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Taking the message direct to the Prime Minister

Posted on the campaign blog , April 5th, 2007
Today, thanks to the support and donations of GetUp members, we've published a full-page Open Letter to the Prime Minister in The Australian newspaper - highlighting the costs of Guantanamo justice.

The Open Letter has been the source of attention on the ninemsn website, Sky News, the ABC Midday Report , 2UE, and The Age.

Click on the image of the advertisement below to open a larger version.



Today we also delivered a 65,000 person-strong petition to John Howard's electorate office in Bennelong. A team of GetUp members and volunteers came to make their voice heard to their local member and the media, delivering 10,143 postcards signed by Bennelong voters. Check out the photos of the event below. Well done to everyone who has spoken out for justice and democracy!































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This blog post is from the Campaign Bring David Hicks Home.
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Shauna Baker
April 5th, 2007

I am so proud to have been a member of Getup.org since its inception.

The values, ethics and laws that I have held dear for our society for all of my life, have been rocked, shaken and dynamited by the Liberal Government.

Getup has today taken our disapproval to the parliamentary offices, but more than that, you have publicly shown our displeasure at being used as pawns in the game of politics.

Make the best of the time you have between now and October, Mr Howard. You will soon be but a has-been xenophobic PM.



Congratulations Getup. The ad is brilliant.

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Dominique Meiers
April 5th, 2007

With Howard at the helm, many of us are ashamed to be Australians.

Thank you the Get Up movement inspiring us that honour and belief in justice still exists in this country. Congratulations for your work to bring David Hicks home.

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Nicole
April 5th, 2007

What is an affront to Australian values is Getup's support for Mohammed Daewood. Since when is giving comfort and support to an attempted murderer a virtue? For that is what he is. By Daewood's own admission he shot at Indian soldiers from Pakistan. I wonder how he would have fared in an Indian gaol. I doubt if Getup would have had carried the flag for him. Because America is the cause of all the world's problems isn't it?

So many people whining that he said anything just to get out of incarceration. If that is the case then he committed perjury. He must have lied on the stand. Did his defence team tell him to lie? So...is lying an Australian value too?

His defence team deliberately prolonged his detention by refusing repeatedly to enter a plea. But somehow that is John Howards fault.

You are all too ready to believe allegations of torture. Where is your proof? Why did he put on weight? His appearance at court didn't really gel with Getup's description of a broken and tortured man. But it must have been true because it was an American prison and we all know how evil those Americans are.

Mohammed Daewood got off lightly. So what if he was put away for 5 years? He was infected with an ideology of hatred and death. At the end of WWII soldiers in the German SS and Wehrmacht as well as party members face 'de-nazification' courts and were imprisoned. This was to cleanse them of the hateful ideology contained within. Many of these ideologues and zealots served sentences longer than 5 years. Was it wrong to imprison them? No.

Has this all been a cynical ploy to get political mileage out of Daewood's plight? Or does Getup honestly believe that this mercenary with hatred in his heart deserves adulation and support. Either way, I find Getup's campaign distasteful and altogether reeking of treachery against our country.

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Walter Cole
April 6th, 2007

Unfortunately hypocracy and injustice rules in Australia now.



The precedence has been set:



We DO support conviction on retrospective laws;

We Do support detainment without charge (5+ years in the Guantanamo Bay Isolation cells is nothing short of torture!!!)



Our innocence has been finally thrown oonmto the scrap heap. OR should I say OUR beliefs in TRUE JUSTICE!!! Our own Government has told us that these are OK!!

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al loomis
April 6th, 2007

good work for justice. but democracy is direct election of ministers, public operation of ministries, and the primacy of citizen initiated referendum.



so, abysmal failure for democracy- oz has none of the features of democracy and 'getup' either doesn't understand, or doesn't care. that makes you a supporter of gang rule, you're part of the problem.

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Lana Payne
April 6th, 2007

I heard this on the Triple J news, well done get up good to see this organisation growing every day!

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Helen Kemp
April 7th, 2007

Fantastic!!



Once again all I can say is: Thankyou GetUp! Thankyou thankyou thankyou!!!



It really does feel great to have a voice.

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Julian Grundy
April 7th, 2007

Do we as a nation require any further proof of the Howard Government's shonky, anti-democratic nature?, where by the people and justice count for nought in Howard's head long rush to bury us in pro American hype and hysteria. I think not!



Just in case you don't agree, we now have this, "tinkering" with our electoral system to add to this sorry government's abrogation of its duty to serve its people and uphold our beliefs and traditions.



