Christmas brings out those water raiding crazies

Crazy can be the only way to describe those misguided individuals who, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, still maintain that damming and diverting the Clarence River will save the Murray Darling Basin from continued unsustainable water extraction, environmental degradation and, subsequent commercial agricultural decline.

Here is the latest person to raise the subject, the former West Australia Water Minister and self-proclaimed founder of the Watering Australia Foundation (WAF), Ernie Bridge who apparently wants to take all the major East Coast rivers and turn them inland.

Here is Ernie in 2004 speaking on the subject with George Negus.

Here is Ernie in December 2011 speaking with Farm Weekly:

"The Clarence River in northern NSW has more than enough water to spare for the job (to flush the Murray).

Water from the Clarence could be diverted into the Darling River and then it would flow into the Murray”

The bloke's as thick as a brick

TONY Abbott says he revels in the nickname of "Dr No"

{Herald Sun 10^th November 2011}

A tale of two speeding incidents

The 2010 sign on the Pacific Highway at Clarenza warning drivers of mobile speed cameras.
From The Daily Examiner

As the mainstream media continues its coverage of the antics of disgraced former O’Farrell Government Nationals MP for Clarence, Steve 'do as I say not as I do' Cansdell, we are reminded that he appears to have been a serial offender when it comes to speeding on Clarence electorate roads.

However, only on two occasions did his driving at speed make it into print. These indicate that Mr. Cansdell did not have an opportunity to utter an untruth in the second instance. They also highlight the curious case of a parliamentarian rising to his feet in the NSW Legislative Assembly to create the very conditions which would see himself caught out and, of a politician who refused to see himself as one of those Pacific Highway hazards he railed against. 

Here is a chronological word picture over time supplying a little context……

NSW Hansard Legislative Assembly, 26 September 2006:

I {Cansdell} have been imploring the Government to cut the speed limit on the Pacific Highway at Clarenza from 100 to 80 kilometres an hour. This would only be along a 1,500-metre stretch of the highway and would only increase travel times by 13.5 seconds.

CarKB, 3 October 2008:

You would have to be almost asleep at the wheel to miss the Woodburn speed camera. Like all fixed speed cameras in NSW there are large signs  posted to warn you that you are approaching them. If you didn't see the signs you have serious situational awareness problems.

The Daily Examiner, Page 4, 14 October 2009:

LESS than a week after his letter on the issue was published in The Daily Examiner, Member for Clarence Steve Cansdell has been booked for speeding in an 80kmh zone on the Pacific Highway at Clarenza.

The MP was seen copping the ticket on the edge of the highway's southbound lane on Monday afternoon about 5.30pm.

Ironically, Mr Cansdell had successfully campaigned for an 80kmh section of highway to be introduced in the vicinity of McAuley Catholic College several years ago.

But, as the MP explained in his letter last week, it was never the intention for the 80kmh zone to be extended 4km north of the school - the area where he was caught.

Witnesses said Mr Cansdell was pulled over no more than 200 metres from the school and Mr Cansdell yesterday explained the actual speeding offence had occurred more than a kilometre further north of the point where he was stopped.

"I had my cruise control set to 100 so I wouldn't get booked and before I knew it I was in the 80kmh zone," he said.

Mr Cansdell admitted he was in the wrong and while there were mitigating circumstances involving him providing urgent help to a young constituent, he would not dispute the offence.

In his letter last week, Mr Cansdell hailed the 80kmh zone as 'a win for the school ... and the community'.

Mr Cansdell admitted he had been fined several times since becoming an MP because of the many kilometres he covered in the job.

Grafton Police declined to comment on the matter.

The Daily Examiner, 5 July 2010:

Reader’s comment on the introduction of mobile speed cameras on the NSW North Coast - Nothing wrong with mobile speed cameras, makes more sense than stupid signed stationary ones, at least those that break the law might now get caught and pay the consequence!

The Clarence Valley Review, 15 September 2010:

He {Cansdell} said the speed camera located north of Woodburn, “a village similar in size to Ulmarra with around 500 residents … has done exactly what is needed at Ulmarra. “It has slowed down traffic and is a good revenue raiser for the government. That speed camera has had positive results in that there has not been an accident in Woodburn since it was installed, and the lives of children have not been endangered….

The Northern Star, 2 October 2010:

Coming in at number 11 is the Woodburn speed camera on the Pacific Highway, northbound, which issued $1.14 million in speeding fines over the same period.

For the past three financial year periods, the Ewingsdale and Woodburn speed cameras have been strong contenders on the top 20 list.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 September 2011:

Northern NSW MP Steve Cansdell quit state politics last Friday after admitting to signing a false statutory declaration in 2005 when a camera on the Pacific Highway at Woodburn caught him speeding.

