AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY
David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker since 1998
This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
U.S. presidential candidate Ted Cruz has claimed that Australia's 1996 firearms buyback led to a significant increase in sexual assaults on women - as the debate about gun control takes centre place in the race for the White House. Republican Senator Cruz, who is vying to win the top job, made the comments during an interview with American radio host Hugh Hewitt on January 12. And as you know, Hugh, after Australia did that, the rate of sexual assaults, the rate of rapes, went up significantly, because women were unable to defend themselves,' Cruz told the conservative radio host.
For Immediate Release, October 7, 2013
Lawsuit Challenges Second, Massive U.S.-Funded Fossil Fuel Project in Australia's Great Barrier Reef
$5 Billion in U.S. Funding Threatens Endangered Sea Turtles, Dugongs
SAN FRANCISCO— Conservation groups amended an existing lawsuit today to challenge U.S. funding for a second fossil fuel production and transport facility located inside Australia’s Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The U.S. Export-Import Bank has now committed nearly $5 billion in loans to support construction and operation of the two massive liquefied natural gas facilities. Located next to each other on Curtis Island near Gladstone in Queensland, the projects threaten sea turtles, dugongs and many other rare and protected marine species, as well as the world-famous Great Barrier Reef itself.“The U.S. federal government shouldn’t be subsidizing the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These liquefied natural gas projects will be deadly to wildlife and will only serve to export our deeply unhealthy fossil fuel addiction.” The Export-Import Bank, a U.S. federal agency that funds international projects to promote U.S. exports, provided a $3 billion loan in May 2012 for the Australia Pacific LNG project, and in December 2012, the bank loaned an additional $1.8 billion for the Queensland Curtis LNG project. Both are located on mostly undeveloped Curtis Island, near sea turtle nesting beaches, a national park and a community of families that live there year-round. The Center for Biological Diversity, Turtle Island Restoration Network and Pacific Environment sued over the Australia Pacific project last December. Today’s filing amends that lawsuit to include the Queensland Curtis project. "When I flew over Curtis Island recently I was shocked to see the devastation of the marine habitat and sediment plumes discoloring the coastal waters for miles," said Teri Shore, program director for Turtle Island Restoration Network. "I met concerned residents who are heartbroken over the number of dead sea turtles, dolphins and dugongs washing up on shore like never before due to the disruption and pollution from these massive fossil fuel projects." Sea turtles, dugongs and their habitat in the Great Barrier Reef are threatened by both direct and indirect impacts of industrialization, such as dredging, vessel strikes, fuel and oil spills and water pollution. Ship strikes alone killed 45 turtles in Gladstone Harbor in the two years after LNG-project construction began, compared with an average of two a year in the past decade. “Ex-Im Bank has a long history of committing billions of dollars in public financing to environmentally destructive projects abroad,” said Doug Norlen, policy director with Pacific Environment. “But funding two devastating fossil fuel projects in a world heritage area? It’s a new low.” The two U.S.-funded projects will include drilling 16,000 coal-seam gas wells in interior Queensland using controversial “fracking” techniques, digging nearly 500 miles of gas pipelines, and constructing two separate natural gas processing facilities and export terminals. To provide access to sites, the projects require dredging a new shipping lane in the adjacent harbor and destruction of sensitive seagrass beds. Increased tanker traffic will eventually ship the fuel across the Great Barrier Reef to ports in Asia and around the world. The Great Barrier Reef was given World Heritage status to preserve its remarkable natural beauty, coral reefs, and rare dugong and sea turtle habitat. The two liquid natural gas plants will be located within this World Heritage Area’s boundaries. UNESCO, the international body charged with overseeing implementation of the World Heritage Convention, expressed “extreme concern” over the projects’ impacts on the reef. In 2013 UNESCO threatened to add the reef to the “In Danger” list, a designation made when activities of a host country or outside entities threaten a world heritage area. The lawsuit, originally filed in December 2012 in the Northern District of California and amended today, asserts violations of the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, which implements American obligations under the World Heritage Convention. The case raises the unresolved legal issue of whether the Endangered Species Act applies to U.S. agency actions taken outside of U.S. borders. ### |
Corporate Parties
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Government Parties
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Date
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Download Link
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Level 3
Communications, Inc.
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DHS, DoD, DoJ
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September 26,
2011
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AP TeleGuam
Holdings, Inc.; AP TeleGuam Merger Sub, LLC
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DHS, DoD, DoJ
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May 1, 2011
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American Samoa
Hawaii Cable, LLC; Samoa American Samoa Cable, LLC; American Samoa License,
Inc.; and AST Telecom, LLC d/b/a Blue Sky Communications
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DHS
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February 2,
2011
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Download
(12.85 MB) |
TerreStar
Corporation; TerreStar Networks Inc.,
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DHS, DoJ
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December 18,
2009
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GU Holdings
Inc.