Howard is not only unfit to govern this fine land but has forfeited his right to call himself Australian, having systematically trashed every cherished Australian value over the last 11 years. He has also maligned and diminished Australia's standing in the International community. A true pox on Australia.



Get thee hence Howard!



Well done Get-up.

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Rhonda Mazurek
April 7th, 2007

I can't beleive that Howard things so little of the intellegence of the Australian public. This whole thing was a crime against not only Hicks but humanity in general. How can we ever trust the Howard government again or believe in justice and innocent until proven guilty.

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carolyn burton
April 8th, 2007

Someone may be able to enlighten me as to the reason for u.s.a. being able to maintain occupancy of another sovereign states territory against the will of the government and people of that sovereign state.



I'm referring to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Was not their "lease" over that territory relinquished around 1933, during a period of more corruption and criminal activity caused by u.s.a. interest than was stability and community cohesion brought to Cuba through the alliance?:- suzerainty= a region or people being made tributary to a more powerful entity which allows some "limited" domestic autonomy to the tributary.



Suzerainty= Platt Amendment 1902 by u.s.a. upon Cuba. Platt Amendment rejected 1933 by Cuban official government of that date.



Suzerainty:- while a sovereign nation can agree by treaty to become a protectorate of a stronger power,( eg. Cuba to u.s.a.), modern International Law "does Not recognize" any way of making this relationship theoretically" Irrevocable" by the Weaker Power.



Would I be naive to suppose that the "1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties" has some Protective mechanism prose enabled to support a sovereignty such as Cuba in such situation with u.s.a.



Isn't u.s.a.'s occupation and use of Cuban Territory an irrefutable trespass and blatent lawbreaking activity at state level.?

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Wayne Patterson
April 9th, 2007

Australia's own Guantanamo



More than three years since Cornelia Rau was wrongfully held in immigration detention, her legal team is still waiting for compensation.



Ms Rau was detained in 2004 for 10 months, first in Queensland and then the Baxter detention centre in South Australia.

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GAMINI KARIYAWASAM
April 9th, 2007

With John Howard in the helm as the Prime Minister of Australia, can any decent human being call Australia Home. It is a disgrace the Liberal party has brought to this nation that no peace loving honest Australian will ever like to sing aloud the National Anthem as it does not bring the proper meaning to this beatiful song. Howard and the cronies should be eliminated from the political scene at the next election and we all should strive to bring to bear a more responsible and decent parlimentarians to the National Assembly before this nation be enundated with unfair and unjust policy makers of the Howard cronies.



I am greatful for Getup in giving me this opportunity to become a member so that I can voice my true objections to the Howard Govt and hopefully put them down at the next Federal Elections.



I am so lucky that I will be part of Bennelong constituency and I will make sure that Maxine McKew snatch victory from the most hated politician of our time.



It will only then that we can call Australia Home!!

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Peter Graham
April 11th, 2007

GetUp has provided a forum for Australians to express their opinions and have a say on matters of importance. It is vital that such opinions be heard and GetUp provides it in a way not tainted by the spin and self interest of political parties and self aggrandising politicians. I am so pleased to see so many of my fellow members writing and otherwise supporting a movement dedicated to the pursuit of real democracy, which is being eroded daily be the machinations of the present government. It is also a clarion call to future governments that we expect much better of our elected representatives than we now receive.



The David Hicks affair, as yet unfinished, has pinpointed the lack of morals, ethics and honesty of John Howard and his lickspittle henchmen and should not be forgotten at the coming election. It is but only one example of the deceit, dishonesty, power grabbing and anti-democratic attitude of those who will say anything, do anything and use anyone in their quest to hang onto power at any cost, to Australia and its people; that is.



He, and they, have demeaned this country and caused us to be known around the world as a country, not any more a home of “the fair go”, but one subservient to a another country whose leaders, while professing to love freedom and democracy, do all possible to destroy both.



Keep up the good work. Australia really needs a voice, now more than ever. More power to GetUp.

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charles
May 2nd, 2007

Man, you cant even get justice in AUSTRALIA!!



