It still hurts. Seventeen days later, and the re-election of John Winston Howard for a fourth term of government is still unbelievable. Despite his government's appalling track record on humanitarian issues, on foreign policy, on trade relations and industrial development, despite its under-publicised shortcomings in economic management, the Liberals and Nationals are back with an increased majority. Worse still, they will hold at least half of the senate seats from 1 July 2005, and might just (for we still do not know for sure) gain an absolute majority.

The Green Party of the United States, who will be represented by David Cobb in the presidential election, issued a list last Thursday of issues that George W Bush and John F Kerry failed to discuss at their three Mass Debates. I reproduce their press release in full:

GREENS LIST THE TOP 12 ISSUES CENSORED FROM THE BUSH-KERRY DEBATES

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders and candidates charged that the presidential debates, limited to the candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry, have effectively censored numerous issues important to Americans.

(On a day when it is 15 degrees and wet after being 38 and sunny last Wednesday, here is a piece from Melbourne Indymedia on global warming. - Rick)

Increase in atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
http://www.indymedia.org/or/2004/10/112190.shtml

October 15, 6:07 pm.
http://www.empirenotes.org/#15oct041
October 15, 6:07 pm. Apparently, an Army Reserve platoon, part of the 343rd Quartermaster Company from Rock Hill, South Carolina, is under arrest for refusing to obey orders to go on what they considered a suicide mission. Stationed at Tallil Air Base south of Nasiriyah, they were ordered to do a fuel resupply run up to Taji, north of Baghdad. Fuel convoys in the "Sunni Triangle" nearly always co ...