Kurdish Oil Crisis: Tangled Ties And High Stakes In The Middle East

Guney Yildiz
Contributor
Apr 4, 2023,01:45am EDT

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF KURDISTAN, IRAQ - 2015: A view of the Kawergosk refinery at sunset. The oil ... [+]

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An international arbitration ruling last week disrupted the Middle East. The long-anticipated decision halted the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) oil exports through Turkey on March 25, pushing oil prices towards $80 a barrel. The International Chamber of Commerce's International Court of Arbitration also ordered Turkey to pay around $1.5bn to Iraq. Compliant with the ruling, Turkey now refuses crude loading from Iraqi Kurdistan without Iraq's federal government's consent.

Deadlocked talks between the KRG and the central Iraqi government preceded the ruling. Baghdad pushed for control via the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), while Erbil resisted. In the aftermath of the ruling, Kurdish officials said a preliminary deal has been reached with Baghdad, which will approach Turkey to resume oil imports from the KRG. However, no such request by the Iraqi government has materialized yet, and the terms of a potential agreement remain uncertain.

The Impact of the Arbitration Ruling on Exports and Autonomy

Baghdad seeks to create a new export mechanism under the Iraqi Oil Ministry and State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). The arbitration court's decision signals the end of the KRG's independent oil exports and curtails its autonomy. Resuming oil exports will likely occur under Baghdad's watch, potentially fueling further political tensions. Owing to legal ambiguities that hampered securing new investors and export channels, the KRG has been exporting oil at a significant political discount, more than $10 below Brent. Under the new mechanism, that discount may cease, decreasing the profits made by Turkish companies and other end users.

KRG sources have taken to social media and spoken with Kurdish media, indicating that oil may resume flowing today, adding that the details of the agreement are expected to be announced later this week.

Kurdish oil matters. The ruling sparked multi-level negotiations involving key players such as the dominant factions of the KRG, Baghdad, Ankara, Tehran, the US, Russia, and potentially China, which recently brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to secure stability in the Belt and Road Initiative's "middle corridor." In 2015, the Kurdish oil it accounted for 77% of Israel's oil imports. The U.S. has already urged Iraq and Turkey to resume oil flow from Iraqi Kurdistan, with state department officials publicly emphasizing that disruptions to the global energy supply serve no one's interest.

However, the absence of a national Iraqi hydrocarbon law fosters political chaos. Different interpretations of the constitution create roadblocks rather than progress. Transparency is lacking, with undisclosed details about the International Court of Arbitration's ruling. The future of Iraqi Kurdish exports is uncertain as Turkey, Iraq's federal government, and the KRG seek a mutual agreement.

In 2014, the KRG began exporting crude oil independently from Iraq's federal government. Erbil’s independence ambitions were also at its peak during this time when the rise of Islamic State paralyzed the Iraqi government. The federal government responded by launching a case with the ICC. Tensions between the federal government and the KRG escalated in 2022 as Federal Supreme Court in Baghdad sought to stop the KRG's exports and deligitimized the KRG dealings. Prior to the halt in exports, the autonomous region was exporting roughly 450,000 barrels per day of crude, which has been an economic lifeline for Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Nine years after the case began, the ICC ruled in Iraq's favor, ordering Turkey to pay damages for violating the 1973 pipeline transit agreement. No clear winners emerged from this decision. While Turkey and the KRG lost, the penalty was less than what Iraqi officials demanded, making it an incomplete victory for Baghdad. Of all parties, the KRG faces the greatest consequences.

Complex Negotiations Among Regional Powers

Baghdad employed domestic and international mechanisms to target the KRG's oil exports and independence aspirations. Internally, the Iraqi government halted funding to the regional government, and the Federal Supreme Court ruled against the KRG dealings. They initiated the arbitration case and rallied regional support from Turkey and Iran against the Kurds. In moments of crisis, Turkey and Iran backed efforts, such as to dismantle Kurdish rule in Kirkuk in 2017. In later years, Iran began to, directly and indirectly through its proxies, employ hardball tactics, such as shelling to curb the KRG's burgeoning oil relationship with Turkey. The stakes are high.

Negotiations are complex. Between Turkey and the Iraqi government, Ankara wields the water card through the rivers that originate in Turkey against Baghdad which faces serious water scarcity, while Baghdad controls the oil card against Turkey.Moreover, Ankara also seeks Baghdad to actively fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a militant group that combats Turkish army since 1984. However, a recent meeting between the Iraqi premier and Turkish officials may not have produced the desired results.

