Just when one thinks the worst is past, this little item comes along.

On Tuesday PM Gillard announced that a Ms Penny Williams was the Womens Ambassador, and that $100 million had been allocated to 'stamp out domestic violence in the Pacific Islands'. Ms Williams and Mr Rudd were to leave for a conference. See article below

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/opinion/post/-/blog/paulmurray/post/2545/comment/1

I ask myself, what business is it of ours about DV in other countries and $100 million is an awful lot of money. What about DV in Aus? How much do we spend on that?

I may be wrong but, I seem to recall Gillard just a few weeks ago announcing that she was giving $23 million to assist disabled people, but because of budget constraints, they would have to wait 3 years.

If that is so, how come $100 million can now be found to give for a project in the Pacific Islands?

What is with this current mob in Canberra, that they throw our money around like confetti, seemingly on anything which does not benefit Australia. Did they not impose a levy to help flood victims in Queensland?

banjo
i know its not the issue[ie abuse]
but the constant gift giving to mates

im personally peeved about the 40 million wasted on soccer
that might have made a better focus

there we sent some rich twat
on a fools errand..that bought one vote

where we paid for grownup soccar hooligans
to visit her..so we could gift them with pearl necklaces

but mate its all small issues
thats how the game is played
why else give support to your ..YOUR*..local member
except that you get some gifting in return

i was going to mention
re liberals claims..to have 'paid off labratters excess's'
by raising extra taxes..and 'other' gifts to THEIR mates..like waterfront reforms..or water buybacks..and so much other largess

mates give back to mates

but mate im tired
both parties are patsies to their own form of gift giving
and seeking honours..but mate i would hate to see this topic become focused on woman getting a bit of support

the issue in reality is
gift giving..to mates
by both parties

lest we forget the magnesium scan where howard and peter beatup beaty..each gave 500 million each..just so their nates could get a share dividend..[on a magnesium plant..that never got built]..[in gladstone]

govt is so corrupt
verging and exceeding treasonous

but mate how do you stop it...the public service
has its mates rates too..in fact run the two party sceme

and the police commisioners and dpp..make sure
that only petty crime gets instant punishment

the bigger the crime
the less likely hood of some patsy doing proprotunate time

the biggest gift...[theft]..by govt to its pals
was the federal reserve privatisation
or telstra..

or selling off..

oh heck why bother

Banjo,
The mind boggles as to how much longer we have people supporting such insanity.

individual

'The mind boggles as to how much longer we have people supporting such insanity.

Except for a few desperate diehards no one is supporting this mob. They are deceitfully hanging on to power. This is Oakshotts open and accountable Government.

They are screwed.

Madam PM has done a deal with andwer willki and he knows rhat nobody else will iphold this deal, thats the reason for his threat.

Now if labor dumps gillard, and they should, then they risvk loosing his support, support that was gained through the desperation of gillard in her quest to retain office at any price.

They were clearly slaughtered at the last election, however, despite being dumped by many of their voters, many of which defected to the greens, tthey refussed to admit defeat.

As i said before the election, there would be a change of government if labore looses badly enough.

I did underestimate the desperation of madam PM.

Now her me.

The next step will be to follow obarmas plan and tax the rich to pay the debts. Its coming. The minin tax was just the beginning.

The media release is at http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2011/kr_mr_110913.html

I tried to get a better feel for DV issues in the Pacific islands recently in response to claims on another thread. I didn't get very far, there seemed to be limited research and what I did find had the hall marks of advocacy research.

The primary research tool seemed to be a workshop with those already in the gender violence industry and a small external survey. Not a lot of detail in what I saw but everything I did see looked like it was not a genuine attempt to get real numbers, rather to "confirm" what they wanted confirmed.

I don't know Pacific Islander culture well, the islanders I've known have been very family focussed. I've had a few set's of Pacific islander neighbour's, louder than most other neighbours I've had but no across the fence indications of one person dominating others or physical violence.

It may be fact that gendered domestic violence is rampant across the Pacific but when I see the same tactics used to push that line as are used to promote a gendered view of domestic violence here my level of suspicion rises dramatically.

I'd rather see the focus on better opportunities for all rather than specific gender focus. Too much of the gender focus seems to ignore context and in my view perpetuates some of the very things that they are trying to stop.

My suspicion is that DV in the Pacific will have many of the same causes as here, it can happen in all sorts of homes but is far more likely when you look for factors such as substance abuse, financial stress etc rather than looking to gender.

R0bert