Ex-News Corp journalist & Abbott propagandist Steve Lewis now a lobbyist with Newgate Communications

Steve Lewis, the former News Corp journalist who ran the ‘Abbott in Opposition’ political spin on many subjects, has joined Newgate Communications as a senior advisor. 

This company is a lobbyist at federal level for twenty-one companies – including Whitehaven Coal which has been mentioned in evidence in NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Jasper and Operation Spicer investigations.

Managing partner of the Australian branch of Newgate Communication is Brian Tyson who worked as a press secretary for the Greiner and Fahey NSW Coalition Governments - and states in his Linked in entry that he worked with then NSW Planning and Energy Minister Robert Webster.

Webster coincidentally is scheduled to appear at an ICAC Operation Spicer hearing today.

Is Peter Reith splitting hairs in the hope no one will pursue his connection with the gas industry in Australia?

On 7 November 2013 an ABC News article contained these statements:

The Government has been widely criticised for not making public Mr Reith's report, which was commissioned by former premier Ted Baillieu in January. The ABC has learnt that all the taskforce members, except for Mr Reith, represent energy companies or associated industries and lobby groups.

While this interesting exchange turned up on Twitter on 4 November:

Mark Anning ‏1@EarthMedia 4 Nov

@Peter_Reith did you see this? Vested Interest? Reith is a paid lobbyist for Coal Seam Gas Coy's #auspol #csg #nswpol http://nofibs.com.au/2013/11/01/lobbyists-public-commentary-reith-spotlight-mark-anning-1earthmedia-reports/ …

Peter Reith ‏@Peter_Reith 4 Nov

@1EarthMedia you have your facts wrong. Best not to follow people who enjoy conspiracy theories.

Mark Anning ‏@1EarthMedia 4 Nov 9:09 PM - 4 Nov 13 

@Peter_Reith Are you saying you are not a paid lobbyist for Coal Seam Gas? #auspol #csg #nswpol #agchatoz #springst http://nofibs.com.au/2013/11/01/lobbyists-public-commentary-reith-spotlight-mark-anning-1earthmedia-reports/ …

Peter de Voil ‏@skroggitz 5 Nov

@Peter_Reith Which facts are wrong? Working for @thiessgroup, or ALC? #auspol @1EarthMedia

So is former Howard Government minister and active Liberal Party member, Peter Keaston Reith, far removed from any connection with liquefied natural gas and coal seam gas and therefore above suspicion when it comes to the Victorian Premier's Gas Market Taskforce he chaired?

Mr. Reith is still a special counsel at First State Advisors & Consultants Pty Ltd, having joined that 'team' in late 2012.

I am not sure if in his capacity as special counsel he actively lobbies on behalf of Theiss Pty Ltd or the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.

However, as a sole trader he is currently listed as the official lobbyist for Bechtel Management Company Ltd a civil engineering/construction subsidiary of the Bechtel Corporation which has coal, oil and gas interests around the world. Including gas projects in the Pilbara region of West Australia and the Gladstone region in Queensland. 

This subsidiary company appears to be his only client as of 2 July 2013.

The parent company Bechtel Corporation claims its Curtis Island LNG project off the Gladstone coast;  represents the greatest concentration of Bechtel projects anywhere in the world.

In its 2012 annual report Bechtel explained that; On Curtis Island, in eastern Australia, we are building three world-scale plants to process the region’s vast coal seam gas reserves.

Bechtel Corporation though the Bechtel Power Corporation is also a member of the UK Nuclear Industry Association.

So unless Peter Children Overboard Reith suddenly resigned as a lobbyist once the Gas Market Taskforce was established in 2012 but forgot to inform state and federal agencies, he is running true to form and being less than honest with both the twitterverse and mainstream media when discussing his connections with industries associated with energy supply or coal seam gas.

Is the Liberal Party finally leaving the Metgasco building?

Metgasco Limited website 10 June 2013:

Richard Shields - External Relations Manager

Richard has extensive knowledge and experience in politics, having worked for almost 20 years in senior government, party related and private sector roles. He understands the challenges and complexities of the legislative and regulatory processes of government, in addition to having a strong insight into managing media and community relations.

