CLOSE CONCENTRATION CAMPS

Over the last few years I have started petitions concerned with closing the concentration camps and freeing asylum seekers into the community.

The petitions were met with a stony silence generally, the first one obtaining less than 90 signatures. The second one reached about 40.

All of a sudden, because there has been talk of the numbers of children in the camps, their treatment in the camps and torture and disease growing alarmingly, the population is gradually stirring and more people are becoming concerned about the situation.

I don't know what would happen if one tried to start another petition but I am not game to try, being too worn out by the disgusting politics of the whole situation.

Who caused the situation in so many countries around the world that as of today, there are millions all over who are trying to escape the disasters unfolding in their countries of origin?

Why, none other than the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, China, Israel and other countries too numerous to list ---------- and as they say, ......."and the band played on".

Petition "Federal Government: Fund SBS properly to stop mid-programme advertising!"

Hello!

I've started the petition "Federal Government: Fund SBS properly to stop mid-programme advertising!" and need your help to get it off the ground.
Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? Here's the link:
http://www.change.org/p/federal-government-fund-sbs-properly-to-stop-mid-programme-advertising
Here's why it's important:

SBS Television and advertisements
author: Mannie De Saxe
target: SBS Management in Australia and the Federal Government

SBS television was started in Australia some 30 years ago to assist the multicultural aspects of modern Australia's changing demographics. SBS was funded by the federal government but successive governments reduced their budget, so SBS began putting commercial advertising at the beginning and end of their programmes in order to raise revenue.
 When a new CEO was apponted some 12 years ago, he decided that if the advertisements were played in the middle of programmes, more revenue would be raised for the station. This ploy failed miserably, and as a consequence SBS lost viewers and the quality of its programmes deteriorated rapidly.
Now in 2015, SBS has a new management and this petition is to urge the new team to drop the advertisments in the middle of programmes. SBS used to have the best news bulletins of all tv stations in Australia, and, because of the advertisements, it has lost continuity and quality - and some of its best newsreaders!
 We are hoping to get enough signatures on this petition to induce SBS management to reconsider, and restore the service to its former glory!
 Late in 2012 SBS started a new channel specifically for Indigenous programmes. These too are interrupted in the middle of interesting programmes by commercials. These need to be stopped now in order to make SBS what it was originally - the world's first - and best - multicultural broadcaster.
It now seems that because the Federal government is determined to ruin SBS and the ABC, the government wants to join them together and reduce accommodation and staffing.
Margaret Pomeranz and Quentin Dempster, together with GetUp, have also started a petition, so there will now be at least two petitions for everyone to sign - Urgently!!

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Here's something you may not already know about: the government is proposing major changes to SBS' advertising arrangement – which, if passed, would see primetime broadcasting interrupted with more ads, more frequently, than ever seen in Australia's public broadcasting history.

Read on for a message from former SBS & ABC TV presenter Margaret Pomeranz, and public broadcasting advocate and journalist Quentin Dempster, on what you can do to stop this proposal in its tracks – and click here to sign the petition: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

~ A message from Margaret and Quentin ~

Mannie,

Want to stop the further commercialisation of our already under fire public broadcasters?

When Parliament re-commences next month, MPs and Senators will face a proposal on whether to allow the doubling of ads and commercial breaks on SBS, a move that will have a significant negative impact on our public broadcaster and its devoted viewers.

If the government's proposed amendments to the SBS Act are passed, SBS will look no different from the commercial networks. It will effectively be turned into Australia's fourth fully commercial TV channel, by stealth.

We will be doing everything we can to get the word out about the threat that these amendments pose to public broadcasting – but we need your help to demonstrate we have the support of the Australian public. The more signatures we can collect, the more seriously MPs and Senators will take us.

Now is the moment that Australians need to stand up to fight for sustainable, multicultural public broadcasting, and stand up for our SBS. Sign our petition urging the Federal Parliament to reject amendments to extend advertising on SBS: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

Our SBS is unique. It emerged in 1978 as an initiative of the Fraser Government, because of the shortage of services for the growing population of newly arrived Australians who didn't speak English.

