“… my morals went out the door. It was all about the pokies … and I lost everything.” Julia

Pre-commitment

Australians spent $19 billion on gambling in 2009 and 62% of this money was fed into poker machines.

Approximately 4% (600,000) of the adult Australian population plays poker machines at least weekly.  These weekly players spend an average of $8,000 a year, which is a considerable amount of household income.

From this group, there are about 95,000 people who are considered ‘problem gamblers’. These people, on average, lose an estimated $21,000 a year.

People playing poker machines face more risks to their health, emotional wellbeing and hip pocket than other gamblers. The more often they play, the greater the risks. For every problem gambler up to 10 more people – family, children, friends, and colleagues – suffer.

[Read more here]

Online Gambling

‘Australians lose around $800 million on online gambling websites each year’ Nick Xenophon.

The growth of the internet has had an impact on the gambling industry over the past 10 years. You can buy, sell and post all sorts of information online with just a click of a button.  Although online gambling is now fast becoming a growing form gambling in Australia, we are still yet to decide to what degree we allow it here.

The main differences between online gambling and venue based gambling are the accessibility and convenience it provides.  Online gambling is available 24 hours a day, while venue based gambling is not. There are only 13 casinos in Australia, while there are over 2,000 sites people can gamble on overseas. Online gambling can increase accessibility to problem gamblers.

Online gambling can be divided into two types: online wagering and online gaming; with both accessible through a computer, phone and TV. Online wagering includes betting on sports and on events such as reality TV game shows. Online gaming involves casino games such as poker and roulette.

[Read more here]

SENATE COMMITTEE HEARS DIRECTLY FROM CLOTHING OUTWORKERS 

Outworkers - Australian hard working heroes

The Senate Education Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee sitting in Melbourne today, as part of its Inquiry into the Fair Work Amendment (Textile Clothing and Footwear Industry) Bill 2011, has heard directly from homebased outworkers.

Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia (TCFUA) National Secretary, Michele O’Neil was accompanied by two outworkers when she appeared before the committee today.  Ms O’Neil said, “Too often Canberra politicians make decisions without hearing from the real workers who will be affected – this was not the case today.”

Anh Dang told the Inquiry her husband passed away nearly 11 years ago when her only daughter was 4 years old. She studied Aged Care, but unable to find work, learnt to sew and became an outworker.

In the last 4 years she has worked for one contractor, who pays her by the piece. She earns $5 an hour and works 12 per day, 7 days a week. As well as spending carefully on her living expenses, she needs to pay working expenses such as electricity, cotton and machine related costs.

“I don’t have enough time for my daughter. I don’t have enough time for myself”, Ms Dang said, “My daughter is in year 10, I have to make money to raise her and pay for the rent.”

In addition her employer insists that she have an ABN. Ms Dang said, “The boss wants me to be a contractor so he does not need to pay me anything other than the piece rate.”

Another outworker, Susan Tran told the inquiry she began working as an outworker in 2006 when she discovered that her then three year old son suffers from autism and would require intensive emotional and physical help. After the birth of a second child, who was also diagnosed with autism, Susan became a single parent.

Ms Tran said, “Over the years I worked for different factories and labels. They pay me by piece. Currently my estimation is about $4 per hour without entitlements. In the past few months most of the factories asked for an ABN so they avoid paying me entitlements.”

Ms Tran’s evidence included that it is now harder to get work and increasingly her employers have insisted on paying her cash, which results in a lower piece price.

“Because of the lower price,” Ms Tran said, “I have to work 12-15 hours per day and the work is not regular so I have to run around to find the work. I also need to work all weekend but I don’t get any overtime. I never get paid Super or Workcover. There was one time I didn’t get paid for 4 months. The amount of those orders was worth about $8,000”

The TCFUA has welcomed the Bill as providing nationally consistent provisions across Australia and a critical safety net of terms and conditions for workers in the TCF industry who are particularly vulnerable to exploitation.

Abuse of workers can, and does occur in factories, sweatshops and in homes. For many years, some companies have gotten away with shamelessly exploiting workers in the production of their products. Cutting wages and conditions doesn’t lead to improved productivity or more jobs. It just leads to unscrupulous companies making greater profits. It is time for this industry’s future to be built on ethical, fair conditions for workers – Michele O’Neill, TCFUA National Secretary

By Barbara Deutschmann

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, 26 January is Survival Day or Invasion Day. Their sorrow on this day reminds us that all is not well within this nation, that we have some unfinished business. What does the Lord require of us at this time as his people in this place?