Members of a Kurdish Peshmerga battalion show their ink-stained fingers in front of a Kurdish flag ... [+]

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The Role of Nechirvan Barzani and the KRG’s Path Forward

Unity is key. The KRG can resolve this crisis by speeding up multiple processes: increasing its role in Baghdad, focusing on unity talks among Kurdish factions, and promoting transparency and accountability in oil and gas exports. KRG President Nechirvan Barzani, adept at maintaining connections with all parties, both internal and external, is the ideal leader for this endeavor.

Diversification is necessary. Income should be directed towards diversifying the KRG economy, creating alternatives to oil, increasing production levels, and reducing imports. The goal is to create jobs and foster economic stability.

Oil money isn't enough. The ICC ruling demonstrates that neither the KRG n

Global consequences loom. With the world market losing 450,000 barrels per day, oil prices rise, and Russia and Iran gain energy-borne leverage. The KRG and its partners must act urgently to find a solution, as failure to do so could have dire consequences for the region and the global economy.

The people pay the price. Amidst the political and economic turmoil, the most significant losers are the people of Kurdistan, caught in the middle of the crisis. As negotiations continue, it is crucial to use the dispute as a prompt towards a resolution that benefits all parties involved.

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Guney Yildiz

As a London-based research analyst and journalist, I focus on Turkey, the Middle East, and their relationships with Europe, the U.S., and Russia. I frequently visit the region and have a wealth of experience in the field, having previously advised the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee as a Specialist Adviser. I am currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Cambridge and have a background in journalism, having worked for over a decade at the BBC News. Additionally, I worked at notable think tanks such as the SWP-Berlin, ECFR, and MEI.

How The Commonwealth Can Combat Period Poverty With King Charles III's Support

Michael Sheldrick
Contributor
Global Citizen
Apr 3, 2023

As the new Head of the Commonwealth, His Majesty King Charles III faces the formidable challenge of reinvigorating an institution that has struggled to maintain its relevance in modern times and has been criticized as a prevailing vestige of British colonialism. The Commonwealth's success or failure will directly impact millions of people worldwide. But by prioritizing critical issues such as period poverty and leveraging effective leadership, it can emerge as a potent force for transformative change around the world.

DUNFERMLINE, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 03: King Charles III hosts a reception to celebrate British South ... [+]

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So what exactly is the Commonwealth? The Commonwealth of Nations is a global organization, composed of more than 50 member states spread across the world, ranging from the emerging superpower of India to the rapidly growing and youthful African nations, to the stunning island archipelago of Kiribati.

In his first Commonwealth Day address this year, The King touched on its "near-boundless potential as a force for good in the world." The Commonwealth is at its best, he went on to say, when "it is an association not just of shared values, but of common purpose and joint action." One notable example was how the Commonwealth served as a forum to rally support for economic sanctions on apartheid era South Africa in the 1980s (with the only notable member opposing the move being the UK itself under PM Margaret Thatcher). More recently, it played a particular role in the eradication of polio.

In 2011, the Commonwealth helped reinvigorate the fight to eradicate polio, with the gathering of Commonwealth leaders in Perth, Western Australia marking a turning point. The meeting’s host, the then Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, convinced member states to recommit to eradicating polio, pledging $118 million. Four years later in Malta, this commitment was renewed, with ongoing support from Commonwealth countries. Baroness Patricia Scotland praised polio eradication as "an exemplary example of what the Commonwealth can do." Since then, the number of countries where polio is endemic has been reduced from four to two, with only one case of wild polio being reported this year.

Unlike other forums such as the UN General Assembly Leaders' Week, the Commonwealth offers a less crowded platform that is better suited to rallying attention around specific issues such as polio. This is because the Commonwealth brings together key players and stakeholders, making it a unique and valuable forum. It could easily help raise other critical, yet often neglected, issues on the agenda. As a family of nations, the Commonwealth's member nations also share a deeper relationship that goes beyond traditional intergovernmental processes, making it a powerful vehicle for driving change and progress in areas like women's health and empowerment.

