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

Dear RObert,

From my understanding this is part of the government's
attempts to provide counselling and support services to
stamp out domestic violence in the Pacific region.
For example in 2009, the government supported the Fiji
Crisis Centre which provided support for 3,700 cases
subjected to violence. The centre also supported men to
raise awareness of the impact of violence and to challenge
attitudes that condone such violence.

Australia has always been involved in the Pacific. It
has supported civil societies and governments to
promote human rights. Australian support has assisted the
governmets of Kiribati and Solomon Islands to endorse
national policies and action plans to address a variety of
issues - including those of domestic violence.

Right or wrong - this is part of what the government feels
is the right thing to do. To assist, a region, of which we're
a part.

"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."

Disgusting! How dare the rich be taxed or super profits. Much better to tax the poor and middle income earners. They are all bludgers anyway who should be working two jobs to make ends meet. Leave us rich people alone. Rich people are people too.

Sheesh....

Banjo
It is all part of the Aid Budget.

It is unfair and disingenuous to use middle class focussed gender politics when referring to cultures we know little about.

There seems to be an underlying assumption that it is business as usual, but we are talking about very different gender, family and class structures and one of the usual culprits - alcohol induced violence. Sure violence is a problem overall but let us not get so politically correct there cannot be an acknowledgment of differences in cultural norms. There is enough evidence of that in the Middle East between the roles of men and women and access to justice etc.

Suddenly everbody is an expert.

Currently reading James Lee Burke's

"The Tin Roof Blowdown"

A crime novel set in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the disenfranchised people as they battle against both nature, government apathy and man's inhumanity.

A few paragraphs from the novel's protagonist, Dave Robicheaux, applies to our so-called Western civilisation anywhere:

" In Lousiana, as in the rest of the South, the issue was always power. Wealth did not buy it. Wealth came with it. Televangelist preachers and fundamentalist churches sold magic as a way of acquiring it. The measure of one's success was the degree to which he could exploit his fellow man or reward his friends or punish his enemies...

...As a police officer I was not supposed to hate. But in reality I despised those who manipulate and exploit our society, and I'm not talking about the pathetic collection of miscreants we spend most of our time and money locking up...

...I have trouble with collective guilt. But if I had to lay it at anyone's feet, I'd start with the White League, the Knights of the White Camillia, the Saturday-night ni99er-knockers, and all the people who did everything in their power to keep their fellow human beings poor and uneducated and at one another's throats so they would remain a source of cheap labor..."

Our politicians, media magnates ensure we're kept busy arguing over the pathetic lives of boat people. And the ones who feel most threatened by these refugees are always those who fear the most. They fear losing power, money, prestige. Australia is not that different to the USA.

Pelican, where do you think most of th private and coporate jobs come from.

More importantly, do you think it is wise to impose further burdon on these employers?

Just remember, for every job out there, someone has taken a risk to provide that job.

As sad as it is ibusiness is simply a numbers game. reduce the chances of retuns and you increase the risk of businesses going ,elsewhere. Why else do you think the likes of china are booming.

now as for DV in th pacific.

These are nations that have followed their customs for centuries. I dont see it as our roll to change their ways.

Furthermore, this is borrowed money because we are now broke.

Wouldnt it make better sense to reduce debt with his money?

tub'ers quote..""Just remember,..

for every job out there,
someone has taken a risk to provide that job...""

i guess that explains juliars numbers
she has been making plenty of green
public service 'jobs'..[for the boys]

a lot of boys
on the public purse tic

riskey stuff juliar
but heh...green watchdog groupies..

[pub/lick serv-ants]
provide heaps of work
for govt credit card providers..

comm cars anyone?
great pensions..and plenty of flexie time

yeah cant beat them green desk jobs
great money if you can get it

nice clean green/spin...*jobs

darn the beuro rock rats

And this is the problem OUG, most jobs today are feeding off the tits of the tax payer.

Take mining away and look out!

rehctub
This is really about Aid, which does not mean of course it is off limits for discussion. There has been enough evidence of wasted funding in the Aid budget just as any other. It all rests on how the money is managed at the other end, how many palms need to be oiled, how much is politics rather than Aid money etc. The Aid arena is fraught with many criticisms including the tendency for it to prop up dubious governments in some regions (separate issue to the opening topic).

However my problem with this particular subject is that it is using Western-centric gender divides as the 'rule of thumb'. It just is not possible to judge on our own biases and political landscape as regards gender issues.

Pelican,
You are right, the issue of DV in the pacific Islands is cultural.

Why should we spend large amounts of money in effort to alter cultural practices in other countries. In the articles section, of OLO, there is a thread dealing with the rape of lesbians in Africa, which is also a cultural issue. should we spend money to eliminate FGM in other countries or incest, forced marriages or honour killings.
Other countries have different cultural standards than we do. We are supposed to be culturally tolerant, even here.

It is one thing to help neighbouring countries become more self sustained economicly, but to interfere on cultural issues is very questionable.

We can spend our tax money how we like in Aus. On the queestion of DV, I do wonder how much we spend here in Aus.