Prior to joining Metgasco, Richard served as Deputy Director of the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division) for over 3 years and also served as the Interim State Director. Other positions held by Richard include a Policy Adviser to former Senator the Hon Helen Coonan as Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Richard has also worked as a Senior Cnsultant [sic] for two of Australia's largest issues management firms. Drawing on his strong media and stakeholder manageent [sic] skills, Richard advises the Managing Director and Board on issues management, communications and engagement strategies and investor relations……

Insurance Business 10 June 2013:

The Insurance Council of Australia has appointed Richard Shields as general manager of government and stakeholder relations, effective 17 June, 2013.

He will be responsible for managing key stakeholder relationships and engaging with all levels of government.

Shields has two decades of experience in public affairs-related roles. He was most recently the external relations manager of ASX-listed company Metgasco.

Prior to that he was an adviser to the Minister for Sport and Tourism Hon Andrew Thomson MP and for Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Senator the Hon Helen Coonan; public affairs director for the Australian Hotels Association (WA); deputy state director and director of party affairs for the Liberal Party (NSW).

ICA CEO Rob Whelan said Shields brought an insider’s knowledge of the challenges and complexities of politics to the ICA. He said Shields would also complement the organisation’s knowledge of the legislative and regulatory processes of government……

A smoking gun in the Thomson vs Media saga?

In 2009 then Victorian ALP state secretary Stephen Newnham was one of the first people to start accusing Craig Thomson of alleged brothel creeping during his time at the Health Services Union.

After being forced to resign this senior Labor position in that same year, Newnham and former adviser to senior federal Coalition frontbenchers  Rick Brown later turn up as principals of a registered lobby group which had been contracted to provide political analysis (on the upcoming elections in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia in 2010) to a newspaper in the News Ltd Group.

By 2012 both Newnham and Brown were writing articles critical of the Gillard Government for the Herald-Sun.

Does this set of interlocking relationships with Murdoch's minions go some way to explaining why large slabs of the meeja uncritically swallow whole Abbott & Co’s vitriol concerning this MP?
Might it also explain why the veracity of this 2011 2UE954 News Talk image of Thomson's alleged credit card details (showing a misspelled surname on the face of this card imprint) is not being questioned? A set of 1st-8th April 2005 documents which appear to have been eventually handed over to VIC or NSW Police by HSU officials as evidence of Thomson's alleged 'guilt', if the accompanying interview with Kathy Jackson is to be believed.

Hat tip to Peter Wicks for pointing out the discrepancy



In the transcript of a 1st August 2011 2UE Michael Smith interview with Thomson this section stands out:

Michael Smith: "The card was also used to pay for escort agency services.
I have a copy of one of the escort agency credit card vouchers. It’s the old style one, where you put the card on the plastic slider machine, put the carbon paper voucher on top of it and swipe the slider over the voucher.
The carbon paper makes a clear embossed impression of the card. You can plainly see that the credit card that was present on that night had this on the front of it – Craig Thomson, Health Services Union."

At best this is sloppy reporting. At worst the information in red bolding is a bald lie. Thompson is not Thomson, no matter how you spin it, and any reputable credit card agency would reject the slip in question - rightly worried about the possiblity of identity theft.

NEWS FLASH: CSG miners have HUGE bladders?

The Daily Examiner 8^th  May 2012:

IN YESTERDAY'S Daily Examiner it was reported Metgasco's booth at the Grafton Show was not manned on Friday and Saturday.

This is incorrect. Metgasco staff, including CEO Peter Henderson, manned the booth from 9am-5pm on both days.

The Daily Examiner apologises to Metgasco and its staff for any problems this error may have caused.  

Sounds very like The Daily Examiner committed another blooper, doesn’t it? Except that neither the newspaper nor journalist Claire Simmons said that this CSG mining corporation’s stall was unmanned all day on Friday and Saturday.

