What Dino Believes...

In thinking about my beliefs I have considered social, economic, physical, environmental, spiritual and political ideals in the context of the issue of the common good .  Dino Ottavi

Implicit in seeking the common good is the need to consider those less fortunate, the marginalised, the sick and the forgotten. It is through ensuring their prosperity that we measure our own success as a community.

My beliefs do not take into consideration the desires of powerful singular lobby groups or organisations, especially political parties. This makes my stance on issues unique and it enables me to not be beholden to any political pressure. My views take into consideration the views held by the people of Tasmania.

These are some issues that I believe are important and are policies that I will pursue when elected:

• Dino's views on the proposed Pulp Mill - Dino strongly opposes the development of the Pulp Mill, any proposed Pulp Mill in Tasmania should be developed to produce non-bleaching products(or recycled paper) that are more environmentally friendly as well as obtaining better technology that is closed loop.  It is possible to in fact build a Pulp Mill with technology that is environmentally friendly and in a location that may not harm other industries. But definitely not the current proposed one.  (Dino's views as expressed in Global Warming "Walk Against Warming Event" link below)
  
• Views on Global Warming - as expressed by Dino at "Walk Against Warming Event" Launceston Regatta Grounds, Nov 2007 more...
• The Senate must be more independent and not have political parties dominating it. The above the line preference deals should not continue and there should be a more democratic way for people to make sure that they make the preferences that they want in selecting Senators.
  A simple way to achieve this is to do away with above the line voting and have people simply place a number 1 to 6 in the box next to the names of candidates that nominate for the Senate.
  This way it does not matter how many candidates nominate because people will only have to put 1 to 6 on the ballot paper.  The people nominating for the Senate should have their names and party name on the ballot paper, or if they are not aligned to a party they should indicate that they are Independent.  This simple system is one thing that I will push for if elected.  

• The Tasmanian Situation - Too often Tasmania is used at election time to win votes in larger more populated states. more...
• Employment Relations - Workplace relations in Australia have been almost totally reduced to a divisive battleground. more...
• Politicians' Perks - There need to be fewer perks and less spending for politicians. The current Political Renumeration System that increases politician salaries must be abolished. more...
• Child Protection Issues - The current Federal Liberal Government's action to look into child abuse in remote indigenous communities seems to have some underlying agenda that has not been fully explained. more...
• Human Rights - There is a need to look at implementing ways to inject more respect into the community as well as looking at people's rights and responsibilities within our society. more...
• Modern Language Policy - I do believe that language programs should actually be compulsory in schools so as to have a more bilingual society. more...
• Family Friendly Policies - Families, in all their varieties or shapes and sizes, are the basic building block for society. more...
• Views on the Importance of the Independence of the ABC -It is imperative that the ABC is given adequate funding in order to ensure that the Australian community have the ability to enjoy public produced programs of a diverse nature and range relevant to our Australian culture and values.   This should be particularly so in the areas of news, culture, drama and current affairs.  This is important because it provides knowledge and focus on issues relevant to the common good. 
  It is also important that the ABC Board be made more independent of Government.  There must be no political pressure placed on the ABC, and the Board should be a way to stage off political attacks on the ABC.
  It is also important that the ABC be kept commerical free.  There should be no advertisement at all in the ABC.
  Political Parties must be made to ensure that this is achieved and as an Independent Senate Candidate I will ensure that the charter of the Friends of the ABC is upheld.
  ABC funding MUST NOT be manipulated or threatened since the importance of the ABC is central to a good democratic system in Australia.
  If elected in the upcoming Federal election in Tasmania as an Independent Senator, I will ensure that like minded Senators use their numbers to ensure a positive future for the ABC. Dino's statement   Link to ABC site...           

   

  United Nations Youth Association (UNYA) Tasmania

  First Time Voter's Guide for the 2007 Federal Election

  DINO OTTAVI - Senate Independent Candidate Policy Statement on my Independent Group's Philosophy

  that first-time voters should be aware of.

  Senate Independence - The Senate must be more independent and not be dominated by political parties, so as to ensure its role as a house of review.  The Senate must not be used as a rubber stamp like the political parties do.  The above the line preference deals should not continue and there should be a more democratic way for people to make sure that they choose where their preferences go in the Senate.

  To achieve this we must do away with above the line voting and have voters simply place a number 1 to 6 in the box next to the names of senate candidates. This way it does not matter how many candidates nominate because people will only have to put 1 to 6 on the ballot paper.  This system will make the election of Senators more democratic.

  Human Rights - Human rights laws should emphasize the dignity and respect that are innately and inalienably linked to all human beings.

  All human rights laws say that people must not discriminate against other people on the ground of particular attributes such as race, age, sexual orientation, gender, marital status or relationship status, pregnancy, or disability.  To make human rights laws more inclusive it should clearly state "... people must not discriminate against other people..." without the need to make reference to any attribute or characteristic. This would ensure that the focus is not a person's characteristic, but the innate importance of being human itself.

  By doing this Human Rights Laws would make unlawful the following: the disregard and neglect of refugees in Australia; the inhumane detention of asylum seekers; the dehumanising of some sections of the refugee community in Australia such as the Sudanese; and the neglect of child protection, mental health, disability services and people in low socio-economic areas and / or the unemployed and under-employed around Australia.