In 2015, SBS' reason for being is more relevant than ever. Australia is one of the world's most multicultural countries, with an increasingly culturally diverse population. Thirty-three per cent of Australians weren't born here, nor were their parents. In a time when the risk of segregation and polarisation are greater than ever, our SBS can break down xenophobia, racism and bigotry through intelligent, engaging journalism, informed conversation, satire, documentary, movies and entertainment programming.

But if proposed amendments to the SBS Act pass, the SBS will be brought back to a shadow of its former self. It will be severely hindered in its ability to comply with its very own Charter, and provide quality content for Australians from diverse backgrounds.

Audiences love SBS, but love it less with commercial breaks continually disrupting programs. Together, let's remind our Parliament that we want our public broadcasters to treat us as audiences and as citizens in a robust democracy, not as consumers to be delivered up to advertisers.

Will you sign this petition, urging Parliament to protect SBS and reject these amendments? www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

This isn't just about SBS. Australian commercial media networks rely upon advertising revenue to underwrite its financial viability – and they don't need a taxpayer-subsidised SBS competing for precious ad revenue. Public broadcasters weren't designed to be run on a commercial media business plan.

Here's what we need to tell our politicians: we want a strong and creative private media sector in Australia, complemented by robust public broadcasters with their independent Charter roles. It's this that has helped to make Australia a great and peace-loving country. Please join us and the Save Our SBS our campaign to fight for a non-commercial future for Australia's great multi-cultural broadcaster: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

With every good wish,

Margaret Pomeranz & Quentin Dempster

PS - We believe a public broadcaster that reaches Australia's diverse communities through multi-lingual radio, online services and television programming is crucial to a sense of inclusion. SBS is an investment in our communities – let's show politicians that we won't stand for cuts by stealth: www.getup.org.au/saveoursbs

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GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations. If you'd like to contribute to help fund GetUp's work, please donate now! To unsubscribe from GetUp, please click here. Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders - past, present and future - and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia and the GetUp community.
Authorised by Sam Mclean, Level 2, 104 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010.

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Please get every one you know to sign the petitions so that there will be hundreds and thousands of signatures to the Federal Government and SBS!

You can sign my petition by clicking here.
Thanks!
Mannie De Saxe

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ASYLUM SEEKERS - THE DISGRACE OF MOST AUSTRALIAN POLITICIANS

In 1992 Paul Keating was Australian prime minister - the Australian Labor Party had been in government for 9 years and Keating had recently ousted Bob Hawke as prime minister.

Keating was concerned about the numbers of refugees seeking asylum in Australia and decided to do the unthinkable - he established the first concentration camps to lock up people fleeing from just such scenarios.

This was the beginning of "man's inhumanity to man" on a scale not seen in Australia since the white British settlers landed in 1788 and started the massacre of the indigenous population of Australia to such an extent that today they represent but about 4.5 per cent of the population.

Were the original inhabitants of Australia such a threat to the newly arriving white men and women from the European shores?

Is this how governments in Australia have seen successive waves of asylum seekers fleeing in terror from their countries of origin as threats to their white anglo hegemonies?

The numbers trying to enter Australia have been tiny in relation to refugee problems around the world and part of the problem has been that some of the refugee situations have been created by successive Australian governments having indulged in war exercises in some of the host countries.

When are Australians going to realise that asylum seekers are not terrorists, are not threats to the "native" populations, and there is a much greater likelihood of home-grown terror than from people fleeing terror in their countries of origin?

Those of us who are not part of the indigenous communities in Australia are all "boat people" of one sort or another and our forebears were responsible for robbing ownership of the country from those to whom it originally belonged. 

This petition which I started so long ago is even more relevant than it was then, and I urge you to sign it as urgently as Peter Short's petition on euthanasia which is also on this blog.