The Clarence Valley Review, Page 1, 21 September 2011:

Ironically in October 2009 Mr. Cansdell did lose his license for six months for speeding, after he was pulled over doing 100km/h in an 80km/h zone at Clarenza – a speed zone he had successfully lobbied to have reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h.

In 2003, the year he was elected to represent the Clarence electorate and before his penchant for being a potential danger on local roads came to light, he said this in the NSW Parliament on 14 November:

Mr STEVE CANSDELL (Clarence) [10.23 a.m.], by leave: Last Thursday I was asked if I would go to our local ambulance station at Grafton as an officer was in some distress and wanted to talk to me. I will refer to him as John. When I arrived he was decidedly upset, and we made a coffee and went outside to discuss his issues. Two days earlier there had been a major accident on the Pacific Highway 17 kilometres south of Grafton. A semi-trailer and a four-wheel-drive vehicle had had a head-on collision, resulting in one deceased and two injured. This accident has brought the total loss of life on the Pacific Highway in 2003 to 44—almost one a week. John said he wanted me to relay his story to Parliament. He said he wanted the politicians to fully understand the tragic reality of what is happening daily on our roads and highways. He stressed repeatedly the urgency of fast-tracking the Pacific Highway divided highway project.

John told me that on arrival at the accident scene there was a semi-trailer on fire, a section of the vegetation on the roadside was flattened and there were the crushed remains of what looked like a Pajero four-wheel-drive vehicle. Near the car were four people, John said with tears welling in his eyes as he described the scene. One female with serious spinal injuries was lying on the ground, with an injured male sitting over her holding her hand. Although injured himself and very traumatised, he was comforting her and talking to her. John paused for a minute as he wiped tears from his eyes before going on. There were two more adults, one female and one male. The female was deceased, with horrific injuries and covered in blood. Her partner was kneeling next to her and cradling her in his arms. Her blood was all over him and he was crying. He held her in his arms and kept repeating, "She's the love of my life, she's the love of my life."

The ambulance office put his arms around the man and hugged him, consoled him as best he could until the ambulance chaplain arrived and took over. John then went on with his job of securing the safety and wellbeing of the other accident victims and then relaying the injured and deceased to hospital. While at the hospital, John told me that the partner of the deceased rang his father-in-law to inform him of the death of his daughter. Halfway through his phone call he broke down and handed the phone to the chaplain, who confirmed the tragedy to the parents of the young lady who lost her life. The father said that he had to hang up the phone as his wife had just run out the door and onto the street screaming. These are the tragic realities of road accidents. As I said earlier, the ambulance officer asked me—no, he begged me—to bring home to our politicians the horror that these unsung heroes, the ambulance officers, have to confront on a regular basis. They want us, the politicians, to get on with the job of fixing the highways, particularly the Pacific Highway, and to stop playing politics with people's lives.

Those old hoax emails are doing the rounds again

A case of what goes around, comes around……..

A hoax email tailored for local scenes:

***

Subject: CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS/THIS IS NOT A JOKE PLEASE READ

CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS BEFORE LEAVING THE CHECK-OUT

I bought a bunch of stuff, over £150, & I glanced at my receipt as the cashier was handing me the bags. I saw a cash-back of £40. I told her I didn't request a cash back & to delete it. She said I'd have to take the £40 because she couldn't delete it. I told Her to call a supervisor. Supervisor came & said I'd have to take it.. I said NO! Taking the £40 would be a cash advance against my Credit card & I wasn't paying interest on a cash advance!!!!! If they couldn't delete it then they would have to delete the whole order. So the supervisor had the cashier delete the whole order & re-scan everything! The second time I looked at the electronic pad before I signed & a cash-back of £20 popped up. At that point I told the cashier & she deleted it. The total came out right. The cashier agreed that the Electronic Pad must be defective.

Obviously the cashier knew the electronic pad was defective because she NEVER offered me the £40 at the beginning. Can you imagine how many people went through before me & at the end of her shift how much money she pocketed?

Just to alert everyone. My co worker went to Milford , Sainsburys last week. She had her items rung up by the cashier. The cashier hurried her along and didn't give her a receipt. She asked the cashier for a receipt and the cashier was annoyed and gave it to her. My co worker didn't look at her receipt until later that night. The receipt showed that she asked for £20 cash back. SHE DID NOT ASK FOR CASH BACK!

My co-worker called Sainsburys who investigated but could not see the cashier pocket the money. She then called her niece who works for the bank and her niece told her this. This is a new scam going on. The cashier will key in that you asked for cash back and then hand it to her friend who is the next person in the queue.

