With a substantial majority in the House of Representatives, a solid position in the Senate and four years in which to progress Labor's long held commitment to UN treaties & conventions as well as international law, it is being put on notice concerning the national electorate's justifiable expectations - Part One

Re-elected Albanese government must condemn Israel’s brutality and cut ties

7 May, 2025 / Media Release

On May 5, the Israeli Parliament approved plans to annex and occupy Gaza. These plans have been discussed for months. This is a blatant mission to ethnically cleanse Gaza, advancing Israel’s colonial intentions to take over the territory and rid it of Palestinians.

For the past 19-months Israel has acted with extraordinary brutality, carrying out daily massacres, and ensuring the total decimation of infrastructure, healthcare and anything that might sustain Palestinian life. On Tuesday, one Israeli government minister vowed that ‘Gaza will be entirely destroyed.’ This follows more than two months of blockade of medical, fuel and food supplies to Gaza.

Israel’s infanticide and targeting of women and children is so severe that infants are now being born with debilitating disabilities and conditions, including, most recently, an infant born without a brain. This is due to unfathomable distress and lack of basic medical care, food and supplements.

The deliberate blocking of aid and food, which Israel admits is a tactic to pressure Hamas, is leading to starvation in Gaza, with shocking malnutrition among children in particular. ‘We are starving the children of Gaza’, said the World Health Organization Executive Director this week. ‘We are complicit.’

The re-elected Albanese government must immediately sanction Israel and comply with our obligations under the Genocide Convention and international law. This includes cutting all economic, military and diplomatic ties with Israel.

We don’t have to be a ‘major player’ to show our commitment to the basic humanity of Palestinians and be part of the global movement to pressure Israel to comply with its obligations under international law.

Max Kaiser, Executive Officer of the Jewish Council, said:

‘The election defeat of Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party makes it clear that unconditional support for Israel’s flouting of international law is not a vote-winner. Swings to Greens and independents in seats such as Wills and Blaxland demonstrate that the Australian public is outraged by the atrocities in Gaza.

‘The Jewish Council of Australia is a movement of over 1,000 Jews nationwide. We’re ramping up pressure on Albanese to act—and working side by side with our Palestinian allies to demand that our government pressure Israel to stop killing Palestinians. We are a bold and growing Jewish movement that won’t stay silent in the face of genocide. This government will hear us—and we won’t let them look away.’

It can't be sugar coated, the Australian Greens had a disastrous House of Representatives result in the 2025 federal election

 

Five days after close of polls in the 3 May 2025 federal general election, the parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt, conceded that he had lost the seat of Melbourne, which he had held for the last 14.5 years and which was the first House of Representatives electorate held by the Greens since the party's inception in 1995.

Bandt lost to a first time federal Labor candidate, Sarah Witty - 33,616 votes to 29,785 on a two-party preferred basis as at 2:28:38 PM AEST on Thursday 8 May 2025.

Melbourne was the third federal electorate lost by a sitting Australian Greens MP to Labor at this election. The others being Brisbane & Griffith, both Queensland electorates held since 2022 by Stephen Bates and Max Chandler-Mather respectively. At the time of writing, a fourth Greens MP may or may not hold the Ryan electorate (Qld) also won at the 2022 federal election.

If Ms. Elizabeth Watson-Brown does not retain Ryan then the Australian Greens will have to rely on their presence in the Senate for representation in the Australian Parliament.

It is expected that the Australian Greens will hold their 2022 representation numbers in the Senate, although this will not be confirmed until 16 May 2025 when Senate preference results are published.

The Australian Greens Party issued an online statement on 8 May 2025 which included the following statement from Adam Bandt, which although commencing with a gracious first paragraph true to form then reverted to casting blame for his defeat on others, accepting no personal responsibility, mischaracterisation and over-the-top bragging.

Comment attributable to Adam Bandt:

“A short time ago I called the Labor candidate for Melbourne, Sarah Witty, to concede, congratulate her and wish her all the best as the next Member for Melbourne.

The Greens got the highest vote in Melbourne, but One Nation and Liberal preferences will get Labor over the line.

To win in Melbourne we needed to overcome Liberal, Labor and One Nation combined, and it’s an Everest we’ve climbed a few times now, but this time we fell just short.

I want to thank the Melbourne community for regularly giving me the highest vote, including this election, and to thank you for the last 15 years and the chance to do some amazing things together.

Together we’ve made marriage equality law after getting the highest vote in the country in the plebiscite no-one should have had to have.

We worked hard together to get the highest vote in the Voice referendum, sending a message of hope that big parts of Australia still want to see First Nations justice.

Together we got dental into Medicare for kids and world leading climate legislation.

