North Coast Voices

Metgasco has changed its registered office/business address and gone upmarket

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

From Friday 10 May 2012 Metgasco Limited’s registered office and principal place of business is at:

Level 11, 2 Elizabeth Plaza, North Sydney NSW 2060

Metgasco CEO Peter Henderson and the rest of the executive team now have slightly more upmarket offices than before from which to lobby all three tiers of government concerning its plans to turn areas of the Northern Rivers into coal seam gas fields.

Level 11, 2 Elizabeth Plaza, North Sydney

ADDRESS

Part Level 11, 2 Elizabeth Plaza NORTH SYDNEY

LISTING ID

14626

DESCRIPTION

Part Level 11 is a refurbished whole floor plus large balcony with brilliant views towards the city and harbour.

Boutique building comprising 12 office levels, ground floor retail outlets and 3 secure basement car park levels. Modern entry foyer with three lift risers, floor by floor air-conditioning, on-site building management and 24 Hour security system. Signage opportunities also available.

2 Elizabeth Plaza is located on the corner of Mount Street within the Heart of North Sydney, fronting the Pacific Highway. Central Location within 200 metres of the North Sydney Railway Station and close proximity to bus terminals.

AREA (SQM) 224 sqm

RENT (PSM) $500 Net

RENTAL PA $112,000

OUTGOINGS Outgoings are currently estimated at $130.20 sqm

GST All prices quoted are exclusive of GST.

PARKING Via Wilsons Parking

What Abbott's axing of "the twice a year supplementary allowance to people on benefits" would mean to the Northern Rivers

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:55:00 +0000

In his Budget Reply Speech of 16 May 2013 the Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott stated:

Tonight, I confirm that we won’t continue the twice a year supplementary allowance to people on benefits [Hansard,16 May 2013,p.91].

The only supplementary allowance which appears to fit Tony Abbott’s wording is the Income Support Bonus.

This seems to be confirmed by the following media report:

Mr Abbott said he will pay for this with spending cuts worth $5 billion a year which will include dumping a family benefits supplement worth $210 for eligible singles and $350 for couples.

These figures equal the annual amount of the Income Support Bonus.

The Income Support Bonus is paid to those receiving the following:

ABSTUDY Living Allowance

Austudy

Exceptional Circumstances Payment

Newstart Allowance

Parenting Payment

Sickness Allowance

Special Benefit

Transitional Farm Family Payment

Youth Allowance

Given demographics across the Northern Rivers, if the Gillard Government were to be defeated and this payment were to cease sometime after September 14, then a conservatively estimated 40,000 residents will be missing out on money they first began to receive on 20 March 2013.

In the Page electorate alone in December 2012 there were:

157 people receiving the Abstudy Living Allowance

304 receiving Austudy

N/K people receiving Exceptional Circumstances Payment

5,795 people receiving Newstart Allowance

4,207 people receiving Parenting Payment

67 people receiving Sickness Allowance

<20 people receiving Special Benefit

N/K receiving Transitional Farm Family Payment

1,331 people receiving Youth Allowance

Under an Abbott government around 10,000 people in the Page electorate would no longer receive the Income Support Bonus, a similar number would lose out in the Lyne electorate and, even higher numbers in the Cowper and Richmond electorates.

Most of these would be single parents, families on low incomes and the unemployed.

Readers can look up the figures in their own electorates here.

When Christian cooks go feral on Facebook WARNING STRONG LANGUAGE

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

THE CAKES WE OFFER ARE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REPACKAGE AND SHIP.

The cooks/owners from Amy's Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro go into meltdown on Facebook.

Update:

The cooks apparently began to notice the heat in the kitchen and first alleged their Facebook page had been hacked, started the new page above then closed it, and went back to the original page as the train wreck continues on in slow mo.

Liberal-National Party Coalition shows its true colours - seeks to weaken the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill in relation to coal seam gas mining

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

Media Release

Janelle Saffin MP

Liberal-National Party Coalition shows its true colours on CSG

The Liberal-National Party Coalition has shown, without a doubt, that they are just paying lip service on Coal Seam Gas issues until the election.

The Coalition in the Senate is trying to weaken the Federal Government’s ‘water trigger’ legislation with an amendment that would hand environmental assessment powers to the states.

The Federal Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill, brought in to tighten up our water protection related to CSG activities, was passed in the House of Representatives in March.

The Coalition didn’t vote against the bill in the House, but is now going to put an amendment that would weaken these protections by allowing the Commonwealth to refer scientific assessments back to the states.

Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham, the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, has told the Senate that the Coalition doesn’t like the legislation, but because of the community concerns they wouldn’t oppose it.

But they are clearly working hard to wind back any water protections.

It is there in Hansard, in black and white, the Liberal Senator saying they won’t oppose it because that would let the Government politicise the issue.

