Make a submission to oppose R18+ computer games

The federal government is currently conducting an inquiry into whether Australia should allow R18+ rated computer games.

Currently R18+ films, which contain sex and violence are allowed but R18+ computer games are banned. If the law was changed, games such as Manhunt with gruesome killing and BMX XXX with strippers would be legalised. This would mean children would have more access to them (even if they can't 'officially' purchase them.) Computer games are much more interactive and the player internalises the actions.
R18+ rated computer games should NOT be legalised!

Submissions are due by February 28, 2010.

We sent full details about the Inquiry back in December.
Those details - the Discussion Paper (with arguments for both sides), how to make a submission, and some of the arguments - are all on our Campaign page relating to this Inquiry.

Making your submission
The Inquiry has provided a 'template'to help you make a submission. You need to say whether or not R18+ computer games should be legalised, answer some questions and give some comments.
You have to choose a response ranging from '1 - strongly disagree' through to '5 - strongly agree'.
Some people have asked for assistance with the questions. To make it easier, we've provided some 'suggested responses'.

See our Campaign page relating to this Inquiry for all the information and the 'suggested responses'.

Global warming and the ETS

The Rudd government plans to put its' flawed ETS (Emissions Trading Scheme) legislation to the federal Parliament today.

If passed, this will effectively be a tax on carbon dioxide and mean that electricity and goods will go up in price! Even more of our industries will move off-shore to places like China and India that have no limits on their carbon emissions.

The Coalition, led by Opposition leader Tony Abbott says it will vote against it again. They are due to launch their climate policy today which is expected to focus on alternative energy.
Yesterday's report on the possible policy: Savings will pay for Abbott's climate policy‎ - ABC

A Newspoll released today reveals that the Coalition has passed Labor in the primary vote for the first time since the 2007 election - 41 to 40% though Labor still leads on a two-party preferred vote with 52-48%.

More 'Climate Change' developments...

Meanwhile, the evidence of flawed research continues to mount - at the end of 2009 we had Climategate - the leaked or hacked emails from the Climate Unit at the University of East Anglia in the UK which revealed that the climate researchers had adjusted data and acted to try and stop publication of opposing views.

Then we've had 'Glaciergate' - the revelation that research quoted by the IPCC saying that the Himalayan glaciers would melt by 2035 was FALSE. It was apparently taken from an interview with an Indian scientist and repeated in a report by environmental activist group WWF. In fact the IPCC author knew it was wrong but included it anyway to ensure that politicians took the matter of climate change seriously.

Andrew Bolt has now written a column about the top ten recent revelations in a revealing article:
Column - Ten signs that the warming scare is collapsing - Herald Sun, 27/1/2010.

Paul Sheehan has also collated his 'top ten' in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald.
10 facts that challenge the global warming scare, Paul Sheehan - SMH, 1/2/2010.
To read the SHORT version click here.
He begins the article by saying:

Here are 10 anti-commandments, 10 selected facts about global warming which have been largely ignored amid the orthodoxies to which we are subjected every day. All these anti-commandments are either true or backed by scientific opinion.

In the article, he notes that all of the 'anti-commandments were "brought into focus" by Lord Christopher Monckton in his speech in Sydney.

Lord Christopher Monckton is currently touring Australia - we heard him speak in Melbourne last night and he gave a very good overview of the whole situation. Click here and here for details of the remainder of his tour. 

Back to work!

After a welcome break over Christmas and New Year - and some time to do all the things that we never have time to do - we are back at our desks ... and computers!

Even though we have had a rest, the issues and situations don't stop... here is just a sample!

* Californication has been shown on Channel Ten on Wednesday nights over the summer.

* Midsumma - Melbourne's homosexual festival - is currently on [from 17 January to 7 February]

* R18+ rated computer games- Submissions are being received for the federal government's inquiry into whether R18 rated computer games should be allowed in Australia.
Click here for information on making a submission (closing date is February 28, 2010).

* Earthquake aftermath - Every night we see the human tragedy on our TV screens from the massive earthquake in Haiti as people struggle to find food and shelter.

* The climate keeps changing - today's newspaper tells us that the southern states of Australia are in for a three-month-long cool change whilst the northern states are expected to have a hotter than average temperature!

Thank you for caring about the issues facing our community... stay tuned in the coming weeks as we gear up for another busy year in 2010.

Australians and God!

A poll conducted for Fairfax Newspapers (The Age, SMH...) by Nielsen has found that the majority of Australians believe in God.

The survey of 1000 Australians found that 68% of people believe in God.

That is very close to the figure from the Australian census - in 2001 the figure was 68%, with 64% in 2006.

Some people are happy to declare they are atheists - the recent Nielsen poll found that 24% said they didn't believe in 'God or a universal spirit' and 7% were unsure. . .

Click here for more information - and links to the rmedia reports about the poll - on our Latest News page.

Copenhagen climate conference underway

A major event relating to the 'climate change' issue is the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. It is called COP 15 - COP stands for 'Conference of the Parties'. 

The conference started on 7 December and concludes on 18 December.

105 world leaders are expectedto be in Copenhagen during the conference.  Australia's PM Kevin Rudd plans to be there - but has changed his mind several times as to when he will go - it now seems that he will be there for the closing days, along with US President Barack Obama.

The UN's aim is to come up with a agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol on carbon emissions and more once that expires in 2012. Key elements being considered are a binding agreement on limiting carbon emissions and a 'climate debt' fund to provide money to poor or undeveloped nations. 

The Conference website - click here. Conference documents are posted on this site.
The more interactive conference website is here. 

For more information, comment and articles - visit our webpage on the Conference - click here.