Open Letter to the Australian Minister for Defence: Dear Dr Nelson

I write to you today to express my deep concerns about the US/Australian "Military Games".

Of course, I understand that our Aussie troops need to undergo adequate and thorough training to equip them with the skills needed to defend our country against any form of aggressive invasion. Of course, our troops need training before being placed in harms way.

However, I do not agree that my taxes and the taxes of other Australians should be "splashed about" to further advance the US's military build up in the Pacific.

Bob Brown (Green's) motion endorsing the Australian Council of Trade Unions' action plan on climate change was voted down by Labor and the Coalition in the Senate on Monday the 26th of March.

I am particularly disappointed in the Democrats (who say that they are in power to help keep the B's honest), who abstained from voting.

The ACTU's motion reads:
That the Senate endorses the climate change action plan proposed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions, including its call for:

1. government subsidies for energy efficient retrofitting of buildings;
2. mandatory green building codes
3. large-scale reuse of treated effluent
4. improved vehicle fuel efficiency
5. greater use of shipping to cute greenhouse gas emissions
6. the right to reject work which harms the environment
7. a mandatory renewable energy target of 10 per
   cent, as called for by the Greens in 2002