Australia: Demand for Dr. John Carnie's resignation
PO Box 1038, Irymple VIC 3498, Australia
ph: (03) 5023 4427
fax: (03) 5024 3801
mob: 0458 540 307
PRESS RELEASE – Friday, December 4, 2009
Demand for Dr. Carnie's resignation
The Anti-Fluoridation Association of Mildura, along with other Victorian safe water groups, and a number of health and scientific professionals, are calling for the resignation of Dr. John Carnie, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer. The call comes as community discontent with the Government’s mandatory fluoridation policy grows.
Today, the following letter was sent to Victoria's Health Minister Daniel Andrews.
We are outraged by your government's continued efforts to force fluoridation on communities without giving citizens a chance to vote on the matter. In this matter the behaviour of Dr. John Carnie has gone beyond anything one would expect or should tolerate from a civil servant. Let us explain.
Most recently Dr. Carnie’s refusal to respond to the basic questions put to him by a number of Australian and international health and scientific professionals, in line with his “no debate policy,” has outraged many in Mildura and around the world.
While Dr. Carnie may truly and honestly believe that fluoridation is safe and effective, public health policy needs to be more than a belief system. It needs to be supported by honest and accurate science that can be defended when challenged. Dr. Carnie has:
- made statements to the public which are inaccurate as well as others which are biased and misleading (see attachment 1)
- refused to defend his beliefs in public debate (see attachment 2)
- failed to answer direct questions addressed to him by Australian and international experts (see attachment 3).
Despite this he is still prepared to force this measure on communities, even when a sizeable number of people in those communities, who have researched this issue for themselves, have made it clear that they do not want to be forced to drink fluoridated water. The only way to determine whether such resistance to this measure is coming from a minority of the population or a majority is to give the electorate of each community the chance to vote on the matter. But this opportunity has again been denied to them by Dr. Carnie. This is a blatant example of the "arrogance of power.
When politicians behave in this way, at least the electorate has a chance to make their feelings known at the next election, but Dr. Carnie is not a politician but a civil servant making his arrogance immune from normal democratic processes.
The only alternative for those who believe that Dr. Carnie is failing in his job to protect the health of the people, as exemplified by his unwillingness to answer basic questions on a practice he is prepared to force on them, is to seek his resignation. What other recourse do citizens have when their democratic rights are denied?
Thus, we call upon the Minister to set in motion proceedings which will examine this complaint and if he feels that it has merits to remove Dr. Carnie from his position forthwith.
We would add that this issue goes well beyond the dangers posed by fluoridation. If it becomes clear - as it has in this case - that public health policies are not based on sound science that can be defended in public and in writing -it will erode the public's trust in the institutions set up - at their expense - to protect their health and the environment. The loss of that trust threatens our society in many ways and should not be taken lightly by the politicians running Victoria.
As you will note from the signatures below, this issue is receiving attention well beyond Victoria and the shores of Australia. We expect the worldwide attention to grow as the shocking behaviour of Dr. Carnie is revealed to a larger audience. As Martin Luther King Jr once said, “injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.”
We look forward to hearing your swift response to this complaint.