But Senator Birmingham said: “… we will work to fix these issues should we succeed later this year.”

And Senator Birmingham is clear about the parts of the legislation the Coalition doesn’t like; the very sections of the legislation that could protect our region.

The Coalition doesn’t believe the water protection should apply to the exploration phase or drill test sites.

And they don’t want the bill to apply to any areas already being assessed, so no scrutiny whatsoever.

Senator Birmingham said: “If this bill has to pass, it should only apply to new applications and not to those where the process is already underway.”

Again, this would offer no protection to the CSG sites in the Northern Rivers.

I fought hard and worked with the Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to find ways to protect our water, and our farmers from harmful CSG, and the EP & BC Amendment Act offers that protection.

This week’s Senate debate has shown without a doubt that with a Liberal-National Party Government we would see a pro-CSG environment minister determined to wind back any protections.

Hansard of Senator Birmingham’s speech is attached.

Wednesday, May 16, 2013.

Abbott & his cronies mean spirited and nasty

noreply@blogger.com (Petering Time) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:05:00 +0000

How low can Abbott and his cronies go?

The Australian on 16^th May 2013:

“THE Coalition has refused to allow a federal Labor MP to return to Sydney to look after her sick 14-month-old baby, forcing her to sit in parliament to watch Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's Budget reply speech tonight.

The Daily Telegraph has learned the Coalition yesterday knocked back a request from the government to "pair" member for Greenway Michelle Rowland after she sought permission to urgently return to Sydney from Canberra this afternoon.

Ms Rowland, the only woman to have given birth during the term of this parliament, sought agreement from the opposition chief whip Warren Entsch yesterday to grant a pair for her from 6pm tonight so she could get the last plane home to Sydney to care for her child Octavia.

It is believed the child is suffering flu and severe fever.

Ms Rowland's husband had taken leave from his job to take care of the child while Ms Rowland was in parliament.

But Mr Entsch refused to grant the pair, despite no parliamentary business listed after Mr Abbott's speech.”

By the time the Tele revealed that Entsch knew Michelle Rowland wanted to return to her 14 month old sick child it was done and dusted - once more the Coalition had demonstrated that the Opposition benches are inhabited by mean characters.

Lower Clarence residents need to boil their water due to E. coli contamination

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:40:00 +0000

Mayor: Richie Williamson
General Manager: Scott Greensill

16 May 2013

BOIL WATER NOTICE – Lower Clarence water supply areas

Regular monitoring for E. coli bacteria in the Lower Clarence water supply system is conducted by Clarence Valley Council.
Recent monitoring has shown E. coli to be present in the Lower Clarence water supply system. As a precaution you are advised that water for consumption should be brought to a rolling boil. Water should then be allowed to cool and stored in a clean container with a lid and refrigerated.
This boil water notice applies to consumers in the Lower Clarence including the following areas: Maclean, Brooms Head, Yamba, Harwood, Ashby, Iluka, and areas in between these towns
Cooled boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, cooking, washing raw foods (such as seafood or salads), making ice, and cleaning teeth. Dishes should be washed in hot soapy water or in a dishwasher. Children should take bottled or cooled boiled water to school. Precautions should be taken until further notice. You will be advised when the boil water notice is lifted.
E. coli itself is generally not harmful but its presence in drinking water indicates that the water may be contaminated with organisms that may cause disease. The NSW Department of Health advises that special care is advisable for certain consumers at this time, these include people with severely weakened immune systems (the immunosuppressed), individuals receiving dialysis treatment, and aged individuals. Please contact your doctor or local Public Health Unit (02 6620 7585) for more information.
Council, in conjunction with the NSW Department of Health is investigating the problem and is carrying out rectification works including cleaning reservoirs, flushing of mains, supplementary chlorine dosing, and additional surveillance. Residents may notice elevated chlorine levels in the water supply.
If you require further information please contact Council’s Customer Service staff on 6643 0200.
Schools: For Precautions for Schools and Child Care Centres during Boil Water Alerts refer to NSW Department of Health website:
Release ends.

Authorised by: Scott Greensill, General Manager 02 6643 0212
For further information contact:
Rob Donges Deputy General Manager

Clarence Valley Council
Locked Bag 23
Grafton, NSW, 2460
Australia

Tony Abbott's Budget Reply Speech 2013 Translated

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:43:00 +0000

Translation of the ABC News Online transcript of Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s Budget Reply Speech of 16 May 2013:

Bad guvmin, bad guvmin, look at my RM Williams boots, bad guvmin, I have a wife, bad guvmin, I’m just like you, bad guvmin, no carbon tax, bad guvmin, lower taxes, bad guvmin, me stand for good guvmin, bad guvmin, wasteful spending, bad guvmin, I can use clichés, bad guvmin, ministers can’t guarantee anything, bad guvmin, you can believe my promises but not the other guy’s, bad guvmin, count the billions, bad guvmin, in 121 days there will be an election, bad guvmin, trust me, bad guvmin, lotsa parliamentary sitting days will be dedicated to repealing laws, bad guvmin, I haz monies!, bad guvmin, IR law? look over there not over here, bad guvmin, boats there are boats, bad guvmin, kill the public service, bad guvmin, I will rob low income earners and stop bi-annual Centrelink benefit increases so vote for me, bad guvmin, your boss doesn't have to pay you extra super nah nah nah, bad guvmin, I own Howard & Costello's past surpluses, bad guvmin, we have A PLAN, bad bad Labor guvmin.