Please, please, please check your receipts right away when using credit or debit cards!

This is NOT limited to Sainsburys; they are one of the largest retailers so they have the most incidents.

I am adding to this. My husband and I were in Sainsburys and paying with credit card when my husband went to sign the credit card signer he just happen to notice there was a £20 cash back added. He told the cashier that he did not ask nor want cash back and she said this machine has been messing up and she canceled it. We really didn't think anything of it until we read this email.

I wonder how many "seniors" have been, or will be, "stung" by this one????

To make matters worse ...THIS SCAM CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE, AT ANY RETAIL OR WHOLESALE LOCATION!!!

BEFORE LEAVING THE CHECK-OUT........CHECK YOUR RECEIPT!!!!!

THIS COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE. CHECK YOUR RECEIPT BEFORE LEAVING THE STAND. I'VE SEEN PEOPLE DO JUST THAT. NOW I'LL START! PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS, KIDS, LOVED ONES.

***

Subject: SOME GOOD ADVICE

CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS BEFORE LEAVING THE CHECK-OUTA New Zealander bought a heap of stuff the other day while holidaying in Australia (over $450), and when he glanced at his receipt as the cashier was handing him the bags, he saw cash out of $20.  
He told her he didn't request any cash and to delete it. She said he'd have to take the $20 because she couldn't delete it. He told her to call a supervisor. The supervisor came and said he'd have to take it.. he said  “NO Bloody way!”
Because taking the $20 would be a “cash advance” against his credit card and he wasn't paying interest on a cash advance!!!!!
If they couldn't delete it then they would have to delete the whole order. So the supervisor had the cashier delete the whole order and re-scan everything! The second time he looked at the electronic pad before he pinned in his number and again cash-back of $20 popped up.
At that point he told the cashier and she deleted it. The total then came out right.  The cashier said that the Electronic Pad must be defective. Obviously the cashier knew the electronic pad was defective because she NEVER offered him any cash after either of the transactions. 
Can you imagine how many people went through before him and by the end of her shift how much money she pocketed?
His wife went into a “Coles Warehouse” last week. She had her items rung up by the cashier. The cashier hurried her along and didn't give her a receipt. She asked the cashier for the receipt and the cashier seemed annoyed but gave it to her. 
She didn't look at her receipt until later that night when back at their hotel. The receipt showed that she had asked for $20 cash. SHE DID NOT ASK FOR ANY CASH, NOR WAS SHE GIVEN IT!
So she called “Coles” who investigated but could not see the cashier pocket the money.  
When back in NZ they then spoke with a friend who works for one of the banks; they told them that this was a “new scam” that was bound to come to NZ, especially around Christmas time.  
The cashier will key in that you asked for cash and then hand it to one of her friends when they next come through the check-out queue.
This is NOT limited to Coles; they are just one of the largest retailers so they have the most incidents.
I wonder how many "seniors" have been, or will be, "stung" by this one????

To make matters worse ... THIS SCAM CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE, AT ANY RETAIL OR WHOLESALE LOCATION!!!
IT COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE. CHECK YOUR RECEIPT BEFORE LEAVING THE CHECK-OUT........CHECK YOUR RECEIPT!!!!!.  
I've since seen people do just that….. SO NOW I'LL START!

PASS THIS ON TO YOUR FRIENDS, KIDS, LOVED ONES let’s not get ripped off.

The Great ABC Switch Off Threatens

Never thought that we’d see the day when The Great ABC Switch Off became a subject for discussion in our home.

At 9.30pm last night it happened ten minutes into “At Home With Julia”, so disgusted were we with a program which mocked the Prime Minister’s private life and cruelly held her non-politician life partner up to national ridicule.

There are some places media shouldn’t go and the intimacies of a public figure’s home life is one of those areas.

ABC1, ABC Executive Producer Debbie Lee, Quail TV Executive Producers Rick Kalowski and Greg Quail, Writers Amanda Bishop, Rick Kalowski and Phil Lloyd, Director Erin White, Series Producer Carol Hughes and ALP legal counsel Mr Anton Denby SC (yeah, we get the lol) all made a huge error of judgement as far as we’re concerned.

What on earth was Australia’s public broadcaster thinking?

Anony-mice

Yamba

*GuestSpeak is a feature of North Coast Voices allowing Northern Rivers residents to make satirical or serious comment on issues that concern them. Posts of 250-300 words or less can be submitted to ncvguestspeak AT gmail.com for consideration.