What The Daily Examiner actually wrote on 7^th  May 2012 was:

Mining company Metgasco established an information stand at the Grafton Show, but their opponents were unable to locate any mining foot soldiers.

"We were disappointed we were unable to locate any Metgasco representatives at their stall at the Grafton Show," said Denise Deane of the Clarence Valley Against CSG Alliance.

What one earth was the editor thinking in publishing that craven apology for something the newspaper never wrote? Even the Australian Press Council wouldn't have required a retraction in this language, so how heavy was Metgasco playing it with APN management?

And was Metgasco telling The Egg Timer that its representatives have bladders of prodigious capacity and the internal fortitude of camels – that on two consecutive days, for eight hours at a time, none of them ever left that stall for either food, drink or a comfort stop?

Pull the other one lads!

Are waters being muddied already in the Clarence Valley campaign to improve mental health services?

According to yourhealth.gov.au:

Northern Rivers General Practice Network Ltd, in partnership with Tweed Valley General Practice, Hastings Macleay General Practice Network, Mid North Coast Division of General Practice, North Coast GP Training and Many Rivers AMS Alliance has been selected to establish the North Coast NSW Medicare Local.

It went on to outline North Coast NSW Medicare Local's agenda in relation to mental health in this November 2011 document:

Establishment of a regional low intensity mental health service “Stress Less”……Continuation of support to clinicians and service providers delivering a range of programs including headspace, Mental Health Nurse Funding and Access to Allied Psychological Services.

On its own website North Coast NSW Medicare Local states:

Medicare Locals are part of plans to shift the focus of health care away from hospitals, instead providing better coordinated primary care (out of hospital care) in the community.

Over the next little while, our CEO Vahid Siberi will be taking to the road to meet politicians, VIPs and media and explain NCML's vision and aims and how the community can get involved. Not everything will happen overnight, it will take time for NCML to gather the information required on primary health care services to enable it to make a difference to the patient journey.  

On 9 May 2012 The Daily Examiner reported:

Though NCML can't help directly with The Daily Examiner's latest push for an overnight mental health facility at Grafton Base Hospital, the organisation's chief executive Vahid Saberi said he would listen to all concerns at a planned public meeting on mental health set down for Tuesday, June 5 at the Grafton District Services Club.

"I am familiar that there has been a need expressed for an overnight mental health facility in Grafton ... but bed-based services need to be funded through the state," he said. "But I would be happy to advocate for it." "My jurisdiction is outside hospital walls."

One has to wonder what NCNSWML’s principal government partner, the federal Dept. of Health & Aging, thinks of  Mr. Saberi moving so far from his brief next month by advocating for increased in-hospital care – no matter how much it may possibly be needed.

Well intentioned though he may be, this CEO is creating a situation which may yet get both federal and state agencies off-side.

NSW Minerals Council is offering itself to government as the economic saviour of New South Wales

The NSW Minerals Council spinning so hard that its head has left its shoulders……………

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Mining industry adding jobs to help stabilise NSW economy

Direct employment up 107% in four years to 45,708

At a time of growing uncertainty and warnings of more job losses in NSW, the minerals sector continues to show strong jobs growth and low unemployment in the State’s key mining regions.

According to the ABS, the number of people directly employed in mining has grown by 107% over the past four years from 22,041 to 45,708.

New data from the Illawarra Regional Information Service confirms employment in the region’s mines is at a 20-year high, and according to the Hunter Valley Research Foundation unemployment in the Upper Hunter is a low 2.8%, significantly lower than the state-wide unemployment rate of 5.6%.

NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said today that our world-class NSW minerals industry provides an opportunity to keep the NSW economy buoyant as the state braces for an uncertain year ahead.

“Job losses announced this week and warnings from the NSW Treasurer about a contraction of the financial sector are concerning as the problems in Europe continue to cast a shadow over our economy,” he said.

“But the strong growth in mining jobs shows a way to help protect our State from future economic difficulties.

“In the Hunter, the Illawarra, and the State’s Central West, mining is delivering strong economic activity outside of Sydney that can help to counter the difficulties being faced in other sectors.