Post-Budget 2013 reaction on the NSW North Coast? Yawn......

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:41:00 +0000

After all that pre-Budget heat in the national media over the last few weeks, a quick Google search this morning revealed a surprising level of what might be described as post-Budget apathy here on the NSW North Coast.

Two days after the Federal Treasurer’s 2013 Budget Speech the Nationals candidate standing for election in the Page fereal electorate in four months time, Kevin Hogan, had no post up on his Twitter account that even mentioned the budget. While his Facebook entry was barely more than a photo opportunity and a mention of a televised NBN interview. Hogan’s campaign website has one lonely post which merely responds to a pre-Budget Pacific Highway funding newspaper article and he had a brief highway funding quote in local media on 16 May.

Luke Hartsuyker, the National’s Federal Member for Cowper, had a single website post on Budget night and nothing else two days later. His Twitter account is still tweetless and the Facebook page carrying his name remains silent.

Curiously both men appear to have sent out almost identical media releases, which probably means that there was a Budget night Coalition cheat sheet for sitting MPs and candidates.

A point picked up by APN media the day after the Budget speech:

Both National party members today put out eerily similar press statements attacking the budget delivered by Treasurer Wayne Swan last night.

While Mr Hartsuyker and Mr Hogan's statements focus on different elements of Pacific Highway funding, both use the same dot points and even an identical direct quote…..

While it is common for members of the same party to "stay on message", it is unusual that the two men have said almost exactly the same thing.

Similarly Janelle Saffin, Labor’s Federal Member for Page, was very low key post-Budget. With no media releases concerning the Budget posted on her personal web page by the morning of 16 May. Ms. Saffin’s Twitter account and Facebook page also had nothing to say on the subject. However, she was quoted in local media on 16 May concerning health and education measures contained in the 2013 Budget.

Labor's Richmond Federal MP Justine Elliot was quoted in The Northern Star as backing the Budget the day after its delivery, but appears to have had nothing to say on the subject on her Facebook site.

Matthew Fraser, the Nationals candidate standing in the Richmond electorate at the September federal election, was quoted by APN media the day after the Budget speech and was predictably staying on message allegedly big debt and broken promises. His campaign website has had nothing to say since 10 May. Fraser’s Facebook page links to that APN article and a campaign propaganda site, with one lonely post on alleged overspending.

By Wednesday 15 May 2013 ABC North Coast’s Facebook page could barely give ABC News a handful of budget quotes from local residents and the Clarence Valley Rate Payers, Residents & Business Owners had nary a mention of budget issues by Thursday morning.

Also on Thursday morning the Rural Doctors Association of Australia had what was essentially a generic response on budget changes to indexation of Medicare Benefits in a brief The Northern Star article and, in the same issue there was a mixed response to health, education, superannuation, housing and cash transfers by two members of the business and community sectors .

No local residents appear to have been so hot under the collar on Budget night that they fired off letters to editors in time for inclusion in Northern Rivers newspapers over the last two days and, the main online community newspapers haven’t caught up with the budget details yet.

Perhaps tonight’s Budget Reply Speech by Opposition leader Tony Abbott will draw more of a response from voters on the North Coast?

Richmond Beef has a gripe?

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

In July 2011 the Australian Government lifted its month long ban on the export of live cattle to Indonesia.

In August 2011 the Richmond River Beef Producers Association went to the local media, not to express concerns about this ban which did not directly affect the small group of producers in the Kyogle region, but to highlight concerns about Kyogle Council’s Draft Local Environment Plan potentially devaluing rural properties.

Thirteen months later the Richmond River Beef Producers Association wrote to the Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin concerning the alleged flow-on effects from the now defunct Live cattle ban.

Then this letter to the editor appeared in The Northern Star 15 May 2013:

Irrational ban
Has the Federal Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, gone into hiding?
Our beef industry organisation has written two letters to Janelle Saffin, one in October last year, the second in February this year, regarding important issues in relation to the beef industry.
To date we have not even had an acknowledgement of those letters, let alone a reply.
The issues we raised alerted her to the flow-on effect that we could expect from the Government's irrational banning of the live export of cattle to Indonesia.
These warnings have now been realised, as the cattle producers here, and all over the country, are being dealt a severe blow, with prices well below the cost of production as the market is now saturated.
The very least we would have expected from our elected representative was an acknowledgement of our letters.