The price on pollution worked. It really worked. It was the only thing that has actually cut climate pollution in this country. In the middle of a climate crisis, we actually turned the corner.

Fighting the climate crisis is the reason I got into politics, and I want to thank you for helping us make a difference.

Together we’ve been powerful. As a community, we’ve been a progressive beacon for the nation. We’ve stood for justice, for compassion and we’ve led the way on the national stage.

It has been a joy to represent you and I hope I’ve made you proud.

I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved as Leader.

We’ve achieved the highest vote in Greens history and our biggest ever representation in Parliament.

We got billions for public and community housing, we won people the right to disconnect, and strengthened our climate laws, even though nowhere nearly enough.

This election, we may end up also with a record high vote in the Senate too of around 13%, with some Senators effectively getting a quota in their own right.

I leave with the Greens now having the sole balance of power in the Senate.

The government now can’t blame any independent Senator for not making reforms: the only thing stopping getting dental into Medicare, stopping new coal and gas mines or rebalancing housing tax breaks is the government itself.

There are also now a big number of seats across the country where the Greens are second.

We know about the Greens, the Teals, and now there’s the Purples. Mix red and blue together and you get purple. There are now a swathe of seats where Labor MPs owe their political life to the Liberals’ preferences, and the Greens are the real opposition to the two party system.

If the government doesn’t use its big majority to start actually cutting climate pollution and tackling Australia’s massive inequality crisis, watch for a big swing at the next election and see those purple seats go Green.

In Melbourne, the boundaries changed and made the seat much more marginal, and I feel that a number of people shifted their votes to Labor to keep Dutton out, but by far the biggest factor was Liberal and One Nation preferences going to Labor to push them over the line despite our high primary vote.

As I said before, to win in Melbourne, we have had to regularly overcome the two major parties working together on preferences. It’s not like the traditional contests, where Labor just has to beat Liberal. The Greens have had to beat Labor and Liberal combined. It’s climbing Everest, and we’ve managed to do it a few times, but this time we fell just short. More people in Melbourne voted Greens than anyone else - we got the highest vote - but Liberal and One Nation preferences will get Labor over the line.

I don’t know if many other minor party or independent MPs have done what we’ve done and won without either major party sending them preferences, but we’ve done something pretty incredible over the years. This time, everyone was gunning for us, and we came very very close, but couldn’t quite get there.

I hope that the media start to hold this new Labor majority government to account on climate especially, because the government is saying they care but are approving more coal and gas projects and putting a safer climate out of reach.

I want to thank my colleagues for their strong support and absolute brilliance. I want to thank the former Leaders of our party who have offered me wisdom and guidance. As well as everyone in Melbourne, I especially want to thank the African and Muslim communities, who have welcomed me so warmly and who I’ve been so proud to represent.

I'm proud to have raised my voice for the people of Palestine who are being decimated, and to have continued to call for a just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis based on an end to the invasion and an end to the occupation.

Millions of people have voted Greens – renters and first home buyers, people who want real action on the climate and environment emergency, all those horrified about the genocide of the Palestinian people – you’ve sent a clear message that you want action. The Greens will keep fighting for you.

When you’re taking on the combined might of both major parties, big corporations, the coal and gas lobby, and challenging a system that puts their profit before people, there will be obstacles. But I know we are on the right path and we won’t stop now.

To the tens of thousands of people who have poured their hearts into our movement – you have run a bold, joyful, visionary campaign, and I cannot thank you enough.

I want to thank my incredible staff and all the Greens team, who have worked so hard over all these years, for their trust and support. Your commitment and intellect amazes me daily.

Thanks to my kids for your love, support and patience. Thanks to my Mum and Dad for doing so much to make this possible. And finally, thank you to my incredible wife Claudia, who is one of the sharpest political minds I know, for being my partner on this journey, and for all you have given.”

Hopefully the Australian Greens Party will regain the respect and confidence of the national electorate which was sadly diminished under Adam Bandt's style of national leadership.

North Coast Voices going forward into 2026

 

It is becoming increasingly difficult to read digital text and normal-sized print newspapers, therefore researching issues of interest for publication has become a hard task.

Reliant as I am on the public health system in a regional area, I'm am still only two months into a twelve month plus wait for corrective treatment to restore full sight to one eye and a further unspecified wait for treatment of the other eye.

Therefore until March-April 2026 I will not be resuming posting on North Coast Voices on a daily basis, but will attempt to post on issues of interest from time to time. 

I hope that those who have visited this blog over the years will still pop in occasionally over the next ten months until hopefully normal publication resumes.