“And given every direct mining job generates at least three additional indirect jobs, it is clear that growth in mining can deliver right across the economy at a time when other sectors are shedding jobs.

“The mining industry is making 20 and 30 year investments in infrastructure and economically sustainable jobs that create a positive flow-on effect into the rest of the economy. The new projects and infrastructure being planned will contribute to strong state growth through jobs and billions of dollars in investment.

“Our industry can be a stabilising influence on the NSW economy and generate terrific returns for the people of NSW through successive rounds of business activity and royalty payments to the NSW Government - tipped to total $8.5 billion over the next four years.”

“Mining in NSW accounts for 2.5% of Gross State Product and has the potential to make an even greater contribution to the economy and NSW Budget – but only under the right policy settings.

“While growth in the NSW mining sector can help insulate our State from the impact of global economic uncertainty, the carbon tax looms large. The Federal Government needs to reconsider its carbon tax, especially at a time when there is so much economic uncertainty.”

Media Contact: Lindsay Hermes  lhermes@nswmin.com.au  02 9274 1419

   

Find out why our people, NSW Miners, are leaders in global mining at www.worldclassminers.com.au            

          

The Group of Sixteen is not a ringing endorsement of the anti-climate change position

On 27 January 2012 The Wall Street Journal ran an opinion piece titled No Need to Panic About Global Warming. WSJ editor stated that this was signed by the 16 scientists listed at the end of the article.

To assess this opinion one needs to look closer at these signatories than just the name and job descriptions they supplied:

Claude Allegre, former director of the Institute for the Study of the Earth, University of Paris and former politician – so beloved by his fellow scientists that 400 in climate-related fields signed a letter objecting to his statements.

J. Scott Armstrong, cofounder of the Journal of Forecasting and the International Journal of Forecasting – apparently has a BA in Applies Science, a BS in industrial engineering and is a Professor of Marketing mostly teaching in university business schools.

Jan Breslow, head of the Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics and Metabolism, Rockefeller University – an MD with degrees in chemistry famous for creating the heart attack mouse which makes him an obvious candidate to comment on climate-related disciplines in which he is not qualified.

Roger Cohen, fellow, American Physical Society – and retired from ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company.

Edward David, member, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Sciences – as well as former President of Exxon Research and Engineering from 1977 to 1986 and amateur gem hunter.

William Happer, professor of physics, Princeton  - Chairman of conservative think tank the George C. Marshall Institute and former U.S. Federal Government on matters of defence and other technical issues.

Michael Kelly, professor of technology, University of Cambridge, U.K. – an engineer teaching in the electrical engineering division with eight publications to his name.

William Kininmonth, former head of climate research at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology – apparently unpublished in peer reviewed science journals on the subject of climate change and a member of the Lavoisier Group which is something of an astroturfing organization.

Richard Lindzen, professor of atmospheric sciences, MI – according to DeSmogBlog  Lindzen has published work with the conservative think-tank, the Cato Institute. The Cato Institute has received $125,000 from ExxonMobil since 1998. In his 1995 article, "The Heat Is On," Ross Gelbspan notes that Lindzen charged oil and coal organizations $2,500 per day for his consulting service.

James McGrath, professor of chemistry, Virginia Technical University – on the Board of Directors of ChemFab Inc which had commercial ties to the U.S. Military.

Rodney Nichols, former president and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences - his industrial consulting included the research laboratory of GTE and Shell Technology Ventures, and is presently a partner in GothamOrient LLC which states that We leverage our deep industry connections, decades of collective in-country experience in Asia, and relationships in the government and financing sectors to most quickly and effectively open markets on behalf of our clients.

Burt Rutan, aerospace engineer, designer of Voyager and SpaceShipOne – into conspiracy theories.

Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut and former U.S. senator –  a Cold War II warrior whom I always found to be an arrogant and opinionated Ugly American Abroad on the few times I ran into him, so it probably is no surprise to find him on this list.

Nir Shaviv, professor of astrophysics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem – see his blog and decide yourself.

