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.
What exactly is the Institute of Public Affairs Limited and why is it always in our faces? Because this question comes up from time to time, here is a brief history of what is essentially an aggressive right-wing lobby group heavily influencing the Liberal Party.
The Institute of Public Affairs Limited (IPA) is a Melbourne-based, right wing ‘free market think tank’ that was formed in 1943 by members of the business community allegedly for philanthropic purposes, however it only registered with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission on 10 June 1987. It pays no tax.
From its earliest beginnings IPA appears to have had close ties with the Liberal Party which continue to this day, with Liberal Party IPA members in the Australian Parliament. James Paterson (former IPA Deputy Executive Director) was picked to fill a Liberal Party senate vacancy and Tim Wilson (former IPA Director of Climate Change Policy and the Intellectual Property and Free Trade Unit) is the Liberal MP for Goldstein.
Other IPA members were also elected to federal parliament – Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm is in the Senate as was Family First’s Bob Day until November 2016.
On his elevation to the
senate Paterson emailed a letter to all IPA members in which he said, “I want you to know that
I’m going to the Senate to fight for exactly the same things I have in my time
at the IPA. I know if I ever fail to do so that IPA members will be the first
to let me know where I have gone wrong!”.....
A second telling example
concerns the response to the refusal in August 2014 to repeal race hate laws.
As reported by
Latika Burke in the Age (7/8/14) John Roskam said the IPA had “been contacted by many
IPA members who are also Liberal Party members who have said they will resign
their membership from the Liberal Party over this broken promise from the
government,…”
It was also reported
that Tony Abbott had phoned Andrew Bolt and John Roskam to inform them of the
government’s decision. So Liberal party members apparently go to the IPA before
protesting to their own MPs.
For an organisation with such a relatively small membership it has an inordinately loud voice and, in its last published annual report in 2014-15 bragged that the IPA was mentioned 81 times in federal parliament, made 762 appearances in print media, 411 appearance on radio and 184 on television.
This particular annual report states that: IPA research and analysis is featured in the national media on average more than three times each day.
IPA annual revenue has been listed in the millions since at least 2008-09 and at 30 June 2015 revenue was listed as $3.4 million – with 60% coming from individuals, 20% from businesses, 18% from foundations and 2% listed as other. The organisation’s expenses at 30 June 2015 were recorded as $3 million.
A number of its donors are exceedingly generous – 64 of these unidentified donors gave between $5,000 and $49,999 each in 2014-15 with a further 15 giving $50,000+ each.
The IPA was endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) from 30 Mar 2006 and according to ABC Newsin February 2012:
In order for the IPA to become a DGR it had to apply to the Secretary of what is now the Federal Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research giving various undertakings.
Most importantly, it had to undertake to use all tax-deductible donations exclusively for scientific research, more particularly, "scientific research which is, or may prove to be, of value to Australia". In this context, the authorities have ruled that "scientific research" includes social scientific research.
The IPA also had to undertake to create a separate bank account into which all tax-deductible gifts must be deposited. The Institute's financial statements show that it keeps some of its cash in an account called "NAB Research Account". On June 30, 2010 it held $385,647.
It must also ensure that all disbursements from this research account are evaluated and approved by "a suitably qualified research committee" of at least five members, the majority of whom are appropriately qualified in the field of research that is to be undertaken or have appropriate experience in reviewing research, and who should be nominated on the basis of their "proven ability to direct a research program". As far as I can tell, the IPA has not made public the membership of its research committee.
The rules state explicitly that tax-deductible funds may not be used for "the organisation of conferences, congresses and symposia and the publication of information (other than the results of the ARI's own research work, undertaken through this program)."
All of this raises the question of whether donations to the IPA for which the donor has claimed a tax deduction are being used in compliance with the law.
The last published mention of an IPA Research Committee in 2013-14 included Professor Bob Carter, Professor Greg Craven, Dr Tim Duncan, Dr Michael Folie, Professor John Freebairn, Dr Scott Prasser and Dr Tom Quirk as committee members.So called‘scientific’ research undertaken appears to be primarily related to its own policy platforms, including climate change denial.
Peta Credlin was allegedly an IPA staffer at one time.
