World
Former Australian PM Rudd sues broadcaster
Canberra, Feb 1 (IANS) Australia’s former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Thursday started legal proceedings against the country’s main public broadcaster ABC over a report that claimed he was warned of “critical risks” of his government’s home insulation programme before the deaths of four young installers in 2010.
The ABC’s report was based on thousands of top-secret and highly-classified government documents accessed by the broadcaster after they were left inside filing cabinets sold at a second-hand shop in Canberra.
Rudd accused the ABC of “lying” in the news report in which, he said, it alleged he had ignored warnings on risks to the safety of installers of home insulation, the Australian newspaper reported.
The ABC reported on Wednesday that Rudd and the senior Labour MPs Julia Gillard, Wayne Swan and Lindsay Tanner were warned in a report to the Cabinet in 2009 that their national rollout of subsidised home insulation — part of an economic stimulus package — faced “critical risks”.
The report emphasised that it was unclear if “critical risks” referred to safety concerns.
In announcing his legal action on Twitter on Thursday, Rudd said the risks referred to in the Cabinet documents were financial and administrative matters — not safety risks.
“The risks referred to in the Cabinet documents used in the ABC report refer to financial and administrative risks to the programme for the Commonwealth, not safety risks to workers.”
He said those documents had already been examined by a Royal Commission inquiry.
“The Royal Commission concluded that there was no finding made against me, and in fact that while serving as Prime Minister ‘there was no warning given of the very many problems with the programme’,” he said.
“The report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)… is a lie. The ABC was told of these facts before publication,” Rudd said.
ABC news director Gaven Morris said the broadcaster “stands by the reporting we’ve done”.
The insulation scheme was introduced by Rudd’s government in 2009 as part of a larger plan to stimulate the economy in response to the global financial crisis. It was discontinued in 2010.
The Royal Commission found the scheme’s poor design and implementation directly contributed to the deaths of four young workers from electrocution and hyperthermia in separate incidents.
–IANS
soni/bg
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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