Abbott and Hockey condemn National Disability Insurance Scheme to limbo if Coalition wins government

This was Australian Federal Opposition Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey writing to concerned citizens in June 2013:

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott at a press conference on 30 March 2013:

It would appear that neither of these Coalition politicians want to see the National Disability Insurance Scheme launch in 2013-14 or become fully realized by 2018, as planned by the Gillard Government, if they place so many pre-conditions on its implementation.

UPDATE 2 May 2013:

The Opposition Leader has still not given his unconditional support to the levy and continues to misrepresent known details of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

UPDATE 3 May 2013:

Abbott & Co continue to lay the ground work to roll back NDIS funding if they gain government; 

deep misgivings within the Coalition about the potential for its cost to explode in the next decade.

Ballina affordable housing stock grows by 120

THE HON MARK BUTLER MP

Minister for Mental Health and Ageing

Minister for Housing and Homelessness

Minister for Social Inclusion

Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Mental Health Reform

JANELLE SAFFIN MP

Member for Page

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

120 MORE AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR BALLINA

26 April 2013

North Coast residents will soon have access to 120 more affordable homes in Ballina, thanks to a $5 million investment by the Labor Government under its Building Better Regional Cities program.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Mark Butler, Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin, and Ballina Mayor, Cr David Wright, said the funding would help reduce the cost of building local infrastructure needed for a new housing development in Ballina.

“We know that housing shortages are creating challenges on the North Coast and The Ballina Heights Estate will deliver much needed affordable housing for the region.

“I gave strong support to Ballina Shire Council's submission, given the community need for affordable housing and the Council's great work and planning.  Mayor Cr. David Wright and his team of Councillors and General Manager Paul Hickey and his team are to be commended," Ms Saffin said.

“This funding will help reduce the cost of the development by delivering essential infrastructure such as stormwater drainage and street lighting in the estate, and these savings will be passed on to home buyers with a $25,000 rebate from the purchase price of land in the Estate.”

Cr Wright said the funding would help more low income earners in Ballina gain access to affordable housing.

“I know how challenging it can be for people on low incomes to get a start in the property market and tohis project will increase the supply of affordable homes for sale and rent and help alleviate housing supply pressures in our community,” Cr Wright said.

“The Ballina Heights development is about more than just housing. It’s about creating a community, with a new school, shops, and public parks, all at the residents’ doorsteps.”

Mr Butler said the Building Better Regional Cities program is part of the government’s record $26 billion investment in housing programs to help address housing affordability around the nation.

“We’re investing in regional centers like Ballina, where rapid population growth is forcing up house prices and rents,” Mr. Butler said.

“This funding is in addition to the $4.5 million we provided Ballina Council under Building Better Regional Cities for the development of sports fields in Wollongbar.”

He said the funding is part of the Labor Government’s $114 million investment over three years to support local infrastructure projects for new housing developments in 16 regional communities across Australia.

“We believe all Australians deserve a safe, secure home, and we will continue to work to provide affordable housing for Australia’s most vulnerable people.”

Media contacts:

Tim O’Halloran (Butler) – 0409 059 617

Lee Duncan (Saffin)      – 0448 158 150

APN restructures - says it believes in the future of regional media

Hopefully the NSW North Coast will retain the regional mastheads which contribute to community cohesion and the conversation between the Northern Rivers and Australia’s three tiers of government.

Liberal National Party - Nongs R Us

This bloke's the type of voter who'll be supporting the LNP and Tony Abbott come September.

Saffin condemns National Party's dirty tricks in local telephone polling

It would appear that the NSW North Coast Nationals and Kevin Hogan are behaving true to form……..

Saffin condemns National Party’s dirty tricks

Page MP Janelle Saffin says she is disgusted with the dirty tricks polling methods being used by the National Party in Page.

Ms Saffin said local people have alerted her to telephone polls with deliberately deceitful questions.

“My support for a Coal Seam Gas free Northern Rivers is unequivocal as the community is well aware of.

“There are dodgy polls asking people whether they would vote for me if I changed my mind on the CSG issue.

“This is a deliberately misleading suggestion.

“From the moment people first came to me with their concerns about CSG, I have been standing up for the community on this issue.