Henk Tennekes, former director, Royal Dutch Meteorological Service – quite a dummy spit when he left the service after an erratic time as director.

Antonio Zichichi, president of the World Federation of Scientists, Geneva – a member of the Pontifiical  Academy of Sciences at the Vatican.

Climate Change and YouTube

Some successful and not so successful YouTube user video lobbying on both sides of the Great Anthropomorphic Global Warming Divide*.......


http://youtu.be/yKUPUznJZoE


http://youtu.be/-zeGY8zbzc8


http://youtu.be/sSTLDel-G9k


http://youtu.be/eLs73KJI36w


http://youtu.be/S9ob9WdbXx0


http://youtu.be/CdvXWZxAAKQ


http://youtu.be/TQlHaGhYoF0

* Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency,
Debunking The Myths

Willie Soon tells the world that porkers can fly

 

“One of the world's most prominent scientific figures to be sceptical about climate change has admitted to being paid more than $1m in the past decade by major US oil and coal companies.

Dr Willie Soon, an astrophysicist at the Solar, Stellar and Planetary Sciences Division of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, is known for his view that global warming and the melting of the arctic sea ice is caused by solar variation rather than human-caused CO2 emissions, and that polar bears are not primarily threatened by climate change.

But according to a Greenpeace US investigation, he has been heavily funded by coal and oil industry interests since 2001, receiving money from ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute and Koch Industries along with Southern, one of the world's largest coal-burning utility companies.

Since 2002, it is alleged, every new grant he has received has been from either oil or coal interests.

In addition, freedom of information documents suggest that Soon corresponded in 2003 with other prominent climate sceptics to try to weaken a major assessment of global warming being conducted by the UN's leading climate science body, the Nobel prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Soon, who had previously disclosed corporate funding he received in the 1990s, was today reportedly unapologetic, telling Reuters that he agreed that he had received money from all of the groups and companies named in the report but denied that any group would have influenced his studies. ‘{The Guardian on 28 June 2011}

Porker flew in from Google Images

For no other reason than this political comment appears to be getting up Gerry Harvey's nose [video]

http://youtu.be/7ZSRLbRQVHk

The Sydney Morning Herald 4 July 2011:

MFC and GetUp! had planned to launched a 60-second television commercial targeting Harvey Norman, which is a major TV advertising client.
But the groups said the ad had been refused classification by industry body Commercials Advice - which provides classification and information to advertisers, agencies and production houses - on the basis that it might expose free-to-air TV stations to legal action.
The ad was due to be shown during this week's State of Origin rugby league decider.
GetUp! national director Simon Sheikh said the classification decision amounted to corporate censorship.
"The reason given to us for the refusal was that running the ad may expose networks to lawsuits from Harvey Norman, but this assessment is beyond [Commercials Advice's] mandate," he said in a statement.

Markets for Change
‘NoHarveyNo: How Australia’s largest furniture and electronics retailers is driving the destruction of our native forests.’: Executive Summary and Report
Commercials Advice (CAD) 2010 Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice

Marohasy confirms she's a AGW denier and tries to stack Q&A with rehearsed audience

This I just gotta quote in full from Jennifer Marohasy's blog on the 12th October.............

"I should probably be flattered to be invited on to the popular ABC TV program Q&A as a panelist. But why is the promo for the program next Monday advertising Tim Flannery as 'scientist' and me as 'climate sceptic'?

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/

Tony Jones could refer to us both as 'scientists'. Alternatively the promo could suggest Tim is an 'alarmist' and me the 'denier'.

I am not even a climate sceptic… but rather sceptical of what was the consensus position on anthropogenic global warming.

