Merlin calls for reality TV in Baxter

Paul Oboohov, Canberra

At a September 29 Socialist Alliance public forum on the theme "Truth overboard: war, lies and refugees", Big Brother's Merlin Luck criticised the warped view of reality presented on so-called reality TV shows. Reality in the world today, he argued, is the 33,000 children under the age of five dying every day. He called for "reality TV" cameras to be set up in the Baxter immigration detention centre.

Greens Senate candidate Kerrie Tucker argued that Howard is attacking democracy and that if opposition elements do not get into the Senate, "we can kiss democracy goodbye".

James Vassilopoulos, Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of Fraser, cited refugee Peter Qasim's seventh year in detention as one reason why we must kick Howard out. He said that the Socialist Alliance is campaigning for permanent protection instead of temporary protection visas for refugees, and for and end to mandatory detention and the occupation of Iraq.

From Green Left Weekly, October 6, 2004.

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From GLW issue 601