“It's a scandal and it's un-Australian” says Pastor Bill Crews
Sydney: Pastor Bill Crews
has dedicated his life to working with Australia's homeless, poor, lost
and abandoned. So when he sat down to plan how his Exodus Foundation could
bring a bit of Christmas cheer
to the needy, he decided
to write to the Top 50 companies listed by the Australian Stock Exchange.
Among them was Rio Tinto with a capitalisation listed at $12 billion (on the Australian sharemarket - excluding the majority of shares listed with the UK company).
Pastor Crews appealed – and this is a direct quote from the letter Rio Tinto received – “for business to open their hearts to help disadvantaged people”, at least this once at Christmas.
In his appeal to Rio Tinto,
Pastor Crews pointed out that “with four in every 10 children facing a
Christmas with no presents because of poverty, your donation could make
the
day brighter for some and
the whole year brighter for others”.
And what was Rio Tinto's response?
None. Zero. Zilch.
The world's most powerful mining company not only refused to demonstrate any sense of community goodwill (maybe in the UK they work differently) , even at Christmas, it did not grant Pastor Crews the courtesy of a reply.
The scandal was exposed when
Pastor Crews alerted the media to the heartless display by Rio Tinto. It
was first reported in the Sun-Herald newspaper on 20
December. Public reaction
was overwhelming in condemning this disgusting corporate greed, described
by Pastor Crews as a “scandal and un-Australian”.
Regards
Chris
(maybe they required Bill Crews to pay for the packaging and transport)
Rod Gayford wrote:
I am sorry James, the more you argue for its return to the UK the more you
look like a pommy lackey. This country owes nothing to the poms. Why the
hell to you want to be so generous too them. All my grandfather got for
supporting them during WW1 is a lung full of German gas so I wouldn't give
them the time of day. No sense of history you guys. If it didn,t happen five
minutes ago or you read about it in some life style magazine you wouldn,t
have a clue.
Cheers
Rod Gayford
"James Brook" <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
3892A3BE.901A2CAB@ozemail.com.au">news:3892A3BE.901A2CAB@ozemail.com.au...
> Chris@enet21.com.au wrote:
>
> > Sorry, until this I had no problems with Rio Tinto, I have even worked
on design jobs for them in Sydney (their middle
> > management and employees are ok) with no problems. I read and watched
their dispute with unions and environmentalists but kept
> > my opinions to myself (it didn't affect me) or so I though.
> >
> > If it unfortunate that you or any other Ditcot supporter cannot reply
with any valid rebutals to my statements.
>
> I would say that I have provided valid rebutals. Just because you don't
like them doesn't mean that they aren't valid.
>
> > All you state
> > "that the locomotive should be returned to the UK",
>
> I can't even find the statement "that the locomotive should be returned to
the UK" in my previous post to this. If this quote was
> taken from an earlier post please include the entire paragraph. I have
always backed up my statements with logical arguments.
>
> > As I said before the locomotive is a one of a kind and alot of
> > Australians will never get the chance to travel overseas to see things
like this.
>
> The same argument could apply to people in the UK. Many of them won't have
the chance to travel to the Pilbara to see a part of
> their history. The locomotive is not a part of Australian history and
while many Australians won't get the chance to see it in
> Britain, many British people won't get the chance to see it if it remains
here.
>
> > The British have a "aladins cave" of
> > historic items from Australia and other places gathering dust in their
museums (for example the original constitution of
> > Australia). I cannot see cries in the UK that these should be returned
or given as a "measure of goodwill". Even if the
> > locomotive stayed in Australia, the balance would still weigh heavily in
their favour.
>
> Some items should be returned to their original country but as I have said
before, it shouldn't matter what the British are doing
> all we should worry about is the locomotive and what we will do with it.
We should make sure that it is sent to an organisation
> that will look after it properly. Combined with the fact that the loco is
a part of British history the Didcot Railway Centre is
> the best place for it.
>
>
> --
> - James Brook -
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> e-mail:
> mailto:ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au
> Victorian Railfan Web Site:
> http://www.railpage.org.au/vr/
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>