Nurse, Pastor, Father, Husband

Post coal/oil

2015-01-13T09:40:00.000+11:00

It would seem apparent to me that coal is a bad investment from a purely economical view. It would appear we are entering a new era where renewables are cheaper to produce energy than coal and oil. Just today in The age reported the knock on effects of lower oil prices. Many large companies are in real trouble.

I've read of how many European countries are successfully transforming their economies from a coal/oil based economy to a sustainable ones. Many are now generating one quarter of their energy from renewable energy. That is a lot of money taken away from the oil/coal industries. I would seem we are entering a post oil/coal phase.

Australia once been leaders in renewables are now getting left behind. Investments in the sector of dropped dramatically since the Abbot government.

I find it interesting that for me there are good arguments for a shift to renewables without climate change been part of the equation. Renewables are cheaper and are continuing to get cheaper. Thats a great argument. It also affirms to me that political parties and their policies are strongly influenced by who supports them. Not logic. I suspect The coal/oil industries have known for a long time they are in trouble thus the opposition to renewables through political means.

For me there is a ethical argument as well. I would like to think that when I've pass away, I've tread lightly. That my impact on the earth has been positive I've given back more than I've taken. Its a bit like if you go on a holiday and rent a house, I've alway been taught you leave it in the same condition as you found it, if not better. From a spiritual perspective, if God made it, and it was good. Then I want to say I've looked after what the creator has made.

The Bicycle Repair Man

2015-01-13T09:09:00.001+11:00

A good friend of ours has just started a business in Phillip Island repairing bicycle and called himself the "bicycle repair man". Its a bit of a pun on the monty python routine...

You can contact the bicycle repair man here

Poetry

2015-01-12T20:17:00.002+11:00

Christina has been typing away at night, busily forefilling her commitment to squeeze out a poem for each day of the month. I was particuly fond of this piece of political satire where they are collection of words that have come out of Tony Abbots mouth and Christina has linked them into this piece.

Housewives of Australia
have a bit of sex appeal
very connected
young, feisty
I probably feel a bit threatened

We always have
Enormous numbers of women
They are different
simply doing housework
Focused on the household budget
As they do the ironing
It’s folly to think they will ever dominate
I don’t think its a bad thing at all
—–
The most convenient exit
From awkward situations
The easy way out
To be on Team Australia’s shirtfront
A place for everything
Not everyone’s place
I don’t have any magic answers

You can catch more of Chrisina's month of poetry at Sojourn

A fellow traveller...

2015-01-11T14:01:00.000+11:00

Sometimes you read something that you could have written yourself. Jason Coker wrote a post called "A dispatch beyond the borders of Church". It appears to be a very similar story to myself and Christina. For example

"What’s interesting is, we wouldn’t have this life if we were still in church. I don’t mean that as a judgement of the good thing that church is for many people, but if we were still in church we wouldn’t have the space for the life we live now. And it’s a better life. We enjoy more honesty, openness, and relational depth and diversity than ever, even though only a few of our friends are people of faith."

I know what Jason means; and I look forward to his insights in the next part of his journey.
I suppose with me it is only now that I'm prepared to start or be something that is connected with Church after a five year break. To step forward from the back seat which we occasionally sit.
It feels to use Richard Rohr language I have moved to the second stage of life. The five year break has been the space in which I transitioned.

Spurge

2015-01-11T13:31:00.003+11:00

Today I wanted to renew the whole idea of worship been an act in of care for Gods creation. He made the environment in which I live, it is good, therefore we should be looking after it.

We went out as a family and joined the crew at the Red Rocks Coastal care group. We were pulling out Sea Spurge. Initially Jemima pointed out this plant and thought it colourful like a rainbow, then we were told this was the weed which we were aiming to eradicate as it comes from Europe.

Walking around just looking for the same plant was almost a form of meditation. Initially I found them hard to find, then after a while I could see them everywhere. My focus changed.

G.K. Chesterson Saint Francis of Assisi

2014-08-11T20:36:00.001+10:00

This was a short little book, so I downed it. In many ways I'm fascinated just as much by the author as Assisi. I started to notice Chesterson after reading Brian Mclarens a generous Othodoxy. It seemed as if many of Brian's referencing came from Chesterson. Then only recently after reading Paul Ham I was quite disappointed to find he was in the pro war camp of 1914

Anyway Assisi, I read and felt that I really didn't know Assisi. Most of Chesterson's writing was in the grid of nearly 100 years ago. When there was the British Empire and the only religion was Christianity. Most of Assisi's deeds where seen though this colonial view. I would like to read Assisi without this baggage.