Kathy Day

Acting Secretary

Richmond River Beef

Now I will accept Ms. Day’s word that these letters received no reply, however I do note the following:

The market is not saturated solely by cattle which were not sold off twenty-three months ago - these cattle were successfully withheld from the market until dry conditions in the northern half of Australia resulted in more cattle across the board being sold off to meat processors in the first quarter of this year.

However, Meat and Livestock Australia reports that this sell-off is not affecting all regional markets: In contrast, pockets of the eastern third of Queensland and NSW had well above average rainfall through summer, causing flooding in some regions and in the process building sufficient feed banks for the winter. This has, to a small extent, eased some of the pressure on cattle markets.

In May 2013 The Australian reported that an extra 20,000 to 25,000 cattle [will be] shipped into Indonesia from major live export ports such as Darwin, Karumba and Derby in June and that the flow-on effect of the early quota movement would be an extra 25,000 cattle sold to Indonesia this year, given the need to keep the beef supply pipeline full every month.

On 8 May 2013 the yarding of export cattle at Casino Saleyards consisted of a few pens of grown steers/heifers and a mix of cows from a pool of 1,584 beasts, which suggests that export cattle are not a large part of the local market.

It would appear that cattle producers in the Northern Rivers may not be as affected by any residual flow-on from the short-lived 2011 live cattle export ban as Ms. Day suggests.

One has to wonder if the Day family's association with the North Coast Nationals, rather than concerns over cattle prices or unanswered letters, prompted a return-the-favour letter to the editor in an election year.

Brandis as Australian Attorney General if the Coalition wins government?

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

Liberal Senator George Brandis

This was one response to the proposition that made it into the media on 10 May 2013:

As an experienced lawyer confided: ''Better to appoint a wombat as the next attorney-general. At least it would do no harm and it would mean well.''

Unidentified Australian marsupial ready to throw his hat into the A-G ring

* Brandis photograph and Norman Lindsay drawing found at Google Images

Coal Seam Gas and one greenhouse gas emissions myth doing the rounds

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:23:00 +0000

THE MYTH

A RESPONSE

Letter to the Editor in The Daily Examiner 23 April 2013:

I’ve noticed recently that there has been some discussion in both mainstream and social media concerning coal seam gas mining and levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

Various assertions has been made that the reduction in these emissions is both considerable and due solely to gas produced by fracking replacing coal as the main energy source for the U.S. population.

Some have attempted to use this argument to justify coal seam gas (CSG) mining in Australia.

What no-one mentions as they spread this myth is that natural gas has not yet replaced coal as the main source of energy, as where America primarily draws the raw materials supplying its energy generators varies across any one year but coal has generally remained dominant since at least 1973.

There is complete silence on the fact that shale/unconventional gas mining has been conducted on a widening scale since the late 1980s and early 1990s when U.S. national greenhouse gas emissions stood at an estimated 6,183 to 6,912 Tg CO2 equivalent and never a word is said about the fact that government agencies still expect emissions to be back around 6,320 million metric tons in 2035.

Neither do they point out that gas production from coalbed methane (coal seam gas) has been falling since the 1990s. So currently CSG is only an estimated 7.5% of America’s natural gas production profile.

Nor does anyone mention that annual greenhouse gas emissions began to fall significantly only after U.S. superior courts held in 2007 that these emissions were in fact pollutants under that country’s Clean Air Act and that the Environmental Protection Agency had the right to control emissions emanating from both moving and stationary sources.

Other facts that don’t rate a mention are that America’s national greenhouse gas emissions levels (including methane) are higher now than they were in the 1980s and, that annual emissions from “natural gas” use have been steadily climbing again for the last four years so that it remains the fourth highest source of greenhouse gas emissions ahead of both cement/lime production and the incineration of waste.

So yes, America has made reductions in its emission levels since these peaked in 2007 and its federal and state governments should be congratulated. However, the reductions are in the context of slowing not stopping inevitable rises over time and no single energy source is the hero of the hour.

All this is easily checked at U.S. Energy Information Administration, Energy Protection Agency and Dept. of the Interior websites.

JUDITH M. MELVILLE

Yamba

Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has his work ethic - or lack of it - questioned

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

From Clarence Valley Rate Payers, Residents & Business Owners Facebook page:

Ursh Tunks

I finally got a copy of Page Federal MP Janelle Saffins letter of response from the NSW Health Department in relation to her representations on our behalf about the closure of the Haemotology Unit at Grafton Base hospital.

Ironically I suffered quite some flack in certain quarters for daring to question the work ethic of the State Member for Clarence's in particular the electorate office team that purports to work for all the electorate not just their preferred residents and business owners.

