Just Grounds Community

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Media Releases and Your Letters

Here are the Media Releases that have gone out today, so that they are easily accessed (and not buried in a long discussion).

This is also the place for all those who are writing to politicians and/or media to let others know what you have written.

If you do get a response from a politician, please add it to the Responses from Politicians discussion here, so that others can see what kind of reaction we are getting and thank those who respond positively.

Thank you,

Julene

CONVOY OF NO CONFIDENCE

MEDIA RELEASE – 22 August 2011

The Convoy of No Confidence commenced last week around Australia. The Convoy of No Confidence had 11 different routes with participants commencing at set starting locations and others joining in along the way. All routes have arrived in Canberra and are attempting to participate in a peaceful protest at Parliament House on 22 and 23 August 2011.

The message from the participants of the Convoy of No Confidence is simple – in regional Australia, we feel our voice has been lost and we have lost confidence in the current Government. We want an immediate early election called to allow the people of Australia to vote for a government which is truly representative of this country.

The aim of the Convoy of No Confidence is to unite rural and regional Australia and deliver a message to Canberra that confidence has been lost in current Government policies, including (but not limited to) the ban on live export and the introduction of the carbon tax.

Rural and regional Australia does not stand up very often and ask to be heard but a continued lack of leadership and sustainable decision-making is crippling its ability to function in supplying the people of Australia and our neighbours with food.

The Convoy is also delivering a petition to Tony Abbott tomorrow morning that was collected from around regional Australia. The current estimate is thousands of signatures.

Participants in the Convoy of No Confidence have travelled thousands of kilometres at considerable personal expense. The number of participants taking part in this historical event is to be recognised and commended, taking into account the distances travelled and costs incurred.

In addition to the participants who made it all the way to Canberra hundreds of extra participants joined in along the way, showing their support and travelling legs of the Convoy journeys.

Stuart Austin, advocate for agriculture and Convoy participant, was amazed at the outpouring of support:

‘I joined the convoy at Charters Towers in Queensland to travel to Canberra and I was overwhelmed by the support shown for the convoy. Over 200 vehicles joined the Convoy into Charters Towers and we were escorted into town by 10 helicopters. The town was decorated pink and an estimated 3,000 supporters turned out to cheer us on. We understand it was not possible for everyone to travel to Canberra so we truly appreciate the outstanding support from communities along the way who joined the convoy, decorated their towns, signed the petition and provided us with food, fuel and other supplies. As we crossed the New South Wales border, our pink convoy was about 6.5 kilometres long’.

Elisha Seekamp, Beef Australia 2009 Rabobank Young Ambassador, assisted with an event in Clermont when the Convoy arrived on 19 August 2011. Elisha said: ‘In only 24 hours, we gathered 300 signatures for the petition, local beef producers had organised fuel donations of over $13,000 and the CWA had organised food and drinks for everyone on the convoy. This support from a town of only 2000 was amazing and a testament to a united effort.’

It was never the aim of the Convoy to bring thousands of vehicles to Canberra or to blockade traffic in Canberra and cause disruption. It was also never the aim of the Convoy to make it a ‘truck convoy’ – it is a “coalition” of all Australian industries. Many trucks have taken part in the Convoy, but stoic supporters got there anyway they could. Cars, 4WDs, motorhomes and motorbikes have also participated along the way and travelled to Canberra in support of the Convoy and what it is trying to achieve.

The Convoy of No Confidence was facilitated by an online website Just Grounds www.justgroundsonline.com, and social media was also used to raise awareness of the event.

For further information, please contact:

Stuart Austin

Elisha Seekamp

(on behalf of the organisers of the Convoy of No Confidence)

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CONVOY OF NO CONFIDENCE

MEDIA RELEASE – 23 August 2011

Yesterday in the House of Representatives, Anthony Albanese, Labor MP and Minister, spat in the face of ALL participants in the Convoy of No Confidence.

These participants are not just the visible contingent who braved the back roads, the time, the expense, the early starts and the cold showers at truck stops, to make it all the way to Canberra.

The participants also include:

- all those who stood by the roadsides to wave;

- all those who cooked up sausages in small country towns, decorated their streets with coloured balloons, and took a hat around for petrol money;

- all those who grieved that they could not make it but sent their best wishes and words of support;

- all those who walked the streets to collect petition signatures.