Girls' education and period poverty are two such significant issues that would hugely benefit from the Commonwealth’s urgent attention and leadership. Over 500 million women and girls worldwide who menstruate suffer from period poverty, with more than one in ten living in extreme poverty. This problem has serious effects on women and girls' physical, mental, and emotional health, and devastating implications for their development and economic potential. In addition, the pervasive stigma surrounding menstruation often exacerbates the issue, leading to further marginalization and social exclusion. Addressing period poverty requires not only practical solutions but also a concerted effort to break down harmful stereotypes and misconceptions, which is where the unique platform of the Commonwealth can play a critical role.

Packages of Tampax brand tampons on a drugstore shelf in New York on Wednesday, February 10, 2016. A ... [+]

CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

The Global Menstrual Equity Accelerator (GMEA) was launched at Global Citizen Festival in Ghana and New York in 2022 with the goal of promoting menstrual health equity through partnerships with grassroots organizations and initiatives around the world. Supported by Procter & Gamble, the Gates Foundation, Miss Universe India and others, the GMEA’s potential impact would be dramatically amplified if it is included on the agenda of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa in 2024, which will be the first time King Charles attends as the Head of the Commonwealth. The format for the meeting will be determined between the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Samoan Government. Imagine, though, the ripple effect of impact around the world for women, girls, and the pervasive stigma of period poverty if King Charles III were to address the issue in his first-ever speech as monarch at the summit! It would be a powerful way to ensure that menstrual equity becomes part of the global conversation and is officially recognized as a vital step toward the end of extreme poverty and gender inequity.

To be sure, Commonwealth countries have already made significant strides in tackling period poverty. For instance, Kenya eliminated their 'tampon tax', while Scotland now provides free period products in all schools and public institutions. Australia also abolished its goods and services tax on tampons. These best practices show that ending period poverty is a tangible and concrete objective that can be achieved with the right attention, and they need to be shared and scaled across the Commonwealth nations to ensure access to 12 years of quality education for all girls, universal health coverage for women and girls, and realization of their human rights. Commonwealth leaders have laid the groundwork in previous communiques and action plans to tackle this issue, but today’s Commonwealth has a chance to go further.

Ultimately, the Commonwealth has the potential to advance global health, gender equality, and environmental sustainability by continuing its work on polio and addressing issues such as period poverty and climate change. These initiatives would align with the King's recent articulation of the Commonwealth's defining values, which include peace, justice, tolerance, respect, solidarity, and care for the environment and the most vulnerable among us. By prioritizing these issues, King Charles and the Commonwealth can demonstrate an authentic commitment to improving the lives of millions of people worldwide and to creating a more just and sustainable future for all.

Many people are fixated on whether the King will remain the head of state of his 14 realms. However, it is unlikely that this will be the case, as the King himself acknowledged in Rwanda last year, and as countries increasingly take charge of their own constitutional arrangements. However, in my opinion, measuring the success of the King's reign by his stewardship of the Commonwealth is a more interesting and exciting approach. The growth in membership of the Commonwealth is a testament to its enduring appeal, which will only increase if it can demonstrate the positive impact it has on people's lives. Ultimately, the true test of the King's reign will be whether he can build on his mother's legacy and leave a lasting impression as the People's King for the 2.6 billion citizens of the Commonwealth. A pledge to end period poverty could be a good start.

Michael Sheldrick

I am the cofounder and chief policy and government relations officer at Global Citizen, a global advocacy and education movement focused on ending extreme poverty by 2030. At Global Citizen I oversee international advocacy campaigns in support of universal sanitation, climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, access to education, food security, gender equality and disease elimination and prevention. Since 2009, our advocacy work has resulted in over 100 commitments worth $48billion USD, affecting more than 880 million lives.

US Constitution does not say president 'must be Christian'
AFP|Update: 04.04.2023

The US Constitution does not require the president to be Christian, contrary to a claim that has resurfaced in a Facebook post shared hundreds of times. The nation's supreme law explicitly prohibits any "religious test" as a prerequisite for public office but does require the president to be at least 35 years old, a natural born citizen and to have lived in the country for at least 14 years.

The claim was posted on Facebook here on March 4, 2023, and has since been shared more than 400 times.

"This is what the constitution of the 'grandfather of democratic countries' states," says part of the post's Burmese-language text, which was shared as an image.


It continues: "(By the Constitution of U.S.A) the president of the United States (including vice-president) has to be a Christian. Except for Christians, anyone who is a Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh or Hindu is not allowed to work for the White House."

It was posted by an account that has voiced support for the military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

The United States has repeatedly condemned the military junta, which toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and called its rule "illegitimate".