Stop Australian Incarceration of Asylum Seekers

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/13/stop-australian-incarceration-of-asylum-seekers/

    Target: Australians and International communities
    Sponsored by: Mannie De Saxe, Lesbian and Gay Solidarity, Melbourne

Australia is trying to negotiate an off-shore solution to Asylum Seekers coming to Australia in boats which are not seaworthy, and which have already been responsible for many drownings offshore. The latest attempt is the so-called Malaysian solution involving Australia sending 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia in exchange for 2000 refugees in Malaysia.
Both the Australian Government and its parliamentary Opposition are demonising people fleeing desperate situations in their countries of origin, mainly because of Australian military intervention in those countries.

The total numbers of asylum seekers trying to enter Australia is a miniscule number in terms of refugees and asylum seekers around the world, and most of the people in Australia illegally have arrived by plane!

Australia is signatory to United Nations conventions on refugees but is ignoring these UN documents in its political attempts to stop the demonised "boat people" ever setting foot in Australia.


Help to obtain justice for Asylum Seekers in desperate situations.


The situation has worsened with the federal government reopening the concentration camps on Nauru and Manus Island.



Get the government to close these camps now.

EUTHANASIA PETITION IN SUPPORT OF PETER SHORT - AND SADLY AN OBITUARY ON 30 DECEMBER 2014

Peter Short has started a petition to the Australian Prime Minister in order to urge him to consider changing laws to enable voluntary euthanasia in Australia.

Here is his petition and links to his blog and my euthanasia web pages:

Hello supporters of my Petition around Medically assisted Death for Terminally ill people. I just want to share with you there will be more press and TV of this issue coming. I also have some political interest. My real challenge is moving the signatures on this petition to something significant in number, i.e. research say 80% of Australians support it. Your signatures are fantastic , could I ask you to think about a way to get this thought about and signed up at a viral level. Doing all I can as one person ,who believes in this passionately and needs everyones help to change their future. Thanks in anticipation, currently approaching 900 but target is 100,000 by end June
Peter

pgs28.wordpress.com

This message was sent by Peter Short Terminally ill using the Change.org system. You received this email because you signed a petition started by Peter Short Terminally ill on Change.org: "Prime Minister Tony Abbott: Introduce laws to enable medically assisted death for terminally ill people, i.e. Choice of when and how to Die with Dignity.." Change.org does not endorse the contents of this message.

View the petition

Euthanasia web pages are:

www.red-jos.net/euthana1.htm

and following on, parts 2,3,4,5,6,7,8

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UPDATE - 29 DECEMBER 2014

Physician-assisted death campaigner Peter Short dies at 57

Sydney Morning Herald
December 30, 2014
•   

By Liam Mannix

Reporter

Euthanasia campaigner: Peter Short. Photo: Joe Armao
Born 28 January 1957
Died peacefully in Cabrini Pallative Care on December 29, 2014

Physician-assisted death campaigner Peter Short, whose advocacy and plight inspired draft dying-with-dignity legislation in the Federal Parliament, has died aged 57.
Mr Short passed away peacefully on Monday morning, in palliative care and with wife Elizabeth holding his hand.

Mr Short's campaign was based on his belief that it was undignified for terminally ill to not have the choice to end their own lives under carefully controlled circumstances. Mr Short was given the means and the knowledge to end his own by physician-assisted death campaigner Dr Rodney Syme.

Mr Short did not take that option. 

His wife Elizabeth said Mr Short, like everybody who is given the option - albeit illegally in Australia the moment - benefited hugely because having choice removed fear and anxiety.

"The fact that Peter had the knowledge and the means to end his own life was an invaluable part of his palliation," she said.

"It allowed him to live the remainder of his life exactly as he wanted – pushing himself as hard as he wanted, working 12 hour days in his support of the proposed dying with dignity legislation, making wonderful memories with his family and friends.

"He did not fear the end as he knew it was his to control he if so chose."

His cousin Michael Short, editor of The Zone section in The Age, said Mr Short's final year was made so much richer because he had that option.

"Peter embodied and experienced the benefits of the change in the law he was seeking", Michael Short said.

"Having the option is the important thing. That's what helps people."

In January Mr Short was told his oesophageal cancer – in remission for five years – had returned, and would kill him. At the time, his doctor told him he had only five months to live, a prognosis he would significantly outlive.