Clarencegirl

 

Clarence Valley Council State of Play May 2025

On 14 September 2024 the most recent scheduled state wide election of NSW local governments took place.

In the Clarence Valley 17 local residents and/or ratepayers put their names forward as candidates at that election and, the election itself was an unremarkable event at which 35,061 eligible residents, out of a possible 41,897 residential and non-residential electors enrolled in this area on 5 August 2024, cast their ballots for the nine vacated councillor positions.

By 2 October 2024 the election results were declared.

Listed in the order in which they reached the required quota or otherwise became eligible, the following nine candidates were declared elected for a four-year term:

Cristie YAGER (IND) - elected at the first count;

Peter JOHNSTONE (IND) - elected at the first count. Served on the previous council;

Greg CLANCY (GRN) - elected at the second count. Served on the previous council;

Ray SMITH (IND) - elected at the ninth count;

Allison WHAITES (IND) - elected at the eleventh count. Served on the previous council;

Shane CAUSLEY - elected at the eleventh count;

Lynne CAIRNS (IND) - elected at the fourteenth count;

Debrah NOVAK (IND) - elected at the fourteenth count. Served on the previous council; and

Karen TOMS (IND) - elected at the sixteenth count. Served on the previous council.

Thus far, like the other two tiers of government, Clarence Valley Local Government Area has resisted electing its leader by 'popular vote' and it is the councillors who chose the mayor who holds office for a two-year term.

On 3 October 2024, I remarked here that:

Hopefully Ray Smith will resist the urge to put his name forward for mayor. Being a former general manager of Grafton City Council is rather a poor recommendation in my opinion.

The five returning councillors and four new councillors ignored the stable from which Ray Smith sprang and elected him as Clarence Valley Council mayor.

Thus, seven months into his 24 month first term, Mayor Ray Smith's poor leadership and community communication skills has resulted in a growing rift between Council and valley residents/ ratepayers, along with barely concealed chaos at monthly council meetings.

The electorates growing dissatisfaction with both Mayor Smith and General Manager Laura Black came to a head during the Thursday, 20 February 2025 Ordinary Monthly Meeting at the first item of business after confirmation of the previous meeting's minutes:

MAYORAL MINUTE

5.1 General Manager - Annual Performance Review

Item Reference Number 2025.1384

Meeting Council 20 February 2025

Submitted by Ray Smith, Cr

Attachments None

SUMMARY

The review was completed in accordance with the OLG Guidelines on the Appointment and Oversight of General Managers. In accordance with the Guideline, this Mayoral Minute is the official report to Council on the General Manager's Annual Performance Review. It is not an opportunity to debate results or revisit the General Manager's performance review.

The annual period under assessment was October 2023 - October 2024. A facilitator from Local Government NSW was present to assist the panel in accordance with the Guidelines. The General Manager was assessed against Performance targets set by the former Mayor Peter Johnstone in conjunction with the General Manager at the start of the performance management period, in October 2023.

The Annual Performance Panel comprised the Mayor Ray Smith, Deputy Mayor Greg Clancy, Cr Cristie Yager and Cr Debrah Novak. Following a six month progress assessment being completed by the previous Council, by a panel comprising former Mayor Peter Johnstone, former Deputy Mayor Jeff Smith, Cr Karen Toms and Cr Debrah Novak.

PROPOSED MOTION

That Council

1. note the Annual Performance Management report from the Performance Management Review Panel.

2. endorse the recommendation from the Performance Management Review Panel to award the General Manager 2.5% performance pay increase under Clause 8.3 of the Standard Contract of Employment for General Managers of Local Councils in New South Wales with the increase backdated to 7 October 2024.....

BACKGROUND

The Panel agreed that the performance of the General Manager met, and in some instances exceeded targets. The Panel acknowledged the General Manager's leadership and positive impact on staff culture. The General Manager fosters strong relationships through accessibility, effective delegation, and consistent management practices. Staff feel supported and capable, and there is mutual professional respect between senior staff and the General Manager. Improvements in staff retention and engagement with the community have been noted, alongside a positive relationship with unions. Reporting to Councillors is generally satisfactory, with only minor delays. The leadership team's capability and the General Manager's proactive problem-solving are recognised. Overall, performance and engagement are steadily improving, supported by Council and the review panel.

The performance agreement, action plan and any associated records that contain specific information about the work performance or conduct of the General Manager are to remain confidential unless otherwise agreed to by the General Manager or are required to be disclosed by law. The unauthorised disclosure of this information may constitute a breach of the Act, the Council’s Code of Conduct and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

At that point in the meeting Mayor Smith came face-to-face with evidence that the content of his motion and the glowing terms he applied to the current general manager were not universally shared by Clarence Valley residents.