He did have a few quotes such as "Christ came before Christianity" or something like that. It just reinforced to me that this puts into perspective the importance of differentiating Christ And Christianty. Reinforcing how difficult it is to find the historical Jesus.

2/5

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Mao's great famine by Frank Dikotter

2014-07-27T21:26:00.001+10:00

I sort of had in the back of my mind that China had a famine during Mao's rule. But I never realised its severity. Or that's its causes where predominately due to the ineptitude of central planning of a communist system and the inherent corruption.

An estimated 45 million died during this period where Mao tried to implement communes, and push iron production to the down fall of the country. The book outlines the ineptitude of leaders. The inflation of quotes, the environment degregation as Mao insisted birds killed which stole seeds which then brought about plagues of insects. The hunger of people who ate mud and and when desperate enough went to canibilism. Horrid.

The book reiterated to me that central planning doesn't work.

It also had me thinking about tyrants. Stalin, Hitler and now Mao. I suppose all leaders especially these bad guys got fed a diet of what they want to hear. But it would seem to me that Mao's people feed him an even larger amount of lies than was actually happening. I don't think it was an excuse though.

It also gave me an insight into China today. I'm pretty sure the corruption still happens. It would have to be the case with a closed and censored media. China is still a place to watch with scepticism. This stuff only happened on 50 years ago.

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Vineyard meets Emerging Missional Churches

2014-07-05T14:22:00.001+10:00

The other day I got sent a link to a web a journal article by Darren Cronshaw who used to have a lot with Forge and Peter Downes, National director of the Australian Vineyard Church: titled 'Vineyard meets Emerging Missional Churches'.

It's good to see an academic paper which is Australian about the Vineyard. It gives a good overview of what the Vineyard is about its values/distinctives. Also a good background to the history of the Australian Vineyard.

The gist of the paper is about how the Emerging Missional Church has interacted with Vineyard Church, and how there has been an emphasis on 'incarnational' instead of 'attractional'.

One example was given that of the Vineyard church in Cabramatta Sydney. I know the Church and the pastor the Greg Trainor the article is a fair summation.

There was certainly a time when the Vineyard church flirted with the Emerging Missional Church, especially Forge. I can remember when Alan Hirsch was invited along to the national conference. There is no doubt that to certain degrees the Emerging Church was on the agenda. Yet I would say there were churches in the Vineyard who where almost hostile to the other extreme all embracing. We were the latter.

The interesting thing is the Vineyard was always known as a Church planting movement. The incarnational approach of EMC I think more than any other thing aligned with church planting DNA of movement. There was a lot of young church plants at that time highly influenced by EMC, I mean young in two ways as in the leaders were in their 30's and they were new or beginning churches. The interesting thing is that at least three of these Churches aren't around any more. Neither is 'Forge' in Victoria or for that matter in Australia (there maybe something happening in Queensland, I'm not sure.) Allan Hirsch who kicked Forge off is living in America and doing well, but the home front has withered. The little endeavours have ceased and the ones that survived just look like any other church. Certainly 'red', the Church specifically planted by Allan just looks like any other church with maybe the demographics a bit younger.

It would be interesting where God leads the Vineyard next in Australia certainly from what I hear the compassion side in a systematic way has dropped off. I wouldn't be surprised if this part of the Vineyard AUS DNA is re-ignited.

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Spark, John J Ratey

2014-07-04T16:26:00.001+10:00

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercies and the brain

This is a book hat just confirmed what I had suspected. The link between exercise and feeling well physically and mentally: it was just logical. Exercise while been good for your body is also good for your brain.

Ratey seems to do his homework, lots of studies to support his main ideas in the book. For one example one of the main ideas on depression was regarding the effectivness of zolof vs exercies for depression, the results were that there was no differnce, in treatment.

Ratey pretty much went through the most prevelant mental health disorders and quoted any studies which also had exercise in it. Most were very favouralbe towards exercies as a positive for any mental health issues as well good for just general health.

Overal its the type of book you want to quote. For me as a nurse and see every second person on anti-depressents quoteing this book is gold.

4/5

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Releationship within the Vineyard Australia

2014-07-04T13:03:00.001+10:00

Had a friend in the United States who asked me a couple of questions about relationships within the Vineyard Australia. I thought that It maybe worthwhile to put up the questions and answers of my experiences of nearly five years ago.

1. What is the overall structure like in Vineyard AUS? Is it based more in legal structural arrangements or more relational?

The relationship is primarily relational. Each church has there own seperate legal incorperation status. Which may or may not specify its relationship to the Vineyard church in Australia. There is an overall seperate organisation in Australia which function to facilitate interatction between churches through, consultants, conferences etc. It is also assists in conflict as well as interacts internationally with Vineyard internationaly This is usualy organised by the national director.

Each church who wants to benifit from the australian organisation has an unspoken expectation to attend conferences. Churches also have to contribute financially to the overarching body, through a levy or tithe.

2. What is the primary metaphor that is lived out in Vineyard AUS? (For instance, some churches and church networks use the "Family of God" metaphor as a basis, some use "church-planting movement", some "prayer movement"...so is there a primary (or perhaps even some secondary ones) metaphor for Vineyard AUS?

It would be 'Family' as the dominant DNA, although elements of 'church-planting' are there but would seem to me to be secondary. I can remember when I started within the Vineyard as a pastor there was discussion about the metaphor 'family' and conflict. It was stated that just like a family we stick together, through dna: but we maybe differnt.

3. How do churches and Vineyard AUSleaders interact?

Specifically this is through confernces. Its though these conference that may facilitate ongoing relationships with other Vineyard Churches. I found these difficult as I felt like I had to go, even though I didn't want to. My interaction was primarily with a few like minded people there. They conferences were pretty much dominated from a Vineyard 'old school' who had been influenced by the renewal movement which happened in the 80's early 90's. I primarily interacted with other Vineyard churches which had a 'emerging, missional' bent, a minority. If I got any support from the Vineyard, it was these like minded Vineyard whom I sought out, or vice versa.

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Suggs, that close

2014-06-27T10:46:00.001+10:00

I wouldn't have even known who the lead singer of Madness untilI picked up 'Suggs'. I'm a product of the eighties, so I thought I'd give it a read.

In many ways it was a romantic look back at the eighties. Suggs seemed to have had a ball. It brought back to me fond memories. Madness was probably the first introduction to English pop for myself. When we were having a baby sitter who missed a week and then the following week told us she had been to the band 'Madness' and then played a few of their songs for us. I like them.

Suggs was an interesting guy, he wrote the book without a ghost writer and I think you can tell. Lots of great little stories. Yet he missed or was reluctant to go into details of the more awkward parts of his life. For example the nitty gritty of the tensions in the band. Where he thought his dad was, or ended up? It was all a bit to upbeat. It was as if he never had depression and was constantly bubbly.

I watched a few clips, of Madness, they were fun classic English silliness. So different to the over sexualised trash that music clips are from today.

3/5

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Marcus Borg: Jesus, Uncovering the life Teachings, Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary

2014-06-15T14:25:00.000+10:00

I've been slowly reading "Jesus, Uncovering the life Teachings, Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary" and I've been sum what surprised at the strength of Borg's emphasis about the "political-dominance" and how it implicates especially my understanding of the 'Kingdom of God'.

I suppose a crude way of understanding the 'political dominance' may be the Marxist revolution in Russia. The 'Political-dominance would be the equivalent of the ruling class the tzars and the aristocrats vs the peasants.
Jesus foresaw the new Kingdom of one of Justice and Compassion. I suppose that Marx's saw it in terms of some type of economic equality (I'm no expert on Marx so happy to be shown wrong).

Moving on I can see that Jesus 'Kingdom of God' is almost a template or archetype for most revolutions. It would seem to me that historical revolutions attempts at bringing in parts of 'The Kingdom of God', yet they eventually fail.

It makes me wonder even though Jesus spoke of the 'Kingdom of God' here and now. How did he see it running? I don't think he ever envisaged a democracy, communism or any other political system. I don't think it would have been some peace loving type hippy commune either; or maybe he did?

Politics that grubby game.