Because the IPA keeps its membership list extremely private one can only speculate on its contents, however some donors, members and/or supporters have come to light over the years. These are: international media mogul Rupert Murdoch on the IPA Council from 1986 to 2000, mining billionaire Gina Rinehart, columnist Andrew Bolt, former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, former Liberal prime minister John Howard, Exxon, Shell, Caltex, BHP-Billiton, Western Mining Corporation,Murray Irrigation Limited, Monsanto, Woodside Petroleum, Phillip Morris and British American Tobacco.
The IPA has been attacking the idea of public broadcasting for years:
1 Repeal the carbon tax,
and don't replace it. It will be one thing to remove the burden of the
carbon tax from the Australian economy. But if it is just replaced by
another costly scheme, most of the benefits will be undone.
2 Abolish
the Department of Climate Change
3 Abolish the
Clean Energy Fund
4 Repeal
Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act
5 Abandon
Australia's bid for a seat on the United Nations Security
Council
6 Repeal
the renewable energy target
7 Return
income taxing powers to the states
8 Abolish
the Commonwealth Grants Commission
9 Abolish the
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
10 Withdraw
from the Kyoto Protocol
11 Introduce fee
competition to Australian universities
12 Repeal the
National Curriculum
13 Introduce
competing private secondary school curriculums
14 Abolish the
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
15 Eliminate laws that
require radio and television broadcasters to be 'balanced'
16 Abolish television
spectrum licensing and devolve spectrum management to the common
law
17 End local
content requirements for Australian television stations
18 Eliminate
family tax benefits
19 Abandon the paid
parental leave scheme
20 Means-test Medicare
21 End all corporate
welfare and subsidies by closing the Department of
Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education
22 Introduce
voluntary voting
23 End mandatory
disclosures on political donations
24 End media blackout in
final days of election campaigns
25 End public
funding to political parties
26 Remove
anti-dumping laws
27 Eliminate
media ownership restrictions
28 Abolish the
Foreign Investment Review Board
29 Eliminate
the National Preventative Health Agency
30 Cease
subsidising the car industry
31 Formalise a
one-in, one-out approach to regulatory reduction
32 Rule out federal
funding for 2018 Commonwealth Games
33 Deregulate
the parallel importation of books
34 End preferences for
Industry Super Funds in workplace relations laws
35 Legislate a cap
on government spending and tax as a percentage of GDP
36 Legislate a balanced
budget amendment which strictly limits the size of
budget deficits and the period the federal government can be in
deficit
37 Force government
agencies to put all of their spending online in a
searchable database
38 Repeal plain
packaging for cigarettes and rule it out for all other products,
including alcohol and fast food
39 Reintroduce
voluntary student unionism at universities
40 Introduce a voucher
scheme for secondary schools
41 Repeal the alcopops
tax
42 Introduce a special
economic zone in the north of Australia including:
a) Lower personal income tax for residents
b) Significantly expanded 457 Visa programs for workers
c) Encourage the construction of dams
43 Repeal the mining tax
44 Devolve environmental
approvals for major projects to the states
45 Introduce a single
rate of income tax with a generous tax-free threshold
46 Cut company tax to an
internationally competitive rate of 25 per cent
47 Cease funding the
Australia Network
48 Privatise Australia
Post
49 Privatise Medibank
50 Break up the ABC and
put out to tender each individual function
51 Privatise SBS
52 Reduce the size of the public service from current levels of more than 260,000
to at least the 2001 low of 212,784
53 Repeal the Fair
Work Act
54 Allow individuals and
employers to negotiate directly terms of employment that suit them
55 Encourage independent
contracting by overturning new regulations designed to punish contractors
56 Abolish the Baby
Bonus
57 Abolish the First
Home Owners' Grant
58 Allow the Northern
Territory to become a state
59 Halve the size of the
Coalition front bench from 32 to 16
60 Remove all remaining
tariff and non-tariff barriers to international trade
61 Slash top public
servant salaries to much lower international standards, like in the United
States
62 End all public
subsidies to sport and the arts
63 Privatise the
Australian Institute of Sport
64 End all hidden
protectionist measures, such as preferences for local manufacturers in
government tendering
65 Abolish the Office
for Film and Literature Classification
66 Rule out any
government-supported or mandated internet censorship
67 Means test tertiary
student loans
68 Allow people to opt
out of superannuation in exchange for promising to forgo any government income
support in retirement
69 Immediately halt
construction of the National Broadband Network and privatise any sections that
have already been built
70 End all government
funded Nanny State advertising
71 Reject proposals for
compulsory food and alcohol labelling
72 Privatise the CSIRO
73 Defund Harmony Day
74 Close the Office for
Youth
75 Privatise the
Snowy-Hydro Scheme A further 25 IPA ideas to shape Australia can be found here.
