Senator Andrew Bartlett
Saturday, September 04, 2004
 
Announced our South Australian Senate team, led by John McLaren. A seat we're aiming to win, with the extra aspect of it being a seat which the Democrats won, but which Meg Lees kept when she left the party. We'll see what happens, but it's one where we have a reasonable chance of winning.

I also managed to catch up with some animal welfare activists while in town to talk about issues of concern to them. There's some good people there, some of whom I've met before, and it's a reminder to me to more consistently put energy into that area.

Drove out to Murray Bridge, a town a bit over an hour away from Adelaide up through the Adelaide Hills, to meet with a group of Afghan refugees who are living and working in that town. John McLaren teaches at the local High School there. Many of these guys have been in Australia four or five years – a few are finally getting permanent visas, but many are still awaiting decisions on permanent visas or appealing. Having already been found to be refugees over three years ago, to make them go through it all again is so cruel (and pointless, unnecessary, inefficient and expensive).

I met a few men who had not seen their wives and children for five years and were still unsure about when they might be able to be reunited. Given that I'm starting to badly miss my daughter and I've only been away from home since Sunday AND I know when I'll be able to see her again (tomorrow!!), it's hard to comprehend how it could be tolerable to be separated for years and still be unsure how much longer it will.

All this after they were acknowledged as genuine refugees four or more years ago, and all as a direct and deliberate consequence of changes brought in by the Howard Government and allowed through the Senate by the ALP.

In between all that, I managed to stop of at Big Star records in the city (I think it's Rundle St), one of the best record stores I've come across in Australia. I haven't bought CDs for ages, so I splurged on a copy of Rock Against Howard (can't have too many copies of that), plus the latest Cure and 3CD set of old Cure albums – continuing my habit of staying in touch with the cutting edge of modern music by buying CDs of 20 year old albums which I already have on vinyl. Still, two of the three have always been favourites so it's worth it at only $20. (The third one – The Top - is pretty lame, but it's a box set so may as well have it).

Current reading: Media Tarts by Julia Baird – about how the media treat women in politics

Favourite recent Newspaper quote: From Mike Seccombe in the Sydney Morning Herald “Liberal Senator George Brandis does not deny routinely referring to the Prime Minister as "the rodent". He does, however, deny ever calling the Prime Minister "a lying rodent". He believes John Howard is a truthful rodent. Actually, we should clarify that further, for Brandis is a barrister, with a barrister's capacity for fine distinction. He would only ever call Howard the rodent; never a rodent, because the former is a nickname, whereas the latter would be a pejorative term. And, it must be said, in all the times this correspondent has heard Brandis use the r-word it has always been preceded by "the", not "a".”

Current listening: Obviously have the 'Rock Against Howard' top value double CD on high rotation at the moment, although I think my mum will be disappointed as it seems like the five songs leading up to mine all contain significant levels of crudity (as Mark Latham would put it). Makes the one from my band sound nicer and sweeter in comparison I guess.

posted by Andrew Bartlett @ Saturday, September 04, 2004 Permalink
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