A chat room lesson for the inner 3 year-old

The Power Index on 31^st August 2011:

“chat room user has managed to force mining company Voyager into a trading halt. User Ronny2011 reported a fake drilling result for one of the company's projects in Mongolia on internet forum HotCopper, forcing the company into a trading halt last Friday. On Monday this week, the company released a statement confirming the announcement was false and unauthorised……What could have been a little joke for Ronny2011 could now result in him or her being charged with fraud – their IP address has been forwarded by HotCopper to ASIC for further investigation.”

Christopher Monckton splutters.....

Uploaded to YouTube by countrychannel99 on Aug 8, 2011:

One of the world's most prominent, and controversial, climate change skeptics, has been in New Zealand this week. Lord Christopher Monckton, the 3rd Viscount of Brenchley, is here as part of a world lecture tour promoting climate change denial. Reporter Benedict Collins met Christopher Monckton in Auckland, and while the Viscount might not believe in global warming, it didn't take long for the interview to heat up...

http://youtu.be/5ODCTPGmERw

In July 2011 Australia really began to drag its knuckles in the dust

In response to a journalist who wrote of her dislike of the term Juliar, a foot soldier in Abbott's Army wrote this:

Albert Henry of Tamworth: "Your story was the greatest lot of crap ever written. It is obvious your political bias does not give a true picture of how we true Australians think and the hatred we have against traitors like yourself, defending that very ugly female atheist communistic destructive Prime Minister Juliar Gillard.
It is so easy for second-class lesbian reporters like yourself to run down ordinary Australians who see very clearly that this ugly ranga with the long ears and witch-like nose and a big-arse has set her sights on destroying the living standards of all Australians. Claire, we realise you can't change your lesbian ways and your love for that ugly Juliar Gillard, but the chances of you bedding her are zero. Sorry Claire, you will have to just dream. I truly understand your problem in getting yourself a man because you are so ugly."

And you thought some of those climate change contrarians may have had a modicum of intelligence?

 

A quick look at a climate change denier from the transcript of ABC Background Briefing “The Lord Monckton Roadshow” on 17th July 2011. No comment is actually needed on this gem of absurdity from Archibald and it’s hard to get my jaw up off the floor anyway in order to form the requisite sentence:

Wendy Carlisle: A few years back, David Archibald gave a speech at a Lavoisier Group conference and it made for interesting reading.

David Archibald: I'm a member of the Lavoisier Group.

Wendy Carlisle: You gave a speech at, I think, a conference a couple of years ago now and -- can I quote? -- 'My reward for this work, as it is for every member of the Lavoisier society, will be in heaven. For the forces of darkness control the science journals, government departments, public institutes and universities.' Did you say that?

David Archibald: Yes, I did, and I'm quite proud of it, thank you. And thank you for bringing it up for your listeners.

Wendy Carlisle: His motive, he says, is truth.

David Archibald: For people on our side, there is no financial reward; we're all doing it out of love for country and love of humanity and all that sort of thing.

Wendy Carlisle: Do you believe that the 'forces of darkness' are running universities?

David Archibald: Yes, I do.

Wendy Carlisle: The 'forces of darkness' are running science journals?

David Archibald: Yes, I do.

Wendy Carlisle: Government departments?

David Archibald: Yes, I do.

Wendy Carlisle: Public institutes?

David Archibald: Yes, I do.

Wendy Carlisle: Who are the forces of darkness?

David Archibald: Those who wish a carbon-constrained economy on Australia.

Faaark orf, Google! You need me more than I need you

“From 31 July, people who have created private profiles in, say, the ad broker's free email service Gmail will be deleted by Google unless individuals switch it to public view.

"The purpose of Google Profiles is to enable you to manage your online identity. Today, nearly all Google Profiles are public. We believe that using Google Profiles to help people find and connect with you online is how the product is best used. Private profiles don't allow this, so we have decided to require all profiles to be public," said the company.

Google said that it would only require a user's full name and gender to be displayed on the public profile. Any other information an individual doesn't want to reveal to the world can be edited or deleted.

"If you currently have a private profile but you do not wish to make your profile public, you can delete your profile. Or, you can simply do nothing. All private profiles will be deleted after July 31, 2011," said Google.

The move is part of Mountain View's wider ambition to bake social products into its search and email products.

As a result, anyone planning to use Google+ will need a public profile with, at minimum, their full name and gender displayed.” {The Register 7^th July 2011}

Live Cattle Export: I wondered how long it would take some fool to mention religion

One George Robert Christensen, the climate change ambivalent Liberal National Party MP for the Dawson electorate in Queensland (and a Mackay City councillor/journalist until the 2010 federal election), decided to sink his boot into Islam on the floor of the Australian House of Representatives. Clearly demonstrating just how far the Coalition has sunk under the leadership of Tony Abbott.