Mayor Smith apparently took umbrage and decided to call NSW Police to attend that 20 February meeting.

A decision which did nothing to ease the tensions building between Council and the Clarence Valley local government electorate and which are being reflected during Chamber debates.

On 11 April 2025 at an Extraordinary Council Meeting, Council in the Chamber walked back the General Manager's high handed operational decision which had been one of the trigger points for community dissatisfaction - to evict long-term casual occupants from its four caravan parks at Brooms Head, Iluka, Minnie Water and Wooli - and voted for the recission motion (p 4 of 11 April 2025 Minutes) put forward by Crs. Cairns, Clancy and Yager.

The final form of the resolution reading:

COUNCIL RESOLUTION - 4.2025.2

Cr Cairns/Cr Clancy

That Council:

1. directs the General Manager to have all occupants who have long-term (casual occupation) agreements relating to the right to occupy moveable dwelling sites in Brooms Head, Iluka, Minnie Water and Wooli Holiday Parks and who have received notice advising them of the termination of their long term (casual occupation) agreements, written to informing them of the following:

a. council withdraws the current proposed termination notices of the long term (casual occupation) agreements for the moveable dwelling sites used by the long-term casual occupants in Brooms Head, Iluka, Minnie Water and Wooli Holiday Parks.

b. council provides delegation to the General Manager to retain the existing Long Term (Casual Occupation) occupants, and that Council will enter into new Long Term (Casual Occupation) Agreements, utilising the Occupation Agreement template, and this is to be carried out immediately.

c. council will consider any changes to the current site uses of the Brooms Head, Iluka, Minnie Water and Wooli Holiday Parks during the formulation of the Plans of Management, and with full involvement of the Traditional Owners in accordance with the Native Title Act 1993.

Voting recorded as follows

For: Cr Yager, Cr Clancy, Cr Cairns, Cr Smith, Cr Causley

Against: Cr Whaites, Cr Novak, Cr Johnstone CARRIED

Although this resolution gave some relief to those affected by the general manager's operational decision, it exacerbated the rift that had developed between councillors during Ray Smith's mayoral term and, has done little to alleviate concern's growing in relation to Mayor Smith's:

a) lacklustre personal commitment to the process of community consultation;

b) proposal to restrict Clarence Valley residents and ratepayers attendance at council meetings - in their capacity as community members - under an admission ticketing system;

c) apparent desire to sever the Clarence Valley's historical ties to the Northern Rivers region - presumably to 'protect' council from the terrible dangers of moving away from any NSW National Party agenda which survived the change of state government in 2023; and

d) encouragement of a divisive partisan atmosphere amongst councillors.

Neither has it alleviated the ongoing concerns of Lower Clarence communities in relation to urban development pressures resulting in ill-advised changes to topography within or adjacent to town and village boundaries resulting in permanent changes to flood water flows, nor the ongoing failure to address the disconnect between urban stormwater networks designed with an uncertain upper load capacity and the increasing number of properties being added to these networks.

BACKGROUND

Sunday Telegraph, 5 April 2025:

It was meant to be their golden years. Instead, elderly residents across four Northern Rivers caravan parks are gearing up for the fight of their lives, with officials rallying behind them as they battle to save their caravans from demolition.

The Daily Telegraph reported last month how Clarence Valley Council had advised more than 130 caravan owners – via a letter – that they needed to vacate their leased sites to make room for tourists.

Now, residents are considering legal action, while Nationals MP Richie Williamson and some councillors have pushed back against the decision to turf them all out by June 30....

Clarence Valley Independent, 26 April 2025:

Within minutes of it opening, the monthly Ordinary Meeting of Clarence Valley Council (CVC) on April 17 was prematurely adjourned following angry and emotionally charged outbursts by members of the public in the gallery.

It was the third month in a row CVC Mayor Ray Smith had been forced to call an adjournment.

Clarence Valley Independent 2 May 2025:

Ordinary and Extraordinary Meetings of Clarence Valley Council (CVC) could proceed in the future with limited public attendance after CVC Mayor Ray Smith spoke of his plans to contact the Office of Local Government this week.

When councillors met for the rescheduled monthly Ordinary Meeting of CVC at the Grafton Council Chambers on April 24, the Mayor was forced to adjourn proceedings on a number of occasions in the interests of the safety and wellbeing of councillors, council staff, members of the public seated in the gallery, and media personnel in attendance after a number of people continued to disrupt the event throughout the afternoon.

