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(Fwd) Media Release (fwd)


------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From:          "Brian Jenkins" <brian@nettrek.com.au>
To:            "Martyn Webb" <martyn@perth.dialix.com.au>,
               "Rodney Vlais" <eco-heal@vianet.net.au>,
               "Tony Troughton-Smith" <tts@iinet.net.au>,
               "Jennifer Searcy" <j_searcy@central.murdoch.edu.au>,
               "Liz Peak" <Elizabeth.Peak@aph.gov.au>,
               "Graham Palmer" <palmeg@yahoo.com.au>,
               "Peter Nettleton" <stinger@opera.iinet.net.au>,
               "John Massam" <georgist@multiline.com.au>,
               "Leisa Hutchings (h)" <slhutch@q-net.net.au>,
               "Dion Giles" <dgiles@central.murdoch.edu.au>,
               "Tony Cooke" <tlcwa@ca.com.au>, "Shawn Boyle" <shawn@wacoss.org.au>,
               "Liam Bartlett" <liam@swannet.com.au>
Subject:       Media Release
Date:          Wed, 1 Jul 1998 12:39:13 +0800

The following is the text of a 'quick' statement sent to The West and other
media.  I am working on a more detailed story which will more adequately
cover the range of material presented by speakers.  An RTF formatted version
of the present statement can be sent on request.

MAI TREATY "MAKES GOVERNMENTS LIE ABOUT EXCEPTIONS"

Allowance for country-specific exceptions for signatories of the
Multilateral Agreement on Investment was fraudulent and permitted
governments to lie to their citizens about the OECD treaty's real impact, a
Perth public meeting was told on 30 June, 1998.

The speaker, WA Trades and Labour Council secretary Tony Cooke, was one of a
panel of four who addressed the audience of 200 at the Leederville meeting,
held by Stop MAI  a national coalition seeking to prevent Australia's
participation.

Other speakers were barrister and open-government campaigner Bevan Lawrence,
journalist and radio current affairs presenter Liam Bartlett and former WA
senator Jean Jenkins. All spoke scathingly of  the Federal Government's
stance on MAI.

RESOLUTION
The following resolution was carried unanimously at the end of the meeting:

That this meeting
Endorses and commends the Stop MAI (WA) Campaign Coalition for alerting the
community to potential problems in the proposed Multilateral Agreement on
Investment; and calls on the Parliaments and Governments of Western
Australia and the Commonwealth--

1. to do all in their power to prevent Australia's participation in the
Agreement and to persuade  other OECD nations to withhold their support from
it and from any similar Agreement which may be introduced in another forum;

2. to uphold and acknowledge the sovereignty of the Australian people over
its governments and parliaments at all times, and to desist from any actions
which have the effect of transferring delegated powers to any foreign
government, corporation or agency unless such actions are authorised before
the fact by a national Referendum; and

3. to pursue, through OECD forums and domestic legislation, revised
Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to ensure that operations of such
enterprises in Australia shall result in a maximum of benefit to Australia,
including the honest fulfilment of tax liabilities.

[Ends]

Contact Speakers: Tony Cooke 08 9328 7877;  Bevan Lawrence  08 9325 3466;
Liam Bartlett 08 9220 1442 ;  Jean Jenkins  08 9246 3882;  Rodney Vlais
(chair)  08 9424 4200




Georgist Education Association Inc 
10 Broome St, South Perth, WA, 6151, Australia.
Telephone (+61 8) 9367 5386
"Collect all unearned income for community use"
http://www.multiline.com.au/~georgist/ 
georgist@multiline.com.au