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TV programme blows the lid on the Australian gun lobby
By GetUp! - An explosive 4Corners report
https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/big-guns/10406306?t=joADGu8Xy&utm_campaign=4Corners
has revealed how our gun laws are being steadily eroded by a cashed-up gun lobby.1
These laws have kept our communities safe for decades — likely preventing 16 mass shootings since the tragedies of Port Arthur.2 **And whenever our gun laws are weakened, people pay for it with their lives.**
https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/big-guns/10406306?t=joADGu8Xy&utm_campaign=4Corners
has revealed how our gun laws are being steadily eroded by a cashed-up gun lobby.1
These laws have kept our communities safe for decades — likely preventing 16 mass shootings since the tragedies of Port Arthur.2 **And whenever our gun laws are weakened, people pay for it with their lives.**
Click here to watch the explosive 4Corners report into the campaign to weaken our gun laws, and then share it with your friends and family to spread the word.
The ABC's investigative journalists are shining a light on the gun lobby's growing political influence, exposing how once again vested corporate interests are hijacking our democracy.
Hosting fundraisers for Federal politicians. Taking them out on 'shooting days'. Donating eye-watering sums to political parties. Running covert campaigns against politicians who stand up to their dangerous pro-gun agenda.3
These NRA-inspired lobbying tactics risk taking us down the path of the United States — where gun violence is a daily occurrence, and mass shootings are the new normal.
And the gun lobby's greatest weapon is secrecy and backroom dealing.
That's why we're doing something we've never done before at this scale — asking you to watch and share the 4Corner's explosive report with your friends and family. It's critical we all understand exactly what the gun lobby is doing, so we can begin to fight back.
We need to show everyone why the ABC is a vital part of our democracy, and the best way to do that is by sending them this explosive report.
Fearless reporting like this is exactly why our ABC is so important — cutting to the very heart of what's wrong in our democracy, and exposing the corrosive effects of corporate lobbying.
But right now, it's all under threat. The ABC is facing multiple attacks that could cripple its operations and compromise its editorial independence. Already, four episodes of 4Corners have been delayed this year as a result of the Coalition's ideological budget cuts.4
If we don't all stand up for our ABC, independent investigative journalism like this could be a thing of the past. And an ABC without the capacity to hold power to account is a recipe for corruption and government wrongdoing.
In determination,
Ruby, Mark, and Jairaj - for the GetUp team.
References
[1] ABC Four Corners, 22 October 2018.
[2] 'Peter Dutton in talks to create gun lobby 'council' to change firearms laws', The Guardian, 15 March 2018.
[3] 'Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia: Gun lobby 'muscles up' in bid to change post-Port Arthur gun laws', ABC News, October 22 2018
[4] 'ABC chair Milne, MD Guthrie split over its future, ties 'frosty'', The Australian, 24 September 2018
________________________________________
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. https://www.getup.org.au/donate?t=joADGu8Xy&utm_content=26749&utm_campaign=4Corners_blows_the_lid_on_the_gun_lobby&utm_source=blast&utm_medium=email
Our team acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work. We wish to pay respect to Elders - past, present and emerging - and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia and the GetUp community.
The ABC's investigative journalists are shining a light on the gun lobby's growing political influence, exposing how once again vested corporate interests are hijacking our democracy.
Hosting fundraisers for Federal politicians. Taking them out on 'shooting days'. Donating eye-watering sums to political parties. Running covert campaigns against politicians who stand up to their dangerous pro-gun agenda.3
These NRA-inspired lobbying tactics risk taking us down the path of the United States — where gun violence is a daily occurrence, and mass shootings are the new normal.
And the gun lobby's greatest weapon is secrecy and backroom dealing.
That's why we're doing something we've never done before at this scale — asking you to watch and share the 4Corner's explosive report with your friends and family. It's critical we all understand exactly what the gun lobby is doing, so we can begin to fight back.
We need to show everyone why the ABC is a vital part of our democracy, and the best way to do that is by sending them this explosive report.
Fearless reporting like this is exactly why our ABC is so important — cutting to the very heart of what's wrong in our democracy, and exposing the corrosive effects of corporate lobbying.
But right now, it's all under threat. The ABC is facing multiple attacks that could cripple its operations and compromise its editorial independence. Already, four episodes of 4Corners have been delayed this year as a result of the Coalition's ideological budget cuts.4
If we don't all stand up for our ABC, independent investigative journalism like this could be a thing of the past. And an ABC without the capacity to hold power to account is a recipe for corruption and government wrongdoing.