Anyway, it would be good if there were a few other so-called climate change sceptics at the event… and also some people who don't believe more water for South Australia will necessarily solve all the environmental problems of the Murray Darling Basin. So, I am encouraging readers of this blog to try for a place in the studio audience next Monday by applying here: http://www2b.abc.net.au/AudienceBooking/Client/AudienceRegistration.aspx
And you can send in questions via email using this link http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/ask.htm

Also, the annual Australian Environment Foundation Conference is this Saturday at Rydges in Brisbane. Max Rheese is organising a Q&A session at the Conference dinner on Saturday night, to give me some practice in advance of Monday, October 18th. Apparently there will be a 'Tony Jones' at the dinner and through him you can ask me questions. It should be a lot of fun. You can register here: http://aefweb.info/ "

Telstra continues down the path to irrelevance as Thodey tries to woo MPs with canapés & cocktails

Historical share price table from Telstra website

Market share not what it used to be, share price in a downward spiral since 1999 and reaching a record low recently, dividends not as golden as they used to be, profit margins getting slimmer, a company profile which is often a public relations nightmare - and now national telecommunications 'giant' Telstra has added insult to injury by trying to lobby a federal MP who just happens to have seen Thodey's razor gang at work in her own electorate.

This is the Member for Page's response to David 'let them eat cake' Thodey in a media release on 28 September 2010:

Saffin condemns Telstra decision to close Call Centre

Page MP Janelle Saffin said Telstra Business has today shown its contempt for its employees and for Regional Australia with its decision to close the Grafton Call Centre on November 23.

Ms Saffin said with this move Telstra missed an opportunity to turn around public opinion and show it can be a good corporate citizen.

"By ignoring the unprecedented local campaign to save the local Telstra jobs, Telstra has made it pretty clear how much it values us here in the regions.

"The organisation has chosen to ignore its employees, the union, the Mayor, and State and Federal representatives and about 6000 local people who signed a petition asking to keep the centre open.

"Telstra will now find it has very poor standing in the local community and faces the loss of a lot of local business.

"This decision shows a total lack of imagination. Telstra couldn't see that expanding their operations in this region could have been a cost saving.

"I note that CEO David Thodey regularly talks about Telstra's new push to improve customer service, but the Corporation somehow believes that the best way to improve customer service is to cut jobs.

"Today in Parliament all MPs received an invitation to cocktails with Mr Thodey in Canberra next month.

"I have answered that along with more than 6000 people in the Clarence Valley, I want the 108 jobs in Grafton and not the canapés and cocktails.

"Today I have lodged a Notice of Motion in the Parliament calling for the condemnation of this appalling decision.

Australian mining industry piles on the tax distortions as it tries to win over the electorate

If one relies on media reports it would appear that the Australian mining industry might have a case against the Rudd Government's proposed Resource Super Profits Tax which is due to activate in 2012.

The RSPT will replace the crude oil excise, and operate in parallel with State and Territory royalty regimes and Under the RSPT a refundable credit for royalties paid to State and Territory Governments will be available.

However, if one cares to open the media releases put out by the Mining Council of Australia the flimsy nature of arguments used by the anti-RSPT lobby begins to emerge.

To date my favourite assertion is; The super tax is, in effect, a Government-mandated sale of 40% of Australia's resources industry at a Government mandated price.

Another favourite is the statement that; For the industry as a whole in 2007-2008, ATO statistics show mining companies paid 27.8% effective corporate tax rate, which rises to 41.3% when royalties are included.

While Mining pays a higher tax rate than any other industry stands out as a blatant attempt at misdirection.

All these quotes are found in the Mineral Council's The truth about the super tax –the myths and the facts, 25 May 2010.

So let's look at the forced sale argument.

No established mining corporation is talking of selling off the parent company or subsidiaries - in the middle of a resources boom most of these companies are very profitable and likely to continue so for many years even with mooted tax reform.

The only threats being made by some mining companies is that they will reassess their scheduled mining projects in light of the proposed tax and rebate scheme.

What about that colossal corporate tax rate quoted, I hear you ask.

Well in 2007-08 there were according to the Australian Taxation Office 2007-08 statistics; 4,290 mining companies having combined incomes which totalled $160,323,192,189, which in turn had combined taxable incomes of $29,010,243,407 and net tax actually paid was $8,068,463,15 after all allowed deductions had been made.