This is Christensen on 21 June 2011 according to the Commonwealth Hansard:

These fakers claim that they are out to protect animals, and what do they do? They vote to remove Australia from the situation, which does nothing for the cattle from other nations or from Indonesia that are going to end up at the abattoirs that are not doing the right thing.
It has occurred to me that there is something missing from this blame game. They are quick to blame Australian farmers and the industry, but they have not said anything about the religion that actually inspires the torture of the cattle there. I find that very hypocritical. We have not heard the member for Wills, the member for Fremantle or the member for Page raise that issue. But they are very quick to sink the boot into the farmers regardless of the consequences.

Intent on showing that his political bigotry is not just a passing phase, Christensen went on to tell The Age:

''There are many different culprits in the whole thing, [but] certainly the people who are doing this are not Australian farmers. The people who are doing it are Indonesian abattoir workers and their mates who, they say, are acting in accordance with their religious principles,''

Yes, that is truly an heroic effort and one which will surely assist the current negotiations between Australia and Indonesia concerning the circumstances in which live cattle export may be resumed.

Those who follow Queensland politics will remember George Christiansen was outed in 2010 as a former editor of the Central Queensland University newspaper The Student Advocate published on behalf of the Conservative Students’ Alliance:

As then editor of The Student Advocate, George Christensen had expressed concern that new versions of the Bible were, quote, "removing accusations that the Jews killed Christ". He also told homophobic jokes and stated, quote, "the truth is women are stupid and that's that".

Although Christensen is apparently comfortable with social media, I'm not sure if @GChristensenMP is actually his offical Twitter account. Nevertheless, it might be worth keeping an eye out for George in the twitterverse as he is sure to put his foot in his mouth again and again and again.

Images found at Google Images and Vex News

The Australian and Sheridan create a ranting LOL

This is what The Australian says in About Greg Sheridan……….

Greg Sheridan, The Australian's foreign editor, is the most influential foreign affairs analyst in Australian journalism.
After 25 years in the field, he is a veteran of international affairs who has interviewed leaders all over the Asia Pacific and America.

This is what Greg Sheridan writes in Fraser's unreliable memoirs rewrite history on 26 May 2011…….

Snapshot taken 26 May 2011

But even Henderson's splendid industry omits many of Fraser's howlers. Fraser claims the neo-conservatives wielded great influence in the Bush administration of the 90s. But George W. Bush was not even elected until November 2000.

Now 25 years in the field takes Sheridan the journalist back to around 1986. Surely that’s long enough for him to have formed a memory of the Forty-First U.S. President George H. W. Bush (term of office January 1989 - January 1993) who in 1991 sent 425,000 American troops into Kuwait as part of the multinational force taking part in Desert Storm, which resulted in the rout of Saddam Hussein’s military forces and their retreat back into Iraq.
Sheridan post-rant might even recall the that neo-conservatives existed prior to November 2000.

Bolt Report commits a furphy on taxation

I steeled myself to watch The Bolt Report last Sunday in order to give the man a chance to convince me he would be worth time spent on Channel Ten.

Alas! Only minutes into his opening statement Andrew Bolt informed Australia that only people in the workforce or of workforce age were financing government expenditure on things like pensions, schools and hospitals.

Yes, while doing a little welfare bashing he conveniently ignored the fact that almost everyone, except infants and possibly preschoolers, regularly pays a consumption tax ie. the GST and that this revenue (worth $45.5 billion in 2010-11) goes to the states to help pay for things like the public health system and capital works.

That the states spent this extra revenue in part on hospitals is indisputable if one looks at this graph based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data covering the years immediately after the introduction of the GST.

Graph found in Catallaxy archives

Ergo, the very people Bolt is bashing contributed to the hospitals he would likely access should he fall ill.

I won't even mention the fact that Bolt appears not to realise that the indexation of family support payment, Family Tax Benefit A, is not paused at a 'family' income of $150,00 per year, but the 'primary wage earner's income'.

The Bolt Report? Distorted opinion and definitely not worth wasting my time on.

Memo to all Clarence Valley Shire Councillors: Effin' Bloody Fools!