Prior to the February 2021 coup, the country had seen surging Buddhist nationalism, with the cause of extremist monks receiving new support in 2017 when the army launched a brutal crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya, expelling more than half a million from the country.

© AFP

Comments on the post suggest some users believed the claim.

One user wrote: "Is this what they call democracy?"

"Go ask for your human rights there," said another.

The same claim previously circulated on Facebook here in October 2020, and was shared more than 500 times.

The claim, however, is false.

Constitutional requirementsThe US Constitution states in Article VI, Clause 3: "No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

The eligibility requirements for the US president are also set out in Article II, Section 1, Clause 5.

It says the president must be at least 35 years of age, be a natural born citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.

Dov Levin, an assistant professor of international relations at the University of Hong Kong, told AFP the claim about a religious requirement for the US president is "complete misinformation".

He also said over email on March 30 that: "While the US Constitution was initially silent in this regard, the first amendment to the US Constitution, adopted shortly (1791) after the constitution came into force, also forbids the establishment of any official religion by the US federal government."

Levin added that this has been interpreted to mean "the US federal government maintains neutrality in regard to any aspect regarding religion and bans any US federal government discrimination on this basis on any US government hiring".

Officials who are not ChristianDespite a ban on religious requirements for public service, almost all the country's presidents have been Christian, according to the Pew Research Center. Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln are considered by scholars to not have had formal religious affiliation.

President Joe Biden's cabinet also includes several officials who come from non-Christian religious backgrounds, according to an article published by The Washington Post in January 2021.

They include Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Attorney General Merrick Garland, who are both Jewish.

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who also served under president Barack Obama, spoke about his Hindu faith in a Hindu American Foundation function in 2015.

Ozone-depleting CFCs hit record despite ban: study


Linnea Pedersen
Mon, 3 April 2023 


Their power to dissolve the ozone layer shielding Earth from the Sun prompted a worldwide ban, but scientists on Monday revealed that some human-made chlorofluorocarbons have reached record levels, boosting climate-changing emissions.

Despite being banned under the Montreal Protocol, the five chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) measured increased rapidly in the atmosphere from 2010 to 2020, reaching record-high levels in 2020, according to the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

It said the increase was probably due to leakage during the production of chemicals that are meant to replace CFCs, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFOs).

Although at current levels they do not threaten the recovery of the ozone layer, they contribute to a different threat, joining other emissions in heating the atmosphere.

"If you are producing greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances during the production of these next-generation compounds, then they do have an indirect impact on the climate and the ozone layer," said co-author Isaac Vimont of the Global Monitoring Laboratory at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

CFCs are potent greenhouse gases that trap heat up to 10,000 times more efficiently than carbon dioxide -- the biggest cause of the global warming that drives climate change, according to data from the Global Carbon Project.

In the 1970s and 1980s, CFCs were widely used as refrigerants and in aerosol sprays.

But the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica as a result of their use led to the global agreement in 1987 to eliminate them.

After the Montreal Protocol entered into force, global concentrations of CFCs declined steadily.

- Ozone 'early warning' -

The study analysed five CFCs with no or few current uses, beginning at the point of their total global phase-out in 2010.

In 2020 all five gases were at their highest abundance since direct measurements began.

Those emissions have so far resulted in a modest impact on the ozone layer and slightly larger climate footprint, said co-author Luke Western of Bristol University and the Global Monitoring Laboratory.

They are equivalent to the 2020 CO2 emissions of Switzerland -- about one percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions of the United States.

But if the rapid upward trend continues, their impact will increase.

The researchers called their findings "an early warning" of a new way in which CFCs are endangering the ozone layer.

The emissions are likely due to processes that are not subject to the current ban and unreported uses.

The class of industrial aerosols developed to replace those banned by the Montreal Protocol is to be phased out over the next three decades under a recent amendment to the 1987 treaty.

- Unknown source -

The protocol curbs the release of ozone-depleting substances that could disperse, but does not ban their use in the production of other chemicals as raw materials or by-products.

It was not the first time that unreported production had an impact on CFC levels. In 2018 scientists discovered that the pace of CFC slowdown had dropped by half from the preceding five years.

Evidence in that case pointed to factories in eastern China, the researchers said. Once CFC production in that region stopped, the draw-down appeared to be back on track.

The study said further research was needed to know the precise source of the recent rise in CFC emissions.

