September 2015: what you've helped make possible
September's only half over -- and already GetUp members have been busy making our mark on politics through candlelit vigils, cheeky coal deliveries to the Environment Minister... and much more. Read on for an update on all that we've done so far.
It was a gut-wrenching photo that hit us all hard -- the little body of Aylan, a young boy who's life was lost while his family sought asylum. In days, that image because a symbol of all people seeking protection around the world – and a rallying cry for a community response that was truly incredible.
Last week, GetUp members and our friends, family and allies came together to act – lighting the dark in the tens of thousands in cities and towns across the country. Images of our vigils didn't only light up the front pages and nightly news; they lit a fire under MPs and leaders on both sides of the political divide. Those arguing for generosity pointed to our vigils as a sign of powerful public sentiment; and politicians who'd been silent couldn't ignore the groundswell of community support. The result? In an incredible turnaround, the government will now grant 12,000 permanent visas to people seeking protection within a year.
There's still much to do for the thousands of people seeking asylum in our care, and the details of the announcement are still emerging. But let's take a moment to acknowledge this: last week, we saw real progress. For the first time in so long, the Australian government acted with true humanity towards refugees, providing real, permanent safety to those in need, genuinely beginning to step up and play its part in the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. And it couldn't have happened without the tidal wave of support from people all over the country.
Congratulations to everyone who lit a candle, and organised or attended a vigil last week (a special shout-out to Welcome to Australia, Refugee Action Collective, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Amnesty International, in particular!).
Click here for some photo highlights from beautiful, heartfelt vigils around the country: http://www.getup.org.au/lighting-the-dark
Here's some more great news from last week: the Senate voted 35 to 30 to block the Abbott Government's cruel budget cuts to Newstart support!
Since the harsh cuts were first flagged, GetUp members have sent thousands of emails to their MPs and senators, rallied in streets around the country, and flooded Senator Abetz's inbox with job applications. Labor, Greens, crossbench senators heard our message and voted against the Government's cuts last week. Their vote will ensure that young jobseekers have the support they need while looking for work, without being punished by a one month wait with no income.
This is what happens when 81,000 people come together to say no to punishing young jobseekers. Not only have we knocked this nasty legislation down, we've also sent a strong message to the Abbott Government that in a time of rising unemployment – which usually hurts young jobseekers even harder – they should focus on creating more job opportunities for young Australians instead of punishing them.1
Together, we've managed to stop many of the harsh budget measures proposed by the Abbott Government – from the GP co-payment to pension cuts to $100,000 degrees. But the Abbott Goverment is more than likely to keep pushing the Newstart cuts on to young jobseekers1 -- so it's vital we stay vigilant, and let our senators know that we will back them up when they stand strong for helping rather than hurting young jobseekers.
Take a moment to savour this win and thank your senator for standing strong: https://www.getup.org.au/newstart
[1] Senate rejects bid to make young jobseekers wait extra four weeks for welfare, The Guardian, 10 September 2015
"If politics can't get us the change we want, then we need to change the politics"
Tying together climate change, the treatment of refugees on Nauru and the role of Indigenous communities in the fight against fossil fuels , Naomi Klein delivered an intensely powerful speech to a sold-out audience at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. The message was clear: we need climate justice, and to get it, we need everyone.
Not content for our members to miss out, we live-streamed her talk in partnership with the Sydney Opera House and it was watched by thousands of people across the country. Check it out here!
Naomi's tour in Australia comes at a crucial juncture: in the lead up to the Paris climate negotiations in late November, we'll be rolling out an exciting strategy to build the power we need to divorce our government from the coal and gas industries.
Want to be involved? Sign up here and we'll get in touch! https://getup.org.au/klein-dangerous/ideas
By now you've likely heard of Gayby Bayby – the Australian documentary film that inadvertently triggered national controversy after the state Education Minister banned its viewing NSW schools, without even watching it.
