Latest news with #treaty
CBC
17 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Peace activists lament unravelling of landmine pact named after Ottawa
Social Sharing Paul Hannon remembers being in Ottawa in 1997 when representatives from across the globe came to the city to sign an agreement banning the production and use of landmines. At the time, Hannon was volunteering for Mines Action Canada, a coalition of groups advocating against the use of mines in armed conflicts. "It was a pretty magical moment in December, the first week of December 1997, when 122 countries from around the world came here to sign the treaty," he told CBC News. But 28 years later, the agreement is being challenged. Ukraine and five other countries, some of which are members of NATO, have either moved to withdraw from the convention or have indicated they would do so, citing growing military threats from Russia. Hannon and others who pushed for the treaty are lamenting how its being undone. They're also arguing that Canada, the country that brokered it, should play a more active part in keeping countries from withdrawing. "Once they've gone through that process and they've left, then people are going to start thinking, 'Where are those countries that were calling for this treaty, where were the countries that were the big leaders?'" Hannon said. 'We were where the landmines got banned' Lloyd Axworthy, who served as foreign affairs minister from 1996 to 2000, was the driving force behind the treaty in 1997. He said the inspiration for the initiative came after he and his 11-year-old son visited an exhibit on landmines. "He said, 'Well, aren't you the foreign minister, dad?' I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'Why can't you do something about it?'" he told CBC. The way Axworthy went about forging the treaty, by including civic groups that typically weren't included in such agreements, would also come to be known as the "Ottawa process." Alex Neve, a human rights lawyer and former secretary-general of Amnesty International Canada, said the treaty — and Ottawa by association — became widely known in international circles. "The degree to which other states have come to regularly call it the Ottawa Treaty or the Ottawa Convention — you hear both — is a real sign that the rest of the world recognizes Canada's leadership as well," Neve said. 'We're not playing that role anymore' Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on withdrawing from the convention, though it still needs parliamentary approval to take effect. The country's foreign affairs ministry said that Russia's use of anti-personnel mines "has created an asymmetric advantage for the aggressor." Neve said the move sets a bad precedent. "Anytime a nation shows the rest of the world that you can back away from your international obligations, you can retreat from your international obligations, it risks encouraging other governments to do the same thing," he said. Neve and Axworthy also said that Canada ought to engage more with countries to ensure they stay signed on to the convention. "We were one of the leaders in non-proliferation of weaponry," Axworthy said. "And we're not playing that role anymore." For Hannon, the crumbling of the treaty also stings on a local level, as it's something that everyone in Ottawa — and Canada — should be proud of. "Everybody thinks that the world knows about us because of hockey or Wayne Gretzky. And I would say now most of the world knows about us because we were where landmines got banned. That was a really significant thing," he said. "I would certainly like people to remember [the treaty] much more than this is the city where the convoy took over ... for two weeks. I think that's a much better memory to have and a much better claim to fame."
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Victoria says $776 million treaty negotiations claim ‘cherry-picked', but $308 million spent since 2020
The Victorian government has hit back at 'cherry-picked analysis' that claimed it has spent more than $776 million on treaty negotiations since 2016. The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), a conservative think tank, on Sunday published analysis of spending items in Victorian government budget documents relating to treaty or 'self-determination' initiatives. The report claimed Victoria had spent $776.2 million on programs related to the development of a state treaty since 2016, with $100.6 million committed in the 2026 financial year alone and $220 million in the first two full financial years following the defeat of the Voice referendum. 'This is cherry-picked analysis from a Liberal Party-aligned think tank,' a Victorian government spokesperson said. 'If you listen to the people directly affected by policies, you get better outcomes — that's common sense. Treaty is about making a better and fairer state for all Victorians — negotiations are underway and we look forward to bringing Treaty to the Parliament.' The government would not confirm the IPA's figures, but noted $308 million had been invested into the Treaty since the 2020-21 budget, according to publicly available annual reports. Analysis of annual reports and budget papers by the Herald Sun put the figure at $382.4 million over the past 10 years. Some of that funding has gone into setting up the Treaty Authority, an 'independent umpire' created by the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria and the State of Victoria to oversee the process. The Herald Sun reported in 2023 that members of the Treaty Authority panel could be paid a salary of up to $380,000 per year plus expenses if they worked full-time. The Victorian government first committed to advancing a treaty with Indigenous Victorians in 2016. Negotiations formally began in November 2024, and Victoria plans to finalise a treaty by the end of the 2026 financial year. Victoria would be the first Australian jurisdiction to negotiate a formal treaty with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. But the IPA said Victorians remained largely in the dark about what a treaty would entail, despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent and hundreds of meetings held since 2017 in preparation for negotiations. 'Despite the Victorian government spending in excess of $776 million on secret treaty negotiations, mainstream Victorians are none the wiser as to what special rights and reparations it will grant to some Victorians based solely on race,' IPA research fellow Margaret Chambers said in a statement. The report noted that between July 2016 and June 2025, 727 meetings had been held by the Victorian government in relation to the development of a treaty — but just four public statements had been issued and the 'substance of these negotiations remains largely undisclosed'.That number included meetings between First Peoples' negotiating parties and the state of Victoria to negotiate or prepare for Treaty agreements, and meetings with departments to support whole of Victorian government co-ordination and engagement in Treaty negotiations. 'The Victorian government is not being honest and upfront with Victorians about its plan to divide the community by race,' Ms Chambers said. 'With a treaty scheduled to be finalised in the next 12 months, and despite the volume of secret meetings over the past decade, very little is known about what this treaty will entail. 'Any treaty will fundamentally change Victoria's legal structure and will likely require already financially stretched Victorian taxpayers to pay billions of dollars to activists aligned to the Allan government. 'Yet, for a government which operates one of the most sophisticated and well-funded spin machines ever seen, just four statements, totalling 1588 words, have been released on the Allan government's plan to divide Victorians by race.' Recent IPA analysis claimed the monetary compensation, tax relief and litigation which would flow from a treaty in Victoria based on the landmark Yoorrook report would be in excess of $48 billion annually. 'Victorians voted against racial division at the Voice referendum,' Ms Chambers said. 'Jacinta Allan is demonstrating complete and utter contempt for the Victorian people, and our democracy, by pursuing this treaty that will divide and cripple Victoria. 'With all the problems that Victoria faces, the last thing the community needs is a two-tiered legal system where some have special rights and get special government payments. Every Victorian should be treated equally under the law.'
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Australia Signs Defense Pact With UK
Happy Monday, it's Carmeli in Sydney here to bring you all the latest news to start your week. Today's must-reads: • Australia and the UK sign submarine pact • Australia strengthens India trade • EU wins lowered 15% tariff rate from US Australia and the UK signed a landmark 50-year defense treaty on Saturday to underpin the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, senior ministers from both nations said. Both sides stressed that the treaty doesn't impact the Aukus security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US — currently under review by the Trump administration.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Eye-watering amount Aussie taxpayers have forked out for an Indigenous treaty as state edges closer to finalising negotiations
The Victorian government has already spent at least $382million of taxpayer money negotiating an Indigenous treaty, according to new analysis. A treaty is expected to be finalised later in 2025, nine years after the state government became the first in the country to formally commit to treaty talks in 2016. According to treaty reports and budget papers, $382.4 million has been given to the 'self-determination' process over the past decade, The Herald Sun reported. Some money has gone towards setting up the Treaty Authority, which is overseeing negotiations, with members of the panel earning up to $380,000 a year. Funding has also supported preparations by First Nations groups for negotiations, public events to inform Indigenous communities about the process, and roundtable discussions on the treaty framework. Right-wing think tank the Institute of Public Affairs suggested the total figure could be higher. Their report found that 727 meetings related to treaty development were held between July 2016 and June 2025. That number could reach 968 by June 2026 if it continues at its current pace, with one meeting taking place every two to three business days. The Institute's review of government budget papers estimated that a combined $776 million has been spent over the past decade on the treaty, 'self-determination' programs, and Indigenous community initiatives. However, the documents do not provide a detailed breakdown of spending. Institute of Public Affairs Research Fellow Margaret Chambers criticised the government's handling of the process. 'The Victorian government is not being honest and upfront with Victorians about its plan to divide the community on racial grounds,' Ms Chambers told the Herald Sun. 'With a treaty scheduled to be finalised inside the next 12 months, and despite the volume of secret meetings over the past decade, very little is known about what this treaty will entail. 'Any treaty will fundamentally change Victoria's legal structure and will likely require already financially stretched Victorian taxpayers to pay billions of dollars to activists aligned to the Allan government.' New legislation related to the treaty is expected to go before Victoria's parliament in the coming months. It is understood the bill will enshrine an expanded First Peoples' Assembly. That would effectively establish a state-based version of the Voice, which was rejected in a national referendum in 2023. The Victorian government is also negotiating separate treaties with local Indigenous groups. The details of these agreements and associated costs have not been disclosed. At the beginning of July, the Victorian government released the findings from the Yoorrook Justice Commission investigating the state's colonial roots. The Truth Be Told report detailed massacres and frontier violence, labelling it a 'genocide' and investigating the ongoing harms against Aboriginal people. A Victorian government spokesman slammed the 'cherry-picked analysis from the Liberal Party-aligned think tank'. 'If you listen to the people directly affected by policies, you get better outcomes - that's commonsense,' he said. 'Treaty is about making a better and fairer state for all Victorians - negotiations are underway and we look forward to bringing treaty to the Parliament.'
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Brown-noser': Crass statue appears outside Richard Marles electoral office in Geelong
A crass piece of political art has accused Richard Marles of being 'Australia's biggest brown-noser' as the defence minister signed a 50-year treaty alongside his UK counterpart. The installation, outside Mr Marles electoral office in Geelong, depicted a large nose with an apparent fecal smear. Affixed to a light post by chain, the work is attributed to The New Radicals and names Mr Marles. The protest art comes as Mr Marles signed a new five-decade treaty with the United Kingdom to cement the AUKUS submarine pact in his home city. Dubbed 'The Geelong Treaty', the defence minister said the agreement would enable co-operation on the SSN-Aukus submarine. 'In doing this, AUKUS will see 20,000 jobs in Australia. It will see, in building submarines in this country, the biggest industrial endeavour in our nation's history, bigger even than the Snowy Hydro scheme,' Mr Marles said. 'In military terms, what it will deliver is the biggest leap in Australia's military capability, really, since the formation of the navy back in 1913.' The new treaty was announced following the annual AUKMIN talks in Sydney on Friday. Alongside his counterpart, UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey, the two men celebrated the treaty with a beer at a Geelong brewery. Spotted in Geelong's CBD on Saturday afternoon, the piece has vanished by 5pm.