In determination,
Ruby, Mark, and Jairaj - for the GetUp team.
References
[1] ABC Four Corners, 22 October 2018.
[2] 'Peter Dutton in talks to create gun lobby 'council' to change firearms laws', The Guardian, 15 March 2018.
[3] 'Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia: Gun lobby 'muscles up' in bid to change post-Port Arthur gun laws', ABC News, October 22 2018
[4] 'ABC chair Milne, MD Guthrie split over its future, ties 'frosty'', The Australian, 24 September 2018
________________________________________
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. https://www.getup.org.au/donate?t=joADGu8Xy&utm_content=26749&utm_campaign=4Corners_blows_the_lid_on_the_gun_lobby&utm_source=blast&utm_medium=email
Our team acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet and work. We wish to pay respect to Elders - past, present and emerging - and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia and the GetUp community.
For more information:
http://getup.org.au/
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Funding by government makes the ABC a sitting duck. If the pollies dislike what the ABC does they cut the funding, the most powerful weapon to scare journalists who want to keep their jobs.
Licence funding is the way to go. In Germany there are ten public broadcasting corporations, funded from a licence fee of €17.50 (currently AUD 28.35) per month, payable by each household. (See more on the fee at https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/welcome/englisch/index_ger.html)
The supreme power at each station is a “Rundfunkrat” (Broadcasting Council). Those bodies comprise what are called “socially relevant” groups to mirror a cross section of society.
For example, one of the largest corporations, the Cologne-based WDR, has a Rundfunkrat of 60 members. It includes a few members of the state legislature, who are vastly outnumbered by other groups.
Here are just some of them: women, business, theatre workers, human rights, children’s aid, gay and transgender people, adult educators, journalists, victims of crime, data protectors, city partnership movement, pension funds, etc, etc. The members of the various groupings are publicly listed.
They might be trade unions, women’s alliances, churches and parliamentary groups. All nominate their delegates independently. They are elected for four, five or six years.
The composition of the broadcasting councils is criticised. For example, the 50% state representation in some corporations is seen as dominant influence. The German supreme court has ruled it a breach of the constitution if the state representatives exercise dominant power. Another point of criticism is that the fee payers have no say in the selection of the councils.
The corporations put out programming for their respective target regions and from 8 p.m. all contribute to a national TV channel. There is another public national TV channel, ZDF. At prime time there is no advertising.
Altogether 401 elected people have the final say at the German public broadcasters, compared with an ABC board of eight government-picked members.
No-one can scare these corporations. Those who’ve tried fell flat on their faces.
The system was originally a gift of the Western victorious allies to break the monolithic radio organisation the Nazis had set up for the whole country.
Diet Simon, retired Australian journalist
Licence funding is the way to go. In Germany there are ten public broadcasting corporations, funded from a licence fee of €17.50 (currently AUD 28.35) per month, payable by each household. (See more on the fee at https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/welcome/englisch/index_ger.html)
The supreme power at each station is a “Rundfunkrat” (Broadcasting Council). Those bodies comprise what are called “socially relevant” groups to mirror a cross section of society.
For example, one of the largest corporations, the Cologne-based WDR, has a Rundfunkrat of 60 members. It includes a few members of the state legislature, who are vastly outnumbered by other groups.
Here are just some of them: women, business, theatre workers, human rights, children’s aid, gay and transgender people, adult educators, journalists, victims of crime, data protectors, city partnership movement, pension funds, etc, etc. The members of the various groupings are publicly listed.
They might be trade unions, women’s alliances, churches and parliamentary groups. All nominate their delegates independently. They are elected for four, five or six years.
The composition of the broadcasting councils is criticised. For example, the 50% state representation in some corporations is seen as dominant influence. The German supreme court has ruled it a breach of the constitution if the state representatives exercise dominant power. Another point of criticism is that the fee payers have no say in the selection of the councils.
The corporations put out programming for their respective target regions and from 8 p.m. all contribute to a national TV channel. There is another public national TV channel, ZDF. At prime time there is no advertising.
Altogether 401 elected people have the final say at the German public broadcasters, compared with an ABC board of eight government-picked members.
No-one can scare these corporations. Those who’ve tried fell flat on their faces.
The system was originally a gift of the Western victorious allies to break the monolithic radio organisation the Nazis had set up for the whole country.
Diet Simon, retired Australian journalist
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