Schwartz with an added handwritten ministerial note: "I am very concerned about this and I would appreciate your personal attention to these issues, which I find disturbing."

Over at The University of Melbourne meanwhile, the tune has a similiar sound. There, the piper -- Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis -- has been instructed by the government to remove three books on terrorism from the university library. To which the piper has replied that removing the books restricted legitimate research.

crikey.com.au

Australian Values: Ruddock's tortured view

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says the use of sleep deprivation to gain intelligence from terror suspects should not be considered torture.

Mr Ruddock's comments follow the passing of new laws in the United States that ban torture but allow interrogators to use aggressive interrogation techniques against terror suspects - including sleep deprivation.

Labor legal affairs spokeswoman Nicola Roxon says Mr Ruddock's comments could put Australia on a path towards using torture.

"It was an alarmist statement, as Mr Ruddock often likes to be, surely one of the values we do want to promote is humane treatment of all people, surely we can't afford to give that up or we have lost what we are actually fighting for."

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the use of sleep deprivation was torture.

"Using ghetto blasters and extreme cold and light to keep prisoners awake for days on end is part of new torture techniques aimed to scar the mind but not the body," Senator Brown said.

"Philip Ruddock is dumping long-held Australian values."

Australian Values: Howard's record

After winning a Senate majority in the 2004 election, Howard announced that he would "be modest, even humble" in using his numbers. The track record since the government took control of the Senate in July 2005 tells a very different story.

• The workload of the references committees has halved
• Reference to the AWB scandle in Iraq: refused
• Reference to aviation security: refused
• Reference to cross-media ownership laws: refused
• Workplace relations laws: forced through in record time
  
• Terrorism laws: forced through in record time
  

Since July 2005, less than 1% of legislative changes proposed by the opposition and minor parties have been passed by the Senate, compared to 40% during the same period before the government gained Senate control.

Debate in the Senate has also been stifled with increased guillotine use. Even questions about the AWB scandle at Senate esimate hearing have been banned.

The government's attack on the Senate committee system come at a time when challenges like terrorism means decisions are increasingly made in secret and away from normal scrutiny. Such is the nature of Howard's "Australian Values" and of course his commitment to telling the truth!

Teachers May Remain Seated and Silent During 'Kimigayo' Anthem

The Tokyo District Court ruled on Sept. 21 that the Tokyo board of education's directive forcing teachers to stand for the Hinomaru flag and to sing the "Kimigayo" national anthem was both unconstitutional and illegal.

Hinomaru was legally defined as Japan's national flag, and "Kimigayo" the national anthem, in 1999.

In October 2003, the Tokyo board of education issued a notice ordering public school teachers to stand and sing the anthem at school ceremonies, such as graduations. Teachers who failed to do so would be disciplined.

But the Tokyo District Court said that forcing all teachers to stand, sing or play the song's piano accompaniment infringed on their freedom of thought and conscience.

Presiding Judge Koichi Nanba said that teachers are not obligated to follow the directive and should not face punishment for refusing.

The court also ordered the Tokyo board of education to pay the 401 plaintiffs ¥30,000 each as compensation for the mental anguish they experienced.

The ruling was the first clearly recognizing that forcing teachers to stand for the flag and to sing the anthem violated the constitutional guarantee of freedom of thought and conscience.

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