After his diagnosis, Mr Short became a fierce campaigner for the right of the terminally ill to have choice at the end of their lives.

He worked closely with federal Greens senator Richard Di Natale on the development of a bill that would make it legal for doctors to help terminally ill, mentally competent adults end their lives.

Senator Di Natale, the Greens health spokesman, introduced the draft legislation earlier this year. It was referred to a Liberal-led all-party senate committee, which held national hearings and received many submissions.

The committee, led by Liberal senator Ian Macdonald, recommended a free vote in the Parliament for the legislation, and supported its passage.

That bill is expected to come before the Senate next year. When it is introduced, the senator hopes to have it co-sponsored by an MP from each major party.

For months before his death Mr Short sought a meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott to urge support for the bill and a free vote for Coalition MPs.

Mr Abbott rang Mr Short days before his death, and during a half-hour conversation pledged his MPs would be given a free vote should the bill reach the floor of the Parliament.

That was like reaching "the top of a mountain", Mr Short told The Age at the time.

A month ago The Age ran a week-long campaign in support of a change to the law to allow physician-assisted death in strictly regulated circumstances.

Much of his story he documented himself, on his blog Tic Toc Tic Toc dying to a killer clock.

On Monday his wife Elizabeth posted the final entry.

"My beautiful husband Pete died this morning at 12:20am. He died peacefully and I was privileged enough to be sitting on his bed holding his hand at that time.

"Pete's decision to opt for palliative care brought him to a place of calmness and serenity and for all of us, safety and security. It allowed Pete to relax, stop fighting and go calmly to his happy place.

"Thank you all so much for your constant love and support, it has meant the world to us."


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For Peter's sake

The Age letters 31 December 2014

My friend and neighbour, Peter Short, passed away peacefully on Monday, after succumbing to oesophageal cancer. His final journey was made more bearable and dignified because he was equipped with the means to end his life at a time of his own choosing, should he have elected to do so.

Peter spoke so passionately about the palliative power of having that choice and lobbied hard to make it available for all Australians suffering terminal illness, without their physician risking criminal prosecution.

Sharing his experience very publicly with the support of his family helped to bring the dying with dignity cause to public attention and has set the stage for a change in the law. Tony Abbott contacted Peter before Christmas and agreed to allow Coalition MPs a conscience vote on Senator Di Natale's draft bill in the new year. It is up to our federal MPs now to vote it into law – in Peter's memory and because it is the right thing to do.

So give your MP a call now to stress your support for the bill.

Luke Simpkin, Camberwell

STOP AUSTRALIAN INCARCERATION OF ASYLUM SEEKERS IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS - SIGN THE PETITION!

I started this petition some time ago when the federal government and its friendly opposition were vying with each other to see who could torture people who had already been traumatised by their persecution due to wars which Australia had been busy fighting in countries with which it had no right to be involved in.

People quickly lost interest in the issue because of other scandals blowing up around that time and subsequently the two concentration camps used by the Howard government were found to be useful for incarcerating those managing to get to Australia alive!

It is time to resurrect the petition and ask you to get your friends to sign it too. Thanks for your assistance in this humanitarian crisis.

care2 petitionsite

Stop Australian Incarceration of Asylum Seekers

Digg StumbleUpon Reddit Print E-Mail signatures: 86 signature goal: 1,000 post to facebook tweet this email your friends get the widget

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/13/stop-australian-incarceration-of-asylum-seekers/

Target: Australians and International communities
Sponsored by: Mannie De Saxe, Lesbian and Gay Solidarity, Melbourne

Australia is trying to negotiate an off-shore solution to Asylum Seekers coming to Australia in boats which are not seaworthy, and which have already been responsible for many drownings offshore. The latest attempt is the so-called Malaysian solution involving Australia sending 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia in exchange for 2000 refugees in Malaysia. Both the Australian Government and its parliamentary Opposition are demonising people fleeing desperate situations in their countries of origin, mainly because of Australian military intervention in those countries.

The total numbers of asylum seekers trying to enter Australia is a miniscule number in terms of refugees and asylum seekers around the world, and most of the people in Australia illegally have arrived by plane!