According to The Northern Rivers Echo on 14th May 2011:
"there appear to be large reserves of conventional or natural as well as CSG (both composed largely of methane) in the Clarence Moreton Basin, which runs from south of Grafton up to the border and joins the Surat Basin in Queensland. There are currently three companies operating on the North Coast". (see map showing gas exploration in the Clarence Basin, a mid-Triassic to early Cretaceous basin)

On Friday 13th May 2011 The Daily Examiner ran an article which reported that:
“CLARENCE Valley Council is taking a “wait and see approach” to joining the chorus of Northern Rivers councils calling for a moratorium on coal seam gas mining.
Mayor Richie Williamson said coal seam gas mining was primarily a State Government issue.
“The state policies would come into consideration if and when there was an application for coal seam gas mining in the Clarence council local government area,” he said.
“I am aware that other councils are calling on the State Government for a moratorium, but it really is a State Government decision.
“The council hasn’t considered joining those other councils in calling for a moratorium as yet.”
Cr Williamson said the idea of fracking was a new issue for council.”

On Thursday 14th April 2011 a Duke University study (using analyzed groundwater from 68 private water wells) was approved for publication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 9th May:
“Directional drilling and hydraulic-fracturing technologies are dramatically increasing natural-gas extraction. In aquifers overlying the Marcellus and Utica shale formations of northeastern Pennsylvania and upstate New York, we document systematic evidence for methane contamination of drinking water associated with shalegas extraction. In active gas-extraction areas (one or more gas wells within 1 km), average and maximum methane concentrations in drinking-water wells increased with proximity to the nearest gas well and were 19.2 and 64 mg CH4 L-1 (n 1/4 26), a potential explosion hazard; in contrast, dissolved methane samples in neighboring nonextraction sites (no gas wells within 1 km) within similar geologic formations and hydrogeologic regimes averaged only 1.1 mg L-1 (P < 0.05; n 1/4 34)…….
Our results show evidence for methane contamination of shallow drinking-water systems in at least three areas of the region and suggest important environmental risks accompanying shale-gas exploration worldwide.”

This isn’t the first science-based warning about fracking and many other councils on the NSW North Coast (Ballina, Lismore, Kyogle and Tweed) have taken note of the problems created by this type of mining - along with a growing number of areas worldwide in which fracking is banned. But the arrogant nongs currently infesting local government in the Clarence Valley are an ignorant breed apart.

Of course Clarence Valley councillors are not alone in their folly as this email from the equally foolish NSW Nationals MP for Clarence (who obviously considers himself a lobbyist for Metgasco, Santos, Petronas, Total, Shell, PetroChina & Kogas) shows:
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:55:57+1000
From: ElectorateOffice.Clarence@parliament.nsw.gov.au
To: mikemizzi@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: gas in the Clarence
Dear Michael,
Thank you for your email indicating your concerns regarding coal seam gas mining in all regions of Australia.
I support coal seam gas exploration being undertaken in our area. I think the industry can deliver a lot of benefits to our community in terms of employment and economic opportunities. At the same time it is important for the industry to operate in an environmentally responsible manner and to respect the interests of landowners. As you may know we released a Strategic Land Use Policy before the election which aims to strike a balance between the interests of the different groups. A copy of the policy is attached for your interest.
Exploration licenses have been held on the Mid North Coast for decades and extensive gas exploration has been undertaken in that time with little concern from the community. Community issues seem to have only come up since the movie Gaslands has been shown in the area. You should be aware that this movie is about the Shale Gas industry in the US and has little relevance to Australian gas industry practice. The movie is not a realistic portrayal of the gas industry in Australia as both the operational activities and regulatory environments are quite different. I have attached an information factsheet about the Gaslands movie that addresses some of the inaccuracies.
The coal seam gas industry is regulated by the Department of Industry and Investment in the exploration stage of operations when notices are placed in local papers notifying the intention to grant an exploration licence. Prior to any development being undertaken an environmental assessment is undertaken and must be approved by the Department of Planning, who co-ordinates the input from all relevant NSW Government agencies, including environmental agencies. At this stage there is an extensive community consultation process. Government agencies review an extensive list of environmental factors and specifically address any impact on underground aquifers and existing or future land uses. An example of these studies can be found at: http://www.glng.com.au/Content.aspx?p=90.
The coal seam gas industry is regulated by NSW State regulation. The National Industrial Chemicals Notifications and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) is a Commonwealth authority and therefore is not a relevant agency for the purposes of regulating the industry. Several independent studies have examined the potential for water contamination due to hydraulic fracturing practices and found that the practice does not pose a threat to underground sources of drinking water. You can download the study at: http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/
class/hydraulicfracturing/wells_coalbedmethanestudy.cfm.
Coal seam gas currently supplies over 90% of Queensland’s gas supply and is likely to become an increasingly important source of energy in NSW as well. I do believe that the industry can be developed in an environmentally acceptable manner.
Regards
Steve
Steve Cansdell, MP
Member for Clarence

"Emails between department staff (Department of Industry and Investment) and Metgasco show that testing for coal seam gas using fracking can go ahead without approval being sought or required from the Environment Department.
The practice of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves injecting a mix of water, sand and chemicals underground to force gas to the surface."