Sincerely,
David Adams, PhD, Penn Valley, California, USA
Caree Alexander, BDSc, Dentist, Port Macquarie, NSW
Dennis L Anderson, DDS, general dentist, Homer, Alaska, USA
Gretchen Anderson, Bellingham, Washington, USA
Henri Allard, dentist, Rousson, France
Alexander Audette, TCMD, RAc, B.Eng, practicing Dr. of Chinese Medicine, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, and former chemical engineer
Ramesh Babu, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology, East Point College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, India
Mary Baenen, North Idaho Citizens for Safe Drinking Water, Sandpoint, Idaho, USA
Jeanette Bajorek, Sacramento, California, USA
Ernest Barbosa, San Diego, California, USA
John Beard, MA, PhD, Microbial biochemist (retired), Cambridge, UK
James S. Beck, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Medical Biophysics, University of Calgary, Canada
Gerhard Bedding, Retired Science Writer and Teacher, Master's Degrees from U. of Chicago and Wesleyan University, USA
Maxine Belnap, RN, Bountiful, Davis, Utah, USA
Dusty Berke, New York, New York, USA
Jennie Berthet, Herbalist, Warrumbungles Holistic Health Care, NSW, Australia
Lorri Bethel, organizer - We Are Change, Orange County, California, USA
Colin Bishop Dip T (TAFE) B.Ed. Dip. Bio Med. JP (Qual) Natural Healing Therapist. DLP (Qld). Caboolture, Queensland, Australia. Researcher
Gillian Blair, public officer of the Warrnambool Fluoride Action Group, and Convener of the Victorian Greens Wholistic Health Working Group
Kevin Boehm DDS, CNC, holistic dentist/nutrition consultant, USA
Ailsa Boyden, spokesperson, Australian Fluoridation Information Network
Keith Boyden, chemist/technologist (retired), Queensland, Australia
Jan-Marie Brooke. Author, Mother, concerned for the health and well-being of ALL Australians
Allison Brumley, Naturopathic Medical Student, National College of Natural Medicine, NMSA Conference Co-chair
Diana Buckland, Fluoride Information Australia & MCS-Global, Queensland, Australia
Laurel Burik, concerned mother, animal owner, Los Angeles, California, USA
Mary Byrne, spokesperson, Fluoride Action Network-New Zealand
Neil J. Carman, PhD, biologist, former university faculty member in the biological sciences, Austin, Texas, USA
William A. Carone, DC, South Plainfield, New Jersey, USA
Leo Cashman, BS, MA, Executive Director, DAMS, Intl. (Dental Amalgam Mercury Solutions)
Judy Chambers, speech-language pathologist, Redding, California, USA
Carole Clinch, BA, BPHE, Spokesperson & Research Coordinator, People for Safe Drinking Water, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Dustin Coffey, actor and part-time activist, Los Angeles, Calfornia, USA
Juanita Cohodas, Laguna Niguel, California, USA
Sylvia Cole, retiree of Wairoa, New Zealand, closely following the fluoride debate for fifty years
Paul Connett, PhD, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network, USA
Luke Constas, BA, MA, Senior Biology Instructor, The Dwight School, Central Park West, New York, USA
Gary L. Cottingham, air carrier pilot and practitioner of integrative medicine
Joseph Cummins, Emeritus professor of genetics, University of Western Ontario, Canada
Johan Delva, GDP, Dental Surgeon, UK
Niki Denison, publications editor, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Massimiliano Desideri, Ass. Ecoriflesso, Italy
Nicole DesRoches, Directrice générale, CREDDO, Québec, Canada
Karen Douglas Stradbroke Island, Australia. Therapist, advocate for whole foods, clean water and sustainable environments.