A copy of the State Members letter from the same NSW Health Department official details that they received representation from his office via a letter on the 7th of March and a telephone call from his office on the 12th of March. You'll note that Janelle's letter was received by the Health Department on the 24th of January, a good 6 weeks prior to Gulaptis'.

When I contacted the Gulaptis' electorate office in January to advise them of the situation with Haematology Unit the chap that answered the phone told me they had already been contacted by other constituents prior to Christmas about the problem.

Correct me if I am wrong but issues in relation to operational NSW Health matters are the purview of the state governments, and therefore the responsibility for these matters in our electorate are the responsibility of the State Member and his staff.

The situation wasn't some minor issue. The Haematology Unit is vital to the delivery of services to constituents and their families who suffer from bone/blood related cancers. Surely if the state members office was aware prior to Christmas they should made representations then, not three months later.

Our Federal MP realised the import of the situation to our community and made representations on our behalf even though this was an operational NSW Health matter and not in the purview of her responsibilities.

I've been criticised and even threatened because of willingness to openly discuss this issue and the fact that I consider I have the right to comment publicly on what appears to be the failure of our elected state representative and his staff to act in a timely manner for our best interests.

Apparently having the hide to openly discuss the service delivered by our representatives, who are paid to represent us - by us, isn't popular in some quarters. Those quarters are also using tax payer funded time to target people who have the hide to question them. Very curious ... and somewhat indicative of the issue at hand.

If you do your job properly you won't have to waste our money covering your ar*e.

What Murdoch University doesn't mention about one of its Senate members

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sun, 12 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

This is what Murdoch University in West Australia states about Antonino Mario 'Tony' Iannello who has been an external member of its Senate since at least 2006:

Click on image to enlarge

What it does not say is that he has been a director of ERM Power Limited since July 2010 and is currently a shareholder in that company through what appears to be a family superannuation scheme.

ERM Power is the largest shareholder in Metgasco Limited, a coal seam gas exploration and mining company currently holding tenements on the NSW North Coast and operating without a social license from local communities.

ERM appears to have markedly increased its shares in Metgasco as part of a strategy to increase its slice of the Australian east coast electricity supply market and with a view to taking advantage of conventional and coal seam gas production opportunities in New South Wales.

Given the widespread opposition to coal seam gas exploration and mining, it is no wonder Murdoch University does not have that association up on its web pages. Particularly as Tony Iannello is currently chair of the university's Resources Committee which has investment capability as part of its duties:

a. Oversee the development of the University’s key strategy of building ‘wealth’ to support the University’s long term educational goals.
b. Oversee the investment of all monies of the University (including monies held in trust).
c. Exercise oversight of the finances of all University trusts and foundations.

One has to wonder if Murdoch University itself is quietly investing in the coal seam gas industry, given the background of the committee chair.

One also has to wonder why Mr. Iannello, living in his plush WA suburban MacMansion with its pool and tennis court, would consider associating himself with a mining sector which has the potential to threaten water security, local economies, lifestyle and amenity in the far away Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

Perhaps he considers ERM Power's directors fees too good to refuse?

Yes siree! Tony Abbott just doesn't get women

noreply@blogger.com (Petering Time) — Sun, 12 May 2013 14:05:00 +0000

“TONY Abbott's expensive paid parental leave scheme is "all about" encouraging women of "calibre" to have children, the Opposition Leader said today.” {News.com.au 7^th May 2013}

Maude up the Street is hoping mad over Teh Rabbit’s latest bon mot. She thinks that the idea that women who stay at home to raise their children or working women who earn $1,200 a week (before tax) or less have no calibre shows him up as a budding eugenicist. Maude wonders if his father’s family - hailing from England as it does – were fans of British Eugenics Society before they bailed out of that country in the early days of World War Two.

This is a Liberal Party official political advertisement in an election year

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 11 May 2013 14:16:00 +0000

http://youtu.be/_3HtNCv3xvM

Not one policy statement or position in this advertisement. Not one promise or undertaking of any sort. Just 1.01 minutes of juvenile attack.

Australian voters deserve a lot better than this from the Federal Liberal Party in 2013.

I'm not the only person thinking this way if The Age report of 6 May is accurate:

A source familiar with the Liberal Party campaign described the advertisement as “stupid, unstatesmanlike and inappropriate”.

“All they have to do [to win the election] is turn up and for Abbott to look like a statesman,” the source said. “Now he's looking like a 14-year-old”.

The Northern Star contracts a case of the jimmy britts

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Sat, 11 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

The Northern Star is taken down in more ways than one...

The Northern Star 4 May 2013

Urban Dictionary:

1.	*jimmy britts*
	Australian version of British rhyming slang 'tom tits' for diarrhea/the shits.

