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Direct Democracy is a grassroots movement of citizens who want all Australians to have a say in important questions about our country, and not just electing politicians every few years. 

It’s tragic.  Our two oldest journals of record, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age look to be doomed.  Use the form below to warn Fairfax.

Ever since the Fairfax family left, they have been in the hands of successive boards, who appear to have abdicated all responsibility – resulting in a collapse in the share price and in earnings.

They've handed editorial control over to a journalist collective, who have turned these once great journals of record into mouthpieces for the vegan, bicycle-riding, inner city elites who are completely out of touch with mainstream Australia.

And now a great Australian with a proven track record of business success, the indomitable Gina Rinehart, comes along with not only the resources, but above all her extraordinary drive and talent, to rescue these outlets.

As the Fairfax board considers Gina Rinehart's bid for board representation, they should be thanking their lucky stars that someone is prepared to risk her own money - not just live off someone else's - to keep Australia a competitive media marketplace.

Without a great Australian patriot like Gina Rinehart, the future of Fairfax Media looks pretty bleak.

Using the simple form below, let Fairfax management know that you support her attempts to save the once proud company and demand that she be given a 'fair go' to fix Fairfax.

After all, isn't it worth having at the board table the very person who stands to lose the most if the company fails?

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Once upon a time they looked after workers’ pay and conditions.  Rising through the ranks, they were dedicated and they fought hard for the members.  But today’s typical union boss no longer comes from the shop floor. These positions have been cornered by the elites.

Despite a massive fall in membership there are now twice as many union bosses as in 1975.  The ratio of bosses to members is five times that of Britain’s.

They are very well rewarded, these bosses. And not just in their wages.  They can look forward to being life-time beneficiaries of that well known rort, “jobs for the boys”.  You name it, jobs on government boards, jobs on commissions, seats in parliament, with of course, generous taxpayer funded superannuation - their political friends, the party machines and the factions will ensure these generous benefits will be accessible.

In the meantime we’ve seen complaints that union funds are being diverted to pay for such things as holidays for friends and relatives, private school fees and even for prostitutes.  There are claims that contracts for, say, the union’s newsletter, are being awarded to mates at massively over-the-top prices.  The condition is that the mate pay the union boss a generous commission. They keep it secret of course - if this sleazy deal were made public they would probably all end up in gaol.

This is nothing compared with the rivers of gold about to flow into the deep pockets of the union bosses.  They are getting their hands on workers’ superannuation, with government decreeing that the employers will soon be paying 12% of wages by way of superannuation.  By 2025, industry funds are expected to control assets of $1.5 trillion.  Should anyone be surprised that proposals these funds be subject to the same transparency rules which apply to public companies have been vigorously resisted?

In America this scandal would merit a series of grand jury investigations.  In Britain there'd be a Royal Commission.  But in this country, the government has given us Fair Work Australia, showing their contempt for public opinion by loading it down with ex-union bosses.  Investigating one, simple, straight forward case concerning a sitting politician - Craig Thomson MP - has taken Fair Work Australia longer than the Korean War.  They’ve even refused to cooperate with the state police.

The role and function of the union bosses, favoured as they are by government, must be investigated.  As a first step, Fair Work Australia must properly conclude its investigation into allegations against Craig Thomson MP, and co-operate fully with other law enforcement authorities.  What is necessary above all is a Royal Commission under the most eminent and respected lawyers into all aspects of this shocking scandal, including the role and function of Fair Work Australia.

Express your disgust at the Union Bosses' Rorts.  Send your message to Canberra.

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Ours must be the greediest federal government in the world. Although the states are responsible for 40% of public spending, they can only raise 19% of taxes. Canberra takes over 80% of all taxes and then stands over the states as to how grants to them should be spent, thus subverting the constitutional intention.

Now Canberra is moving into two new areas. First, they’ve introduced a CO2 tax which will have zero effect on the temperature. It will only impose additional costs on business and force them to move overseas, creating unemployment.

The other is a new Federal mining tax, the MRRT, the terms of which were secretly worked out with the three largest foreign miners just before the 2010 election.  But most minerals are owned by the States who should be left to tax them; the tax may not survive a constitutional challenge.

Is there no limit to Canberra’s greed?  The danger to the mining industry is that they may well kill the goose that lays the golden eggs which are keeping this country going.  Just look at the short video CANdo has prepared explaining this.

CANdo demands the government repeal both the CO2 tax and the mining tax, and resist outrageous demands they burden the miners with even more taxes.

Please be sure to sign the petition and support this campaign.

Also, we do ask you to help us get a series of shorter video advertisments on air.  Please help us here.