Following a turgid front-page story in The Daily Telegraph it was difficult to view the state-wide ban on showing Gayby Baby to students as anything other than a misinformed, politically-driven collusion between the Murdoch-owned paper and the Liberal state government. After-all, why should the stories of children growing up in same-sex parent families be hidden? What was the NSW Education Minister so afraid of?
The ban garnered national headlines and heated discussion around whether the film was appropriate. But now, you're able to see the film for yourself, and make up your own mind whether this beautiful dcumentary film should have been kept out of our schools. (Spoiler alert – we reckon you'll think it's wonderful, and should be mandatory viewing for all Australians!)
Check out the preview for the film here -- and if you like what you see, why not get a group of friends and family together for a fun night out in a cinema near you?
You can check out the screening details here, or if it's not playing at a cinema near you, click here to ask the cinema to play it by hosting your own screening!
Dredging is back. The Government has submitted brand new plans to dredge millions of tonnes of Great Barrier Reef seabed to build Adani's giant coal port at Abbot Point. And they might be new plans, but they've got the same old problem: dredging in the World Heritage Area will damage our most precious natural wonder and result in thousands more coal ships passing through the Reef.
Together, we've fought off two versions of this ludicrous proposal. But now, the threat is back, and it's as real as ever.
Over the last couple of weeks, GetUp members have been making sure Environment Minister Greg Hunt knows that Australians don't want Adani's coal threatening our Reef, and we won't be letting him forget it. GetUp members in Minister Hunt's electorate of Flinders have rallied at his office, delivered him a big pile of coal, had conversations with the community, and delivered hundreds of hand-written messages to Hunt asking him to do the right thing and shut down Adani's coal project for good. Now, the public has until Friday to make submissions calling on the Government not to go ahead with dredging in the Reef's World Heritage Area.
It might sound daunting, but you don't need to be an expert to make a submission -- you just need to say why you're concerned about protecting the Great Barrier Reef. We've outlined some of the worst environmental impacts to help get you started. Make a submission here: www.getup.org.au/dredging
How we lit the dark
It was a gut-wrenching photo that hit us all hard -- the little body of Aylan, a young boy who's life was lost while his family sought asylum. In days, that image because a symbol of all people seeking protection around the world – and a rallying cry for a community response that was truly incredible.
Last week, GetUp members and our friends, family and allies came together to act – lighting the dark in the tens of thousands in cities and towns across the country. Images of our vigils didn't only light up the front pages and nightly news; they lit a fire under MPs and leaders on both sides of the political divide. Those arguing for generosity pointed to our vigils as a sign of powerful public sentiment; and politicians who'd been silent couldn't ignore the groundswell of community support. The result? In an incredible turnaround, the government will now grant 12,000 permanent visas to people seeking protection within a year.
There's still much to do for the thousands of people seeking asylum in our care, and the details of the announcement are still emerging. But let's take a moment to acknowledge this: last week, we saw real progress. For the first time in so long, the Australian government acted with true humanity towards refugees, providing real, permanent safety to those in need, genuinely beginning to step up and play its part in the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. And it couldn't have happened without the tidal wave of support from people all over the country.
Congratulations to everyone who lit a candle, and organised or attended a vigil last week (a special shout-out to Welcome to Australia, Refugee Action Collective, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Amnesty International, in particular!).
Click here for some photo highlights from beautiful, heartfelt vigils around the country: http://www.getup.org.au/lighting-the-dark
Newstart win - again!
Here's some more great news from last week: the Senate voted 35 to 30 to block the Abbott Government's cruel budget cuts to Newstart support!
Since the harsh cuts were first flagged, GetUp members have sent thousands of emails to their MPs and senators, rallied in streets around the country, and flooded Senator Abetz's inbox with job applications. Labor, Greens, crossbench senators heard our message and voted against the Government's cuts last week. Their vote will ensure that young jobseekers have the support they need while looking for work, without being punished by a one month wait with no income.