Nationwide data gaps make it difficult to determine where the gases are coming from and for some of the CFCs analysed there are no known uses.

But "eradicating these emissions is an easy win in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Western.

lp/rlp/yad

'Moment of hope': UN urges Yemen peace talks on truce anniversary

AFP
Sun, 2 April 2023 


The United Nations' Yemen envoy warned on Sunday the war-ravaged country faces a "critical time" and urged steps towards lasting peace, exactly a year since a truce has dramatically reduced fighting.

Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg called the UN-brokered truce that took effect in April 2022 a "moment of hope" and said it was largely holding, despite lapsing in October.

"But the truce's most significant promise is its potential to jumpstart an inclusive political process aimed at comprehensively and sustainably ending the conflict," the UN secretary-general's special envoy said in a statement.


Nearly a decade of war in Yemen has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, both directly and indirectly, and set off one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

"There are still significant risks," Grundberg said, calling to "protect the gains of the truce and to build on them towards more humanitarian relief, a nationwide ceasefire and a sustainable political settlement that meets the aspirations of Yemeni women and men".

A landmark reconciliation deal announced last month between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the two regional powerhouses that back rival sides in Yemen's war, added to the optimism that started last year with the truce.

Riyadh is leading a military coalition on behalf of the ousted Yemeni government while Tehran backs Huthi rebels, who seized control of the capital in 2014.

Amid renewed deadly fighting and warnings from the rebels, the UN envoy said: "The military, economic and rhetorical escalation of recent weeks is a reminder of the fragility of the truce's achievements."

He urged the government and the Huthis to "sit together and responsibly engage in serious dialogue" that would lead to "a peaceful resolution of the conflict".

Yemen remains deeply fractured along regional, confessional and political lines, and riven with rival factions including Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

"At this critical time, any new temporary or partial arrangement needs to include a clear commitment from the parties that ensures it is a step on the course of a peaceful solution... in an inclusive political process," Grundberg said.

"Moments like now are fleeting and precarious," he warned.

"More than ever, now is the time for dialogue, compromises, and a demonstration of leadership and serious will to achieve peace."

WTF

 Nova Scotians now need to be paying 50% of income on housing to qualify for rent supplement


CBC
Mon, April 3, 2023 

Leigh MacLean said the rental subsidy is a stopgap measure, and more non-market housing is the solution. (Brian MacKay/CBC - image credit)

When housing support worker Leigh MacLean noticed a change on Nova Scotia's rent supplement application form, she thought it was a misprint.

The threshold to qualify for the program had been hiked from 30 to 50 per cent of a person's pre-tax income being spent on housing.

But it wasn't an error.

In late January, the province quietly changed the eligibility rules for the Canada-Nova Scotia Targeted Housing Benefit, known as the rent supplement program.

The definition of severe housing need was changed to only apply to those spending 50 per cent or more of their income on housing.

MacLean fills out the same form with clients dozens of times a week in her work as housing and homelessness team lead at Welcome Housing in Halifax. She said she and others in the sector weren't expecting a change.

"I think it's a drastic move and it's very secretive," MacLean said.

"I wish there would have been a little more transparency, community consultation around it because it just showed up on the new application and it wasn't discussed."

MacLean is concerned about the impact this change will have on the hundreds of clients served by her organization.

"I think if we're targeting 50 per cent [of income spent on housing], that's a lot less subsidies that they'll have to give out, ultimately," she said. "We're in a housing crisis, we're in a instability crisis. We really should be trying to help as many people as we can."

CBC

On Friday, Housing Minister John Lohr echoed the idea that Nova Scotia is in a housing crisis, but said the change to the program was made for budgetary reasons.

"We could see that the demand for the program was exceeding what the budget would offer," Lohr said in an interview. "So, we felt the need to prioritize ... this to those most in need, and that's why that decision was made."

Though the change was made in January, it just came to light publicly recently when Suzy Hansen, MLA for Halifax-Needham, asked Lohr about it in question period at Province House Tuesday.

Hansen told CBC she found out about the change from a constituent.

"When you think about who this is gonna affect the most, it's gonna affect those that are on low income, those that are struggling seniors, and they didn't tell any of us," Hansen said. "So, for me, it was really shocking."

Robert Short/CBC

Lohr said his department didn't consult community groups because a decision had to be made, but it wasn't done in secret.

