2002 Pru Goward Looking after the family

16/38 Kings Park Road,

Perth, 6005

Tel 08 9324 1119

Mob 0401 054 155

Previously  Glenferrie Road,

Hawthorn, 3122

Ms Pru Goward,

Sex Discrimination Commissioner,

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission,

133 Castlereagh Street,

Sydney,

NSW 2000

July 30, 2002.

Dear Ms. Goward,

Re: Looking after the Family

Today is Tuesday, and I just heard Amanda Vanstone talking on the good old ABC about the money that is being clawed back from families without, it would seem, any regard for their ability to buy and eat food.  She said it was the law.  Who makes the laws, for God's sake?  If the law is a bad law, then it should be changed, not blindly obeyed.  Let us have Freedom - freedom (for the people) to live, express views etc.!

(How can it be that you, Pru Goward, are talking about assisting the family, when the rest of the Government seems to be set on exactly the opposite? As Sex Discrimination Commissioner, you may have come across a book called "Male and Female Realities" by Joe Tanenbaum.  In it, he talks about girls and boys games.  (page 141) and they made their own rules for a game.  In the boys game, if anyone got hurt he was thrown out of the game.  However, when one of the girls was hurt, they stopped the game, and altered the rules so that everyone was included.  I think the boys making the rules in Parliament need to be a little more inclusive!)

Also, yesterday there was an item on The Australian's or the Age's breaking news section stating that the Liberals probably wouldn't get back in Victoria.  And I agree.  Before Jeff Kennett was removed from office, I sent letters etc to many Liberals stating, effectively, that we/they weren't looking after the people at all.  I sent a few books to Jeff including "Stop Think" by former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Paul Hellyer. I was ignored.  I said to Robert Doyle (MLA) that the Libs were going to be thrown out - he didn't believe me. As we were watching the votes coming in, Robert just couldn't believe what was happening.

All the peoples' assets are being sold off, and banks supply the "money" for the new owners.  The new owners pay higher interest rates, and have to make a profit.  Prices therefore must go up.  Then our companies have to pay more for basic services, for example telephones, which makes us less competitive with the rest of the world.  Families have to work harder and harder as banks and others cream off the profits.

Stupid, isn't it?

Do we really have to go down the American path and become total workaholics (i.e. good Protestant Work Ethic stuff), or can we show the world how it should really be done?

Anyway, here is the rest of the letter I started a few weeks ago.

Please find attached a letter I sent to the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, and other several members of Parliament five years ago. 

It was effectively ignored.

Over the years, I have written to a number of MPs about creating a more caring sharing society, but I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the Liberals are far more interested in "freedom" - mainly for companies - than looking after the people.  People also need freedom - to live! As a fifty seven year old, who met Menzies as a lad with my father,  it is a very sad revelation.

I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that working outside the Liberal Party, and writing to all Members of all Parliaments in Australia and joining a few pressure groups is probably going to be far more effective.

Another group that has a very strong family bias is the National Civic Council - B. A. Santamaria's organisation. 

I also enclose a few other letters etc that I have written that you may find of interest.

Having lived in the United States for a number of years, I am deeply concerned about Australia being taken down the same uncaring path.

Back to families.  Money is one of the main problems.  What is not generally known is that Banks create most of the money we use - not the Government.  They are creating as much credit as they possibly can, and forcing prices up (housing, in particular) and sapping the life blood of the community through interest.  I have written to the Treasurer about this, but if you picked up the phone and asked him do banks create credit from nothing or out of thin air, he will say yes.

Until the banks are brought back under control, society is in for a very rough trot.  And the collapse that is happening around the world is due, in large part, to banks creating so much money that a bubble was inevitable.

Yours sincerely,

Clem Clarke