John Roskam, Executive Director, member of the Liberal Party of Australia, former Manager of Government and Corporate Affairs for Rio Tinto Group
Rod Kemp, Chairman, former Liberal Party senator and son of IPA co-founder
Janet Albrechtsen, Director, News Corp journalist
Harold Clough, Director, Liberal party donor
Tim Duncan, Director, former Liberal party media adviser, former Head of Australian External Affairs at Rio Tinto
Michael Folie, Director, former Shell Australia director and former Deputy Chairman of InterOil Corporation
Michael Hickinbotham, Director, South Australian property developer and Liberal Party supporter/donor
Geoff Hone, Director, lawyer specialising in company law
Rod Menzies, Director, multi-millionaire, Executive Chairman Menzies International (Aust) Pty Ltd
William Morgan, Director,
Maurice O'Shannassy, Director, Managing Director and Co-Chief Investment Officer at BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited, Chairman MWH CapitalPty Ltd
Current staff:
Darcy Allen, Research Fellow
Richard Allsop, Senior Fellow
Morgan Begg, Researcher and Editor, FreedomWatch
Chris Berg, Senior Fellow
Simon Breheny, Director of Policy
Sinclair Davidson, Senior Research Fellow
Stephanie Forrest, Research Scholar, Foundations of Western Civilisation Program
Father James Grant, Adjunct Fellow
Peter Gregory, Research Fellow
Brett Hogan, Director of Research
John Hyde, Emeritus Fellow
Scott Hargreaves, Senior Fellow
Aaron Lane, Legal Fellow
Jennifer Marohasy, Senior Fellow
Mikayla Novak, Adjunct Fellow
Jason Potts, Adjunct Fellow
Tom Switzer, Adjunct Fellow
James Bolt, Digital Communications Manager
Rachel Guy, Development Coordinator
Nina Lohanatha, Administrative Assistant
Andrew Poon, Director, Finance and Administration
Anniessa Putri, Finance Assistant
Sarah Wilson, Membership and Special Events Coordinator
Matthew Lesh, Research Fellow, Future of Freedom Program
Andrew Bushnell
Bella d'Abrera, Director, Future of Freedom
Daniel Wild
Evan Mulholland, Media and Communications Manager
Georgina Downer, Adjunct Fellow
Michael Husek
Staff in 2013-14:
Dr John Abbot—Senior Fellow, Darcy Allen—Research Fellow, Dr Richard Allsop—Senior Fellow, Morgan Begg—Editor, FreedomWatch, Chris Berg—Senior Fellow, James Bolt—Communications Coordinator, Simon Breheny—Director, Legal Rights Project, Professor Bob Carter—Emeritus Fellow, Professor Sinclair Davidson—Senior Fellow, Stephanie Forrest—Research Scholar, Father James Grant—Adjunct Fellow, Peter Gregory—Research Fellow, Rachel Guy—Development Manager, Brett Hogan—Director, Energy and Innovation Policy, John Hyde—Emeritus Fellow, Nick Jarman—Development Associate, Aline Le Guen—Editor, IPA Review, Nina Lohanatha—Administrative Assistant, Dr Jennifer Marohasy—Senior Fellow, Dr Mikayla Novak—Senior Fellow, Hannah Pandel—Research Fellow, James Paterson—Deputy Executive Director, Rob Phayer—Internal Systems Manager, Andy Poon—Director, Finance and Administration, Professor Jason Potts—Adjunct Fellow, Martin Proctor—Campus Coordinator, Anniessa Putri—Finance Assistant, Tom Switzer—Adjunct Fellow, Henry Travers—Multimedia Coordinator, Sasha Uher—Campus Coordinator, Sarah Wilson—Membership Coordinator.
ABC's Four Corners program has revealed the campaign was run by lobby group the National Civic Council (NCC), which emailed thousands of its members and associates, urging them to contact the Liberal MPs.
