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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Autumn 2008        |
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MUA backs Australian film industry21 November 2003
Wharfies and seafarers throw their weight behind push to protect Australian culture from globalisation and Australia/US Free Trade Agreement MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin joined Australian icon Jack Thompson in the call to protect our cultural heritage against the Australia/US Free Trade Agreement on the eve of the AFI awards this week. Actor Jack Thompson was in Sydney to launch the book Fighting Films: The History of the WWF Film Unit to a gathering of 200 film and maritime workers, veteran wharfies and academics at the Australian National Maritime Museum on Wednesday. In acknowledging the importance of filming Australian stories in our own vernacular, Jack Thompson and Paddy Crumlin both stressed the importance of protecting Australian culture. "We need to protect our cultural integrity and prevent the US dumping cheap films and shows here," said Mr Crumlin. "We need to expand local content laws which require Australian television and other media outlets to show Australian productions just like we need tighter restrictions on foreign shipping to protect the Australian merchant marine from being sunk by cheap, cut rate flag of convenience vessels that pollute our waters and exploit crew." Jack Thompson said he was very proud to be part of the rebirth of an Australian film industry and that we must not "surrender culturally" to the US. "Film is the lingua franca of our age," he said. "That's where people learn who they are, what we are, and often learn what to think and how they should say things. Without a voice in film and television, we'd end up being the 52nd state of the US. We are militarily within the American sphere of influence, totally, and it might be said of foreign policy, but if we surrender culturally within a generation there will be no understanding of (Australian identity). It is only by retaining our right to regulate aspects of new media that we will be able to ensure that Australia determines Australian culture, not Hollywood." The Alliance and Maritime unions contend that the Australia/US Free Trade Agreement should never be allowed to prevent an Australian government expanding the current local content rules for TV or regulating new media. Nor should the agreement stop any additional funding for the Australian film industry.
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