{"article":{"id":28221,"heading":"Australian Senate Votes No Confidence Motion Of Prime Minister Re: Iraq War","author":"Kevin","created":"2003-02-06 06:24:23","modified":"2003-03-24 00:55:09","last_modified":"Mon, 24 Mar 2003 07:55:09","article":"

No-confidence vote shows Australian divide on Iraq




\t

CANBERRA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Australia's upper house of parliament passed a vote of no

confidence in Prime Minister John Howard on Wednesday for his handling of Iraq,

illustrating the deep divide in Australia over joining any war.

Howard, a staunch U.S. ally, has come under attack for sending troops and approving

fighter jet deployments to join U.S. and British forces in the Gulf preparing for a possible

war on Iraq before the United Nations process has run its course.

Opposition and minor parties, who hold the balance of power in the 76-seat Senate,

joined forces to pass the upper house's first vote of no confidence in a government or

leader in its 102- year history. It was a symbolic gesture that has no legislative clout.

\"This is a historic vote by the Senate, albeit on party lines as such motions always are,\"

Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown told reporters after the vote was passed by 33 to 31

votes.

\"John Howard has let this nation down. His gross mishandling of Australia's involvement

deserved the strongest parliamentary rebuke.\"

But a bid by the left-leaning Greens to amend the no-confidence motion to condemn any

Australian involvement in Iraq, with or without a U.N. mandate, was defeated when the

main opposition Labor party voted with the conservative government.

Canberra has yet to commit itself to joining any military action in Iraq, whether

U.N.-approved or U.S.-led, but Howard's decision to pre-deploy troops opened up a sharp

political divide on the issue and prompted public protests.

Recent opinion polls show an overwhelming majority of Australians -- 76 percent --

oppose Australian participation in a U.S.-led war on Iraq while 57 percent support joining

military action that has U.N. backing.

About 400 anti-war protesters demonstrated outside the national parliament on Tuesday

as politicians, back from their summer break, began an emotional debate on Iraq,

questioning Howard's unwavering support for the tough U.S. stance on Iraq.

Meanwhile a group of women in Lismore, 600 km (370 miles) north of Sydney,

announced plans to follow the example of some U.S. and British protesters and strip off

for peace this weekend in a \"Disrobe to Disarm\" protest.



Protest organiser, Australian singer Grace Knight, told Australian radio that hundreds of

women were expected to bare all for an aerial photo shoot, using their bodies to spell out

an anti-war message. The resulting photo will be sent to Howard.

\thttp:\/\/www.alertnet.org\/thenews\/newsdesk\/SYD4678<\/a><\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"This Is the first vote of no confidence in a government or leader in Australia's 102- year history. Recent opinion polls show an overwhelming majority of Australians -- 76 percent --oppose Australian participation in a U.S.-led war on Iraq .","numcomment":9,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2003\/02\/28221.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":28275,"heading":"Keep Protesting!","article":"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAll polls show; we have no allies. \r\nMore than 70% of ALL Europeans are against a US led war. \r\nMore than 70% of Brits are AGAINST a US led war. \r\nMore than 80% of Turks are against a US led war. \r\nNow we read that more than 70% of Australians are AGAINST a US led war. \r\n\r\nGuess what folks, we have NO allies. None!\r\n","author":"WE HAVE NO ALLIES!","parent_id":28221,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-02-06 22:53:18","modified":"2003-02-06 22:53:18","fileurl":""},{"id":28327,"heading":"Simple","article":"http:\/\/news.ft.com\/servlet\/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com\/StoryFT\/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1042491561355\r\n\r\nI believe the most relevant passages are:\r\n\r\n"The move, initiated by opposition parties which control the Senate, is symbolic and will have no constitutional consequences for Mr Howard, who remains one of the most popular prime ministers in Australia's history"\r\n\r\nSo much for momentous occasions.\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.etaiwannews.com\/World\/2003\/02\/06\/1044496210.htm\r\n\r\nAnd this?\r\n\r\nLeader of the left-leaning Australian Greens, Senator Bob Brown, said the Senate's motion, passed by 33 votes to 31, marked a "historic condemnation of the government." \r\n\r\nGolly, 33 to 31. That's a landslide. Keep dreaming boys, Australia's in for the duration.\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/canberra.yourguide.com.au\/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=national&category=general%20news&story_id=207462&y=2003&m=2\r\n\r\nTa ta.\r\n","author":"Simple Simon","parent_id":28221,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-02-07 17:19:53","modified":"2003-02-07 17:19:53","fileurl":""},{"id":28354,"heading":"Well,","article":"Well, I'd think again.\r\nI think the most relevent passage is:\r\n\r\n"Recent opinion polls show an overwhelming majority of Australians -- 76 percent -- \r\noppose Australian participation in a U.S.-led war on Iraq "","author":"Democracy","parent_id":28221,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-02-07 23:25:09","modified":"2003-02-07 23:25:09","fileurl":""},{"id":39061,"heading":"Mr","article":"John Howard must go. He longer represents the Australian people. He represents only the interests of George W. Bush.","author":"Markian","parent_id":28221,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-23 23:17:39","modified":"2003-03-23 23:17:39","fileurl":""},{"id":39062,"heading":"no allies","article":"We have no allies, oops, except for the 45 other countries who have joined the alliance.","author":"fred","parent_id":28221,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-23 23:25:49","modified":"2003-03-23 23:25:49","fileurl":""},{"id":39098,"heading":"Simple","article":"The Australian Senate - Just as relevant as the English House of Lords.\r\n\r\nYawn.\r\n\r\nThis just in: Australian Green Party says Prime Minister Howard is a "poo poo head".","author":"Simple Simon","parent_id":28221,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-24 00:33:51","modified":"2003-03-24 00:33:51","fileurl":""},{"id":39104,"heading":"The Bush Junta...","article":"...has done some amazing things with American Foreign Policy, except I feel uncomfortable using that kind of language in public.\r\n\r\nWe are well on our way to being a Pariah Nation from the European point of view.\r\n\r\nThe only thing now commanding any respect is FEAR.\r\n\r\nMaybe the Freeper Crowd and their Nazi Fascist leanigns are comfortable with that; I am not.","author":"Diogenes","parent_id":28221,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-24 00:45:58","modified":"2003-03-24 00:45:58","fileurl":""},{"id":39110,"heading":"Simple","article":"Egad, a pariah in the eyes of those great champions of human rights, Germany and France!\r\n\r\nSacre Bleu!\r\n","author":"Simple Simon","parent_id":28221,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-24 00:50:26","modified":"2003-03-24 00:50:26","fileurl":""},{"id":39113,"heading":"http:\/\/www.outwar.com\/page.php?x=490159","article":"hi my name is jhon and i would like you to click on this cause it is a good ant-war please no pro BUSH people thet suck ass thank you\r\nhave a good day stop this war","author":"jhon","parent_id":28221,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-03-24 00:55:09","modified":"2003-03-24 00:55:09","fileurl":""}]}