Australia is signatory to United Nations conventions on refugees but is ignoring these UN documents in its political attempts to stop the demonised "boat people" ever setting foot in Australia.

Help to obtain justice for Asylum Seekers in desperate situations.

The situation has worsened with the federal government reopening the concentration camps on Nauru and Manus Island.

Get the government to close these camps now.

SAVE OUR SBS FAILED TO DO JUST THAT - PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION BELOW TO HELP SAVE SBS FROM SELF-DESTRUCTING!

Some time ago I started a petition to stop SBS having advert breaks in the middle of its shows.I had been in contact with someone from Save our SBS who was not in Melbourne at the time but promised that the organisation would help with the petition.

Of course the organisation did NOT help with it and it floundered.

I am now hoping to resurrect the petition and request you to get friends to sign it and ultimately to peresnt a petition to SBS with many hundreds of signatures.

Here is the petition and the details of what it asks:

• Care2
• petitionsite

SBS Television and advertisements

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/902/258/197/sbs-television-and-advertisements/

• signatures: 48
• • signature goal: 1,000
• post to facebook
• tweet this
• email your friends
• get the widget
• Target: SBS Management in Australia
• Sponsored by: Mannie De Saxe

SBS television was started in Australia some 30 years ago to assist the multicultural aspects of modern Australia's changing demographics. SBS was funded by the federal government but successive governments reduced their budget, so SBS began putting commercial advertising at the beginning and end of their programmes in order to raise revenue.

When a new CEO was apponted some 10 years ago, he decided that if the advertisements were played in the middle of programmes, more revenue would be raised for the station. This ploy failed miserably, and as a consequence SBS lost viewers and the quality of its programmes deteriorated rapidly.

Now in 2012, SBS has a new management and this petition is to urge the new team to drop the advertisments in the middle of programmes. SBS used to have the best news bulletins of all tv stations in Australia, and, because of the advertisements, it has lost continuity and quality - and some of its best newsreaders!

We are hoping to get enough signatures on this petition to induce SBS management to reconsider, and restore the service to its former glory!

Late in 2012 SBS started a new channel specifically for Indigenous programmes. These too are interrupted in the middle of interesting programmes by commercials. These need to be stopped now in order to make SBS what it was originally - the world's first - and best - multicultural broadcaster.

SBS - PLEASE SIGN PETITION TO SBS MANAGEMENT RE ADVERT BREAKS IN PROGRAMMES

I was so infuriated by the decision of the new management of SBS in 2006 to introduce advert breaks into major programmes such as news and current affairs, that the following email exchanges took place between me and SBS. If it wasn't such a serious matter, what occurred is actually hilariously funny!

CORRESPONDENCE WITH SBS CONCERNING ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEWS AND OTHER PROGRAMMES

December 2006

josken_at_zipworld_com_au 12/20/06
Mannie De Saxe
PO Box 1675
Preston South
Vic 3072
Phone:(03)94714878
email:josken_at_zipworld_com_au

Well, SBS finally lost me tonight (Tuesday 19 December 2006).
Adverts during the news and Cutting Edge!
No thanks!

Mannie De Saxe

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On 20 Dec 2006 at 15:51, Sally Begbie wrote:
G
Send the speil.
S
------- Forwarded message follows -------
From: Self :josken_at_zipworld_com_au
To: Sally Begbie sally.begbie@sbs.com.au
Subject: Re: adverts in news and cutting edge
Date sent: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 01:06:29 +1100

S
I await the spiel with great interest!
M

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21 DECEMBER 2006
Dear Mannie De Saxe

Clearly the festive season is upon us and our best wishes to you. But to more serious matters...

Thank you for your email concerning the introduction of advertising within SBS Television programs. The Managing Director has asked that I respond to your complaint.

SBS has taken this course of action following a great deal of consideration and investigation. It was not an easy decision to make, but the alternative was far less palatable. SBS could continue with its current format, but its ability to commission quality Australian productions and to purchase the world's best films, television programs and sporting fixtures would become more and more restricted due to limited Government funding and the prospect of diminished advertising revenue as a result of competition from Pay TV, the Internet and other media.