Robert C. Dupuy, former 4th District of Washington State, Congressional Candidate, USA
John Eaton MA (Cantab), MCSI, FInstD, UK
Richard F. Edlich, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Plastic Surgery, Biomedical Engineering and Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia Health Systems, Brush Prairie, Washington, USA
Doug Everingham, MB, BS, Federal Minister for Health 1972-75, Australia
Deborah Eversage, RDH, Registered Dental Hygienist, Fairfield, Iowa, USA
James Fambro, MD, Louisiana, USA
David Figenschou, BSc. Agric. Biochemistry, Pietermartizburg, South Africa
Naomi Flack, BS, Ed.M., Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA, co-Founder of the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, protector of the health of the people of Palm Beach County, Florida, USA
Ross Forbes, Kerikeri, New Zealand. Involved with the fluoridation issue in the Far North district of NZ for some years
Linda Forrest, Chairperson, Fight Against Fluoridation, Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England
Anthony Fox, Doctor (Medicine), UK
Tracy Francis, Edens Landing Queensland, Australia
Janis Frost BA, Dip Ed., Former resident of Mildura and former resident of Hamilton Victoria, now residing in Queensland
Robert Gabriel, PhD, RC, OM, Olympia, Washington, USA
Stan Gale, Chiropractor,Los Angeles, California, USA
Paul Gilbert, DDS, MAGD, AIAOMT, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, USA
Beniamino Ginatempo, Physics professor, Faculty of Engineering, University of Messina, Italy
Dr. Scott C. Gosselin, Hilltop Wellness & Chiropractic, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Danny M. Gottlieb, BSc Agriculture, professional Food Technologist, concerned Environmentalist, Modesto, California, USA
Bill Grant, Groton, Connecticut, USA
Wynn Grcich, Hayward, California, water activist for ATOWN (Alternative Tecnology For Water Nationally), USA
Pat Gregory, Councillor, Environment Waikato Regional Council, Hamilton, New Zealand
R. A. Greinke (retired), PhD (Analytical Chemistry), U. of Michigan, USA
Fiona Gwynne, B.Ec/LLB, Sydney, Australia
Robert W. Hall, MS, President, Nevada Environmental Coalition, Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Edward E. Hamilton, PhD, CEO, GainHealth LLC, USA
Sonja Hardy, B Ed St, Dip T (Bachelor of Educational Studies; Diploma of Teaching - recently retired high school teacher), Shailer Park, Qld
Andrew Harms, BDSc, former President, Australian Dental Association (SA branch)
Crystal Harvey, Arkansas Citizens For Safe Drinking Water, Arkansas Health Freedom Coalition, Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA
John Harvey, Canberrra, Australia
Rodney Hearne, Lismore, NSW
Sheilah Hendry, Toronto, Canada
Robert C. Herzfeld, octogenarian citizen of San Diego, California, USA
Brook Hinckley, Metallurgist, Sydney, Australia, father of two children.
Heidi Hudson, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
Vic Hummert, among a group of people in Louisiana who want it to be the first state in the USA to ban fluoride completely in 2010, USA
Brian Jackson, co-ordinator of the Friends of the Earth, UK, Local Groups, Campaign to eradicate fluoride and fluoridation
Bruce Jager, Chairman, Anti-Fluoridation Association of Victoria
Ged Johnson, Director of FluorideAustralia.org, Brisbane
Basil Jones, Chairman of Trustees, "Stop Harming Our Children" (SHOC), registered charity No. 1110961, England
Dr. Emily A. Kane, Juneau, Alaska, USA
Tamara Kazarian, Research scientist, Johns Hopkins University, SOM, Orthopaedic Surgery, USA
Anita Knight, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
Carolyn Korkmas, retired law librarian, Houston, Texas, USA
Konradin Kreuzer, Co-Founder of the Forum for Responsible Application of Science, Basel, Switzerland. Contributed to the 2003 stop of water-fluoridation in Basel-City.
Muna Lakhani, National Co-ordinator, Institute for Zero Waste in Africa
Laurie LeDuc, PharmD, Gilbert, Arizona, USA
Lita Lee, PhD, chemist, enzyme therapist and author of The Enzyme Cure, Portland, Oregon, USA
Jaya Lewis, BA (Film Production/Music), TESOL III, English teacher
Paulette Liles, Fluoride Poisoned house wife & mother
Hardy Limeback, DDS, PhD, former President of the Canadian Association for Dental Research and panel member for the National Research Council Report Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards (2006), Toronto, Canada
Michael Linnell, President, Central Coast Pure Water Association Inc., East Gosford, NSW
