The Government's latest strategy of swapping Sri Lankan asylum seekers for Cuban and Haitian refugees in the US is simply bizarre and demonstrates just how much John Howard has lost touch with the electorate.  People smugglers will be telling their clients that the glittering prize of a life in the US is now available - they just have to be apprehended in Australian waters.

Ecosystems

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False Cape

Flecker Botanic Gardens

Flowers

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Peace Convergence June 18-24
Join us at Shoalwater Bay for a week of community action against war and war games.
Talisman Sabre is set to start at the end of May for six weeks! The live firing and field component begins June 19. Bookings have started for camping at the caravan park in Yeppoon in preparation for the planned activities and actions during the Peace Convergence. If you are planning to come to Shoalwater for the Peace Convergence please book accommodation now.

i have read so many posts filled with hate and anger towards the dept. I dont know how i feel, i understand where you are coming from but at the same time i feel really sad and angry because i feel like you are bagging out my family :( I dont agree with everything the dept does. I was taken into care at the age of 12, i should of been taken in a lot earlier, i was living on the streets of Toowoomba at the age of 10, the dept were informed by my school and did nothing as in there words "i had options". They moved me to Logan, even though my family was still in Toowoomba.

(Editor: On 30/April2007 at 10:15 the TITLE of this post has been changed on request of a Mr Paul Turner claiming to be a representative of the Queensland Department of Justice. Mr Turner advised that a party named in this post has no issue with the content of this post other than with the original title.)

Russell Lloyd Keidge
P.O. Box 6355,
M.M.C. Qld 4740
E-mail: bkeidge @ mcs.net.au
25th March 2007.

To whom it may concern.
I am writing this letter to attempt to have justice done.

- by Sarah Perrott

Spellbinding Look At A Secret History

Witchcraft and magic were alive and well in Australia's colonial days, if the findings of respected author and historian Ian Evans are anything to go by.

Mr Evans will reveal all when he talks next Wednesday at the Queensland Museum about his research into this previously unknown "underworld" in colonial Australia.

Spells and witchcraft are commonplace in the history of many countries, but have managed to bypass Australian historians almost completely - until recently.

Ian believes a convict woman's boot from the Moreton Bay penal settlement was part of an ancient folk magic ritual, and the boot is one of many objects found in old houses and buildings across Australia for the same reason. The boot was found in the roof cavity of the old Commissariat Store in William Street, Brisbane in 1913, but its full meaning has only been recently revealed.

- by Selwyn Johnston

While Far North Queensland, the channel country, and much of Queensland's west is experiencing exceptional early summer rains, South East Queensland remains fine and dry as it has done for several years now. Water restrictions have been in place for some years but it is also a number of years since dam catchment areas have had rainfall exceeding 50 mm, not even top up water. Not good news!

The southeast is the most populous area of the State and growing on a daily basis, yet it has no water reserves. The question is, "How did this situation come about?"

There really is a trilogy of answers.

Can you help? - by John Tracey

The office of the Qld Adult Guardian have imposed draconian and cruel restrictions on the life of my nephew Marley Creed (above) including confining him to Brisbane against his will

Marley has (and has been assessed by the supreme court to have) the capacity to make all decisions in his life except for financial matters - he has a physical disability

However on 19/12/06 the Guardianship and Administration Tribunal removed all powers of decision making about his personal life and gave those powers to the Adult Guardian

They have however made no attempt at all to provide his basic needs such as accommodation clothes a survivable income and health care

Merry Christmas my oh so smart little friend from down under.Blessings and all things wonderful from your friend from up above.

Love,Jean

Quote: There are approximately 2 billion children (persons under age 14) in the world. However, since Santa does not visit children of Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or Buddhist (except maybe in Japan) religions, this reduces the workload for Christmas night to 19% of the total, or 378 million (according to the population reference bureau). At an average (census) rate of 3.5children per household, that comes to 108 million homes, presuming there is at least one good child in each. Unquote --- Read More

To: Queensland State Government

Petition regarding the refusal to lay charges relating to the death of Mulrinji - Sign here | View signatures

To: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

We are outraged that the Director of Public Prosecutions, Leanne Clare, has failed to lay any charges against the police officer responsible for the death of Palm Island man Mulrinji on November 19, 2004. Less than 2 months previously, the Qld Deputy Coroner, Christine Clements, found that Mulrinji was beaten by Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, such that he sustained 4 broken ribs and his liver was sliced almost in two. The DPP's explanation (echoing the police) that Mulrinji "fell" is a completely unacceptable lie - contradicting the coroner, expert medical advice, and witnesses. Premier Beattie and Police Minister Spence's defence of the DPP's decision is disgraceful.