Citizenship mix-up a joke
The current furore about the status of Barnaby Joyce’s citizenship and allegiance is totally ridiculous.
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A man born in Tamworth in 1967, to a New Zealand father and an Australian mother, and who has identified himself as thoroughly Australian all his life, is being hounded by his political enemies as an alien.
The Australian ALP has used the NZ Labour party to examine Mr Joyce’s ancestry and status as a dual citizen.
This, in itself, is regarded by the NZ Labour leader, Jacinta Arden, as an improper act and she is distancing her party from the consequences.
If a citizen seeks some benefit from another country, we can certainly start to wonder if they might be less patriotic as Australians.
We can then argue that they should not hold any political position.
This would apply also to all public servants, especially those in any areas where Australian security could become an issue.
The issues are further confused if we ask: why should any Australians with any sort of dual citizenship be allowed to vote in any Australian elections? Their votes are just as capable of skewing political results.
There is nothing on record to show that Barnaby Joyce has ever considered himself, or acted in any way that might demonstrate, that he is other than a totally committed Australian.
In fact, many people have regularly considered him as an over-the-top Australian in the way he conducts himself.
Whatever another country does to change its citizenship recognitions, at any time, should not be applicable to any Australian citizen born in Australia.
Such a change can only apply if, and only if, the relationship is activated by the Australian.
Barnaby Joyce is certainly an Australian who puts Australia first.
Bruce Watson, Kentucky, NSW
Dignity for all
Share the Dignity’s second sanitary drive for 2017 kicked off on August 1 and runs until August 31.
We are incredibly grateful to the collection points and all the people who generously donate pads and tampons. It is easy to help us help women in need this August. Just head to the website and find your local collection points and donate a packet of pads or tampons this August.
Can you imagine having your period and not being able to afford tampons or pads? For more than 85,000 Australian women and girls this is their reality. Homeless women, women in domestic violence shelters, women and girls in dire poverty, simply can’t afford sanitary products, so they improvise.
Every item collected is registered, sorted and sent to services that directly support women and girls in need.
At the beginning of 2017, Share the Dignity started its national roll out of our #Pinkbox Dignity Vending Machines, which holds 60 ‘Period Packs’ each containing two pads and six tampons.
Share the Dignity Founder Rochelle Courtenay commented: “Access to sanitary items has been declared a human right by the United Nations yet we know that in Australia there are thousands of women and girls who don’t have access to pads, tampons, menstrual cups or period-proof underwear. Machine locations have been carefully considered with installations underway in low socioeconomic areas throughout Australia. Discreet placement of the vending machines will help remove the stigma and embarrassment of having to ask for sanitary products.
Each vending machine costs $9000 to manufacture, deliver, install and stock with 1000 Period Packs. The charity is aiming to raise enough funds to install a further 30 vending machines nationwide by the end of the year.
Organisations or individuals interested in helping are encouraged to contact Share the Dignity (dvm@sharethedignity.com.au).