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Down Under, the opposition Liberal Party of Australia changed leadership on 1 December by one vote. Tony Abbott (born 4 November 1957) one-time plant manager of New South Wales, defeated incumbent Malcolm Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) lawyer of New South Wales, and with it doomed approval of the so-called Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), the government’s carbon-trading climate change legislation. (No. 474 December 2009) AUSTRALIA Parliament House where the prime minister and his staff operate is going modern. A high-tech situation room, next to the cabinet room, is being equipped and will be ready in mid-2010, reports The Age on 1 October. The crisis center has been approved by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) and will allow communication and videoconferencing with state capitals, missions abroad, and foreign leaders. (No. 473 November 2009) As alerted, the Commonwealth suspended Fiji for failing to returning to democratic government. (No. 471 September 2009)
Reneging on a promise to hold elections in 2009 and to return to democratic governing, Fiji’s military ruler, Commodore Frank Baininmarama, is apt to lead to the country’s suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). The Forum condemned his actions on 21 August and has demanded an explanation why he has no kept his promise. (No. 460 October 2008) Another promise by a strongman is broken. On 15 August 2007, Commodore Frank Baininmarama of Fiji pledged at the meeting of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) that elections would be held in March 2009. On 30 May, the government confirmed the day but on 18 July the military ruler said electoral reforms needed more time and that he should not be held to the date and that “no date is set for an election.” (No. 458 August 2008) Inhabitants of the 5-island Carteret Atoll in the South Pacific Ocean are the first to leave home and island because of rising sea levels and flooding attributed to climate change, authorities announced on 8 June. The islands are located 86 km northeast of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea and are inhabitant by about 1,500 people. The danger of disappearing into the sea was recognized in 2003 and evacuation of families began. Since then food gardens and coconut groves have been destroyed and the remaining residents are supplied with food from Bougainville. (No. 457 July 2008) Australia looks to the future with huge ‘brain trust’ The government took a bold and unusual step to gather innovative ideas and to involve the public. On 19-20 April, the “best and brightest” 1,000 Australians were invited to Australia 2020 in the Great Hall in Sydney for a brainstorming session. Food for the session were some 9,000 e-mail messages from citizens across the continent carrying ideas, suggestions as well as some unusual or trivial remarks. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who had extended the invitations did not promise that every submission would be taken up or every idea accepted. “If we get a dozen or so good ideas for the future out of this, it will be a weekend well spent,” he said. While the break with the British monarchy reappeared again, it is not at the top of the agenda but there is a notion that it is inevitable. Dealing with discrimination against Aborigines is one of the long-term challenges confronting Australia, as are alcohol and health, drought and rural communities. The summit was not entirely free-wheeling but was organized into 10 so-called streams or themes which were co-chaired by 11 community and 10 ministerial co-chairs:
Soon after the discussions, an initial summit report was issued but the final summary is not expected before the end of the year. Not every idea will see acceptance but the organizers say that the discussions over the weekend should not be the conclusion of the national conversation that has begun to develop over the past 10 weeks, but rather a stimulus to engage an even larger number of Australians on the questions that were debated. (No. 455 May 2008)
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