* Hat tip to Clarrie Rivers for pointing out the rhyming slang

A brief look at The Coalition's Policy to Improve the Fair Work Laws

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:25:00 +0000

Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on introducing the Coalition’s new industrial relations policy talked of no worker being worse off and the proposed legislation needing to pass the pub test.

As both these phrases were rather notorious on the NSW North Coast during the Howard Government era, I decided to take a look at this policy document which sets out (among other things) an intention to further limited a union’s right of entry into a workplace, reinstate the Australian Building and Construction Commission and alter the Better Off Overall Test.

This is what I found on a first reading of The Coalition's Policy to Improve the Fair Work Laws:

On Page 5 there is a justification to change right of entry for union representatives:

According to the footnotes this workplace receiving up to 200 visits is the Foster Wheeler Worley Parsons (Pluto) Joint Venture located 190km north-west of Karratha in Western Australia, where the occupying employer of record Woodside Burrup Pty Ltd (WBPL) would only allow one signed in and staff accompanied CFMEU representative to see one individual contractor’s employees per visit.

Which means that he was required to make multiple visits due to the scale of this mining venture, where the onshore plant and associated infrastructure alone cover about 80ha and the combined construction and operation workforce was estimated to be between 4,000-6,000 workers over the life of the project up to that point in time.

Page 6 contains a justification for reforming the Australian Building and Construction Commission:

Again the footnotes do not fully support these assertions, as productivity was above predicted levels before the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) was formed and it is noted that the alleged over $6 billion per year is arrived at in part by KPMG Econtech assigning a monetary value to personal leisure time when not at work.

By Page 13 of the document the Coalition is stating that between 2014 and 2016 it will review the Fair Australia laws:

Of course there was a prior post-implementation review of these laws between 2011-2012 and the Coalition obviously finds no fault with that particular review as it allegedly intends to rely on some of that its recommendations. Which begs the question as to why there is need for another review if Abbott wins government.

Then on Page 36 the Coalition is supporting a new proposition regarding workplace laws allegedly drawn from that same post-implementation review:

The Fair Work Australia Better Off Overall Test apparently specifies that the employee must actually be “better off overall”. That wages and conditions being offered by the employer in any new individual flexibility arrangement or enterprise agreement are not merely equivalent with the relevant modern award.

In Australia, non-monetary benefits broadly cover conditions of work such as guaranteed minimum hours, reasonable working hours, location of employment, flexible working arrangements etc.

During the period Work Choices legislation was in effect, the Fairness Test only partially protected and/or compensated for the loss of such benefits and that under Work Choices there was the removal of any requirement to offset employee losses with benefits. It also meant that being provided with such things as access to a works car park could be assigned a nominal monetary value and used as compensation for loss of award condition/s and overtime worked would not always result in an increase in wage received but could be a payment-in-kind such as leftover food.

There is no mention in the fact that the 2011-12 review of work place laws, on which the Coalition policy document relies, clearly indicated that any arrangement to confer a non-monetary benefit on an employee in exchange for a monetary benefit was conditional on the value of the monetary benefit foregone is specified in writing and is relatively insignificant, and the value of the non-monetary benefit is proportionate.

However, what is clear is that under proposed changes to Labor's system of individual flexibility arrangements, workers would have a greater ability to trade off entitlements, including penalty rates and leave which was a key characteristic of Work Choices eagerly abused by employers.

Casino Beef Week tarnishes its own brand

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

How does a Northern Rivers festival which has been in existence for thirty-one years this month tarnish its brand?

By continuing to allow this sponsor for Casino Beef Week:

http://www.casinobeefweek.com.au/#/program/4574871516

Having Stuart George as President of Beef Week and chair of its promotions committee at the same time he is employed by coal seam gas exploration and mining company Metgasco as its Community Relations Manager is a distinctly odd look, given this company has been widely rejected by Northern Rivers residents and the farming community.

This rejection appears to include a majority of the good people of South Casino according to a report in the Richmond River Express Examiner on 1 May 2013:

The state of the Australian economy confuses the average voter?

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:16:00 +0000

It rather beggars belief that so many political commentators have been talking down the Australian economy for the last five years, when overall that same economy has been the envy of the developed world during that same period.

It seems that hardly a week has gone by when somewhere in the national media there hasn’t been a journalist reporting economic doom and gloom, aided and abetted by various Liberal and National Party politicians.

Yet in 2013 gross government debt stands at a comparatively modest $271 billion by international standards and net government debt is estimated at $145 billion to date in Australia as the world’s 12th largest economy. The nation still has GDP growth, a budget deficit of around 1 per cent of GDP or less, an across the board AAA international credit rating, low inflation, low unemployment and is considered a safe haven for investors.

To say that this disconnect between negatively-coloured reporting and verifiable fact may have led to voter ambivalence is positing the obvious and it can possibly be seen in this survey.