The emails link to a live webpage hosted by sister organisation, The Australian Family Association, where almost 100 Liberal MPs could be contacted with a single click.
MPs described being deluged with emails leading up to the leadership spill.
"In the last few days the emails have been overwhelmingly flooding the office saying all this nonsense about leadership has gone far too far, and the emails are now overwhelmingly saying 'stick to the team you've got'," Senator Eric Abetz told ABC Hobart at the time.
Four Corners uncovered the campaign after a detailed instruction email was inadvertently sent to a Sydney barrister.
NCC vice president Patrick Byrne, who organised the email campaign, said it was effective.
"Our email campaign would've gone out to maybe 10,000 people; I'm not exactly sure and I don't have direct feedback, but I think it's had some influence," he told Four Corners.
One NCC email, obtained by Four Corners, warned about the possibility of either Malcolm Turnbull or Julie Bishop being elected to the leadership.
"Whatever his failings, the alternatives are Malcolm Turnbull, who failed as leader, and Julie Bishop, who was forced to resign as shadow treasurer due to dissatisfaction within Liberal ranks over her performance," one email read.
The emails credit Mr Abbott with holding the line on same-sex marriage and repealing the carbon tax.
The Prime Minister is held in high regard by the NCC.
Mr Abbott described its founder, Bob Santamaria, as, "my first political mentor", in his book Battlelines.
In the aftermath of the Great Split in the Labor Party, in 1954-55, the Catholic-based anti-communist wing was driven out of all the states, other than New South Wales. The anti-communists, led by Bob Santamaria, then received the cold shoulder from Rome. They soldiered on, forming one of the most determined political forces in Australia. Through his organisation, the National Civic Council, and his newspaper column, his TV spot on the Nine Network and his regular contact with government ministers, Santamaria exerted the kind of influence which political activists and lobbyists these days can only dream of.
When No Fibsreported this on1 November 2013 it probably surprised very few people:
It was interesting to see the opinion piece written by Peter Reith for The Drum – Fracking scare campaigns threaten our prosperity – especially considering Reith is a paid political lobbyist and chairman of the Victorian Government’s task force on the eastern gas market.
“The public debate is soon mired in myriad false claims, partly because government has not ensured the public is fairly informed and because some activists have other political agendas,” writes Reith.
To ensure that the public is fairly informed, and agendas and vested interests are properly tabled, it should be noted that Peter Reith is a lobbyist for First State Advisors and Consultants Pty Ltd.
Two major players in the coal seam gas industry are Reith’s clients: Thiess and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.
Thiess has won a $1.8 billion contract from CSG producer QGC for the construction of gas compression facilities in Queensland’s Surat Basin.
Another of Reith’s lobbying clients, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council has applied to explore for coal seam gas beneath 40 per cent of the state, sparking outrage from indigenous and non-indigenous people alike….
It made the Gas Market Task Forcefinal report predictable in its pro-unconventional gas conclusion:
Overall, the Taskforce considers that governments and industry should take collective action and adopt a greater sense of urgency to ensure the eastern gas market can adapt and take advantage of the significant structural changes occurring.
The focus of the Taskforce’s proposals for immediate action include facilitating new gas supplies and making the most of the sizeable gas resources available in eastern Australia. The Taskforce also supports a greater coordinated effort to implement existing national gas market reforms.
Potentially, a more ambitious package of integrated gas market reforms with the objective of increasing competition, liquidity and transparency in the eastern market could build on the existing national gas market reforms, but this requires more work and rigorous cost benefit analysis.
Finally, as unconventional gas makes an increasingly significant contribution to eastern market gas supply, strong leadership and community engagement is required. This will help to build confidence in the gas industry, which is becoming a leading national economic opportunity for Australia over the coming decades.
So what has Peter Keaston Reith arch-lobbyist been up to since then?
Well, he appears to no longer be a listed special counsel for First State Advisors and Consultants at federal or states level.
However, he remains a lobbyist for Bechtel Management Company Ltd, a company which has been on his client list at least since the time he headed the Victorian task force.
Bechtel Management Company Ltdis a civil engineering/construction subsidiaryof the Bechtel Corporation which has coal, oil and gas projects around the world. Including in the Pilbara region of West Australia and the Gladstone region in Queensland.