UPDATE: I noticed that Steve Cansdell’s email contained a reference to an U.S. study rather than an Australian one. I suspected that Steve chose to ignore studies closer to home because they were not as favourable to his support of fracking on the NSW North Coast.
An investigation into the anticipated impacts of mining proposed in the Clarence-Moreton Basin communities: The Felton Project Report from the University of Queensland stable shows Valley locals may not be quite as enthusiastic as the Clarence MP expects:

Major anticipated environmental impacts which are negative are:
 contaminated groundwater and damaged aquifers
 capacity to successfully rehabilitate soil
 reduced air quality
o Significant anticipated environmental concerns are also negative: the potential for ecosystem damage and the cumulative impact and perceived limited capacity for environmental regulation.
o Major anticipated social impacts are negative:
 community tensions between mine and non-mine populations
 the social dislocation of farming families
 loss of visual amenity
 infrastructure, particularly roads

And Steve along with Clarence Valley Council ignores the fact that the large amount of waste water produced by fracking has to go somewhere and the cheapest option available to mining companies is to have the untreated contaminated water injected into natural underground aquifers or spread across the environemnt in other ways. It’s a sure bet the NSW O’Farrell Government would allow this without so much as a solitary moment of hesitation.

Bolt on 10 was a big yawn

I tried to watch the first episode of The Bolt Report on Channel 10, I truly did - but it was so painfully boring that I had switched off by the time the interview with Abbott began.
I attempted to watch the show online later and couldn't stay the course as it's always a bit embarrassing watching someone (even a contrarian like Teh Bolta) make a fool of themselves on national television.
Think Tim Dick over at Granny Herald said it best:
"Not having seen every attempt at television current affairs in Australia, it is impossible to judge The Bolt Report the worst. But surely it comes close.
Andrew Bolt’s Sunday morning shift from panellist on ABC Insiders to his own show on Network Ten has brought talk-back to TV, but it didn't bring a pulse. It is named for Bolt, hosted by Bolt, and dominated by the Boltian worldview. It featured white middle-aged men talking about Boltian fundamentals - namely, the great climate change con and those refugees taking over the country - with a surfing Afghan refugee beamed in to be scolded for high unemployment among his compatriots.
The most interesting aspect of the first instalment is whether there will be a second. In its favour is that there are so few people who watch TV on Sunday mornings, it doesn't really matter what is on the screen. Perhaps Ten could try the test signal next week for a livelier program."

Within minutes of Bin Laden's death being officially announced conspiracy wingnuts were active in the Northern Rivers

I happened to be having an after lunch drink when Osama bin Laden’s assassination in Pakistan was officially announced by the U.S. Government.

Two men lunching at an adjacent table began to pantomime amazement and disbelief as the news was discussed. Then it began to get interesting as we fell into conversation.

Apparently for some nefarious and unstated reason the announcement of bin Laden’s death at the hands of the U.S. military is nothing but a sham. He either died years ago or is still alive - it was hard to discern just what this pair actually believed on that point. But wink, wink, nudge, nudge, it’s all a big fat lie and we know better than to believe anything we see or hear on the news.

So how did these two men know with such certainty that the announcement by President Obama was a sham?

Why one of two was allegedly a judge at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, who just happened to have been legally representing a person before the court that day in Lismore.

I was shown what had to have been the cheesiest business card I have ever seen and one which had obviously been printed out on cheap paper using a home computer.

De Judge then asserted something which was patently wrong; that is that an ordinary person could not find out the names of ICJ current judges as these names were not on the Court’s website and "could not be Googled".

On hearing that I settled back and began to enjoy myself. Though apparently I did not hide my glee all that well, as suddenly the good judge morphed into either an employee or associate of one David Wynn Miller (aka King of Hawaii) who appeared on the NSW North Coast earlier this year after seemingly wearing out his welcome in Canada and possibly many parts of his own homeland as well.

When I returned home I checked my lunch time acquaintance out. It goes without saying that he is not a judge.

In comments on one blog KJM aka BM admits that he is not even a lawyer, on a second he asserts he is a judge representing certain indigenous interests, on a third he states he belongs to something called the Unity States of the World or similar, on a fourth he sets himself up as an amateur linguist with hysterical results, on a fifth he associates himself with assorted wingnuts, on a sixth he is calling himself a musician/music teacher who is ex-military and, on a seventh he offers a little free 'legal' advice and insists that Hawaii is a sovereign nation. He is also a supporter of the elusive Cairns Law Club and beleives that all local government elections are probably illegal.