As for royalty payments made in Australia these added up to $3,924,902,975 in 2007-08, which was a little over half of all royalty payments across all listed industries made in that financial year. (Update: A hat tip here to Peter Martin for pointing out in a recent post that mining royalties are tax deductible)

What the Tax Office also points out is the fact that of these 4,290 mining companies there were some who paid no tax at all and, these comprised 68.3% of all mining companies.

In fact the mining sector has the second-highest percentage of 'no tax paid' than any other listed industry.

How did they do that?

Well there are at least 20 deductions, rebates, concessions, exemptions, offsets etc. available to the mining industry and their combined value is literally worth billions.

The industry total for expenses claimed under R&D concessions alone was $2,508,321,897 and immediate deduction for capital expenditure $3,785,347,506, in 2007-08.

So how does the claim that the mining industry is paying a higher tax rate than any other industry fare?

Quite frankly the mining industry tax rate does not stand alone from some other listed industries in terms of comparable tax percentages to taxable income.

It is worth noting that in 2007 the Business Council of Australia in Tax Nation calculated corporate tax (as a percentage of profit) at 20% for the mining industry.

Interestingly this same document stated; Taxes Collected are negative for the mining industry group because as major exporters survey participants reported a significant GST refund which more than offset other Taxes Collected.

It is also interesting to see that the Mining Council of Australia's advertisement presently being broadcast states that the mining industry currently pays 38% tax, which is a figure significantly lower than those quoted in other council documents which had the combined company tax and royalties running at 41.3%.

Next time you see a talking head spruiking for the mining industry or catch one of the industry's televised advertisements - remember that all is not as these miners would have you believe.

Image from Mumbrella

ICAC investigation into lobbying in New South Wales - have your say on undue influence and corruption

Communities on the NSW North Coast are subject to sustained population pressure and the growing influence of developers both large and small is distorting the democratic process in relation to planning policy and implementation at state and local level.

Here is an opportunity for Northern Rivers residents to have their say on failing processes in formal and informal interactions between government, elected representatives, public servants/local government management and communities.

From the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) website:

The Independent Commission Against Corruption is conducting an investigation into lobbying of public officials and public authorities in NSW and the related procedures and regulatory system.

The Commission is seeking input from individuals and organisations through a call for submissions which must be received at the Commission by 5pm Wednesday 23 June 2010. See the guide for making a submission for more information.

Submissions may respond to the Commission's issues paper on lobbying, the investigation scope and purpose and other relevant issues concerning lobbying in NSW.

Lobbying in NSW - issues paper

Guide for making a submission to the ICAC

Scope and purpose of the investigation

The scope and purpose of the investigation is to examine whether the relationship between lobbyists and public authorities and public officials may allow, encourage or cause the occurrence of corrupt conduct or conduct connected with corrupt conduct and to identify whether any laws governing any public authority or public official need to be changed and whether any methods of work, practices or procedures of any public authority or public official could allow, encourage or cause the occurrence of corrupt conduct and if so, what changes should be made.

Is your local council using this tool?
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has recently released a Development assessment internal audit tool. The ICAC recommends that councils adapt all or part of this tool to address the potential corruption risks within the development assessment process.

Are we in danger of entering a new faith-inspired Dark Ages or are we witnessing conservative right-wing religion's last hurrah?

The media quite often throws up quotes by religious leaders on the subject of global warming and some journalists have a penchant for picking those clerics who are most likely to be firmly anti-science.

So, are we in danger of entering a new faith-inspired Dark Ages or are we witnessing conservative right-wing religion's last hurrah? Now there is a question which itself smacks of as much wishful thinking on my part as that demonstrated by climate change sceptics within the clergy.

I don't think that there is any danger of paternalistic traditional religion fading away or its right-wing cadres disappearing into thin air. It's much more likely that when climate change descends on the heads of these faith-based sceptics we will all be told chronic water scarcity, food shortages and all our violent weather woes are God's punishment for our manifest sins.

