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New TV ad exposes Howard government's double standards

Timor Sea Justice Campaign (Melbourne) Media Release - July 14, 2005

Australian businessman, Ian Melrose, has put to air a new television ad which aims to expose the Howard Government's tactics regarding a deal to be signed with East Timor over oil and gas resources in the disputed Timor Sea.

Mr Melrose hopes his ads will raise awareness of the Australian Government's refusal to abide by International Law, and will encourage fellow Australians to pressure the Howard Government to establish permanent maritime boundaries with East Timor.

"The Australian Government has taken full advantage of East Timor's fragile financial position and gotten away with an act of thievery that would not have been tolerated by any western country. It's as if Alexander Downer and John Howard are negotiating over the price of a litre of water with a man dying of thirst in the desert. It's shameful. With 10,000 children, under the age of five, dying of preventable diseases each year the East Timorese simply have no choice, they can't let their people die," Mr Melrose said.

 The ad is currently screening nationally on commercial television. It was also scheduled to air throughout the Asia-Pacific region, but ABC Asia Pacific has refused to run the ads claiming the content "was not suitable".

With the network so far failing to elaborate on their concerns, Mr Melrose said he is considering legal avenues to achieve freedom of speech. "From a purely financial perspective, this deal stinks. Greater Sunrise is worth about $40 billion in government royalties and if permanent maritime boundaries were established in accordance with current principles of international law, it's likely East Timor would be entitled to all of it.

Australia has already taken more than $2 billion in tax and royalties from the Laminaria and Corallina fields which, under international law we should not have taken. It's called stealing," Mr Melrose said.

The ad highlights the Australian Government's 'double standards' for first-world and third-world countries and claims the revenue could help address East Timor's poverty. It also claims Australia's reputation internationally is suffering from the Howard Government's greed and bullying.

"The recent treaty signed with New Zealand used the international law principle of the median line to establish a sea boundary near Norfolk Island. The question we're asking is why won't the Howard Government apply the same principle with East Timor?" Mr Melrose said.

A transcript/fact sheet of the tvc can be found online at: http://www.timorseajustice.org/tvc_factsheet.htm The ad can be viewed online at: http://www.timorseajustice.org/tvcs.htm

For further information, please contact:

Chip Henriss-Anderssen Media Officer
Timor Sea Justice Campaign, Melbourne
Phone: 0437829825, international: 61 437829825
Email: chip@timorseajustice.org

Or visit www.timorseajustice.org
 

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