As he expressed his disappointment and reiterated previous comments made in relation to his acknowledgement of emotions and tensions running high within the local community following recent comments made by Councillor Debrah Novak during an Extraordinary Meeting of CVC on April 11 and other recent decisions made by Council, the Mayor said he cannot continue to adjourn meetings and subsequently delay council business which impacts other Clarence Valley residents.

Despite the presence of two security guards, Mayor Smith revealed he put forward a Notice of Motion to continue the rescheduled monthly Ordinary Meeting of CVC without the public being in attendance to enable Council to get through more than 20 items of business on the agenda without experiencing further interruptions.

It was carried 6-3.

The decision was made at the conclusion of another 15-minute adjournment while members of the public and Clarence Valley Independent journalist Emma Pritchard were outside the Grafton Council Chambers....

How will Trump react to the international media asserting it was the Australian voter's dislike of himself & his policies which were a primary reason the conservative coalition opposition lost the May 2025 Australian federal general election?

 

The reason for an electoral win or loss is never singular in nature or without nuance and, highlighting one particular aspect may at a stretch be flirting at the edge of legitimate analysis.

However in a world where the 47th US president insists on inserting himself into the domestic politics of any country that catches his often momentary attention, it is possible that Trump will decide to take offence at the considered decisions taken by millions of Australian citizens on 3 May 2025.

Nationwide News, 4 May 2025, article excerpt:

Saturday’s landslide election win for Anthony Albanese is being viewed the same way around the world as two words are repeated over and over.

The result that saw Peter Dutton come face-to-face with the worst possible outcome — a resounding defeat and being ousted from his seat of Dickson — can be attributed at least in part to the “Anti-Trump” factor, according to media watching from afar.

“Dutton was seen by many as Australia’s Trump,” the BBC’s Tiffany Turnbull wrote.....

“(It) appeared to go down badly with voters, despite his attempts to shake off comparisons made between his policies on immigration, public sector cuts and China, and the Trump administration.”

CNN described the result in similar terms.

“Observers will be examining the results for signs of blowback against Australia’s conservative candidates from US President Trump’s whirlwind 100 days in office – after comparisons were drawn between Dutton’s policy offerings and those of the US leader,” the US broadcaster wrote.

CNN noted that Australia had appeared to follow Commonwealth compatriat Canada in pushing back against far-right politics.

“Another center-left prime minister, Mark Carney of Canada — which like Australia is a G20 nation, as well as US ally — recently scored an election win widely chalked up to anti-Trump sentiment.”

The Washington Post described the win for Labor as “buoyed by anti-Trump bump”.

The New York Post took a similar view of the Trump link to Australia’s election result.

“Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s centre-left Labor Party was projected to win elections, broadcasters said on Saturday, in a comeback against once-resurgent conservatives powered by concerns about the influence of US President Donald Trump.”

The New York Times cited Trump’s tariff war as a key factor in the way Aussies had voted Saturday.

“A superpower loomed large as Australians headed to the polls. It wielded trade barriers as a means of political coercion, imperiling Australia’s export-dependent economy,” the Times wrote.

“Three years ago that country was China, which had imposed punishing restrictions on many Australian exports, sent spy ships lurking near Australia’s west coast and struck an alarming military pact with a regional neighbor, the Solomon Islands.

“This time, as Australians cast ballots on Saturday, that external factor is the United States and President Trump.”.....

The Guardian, 4 May 2025, article excerpt:

Australian PM shrugs off questions about Donald Trump as other world leaders congratulate him

Anthony Albanese says his job is to “represent Australia’s national interest” after his thumping election win, shrugging off questions about when he might visit the United States to speak to Donald Trump about tariffs and trade.

The re-elected prime minister said he had spoken to the leaders of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, France and the UK, and looked forward to calls with the presidents of Indonesia and Ukraine.

“My job here is to represent Australia’s national interest and that’s what I’ll be doing, and the first thing I’ll be doing is going to Canberra,” he said......

Could I have your attention
Mark Knight

IN FULL: Re-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's victory speech and outgoing Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's concession speech on night of 3 May 2025

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXYKlSVZsvo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCthXuEQXYk

Federal Election 3 May 2025 State of Play as at 8:50pm

 

Anthony Green has stated that based on the widespread swing against the Coalition, he cannot see the Coalition winning federal government at this election. Whether it is a majority or minority government is yet to be called.

— no_filter_Yamba (@no_filter_Yamba) May 3, 2025

DICKSON (Qld): Antony Green predicting that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will lose the seat of Dickson.

— no_filter_Yamba (@no_filter_Yamba) May 3, 2025

9.33 pm 03.05.25: Liberal MP for Dickson & Opposition Leader Peter Dutton conceded that the Coalition has lost the 2025 federal election and that he has lost his seat of Dickson to Labor's Ali France.