SBS obtains about 80% of its funds from Government. But in the May budget SBS suffered a $3m shortfall in its appropriation for this current year (excluding digital transmission and distribution costs) and received no extra funds at all for program making.

The remainder of SBS funding comes from advertising revenue. Even though that amount is relatively small it is vitally important revenue that goes exclusively to the purchase, commissioning and production of programs.

Under its Act, SBS is obligated to operate in an efficient and cost-effective manner and, importantly, it is required to actively pursue funding opportunities independent of Government funding.

Since 1991, SBS Television has broadcast a maximum of five minutes of ads per hour between programs and in natural breaks. This is far less than the average 13-15 minutes of advertising permitted on the commercial television networks.

Until now, SBS has broadcast up to five minutes of ads as well as several minutes of program promotions in a single block between programs, meaning 6-10 minutes would elapse before the next program began. During this time, we consistently lost more than 50% of our viewers. They would simply change channels or switch off.

With smaller audiences, SBS's advertising rates (already well below the commercial networks) had to be reduced still further. The result has been a curtailment of our program-making capabilities because less money from ads means less money for the commissioning and the production of original programs.

Under the new format the maximum of five minutes of ads per hour still applies, but the ads will be spread across the hour in three separate breaks, each containing 90 seconds of commercials. In half-hour programs, there will be two 60-second commercial breaks.

This will restore true commercial value to SBS's ad breaks. By placing short ads within programs, when SBS reaches its peak audiences, our advertising rates can be increased. We estimate that this will raise at least $10m in the first 12 months of operation. All of this additional revenue will go into program making and the commissioning of programs from independent Australian producers.

With this extra revenue we will launch a one hour news program in January that will expand our coverage of international and national news. The bulk of the additional funds will go to the commissioning of quality Australian drama, documentaries and other programs.

By dramatically reducing the time between programs, we believe SBS audiences will be encouraged to stay, especially because the in-program breaks will include program promotions about forthcoming programs. It is important that information about other programs on SBS reaches the largest possible audience. Currently these messages, in the form of promos, are lost in the middle of lengthy and cluttered breaks between programs. Too often our audience tells us they would have watched a particular program "if only I had known it was on". The placement of promos in a more accessible place helps overcome that communication failure.

I understand your concerns regarding in-program breaks, but these changes will enable us to continue to provide our viewers with the highest quality and most diverse programming available on free-to-air television in Australia.

Yours sincerely
Georgie McClean
Policy and Research Manager
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The following article in The Age newspaper's Green Guide, together with a later article about the same topic, has prompted me to initiate a petition to inform SBS that viewers continue to be unhappy about the adverts during programmes and we request SBS' new management to consider their options and remove the mid-programme advertisements.

The petition web address is below the article.

SBS article in the Green Guide 8 March 2012 by Debi Enker

One of the dumbest decisions made by SBS in recent years was the introduction in late 2006 of advertising within its programs.

The desperate, short-sighted move by the cash-strapped network infuriated viewers, who were unanimous in their disapproval, and severely damaged the broadcaster’s standing, undermining its unique place in the media landscape.

Before 2006, ads on SBS appeared between programs, or during natural breaks in sporting events. The change in policy eroded precious goodwill and alienated viewers at a time when the free-to-air TV market was becoming increasingly competitive due to the proliferation of digital channels.

The intrusion of ads within programs made the multicultural broadcaster look like a cut-price commercial network.

Unsurprisingly, the initiative failed to provide the projected boost in revenue while also allowing governments that were not keenly committed to funding the broadcaster with a handy excuse to reduce their support.

Last week, a bill to phase out the disruptive breaks was introduced in the Senate by the Greens communications spokesman, Scott Ludlum.

This would be a good time to contact your local member of parliament, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy or shadow minister Malcolm Turnbull, urging them to fund the multicultural broadcaster properly, support moves to end a spectacularly unsuccessful initiative and bring to a close a bleak period that has succeeded only in driving SBS viewers to change channels.

PETITION

SBS TELEVISION AND ADVERTISMENTS PETITION