2014-05-25T15:00:00.003+10:00

If there is one thing that I can't stand is a liar, and what is even is worse than a liar is a hypocrite. Stretching their neck like an ostrich above the crowd to gain the high moral ground.

Tony Abbott, the hypocrite: in opposition, on and on about liars. The first Abbot budget has seen broken promises loss of funding to the ABC, every one paying more taxes and extra burden on those who are on the lowest economic scale.

I'm going to predict it now. Tony Abbot will be a one term PM. As a person who has followed politics for a long time I've never seen a PM so consistently so low in the polls first term.
It confirms to me that the Abbott government didn't win government. The Gillard/Rudd governments were punished for not there policy, but there disunity.
Australia is a middle centrist population politically. Howard was aware of it. Abbot has shown total disregard and I'm sure will be punished in under three years time.

Then theres always Turnbul...

A short history of Myth :: Karen Armstrong

2014-03-03T21:30:00.001+11:00

A short history of Myth :: Karen Armstrong

This book caused me to reflect. For me the understanding of myth occurred just a few years ago. The difference of reading something for truth as opposed to a literal meaning. As theologian Marcus Borg writes, to believe in rather than believe that. It hit home while watching The life of PI, two different stories yet both parallel and with the same ending. Which one was real? Which one was true? PI asks the officials which story they prefer at the end of the movie. They choose the story with the animals (Which is way more dramatic). Pi thanks them and says "And so it goes with God."

These type of insights are why I do not give up on fiction. They speak to me.

It is no wonder on reflecting on the Armstrong's book that at least within my past denomination The Vineyard, prophesy, visions have a place in the Church. They have a myth like quality. They take a brake from the literalness, the inerrancy of scripture. It is the remodelling of truths in a different way, parallel to the bible message.

It seems to me stories of myth, are to few in our culture, we are dying in many ways because of it.

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The Newsroom Season One

2014-02-23T21:23:00.001+11:00

I was looking forward to the Newsroom, due to Aaron Sorkin and his past work on the West Wing.

It got off to a cracking start the first episode and fizzled after that. There was the snappy dialogue which I enjoyed with Sorkin and that was it.

Character development was poor and the romances got in the way of the main ideas of episodes. The news stories based on historical events aged the show, I can say this with certainty having watched the first season a few years of first screening.

The episode that revealed it to me was the "we got Bin Laden" episode. That episode revealed how patriotism can run a whole show. As a non US citizen while I think that Bin Laden was guilty, the whole storming the compound the killing him reeked of revenge, not justice. Justice occurs after a trial. Much like the Nuremberg trials when the leaders of Nazi Germany where stood to account. Bin Laden never got his day in court though I'm sure he could have been captured alive. It seemed the show got hooked on that moment, a feel good feeling for Americans, while for me it left me wondering.

Also the whole obsession with the Tea party... Very much an American phenomena, and very boring....I'm sure ther could have been more global issues to chew over.

The reviews for the second series seem better so it may not be the end for me...

Stasiland:: Anna Funder

2014-02-09T12:24:00.001+11:00

For the 19 years or so that I lived through the Cold War, the main belligerent was the Soviet Union. East Germany was pretty much ignored for me except for the "Wall" the dividing symbol between East and West. This book is the Soviet state, East German's story.

I've read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, life in the Gulags, living repressed. In some ways the stories are the same, but it is also about making sense of these individual stories in East Germany after the "Wall" has come down.

It is also about the officers, the Stasi police, their lament over the good old days now gone with the fall of the "Wall", and others who seem to have genuine remorse.

It is good for while reading the book to be reminded of how lucky I am. That I can have a different political opinion and not be the "Enemy" of your country.

4/5

1914: the year the world ended. Paul Ham

2014-02-08T09:14:00.001+11:00

This is the second book of Paul Ham's that I've read. What I find with Ham is that he always seems to bring a twist or correct a preconception that I may have had on a subject.

In 1914 my preconception was changed regarding the start of the war. My impression after reading the book was the war was always going to happen. Ham emphasis was that the causes where greater than just the Baulkins conflict and the assassination of King Ferdanand. The Baulkins were just the trigger. Europe it's aristocracy and military where heading in a war direction for years prior to the outbreak of war.

I was expecting the book to be more about he war, instead I think Ham got lost in its causes and the build up to war. Well over half the book, I was expecting a chapter at he start. In that respect I think the title 1914 was slightly misleading.