This is what happens when 81,000 people come together to say no to punishing young jobseekers. Not only have we knocked this nasty legislation down, we've also sent a strong message to the Abbott Government that in a time of rising unemployment – which usually hurts young jobseekers even harder – they should focus on creating more job opportunities for young Australians instead of punishing them.1
Together, we've managed to stop many of the harsh budget measures proposed by the Abbott Government – from the GP co-payment to pension cuts to $100,000 degrees. But the Abbott Goverment is more than likely to keep pushing the Newstart cuts on to young jobseekers1 -- so it's vital we stay vigilant, and let our senators know that we will back them up when they stand strong for helping rather than hurting young jobseekers.
Take a moment to savour this win and thank your senator for standing strong: https://www.getup.org.au/newstart
[1] Senate rejects bid to make young jobseekers wait extra four weeks for welfare, The Guardian, 10 September 2015
Naomi Klein - this changes everything
"If politics can't get us the change we want, then we need to change the politics"
Tying together climate change, the treatment of refugees on Nauru and the role of Indigenous communities in the fight against fossil fuels , Naomi Klein delivered an intensely powerful speech to a sold-out audience at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. The message was clear: we need climate justice, and to get it, we need everyone.
Not content for our members to miss out, we live-streamed her talk in partnership with the Sydney Opera House and it was watched by thousands of people across the country. Check it out here!
Naomi's tour in Australia comes at a crucial juncture: in the lead up to the Paris climate negotiations in late November, we'll be rolling out an exciting strategy to build the power we need to divorce our government from the coal and gas industries.
Want to be involved? Sign up here and we'll get in touch! https://getup.org.au/klein-dangerous/ideas
Gayby Baby
By now you've likely heard of Gayby Bayby – the Australian documentary film that inadvertently triggered national controversy after the state Education Minister banned its viewing NSW schools, without even watching it.
Following a turgid front-page story in The Daily Telegraph it was difficult to view the state-wide ban on showing Gayby Baby to students as anything other than a misinformed, politically-driven collusion between the Murdoch-owned paper and the Liberal state government. After-all, why should the stories of children growing up in same-sex parent families be hidden? What was the NSW Education Minister so afraid of?
The ban garnered national headlines and heated discussion around whether the film was appropriate. But now, you're able to see the film for yourself, and make up your own mind whether this beautiful dcumentary film should have been kept out of our schools. (Spoiler alert – we reckon you'll think it's wonderful, and should be mandatory viewing for all Australians!)
Check out the preview for the film here -- and if you like what you see, why not get a group of friends and family together for a fun night out in a cinema near you?
You can check out the screening details here, or if it's not playing at a cinema near you, click here to ask the cinema to play it by hosting your own screening!
Stand up for the Reef
Dredging is back. The Government has submitted brand new plans to dredge millions of tonnes of Great Barrier Reef seabed to build Adani's giant coal port at Abbot Point. And they might be new plans, but they've got the same old problem: dredging in the World Heritage Area will damage our most precious natural wonder and result in thousands more coal ships passing through the Reef.
Together, we've fought off two versions of this ludicrous proposal. But now, the threat is back, and it's as real as ever.
Over the last couple of weeks, GetUp members have been making sure Environment Minister Greg Hunt knows that Australians don't want Adani's coal threatening our Reef, and we won't be letting him forget it. GetUp members in Minister Hunt's electorate of Flinders have rallied at his office, delivered him a big pile of coal, had conversations with the community, and delivered hundreds of hand-written messages to Hunt asking him to do the right thing and shut down Adani's coal project for good. Now, the public has until Friday to make submissions calling on the Government not to go ahead with dredging in the Reef's World Heritage Area.
It might sound daunting, but you don't need to be an expert to make a submission -- you just need to say why you're concerned about protecting the Great Barrier Reef. We've outlined some of the worst environmental impacts to help get you started. Make a submission here: www.getup.org.au/dredging
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