In its 2012 annual reportBechtel 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 theBechtel Power Corporationis alsoa member of the UK Nuclear Industry Association.
Reith continues to talk up ‘natural’ gas and remains misleading about his relationship with the industry, as his 25 February 2015 article in The Sydney Morning Herald reveals:
I became interested in natural gas at the request of the Victorian government, which was concerned at the impact of gas sales to China and its implications for the eastern Australia gas market. The massive developments in Queensland are already imposing transitional effects. There is a real prospect Sydney could suffer gas shortages causing major dislocation to business. Gas prices are already rising and it could take at least three years to supply additional gas to Sydney if everything goes well and if the government holds its nerve.
Metgasco Limited's major shareholder ERM Power gets a mention in the Brisbane Timeson 24 November 2014:
State Energy Minister Mark McArdle held a Liberal National Party fundraiser at the offices of one of the nation's largest energy companies, but did not declare it in his ministerial diary.
The 2013 event was held in the boardroom of ERM Power, one of many meetings between the minister, the energy company and lobbying firm SAS Group, according to documents seen by Fairfax Media.
A spokesman for Mr McArdle said the minister always complied with the reporting obligations set down by Premier Campbell Newman's demand for the most transparent and accountable administraton in Queensland's history, but the boardroom fundraiser did not fall into the category of a reportable event.
"Fundraising is carried out by the party organisation in strict compliance with state and federal laws," the statement says.
A spokesman for ERM Power said political fundraising was a "legitimate exercise of the freedom of political association and expression".
"ERM Power complies with the regulatory framework in Queensland for such activities, making the required disclosures under the Electoral Act," he said.
The documents, which the Electrical Trades Union is expected to submit to the Senate Inquiry in to the Queensland Government, show meetings and meals between the government, ERM executives and their lobbyists stretch back to 2012, soon after the LNP took office.
Locations included Minister McArdle's office, the LNP state conference and the Queensland Club.
Mr McArdle's spokesman said the minister regularly met with a wide range of stakeholders in the energy and water sectors.
So far this year:
* Mr McArdle met ERM Power representatives at The Queensland Club on February 5 to discuss "renewable energy" on February 5;
* The state governmentannounced on March 6 it was axing the 8 cent solar feed-in-tariff paid to 40,000 Queenslanders in favour of a system where customers negotiated directly with retailers; and
* On March 11 Mr McArdle was the guest at a lunch hosted by SAS Group in the lobbying company's boardroom.
SAS Group did not declare the event on the contact register maintained by the state's Integrity Commissioner but Mr McArdle did, listing its purpose in his diary as "boardroom lunch" and naming the lobbyists as the organiser......
Fairfax Media last year revealed that ERM, which had previously predominately donated to the Labor Party, had donated more than $25,000 to the LNP since 2010, with $1500 going to the Labor Party in the same period.
The government appointed the company's non-executive chair, Tony Bellas, as head of its Independent Review Panel into the electricity sector in May 2012.
An ERM Power spokesman said the company, whose Brisbane office was opened by Premier Campbell Newman in April 2013, was a major Queensland employer and ASX listed entity and as a matter of good business practice maintained appropriate relationships with all of its stakeholders, including the government and opposition.
The Senate Inquiry into the Queensland government will hold its next public hearing on November 28. The question a number of voters on the NSW North Coast are asking is: How much is ERM Power donating to the NSW Liberal and Nationals election campaigns ahead of the March 2015 state election? Because unless the current Liberal-Nationals Coalition Government headed by Premier Baird wins re-election Metgasco Limited will lose all its North Coast coal seam gas tenements and ERM Power the value of its investment. BACKGROUND Details of the Senate Select Committee inquiry into Certain Aspects of Queensland Government Administration related to Commonwealth Government Affairs can be found here.
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 Jasperand 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.
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:
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?
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.
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.
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……
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……
North Coast Voices no longer allows the Facebook Button sited at the end of each blog post to activate when it is clicked on by a reader.
This button has been deactivated because it has become clear that Facebook Inc. is not now and has never been a corporation genuinely committed to principles of digital privacy and security of Internet users' personal information and other associated data.
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
[Adopted and proclaimed by United Nations General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948]
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 tourismbusiness 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 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.
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