Abbott Government releases its 2014 Energy Green Paper - prepare to be underwhelmed

The Abbott Government released its Energy Green Paper on 23 September 2014.

The document sketchily mentions renewable energy or forms of renewable energy a total of 134 times within its 92 pages, while mentioning conventional gas/unconventional gas a total of 434 times, coal 100 times and exports 131 times.

Readers who care about Australia's sustainable energy future move onto the body this paper at their own risk.......

Australian Government Energy Green Paper September 2014

Moggy Musings [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]

A FFS! musing:

9 Sept. 2014 council committee meeting revealed that by delegated authority from General Manager council staff decide where and when Clarence Valley Council invests its $70+ millions. These are the same people who can't even catch up on all the roads/other infrastructure work that is still outstanding.

A C for effort musing:

Rumour round the catnip patch is that the Privacy Management Plan Clarence Valley Council had on public exhibition until early July 2014 was not considered up to par by the NSW Privacy Commissioner.

A missing $$$s musing:

So which Northern Rivers council has been stripping its employee leave entitlement reserve for years to prop up its annual budgets? Right now Clarence Valley Council's ELE reserve is $312k below the recommended minimum according to its 9 Sept. 2014 G & C Committee business paper. Hmmmm..........

A Table of Knowledge musing:

Clarrie Rivers is so busy trotting up and down the coast that it has fallen on my furry shoulders to pass on snippets from the local watering hole’s infamous famous table. Did you know that the Human Resources Manager at APN Australian Regional Media, Mark Algie, is a Clarence Valley boy who went to Maclean High School? I’m told his old teachers remember him a decent young fella.

A life after politics musing:

I have long held the belief that it is a bad idea to let humans near strong coffee and any sort of cream cake. It makes them as hyper as a kitten after its first taste of catnip. Which explains why I found my owner giggling over the second career she gave Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at http://www.singitkitty.co.uk/play/kME96 so that she could be gainfully employed in the pop world after the Abbott Government crashes and burns.

A Shout out to Mac the Scottie musing:

A new Facebook page Maclean's Active Community has just started up and can be found here.

A never ending story musing:

Leviny v Commissioner of Police, New South Wales Police Force [2014] NSWCATAD 108. 

Hearing Dates: 14 July 2014. Decision Date: 24/07/2014. Jurisdiction: Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division. