Monthly Archives: July 2013

MPG’s War Powers Petition

July 14, 2013UncategorizedNick Deane

MPG is currently circulating a petition which calls for the enactment of a War Powers Bill which transfers decision-making about the deployment of Australian troops overseas from the executive branch (the Prime Minister and Cabinet) to the parliament.

Sign the online War Powers Petition here.

The case for signing the War Power Petition:

Requesting parliamentary debate before sending Australian troops overseas.

Continue reading MPG’s War Powers Petition →

Donate to Marrickville Peace Group

The Marrickville Peace Group is entirely staffed by volunteers. Donations are most welcome since they help pay for website hosting, publicity, public events etc. and in promoting a culture of peace.

Upcoming Events

Website Manager

The Marrickville Peace Group invites Expressions of Interest to manage its website on a voluntary basis.
Essential criteria:
• Affinity with MPG’s values, commitments and mission;
• Demonstrated experience in managing a WordPress website;
• Strong commitment to the cause of peace.
Access job description here.
Applicants should email Nick Deane at homishdu@yahoo.com.au with the following attachments:
1. Cover letter;
2. CV.

Petitions

Click the link Petitions - Current to access a list of current petitions.

Genocide in Gaza

Peter Slezak, Gaza rally speech: ‘We face one of the greatest moral tests of our time’, Pearl & Irritations, Mar 5, 2025.
John Menadue, 'The weaponising of ‘antisemitism’ is to hide the genocide', Pearls & Irritations, Feb 7, 2025.
Chas Freeman, 'Trump & the Takeover of Gaza'. Retired diplomat Chas Freeman is interviewed by Daniel Davis on Deep Dive, published Feb 6, 2025. (Duration 48:51 mins).
Michael West, 'Israel's Other War : Foreign Influence and Hasbara', The West Report, published Jan 24, 2025. (Video duration: 29:45 mins).
Glenn Greenwald, 'Seeking Justice: Tracking IDF War Criminals Around The World', YouTube, published Jan 12, 2025.
Francesca Albanese, 'Why isn't the UN stopping Israel?', published by Al Jazeera, Dec 21, 2024.
Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur exposes crime of the century, published Dec 18, 2024.
Paul Gregoire, 'The Antisemitism Envoy’s Call to Ban Antigenocide Protests in Cities is Undemocratic', Sydney Criminal Lawyers, Dec 17, 2024.
John Mearsheimer, Analysis of the ongoing provision of diplomatic, economic and armaments support by the U.S. for Israel and Ukraine. An interview with Al Jazeera’s Rawaa Auge, Nov 4, 2024.
Diana Buttu, 'What’s next for Hamas in Gaza?', Interview on Al Jazeera's program The Take, published Oct 23, 2024.
Norman Finkelstein, Perspectives on Hamas and Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza, address to Global Peace and Unity Festival, London on Oct 19, 2024. Video published by Islam Channel on Oct 22, 2024. (Duration 36:52 mins).
Antony Loewenstein, 'The Palestine Laboratory - how Israel exports the technology of occupation around the world', Late Night Live, Oct 22, 2024.
Paul Gregoire, 'Labor Must Stop Trade with Israel, Declares Senator Payman Ahead of the IPAN Conference', Sydney Criminal Lawyers, Sep 27, 2024.
Antony Loewenstein, 'Al Jazeera English interview on Israel’s escalation in Lebanon and Gaza', Sep 25, 2024.
Michael West, 'Elbit: how Australia helped finance the IDF killing of Zomi Frankcom and the slaughter in Gaza', The West Report, Jul 18, 2024.
Michelle Fahy, 'Decoded: Defence Departmens's Deadly Deceits', Declassified Australia, Jul 1, 2024.
Diana Buttu, 'The one way to stop Israel'. Interview starts 18.49 mins, Useful Idiots, video published Jun 28, 2024. (Duration 57:34 mins).
Binoy Kampmark, 'Australia's shameful military ties to Israel under scrutiny after killing of aid worker', Independent Australia, Apr 8, 2024.
Michael West, 'Israel and US have lost', The West Report, May 29, 2024.
Allan Behm, 'Who pays the piper…universities dance to the AUKUS tune', Pearls and Irritations, Apr 3, 2024.
Antony Loewenstein, 'Analysis: Israel’s attacks on al-Shifa ‘are the actions of a rogue state’'. Interview with Al Jazeera English, video published Apr 1, 2024. (Duration: 9:18 mins).
Richard Tanter, 'Pine Gap implicates Australia as complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza', Pearls and Irritations, Mar 30, 2024.
John Menadue, 'A terrorist state and a declining US empire wage genocide', Pearls and Irritations, Mar 21, 2024.
Chas W. Freeman, 'Israel Doesn't Even Try To Hide Its Genocide On The Palestinians', Neutrality Studies, video published Nov 21, 2023. Former US Ambassador Chas Freeman on Israel's war on Gaza and the prospects of a two state solution. Interview by Pascal Lottaz. (Video duration 27:41 mins).
Access additional references on Israel's war on Gaza here.

Defence and Security

Hugh White, 'Australia Prepares War With China To Rescue US Hegemony', Neutrality Studies, published Jan 25, 2025. (Video duration 50:32).
Australians for War Powers Reform, Webinar 'Subs & Secrets - AUKUS or Sovereignty' hosted by Quentin Dempster, Nov 26, 2024. (Video duration 1:01:58).
Michelle Fahy and Elizabeth Minter, 'Forced Posture: has Australia already ceded military control to the US?', Michael West Media, Aug 13, 2024.
Vince Scappatura, 'AUKUS and B-52s - Politics, Sovereignty and Security', IPAN webinar on Sep 16, 2024, published Sep 17, 2024. (Video duration 18:47 mins).
Paul Keating, 'Marles, with all pretension, flogging a dead seahorse', Pearls & Irritations, Sep 28, 2024.
Paul Keating, 'The military control of Australia', Pearls & Irritations, Aug 9, 2024.
Michelle Fahy, 'AUKUS: Red flag for arms industry corruption', Pearls and Irritations, Mar 21, 2024.
Nick Deane, 'Hugh White dismantles the AUKUS project', Pearls and Irritations, Feb 29, 2024.
Paul Gregoire, 'The Marrickville Declaration Asserts Civil Society Resistance to AUKUS', Sydney Criminal Lawyers, Feb 23, 2024.
Nick Deane, 'Mobilising opposition to AUKUS – The Marrickville Declaration', Pearls and Irritations, Feb 22, 2024.
Brian Toohey, 'Who is the war criminal?', Pearls and Irritations, Feb 13, 2024.
Henry Reynolds, 'Australia’s three wars', Pearls and Irritations, Nov 25, 2023.
Henry Reynolds, 'America’s “unique” relationship with Australia? Few countries are as gullible', Pearls and Irritations, Sep 11, 2023.
Alison Broinowski (Presenter), 'The Australian Case Against AUKUS', Consortium News, World Beyond War.org, Aug 13, 2023. (Video duration 1:00:15.).
Allan Patience, 'Albanese and the ALP, running scared', Pearls and Irritations, Aug 21, 2023.
Paul Keating, 'NATO’s provocative lurch eastward and the ‘supreme fool’ Jens Stoltenberg', Pearls and Irritations, Jul 10, 2023.
Clinton Fernandes, 'Illusory imperatives', Pearls and Irritations, Jun 30, 2023.
Kathy Kelly, Review of 'War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine' by Norman Solomon, The Palestine Chronicle, Jun 19, 2023.
Paul Keating, 'AUKUS, Australia and China', Pearls and Irritations, Jun 9, 2023.
Sue Wareham, 'Mainstream media need to focus on peace', Pearls and Irritations, May 31, 2023.