Austin Lowry, double Masters degrees, in nutrition and exercise science, and health food store operator
Ted Ludke, Far North Queensland Nutritionals, Westcourt, QLD, Australia
Judy Luther, MLS, MBA, Publishing Consultant
Theresa Lynch, Ed.D, school psychologist (retired)
Alan MacRae, member, Health Freedom New Zealand, very concerned parent, Hamilton (Waikato District), New Zealand
James Madigan, MS clinical nutrition (research module, health risks of fluoride in the US), from Melb Vic, currently residing in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, USA
Dr. Avery N. Martin, Washington State, USA
Roger D. Masters, PhD, Research Professor, Dartmouth College, and Nelson A. Rockefeller Professor of Government, Emeritus
Randal Mayhew
Cindy Mayor, member, Citizens for a Safe Environment, Ontario, Canada
Cristina Mazza, Professional Interpreter and Translator, Italy
Sally McCarthy, Hamilton, New Zealand
Bobby McClintock, Founder RED AHI – Respiratory & Environmental Disabilities Assoc of Hawaii
Elizabeth A McDonagh BSc(Hons), Cert. Ed., Former college lecturer in food studies and applied science, retired. Chairman of National Pure Water Association, UK
Pat McNair, B.Soc.Sci. from Hamilton, NZ. Health Freedom Waikato spokesperson and member of Fluoride Action Network-New Zealand
David McRae, BSc(Hons), Vice-president, Barwon Freedom from Fluoridation, Geelong
J. Collins Meek, PhD, Senior Consultant, The Learning Clinic, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Michael Meek, Seattle, Washington, USA
Henry S. Micklem, Professor Emeritus, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Howard W. Mielke, PhD, Chemistry Department, Tulane University, Louisiana. Involved in environmental health issues concerning children's exposure to toxins for the past 4 decades, USA
Carolyn Miller, opposed to forced fluoridation
Silvani Mng'anya, a Senior Programme Officer with an Environmenatl organization, AGENDA in Tanzania and a member of Global Floride Action Network
Richard C. Montei, economist, opposed to fluoridation of public water, Elmhurst, Illinois, USA
Richard Montoya, artist and an ardent promoter of eliminating fluoride from all our lives
Alan Muller, Executive Director, Green Delaware, Port Penn, Delaware, USA
Gerald Natzke, DO, FAAEM, FAAOA, physician, past president and fellow of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine
Patrick Neary, ND, Wellspring Inc., Juneau, Alaska, USA
Michel Nijsten, concerned citizen and an active member of WHAM, West Midlands Against Fluoridation in the UK
Ted Ninnes, MSc, MA, PhD, senior lecturer (sociology), University of Waikato, New Zealand, and a specialist in the area of health and illness
Graham Noble, Say no to Fluoride, Canora, Saskatchewan, Canada
Genevieve O'Connell, BSc Grad Dip (Behav Studies Health Care), Melbourne
Joy O'Farrell, “hopefully this practice will be banned”
Elizabeth O'Nan, Director, Protect All Children's Environment, Marion, North Carolina, USA
Sylvia P. Onusic, PhD in Public Health; health writer and journalist; former Fulbright Scholar
Bill Osmunson, DDS, MPH, Dental Clinician, Author, Educator, and Public Health Nutritionist, Oregon, USA
Dianne A. Pacheco, MD, a pediatrician against water fluoridation
Eugene L. Packer, DC
Gilles Parent, ND.A., co-author of La fluoration: Autopsie d'une Erreur Scientifique, Quebec, Canada
Angel Phillips Permaloff, Craniosacral Therapist with a speciality in Maternal and Pediatric care
Tom Petrie, BS, Nutritionist, Spring Valley, New York, USA
Margaret Phillips, retired trained nurse, Bayview Heights, QLD
Bruce Pippin, Pickerington, Ohio, USA
Elizabeth Ramsay, author and long-time student of the dangers inherent in flouridation of public water supplies, Jerusalem, Israel
Linda Ray, WA, Australia
James W. Reeves, PhD, Retired Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
Mischele Rhodes, member, Health Freedom New Zealand, very concerned parent, Hamilton (Waikato District), NZ
Howard Richman, Tarzana, California, USA
Allyssa Riley, MA, forensic ostelology
Glenn M. Roberts, Brisbane, Qld, working in China
Philip Robertson, BHSc, ND, Carmoora Clinic, Geelong
Cliff Royal, health and wellness advocate, Kerikeri, New Zealand
Jean Ryan, BHSc, Brisbane
John Ryan, MBBS, MSc, FRACGP, DCH, FAMAC, FACNEM, FICAN, Brisbane
Dr. Linda Rydholm, City Councillor, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
G.W. (Bill) Sanday, Glen Davis N.S.W., Osteopath, (Sydney College,1968) retired.