"We put it right out there," he said. "It's on the website. Anybody applying could see the change."

What is the rent supplement?

The Canada-Nova Scotia Targeted Housing Benefit is a joint provincial-federal program that provides monthly funding to renters or homeowners who are determined to be in core housing need.

In order to qualify, a person needs to meet multiple requirements and fall under income thresholds. They also must be in "severe housing need" — the definition that was recently changed.

The 50 per cent of income spent on rent isn't calculated based on a person's actual rent, but based on the CMHC average rent for the area where they live.

For Halifax, this number was $1,449 for a two-bedroom unit. But MacLean said this number is usually much lower than actual rents in an area.

According to the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the province is providing 7,000 rent supplements across the province. In Halifax, the monthly payment ranges from $403 to $963.

Old applications grandfathered in

Just two weeks ago, the Houston government didn't increase income assistance rates in this fiscal's budget, but instead said it would focus on "targeted supports" like the rent supplement.

A spokesperson for the department said in a statement that the Houston government has invested an additional $21.6 million in this fiscal year's budget to create at least 1,000 new rent supplements and "continue to support those we already have in place."

This means those who applied to the rent supplement program before the change took place on Jan. 27, 2023, will be grandfathered in if they meet the previous requirements.

"Recipients who continue to meet the eligibility criteria in place at the time they applied will continue to receive the benefit," spokesperson Krista Higdon said in an email.

Paul Palmeter/CBC

But those who spend 30 per cent of their income on housing and applied for the supplement after Jan. 27 are likely to be out of luck.

Brian Dauphinee is one of them. He recently found out he and close to 80 other tenants in his building on Quinpool Road in Halifax are being renovicted.

Dauphinee had been living in the same studio apartment since 2015, paying $637.50 monthly. He fears his pension won't be enough to pay the current rents in the city.

"It's going to impact me severely," Dauphinee said. "It's going to force me into making decisions about what kind of food I buy, what kind of medical service I can afford to get ... what clothes I can afford to buy."

Working with Welcome Housing, Dauphinee sent in an application for the rent supplement in March. But now he knows about the change to the eligibility requirements, he isn't confident his application will be accepted.

MacLean said application waiting times have slowed from around eight weeks to up to 14 weeks. For Dauphinee, this just means more time in limbo.

"I'll have to take it at that time," he said. "I'm so shocked, I can't plan beyond right now. I don't know what I'm gonna do."

Women players benefit most in Cricket Australia’s new $634m pay deal

Guardian sport and Australian Associated Press
Sun, 2 April 2023 a

Photograph: Steve Bell/Getty Images

The majority of women’s cricketers on minimum contracts will earn more than $100,000 a year after Cricket Australia and the players’ union announced a landmark $634m pay deal on Monday.

CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association on Monday revealed details of a new five-year memorandum of understanding that will see professional women players share $133m – an increase from $80m in the previous agreement – and benefit from a 66% increase in payments.

Related: Teenager Phoebe Litchfield selected in Australia’s Women’s Ashes squad

Under the new deal, minimum and average CA women’s contracts will increase by 25%, while the number of contracts will increase from 15 to 18. Domestic players who do not play for Australia, who play both WNCL (50 over) and WBBL (T20) formats, can earn on average $151,019 annually, inclusive of match fees.

This makes them on average the highest-paid female players of team sports in Australia, with its nearest competitor being Super Netball where the minimum salary is $43,000 with no additional match payments. The AFLW minimum wage sits at close to $40,000, while NRLW is $30,000 and A-League Women’s is $25,000.

The WBBL salary cap will also increase to $732,000 per year in a bid to keep pace with the women’s Hundred in England, India’s WPL and other franchise leagues.

“Cricket now clearly offers the best earning opportunities of any team sport for elite female sportspeople,” CA CEO Nick Hockley said.

“I am particularly pleased this MOU represents another major step forward in the rise of women’s cricket with significant increases in remuneration for the inspirational role models of the world champion Australian women’s team and the WBBL who are driving substantial growth in female participation.”

Centrally-contracted Australian male players will have their pay increase by 7.5% to an average of $951,000 before match payments, while the squad will increase to 24 players.

At a domestic men’s level, more significant changes are coming. The men’s BBL salary cap will rise from $2m to $3m. That will allow the league’s top earners to be paid up to $420,000, with CA desperate to keep and attract new top-line talent. It comes after officials made the competition a priority last season, and agreed to reduce the number of games from 14 for each team to 10 for 2024-25 at the latest.

