advocacy

Join the global citizen call that asks political leaders to keep thier commitment to end poverty by 2015 - there are only 7 years left. Find out more at here.

This person with the very large hedge clippers is Margaret Jones AKA warriorwomyn. Margaret Jones has been volunteering at the Redfern Legal Centre for more years than most can remember. Last night she helped to organise a fundraising dinner for the centre at Parliament House. I was lucky to be asked to host the event.

Caucus committees are one avenue for government MP's to provide feedback and raise issues with ministers. Each Minister has a Caucus committee and it is this forum where Minister's first bring their legislation for discussion and endorsement.

For this parliament I will be on committees covering the following portfolios: Education & Training and Industrial Relations, Attorney General and Justice (this incorporates prisons), Community Services, Housing & Tourism, Women, Medical Research, Cancer and the Environment.

I will also attend the Caucus committee that covers Mineral Resources and Energy.

Congratulations to GetUp for being judged as one of the top ten websites that are changing the world. Politicsonline asked it’s subscribers to vote for the best 10. Over 18,000 people participated from around the world to award the prize to Factcheck.org – an excellent site that gives the facts behind the political spin of all parties in the US – something that would be an excellent addition to the Australian media landscape.

PoliticsOnline is an American website. From their e-newsletter this week:

Survey Says... Internet Best for Learning About Candidates
More voters (26.8 percent) pick the Internet as the best place to learn about a candidate's position on election issues or to research general election issues, than any other information source including television (20.5 percent), newspapers (17.8 percent), radio (6.6 percent), pamphlets/ brochures/ direct mail (5.4 percent), and in last place, magazines (2.8 percent ).
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Make Poverty History

Posted Monday 16 October 06

I joined the lunchtime crowd in Martin Place today who stood up for ending poverty. The gathering was part of the Make Poverty History campaign. The campaign focuses on pressuring government’s to make good their promise to halve poverty by 2015 through implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.

This morning I am privileged to be speaking on the same stage as Bernie Banton AM, asbestos disease warrior, at the NSW Cancer Council’s Consumer Advocacy Conference.

Bernie is there to give tips to consumer advocates (people affected by cancer) on how to get politicians of all persuasions to listen, understand and take action on cancer related health issues.

As the face of the James Hardie campaign waged by victims of asbestos disease, their families and their unions, Bernie knows a thing or two about the power of personal stories and experiences to get action from multinational companies and governments.