AD-
LIB WINTER ISSUE 2015
LIB
WINTER ISSUE 2015
AD-
AD-LIB is the quarterly publication of the south Australian young liberal movement.
Contents Editor:
Rhys Williams
Assistant Editor: Courtney Stephens
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By Robert Katsambis
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DISCLAIMER:
The opinions expressed herein belong solely to the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor, Assistant Editor, or the South Australian Young Liberal Movement. Contributions to this edition of ADLIB are from members and friends of the SAYLM. To contribute to the next issue of ADLIB or to contact the Editor, email adlib@sayoungliberals.com. Authorised by Mr Alexander Hyde, President, SAYLM. 104 Greenhill Road, Unley, 5061. Published 03/07/2015
Removing the hurdles to world class education
Middle east conflict solution
By Taylor Malthouse-Bevan
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state budget
By Brad Vermeer
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national security and citizenship
By Luke Hanson
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Cuba/Us relations
By Tom Edwards
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young liberal of the year
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Nick Minchin Perpetual Award
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Photo gallery
Highlights of the 2014/15 period
Image: Adelaide Hills
John Westra (Source: Flickr)
From the Editor current plans by the Federal Government to strip dual-nationals of their Australian citizenship if they engage in terrorist activities. And finally, Tom Edwards takes us across the Pacific and writes about how America’s next President could effect her relationship with Cuba. With my term drawing to a close, I should say it has been a great pleasure serving on the SAYLM Executive as the Communications Director and Editor of AD-LIB. I will not be re-contesting the position at our AGM as I refocus my time on the Adelaide Hello again and thank you for picking up a copy University Liberal Club, another organisation that I of AD-LIB! am equally fond of. It has only been a few months since we last It has been my goal to make AD-LIB a reputable updated you but so much has happened during that publication throughout the Liberal Party and a time! SAYLM events were aplenty with the Annual medium by which we can showcase the talents and Tonkin Memorial Dinner and the Annual Young efforts of SAYLM members. Liberal Ball as the significant highlights. The feedback I received about AD-LIB has been In this issue of AD-LIB we hope to recap the overwhelmingly positive, particularly from Liberal 2014/15 year for the Movement as we elect a new Party State Council delegates who have enjoyed Executive to take us forward to greater heights over picking up a copy at their quarterly meetings. the 2015/16 period. If you need to reacquaint yourself I would also like to take this opportunity to invite with our activities over the last 12 months our you (if you haven’t already) to follow us on Twitter at glamorous State Vice President, Courtney Stephens @sayoungliberals and to like the ‘South Australian has recapped things nicely in her report. Young Liberal Movement’ page on Facebook There are also some great articles in this issue, as both of which will help you stay in touch with the us Robert Katsambis gives us a lesson on University between reading our magazine. Also know previous deregulation. issues of AD-LIB magazine can be viewed easily online by visiting www.issuu.com/sayoungliberals. Taylor Malthouse-Bevan thinks resolving the conflict in the Middle East isn’t all that complicated. If you would like to get in touch with about writing for or featuring in the next issue of AD-LIB, Brad Vermeer has written a piece for those please email at adlib@sayoungliberals.com. interested in the State Budget, and it’s not good news for South Australia. Rhys Williams Luke Hanson offers some improvements to the
SAYLM Communications Director
AD-LIB| WINTER ISSUE 2015
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From The President Despite having no general elections in the previous twelve months, we were called upon to fight the good fight against the Labor Party in two key by-elections. Needless to say, as we had a hung parliament at the time the Movement worked tirelessly in the hopes of delivering a Liberal government to South Australia. The first by-election in the seat of Fisher was brought on by the Speaker of the House of Assembly at a particular time to frustrate our Party’s efforts to organise. We did rise to the challenge though. As another term comes to an end I would like to remark on the outstanding job all members of my Executive did in their respective portfolios. Their experience and expertise meant that in the previous year the Movement more than met its constitutional commitments and went above and beyond its duties in campaigning in the field and engaging our membership. Evidently, with a strong and capable leadership team the Movement is able to realise its full potential.
Following on from the monumental gains of the Sam Duluk for Fisher campaign which saw a massive swing to the Liberals, our candidate Heidi Harris worked hard to further chip away at that margin. With the help of many Young Liberals we came so close to victory but unfortunately fell short by a handful of votes.
