Writer
Margaret Reynolds
Margaret Reynolds has a long commitment to the peace movement dating back to the Anti-Vietnam Moratorium to current advocacy against militarism as National President of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.(Australia ) She was a Labor Senator for Queensland 1983-1999 and a member of Bob Hawke’s Ministry 1987-1990. She taught Human Rights and International Relations at University of Queensland 1999-2004 and has worked with a number of international non-government organisations.
-
Australian minister to fly to Israel to mend fractured relationship?
When I read the Sydney Morning Herald headline about this development, I assumed it must be a typical January “silly season” political beat-up. Continue reading »
-
Courage in public office and Australia’s recognition of Palestine
“No room for robust debate” within ALP caucus. “There is so much courage that Australia could exercise. We could come out and be the real champions of human rights, and human life, that we claim to be – especially within the Labor party.” High profile Senator Fatima Payman and former Labor Senator Margaret Reynolds discuss Continue reading »
-
Can Australian political leaders enjoy their holiday season while Palestinians starve?
How much longer can the Australian Government hide from the horrific atrocities that continue in Gaza? Continue reading »
-
Will the Prime Minister now assert Australia’s independence and review his foreign and defence policies?
For some time now a considerable number of well-informed Australians have been warning Anthony Albanese and his government not to allow personal flattery and uncertain commitments to allow the United States to gain control of Australian foreign policy and defence policies. Continue reading »
-
The Australian Government must impose sanctions on Israel NOW
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has finally acknowledged that Israel is in gross breach of international law, and must not ignore the United Nations, as it continues its ruthless military attacks on the people of Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Continue reading »
-
Australia’s shame
Open Letter to Antonio Guterres on the Australian Government’s failure to publicly defend the office of the United Nations Secretary General. Continue reading »
-
What will follow the referendum?
It is not surprising that so many of us believed that after the Voice Referendum 2023 Indigenous people would be recognised in the Australian Constitution and their voices valued. Continue reading »
-
Australia, Israel and the United Nations
In 1949 Australia’s Dr H.V. Evatt was described as: “The most brilliant and effective voice of Small Powers – a leading statesman for the world’s conscience.” When will another Australian voice speak up in the name of humanity at the United Nations? Continue reading »
-
Life in Gaza and on the West Bank: Political leaders invited to interpret humanity
In the current global turmoil of revenge and war, Australians want to see political leaders speaking about humanity and negotiation, not the old rhetoric which chooses winners and losers. In the following letter to party leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate, we urge all parliamentarians to support their leaders by making their Continue reading »
-
What has happened to Australia’s commitment to the United Nations?
On the eve on the UN International Day of Peace, I searched ministerial websites for media statements that might reflect the Australian Government’s commitment to this year’s theme “Building a Culture of Peace” but I found no indication that the Albanese Government has a vision of its role as a middle power working to support Continue reading »
-
The Albanese Government has consistently ignored advice about the humanitarian disaster in Gaza
Since the onset of the Gaza War, many Australians have urged the Albanese Government to speak up in condemning the Netanyahu regime’s constant breaches of international law and to act urgently to protect innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. Continue reading »
-
Who is responsible for social cohesion in Australia?
What is social cohesion and who is responsible for achieving it? Continue reading »
-
Australian Leadership to end the war on Gaza: open letter to the Prime Minister
We write to express our extreme concern that Senator Payman has resigned from the Labor Government. Continue reading »
-
Will Senator Payman influence Australian Government decision makers?
Senator Fatima Payman is one of the youngest members of the Albanese Government. Until recently she was unknown to most Australians except in her home state of Western Australia. She first came to attention when she publicly challenged the Prime Minister to be more vocal about genocide in Gaza and this was followed by a Continue reading »
-
Why has the Australian Parliament failed to debate the tragedy of Gaza?
A majority of Australians want a ceasefire in Gaza, but the Australian Parliament seems more preoccupied with political brinkmanship than recognition of this tragedy. Continue reading »
-
No more fence sitting … the Australian Government must condemn Israeli genocide!
We must make it clear to the current Israeli administration that our nation can no longer accept its actions and certainly do not “share its values “ Continue reading »
-
How can Australians elect parliamentarians who work for them?
