Will someone please explain to me how you can be elected to the leadership of the largest Socialist / Communist Party in Australia, Lu Kewen aka Kevin Rudd,and claim to not believe in its ideology and manifesto ? or is this yet another example of the Labor Party’s most adhered to commandment of “whatever it takes” Chk – chk- BOOM
The Australian Labor Party,ALP,is funded by the Australian Council of Trade Unions,ACTU,these bankers and financiers of the ALP are without question radical left in ideology and actions, are we to believe that they are unaware they have a man leading the political party they finance and SCAM for does not believe in or subscribe to their social and political objectives ?
An invitation to President Chavez by the undersigned cabal of Labor Party officials, Parliamentarians,Union officials and leftist beard strokers and “Religious” leaders.
For the latest developments in the Socialist Utopia of Venezuela,see SheikYerMami’s Winds of Jihad
http://www.venezuelasolidarity.org/?q=node/160
Dear President Chávez,
We, the undersigned citizens of Australia, would like to extend a warm invitation for you to visit our country. We have watched developments in Venezuela with great interest. We have been impressed by the great effort that your government has taken to improve the living standards of the majority of Venezuelans. We have also noted with keen attention the moves that your government has begun to make to create a society based on popular participation in all spheres of society—from the workplace up to the national government.
Although we are on the opposite side of the globe we feel that our shared ideals of social justice and democracy bring us close together. Every country has its own traditions and culture and has to find its own solutions, but what Venezuela has been able to achieve in so little time will be a source of inspiration and ideas for many in Australia.
All signatures will be posted to Nelson Davila, Venezuela’s charge d’affaires in Australia, Canberra.(Todas las firmas de invitación serán enviadas a Nelson Dávila, Encargado de Negocios de Venezuela en Australia, Canberra)
If you would like to confirm the signature of yourself or you organisation for identification and for promotion of President Chavez' visit please contact us: Jody Betzien 0425 887 078 or email info@venezuelasolidarity.org
Signatories include
Andrew Ferguson NSW Secretary, CFMEU Construction and General Division, John Pilger - Independent Journalist, Warren Mundine - National President of the ALP in 2006, Sylvia Hale - Member of the Legislative Council NSW (Greens), Steve Dargavel - Acting State Secretary, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Victoria, Meredith Burgmann - President of the Legislative Council of NSW, Wayne Berry - MLA (ALP) Speaker of the ACT Legislative Assembly, Tim Gooden - Geelong Trades Hall Secretary,
Van Thanh Rudd - Visual Artist Nephew of Australian PM Lu Kewen aka.Kevin 07 Rudd
Ali Kazak - Former Ambassador of Palestine
Andrew Ferguson NSW Secretary, CFMEU Construction and General Division
Angela Briant - Secretary Independent Education Union (Tasmania)
Antony Loewenstein - Independent Journalist
Barry Carr - Director of la Trobe University, Institute of Latin American Studies
Belinda Selke - NTEU, Wollongong
Blake Stephens - Organier, CPSU NSW
Brendan Hewson - President, Community & Public Sector Union /CSA
Buranjali David Allie - Council of Elders, Indigenious Land Council
Cameron Durnsford - LMHU, Qld
Caroline Risely - Monash University Welfare Officer
Carolyn Smith - Childcare Union Assistant Secretary, WA Liqor Hospitality Miscellaneous workers Union
Casper Cumming - Swinborne Student Union President 2006
Charlotte Boss-Walker -Peace Activist (Tas)
Cheryl Dillon - NTEU, Wollongong
Chris Game - Secretary, NTEU NSW,
Clare Ozich - Industrial Officer, Unions WA
Craig Bulley - Worker's Radio
Craig Johnson - Cultural Studies, Macquarie University.