In the second by-election in the neighbouring seat of Davenport we were pleased to see former Young Liberal President Sam Duluk elected. There is no doubt in my mind that had Sam not worked tirelessly Throughout the entire year the Young Liberals and had the Movement not mobilised in force to always had an event on the horizon. Whether it be counteract the Labor machine in Davenport we would a Young Liberal Council, Policy in the Pub, New have had a repeat of the Fisher by-election. Members Drinks or any of our other trademark events A number of other things have been happening such as the Annual Ball or Tonkin Memorial dinner, behind the scene this year. As the senior Party looks there was always something for you, our membership, to restructure its systems leading into the next federal to look forward to. and state elections, the Young Liberal Movement is The Ball itself this year was a highlight, with keeping up with the pace. a fantastic venue, great catering and an excellent We have recently begun rebuilding our website atmosphere. I want to again extend my thanks to our on a platform that will encompass a variety of outgoing Social Director Charlotte Edmunds and our ever committed and diligent State Vice President fundraising and campaigning functions, as well as Courtney Stephens – all those in attendance wouldn’t providing a base that will be regularly used by more have had such a great night if it weren’t for the efforts of our members and show prospective members how active and flourishing our organisation is. Once this of them both.
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Members of the SAYLM Executive and Federal Young Liberal President, Simon Breheny at Young Liberal State Convention 2015.
rebuild is completed the South Australian Young campaign and social events have nurtured a positive Liberal Movement will have the most comprehensive predisposition towards our cause at a time when the and thorough digital systems in the Federation. Party faces challenges going forward. This progress also feeds into the establishment of the Young Liberal Social Media Unit, which will work closely with the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Steven Marshall MP. While it is only in its formative stages, the Social Media Unit has a number of exciting projects on the horizon and should I be fortunate enough to be re-elected the development of this team into a professional digital media campaigning body will be a priority for myself and my Executive. I am pleased to report that at the end of this term the Movement has grown in size and activity. We have increased attendance at our events, as both
I would like to thank all Young Liberals who have contributed to these activities and in particular I wish to outline the commitment of the University Liberal Clubs and their Presidents. Mr Jarryd Thiel (Flinders), Mr David Morton (University of South Australia) and Mr Rhys Williams (Adelaide University) have excelled in the development of their respective clubs and I look forward to the close working relationship between the Movement and Liberal Students on campus strengthening further into the future. Alexander Hyde SAYLM President
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State VP Report Courtney Stephens Campaigning The past year has seen a large focus on campaigning with two by-elections here in SA, in addition to the Victorian, Queensland and NSW State elections, which a number of dedicated YLs helped out in.
2014/2015 has been an eventful year for the South Australian Young Liberal Movement (SAYLM) Executive and the wider collective Movement. The Movement has assisted in two by-elections in addition to campaigning in elections interstate, hosted numerous social events, participated in a charity walk, developed policy and promoted the Liberal cause within the party as well as in the broader community. New Members Drinks always illustrates that people join the SAYLM for various reasons; some are passionate about policy development, some join to meet new people and further their networks and many are frustrated by the current State Labor Government and want to help campaign to get rid of Premier Weatherill and his team. With this in mind, the Executive planned a year with a balance of events to suit all members’ interests.
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Former YL President Sam Duluk and his team worked extremely hard to keep Davenport in safe Liberal hands and Heidi Harris narrowly missed out in Fisher. Many YLs gave their time generously to both Sam and Heidi and it was disappointing that the SA Liberal Party could only pick up one of the two seats. Nevertheless, the movement can be proud of the contribution we made in both by-elections. Social Functions On the social front, the Movement hosted a Wine Tour to McLaren Vale, two Young Liberal Balls, New Members’ Drinks, a Christmas BBQ and the Annual Tonkin Dinner. All functions were well attended by YLs past and present and many State and Federal MPs also kindly gave their time. I thoroughly enjoyed assisting Charlotte Edmunds, Alex Hyde and the Social committee organised these events that were all very successful for the Movement.
Policy Development
Supporting the Hutt St Centre
Once again this year the Executive has provided many different forums for YLs to discuss and debate what is important to them and hear from people in the community who influence policy development.
In August a team of YLs participated in the Hutt St Centre’s ‘Walk a Mile’ event. This widely supported annual event raises money for the valuable work of the Hutt Street Centre.