It seems that the North Coast is now hosting a second fantasist to rival our resident Zussino.

Oh dear…………………

Australian Christian Lobby sharing a little bit of God's love

Jim Wallace (tweeting since 3rd February 2010) sharing the love....

Then blamimg Twitter for his own bad judgement....

There are some things a politician should not say on Facebook or in the media

Think a lot but say little. Anon

Nationals MP for Clarence, Steve Cansdell, shows his ignorance of the law as he unfairly abuses a Local Court magistrate on Facebook for the benefit of his 608 friends and assorted readers:

Snapshot 14 April 2011

Steve Cansdell ‎2010 Yamba Riots, police van burnt, cops rocked by drunken mob. All charges dropped & these Grubs walk free. Pissweak Magistrate 18 hours ago via Selective Tweets

Yamba solicitor Bob Thompson took Steve Cansdell to task for similar comments elsewhere. Thompson rightly drew attention to the fact that this NSW Nationals MP was publicly commenting before all matters concerning the 2010 Yamba riot were concluded before the courts and that Cansdell was prejudging the nine juveniles caught up in the original incident:

Excerpt from Thompson's letter to the editor
The Daily Examiner 14 April 2011
Click on image to enlarge

Major stuff up by NSW Police a candidate for Ripley's Believe It Or Not

Update:

In The Daily Examiner on 15 April, Steve Candell states that he wishes he had moderated his language when he made a Facebook comment about the result of the Yamba riot trial, but he stands by the sentiment. I suspect that what Mr. Cansdell actually regrets is the negative publicity his intemperate comments have generated and this Daily Examiner editorial of the same day:

A word or two to those No CarbonTax ragers. Yer? I really believe ya (not)

Take a look at these pics from today's No Carbon Tax Rally in Canberra, organised by Jacques Laxale of the Consumers & Taxpayers Association.
Definitely not a crowd whom on a good day I might suppose had actually considered the the pros and cons of placing a national price on carbon before introducing a market-driven emissions trading scheme.
I've a feeling that it was pure ignorance on show - a redneck extravaganza with Sophie, Bronnie, Pauline, Eric[a] and Angry in tow.
A rally chocka with the type of people who would never think that Opposition Leader Abbott was probably mentally laughing at them when he opened his rally speech with these words:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to say congratulations to all of you for coming out today and letting the Government of Australia know that the people of Australia can never be taken for granted. As I look out on this crowd of fine Australians I want to say that I do not see scientific heretics. I do not see environmental vandals. I see people who want honest government."

As MrDenmore remarked: "A group from the #noCTrally stayed behind for a party. See picture here."And when someone tries to inflate the Canberra rally numbers remember this panorma pic ....
Pics from Twitpics and News Ltd courtesy of Google Images

HEALTH WARNING: This post contains material which may seriously damage the emotional equilibrium of persons with average or above average intelligence

2011 Montana Legislature

HOUSE BILL NO. 549

INTRODUCED BY J. READ*

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT STATING MONTANA'S POSITION ON GLOBAL WARMING; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Public policy concerning global warming. (1) The legislature finds that to ensure economic development in Montana and the appropriate management of Montana's natural resources it is necessary to adopt a public policy regarding global warming.

(2) The legislature finds:

(a) global warming is beneficial to the welfare and business climate of Montana;

(b) reasonable amounts of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere have no verifiable impacts on the environment; and

(c) global warming is a natural occurrence and human activity has not accelerated it.

(3) (a) For the purposes of this section, "global warming" relates to an increase in the average temperature of the earth's surface.

(b) It does not include a one-time, catastrophic release of carbon dioxide.

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 75, chapter 2, and the provisions of Title 75, chapter 2, apply to [section 1].

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.

- END –

* Joseph L. Read is a Tea Party-backed GOP politician and, the principal sponsor of this bill as a member of the Republican controlled Montana House of Representatives.

Joe is living proof of both his election campaign observation; “ten words we should fear most – I’m from the Government and I’m here to help” and of the fact that one doesn't need to be able to count to get elected.

Apparently Joe didn't consult any scientists before authoring his bill. He states in an interview with the Wonk Room; Climate policy….is essentially an attempt to steer money and control into the federal government, which has been dictating the direction of climate science research for decades….“The purpose of this whole issue of carbon credits and pushing the agenda of global warming….is about directing levies and fees for carbon credits so the federal government gets an income source.”

One has to suspect that Teh Man from Montana is a distant relative of Australian Liberal Party Leader Tony Abbott who pursues his own opposition to a carbon price because it is “great big new tax on everything” and is a closet climate change denier par excellence.