I think 1914 will age as a book. There were a few comparisons to modern events, which in 50 years time non historians will wonder at these references.

It was a good book. It brought me back to poerty that I loved, Sassoon and Wilfred Owens. And Bengimin Brittens War Requim. It also brought me back to a time when I first started nursing 20 years ago. The last of those World War One veterans and their memory's were about to be extinguished forever. I was lucky to have listened to their experiences. Of what it was like been recruited in Bendigo and then sent off to a far away land and it's horrors. A lot different today with the backpackers experience.

4/5

Madame Flavor

2014-01-19T13:58:00.001+11:00

This is a bit of a warning for all gardeners out there. We usually after infusing our tea dispose the tea bag in the garden where I presume they rot down and I never see them again.

We enjoyed Madame Flavour's organic mints and lavender flowers but floating around the garden are the little plastic 'infuser pods'. Who knows when these 'biogradable natural fibre infuser pods' will break down. They have defied hot composting and I'm not having any more in my garden. Who knows what the natural fibre is, but I'll take the normal tea bag thanks.

The Rudd Rebellion, The campaign to save Labor, Bruce Hawker

2014-01-18T16:51:00.001+11:00

This is the second campaign political book I've read; they can be insightful. A few thoughts::

I don't think much will come from the Rudd/Gillard period, time will tell. Though a reform of Rudd's, which I'm certain will start to take off is the dilution of Union power and branch members having a direct roll in electing their leader, Hawker described it as becoming similar to the US presidential elections.

The loss of the election can be traced back to the knifing of Rudd. The disunity never really settled after this.

Union power within the labor party stinks. I couldn't get over that Paul Howel, Union boss was still ringing up Rudds team with who he thought should get preselection. I'm positive that coming up through the union ranks is not a great endorsement for representing your electorate.

I think Labor had better policies than the Coalition, did they have the unity and talent to implement them. No. This I believe is how Austalians voted how they did. I'm not sure any of Abbott's policies got him into power, rather bad labor government.

Murdoch's publication hampered the campaign. I didn't need to read the book to see this. In the end people will find other sources of news which reports on policy not just opinion. People will find alternative sources of news which is now easier than ever to do. I think Newscorp will be more neutral next election for the sake of there readership.

I enjoyed the insights and frenetic pace of the campaign 4/5

Yuba Mundo Lux vs Bakfiet

2014-01-05T11:30:00.001+11:00

I've ridden and owned both bikes now so I thought that I'd put up my thought.

Bakfiet

This is a fully imported bike from the Netherlands. We literally traded a Hyundai Exell for it. All up it cost us $4000, with the aim to ride everywhere locally. I can say for four years this is what we did. The bike had everything. Electric power assist with a 180 kW motor. Power assist meant you had to peddle for the motor to kick in. Eg no throttle. It also had a rain hood which protected the kids in rain. There were a few times when we where even caught in thunder storms which the kids found very exciting. All up the bike was beautifully made. Everything had its place and purpose. One thing I like was the internal hub. A Shamano 8 speed. What was great was no derailer trouble. Changing gears while stationary, which was great when stopped in traffic and you faced an incline.

Riding was somthing you had to get used to. It had a wide turning circle. The other thing was this bike liked weight. Two kid and groceries the Bakfiest handled purfectly. It was when there was nothing in the tray at the front the bike would bounce around.

The children loved the bike. You could put them in the tray watch them and not worry. The could just do there thing be it reading a book, playing with dolls or get absorbed with the ride.

It was heavy, the electrics helped. The way I would describe it was that with the power assist on it felt like I was putting the equivellant effort as a road bike.

Yuba Mundo Lux

This is type of bike called a long tail. The children sit on the back, and panniers on the back if you have extras like groceries.

For what we paid for I think we should have got more. We looked at the demo and it looked fine, it wasn't till you have the bike for a while you notice the difference. The mud guards, are actually a flimsy plastic which looks like aluminium. The Bakfiest had, marathon schwable tyre these where bullet proof. It looks like the Yubas are quite cheap in comparison. The guards for the wheels to protect little peoples fingers also seem flimsy.

Riding is also interesting, with no weight the bike handles well, it reminds me of a mountain bike. Yet the more weight you put on the less stable it seems. The front starts to bounce around and while loading up you really need to be straddling the bike to keep things stable.

