Tag: Current Affairs

One stop shop? or Top-shop? : Thrift shopping and our Social Consciousness

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 I love a good pair of kicks. I love a shopping trip.

Forgive my fashionable wiles, dear readers, for this will not be a deeply political post, but it will be an interesting one [!]

I was walking out of an Op-Shop a couple of weeks ago, with a pair of shoes, a necklace and two copies of their In-House publication [a ‘pricey’ 70 cents each] and I thought to myself:

Are op-shops making people more socially conscious?

Are people actually connected with their purchases — their materialism is supporting those less fortunate, but is this making people more socially conscious?

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In my own mind, initially, I begged to differ. I disagreed with my own thought[!]
I’m an  avid op-shopper, but I viewed my purchases as ‘shopping’, not so much in the sense of a ‘charity donation’.
Some peruse pages of books, websites, some peruse coffee shops and bars. I peruse coat hangers, I rummage, I try, I buy — as my form of relaxation. Among my friends, I have a solid reputation as a glamorous bargain hunter.

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Politics in Kicks meets Dr. Alexey Muraviev

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Pictured: Your fair author and Dr. Alexey Muraviev


When: 6.30pm, March 25th
Where: St. Catherine’s College, UWA
Who: Dr. Alexey Muraviev, Head of Social Science and International Studies at Curtin University
What: Speaking at the Australian Institute of International Affairs WA Branch Meeting on:

“UKRAINIAN FRONT 2.0:

RUSSIA’S STRATEGIC INTENT, GEO-STRATEGIC CONSEQUENCES

& IMPLICATIONS FOR AUSTRALIA”

***Note: This Meeting was held under Chatham House Rule. ***
** Read about this rule HERE **

It took me less than 5 minutes into Alexey’s talk for me to realise how ill-focused the media reporting has been on the “Crimea Crisis”.
Our understanding has been distorted.

This is what I learned…..

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Politics in Kicks meets Director General of ASIO, David Irvine

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Pictured: Your Fair Author and Director General of ASIO, David Irvine

When: 6pm, March 4th
Where: St George’s College, UWA
Who: Director General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation [ASIO], David Irvine
What: Speaking on “Intelligence and National Security in the Democratic State”

**NB: This special event, hosted by the Australian Institute of International Affairs WA was held under Chatham House Rule**

**I took extensive notes throughout his talk, this blog entry is based on them.**

I didn’t know much about ASIO, ASIS, or Secret Services until I attended this talk and had the privilege of meeting David afterwards.

This is what I learned…..

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February In Review: Why voting smarter will help us trust the Government

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“[In] Australia increased trust in the institution of government is up 13 percentage points to 56 per cent.

However, three in five Australians (60 per cent) do not trust government leaders to tell the truth regardless of how complex or unpopular it is.

And two in five Australians (40 per cent) do not trust government leaders to make ethical and moral decisions.”

Source: Business Insider 

February was a really interesting month — Schapelle released, Ukraine in turmoil, Protests at the Winter Olympics, The USA dodging another fiscal default, Aussie troops coming home from Afghanistan, The violent death of an asylum seeker at Manus Island and GWAR’s decapitation of a Tony Abbott effigy at Soundwave.

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In the “NO” – a brief monthly review of Auspol: Marriage Equality, the Great Barrier Reef, Holden, Indonesia and the death of the Carbon Tax

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A brief rundown of the major events in Australia Politics in the last 6 weeks!
There seems to be a lot of “No” lately.

Let’s kick it off with the most recent:

MARRIAGE EQUALITY
No to Gay Marriage.

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The Australian High Court (highest in the land) over turned the Australian Capital Territory’s Marriage Equality laws.

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KRudd hits the ‘Game Over’ button, why was he important?

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First entry on the road! Currently on the Eastern Seaboard!

Kevin Rudd resigned from Parliament last night.

“Why should I care, PIK? What does it mean? What will it change?!”

Firstly, there will be a By-election in the seat of Griffith, Queensland. A by-election is an out of term (Parliament is elected every 4 years) election for a single, or multiple electorates. Because we live in a Democracy and the institute of Parliament is a pretty important one, KRudd’s seat can’t be left vacant for 4 years. Just because one seat goes to an election doesn’t mean the whole state or country has to — unless you were the Gillard Government of 2010-2013(!)

By-elections are often non-events, they will happen very quietly and we’ll hear in a few weeks who replaces Kevin. The ALP are confident of holding the seat, which is likely. By-elections occur when an MP dies or retires; if electoral boundaries change, then that change usually affects the next election (informed well in advance), but never mid term.

Check out how the electoral boundaries of Griffith have changed!

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