Still, egged on by certain dominant groups and paid lobbyists, those against the idea that there is any such thing as catastrophic man-made global warming are now firmly entrenched in the religious arena. It would be folly to ignore the ability of religious groups to influence government policy, particularly in the role of stalking horse for big business.

Recent shifts in COP15 2009 rhetoric from binding legal agreements to non-binding political agreements being the goal for Copenhagen this December are no coincidence, as the alliances forged between anti-science groups supported by polluting industries and right-wing religious groups are emerging into the light.

On the U.S. faith-based Cornwall Alliance website currently there is a copy of An Open Letter to the Signers of"Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action"and Others Concerned About Global Warming which states:

In the accompanying document, "A Call to Truth, Prudence, and Protection of the Poor: An Evangelical Response to Global Warming," we present extensive evidence and argument against the extent, the significance, and perhaps the existence of the much-touted scientific consensus on catastrophic human-induced global warming. Further, good science–like truth–is not about counting votes but about empirical evidence and valid arguments.

The website also features The Cornwall Stewardship Agenda and is listed by that secular anti-global warming group The Heartland Institute as one of its 2009 conference co-sponsors.

Even Australia is not immune - for years Catholic Cardinal George Pell has been a member of the anti-science chorus and been quoted in media as saying that he is not convinced that climate change poses a threat, which shores up Monbiot's theory that many of the vocal global warming denialists appear to be middle aged to elderly.

While Christian right-wing political parties Family First and the Christian Democratic Party have both frequently taken highly sceptical, contradictory and often unreasonable positions on the existence of man-made warming. Although these two political parties are not alone in their desire to deny. The Liberal-Nationals Coalition is also riddled with anti-science sentiment as illustrated by the recent ABC Four Corners episode Malcolm and the Malcontents [Program Transcript and Reports and Resources].

It would not surprise me if findings of the October 2009 Pew Research Centre survey on attitudes to climate change were mirrored in Australia (this American survey found that the belief that global warming was a very serious problem had fallen by 27 percent within the combined 50 years of age and over groups and only 9 percent within the combined 49 years of age and under groups. These changes occurring in a sixteen month period). Indeed the summary of The 2009 Lowy Institute Poll appears to indicate that this is possible, however the 1,003 respondents do not appear to have been differentiated across all age groupings - at least for public consumption.

In 2007 Monsanto spent US$4M+ on lobbying, in 2008 it spent US$8M+, while in 2009....

Graph U.S. Agricultural sector lobbying expenditure 2009

Monsanto & Co. continues to expand its dominance of the world seed and genetically modified food additive markets with certain of its corporate expenses rising each year this century.

In 2006 this biotech multinational spent over US$3 million on lobbying governments and government agencies. By 2008 it was spending over US$8 million. In 2009 so far Monsanto & Co has spent over US$6 million on similar activities.

It is only one of 342 agricultural sector lobbyists in the United States listed by Open Secrets but is by far the biggest spender this year.

The U.S. agricultural lobby sector in 2009 is worth $25,721,913, has made over $2 million in campaign contributions for the American 2010 election cycle to date and Monsanto is in the top five donation contributors.

In February of this year Monsanto approached the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking a ruling that stearidonic (SDA) omega-3 soybean oil was generally recognised as safe.

Monsanto intends to market SDA soybean oil as a food ingredient in the United States in a variety of food products including baked goods and baking mixes, breakfast cereals and grains, cheeses, dairy product analogs, fats and oils, fish products, frozen dairy desserts and mixes, grain products and pastas, gravies and sauces, meat products, milk products, nuts and nut products, poultry products, processed fruit juices, processed vegetable products, puddings and fillings, snack foods, soft candy, and soups and soup mixes. SDA soybean oil will be added to foods at levels that provide 375 mg SDA/serving.

Now it is reported that Monsanto is positioning itself to release soy-based GMO omega-3 oil on the market sometime after 2010 and according to a Monsanto media release the FDA has announced this month that genetically modified omega-3 oil is safe to use (however the FDA makes it plain that it has solely relied on Monsanto's own assessment).

Are we getting close to quod erat demonstrandum?

* This post is part of North Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.