Early Australian Electoral Roll Closure Could Disenfranchise You!

In this year's Australian federal election tens of thousands of eligible Australians, including many Australians overseas, will be prevented from voting. Will you be one of them?

The Federal Government passed extraordinary legislation in 2006 that will close the rolls earlier than you expect.

If you are not on the electoral roll, and need to enrol afresh, the rolls will close at 8 pm on the day on which the writ is issued for the election. The writ is usually issued the day the Prime Minister calls the election or the very next day.

If you are currently enrolled, but need to change your details with the Australian Electoral Commission, the rolls will close at 8 pm Australian time on the third working day after the writ is issued.

In the last election, 83,000 first-time voters enrolled in the first week after the election was called. Hundreds of thousands more registered at their new address, including many overseas Australians. But this time they won't get that chance. There'll be virtually no time once the election is called to get your enrolment in order.

That's why whether you're enrolled to vote or not, there's a crucial role for you to play right now. Click on the link below to demand this early roll closing law be repealed, and alert friends and family in Australia and abroad to enrol and update their details with the AEC promptly.

Sign the GetUp! petition now, and help GetUp! reach its target of 25,000 signatures on this issue: www.getup.org.au/campaign/DontLetThemStopYouFromVoting

In addition to this new hurdle of early roll closing, overseas Australians already face special disenfranchisement issues: if you are overseas, and have been wiped off the electoral roll or were never on it, and it's more than three years since you moved abroad to live, Australian law presently prohibits you from (re)enrolling from abroad. We estimate that there are approximately 500,000 expat Aussies in this situation. That's the equivalent of 5 or 6 federal electorates.

Contribute to the special GetUp! blog on this subject at: http://www.getup.org.au/blog_details.asp?blog_post_id=132

Everything you need to know about voting in Australia while you live abroad is contained in the Southern Cross Group information sheet available at: http://www.southern-cross-group.org/

Thanks for doing your bit to spread the word!

The Southern Cross Group and GetUp!

ST. JAMES SPRING FAIR

SUNDAY APRIL 15TH, 2007
12.30 - 5.00PM

The annual Spring Fair is a major fundraiser for St. James' community service and outreach programs.

Come along for the raffle (there is an amazing list of prizes), new boutique, white elephant and baked goods stalls and the silent auction.

There will be a clown and fun activities for children also.

Stay for lunch as there will be hot food + BBQ'd sausages etc on sale

Address: St. James Church,
Via B. Rucellai, 9. 055 294417

Florence International Theatre Company - AGNES OF GOD

For the next offering of their inaugural season, FITC brings this long-running Broadway hit and deeply arresting drama to the stage with a cast including Judith Scarpone who arrives from Los Angeles to play the role of Mother Superior. Labeled "challenging" and "thought-provoking" this play by Canadian John Pielmeier, directed by FITC co-Artistic Director Aaron Craig, will also star FITC co-Artistic Director Bari Hochwald and Carolina Gamini with sets and lighting design by Trui Malten. The play poses the question of faith versus factual logic and whether there is any place left in our world for miracles to occur.

With this production FITC will introduce the use of Italian subtitles as well as offer a detailed description of the play's story and vocabulary and cultural definitions in a down-loadable form on the FITC website in order to deepen the company's relationship with the entire community of Florence: http://www.florencetheatre.com/it/Production/2006_2007/Agnes.html

As after all FITC productions, there will be a discussion offered. Because the themes of this play are so intriguing, we have created specific focuses for each talk. Father Lawrence Maclean of St. Mark's Church will lead the discussion after opening night on the play's theme of faith versus factual logic. Friday night's discussion will focus on theatrical design and bringing this play to visual life with our set and costume designer. Saturday afternoon we will discuss approaching the play from the actors' perspective Saturday afternoon and the director's perspective Saturday evening.

All in all it looks to be an entertaining and stimulating evening with FITC at Teatro Le Laudi! We hope you can join us.