Speakers this year included the Hon. Andrew McLachlan CSC MLC, the Hon. David Ridgway MLC, State Liberal Leader Mr Steven Marshall MP, Mr Sam Duluk MP, Liberal Party Vice-President Steve Murray, Immediate Past President of the Law Society of South Australia Mr Morry Bailes, CEO of Harris Real Estate Mr Greg Moulton, Ms Frances Nelson QC, Decarbonise SA Director Mr Ben Heard
As well as walking the Mile, our Young Liberal Team managed to raise over $1000 for the Hutt St Centre.
and Federal YL President and IPA fellow Mr Simon Breheny. Federal Convention
Australia Day weekend saw SAYLM delegates to Young Liberal Federal Council head to Melbourne for the 2015 Young Liberal Federal Convention. Simon Breheny from Victoria was elected Federal President and Anthony Spagnolo from Western Australia was elected Vice President. Outgoing President Ben Riley from Queensland and outgoing Vice President Chris Browne from South Australia were acknowledged for the hard work they put in over the previous 12 months. A good time was had by all in attendance and I encourage all YLs to try and experience a YL Federal Convention if they can. It was once again a great mix of policy, politics and social activities. Simon made the trip from Melbourne to attend the State Convention and Tonkin dinner in April and Anthony travelled from Perth to attend the Ball in May. Their support and effort is greatly appreciated.
AD-LIB This year I have acted as Assistant Editor in the production of four editions of AD-LIB. Communications Director Rhys Williams put many hours into modernising the publication as well as getting it online for the membership and wider Liberal audience to access. The reports received from YLs as well as many other Liberal Party members were very positive and I commend Rhys on his refresh and dedication in producing the professional quarterly publication. Women’s Council I was elected by the YL Executive to represent the YL’s on Women’s Council Executive. It has been a pleasure working with President Caitlin Keage and her team to try and get more women involved in the SA Liberal Party. Thanks! To conclude, my sincere thanks must go to YL President Alex Hyde who has smoothly guided the Movement through what has been another busy year. It has been a pleasure to serve on the SAYLM Executive again this year and I thank the Movement for this privilege.
AD-LIB| AUTUMN ISSUE 2015
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Removing the hurdles to World Class Education ROBERT KATSAMBIS This may come as a surprise to you, but there are no Australian universities in the world’s top 20. This is perhaps the biggest argument for fee deregulation and it is the same argument that the
Treasurer put forward on budget night last year. It is the view of the Liberal Party that Australian universities should have the means and incentives to stride for excellence and offer our students a worldclass education. The view of the Labor Party and the Greens is that scare campaigns and fallacies should determine the future of our universities. This article can be seen partly as a commentary on the deregulation debate, but also as an argument in favour of paid higher education and the need to introduce fee deregulation to ensure a high quality, sustainable university system. Free Education The Labor Party, the Greens and crazy socialist groups argue against university fee deregulation because, in their opinion, university education should be free. This argument should quickly be dismissed. Under Whitlam’s free education system only the privileged few could go to university. Only those naturally gifted students who already had the
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skills before going into university were given the opportunity to have a higher education. This stifled opportunity in higher education, a key tenant of the Left’s philosophy inadvertently compromised through the use of populist rhetoric. It is because of this that only about 380,000 students were able to have a “free education” in the final year of the elitist scheme Compare this to 2013 where there were over 720,000 students enrolled in paid-for undergraduate degrees. Quite simply, an extra 340,000 Australian students had the opportunity to go to university when education was not free. When education is “free”, it is only so for the privileged few. We know that the Left’s answer to that conundrum involves throwing more taxpayer funds at universities by increasing taxes and spending the money of others, money they don’t actually have. We know this because it is their solution to everything. But on the Right we know that there isn’t this bottomless pit of money that we can blindly throw at whatever the Left thinks is politically advantageous that day, and consequently waste money that’s not ours. Fee Deregulation In 2009 the Rudd Government uncapped
university places. Before this, universities were restricted in the number of students they could have in any given degree. Now they are not restricted. This is a move that all sides of politics seeking equality of opportunity in Australian universities should view as a big win. However, because fees remained capped, the university system cannot handle the demand from more students in the future. The Vice-Chancellors of every university in the country – except one – acknowledge this problem. The free-market rationale for fee deregulation is simple. Universities can charge more for degrees so that they can have the funds to improve the quality of education. They can compete with each other to run the best degrees and attract the best minds to teach and learn. In short, you benefit from a higher quality education. Not surprisingly, the only criticism I hear from the student population is from a minority of less
than one percent of students that spend all their time violently protesting and standing out in front of the Hub trying to recruit students into archaic, failed ideological experiments. It seems to be the students that will never use their degrees that are the ones complaining about the cost. I understand their predicament. Why would they want to pay more for a degree that they aren’t going to be using? Further, Labor and the Greens like to yarn on about fee deregulation leading to higher student debt. They leave out the rest of the story though: this is a debt that students voluntarily accept and in exchange they reap the benefits of a higher quality education. When we as Liberals talk about debt, we talk about it in the context of delivering a better quality education to our students. A deregulated education sector is one that will deliver better quality education and endow in our students an ability to succeed in the wider world.