Darren Mathewson - director of Organising CPSU
Dave Robinson - Secretary, Unions WA
David O’Byrne - Sectretary LHMU
Deb Foskey - Greens Member of the Legislative Assembly (ACT)
Dick Nichols - National Co-ordinator, Socialist Alliance
Doreen Shenman - Peace Activist (Tas)
Dr Alastair Grieg Senior Lecturer, Australian National University: Faculty of Arts
Dr Coral Wynter - biochemist, Brisbane
Dr Rhonda Forrest - Lecturer, Charles Sturt University
Dr. Anthony Ashbolt - NTEU, Wollongong
Dr. Henk Eijkman - Empowered Learning International
Dr. Peter Ross - Spanish & Latin American Studies, UNSW
Erick Maldonado - NTEU, Wollongong
Federico Fuentes - National Co-ordinator, Resistance socialist youth organisation
Fay Hannah - Cuba Friendship Society
Geoff Hull - LMHU (NT)
Gil Anderson - Secretary ACT Branch LHMU
Graciela Nogues - ASU workplace delegate & L.A Solidarity Committe
Graham Pallot - organiser, CFMEU WA
Grahame McCulloch - General Secretaty, NTEU
Glenda Mejía - Spanish Co-ordinator at RMIT
Humphrey McQueen - Historian
Ian Bray - WA assistant branch secretary, Maritime Union of Australia WA
Ian Cohen - MLC NSW, Greens
Ian Newman - Peace Activist (Tas)
J Keith Atkinson - Associate Professor emeritus, UQ; Healer
Jack Mundey - Environmentalist
Jade Mason - LMHU (Qld)
Janine Aitkens -President, Cairns Campus, James Cook University Student Assoc.
Jakalene X - Indigenous community activist
Jake Wishart - Student Activist Alliance
Jenni Bond - Peace Activist (Tas)
Jenny Forward - Organiser CPSU (Tasmania)
Jim McIlroy - journalist, Brisbane
Jim Mellor - Communications/Projects, CFMEU WA
Jim Reid - organiser, CFMEU WA
Jo Maree Coghlan - Faculty of Arts, University of Wollongong
Joan Doyle - Victorian Branch Secretary of the CEPU Communications Division
Joe Cambria - The Australian Global Warming and Fair Pay Institute
Joe McDonald - Assistant Secretary, CFMEU WA
Joel Asphar - AMWU WA Organiser
John Pilger - Independent Journalist
John Sutton - National Secretary, CFMEU, Construction & Gernaral Division
Jose Munoz - Organiser ACT Branch LHMU
Judith Pabian - President ACT Branch NTEU
Keith Peckham - Industrial development officer, UnionsWA
Kerry Nettle - Australian Greens Senator for NSW
Kerryn Williams - Editor, Green Left Weekly
Kevin Ennor - organiser, CFMEU WA
Keysar Trad - Islamic Friendship Association
Kim Sattler - Secretary UnionsACT
Kiraz Janicke - National Co-ordinating Committee Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network
Lee Rhiannon - Member of the Legislative Council NSW (Greens)Len Palmer - Lecturer, Charles Sturt University
Lisa Darmanin, ASU Assistant Branch Secretary, Lisa Darmanin
Linda Briskman - Professor, Curtin Centre for Human Rights Education
Linda Seaborn - Welfare worker, and HACSU delegate
Lisa MacDonald - National Co-ordinating Committee Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network
Mark Taylor - Australian Services Union (Qld)
Marree O'Halloran - President, NSW Teachers Federation
Michele McKenzie - Greens Councillor, Leichhardt Council
Michelle O'Neil - TCFUA State secretary
Megan Clement - Newcastle University Students Association, Education Officer 2006
Meredith Burgmann - President of the Legislative Council of NSW
Mick Baker - MUA WA organiser
Mick Buchan - Organiser, CFMEU WA
Mick Campion - President, NTEU Murdoch Univeristy Branch
Mike Donaldson - NTEU, Wollongong
Naomi Arrowsmith - Australian Services Union, Assistant State Secretary (NSW)
Narendra Mohan Kommalapati - Journalist
Natasha Stott-Despoja - SA Australian Democrats Senator
Neil Mudford - Secretary ACT Branch NTEU
Nicholas Kafer - Education Campaigns Coordinator - Wollonongong Undergraduate Students' Association (WUSA)
Noah Bassil - Associate of the Centre for Middle East & North African Studies
Paul Halfpenny - WA Organiser, NTEU
Paul Lynch - State member for Liverpool
Paul Gonzalez - Pablo Neruda Cultural Centre (Melb)
Paul Obohoov - Trade Union Voices Choir, ACTU
Phillip Adams - Journalist, Republican of the Year 2005
Peter Boyle - National Secretary, Democratic Socialist Perspective
Raul Bassi - Transport Workers Union delegate, Sydney
Ray Jackson - Indigenous Social Justice Association
Reverend Alex Gator
Robert Austin - Honorary Fellow Department of History, University of Melbourne
Robyn Francis -Permaculture Education, Erda Institute Inc
Ryan Ardill - Your Rights at Work, Kingston Division
Saeb Ali - Peace For Lebanon (Wollongong)
Sam Watson - Indigenous Murri Activist
Scott Poynting - Senior Lecturer in Sociology of Education, UW
Shelley Watson-Harris - Executive Officer, Unions WA
Simon Cocker - Secretary, Unions Tasmania
Stephen Weber - ASU (Alice Springs)
Steve Dargavel - Acting State Secretary, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Victoria.