War in Ukraine

Jeffrey Sachs, 'Address at the EU Parliament', The Africa News Network, published Feb 23, 2025.
John Mearsheimer, 'No Hope For Ukraine Peace Deal?', interview with Glenn Greenwald, published Jan 26, 2025. (Duration of initial interview segment 9:33 minutes).
Noam Chomsky, Interview on Ukrainian-Russian War, Concise Chomsky, video published Mar 23, 2024. (Duration 10:51 minutes).
Chas W. Freeman, 'Ukraine The Full Story', Former US Ambassador Chas Freeman explains the history, causes, and effects of the Ukraine war, refuting the common narrative about an "unprovoked" war. Interview with Pascal Lottaz, Neutrality Studies, video published Oct 21, 2023. (Duration 57:51 minutes).
Benjamin Schwarz & Christopher Layne, 'Why Are We in Ukraine?', Harper's Magazine, Jun 2023.
Noam Chomsky, 'Options for Diplomacy Decline as Russia’s War on Ukraine Escalates'. Interview with C. J. Polychroniou, Truthout, Nov 16, 2022.
Sue Wareham, 'Ending the Ukraine and other wars: putting victims at the centre', Pearls and Irritations, Jul 31, 2022.
Chas W. Freeman, 'US fighting Russia 'to the last Ukrainian'', The Grayzone, video published Mar 23, 2022. (Duration 52:32 minutes).
Access additional references on the war in Ukraine here.

Contributions to the Debate

Bernard Keane, 'If the Coalition doesn’t like Nazis on Twitter, maybe it should stop legitimising them', Crikey, Feb 3, 2025.
Patrick Cockburn, 'Most political disasters are overstated – not this one', inews.co.uk, Nov 6, 2024.
Michael West, 'Police brutality in Melbourne', Scam of the Week, The West Report, Sep 15, 2024. (Video: 9:37 mins).
Paul Gregoire, 'Duggan’s Stewing in Maximum Over US Extradition, But Like Assange, It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over', Sydney Criminal Lawyers, Jun 28, 2024.
Michael West, 'Jewish peace groups blame Zionists, Christian Zionists, Neo-Nazis for antisemitism', Scam of the Week, The West Report, Jun 17, 2024. (Video: 9:37 mins).
Paul Gregoire, 'March on Invasion Day for First Nations Justice: An Interview With Dunghutti Activist Paul Silva', Sydney Criminal Lawyers, Jan 18, 2024.
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), 'Australian to spearhead global campaign to end nuclear weapons', Aug 11, 2023.
Tilman Ruff, 'Everyone can help forge a safe ending to what Oppenheimer began', Pursuit, University of Melbourne, Jul 17, 2023.

Local Issues

Wendy Bacon, 'Just ‘Rubbish & Rates’, or is the Israel war lobby interfering in Australia’s local elections?', Michael West Media, Sep 12, 2024.
Wendy Bacon, 'Right-wing astroturfers infiltrate local councils, fire up Labor v Greens unrest over Israel', Michael West Media, Sep 9, 2024.

Media Coverage

Media Watch, 'The framing of Senator Payman', Episode 22, Jul 8, 2024.

Submissions

May 2024 - MPG's submission to the review of NSW Roads and Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 2022 prepared by Kosmas Stergiou. NSW’s anti-protest laws have curtailed the fundamental right to protest and have a detrimental impact on democracy and the community's capacity to enact societal change. MPG calls for the repeal of amendments to the Crimes Acts, Part 4AF and the introduction of legislation to protect the right to protest peacefully.
Feb 2024 - MPG's submission prepared by Craig Walters and Peter Griffin to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade on Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2023. Other submissions to this inquiry can be found here. MPG's submission is number 12 in the list.
Previous submissions by MPG on other topics can be accessed here.

Brochure on MPG

A brochure on MPG can be downloaded here. It contains our Mission Statement and information about who we are, our history and how you can participate in our activities and campaigns. (To print, select 2-sided/booklet in printer properties).

Choosing Humanity

ICAN's Choosing Humanity: Why Australia must join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, July 2019. Download the report.