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Disadvantaged students Part of the aim of this article is to combat the false and misleading scare campaign run by Labor and Greens students that fee deregulation will severely compromise the ability of disadvantaged students to go to university and get a high quality tertiary education. The government’s deregulation package preserves the HECS-HELP system. Under the governments proposed system of fee deregulation, no student will have to pay one cent up front. Students now will, as before, only have to start paying when they earn over $50,000 per year. This ensures that all students have the ability to go to university now without having to worry about the cost. It does not discriminate on your current wealth and income.
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A student born to a family of millionaires will have to pay the same amount while they are studying as would the poorest student in Australia: NOTHING! With such a system in place, it is totally ludicrous to say that the reforms favour the rich and lock the poor out of universities. In fact, one in every five dollars of additional
revenue raised will be spent on scholarships for disadvantaged students. If anything, fee deregulation results in more opportunities for disadvantaged students as well as a higher quality education system. The problem with the government’s reforms By deregulating fees and forcing universities
to compete, the government is providing incentives to lift the standard of education and to innovate
in our tertiary sector. I do, however, add that the government must also establish an independent regulator to prevent anti-competitive behavior such as price gouging. Deregulation will not prevent anti-competitive behavior in and of itself. The HELP system means that students won’t pay upfront and have a generous loan scheme which creates a moral hazard, the result being that a lot of students will pay a higher price for their degree that gives them no added value without thinking about the costs and benefits. The reason for this is that universities are ultimately money-hungry institutions. Like every
other government bureaucracy, they will sell their soul for more funding in order to make themselves relevant and to entrench the position of decision makers within the department. They know that most students defer their fees on HECS and that they can simply jack-up the price of a degree without giving students more for the higher cost of their degree. Without some regulation like this, I cannot see how the full potential of a competitive system can be realised. Support from students Anti-deregulation groups on campus like to claim that they have widespread support from the student cohort. In reality, the support comes from two distinct types of people. The first are the political hacks who have more regard for the offal that gets shoved down their throat than for their education. They are not concerned with their education or its benefits: they will never make enough money to start paying back their HECS debt, or they will stay at university for the rest of their life and leech off the taxpayer.
So called ‘chardonnay socialists’ are the second, having hidden their exclusive eastern suburbs private school education, they like to embark on political campaigns against the so called ‘ruling classes’, despite the fact that they are firmly entrenched in said class. Hypocrisy at its finest. I have often said that students on the Right come to uni to get their degree in order to get into the work force and earn a good living. Students on the Left, be they political hacks or chardonnay socialists, come to uni to shove communist propaganda down the throats of their disinterested cohort. To put it plainly, the students that benefit from
studying at university want these changes. The students that don’t benefit because of their lackluster commitment to study, want them to be defeated. Where from here? Now that the deregulation scheme has failed to pass the Senate for the second time, I would hope that as a minimum the government will amend its proposal to include some kind of regulatory oversight to ensure that the policy is not abused. I will finish on the point that any learning institute should strive for excellence. With the fee restrictions as they currently are, this objective is severely impeded. Unless we can have a framework which forces universities to be competitive and improve the degrees they offer, this cannot happen. Robert Katsambis is the immediate Past President of the Adelaide University Liberal Club. He is a Board Director of the Adelaide University Union and a member of the South Australian Young Liberal Movement Executive.