Between Wednesday 1 May and Sunday 5 May 2013 an estimated 1,000+ survey respondents answered questions concerning the Australian economy and, their replies were published as part of the broader Essential Report on 6 May 2013.

These respondents were drawn from among the same 7,000-8,000 people who have been answering this regular Essential Services survey for years.

What is interesting about this latest report is the respondents answers to questions about government debt.

In one question 25% think that Australia’s national debt is higher than other developed countries and 48% think it is lower – 18% think it about the same.

In another 46% think the main reason for Australia’s national debt is that the Government are poor economic managers. 26% think it is due to the world economy and 17% blame the high Australian dollar.

However, in yet another question 39% think that government’s management of the Australian economy compared to how governments in other countries around the world have managed their economies has been good/very good and 32% think it has been poor/very poor.

While the conclusion arrived at in the final question was that 32% trust Wayne Swan more to handle Australia’s economy and 35% trust Joe Hockey more. With those on incomes under $1,000pw favour Wayne Swan 34%/31% while those earning over $1,000pw favour Joe Hockey 37%/32%.

So while the biggest percentage blocs in two questions realized that Australia’s national debt was lower than most other developed countries and considered that the Gillard Government's management of the economy was good to very good in comparison with the rest of the world - at the same time the biggest percentage bloc in another question decided that the federal government’s poor economic management was the root cause of the national debt.

Leading to the untried Opposition Shadow Joe Hockey being seen by three per cent more respondents as being better trusted when it came to handling the Australian economy than Treasurer Wayne Swan and, that 3% looking suspiciously like a group earning over $1,000 per week.

It would appear that five years of relentless negative comment in the media may have left many unable to reconcile political rhetoric with Treasury’s annual economic data and, choosing to believe the former rather than the latter much of the time.

* Graph from ABC News

No worker will be worse off under our industrial relations policy. Now where have I heard that before?

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott (former Minister for Employment Services and Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business in the Howard Government) on the subject of the Coalition’s industrial relations policy on 9 May 2013:

Australian Coalition Prime Minister John Howard on the subject of the Coalition’s industrial relations policy in 1996:

In 2007 over twelve months after the introduction of the Coalition Government’s Work Choices industrial relations legislation and regulations:

* on average across the country, workers on AWAs earned 3 per cent less than workers on collective agreements. Outside Western Australia, the shortfall was 10 per cent.

* Some of Australia's 1.7 million retail and hospitality workers have lost up to a third of their incomes since the introduction of Work Choices laws, a new study has found.

The Coalition’s current May 2013 industrial relations policy document here.

Electoral Commission announces 14 September 2013 referendum on local government recognition in the Australian Constitution

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:59:00 +0000

AEC Announcement 9 May 2013:

The Government has announced that it is planning to hold a referendum on recognition of local government in the Australian Constitution at the same time as the federal election planned for 14 September 2013. The Australian Electoral Commission will be making the necessary preparations to conduct the referendum ballot with the election.

This forthcoming national referendum will be the forty-fifth since Federation and the second time voters have been asked to consider recognising local government in the Australia Constitution.

On the first occasion in July 1988 the referendum failed, as only 33.62% of voters wanted local government recognised and therefore there was no majority in any of the mandatory five out of six states required for it to pass.

Voting in a referendum is compulsory and, in a better world than this, the question would be framed in such a way that future regional local governments on the NSW North Coast and across the nation would be able to resist being turned into no more than powerless ciphers of successive city-centric state governments.

Unfortunately the intention of the referendum is not to remove the power of state governments to legislate in relation to local councils, neither is it to lessen the risk that state governments will reduce local autonomy even further, nor is it to take from the states their powers to impose compulsory amalgamations on residents and ratepayers.

What is being offered is the formal inclusion of local government in Section 96 of the Constitution so that the Commonwealth may directly grant financial assistance to councils on such terms and conditions as the Parliament thinks fit.

Much in the same manner as it does now under certain federal government funding programs, but without the ongoing uncertainty created by a successful constitutional challenge in 2012.

The principal reasons for this referendum can be found in Chapter 2 of the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Local Government's Final Report (7 March 2013)

How fast will your Gillard Government NBN fibre to the premises connection be when compared with the Abbott-Turnbull fibre to the street scheme? Find our here

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Wed, 08 May 2013 23:36:00 +0000

Go to http://howfastisthenbn.com.au/ and run the test yourself.

Labor's NBN uploads and downloads can happen in seconds. Coalition's NBN is going to be excruciatingly slow in comparison.

Does Tony Abbott thinks that Alan Jones' radio audience can't read and will not notice yet another political lie?

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:16:00 +0000

Obviously relying on the probability that Alan Jones 2GB radio audience would not immediately fact check his statements, Australian Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said what he knew Jones wanted to hear in a 2 May interview – audio here.