Notice of Motion

by Notice of Motion Monday April 23, 2007 at 09:02 PM



Form 27

Notice of Motion



IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA )

) No. VID94/2007

VICTORIA DISTRICT REGISTRY )



{REPLACE} Applicant



vs



SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT

AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS Respondent



Notice of Motion

Form 27

(Order 19, rule 2)



The abovenamed Respondent will at ………………………………………………………………….

on ………………………………….. at Federal Court of Australia, Commonwealth Law Courts, 305 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 move the Court for Orders:



1. That the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Decision be set aside;



2. That the suitability and fitness of Paul Mentor and Sparke Helmore Lawyers, to be court officers in this court be voided and nulled;



3. That Paul Mentor and Sparke Helmore Lawyers, to be charged with perjury for falsely and knowingly making false statements in an affidavit dated 11 April 2007;



4. That the Respondent’s Notice of Motion dated 11 April 2007 be dismissed under O.52 r.18 of the Federal Court Rules.



5. That the Respondent failed to challenge any one or all of the questions of law raised at the directions hearing on 22 February 2007, and in the initial Notice of Appeals.



6. That the Respondent failed to challenge any one or all of the allegations of bias raised at the directions hearing on 22 February 2007, and in the initial Notice of Appeals.



7. That the Respondent be found guilty of contempt of this Court, and conspiring to pervert the course of justice, for theirs and Sparke Helmore’s continued and deliberate attempts to mislead the Court and Tribunal.



8. That the court seeks the assistance of the Law Society in investigating Sparke Helmore’s continued and deliberate attempts to mislead the Court and Tribunal, and conspiring to pervert the course of justice.



9. All moneys and allowance owed to Mr {REPLACE} under the Social Security Act 1991 and any other Commonwealth Acts, to be reinstated and reimbursed with interest;



10. An amount of $200,000 for the loss of income from lost contracts with Drs {REPLACE} and {REPLACE} and others;



11. An amount of $500,000 for Pain and suffering and the humiliation and degradation of having to eat dogfood for survival.



12. All Legal and Court costs pertaining to these proceedings to be paid by the Respondent;



13. Such further or other orders as the Court deems fit.



http://kangaroocourtaustralia.com/

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bla bla
May 3rd, 2007

get a grip on yourselves, david hicks is a terrorist who willingly went overseas to bear arms against westerners, he renamed himself as Abu Muslim al-Austraili and Muhammed Dawood, he turned his back on his country when he decided to train with osama bin laden, then when he couldnt get his way he wanted to be a british citizen, , so he could get out of jail, rot in jail you terrorist piece of garbage, he left our country, find somewhere else to live do the world a favor and fall off the planet

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Richard Ure
May 6th, 2007

Leigh Sales has been able to finish her book www.detainee002.com, get it printed and distributed to retailers, but David isn't back in Australia yet. Why? John Howard only cares about anything when the spotlight of publicity and apossible election loss confronts him.

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Paul Hancock
May 20th, 2007

GetUp!



I firmly believe that anyone who supports Daid Hicks in any way shape or form is deluding themselves and is truly unable to appreciate the dangers terrorism plays in todays society. Do you believe terrorists are playing by the rules of decency in an effort to achieve their objectives. Hicks supporters need to understand that terrorism is larger than any government policy and the values of like minded democratic socities world wide. Todays wars have entered a new phase which doesn't obide by traditional tactics and human decency.

I believe its time to take the gloves off and make every effort to eliminate the scurge of terrorism by what ever means necessary.

As far as I am concerned, David Hicks has forfeited his right to be a member of Australian society . Trivialising Hicks involvement in Afganastan and suggesting he was only acting in a material supportive role is an insult to everyones intelligence. Hicks made a moral and ethical decision to support terrorism which is contrary to the values of Australian society. He was wasn't oversees as a tourist but was wanting to be actively involved as a member of a world wide recognised terrorist organisation.

With all due respect, Hicks supporters are doing the fight against terrorism a huge diservice by supporting this guy. I am 100% certain that if a Hicks supporters family member or spouse was killed in the Bali bombing of 2002 then their holy than thow attitude would be very different .

As far as Terry Hicks is concerned and no matter how you try and dress it up, he has reared a son that has sort to be actively involved in outlawed terrorism group and who has snubbed his nose at all the benefits bestowed upon him as an Australian citizen.

So Hicks supporters, if you truely love Australia and appreciate such things as free speech and all that a democratic society provides , then do not concern yourself with a traitor like Hicks as he has got what he deserved.

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Ellie
September 16th, 2009

Paul -

So if your son was accused - not even convicted in a FAIR trail - but accused, of terrorism, you would be happy to sit back and watch people with about as much morality as the terrorists they are fighting, "take off the gloves" and go to work on your son by torturing him and keeping him in prison without trial for over 4 years?

Yeah, right.

Because, after all, he'd "forfeited" his rights as an Australian by being SUSPECTED of being a terrorist?

If I SUSPECT you of being an idiot do I have the right to punish you in any way?

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