These are people who are on their farms feeding their animals and checking their fire breaks; people who are caring for sick children or elderly parents; people who are going to bed early because they can't afford their electricity bills, let alone a long trip to Canberra. And so on.

In short, it includes all those who wanted to say: We have No Confidence in the current Federal Government.

Instead, all these people - ordinary Australians - were labelled as being "Of No Consequence". They were treated with contempt by those who were elected to represent their best interests.

Now those people are asking:

How dare our elected representatives treat us with such contempt?

Will Anthony Albanese, Julia Gillard and Bob Brown have the courage to face those currently in Canberra today?

Below is the relevant extract from Hansard.

For further information, contact:

Julene Haack, spokesperson for Just Grounds online community (supporting the organisers of the Convoy of No Confidence)

---o0o---

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister will resume his seat until the House comes to order. A question has been asked. The minister has the call to respond to the question.

Mr ALBANESE: ………These are the real issues that this government is dealing with, which is why the Australian trucking industry, the Livestock Transporters Association and the Australian Logistics Council have all been working with this government to achieve this real change.

Meanwhile, those opposite have been working with a different organisation, of Mick Pattel, who organised, of course, the convoy of no consequence outside—

The SPEAKER: Order! The galleries will come to order!

Mr ALBANESE: where a couple of hundred people gathered, with no support from the mainstream organisations—

The SPEAKER: The galleries will come to order!

Mr ALBANESE: the people who believe in one world government, the people who believe in a conspiracy,, along with the Leader of the Opposition.

Honourable members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: The minister will resume his place. Order! The House will come to order! I hope that members in the chamber and those in the galleries have got it out of their system. They will now all sit here quietly. The minister has 28 seconds.

Mr ALBANESE: The Trots have bigger demos outside my electorate office once a week. The fact of the matter is this: we are getting on with working with the mainstream organisations, including the Australian Trucking Association, for real reform, real change, making a real difference to people's lives and making a real difference to the economy.

---o0o---

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Julene Haack on August 23, 2011 at 2:31pm

I have received some feedback that some media outlets are now quoting from these media releases but, when they check on Just Grounds, they don't see them.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on August 23, 2011 at 3:05pm

This is the text of the email I have sent to Albanese and a copy to my local member. I have left my full name and adress off on this post for obvious reasons.

"Mr Albanese,

I just want you to know that I found the derogatory comments regarding the participants of the Convoy of No Confidence you made during Question Time in parliament yesterday, August 22nd, both offensive and obscene.

Your obvious contempt of decent, honest Australians was very visible and will certainly not be forgotten by those of us who witnessed it, both in person or on television, and is certainly not the behaviour one expects of a government minister , you seem to have forgotten who allowed you to have this position.

Although you are closeted in your ivory tower in Canberra, be assured there is a huge groundswell of disgust and anger against you and your government."

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Permalink Reply by Elizebeth Flower on August 23, 2011 at 9:37pm

Good work, Jan. You sure have packed some punch into your letter! It should hit where it hurts.

Jan Courtney said:

This is the text of the email I have sent to Albanese and a copy to my local member. I have left my full name and adress off on this post for obvious reasons.

"Mr Albanese,

I just want you to know that I found the derogatory comments regarding the participants of the Convoy of No Confidence you made during Question Time in parliament yesterday, August 22nd, both offensive and obscene.

Your obvious contempt of decent, honest Australians was very visible and will certainly not be forgotten by those of us who witnessed it, both in person or on television, and is certainly not the behaviour one expects of a government minister , you seem to have forgotten who allowed you to have this position.

Although you are closeted in your ivory tower in Canberra, be assured there is a huge groundswell of disgust and anger against you and your government."

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Permalink Reply by Elizebeth Flower on August 23, 2011 at 9:45pm

Pleased to hear that feedback from Janet T, Bev. So I hope folk will keep sending emails. Only one that I'm aware of has bounced and I've received lots of non-committal automated replies as well as those encouraging ones.

Beverley Prescott said:

6.15 p.m. update from Janet - regarding mailing.

At the moment Janet, Matt and family are on the way back from Question time at Parliament House to Epic.

After question time they met with their member for Tangney, Western Australia, Dennis Jensen. His staffer was very excited about all the e-mails coming. She was impressed that people were sending them to everyone. Sometimes, certain other groups only send to certain members.

This staffer knows that the e-mails are being received so if there is no reply, don’t worry. They are getting them.

