Senator Steve Fielding - Leader of Family First
Danny Nalliah is no friend of Family First
Posted by Senator Steve Fielding on February 24 2009 | 4 Comments
I was troubled to read an article by Ross Fitzgerald (The Australian, 23 February 2009) which asked whether Liberal backbencher Peter Costello’s involvement with Catch the Fire ministries and Danny Nalliah is a ploy to garner Family First’s good favour. As I have said previously on this blog, this is not true and Mr Costello’s association with Mr Nalliah has nothing to do with Family First.
Family First has had no connection with Danny Nalliah since he was asked to leave the party five years ago after he made demeaning comments about a minority group.
He has no voice in Family First and will not in the future.
Mr Nalliah’s recent comments about the victims and survivors of Victoria’s devastating bushfires are insulting and beneath contempt. They in no way represent the decent people who support Family First.
At this terrible time, the victims, their families and friends, and the survivors need our support and prayers.
Dear Steve,
I believe Peter Costello was supporting Nalliah on a matter of principle in the muslim case against Catch the Fire Ministry for viliying muslims. Some strong academic support from Monash uni supported the action, Costello was rightly standing up for free speech on religion which is already gone in Victoria.
Religious vilification and free speech
It should also be remembered that the leaked list of ACMA websites to be banned under Conroy’s plan also included a Dental surgery and some religious sites. Anyone now complaining to ACMA that a site vilifies or ridicules their religion could be banned and the Victorian precendent is that you can’t criticism Islam, possible penalty six months jail.
I run a website called hereticpress Steve, it is on science and is not anti-religion, but looks at belief from a scientific historical view, I have written and host family history pages for many irish Catholic families who were at the Eureka Stockade, will Conroy or ACMA close me down. I have written against political corruption and the blustering bully Conroy trying to destroy my life work.
With the list that ACMA has, why don’t they take international policing effort to close those these sites.
I am very worried that ACMA and Conroy combined with Victorian Laws are abolishing all free speech on religion.
Good work supporting abolishing work choices Steve.
Tim
Comment by Tim on 20 March 2009 at 09:56:26 PM
If people switched to spirits then that is a very good reason to raise the taxation on spirits as well. The price imperative is the only thing which will reduce usage and demand, as with cigarettes.
Comment by Richard Hicks on 26 February 2009 at 10:21:37 PM
Richard
Hardly. It was clear from day one of the Alcopops tax, which was supposed to help reduce binge drinking in the young, was going to do nothing to achieve this goal. Young people simply bought their spirits and mixed their own drinks, often making them stronger than the alcopops.
As a parent of a teenage girl, I would rather she consumed low alcohol mixed fruit drinks in a can than spirits by the bottle. Keeping the price lower will help steer the young to these as they are affordable.
Maybe the solution is to put a strict cap on the amount of alcohol that drinks which are popular with the young can contain.
Comment by acs on 25 February 2009 at 03:52:18 PM
No Steve its not Peter Costello I’d be woried about. Judging by your stance on alcopops, you’re obviously in the pocket of the liquor companies or is it the liquor lobby. How much have they donated by the way?
Comment by Richard Hicks on 25 February 2009 at 01:04:38 PM