“We have recognised the need to ensure that the BBL remains highly competitive in a changing global cricket landscape,” Hockley said. “We’re confident this agreement will help maintain its place at the heart of the Australian summer.”

Overall, the changes represent a 26% pay rise for players across the sport, with the deal the first done between Hockley and ACA counterpart Todd Greenberg.

“There is enormous capacity for growth right across the women’s game, as well as the BBL, both of which we believe have enormous untapped potential,” Greenberg said. “Our men and women will benefit from significant investment into the BBL and WBBL, which will help ensure we have the best players playing.”

Anarcho-Syndicalist Review

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Jon BekkenAnarcho-Syndicalist Review

Copies of ASR 86 (Spring 2023) have been mailed to all subscribers

Contents:

Editorial An Economy Built On Cruelty

Wobbles Falling Wages, Climate Catastrophe

Syndicalist News FoodPanda, Alternative Unions, AIT Centenary compiled by Mike Hargis

Articles Profits of Doom: Green Syndicalism and Tar Sands Worker Deaths by Jeff Shantz

Labor Resurgence in Maine by Lisa Feldman

Is the Labor Movement Blowing It? by Alexis Buss

Shorter Hours, Everywhere But Here?

Workers’ Resistance to the Russia-Ukraine War by John Kalwaic

(R)Evolution in the 21st Century: Reflections on Syndicalist Strategy by Rasmus Hästbacka

The General Strike: Past, Present & Future by Jon Bekken

Curious Saviors of the Spanish Revolution: Myths of the POUM by Jeff Stein

Reviews Wild Socialism by Martin Comack

American Autocracy by Jeff Stein

A Passion For Work? by Jon Bekken

Redwashing Stalinism by Shelby Shapiro

Anarchist Women in Mexico by Jon Bekken

Letters Ukraine, Rebellion in Ir

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M; WINK,WINK

Swiss prosecutors probe Credit Suisse ahead of UBS takeover

The Canadian Press
Mon, April 3, 2023 


GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss attorney general’s office says it has opened a probe into the events surrounding embattled bank Credit Suisse, which is to be taken over by rival UBS.

Switzerland's government and financial regulators helped engineer the hastily arranged, $3.25 billion agreement that was aimed in part to help calm worries about the global financial system and will leave the country with a single huge global bank.

The attorney general's office said Monday that it wanted to “proactively fulfill its remit and its responsibility to contribute to a clean Swiss financial sector.” It said that it has set up “monitoring” that would enable it to get involved immediately if any offenses were committed that come under its auspices.

The office said the probe falls short of a formal investigation and is not a criminal inquiry. The office was responding to an emailed request Monday for comment after the Financial Times reported about the probe over the weekend. The statement made no reference to UBS.

Both banks declined to comment about the probe.

Prosecutors said they want to gain an overview of the events surrounding Credit Suisse and to “secure and evaluate the available information” to analyze and identify any relevant offenses. It stressed that it cannot anticipate the result of the “clarifications” it has set in motion and didn't identify any specific possible offense.

The takeover of Credit Suisse — which is set to host its annual shareholder meeting in a Zurich stadium Tuesday — has drawn both praise and criticism in the prosperous country of about 8.5 million people.

Before the bank marriage was orchestrated on March 19, Credit Suisse was hemorrhaging deposits, shareholders were dumping its stock and creditors were rushing to seek repayment.

The bank faced years of troubles that predated financial turmoil spurred by the collapse of two U.S. banks, ranging from losses on hedge fund bets to fines over failing to prevent money laundering by a Bulgarian drug ring and not reporting secret offshore accounts that wealthy Americans used to avoid paying taxes.

The Associated Press

TASMANIA
Four decades on, has the Franklin River and those who fought to save it been forgotten?

Peter Hannam
Sun, 2 April 2023 

Jeni Wallwork’s recent journey down Tasmania’s Franklin River was wild and treacherous but the 72-year-old trusted a splash of karma would get her through.

“My raft with four others capsized on the first day and we were stuck under water in the washing machine of a rapid for what seemed like a long time,” she says. “I thought about my mortality in those seconds … but should’ve realised that the river wouldn’t take a protester!”

