Darren Churchill: Australian Democrats Campaigns

Bring Back Balance

ACT Democrats Media Release 25 October 2007

Democrats candidate wants Bill of Rights

Australian Democrats candidate for Fraser, Darren Churchill said today,”It’s time for action on National Human Rights legislation (a Bill of Rights).

This afternoon, Kurt Esser from The Justice Project was interviewed on ABC Local Radio urging local politicians to act on Human Rights.

The Justice Project is a national project that includes noted human rights advocates Julian Burnside QC and former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser (who today also again advocated a Bill of Rights).

“Both the ACT and Victoria have Human Rights legislation. But we really need national legislation on this issue,” Mr Churchill said.

The Democrats have long campaigned for an Australian Bill of Rights and will introduce new legislation to that effect after the election.

“Australia’s law enforcement agencies have had their powers increased in the name of protecting our freedoms from terrorists. But these increased powers have no accountability to the courts. Nor do they guarantee protection from torture or privacy violations for Australians at home or abroad.

Introducing a Human Rights Act would be the first step towards setting down clear guidelines for the treatment of our citizens and residents and it will be my first act if elected. Ultimately, the idea would be to have the legislation enshrined in the Constitution.” said Mr Churchill

Darren Churchill
Australian Democrats candidate for Fraser

Darren.Churchill@act.democrats.org.au
0412 196 473

            Bring Back Balance

ACT Democrats Media Release 24 October 2007

Democrats urge caution on GMOs

Australian Democrats candidate for Fraser, Darren Churchill, said today,

“When it comes to GMOs, choice and labelling are critical issues”.

In Western Australia today (Wednesday 24 Oct), a delegation from the

Consumers Union of Japan presented the state Agriculture Minister with a

petition urging the WA Government to continue its moratorium on GM crops.

Moratoriums on commercial GM food crops in New South Wales, Victoria and

South Australia are due to expire next year and are currently being

reviewed.

Last year, ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said at the Biotechnology in

Canberra & Region Summit, “We have to take care that we do not deal

ourselves out of contention when it comes to such areas as stem-cell

research and GMOs”.

Investment in any technology that has benefits for society and promotes

consumer choice should be encouraged, but we must be cautious in relation to

impacts on human health and environmental biodiversity.

“Whilst plant breeding has given us crops that are stronger and resistant to

some type of diseases (eg. wheat that is resistant to drought and rust), we

need to look at long term health and environmental effects of Genetic

Modification before committing to it on a commercial scale”, Mr. Churchill

said.

People have a right to choose GMO foods, or not, if they so wish, but there

are different levels of Genetic Modification, and that makes product

labelling an extremely important issue. Putting barley genes in wheat may be

acceptable to some, but putting animal genes in plants is a very different

thing.

“I am a vegetarian, so I think that if we do go down that path it should

only be with adequate labelling so that vegetarians/vegans and people not

wishing to use a GMO product can make an informed choice.

We have to thoroughly examine the possible benefits and risks to human

health and biodiversity.  We have to
have appropriate regulation and

environmental impact assessment procedures in place”, concluded Mr.

Churchill.

Darren Churchill

Australian Democrats candidate for Fraser

Darren.Churchill@act.democrats.org.au

0412 196 473

Darren Churchill is a part time Boxfit instructor. He has a B.Ec.from the University of Newcastle and a Grad.Dip.Ed. from the University of Wollongong, and has taught in secondary schools in both NSW and the ACT.

Now, more than ever, a strong voice of the progressive centre is needed in the seat of Fraser. Someone who fights for what is right and provides a balanced approach in the parliament.

Our poor country is hurting from the divisive politics of exclusion and fear.

People are rightly suspicious of the government’s treatment of asylum seekers and other migrants and of the politics of exclusion practiced against people who don’t fit some imagined idea of normality in relation to race, religion or gender. The increased powers of surveillance and law enforcement in the name of freedom and without accountability or explanation are of great concern to me.

As the Democrats candidate, I offer fair representation and the opportunity to participate in an inclusive, environmentally sustainable and economically responsible Australia.

ACT Democrats announce candidate for the electorate of Fraser

Former Goulburn man, Darren Churchill, has been endorsed as the Australian Democrats candidate for Fraser, ACT. The electorate neighbours Goulburn’s electorate of Hume to the south.

Originally from Goulburn, Mr Churchill, 43, now lives in Kaleen where he works part time as a Boxfit instructor.

As an Anglican, in the liberal-catholic tradition, Mr Churchill has strong views on human rights, equality, social justice and inclusiveness. Mr Churchill is a vegetarian and is greatly concerned about animal welfare and labelling of food.

Mr Churchill is a strong opponent of an ID Card and is concerned about the erosion of our freedoms in recent times.

Now, more than ever, a strong voice of the progressive centre is needed in Australian politics. Someone who will fight for what is right and provide a balanced approach in the parliament.

The Australian Democrats are a party that does offer balance and sensible approach, and isn’t answerable to the interest groups of big business, big unions or other powerful lobbyists with a particular agenda. The evenhanded, fair approach of the Democrats is a great attraction to me.

Our poor country is hurting from the divisive politics of exclusion and fear.

People are rightly suspicious of the government’s treatment of asylum seekers and other migrants. They are rightly suspicious of the politics of exclusion practiced against people who don’t fit some imagined idea of normality in relation to race, religion or gender. And they are rightly suspicious of increased powers of surveillance and law enforcement in the name of freedom and without accountability or explanation.

Darren.Churchill@act.democrats.org.au

0412 196 473

Media Release 18 October 2007

ACT Democrats announce candidate for Fraser

Darren Churchill, 43, lives in Kaleen where he works part time as a Boxfit instructor. Mr Churchill has a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Newcastle and a Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Wollongong. He has taught in secondary schools in both NSW and the ACT.

Mr Churchill has also worked in the music industry doing sound and lighting, and in the early 1990s was a band manager.

As an Anglican, in the liberal-catholic tradition, Mr Churchill has strong views on human rights, equality, social justice and inclusiveness. Mr Churchill is a vegetarian and is greatly concerned about animal welfare and labelling of food..

Mr Churchill is a strong opponent of an ID Card and is concerned about the erosion of our freedoms in recent times.

Now, more than ever, a strong voice of the progressive centre is needed in Australian politics. Someone who will fight for what is right and provide a balanced approach in the parliament.

The Australian Democrats are a party that does offer balance and sensible approach, and isn’t answerable to the interest groups of big business, big unions or other powerful lobbyists with a particular agenda. The evenhanded, fair approach of the Democrats is a great attraction to me.

Our poor country is hurting from the divisive politics of exclusion and fear.

The people of the Fraser electorate (and Canberrans in general) are rightly suspicious of the government’s treatment of asylum seekers and other migrants. They are rightly suspicious of the politics of exclusion practiced against people who don’t fit some imagined idea of normality in relation to race, religion or gender. And they are rightly suspicious of increased powers of surveillance and law enforcement in the name of freedom and without accountability or explanation.

As the Democrats candidate, I offer fair representation and the opportunity to participate in an inclusive, environmentally sustainable and economically responsible Australia.

Darren.Churchill@act.democrats.org.au 0412 196 473