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Middle East Conflict Solution Taylor Malthouse-Bevan It is often said the Middle East conflict is one of the hardest conflicts in the world to understand and an even harder one to solve. However, what if I told you that in reality, it is actually one of the easiest to understand and to solve? Chances are many would not believe me. However, that is the truth. The Middle East
conflict is one of the easiet conflicts to understand and to solve. One side wants the other side gone. The Arab States, which cover vast swathes of land, rich in natural resources and with booming populations want the tiny Jewish State of Israel gone. These nations do not recognise the right of Israel to exist. The Middle East conflict is that simple to understand. Well if that is the problem then what is the solution? The Arab nations must recognise the right of the State of Israel to exist as a sovereign, independent, democratic and Jewish State. That is the solution to the Middle East conflict and, as much as many may find it hard to believe, it really is that simple. Anyone who cannot accept this, is quite frankly, not part of the solution, but rather part of the problem. Anyone who condemns Israel for not seeking peace needs to remember that in 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in which Israel returned
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the entire Sinai Peninsular to Egypt after capturing it in the 1967 Six Day War. This shows how Israel has been willing to trade land for peace and recognition in the past and how it is willing to do the same today. If the Palestinians and the other Arab States would agree to recognise Israel’s right to exist and agree to peace then there would be a free Palestinian State living peacefully side by side with the Jewish State. Israel wants to create a Palestinian State. Unfortunately, the Palestinians and other Arab States do not want a Jewish State. Israel’s willingness to establish a Palestinian State is enormously generous to the Arabs seeing as no where in history has a sovereign, independent Palestinian State existed. The region may have been given the name “Palestine” by the Romans and the Greeks but nowhere in history has there ever been a nation-state by that name. The only state by the name of “Palestine” that has ever existed is the one that was established in Gaza in 2005 by Israel. Everyone has seen how that has worked out. Prior to the reestablishment of Israel in 1948, the land called “Palestine” was under British control. Following the partition of Palestine, the land that was supposed to be part of the Arab State of Palestine was occupied by Egypt and Jordan.
The fact is that never, in all of history, has a State of Palestine existed. It is only thanks to Israel’s yearning for peace with its Arab neighbours that a Palestinian state was established in Gaza in 2005. On the other hand however, a sovereign, independent, Jewish nation-state by the name of “Israel” has existed in history. The Kingdom of Israel may sound familiar. However, thanks to various occupying forces such as the Romans, the Greeks, the Babylonians and others this nation-state was eroded and the Jewish people were forced into exile in Europe where for two thousand years they suffered countless and unimaginable tragedies.
One group of invaders were the Philistines who came from the Island of Crete. From “Philistine” comes “Palestine” and “Palestinian”. Seeing as the modern day Palestinians are the descendants of the Philistines is it true that “Israel is occupying Palestinian land”?
Or would it be more accurate to say that the Palestinians are occupying Jewish land? It is important that the people of the world recognise this and stop discriminately making false and biased accusations against the world’s only Jewish State. This anti-Zionist is and always has been a form of anti-Semitism. All Israel asks for is peace and recognition and the right to exist. Is this asking too much? It’s the most basic and most fundamental demands of any modern nation-state. If the Arab nations of the world recognised the right of the Jewish State to exist then there would be peace. That is the solution to the Middle East conflict. It really is that simple. Taylor Malthouse-Bevan is heavily involved in the Port Adelaide FEC, and is an active member of the Adelaide University Liberal Club.
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2015 State Budget
brad vermeer Shares his thoughts on the latest Koutsy Cock-up
At 3pm on the 18th June, South Australia’s economy copped its latest blow from the Weatherill Labor Government’s hapless Treasurer. With unemployment climbing, the economy flat-lining and taxes out of control, Tom Koutsantonis decided it was best that his budget deliver absolutely nothing for the hardworking and ever-suffering families of South Australia. The budget confirmed that our dedicated veterans hospital at Daw Park, ‘the Repat’ as most of us know it, will close. What’s worse is that the budget confirmed the Government’s intention to gut the Emergency Departments at the QEH, Noarlunga and Modbury Hospitals, meaning patients will have to wait longer and travel further for important and sometimes lifesaving medical care. The saddest story of this budget is that South Australians will be paying more and getting less, with the Emergency Services Levy set to rise again after the already painful hit to the back pocket of families after Labor’s last Budget. But with all these budget cuts and tax increases, South Australians can look forward to a peak state debt of $13.7 billion in 2017; a clear indication that Labor has completely lost control of South Australia’s purse strings. The most puzzling of the Treasurer’s commitments -which he lauded as a win for South Australians- was his commitment to invest at least $1.3 billion per year in infrastructure. That all sounds very well and good until you consider that over the past five years, his own Government has
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actually spent on average $1.9 billion on capital investment. Labor’s commitment actually delivers a whopping $600 million less in infrastructure spending per year over the forward estimates, and the Treasurer is spruiking it as if it’s meant to be a good thing! But by far the worst thing about Labor’s latest budget bungle is the complete lack of a plan for state-wide job creation, at a time when South Australia is in the middle of a jobs crisis with unemployment reaching 7.6%: the worst in the nation. In fact, on the day the budget was released, ABS statistics showed that after the Weatherill Labor Government promised to create 5,000 new jobs in the mining sector. 5,000 jobs in that sector had actually disappeared. After 13 years, over spruiking
and under delivering is all it seems this Labor Government has gotten good at. But wait, there’s hope… In his budget reply speech, Opposition Leader Steven Marshall outlined a pragmatic economic stimulus plan that will create jobs and get our economy back on track. Our plan includes key initiatives such as: - Bringing forward planned Stamp Duty relief to take effect this year to alleviate a substantial impediment to investment now, not in 3 years. - Increase the Payroll Tax threshold to permanently lower the cost for businesses to employ people. - Slash the cost of the Emergency Services Levy to ordinary South Australian’s by reversing the $90 million hike Labor imposed in their last budget. - Commence the building of the Northern Connector to link the Northern Expressway with the South Road Superway and deliver a key piece of infrastructure that will create jobs.
Strzelecki Track which will unlock tourism and mining opportunities in the State’s north. - Establish a South Australian Productivity Commission to remove unnecessary regulations and red tape which is hampering business investment in our state. Only Steven Marshall and his State Liberal Team have the right plan to grow South Australia’s economy, create jobs and lower the cost of living for all South Australians. After Labor’s latest budget, it’s clear after 13 long years of hard labour that South Australians need and deserve better. It’s now incumbent upon all of us as Young Liberals to get
the message out loud and clear so that come the 2018 State Election, everyone in South Australia knows that it’s imperative to elect a Marshall Liberal Government to get our state back on track. Brad is currently the Vice President of the UniSA Liberal Club, Deputy Mayor of the City of Salisbury and Adviser to the Opposition Whip in the Legislative Council, the Hon. John Dawkins, M.L.C.
- Finalise the feasibility study for upgrading the
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National Security and Citizenship
Luke Hanson
National security is an important and sensitive issue. Amongst our broad church there is internal disagreement about
that nation in the same way that we are loyal to the Commonwealth of Australia.
how to best prevent Australians from fighting with terrorist groups overseas.
The Allegiances to Australia provision creates a problem by giving far too much power to the
The Australian Citizenship Amendment
(Allegiances to Australia) Bill 2015 (Cth) will amend the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. Many members of the Liberal Party have dual citizenship, myself included. I grew up in two culturally distinct communities. I know how it feels to have an affinity with two nations and yet remain loyal to Australia. Those who have grown up with parents from a foreign country understand the dualism that one needs to balance. Before we begin, the Liberal Party must do something to protect Australia from acts of terror. Those provisions in the proposed Allegiances to Australia should stand. For it specifically refers to acts of terrorism. Instead my concern is with regards to the allegiance provisions. The Legal Questions Dual citizens are specifically concerned with the provisions regarding allegiance, especially those born in Australia. We see our allegiance first and foremost to the country of our birth, Australia. Our citizenship of the second nation acknowledges the cultural background of our ancestors and the importance of our extended family. We are not necessarily loyal to
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responsible Minister. In theory an unscrupulous
individual could use the provisions to silence political opponents on the grounds that they don’t hold allegiance to Australia’s national interest, even if the dual national takes to the street to protect Government policy. Take this hypothetical scenario: As a member of an interest group concerned with the ‘allegiance’ provision contained in this scenario. You take to the street protesting the Government’s policy with regards to allegiance, but support the anti-terror provisions contained in the Allegiances to Australia Bill. Coming back from the protest you are caught speeding. The speeding offence is serious enough to land you in gaol. As you have dual citizenship the Minister decides to deport you to a country that you have never known and yet, hold citizenship. Then, to silence a political opponent, the Minister decides to strip you of your Australian citizenship. This is always a risk when a bill gives a Minister too much personal power and when a provision is far too broad. The first two provisions in the Bill as proposed would be legal in the eyes of the Australian