I did like the way the bike is modular and can grow with what you need to do, such as an attachment to tow bikes, or surf board etc. I also went with a Nivinci internal hub, similar in ratio to the Shimano.

If I was to do things again I would have just brought a yuba mondo frame and added everything myself, I think you would find you could build a much better bike. Better components for the same price.

In some ways I regret selling the Bakfiet, yet the kids seem happier getting onto the Yuba. So my objective of still riding everywhere is completed.

The paradox of choice, by Barry Schwartz

2013-12-06T12:21:00.001+11:00

The paradox of choice, by Barry Schwartz

I supose this book was a bit disappointing for me. Occasionally you will get a book which is just common sense. Yep, this was one of those books, nothing wrong to be reminded of this type of stuff. But I really didn't find anything new. The major problem was its age, 2004 and using political figures of the day who are from the United States are going to make it irrelevant to the rest of the world. American centric was a major problem with the 'Paradox of choice'. What about choice in third world country? Anywhere other than the US?. This would have been of more interest to me.

2/5

Peas Novella

2013-12-06T12:09:00.001+11:00

This was my second try this year. The first lot of Pea novellas started well, grown in our mini green house only to be planed and a week latter all gone. Eaten by slugs and snails...(The chookies just don't seem interested in slugs and snails this year.

This is my second attempt direct planting, into a little a little seedling mix and protected by an empty bottle. I'll see how this goes with lots of water.

Gaia, A new look at life on earth by James Lovelock

2013-11-23T08:45:00.001+11:00

Gaia, A new look at life on Earth.

This book has been on my wish list for awhile, after reading Tim Flanney's book which introduced me to the idea it has given me a new perspective when looking at the environment and my part in it.

Reading this book was really for me going back to the source. Lovelock was the person who first came up with the Gaia theory. -The idea that the Earth is a self regulating complex system- So this book was the first book which postulated this theory. As mentioned in the forward many years after he first print in 1979 some of the information and data has proven incorrect but the basic idea has been strengthened in other areas.

So in many ways this is a classic book. I did year twelve chemistry and for me I found it hard going the read. I'd still recommend Flannery's book. I could imagine what sort of controversy Gaia would have been in 1979, so it was gutsy to print it back then.

For me the area what I like the most is the speculative nature of Gaia theory, which I dream up. Can it reproduce? Is there a central nerve system? Where does Christianity and theology fit with this idea? Others have already pondered Gaia if you think about the movie Avatar.

3/5, because it was the first on a great theory, not because it was an easy read.

Failure is not an option, Gene Kranz

2013-11-17T14:29:00.001+11:00

Failure is not an option, Gene Kranz

I've got to admit, I'm fascinated by this period in history, the height of the Cold War. The Space race was central to this. There were a number of things in the book which I was enlightend::

Although America at the time of Kranz had never lost an astronaut in space, the actual venture of putting a man in space usually had some type of drama, which had the potential of been life threatening. I never had this impression before, reading the book. I knew that the Soviets had problems, but not the Americans.

The book was a good read, I felt the tension of mission control. The learning on the job, making things up often as a mission progressed.

One other aspect which, seems to be a particularly American thing is, patriotism. I got the sence that Kranz was proud of his country, yet dismayed at what was happening in his country at the same time. The counter culture, The Viatman war, the civil rights movement. All of things seemed to take the shine off Krantz's patriotism. It questioned Americans place as top dog in the world.

Rating 4/5

Bass, let's get a new candidate who will listen

2013-11-17T13:18:00.001+11:00

There is a lot of controversy about our local member Ken Smith. As speaker he appears to have lost support of the parliament. This will be a bonus for Bass residents.

You would think if he was going to hold the parliament to ransom it would be about things that matter to the people who live in his electorate. Not about his own personal agenda. Some of the things that do matter are to us on the Island are ::

A hospital on Phillip Island. He has totally ignored this, refusing to speak to those who are organising rally's,

A secondary school on the island. The federal member has been very supportive but Ken had to many meetings in Melbourne to attend the local interest groups meetings.

A local pool instead of the 45 minutes to go to Wonthaggi which has a smaller population.

Yep resign Ken, so the Parlement can operate and we can have an effective voice in Phillip Island.