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DHS
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September 21,
2009
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American Samoa
Hawaii Cable, LLC; AST Telecom, LLC
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DHS
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January 9,
2009
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Inceptum 1 AS
now known as Mobsat Holding Norway AS; Telenor Satellite Services AS
successor to Telenor Broadband Services AS now known as Vizada AS; Telenor
Satellite Services Holdings, Inc.; Mobsat Holding US, Inc. now known as
Mobsat Holding US Corp; Telenor Satellite, Inc., now known as Vizada
Satellite, Inc.; Telenor Satelltie Services, Inc. now known as Vizada, Inc.;
GMPCS Personal Communications, Inc.; Marlink, Inc.; Telenor Secure Services,
Inc. now known as Vizada Secure Services, Inc.; MindSparX, Inc.; Vizada
Services Holding, Inc.; Vizada Services LLC
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DHS, DoJ, FBI
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September 25,
2008
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Horizon Mobile
Communications, Inc.; SatCom Distribution, Inc.; SatCom Distribution Ltd.;
and SatCom Group Holdings Plc
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DHS, DoJ
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September 24,
2008
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Inmarsat
Global Limited; Inmarsat Hawaii Inc.
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DHS, DoJ
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September 17,
2008
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Reliance
Communications Limited; Reliance Gateway Net Limited; FLAG Telecom Group
Limited; FLAG Telecom Group Services; Yipes Holdings, Inc.; Yipes Enterprise
Services, Inc.
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DHS, DoJ
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November 30,
2007
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Stratos
Communications, Inc., previously MarineSat
Communications Network, Inc.; Stratos Mobile Networks LLC; Stratos Mobile Networks, Inc.; CIP Canada Investment Inc. |
DHS, DoJ, FBI
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August 14,
2007
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Global Crossing
Limited, formerly known as GC Acquisition Limited; Singapore Technologies
Telemedia Pte Ltd
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DHS, DoD, DoJ,
FBI
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February 1,
2007
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Telenor
Satellite Services AS; Telenor Satellite Services Holdings, Inc.; Telenor
Satellite, Inc.; Telenor Satellite Services, Inc.; Inceptum 1 AS; Mobsat
Holding US, Inc.; GMPCS Personal Communications, Inc.; Marlink, Inc.; Telenor
Secure Services, Inc.; MindSparX, Inc.
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DHS, DoJ, FBI
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March 5, 2007
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Guam Cellular
and Paging, Inc.; DoCoMo Guam Holdings, Inc.
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DHS, DoJ, FBI
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October 13,
2006
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América Móvil,
S.A. de C.V.; Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico,
Inc. |
DHS, DoJ
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2006
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Cypress
Communications Holding Company, Inc.; TechInvest Holding Company, Inc.;
Arcapita Investment Management Limited; and Arcapita Bank B.S.C.(c)
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DHS, DoJ, FBI,
Treasury
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June 17, 2005
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TelCove, Inc.
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DHS, DoJ, FBI
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June 15, 2005
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VSNL America,
Inc.; VSNL Telecommunications, Inc.; Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited
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DHS, DoD, DoJ,
FBI
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April 7, 2005
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Telefonica
Moviles, S.A.; TEM Puerto Rico, Inc.; NewComm Wireless Services, Inc.
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DHS, DoJ, FBI
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May 14, 2004
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Micronesian
Telecommunications Corporation; Pacific Telecom, Inc.
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DHS, DoD, DoJ,
FBI
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October 6,
2003
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Global
Crossing Ltd.; GC Acquisition Limited; Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte
Ltd
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DHS, DoD, DoJ,
FBI
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September 23,
2003
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XO
Communications, Inc.
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DoJ, FBI
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September 16,
2002
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Telenor
Satellite Services Holdings, Inc.; Telenor Satellite, Inc.; Telenor Satellite
Services, Inc.; Telenor Broadband Services AS
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DoJ, FBI
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November 29,
2001
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Reach Ltd.;
Telstra Corporation Limited; Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited
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DoJ, FBI
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November 29,
2001
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Mobile
Satellite Ventures LLC; Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC; Motient
Corporation; TMI Communications and Company, Limited Partnership
|
DHS, DoD, DoJ,
FBI
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November 14,
2001
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MarineSat
Communications Network, Inc.; Stratos Mobile Networks LLC
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DoJ, FBI
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August 7, 2001
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Deutsche
Telekom AG; Voicestream Wireless Corporation; Voicestream Wireless Holding
Corporation
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DoJ, FBI
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April 1, 2001
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AT&T
Corp.; British Telecommunications PLC; TNV BV; VLT Co. LLC; Violet License
Co. LLC
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DoD, DoJ, FBI
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October 7,
1999
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Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.
A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourism business development services.
A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!
An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements. The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.
A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.
A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?
A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.
An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?
A fun fact musing: An estimated 24,000 whales migrated along the NSW coastline in 2016 according to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the migration period is getting longer.
A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.
A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.
A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?
An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.