The Productivity Commission recommended in their 2010 report that the Australian Government, with consultation with state and territory governments amend the section on online poker card games in the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 making online gambling more accessible.

The Federal Government is now considering allowing online gambling to be more accessible to Australians. There are a number of reasons why this is a really bad idea:

1. There is no ability to provide effective safeguards over online gambling, as the vast majority of online gambling companies are located in tax havens where the Australian government has no ability to enforce any standards;
2. Relaxing the law on online gambling will allow these companies to more aggressively market themselves to Australians, which will increase the number of people gambling on these sites and increase the number of people with gambling problems;
3. Online gambling companies are mainly located in tax havens around the world, meaning they will find it easy to avoid paying any tax to the Australian Government. They will get to cause harm in Australia without having to contribute to the costs of dealing with the harm they cause. Any Australian gambling company set up online will also demand that it should pay little tax and should not be required to provide effective safeguards to gamblers in order to be able to compete with the majority of online gambling companies located in tax havens. Online wagering companies in Australia have already been making these arguments to the Australian Government.
4. Being located in tax havens means it is easy for online gambling companies to be run by organized crime gangs and assist in money laundering. This is because tax havens provide secrecy as to who the real owners of the company is. The US government is currently prosecuting a number of large online gambling companies that are accused of being involved in money laundering related to online poker.

Being able to set themselves enforceable loss limits  means that people can avoid the costs to themselves of problem gambling and we can make in-roads on the $4.7 billion a year cost to the community.

Uniting for Change has introduced a campaign in this area and you can find out more on their website www.unitingforchange.org.au

Fashion Musings had a chat to Eloise from Ethical Clothing Australia to find out a little bit more about this fantastic organisation!

—————–

FM: Tell us about ECA:

Eloise: Ethical Clothing Australia provides ethical brands and clothing manufacturers with a way to help ensure legal obligations and standards are met throughout the supply chain. When you see the Ethical Clothing Australia trademark on a product, it means it was made in Australia and everyone involved in its production received, as a minimum, the legal rates of pay and conditions.  There are currently a total of 63 Australian clothing and footwear businesses accredited.

Collette - an early adopter of ECA

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“We call on all Christians to be calm and prayerful in the face of this new dimension of attack on the Church” – Rev Yunusa Nmadu of the Christian Association of Nigeria

Attacks have continued against Christians in parts of Nigeria since our last action on Nigeria.

Rev Yunusa Nmadu of the Christian Association of Nigeria

On Thursday night 3 November two women were murdered at the St Joseph Catholic Church in Tabak village, near Zonkwa in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, Kaduna State. Gunmen attacked the church at around 11:45 pm while the congregation of mainly women and children were holding a night vigil. Twelve people were wounded. There are reports two of the wounded subsequently died. The Governor pledged the government would take care of the costs of hospital treatment for those wounded in the attack.

Rev Yunusa Nmadu of the Christian Association of Nigeria expressed concern the raid had occurred “in spite of the heavy presence of soldiers in the area.” He called on the Kaduna State Government “to ensure that the perpetrators of this evil act are fished out and brought to book. Meanwhile we call on all Christians to be calm and prayerful in the face of this new dimension of attack on the Church.”

Bombings by the Islamic extremist militia Boko Haram murdered at least 100 people in the northern Nigerian State of Yobe on 4 November 2011. Boko Haram also launched attacks in the Borno State capital of Maiduguri. In Damaturu in Yobe State, the militia destroyed the local police station, murdering 11 police officers, and then moved onto Jerusalem suburb. The suburb is predominantly occupied by Christians. Ten churches in the suburb were destroyed, along with several Christian owned properties and businesses. In Maiduguri, members of Boko Haram broke into the home of a pastor from Deeper Life Church and shot him and two visitors dead.

On 27 November Boko Haram attacked the town of Geidam in Yobe State. It is the home town of the State Governor, who was not present when the attack took place.  They destroyed the police station, the bank, the Upper Sharia Court Complex, some shops, a beer palour and three churches. One media report claimed the police fled, while another quotes a police spokesperson as stating police exchanged fire with the Boko Haram attackers and four police officers were killed and 20 wounded. A third media report stated four people were murdered in the attack, but were not police officers.