Constitution. The first provision would go to ‘External
Commissioner, an appointed judge of the Federal Court
‘Defence Power’ see, Australian Communist Party v Commonwealth (1951) 83 CLR 1. The third provision
specific purpose of ‘defence’ and therefore would fall under the ‘Defence Power’. Therefore avoiding the
Affairs’ (Polyukhovich v Commonwealth (1991) 172 CLR 501). The second provision would go to
of allegiance might come under the ‘Alien’ provisions but it is not clear-cut. For those interested see Singh v
Commonwealth of Australia (2004) 222 CLR 322. The question of the allegiance provision as proportionate
and adapted to the purposes of terrorism would probably come into question on any challenge (Thomas v Mowbray (2007) 233 CLR 307). It might also not be sufficiently connected to a subject matter for it to
be constitutional in the eyes of the court (Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Wills (1992) 177 CLR 1). Despite the theory of dual characterisation the allegiance provision is not sufficiently connected to either ‘external affairs’, ‘defence powers’ or ‘alien powers’ under s 51 of the Constitution. Recommendation of a Commissioner Instead of powers being granted to the Minister to make decisions about stripping dual nationals of citizenship, it should instead be the decision of the
of Australia. The new allegiances amendment would need to clearly specify that the provisions are for the
issue of dualism and whether or not the allegiance provision was appropriate and adapted sufficiently.
Decisions on whether someone is guilty of an offence should be made upon evidence submitted before a
commissioner or a court. Not on the grounds of public perceptions and trial by media. Conclusion The first two provisions of the Allegiances to
Australia Amendment should stand. For they go to the clear defined ‘External Affairs’ and ‘Defence Power(s)’. The third allegiance provision should be amended so that a Commissioner makes the decision to strip a dual national of Australian Citizenship on the grounds of evidence submitted before it and not the Minister of the Crown as is currently proposed. Luke Hanson is the Secretary of the Flinders University Liberal Club.
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Cuba/US Relations Tom Edwards
In recent months the Obama Administration has opened a renewed dialogue with Cuba, a country that has historically been weary of their imperialist neighbour. President Obama and President Raul Castro, younger brother of Fidel, have shared the similar view that tensions should ease. Current restrictions however implore embargos on Cuban exports whilst also restricting United States citizens from entering the island nation. High-stake tension between the two nations has existed for countless years. The United States even considered purchasing Cuba from the Spanish Empire in the nineteenth century. It has long been both a strategic location, and a country rich with vibrant and tropical resources. However, since the 1959 Cuban Revolution in which Fidel Castro seized control, the United States has looked down on its neighbour with unease and disdain. As a Marxist-Leninist State, and a former ally to the Soviet Union and now Russia, countless efforts have been made to destabilise the inner circles of Havana. According to somewhat dubious Cuban counter-intelligence, there has been up to 683 assassination attempts on the life of Fidel Castro by the CIA.
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Cuba has established itself as a world leader in regards to life expectancy, literacy, health care and education. According to the United Nations Cuba ranks highly on the Human Development Index. Comrade Fidel Castro should be proud of the achievements his small island nation has accomplished. Cuba even has an exceptional doctor to patient ratio, second only to Italy. Not only has Cuba transformed the lives of its once poor, malnourished, and illiterate citizens, it has reached such feats against the backdrop of the ever-looming United States. This has also been accomplished whilst losing its greatest ally, friend and supporter; the Soviet Union. Cuba has awarded its citizens newfound freedoms since the 1959 Revolution. No longer is a child’s future dependant upon an authoritative puppet regime and no longer can a citizen be subjected to a government stifling with self-interest and spite towards its adversaries. It is perhaps time though for the socialist nation to transition into a democratic, capitalist one. The revolutionary struggle against the Batista regime has run its course. The Communist Party should award its loyal citizens with their final freedom: the right
to universal suffrage and the ability to vote for a candidate of their choice in the individual interests they see fit. If Cuba wants to not only survive, but also to grow, it can only do so through a world capitalist economy. The Cuban socialist establishment is only limiting their citizens with an ideological burden. To reach their final steps of freedom, they must break free of their communist shackles. The average Cubans income is just USD $20 a month, representing their harsh restrictive barriers. As summarised by Milton Friedman, “a society that puts equality before freedom will achieve neither.” Whether such a feat is reached will remain to be seen. However, the United States has recently removed Cuba from their ‘Terrorist Sponsor’ list,
thus paving the way for diplomatic talks. Nevertheless, it is likely that the 2016 United States Presidential Election will largely decide the fate of US-Cuba relations. Ted Cruz, whose own father fought alongside Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, has recently sought the Republican Nomination for President. Each party, and each politician will have a decisive say in the affairs of Cuba. What will ultimately decide Cuba’s fate, and the fate of its citizens are the decisions made by those in Washington. Editors note: Cuba and the United States have this week moved to re-establish diplomatic relations. Tom Edwards is the Policy Vice President of the University of South Australia Liberal Club.