Her “Amazon woman friend”, Kathy Fox, helped haul Wallwork back into her raft but the dumping meant “freezing almost to hypothermia for hours until we reached camp”. The eight-day trip was “the most terrifying, fear-inducing, challenging, exciting, beautiful, amazing thing I think I’ve ever done”.

Rafting on the Franklin River. Photograph: Andrew Bain/Alamy


Each year, fewer than 500 people take the chance to tackle one of the world’s most famous rafting rivers. For Wallwork, the odyssey had added poignancy, coming 40 years after she and her late husband, John Bright, joined thousands protesting in Tasmania and on mainland Australia to prevent the Franklin being dammed.

“I put a small amount of his ashes in the river the third day in. Of course he beat me to the end of the trip!” she says, adding later, “It’s sad that it was too late for John” who died four years ago.

Related: ‘The Franklin would be dammed today’: Australia’s shrinking environmental protections

All up, 1,272 protesters would be arrested over the four months to March 1983. Most were charged for trying to block bulldozers and construction workers near the proposed dam site on the Gordon River.

Both major parties in Tasmania – the Liberals then in government and Labor – backed at least two dams that would have flooded a large region of the Franklin catchment and tributaries. The Hawke government, which won office 40 years ago this month, launched action in the high court, securing a narrow 4-3 vote in its favour the following July that finally ended the project.

“It was wonderful to be thanked in person by our young rafting guides and young fellow rafters for protesting and thus saving the river for us all,” says Wallwork, an artist and designer, recalling marches in Hobart she and John attended.

The Gordon-below-Franklin dam would have delivered 172 megawatts of electricity, an amount that today seems almost trivial – it’s roughly what Australians now add every three weeks in rooftop solar capacity alone – and was not even needed at the time, says Andrew Blakers, an Australian National University professor.

Blakers, a doctoral student at the time of the blockade, made submissions to a Senate inquiry into the dam plans in lieu of protesting himself.

“My brother, father, mother and sister were in jail at the time I was writing,” he says, adding that his estimates of Tasmania’s power needs were far lower than projected by the Hydro-Electric Commission “and still higher than actually happened”.

Logbooks at the Newlands caves near the last major rapids on the Franklin and at the Sir John Falls hut on the Gordon River at the end of the 125km journey detail memories of blockaders grateful to have made it through the unspoilt wilderness, with its soaring ravines and lush rainforest.

“My first association with the Franklin was the Sydney protest march in early 1980s,” Felicity Hall wrote a year ago, illustrating her entry with a leatherwood in flower. “Fantastic to finally experience the Franklin in its wild state.”

“Group of 27 people joined to celebrate 30 years to the day that the Franklin River Blockade started. We are the UPRIVER MOB,” Alice Hungerford wrote in an entry dated 15-19 December 2012. “We have reclaimed this hut – the old hydroelectric Commission/Police camp – for the people.

The Franklin itself was just symptomatic of all of the beautiful places that had been destroyed in the past
David Clarke, river guide

“We have revisited the old camps, the old tracks, monitored the regrowth on the destruction site, and sang songs, eaten food and generally celebrated our beautiful world heritage,” Hungerford wrote.

Carmel, another member of the group, wrote it was “remarkable” to be part of a “family re-united directly opposite Warner’s Landing where we were arrested blockading the bulldozer. Uplifting to see how the rainforest has regrown.”

“Twenty-six years ago, the magistrate ordered me not to lurk, loiter, hide or secrete myself in the south-west of Tasmania,” wrote John McLaine in an entry after “an excellent trip” down the river in 2009. “I’m still defying those Blockade bail conditions!”

That those records and the hut itself have been preserved owes much to decades of devotion by David and Judith Clarke, members of the Franklin River Wildcare branch, who have coaxed dozens of volunteers to help save the history that governments haven’t been eager to celebrate.

David Clarke, a river guide who was honoured 30 years on for saving a rafter’s life, says many paddlers take the Franklin’s rescue for granted.

“It was an awakening,” he said last month during his latest work trip to restore the Sir John Falls hut. “The Franklin itself was just symptomatic of all of the beautiful places that had been destroyed in the past. We couldn’t afford to lose any more.”

Judith protested for a week at the blockade near Strahan even though her father worked for Hydro at the time as an electrical engineer. “He knew we had enough power.”

Four decades on, she says people should remember this as a seminal win for the environment.

“We’ve saved [the Franklin] for this generation but they don’t even know about it.”

• The author rafted the Franklin in January-February 2023