20/06/07 by melbourne indymedia reporter John Collins
Around 20 people gathered outside 239 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, to kick off the 'Direct Democracy Not Parliamentary Rule' 2007 election campaign which coincided with the launch of Dr Joseph Toscano's book 'THE LAND CONVENTION 1857 - 2007'.
The 1857 land convention, which occured 3 years after the Eureka Rebellion is a part of Australian history which has, until now, been overlooked by Australian historians.
According to Dr Toscano; "What is important is how they organised. The natural tendency for the common people was to use direct democratic principles, (revoceable delegates with strict mandates) rather than the official channels of Parliament and representative 'democracy', which was the domain of the landed gentry (squatters). ..not much has changed. What we have today is a direct legacy of that elite who were able to monopolise economic and political power. Today, as in 1857, what people really want is Justice!" (my paraphrase)
After Dr Toscano spoke it was an open forum, with various other people having their say. To finish off, Mr Mick Doran talked briefly about humanity rising out of the primordial slime and "developing a backbone" - something for everyone to go away and think about.
www.rulebythepeople.org