Steve McCartney - State President, AMWU WA
Steven Arditto - Organiser CPSU (Tasmania)
Susan Engel - NTEU Wollongong
Susan Hopgood - Federal Secretary, AEU
Susan Price - UNSW National Tertiary Education Union, Branch President
Sylvia Hale - Member of the Legislative Council NSW (Greens)
Tania Jorquera - Youth Worker
Thirza White - Campaign Coordinator Unions WA
Tim Anderson - Lecturer, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Sydney
Tim Gooden - Geelong Trades Hall Secretary
Van Thanh Rudd - Visual Artist
Vinnie Molina Organiser, CFMEU WA
Viviana Ramírez - Senior Teacher of Spanish, Beerwah State High School
Warren Mundine - National President of the ALP in 2006
Warren Smith - Assistant Sydney Branch Secretary, Maritime Union of Australia
Wayne Berry - MLA (ALP) Speaker of the ACT Legislative Assembly
Wendy Jopson - Lecturer, University of Technology Sydne
Yvette Berry - Organiser ACT Branch LHMU
Rudd backtracks on socialist label
Samantha Maiden and Verity Edwards
The Australian
December 15, 2006
KEVIN Rudd has junked a pledge to remove the word socialism from the Labor Party's constitution just a day after denouncing it as an "arcane, 19th-century" doctrine.
Three years ago he declared himself "an old-fashioned Christian socialist", but yesterday he was busily denouncing socialism and also backflipping on a 2001 push to remove it from the ALP's constitution.
Mr Rudd has previously declared the ALP's socialist dogma of controlling "production, distribution and exchange" had nostalgia value only and was "entirely unmemorable".
When asked yesterday whether he would now take action, the Labor leader changed tack and said he had no plans to pursue the reforms at next year's ALP national conference.
"I have no plans of doing so," he said in Adelaide yesterday.
"I've already indicated where I stand philosophically in terms of the questions of my own beliefs, my own values and the priorities and objectives which I believe for a modern, progressive, democratic party.
"These are core social democratic values and I'm proud to be a committed social democrat as I have been all my life."
Mr Rudd's emphatic rejection of socialism was frontpage news in Melbourne's The Age yesterday. The newspaper's website also included video images of the Labor leader denouncing socialism but admitting he did not want workers being left to the "dung heap of the market".
"I am not a socialist. I have never been a socialist and I never will be a socialist," Mr Rudd said.
However, his bold statement of values was immediately undermined by the emergence of another declaration in 2003, when he was quoted in another Fairfax newspaper as saying: "I am an old-fashioned Christian socialist."
Mr Rudd also cites Keir Hardie, founder of the 19th century British Christian socialist movement, as one of his heroes.
In a homage to another of his political heroes, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who fought to expunge socialism from the British Labour Party's constitution in 1994, Mr Rudd has repeatedly said the ALP should follow suit. "The socialist objective ... should be abolished," he said in 2002. "While we may not have taken the socialist objective seriously ... there are others outside the party who have - and have been fundamentally alienated by it."
Socialism has clearly been on the Labor leader's mind for a while. In his maiden speech to parliament, Mr Rudd said: "Nambour, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, was not a major centre of revolutionary socialism in the 1970s - the cane growers hall even less so."
Former Labor Party president Barry Jones said yesterday the ALP's constitution had already been updated during a special national conference in 1981.
"(But) if there's going to be a broad debate about what we stand for that's terrific because, in a way, for some decades we just haven't talked about it," he said.
Mr Jones pointed to a discussion in his autobiography, A Thinking Reed, which refers to comments by Polish philosopher Leszek Kilakowski, who said: "The trouble with the social democratic idea is that it does not stock and does not sell any of the existing ideological commodities which various totalitarian movements offer dream-hungry youth."