Matthew Gardiner confirmed to be fighting Islamic State with Kurds

JANUARY 31, 2015
Source: nEWS.COM.AU

MATTHEW Gardiner – the vanished Darwin politico – has joined Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, a rebel group has confirmed to the NT News.

Mr Gardiner vanished from Darwin last week and was believed to be heading to join Kurdish forces fighting against Islamic State. The Australian Federal Police are investigating his disappearance.

READ: GARDINER’S DECISION STUNS FAMILY AND FRIENDS

A spokesman for the People’s Defence Units – the ­national army of Syrian Kurdistan known as the YPG – confirmed the rumours.

The NT News contacted the YPG’s media centre through the Facebook recruitment page: The Lions of Rojava. “Yes he is joined YPG,” the spokesman said.

The Lions of Rojava page is understood to be a key recruitment tool for foreign fighters wishing to join Kurdish forces involved in the Syrian conflict. The most recent fighting has occurred near Kobane, a Kurdish city under attack from ISIS and reportedly liberated in recent days.

Mr Gardiner is understood to have bought a ticket to the United Arab Emirates and was due to arrive on January 19.

It is unclear whether he reached the UAE or disembarked part-way through his journey. Security experts have told the NT News his most ­likely path to join freedom fighters in Syrian Kurdistan would be through Iraq.

READ: GARDINER UNDER INVESTIGATION BY AFP

Turkey lies to the near north of conflict zones in Syria, but the Kurdish Workers Party is considered a terrorist organisation in Turkey and people wanting to join the conflict are advised to avoid those borders.

A source with knowledge of other foreigners who had joined the YPG said Mr Gardiner would most likely have made his way to the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah or possibly Erbil, which are accessible on direct flights from several cities in the Middle East and Europe.

Originally published as Gardiner weeds out ISIS with Kurds

Link: http://www.news.com.au/national/northern-territory/matthew-gardiner-confirmed-to-be-fighting-islamic-state-with-kurds/story-fnn3gfdo-1227203073161.

NSW Government seeks unprecedented power to censor and punish health activists and practitioners

December 29, 2013
by: REALAustralianSceptics
Source: Natural News

 (NaturalNews) The New South Wales (NSW) Health Care Complaints Committee has convened an inquiry into "The Promotion of False or Misleading Health-Related Information or Practices." The Terms of Reference (ToR) for this inquiry are sobering to say the least and read more like a pharmaceutical wish list than legislation that would benefit Australian citizens.

The Committee, which is responsible for the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC), defines information that is not supported by "accepted" medical practice as being "false and misleading" and seeks to punish and silence anyone who either publicly discusses, uses or dispenses non-mainstream remedies.

This inquiry appears to have been motivated by the HCCC's loss to the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) in the Supreme Court in 2012. The HCCC sought to sanction the AVN for providing "dangerous, deceptive and misleading" information simply because that information was in contravention of "accepted medical practices." The Supreme Court stated that the HCCC had acted illegally in either investigating or citing the AVN.

Since that embarrassing loss to a small, unfunded parents' support group, the HCCC has sought increased powers from Parliament specifically for the purpose of attacking the AVN and other individuals and organizations critical of current government health policy.

The REAL purpose of the HCCC

These actions are extremely ironic since the original purpose of the HCCC was to protect the public from dangerous health practitioners. Today, it would appear to an informed observer that the real purpose of this body is to protect dangerous practitioners and practices from the general public.

The HCCC's sordid recent history includes its failure to act in the case of Graeme Reeves, known as the Butcher of Bega. Reeves was accused of mutilating and abusing over 500 women, many of whom filed complaints against him with the HCCC. Over more than a decade, they failed (or refused) to act any of these complaints.

Is the HCCC above the law?

Prior to the HCCC's court loss, that organization was already one of the most powerful in Australia, being immune to either subpoena or GIPA (Freedom of Information) claims.

In 2013 however, the HCCC was granted the right to file complaints against organizations or individuals - without any evidence of harm - and then investigate and punish those they themselves had complained about, making them judge, jury and executioner.

If Parliament grants the HCCC the powers being discussed by this inquiry, then they may be able to stop anyone from discussing, practicing or using natural therapies.

Speak out to protect health rights

Submissions from the public are being accepted until February 7, 2014. Those who are interested in supporting and protecting health rights and freedom of speech are urged to write a brief submission (3-4 paragraphs) explaining why you believe that suppression of health discussions is not in the public interest.

The Committee website contains information on how to make a submission as well as the ToR for the inquiry and other important details.

This is an unprecedented attack on health rights which must be strenuously opposed whether you live in Australia or elsewhere.

References:

HCCC Parliamentary Committee Inquiry into the Promotion of False or Misleading Health-Related Information or Practices:
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au

Australian Vaccination Network:
http://www.avn.org.au

Supreme Court Decision - AVN v NSW HCCC:
http://tinyurl.com/mungvwq

The HCCC, the law and morality:
http://nocompulsoryvaccination.com

Gynecologist accused of mutilating, abusing hundreds of women:
http://www.foxnews.com

'Butcher of Bega' gets two-year minimum sentence for genital mutilation:
http://melindatankardreist.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/043355_Australian_government_health_activists_censorship.html#ixzz2oxZ3Iqad