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News from the Canberra Front

Bust the Budget CanberraThis article is courtesy of ABC Friends ACT & Region
July 6 – National Day of Action to Bust the Budget
On a freezing, blustery Sunday, the day before the new Senate sat, I and some other ABC Friends, joined about 1,500 hundred other Canberrans on the lawns of Parliament House in a show of community opposition to the Federal Budget and to call on Senators to stand up for ordinary Australians and block this budget.
The protest was hosted by Unions ACT and a variety of community groups as part of a National Day of Action to Bust the Budget across Australia with demonstrations in all the capitals and some regional areas.
Here in Canberra it was a very family friendly event with a sausage sizzle, placard painting and many rousing singers and musicians. Thankfully the rain held off and the brief bursts of sunshine kept the enthusiastic crowd going.
Groups representing unionists, pensioners, nurses, students, public servants, families and ABC supporters waved home made placards while a huge paper mache Tony Abbott with smoking pants strode about tearing up his pre-election promises with the crowd singing “ Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
Laura Wey stood up for students, Glen Fowler argued for the Gonski reforms to go ahead and Julie Tongs spoke of this budgets impact on indigenous health.
Nadine Flood, the CPSU Federal Secretary, said “This government is taking a wrecking ball to the services it has taken a century to build and we are not going to let that happen. We need to build strong unions to defend workers rights. We did it with Work Choices and we can do it again”
She called on people everywhere to talk to friends, join the campaign and join a union.
Lee Thomas, the Federal Secretary Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation, said that this coalition government was mounting a “devastating attack on our public health system called Medicare.”
John Minns from ANU, spoke movingly about the plight of asylum seekers and warned politicians that “the community is feeling very strongly about this issue and the mood in the electorate is changing”
John Falzon from St Vincent de Paul painted a picture of the desperation facing our young unemployed, supporting parents and the disabled if this budget goes ahead.
Humphrey McQueen spoke knowledgeably about the budgets hidden impacts on pensioners including threats to the PBS through the Pacific Trade Partnership.
“Not only do we need to stop this budget but we need to go further and abolish the tax concessions for the super rich and lift the pension from $20,000 to $25,000.
Now is the time to stand truly by each other and fight for our rights and liberties.”
Lastly on the open mike I was able to ask the crowd to help protect free speech in Australia and support the ABC by joining the ABC Friends online NOW!
Hearing such well informed, genuinely committed community leaders speaking up for our Australian way of life with such eloquence and passion made me feel proud to just be there supporting them.

Catherine Henderson – ABC Friends contact for the ACT Region