“I said I would speak out against CSG and I have.

“I said I would pursue any possible Federal Government action for protecting our water and our environment from CSG, and I have.

“I said I would push our State MPs to better protect our region from CSG activities, and I have, and will continue to do so until we have a Northern Rivers exclusion zone.

“Local people can decide who they trust to stand up for them on keeping our region CSG-free.

“It is clear from this devious style of polling by the Nationals that Kevin Hogan is bringing Tony Abbott’s negative campaign to Page.

“Rather than resort to dishonest campaign techniques, Mr Hogan should be pressuring his State National Party colleagues to get a CSG exclusion zone for the Northern Rivers.

29 April 2013

Shorter Tony Abbott: If you are gay and want to marry you're not really important to me

Australian Agenda interview 21 April 2013:

PAUL KELLY:

If I can just ask you about same-sex marriage.

TONY ABBOTT:

Oh come on, please, let’s stay on the really important stuff, Paul. I mean please, let’s stay on the really important stuff.

Hi! I'm Terry from ERM Power and I'm here to supply your business with electricity - but don't ask me where it comes from

http://youtu.be/S0dU2kVESYw

This is Terry McCauley from ERM Business Energy, a commercial unit of ERM Power Limited. 

The ever helpful Terry would like to sign up your own manufacturing/retail business, your child’s school, the medical clinic you attend, the local council and government agencies in your area, and sundry other businesses as ERM customers if you live in New South Wales.

Terry is very keen to help ‘his’ company expand its core business in this state from the 26 per cent of the NSW electricity supply market it held in January 2013.

He has The Energy You Need!

Or does he?

What Terry is careful not to say is the word Metgasco.

Because ERM Power is well aware that communities right across the NSW Northern Rivers are not happy with that mining company’s plan to turn parts of our unique environment and valued agricultural land into gasfields, which will reduce the region’s groundwater resources and possibly irreversibly contaminate aquifers and water bores near or within those same gasfields and/or pollute surface water courses.

ERM is not just aware because its directors and staff read the newspaper or watch the nightly news, no ERM is aware because it is now the largest shareholder in Metgasco Limited, as ERM Power Limited, Energy Resource Managers Pty Ltd and Trevor St. Baker.

By virtue of its share acquisitions over a number of years ERM Power and Messrs. Tony Bellas (Chairman, Non Exec. Director), Philip St Baker (Managing Director, CEO), Martin Greenberg (Non Exec. Director), Brett Heading (Non Exec. Director), Antonio (Tony) Mario Iannello (Non Exec. Director), Trevor St Baker (Non Exec. Director) and Peter Jans (General Counsel) would have considerable influence on any future decisions Megasco may make with regard to coal seam gas exploration and commercial production on the NSW North Coast.

It is probably no coincidence that in the days that ERM finally became Metgasco's largest shareholder, Metgasco announced that it was not capping and abandoning all its wells on the NSW North Coast and was keeping open the possibility of starting coal seam gas production approximately 10 kms west north west of Casino.

In July 2012 ERM Power told the Australian Stock Exchange that its strategy is to gain a foothold in the east coast gas market, consider conventional/coal seam gas production as well as generation opportunities and achieve the same success it achieved in West Australia. (1)

These are photographs of ERM Power-Empire Oil & Gas-Wharf Resources joint venture gasfield sites in the coastal Perth Basin, West Australia:

 So if an ERM Business Energy representative makes contact with you – please take time to consider what you value about your regional lifestyle and whether ERM, through its interest in Metgasco, may be intent on ruining that lifestyle for you, your family, your friends and neighbours, purely for its own commercial gain.

Say NO to ERM.

(1) ERM Power also has an interest in Red Sky Energy Ltd and Clarence Moreton Resources, two other coal seam gas exploration companies operating on the NSW North Coast.
It also holds equity interests in eight petroleum exploration tenements covering in excess of 10,000 km² in the Western Australian Perth Basin, which include conventional gas, condensate, oil and shale gas prospects. 
One of ERM's business units ERM Power Retail Pty Ltd is an authorized gas retailer.

* ERM gas field photographs from Google Images