Janet has asked that we keep sending e-mails to EVERYONE – Advise our friends to write to their member advising of their support. The more that are received, the more they can say how many are supportive of the Convoy of No Confidence.

NB: Anyone at all who wishes that they could have been there, please advise your politicians accordingly - e-mail EVERY MEMBER including the Senators.

Oh Janet feels that the phraseology that Anthony Albonese used yesterday is going to come back to bite him.

The heckling in Parliament today was about “Minister of no consequence”.

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Permalink Reply by Julene Haack on August 23, 2011 at 11:31pm

Hi all,

Just letting you know that I have spoken with our IT contact who has set up (and is monitoring) the emails which are being sent through this link:

http://www.convoyofnoconfidence.com/convoy.html (which I let everyone know about last night)

after concerns were expressed that these could be blocked by network filters at the politicians' ends or that we could be investigated for causing slow-down of their email facilities.

There is no basis for these concerns. In particular, through the monitoring performed by the IT company, it is clear that all emails are getting through. He does agree, however, that it is a good idea to change the subject/content every so often.

I personally think we will find new things to write about if Labor MP's continue to act in the vein of Anthony Albanese and Kelvin Thomson.....!

So I am very happy to support what Janet has said in regard to keeping on emailing.

Now the process you use doesn't bother me. If you use the link above, or this email address in the "To" box mailto:mps@convoyofnoconfidence.com, it has the extra advantage that our IT contact can pass on information to me about how we are doing. However, if you prefer to focus on just your own MP, or any other method, is fine with me.

Just keep emailing, calling, going into their offices.

The feedback we are receiving from staff in several different political offices is that this input does back up the message of the Convoy.

cheers and good night all,

Julene

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Permalink Reply by Anna 'Goanna' Hetherington-Grego on August 24, 2011 at 2:34am

My emails sent to Craig Emerson and Anthony Albanese re: "Convoy of no consequence", went something like this: "that was an arrogant ignorant stupid thing to say. THE PEOPLE will have the last say - they will win. The Next election will see the end of of your political career and that of Julia Gillards, but it will never be the end of the people. WE WIN".

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Permalink Reply by Lyn Harvey on August 24, 2011 at 3:46pm

The convoy seems to be a bindi in their sock. When name calling and judgements of the people are made by the so called leaders, ya know you've hit em in a soft spot. Most leaders come out fighting with intelligent answers to the questions the people are asking. Me thinks those air horns on Mon morn are haunting them, and will continue to do so for a long time yet.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Petterson on August 24, 2011 at 3:52pm

I'm pretty sure he's regretting making that statement now, as I was listening to 2GB talkback radio after he made that commnet and the majority of the viewers thought that was disgraceful that he made that comment. Also one of our viewers,among many contacted his office,and after first denying that he made such a statement they said they weren't happy with him and were going to made a word with him. By being so stupid he has managed to get us better publicity.
Cate Stuart said:

It is now being referred to by a Labor minister as a Convoy of Incontinence due to the number of caravans and winnebagos that joined in. Please find the link to this its worth hearing and then sock it too him.

And to think the Independants and Greens gave the balance of power to Labor for a minority rule...

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Permalink Reply by Anna 'Goanna' Hetherington-Grego on August 24, 2011 at 4:01pm

I just wrote to Bob Brown - "you are seeking an apology from Jones in parliament - I seek compensation for slander and defamation" - not paraphrased but I sure as heck am NOT a winger or moaner!!! rrrrrrrrr...

CATE: Where is the link for this particular comment you referred to - please. Ta

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on August 24, 2011 at 4:07pm

The convoy seems to be a bindi in their sock.

Lyn what a wonderful expression - perhaps that could be a catchcry . Love it.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on August 24, 2011 at 4:20pm

I just had to post this FACEBOOK entry:

This gentleman should be given an award - he stood on the median strip for ages waving the flag, supporting the convoy - then he suddenly stood to attention and began saluting. And apart from swapping arms! he stayed saluting for a long time. God bless him. He got the point of the convoy.

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Permalink Reply by Anna 'Goanna' Hetherington-Grego on August 24, 2011 at 4:38pm

That is so cool.

Jan Courtney said:

I just had to post this FACEBOOK entry:

This gentleman should be given an award - he stood on the median strip for ages waving the flag, supporting the convoy - then he suddenly stood to attention and began saluting. And apart from swapping arms! he stayed saluting for a long time. God bless him. He got the point of the convoy.