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NICHOLAS BURNET
YOUNG LIBERAL OF THE YEAR This year the Young Liberal of the Year award was proudly presented to Nicholas Burnet. There are many considerations that go into the awarding of this accolade; commitment to the cause, integrity, passion, and talent. Nicholas has exemplified these considerations over his many years in the Young Liberals. Nicholas is currently undertaking studies in law, economics and Mandarin at Adelaide University. When not holding the left to account on the SRC where he serves as a Councilor, Nicholas is a key member of the Adelaide University Liberal Club Executive. He is regarded as one of the top “trollers” at Adelaide University with his no-holds barred approach confronting the left, leaving them unsure of how to take someone who is willing to challenge their views. Outside of university, Nicholas has spent a considerable amount of his time campaigning for Liberal candidates in Hindmarsh, Boothby, Barker
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and Davenport. During the recent Davenport campaign, which saw former YLM President Sam Duluk elected, Nicholas devoted many weeks to ensure a Liberal victory, having assumed a leadership role in organizing phone canvassing, door knocking and corfluting teams. It is undeniable that his efforts there helped immensely with the Liberal victory in Davenport. Nicholas’ shining example left the Executive in no doubt that he was the ideal candidate for the Young Liberal of the Year award. He joins the ranks of past winners Stephan Knoll MP, YLM President Alex Hyde, and Jack Newton.
CHRIS BROWNE NICK MINCHIN PERPETUAL AWARD It was with great pleasure that the SAYLM Executive conferred the Hon Nick Minchin Perpetual Award upon former President Chris Browne. Chris was a very deserving recipient of the award after many years of loyal service to the Movement. He has served as Federal Vice-President, State President and State Vice-President as well as on numerous committees in the senior party. He is also a former President of the Adelaide University Liberal Club.
ing all our local party members and supporters – no matter which electorate they lived in – was something never lost on Chris. Browney’s easy-going nature belies his commitment to the cause. Over the years many new members to the Movement have been welcomed by Chris’s friendliness and have seen a fine example of what it means to be a Liberal.
“those things that required fine judgment and hard work were given to Chris knowing that they would be done well” When asked for his thoughts on Chris, Dan Cregan (himself a former President) said, “those things that required fine judgment and hard work were given to Chris knowing that they would be done well”. Chris has marshalled support in many marginal seats like Makin and Hindmarsh and was instrumental in co-ordinating YL efforts in the past two federal elections. Tigerland seats like Port Adelaide always received support even as he worked unstintingly on other campaigns. Recognising the worth in supportAt the Young Liberal Ball 2015: Chris Browne being presented the Nick Minchin Perpetual Award by special guest Senator the Hon Stephen Parry, President of the Senate.
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Members with Steven Marshall raising money for the homeless in the Hutt St Centre’s Walk a Mile challenge. Steven Marshall and Heidi Harris giving speeches at the Fisher by-election after party. Seasoned campaigner Lisa Totani helping the Sam Duluk for Davenport by-election effort. Jack Newton and Rhys Williams cooking up a storm at our Christmas BBQ. The South Australian Delegation to the Young Liberal Federal Conference. The Honourable Legh Davis addressing the audience at the 2015 David Tonkin Memorial Dinner Solid representation from the three South Australian University Liberal Clubs at the 2015 Young Liberal Ball.
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www.saylm.org.au www.facebook.com/sayoungliberals @sayoungliberals
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