Since the beginning of 2011, Boko Haram have been implicated in attacks that have murdered more than 425 people, including police officers, soldiers, community leaders, politicians, Islamic clerics, Christian pastors and church members. At least 70 of those murdered have been police officers. They have attacked police stations, military facilities, prisons, banks, beer halls and churches.

In response, police, and in some cases the military, have murdered members and suspected members of Boko Haram.

Boko Haram seeks to impose a stricter form of Sharia or Islamic law in northern Nigeria and recruits members through its populist anti-corruption message. Its name means “Western education is a sin”.

On Saturday night 10 December a series of bombings in the Plateau State capital city Jos killed one man and injured 11 people. The bombings followed threats to disrupt Christmas celebrations in the area that had been circulating for around two weeks.

One woman was killed and two others wounded in Kaduna State when gunmen attacked Kukum Dutse village in Kagoro, Kaura Local Government Area during the early hours of 11 December.

Take Action Now: points to include in your email (see below – You Can Help)

Points to make in your email:

• Express deep concern at the murders of two women at the St Joseph Catholic Church in Tabak village, near Zonkwa in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, Kaduna State on the night of 3 November.
• Also express concern at the 10 December series of bombings in Jos that killed one man and injured 11 people. Note the bombings followed threats to disrupt Christmas celebrations in the area that had been circulating for around two weeks.
• Finally, express deep concern at the hundreds of people, including at least 70 police officers, that have been murdered this year in attacks by Boko Haram members.
• Ask what steps have been taken to investigate all the murders outlined above and bring those responsible to justice.
• Urge that the Government of Nigeria take appropriate steps to end religiously motivated violence and to protect the Christian community in Nigeria over the Christmas period.
• Ask that steps are taken to disband Boko Haram, while respecting human rights standards. Point out that illegal abuses against members of Boko Haram and their supporters are only likely to increase the ability of the terrorist organisation to recruit new members.

 Father Bob’s farewell Mass (via CathNews)

[Fr. Bob has supported many people and organisations - including the Justice and International Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania (sponsor of JustAct). We thank Fr. Bob for his work. It has not been taken for granted. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors].

Crowds of churchgoers crammed into St Peter and Paul’s parish in South Melbourne for the farewell of priest and media personality Father Bob Maguire, reports the ABC. » more

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit reaffirmed churches’ commitment to justice and peace in the Middle East, while stressing the importance of a common vision for living together by Christians and Muslims in the Arab world.

Tveit was speaking at the Christian-Muslim consultation on “Christian Presence and Witness in the Arab World” organized by the WCC programmes for Churches in the Middle East and Inter-religious Dialogue and Cooperation in collaboration with the Middle East Council of Churches.

The consultation is currently taking place from 24-28 January at the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias, Lebanon, bringing together youth, scholars and Christian and Muslim leaders for a frank and dynamic discussion.

Tveit said the Middle East is of special interest for the WCC, and articulated the historic significance of Christian presence in the Arab world, where he believes faith plays a major role, reflecting on the decleration of the WCC’s Central Committee meeting of February 2011:

Our living faith has its roots in this region and is nourished and nurtured by the unbroken witness of the local churches, who have their own roots from the apostolic times. Without this Christian presence, the conviviality among peoples from different faiths, cultures, and civilisations, which is a sign of God’s love for all humanity, will be endangered – Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit .

Rev.Tveit appreciated the participation of a range of Muslims in the consultation, who he says, have emphasized their commitment to strengthen the Christian presence in the Middle East. He said that it is through their action for the common good that people in the Arab world can accomplish peace, justice, freedom and harmony.

“We will certainly want to make clear to our wider constituency, the WCC’s extensive experience over many years of how Christians and Muslims continue to work together constructively for the common good,” he said.

Tveit also pointed out the challenges faced by the Christians in the Arab world, and the sense of insecurity they feel, due to political divides and persistent conflicts.

The WCC has addressed over a number of years the issue of emigration of Christians from the region resulting from the occupation and war in Iraq and the occupation of the Palestinian territories.

He said, “We know that the changes in the Arab world over the last year – and changes still to come – have also left many Christians, along with many Muslims, feeling uncertain and even afraid for their future.”

Highlighting the efforts of churches struggling for justice and peace in Israel and Palestine, Tveit said that the situation is of great concern for Christians in Jerusalem, as well as people of other faiths.

Links:

Full text of the WCC general secretary’s speech

Churches in the Middle East re-affirm their commitment to peace (WCC press release of 14 December 2011)

WCC programme for special focus on the Middle East

WCC programme for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation