5 000 strong crowds were from all race, religion and communities. Substances of their speeches were true, accurate and factual. They also condemned Israeli war crimes and genocide.
NSW Green will move a motion tomorrow to condemn Israel.
MEN, women and children from Sydney's Middle Eastern communities shouted "Is-ra-el, U-S-A, how many kids have you killed today" as they stormed the CBD's Town Hall forecourt tonight.
"Israel is a terrorist state" and "Free Palestine" were some of the messages that nearly 1000 protesters in Sydney brandished over the humanitarian aid deaths near Gaza.
The rally organised by the Social Justice Party kicked off about 5.30pm (AEST) to protest yesterday's deaths in the Middle East.
Four Australians are in Israeli detention after attempting to travel with an aid flotilla to Gaza, while a fifth is being treated in hospital for a gunshot wound.
At least nine people were killed when Israeli forces stormed the aid ships, sparking global criticism.
Police from the riot order squad watched from the perimeter as people shouted during the proceedings.
A spokeswoman for the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine spoke first to the crowd by acknowledging the traditional Aboriginal landowners of the site.
"We must also remember the people of Palestine are facing dispossession of their land," the spokeswoman said.
She also asked the crowd to observe a minute's silence over yesterday's events.
"We are remembering that people died yesterday (Monday),'' the spokeswoman said.
Activists on board claim the Israelis opened fire without provocation while Israel claims its forces fired in self-defence.
Social Justice is protesting what it calls "Israel's illegal hijacking, attack and murder of humanitarian activists".
The NSW TDA represents ONLY Bailee drivers, Lessee drivers and Owner drivers.
Through the Networks and CCN and the Taxi Council Ltd the Plate Owners/Investors are leeches that contribute nothing to the taxi industry and for years have screwed operators and drivers financially by unilaterally raising weekly lease fees whenever it suits them.
The NSW TDA opposes these leeches that screw drivers and operators.
Whereas the owner drivers that the NSW TDA represents also carry all the other costs of operating a taxi and doing the hard graft of running and driving a taxi.
Trevor states to the Committee that, quote: “we represent Bailees Lessees and Plate Owners, that is in the constitution too, and even on the Letterhead”.
That is utterly false!
Our Constitution makes NO mention of Plate Owners.
Our Letterhead makes NO mention of Plate Owners.
Our Constitution and Letterhead refer ONLY to Bailee drivers, Lessee drivers and OWNER DRIVERS.
While deliberately quoting the NSW TDA Constitution and Letterhead,
Trevor, you have DELIBERATELY changed the words of our Constitution and Letterhead from Owner Drivers to PLATE OWNERS!
That is deliberately incorrect, false and misleading to our Committee!
What very deliberate game are you playing, Trevor?
It is suggested you immediately retract and amend and correct your email to the Committee.
The NSW TDA very deliberately represents ONLY Bailee drivers, Lessee drivers and OWNER DRIVERS as per our Constitution and Letterhead!
(Other aspects of your email are also incorrect but I refrain from comment on them.)
Cheers,
Ted
My replies are in red.
Generally speaking, do we have plans to take care of 9 points and other issues mentioned in “Ann Turner – Do Not Destroy the NSW TDA”. Anyway, Ann was a metaphor to address everyone.
I haven’t questioned your integrity. However, I was worried about your naivety. Your “down time” debacle could have been worse. The good part is that you have declared it publicly and be careful in the future about his type of trap.
Apart from this, we have to carry the heavy load as usual.
Eddie,
Any comment or decision based on correct information ought to be good. Please make sure you got your facts in order.Else, have a nice day.
Ted,
I am pleased to hear that you would like to assist the NSW TDA. Good luck.
POSTCRIPT - Where to next ?
The saga of the sacking is over.
Yesterday 18 Nov 09 Ted was sacked by a 5 to 4 vote from the Committee to which he had been reelected by the members on 30Aug.
He continues to be a member of the TDA from its inception 5 years ago.
Fortunately the sacking affair was conducted without infighting. In part because Ted avoided attacking others and by, perhaps mistakenly, agreeing to step outside several times (despite still being a voting Committee member !).
Some aspects of the decision are however somewhat puzzling.
Ted’s detailed Explanation was not questioned (bar a minor quotation where Ted proved to be correct in fact). So what else beside the only sacking charge of “Unauthorized use of Letterhead” – like the ‘unauthorized letterhead ’ of the Media Release - could possibly have taken a lengthy hour discussion after the Explanation presentation?
Unfortunately there appears to have been an obsession in some quarters with removing Ted, regardless. However an obsession never discussed openly and frankly with him. And for reasons not related in any way to the sacking charge.
As Ted commented afterwards, personal difficulties should be resolved personally face to face whenever possible.
And TDA problems should be resolved at the Committee level.
But sackings should only ever be contemplated in the absolutely most extreme circumstances, because not only are they invariable unnecessary but totally disruptive and potentially destructive, as we know from bitter TDA experience.
Pleasingly, Anne agreed to Ted’s request afterwards to meet next week to discuss some of those personal aspects.
So where to next for Ted ?
Sadly, the sacking papers of 11Oct09, 11Oct09 Minutes and 18Nov09 paper are all fatally flawed. They will not stand up for 5 minutes to a challenge in the Supreme Court. As alluded to in the Explanation penultimate para. And as should be known by some of the more experienced Ctee members.
Alternatively a quieter life – quieter perhaps than foreshadowed in Ted’s written withdrawal from Secretary on 11Aug09 – may be the go.
The next 2 months of the TDA’s actions may perhaps decide.
So where to next for our TDA ?
Very happily the full elected Committee was present yesterday with all new members participating actively. That is a great omen; the way to a future strong Committee which is the strength of the TDA !
And the after meeting drinks were bubbly, enthusiastic, full of ideas, just as the Ctee should be.
Dreadfully however, the failure to debate the ’75 Drivers’ on 11Oct09 (due partly to a substituted non-urgent sacking proposal !), meant the TDA not intervening on behalf of those drivers. That was one of the greatest opportunities ever for the TDA. Instead it turned out to be one of the greatest disgraces and blackest marks in the TDA’s 5 year history !
Next year will be huge and full of major challenges !
With potentially momentous developments !
1.The most critical is the Plate Leasing Bill going through the NSW Parliament presently and which is the greatest taxi revolution in 20 years ! It means the end of the “mafia” raising plate lease fees all the time at the cost to drivers, lessees and operators. NSW TDA support of this new system (while seeking by various means to minimize the number of extra leased taxis on the road) is a critical test of the TDA and its approaches in the next few weeks.
2. Secondly how to support the milepost NSW Upper House Inquiry due for completion next March (?), will also test the TDA. The idea of a GM in Feb to encourage our members to make individual submissions as requested by the Inquiry was floated over drinks. Similarly to distribute flyers or a Squeaky Wheel.
3. The ACCC caseagainst Cabcharge is also momentous and could possibly also affect the TDA in some ways.
4. At the same time there are concerns about the possibility of forces usurping the TDA or pulling the TDA in wrong directions. Disturbing concerns are being expressed about unauthorized ‘TDA’ meetings with Govt bodies and taxi industry bodies concerning (seemingly) issues surrounding the Plate Leasing etc.
I may be a renegade, but I support constructive dialogue with all participants of the taxi industry as potentially important. But always at arms length ! And we must never get into bed with these bodies.
But these recent meetings have been neither notified nor debriefed as to their nature to the Ctee. That is indeed disturbing.
There are also concerns that some may be interested in occupying or taking over the TDA for other purposes.
We must all guard carefully against such possibilities ! Always.
The NSW TDA is strictly and
Constitutionally and only for drivers ! Bailee drivers, lessee drivers and owner drivers. It is the only body for taxi drivers representing their interests and no other major body is in the least concerned about the problems of drivers! That membership means that our TDA concerns span those of drivers and operators.
Owner drivers and lessees and bailees who have been the victims of huge rip offs for many years by the Networks, CCN and the Taxi Council Ltd in unilaterally escalating plate lease fees on behalf of plate investors.
But the NSW TDA is not about taxi plate investors who do not contribute to the taxi industry and only draw out profits at the expense of drivers and operators. Plate investors are free to go elsewhere because they have many investment choices, in the form of taxi plates or else property or else shares etc etc, whatever is most profitable for them.
That some may be seeing the NSW TDA as a useful means of advancing non-driver interests is of concern which we must guard very carefully against !
Finally.
Being no longer on the Ctee, I request that Ernie as the moderator, remove my name from the Exec site. As per the rules governing that site which is only for Ctee business for Ctee members - as I have often said to him in the past .
Similarly, like Ernie, who is not on the Ctee (nor a Delegate BTW), I am happy to assist our TDA with any submissions or other matters if invited and available.
Wishing the Committee the very best in this challenging year,
Cheers,
Ted
Geoff,
You are not a friend of taxi drivers. You have consistently acted against taxi drivers in many forums and ways including court rooms of this town. Only good thing you did in your entire life is, standing with us against the Mexican Bandit i.e. Michael Jools.
You got no plan or vision of the NSW TDA. Last time you have wasted six months of our time by trying to remove Ted and myself for no good reason in the first place!! Your action of that time was improper, incorrect, immoral and illegal! The whole debacle blew on your face. You then resigned. Although you did resign in many times before to destabilise the NSW TDA. Last time you thought, the NSW TDA us dead. But, we managed to resurrect it again. Now, you are trying to crawl back in and making smart comments!
From: gjcoates2@bigpond.com Subject: Ann Turner - Do Not Destroy the N.S.W. T.D.A.
To: union_faruque@yahoo.com.au Cc: princessannie@unwired.com.au, Faruque,
Your email 18/11/09 1:36 PM
We have been in the Boxing Ring for over fifteen years. We have not discussed winners or losers.
This was not our priority. As long as the contest continued the spectators would learn.
Now that you are hitting below the belt, no doubt the Referee and Judges will disqualify you.
Yours sincerely,
Geoff Coates
Trevor,
You have failed to add any value in this debate apart injecting insanity and obscenity. Then again your past records are not very clean anyway. However, I neither intend to dwell in the past nor do I worry about your recorded misbehavior.
You got no plan or vision of the NSW TDA like Geoff. Last time you have wasted six months of our time by trying to remove Ted and myself for no good reason in the first place!! Your action of that time was improper, incorrect, immoral and illegal! The whole debacle blew on your face. You then went silent. Then for some reason you reappeared in the scene.
Anyway that was the last committee and nothing to do with the current committee! Yet, you went on tell lies to the entire committee about that improper, incorrect, immoral and illegal “Spanish Inquisition” of yours to prejudice the outcome of voting regarding Ted during the last committee meeting. Believe you me, if Ted decides to challenge us at the Supreme Court, we will be in trouble because of vicious and deliberate lies of yours.
--- In NSWTDAEXEC@yahoogroups.com, "teebrad54" wrote:
Faruque, I do not know if you are raving mad or just a complete ratbag!
Have you taken leave of your senses?
What's wrong with you? Why did you attack Annie?
I just cannot believe the insane ravings in your email or your vindictive intent. Annie has been the best friend to you in the whole TDA.
What on earth is this rubbish you are pumping out. It is disgusting and false.
No Faruque Annie is not a waitress. No Faruque Annie has not sold her arse to the Mafia or anyone else. No Faruque there have been no secret unreported meetings. No Faruque Annie is not converting the NSWTDA to Trunk operators or Owners or Investors or Cabcharge. These accusation are not just false, they are ludicrous. No Faruque, Anne must not be stopped. Anne will not stop, Anne is doing a great job, and she has the support of the committee and the members. Who supports you Faruque? the only one who was doing that was Anne, and I think you have lost her support. You have achieved this great feat single handedly. I wouldn't be surprised if Anne sacks you, anyway that is up to Anne.
Faruque, it has always been our goal to be recognised by the bureaucracy, and the Government and the Industry. We are finally achieving this. If you disagree with these actions then you should have read the constitution when you joined, because it is all in the goals and aims. Also we represent Bailees Lessees and Plate Owners, that is in the constitution too, and even on the Letterhead. Faruque, as I said at the start; Are you really as thick as four planks or just a ratbag? I really don't know which.