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In the latest manifestation of the Nanny State, the  federal government is attempting to turn all volunteers in Australia – up to 6 million Australians - into “workers” with all of the legal ramifications which will follow.  Ludicrously, beaches, Scout Halls, sporting fields, theatres - anywhere where Australians do voluntary work - will become “workplaces”.  

Former trade union official Minister Bill Shorten claims that this is a mere codification of the common law. Not true. The common law doesn't fine non-profitable organisations and charities up to $3 million. The common law doesn’t fine volunteers up to $300,000. The common law doesn’t  put volunteers in jail for up to 5 years.

The government is giving special rights to trade unions and is extraordinarily protective of trade union officials – just look at the case of the former official now MP has been under arrest investigation for three years by fair work Australia. Under one previous version of this law unions did the prosecuting and took a large share of the fines with employers assumed guilty. It even tried to exclude the supervisory jurisdiction of the courts.

With the licence to punt being planned, it won’t be surprising if Australian volunteers will next have to take out licences.

Now is the time to stop excessive interference and regulation of our lives by and increasingly intrusive government.  Say no to the Nanny State.  During the life of our country we Australians have volunteered in so many areas to do so much good for our neighbours.  We've done it without Canberra imposing some new draconian rules on us.  And remember this is only the latest example.

So sign the petition to get government out of our lives, share this campaign, and visit our "Resources" menu to consider how else you can make your voice effective.

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In 1901 our constitution gave the Federal parliament power to legislate with respect to marriages.  This meant a voluntary union for life between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others.

If Parliament believes this is to be changed, the final decision should be not for the politicians but for the Australian people.  After all it's our constitution and that can only be changed by referendum.  Indeed an attempted legislative change may not survive a constitutional challenge.

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Without any evidence that their convoluted and expensive technology will work, and just to keep the support of one member who got only 13,000 primary votes in the last election, the government wants to impose massive costs on Australian clubs and hotels.

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The avalanche of asylum seekers - and the tragic loss of life - can be traced back to the government’s unwise decision to reverse John Howard’s solution, the one which stopped the boats.

The answer is at least to return to offshore processing and Temporary Protection Visas.  The government’s reversal of policy in relation to offshore processing has been a failure, whether in East Timor or Malaysia.

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A pattern has emerged in recent years of governments finding new ways to effectively take your property.  When a government action makes a property no longer a pleasure to live on, or significantly reduces its value - even making it next to worthless - they might as well have stolen it.

Many Australians first became aware of this when Farmer Peter Spencer went on a hunger strike protesting against the NSW government making his land a useless carbon sink so that the federal government could fulfil its obligations under the Kyoto protocol.

We've seen many cases of governments allowing coal seam gas mining and exploration on private land without the consent of the landowner and  the local community and without any regard to the damage of water supplies.

Noisy subsidised wind farms have been plonked down close to landholders.  In one knee jerk reaction the government almost wrecked the cattle industry.  And instead of harvesting water as governments formerly did, their acquisition of and trade in water rights will reduce agricultural production significantly, and impacts badly on the value of other properties. 

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There were ominous signs in 2011 of an agenda to stop the people knowing about what the Federal government is up to.

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It is easier to vote now than to collect a registered parcel valued at few dollars at the post office.  Significant changes were made from the 80's to make it easier to vote, although there was no evidence that they were serious obstacles to voting.

Something must be done to stop the obvious incentive for fraud that neither the post office nor any credit card provider would tolerate.

When a name is crossed of the roll in one polling station, or when casting an absentee vote, it should be crossed off everywhere.  The sort of technology which is available everywhere for credit card use could do that.  Simple technology can do that is available to do that.

And when we vote surely it's reasonable to ask for some identification?

Then there’s the problem created when the High Court upheld a GetUp! challenge just before the 2010 election to closing the rolls at 8pm on the day the election writs are issued.  This was to prevent the potential for substantial fraud  concealed in the last minute flood of registrations.  The judges took months to give their reasons, relying on an activist interpretation of the Constitution. Until then this was left to Parliament as the Constitution clearly intends.

Registration procedures will have to be tightened to counter this.  This could involve the requirement of some reasonable  identification and formalities such as that required by banks and credit card companies when opening a new account.  Surely exercising the right and responsibility to vote is of greater importance than taking out a new credit card.

The future direction of the country can depend on an election.  As you know this can mean the difference between good government, and incompetence, massive waste and duplicity on a grand scale.  Why should it be open to being decided fraudulently?

Please be sure to sign the petition, share this campaign, and visit our "Resources" menu to consider how else you can make your voice effective.