Karl Sandberg, MD, family practice physician, Ola, Arkansas, USA
Sandy Sanderson, BA, Nerang, Queensland, Australia
Richard Sauerheber, PhD (Chemistry), San Diego, California, USA
Alfonso Senatore PhD, University of Calabria, Department of Soil Conservation, Italy
Richard L. Shames, MD, author of books on the thyroid, San Rafael, California, USA
Karilee H. Shames, PhD, RN, A-HNC, Advance Practice Nurse, author of books on the thyroid, San Rafael, California, USA
Lorna Shapiro, BA- Anthropology, MA- Education, retired teacher, environmental and health activist, Citizens for Safe Drinking Water, Citizens Concerned About Chloramine, Sierra (environmental) Club, League of Women Voters, Smart LIfe Forum, California Health Freedom Coalition, National Health Freedom Coalition, California, USA
Anita Shattuck, Past President of San Diego Pure Water Association, California, USA
Ruth W. Shearer, PhD, retired toxicologist, Lacey, Washington, USA
Kelly Sicoli, RN, RN, graduate student of midwifery, and mother who is greatly concerned about the effects of water fluoridation, USA
Will Snodgrass, director, Chemical Injury Communication Network, Missoula, Montana, USA
Alan Sousie, RN, MED, registered nurse, Burlington, Vermont, USA
Bruce Spittle, MB, ChB, DPM, FRANZCP, author of Fluoride Fatigue (2008), New Zealand
Allan N. Spreen, MD, Arizona, USA
Stan Stanfield, concerned citizen, Forres, Scotland, UK
Gerald Steel, Environmental Attorney, Olympia, Washington, USA
Lawrence Stice, Firefighter CMFD/ RET.
Daniel G. Stockin, MPH, Senior Operations Officer, The Lillie Center Inc., Tennessee, USA
Stoyan Stoyanov, concerned and worried
Peter Sycopoulis, Spokesperson, Victorian Fluoride Action Group, Australia
Sheila Taylor, member, National Pure Water Association, Greater Manchester, UK
Kathleen M. Thiessen, PhD, risk assessment professional and panel member for the National Research Council report Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards (2006), Oak Ridge TN, USA
Edward J. Totty, concerned private citizen, Everett, Washington, USA
Miguel Urrea, concerned American citizen and Electrical Engineering student at Cal State Northridge, California, USA
Pamela Valenti, educator, representative for Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance and MCS Global, Queensland, Australia
Violet Venegas, USA
Julie Vincent RN, Adelaide, Australia. Last year I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. After extensive research I discovered that fluoride in our water can misplace iodine preventing it being utilized by the thyroid gland.
Marilyn Vine, Public Officer, Eurobodalla Fluoride Issues Incorporated, NSW
Glenda Walters, Nowra, NSW, Australia
Joy Warren, BSc. (Hons), Environmental Science Coordinator, West Midlands Against Fluoridation, UK
Charles Weber, retired chemist and soil scientist, Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA
Maria Westerman, Medical Laboratory for diagnostic tests and research, Hadassah Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem
Donna A. Westfall, Crescent City Councilwoman, Crescent City, California, USA
Patricia Wheeldon, via Kempsey NSW
Dean A. Wilson
Mary Ann Wilson, retired high school biology teacher, Independence, Missouri, USA
Cheryl Wisdom, MS, RN, FAARFM, Eastern USA
Warren Woodward, Sedona, Arizona, USA
Arnold Woolley, DipIM, MCMI, Town and County Councillor in Flintshire in N.E. Wales, UK, police officer, to senior level
Daniel Zalec, BA, MA, Chief Writer, Anti-Fluoridation Association of Mildura
Tommaso Zampagni, Milano, Italy
Dr. John Zimmerman, PhD, DABSM, RPSGT, FAASM
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