Unfortunately for Abbott the mining industry was not so obliging and, he had to finally admit the blindingly obvious, that state laws do not allow farmers an unfettered right to keep mining companies off their land and that he supports states’ rights on this issue.

The Australian 3 May 2013:

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott was last night forced to clarify his coal seam gas policy after indicating he would intervene in the issue as Prime Minister and protect the rights of farmers.

Only hours after the declaration on anti-CSG campaigner Alan Jones' 2GB radio show, the Coalition last night admitted its policy had not changed and it still believed the matter was a state issue.

The move came as one of the major industry players, Queensland Gas Company, lashed Mr Abbott for trying to appease Mr Jones' vocal campaign against the sector and stifle energy development.

The shifting positions came less than two years after Mr Abbott made a similarly bold declaration on Mr Jones' show declaring farmers had a right to refuse land access to miners - only to back away from the position days later.

On 2GB yesterday morning, Mr Abbott said his resources spokesman, Ian MacFarlane's comments backing the rights of farmers were ''sensible'' and it was his policy.

''Yeah, look, miners should not go on to farms if they're not wanted,'' he said.

''It's very wrong and they shouldn't be going on to land where the relevant landowners don't want them. It is as simple as that.''

Asked if he would ensure that in government unlike other politicians, Mr Abbott said: ''I want to be someone who keeps commitments and the interesting thing Alan is that the sensible miners, people like Santos, don't go on to land if the land holders aren't happy about it and that's the way it ought to be.''

But Mr MacFarlane last night said the Coalition believed farmers had rights in principle but that it would only ''urge'' states to protect their rights if elected to government in September.

''Nothing has changed,'' he said.

Mr Abbott's office said there was no change to the CSG policy, which let states handle the issue.

Not a good look for the O'Farrell Government, Metgasco or ERM Power

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:58:00 +0000

A $200,000 NSW riot police operation to break an anti-CSG protest at Glenugie may not secure any convictions.

More than 20 protesters were arrested when police broke up a protest in The Avenue at Glenugie on January 1 to allow CSG miner Metgasco's trucks access to a test drilling site.

Three of the protesters facing charges of hindering police, obstructing a driver's path and not complying with police directions were acquitted of all charges yesterday in the Grafton Local Court.

Magistrate David Heilpern found Ingo Andreas Bruno Medek, of Blue Knob, not guilty of hindering police and obstructing a driver in a hearing before lunch.

After the break he dismissed charges against Ian Ronald Gaillard of Keerong and Benjamin Zable, of Nimbin, in a few minutes, sparking some celebrations among supporters outside the court house.

Mr Gaillard said the offences he and Mr Zable were charged with occurred when he disobeyed police instruction to give Mr Zable a bottle of water during the protest.

Outside the court yesterday the pair re-enacted their actions for the benefit of about 20 supporters who turned up for the court case.

Defence solicitors Steve Bolt (for Mr Medek) and Philip Wykeham (for Gaillard and Zabel) said the decision could have major ramifications for two test cases in Maclean Local Court on July 9 and 10.

Mr Wykeham said after the magistrate's ruling yesterday, police commanders will have to make a decision to go ahead with the cases, which are to be used as templates for charges against other CSG protesters arrested at Glenugie.

Read the rest of The Daily Examiner article of 8 May 2013 here.

When climate change deniers govern

noreply@blogger.com (clarencegirl) — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:15:00 +0000

Letter to the Editor in The Northern Star 3 May 2013:

Ignoring science

I FIND it astounding that Liberal MLC Catherine Cusack (NS 20/4) appears to believe that simply by abolishing the climate change department and abandoning the benchmark for sea-level rise by the end of this century, her State Government has stopped the seas from rising.
I can't wait for the election of Tony Abbott as I presume the seas will then begin to recede.
The State Government may say that Ballina, or any other council that uses accepted science to identify coastal areas likely to be eroded over the next century, is now liable for the impacts on people's property prices.
The reality is that if a council ignores the available science and encourages development of such areas, then in the future those councils are likely to be liable for compensation as such developments are lost to the sea.
I agree with Ms Cusack that Ballina council's assumptions that climate change will only result in a sea-level rise of 91cm (above 1990 levels) by 2100, and that this will only result in a recession of sandy coastlines by 45m, are outdated.
The more recent scientific evidence is that seas are likely to rise by significantly more than this and that the use of the lowest bounds of the Bruun rule grossly underestimates the likely coastal recession that will result.
I find it extremely worrying that this State Government is not just a climate change denier but seems intent on trying to frustrate attempts to identify the future consequences and adapt our planning to minimise social and economic impacts. Our grandchildren will pay a very high price for this political zealotry.

Dailan Pugh

Byron Bay