Theatre in English with Italian subtitles
Teatro in inglese con sottotitoli in italiano
FITC al Teatro Le LaudiAgnes of God
April 19, 20, 21 - 21.00
April 21 - 15.00
via Leonardo da Vinci 2r

Tickets/Biglietti: 18 euro, 15 euro students/studentiInformation, group sales and reservations/informazioni, vendita a gruppi e prenotazione:055 239 9949 www.florencetheatre.com

Or purchase tickets at Teatro Le Laudi,
Tuesday - Friday 10-12.30/15.30-19.00

Per un sommario in italiano:
http://florencetheatre.com/it/Production/2006_2007/Agnes.html

FITC
Bari Hochwald - Artistic Director
TEL: +39 334 835 7826 or +39 055 23 99 949
bari@florencetheatre.com www.florencetheatre.com

Important News for Aussie Expat Voters

Everything you need to know about voting and enrolment while you live abroad is explained in the Southern Cross Group's info sheet "What you need to know about voting in Australia while you live overseas", accessible at:http://www.southern-cross-group.org/

Join in the new blog discussion about Aussie expat voting on the GetUp! website and share your views and experiences:http://www.getup.org.au/blog_details.asp?blog_post_id=132

GetUp! is campaiging in Australia to alert people to the fact that the electoral rolls will close virtually immediately the next federal election is called due to new legislation enacted last year. Since most people only think about getting their enrolment in order once an election is called, this change may well operate to disenfranchise you or people you know. So get your enrolment organised with the AEC now. A federal election is expected towards the end of this year. It will be too late once the election is called.

To check out the GetUp! campaign:http://www.getup.org.au

When signing the GetUp! online petition overseas Australians should give their Australian home state or territory.

STOP PRESS Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) enrolment forms and procedures will change on Monday 16 April 2007. From that date, new proof of identity requirements will be in place. Overseas applicants for enrolment will have to provide their Australian passport number or Australian driver's licence number on the enrolment form. Most expats should have current passports and have no problem with this change. But if you don't have a passport or licence, other proof of identity will be required plus the form will need to be witnessed by an "authorised person". If you can't manage that, then two people already enrolled, who've known you for a month or more, will have to confirm your identity.

If you want to enrol from outside Australia using the current form (which requires a declaration by a witness who is eligible to enrol for Australian federal elections) then it must reach the AEC by midnight Australian time on Sunday 15 April 2007: http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/what/enrolment/forms/ER016OSw_0207.pdf

You can fax it, or scan and e-mail your signed form to info@aec.gov.au

If you can't be sure that your completed overseas enrolment form will get there by Sunday 15 April, then wait until 16 April and download the new form on or after that date from www.aec.gov.au.

If you are already on the electoral roll, and you just want to change your status to that of an Eligible Overseas Elector, then use this form: http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/what/enrolment/forms/ER022Ew_0307_f.pdf

To check whether you are currently enrolled, use the AEC Online Enrolment Verification Facility: https://oevf.aec.gov.au/

Have you discovered that you are disenfranchised? Any other comments or questions? Contact the SCG on info@southern-cross-group.org http://www.southern-cross-group.org/

Short-term Accommodation in Florence

Cassandra Clark is looking for somewhere to stay for a couple of weeks in May or early June this year within the walls of either Florence (preferably) or Lucca. She is researching a novel set in 14th centuryTuscany. Her idea is to come out for a couple of weeks to look for somewhere for a longer stay later in the year. She needs space for one, with a table or desk where she can write. Can you help? She doen't really want a hotel with all it entails. Somewhere beautiful would be a bonus!

Incidentally, she does have a one-bedroomed flat within a few minutes of anywhere anyone staying for a short time in London would want to go and would be willing to do an exchange or short let more or less any time.

Her real concern at present is to find somewhere congenial to stay in May. If you are interested, please contact:
Cassandra Clark email: jclar68@yahoo.co.uk

Scooter For Sale

Information about the scooter for sale:
Piaggio 150cc
Odometer reading: 13,900 km
Insurance paid through 14 July 2007
Annual license paid through December 2007
Price: 500 Euro

If you are interested, please phone:
Robert at 055 604 456 or 348 270 9263 cellulare