Can Australian citizens break away from the decaying major parties to elect independent MPs that will fight for their constituents, not sectional interests? Former Senator Margaret Reynolds interviews founder of Australian Community Futures Planning, Bronwyn Kelly, in this must watch P&I podcast. Continue reading »
-
Palestinian statehood is the only way forward for peace. Our media don’t help.
Australia’s recent vote to increase the status of the State of Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly is as welcome as it is historic. The positive vote recognizes that Palestine is qualified to join and recommends to the U.N Security Council that it reconsider the matter favorably. Continue reading »
-
Why is violence against Australian women not rated as terrorism?
Weekend rallies highlighted the anger and fear of thousands of women and men about the ongoing violence against Australian women. It is a crisis, and it is occurring day and night in homes and suburbs across the country where police are struggling to keep up with reporting of male violence and too many offenders avoid Continue reading »
-
Australia is a silent partner in atrocity in Gaza and the West Bank
On 27 February, we wrote to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) expressing concern that Australia had failed to fulfil its obligation under the Genocide Convention (1948) to prevent any action that further risks the survival of the Palestinian people. That failure continues. Continue reading »
-
Accountability for the deaths of innocent people applies to Australia too
The death of young aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza last week was a tragic reminder that we have all failed to stop this unrelenting violence against the innocent. Many Australians have been horrified that the six months war continues, because governments fail to uphold international law and even our own leaders have hidden from Continue reading »
-
How well is the Albanese Government communicating with Australians?
Since the 1980s I have been urged by my Labor Party colleagues to keep political messages simple and to listen to the local community. Continue reading »
-
Shock as Australian PM learns he is not above international law
Prime Ministers are too often monopolised by people telling them what they want to hear. Most political advisers can’t see beyond the latest opinion poll and the Australian bureaucracy has become equally reluctant to offer frank and fearless advice. It appears that the Attorney General, Defence and Foreign Affairs and Trade Departments have each failed Continue reading »
-
Australian Civil Society submits statement on Gaza genocide to the International Court of Justice
As a signatory to the Genocide Convention, Australia is obliged to prevent any action that further risks the survival of the Palestinian people and failure to do so risks complicity in genocide. In the absence of a response from the Australian government to the ICJ ruling, at least 100 groups representing civil society are observing Continue reading »
-
Podcast: The Tragedy of Gaza
John Menadue, Editor-in-Chief of Pearls and Irritations interviews former Australian Senator Margaret Reynolds on the role of the United Nations, Australian foreign policy and the tragedy unfolding in Gaza. Continue reading »
-
The Australian Parliament fails to uphold international law preventing genocide in Gaza
The Australian Parliament failed to recognise its responsibilities last week when Greens Leader Adam Bandt, responding to the International Court of Justice interim ruling to prevent genocide, initiated a vote for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Continue reading »
-
Stark lessons for Australia in ICJ Genocide Ruling: But is anyone listening?
I doubt if any Australia political leader was watching the International Court of Justice President Judge, Joan E Donahue (United States of America) deliver the ruling in South Africa’s case alleging Israel has committed genocide on Palestinians in Gaza. Continue reading »
-
A loyal apologist for Israel: Australia and the Genocide convention
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong is making an official visit to the Middle East this month and will need to convey a clear position to different audiences: the Palestinian Authority, Israel and neighbouring countries. But at home, many Australians are shocked that their government has been a loyal apologist for Israel and failed to condemn Continue reading »
-
Does Gaza ceasefire vote signal a shift in foreign policy?
Since coming to office in 2022, the Albanese Governments foreign policy has been dominated by its enthusiastic embrace of the AUKUS agreement with old allies, the United States and the United Kingdom. However these nations are totally out of step with global opinion about gross breaches of international law by the Netanyahu regime and neither Continue reading »
-
Is this what Australia has become?
On the eve of International Human Rights Day when invited to support the existing international rules-based order the United States’ leadership failed. Not only did their veto prevent a cease-fire in Gaza, but this powerful nation could not even offer an alternative path to protect humanity. Does the United Nations matter to the Australian Government? Continue reading »
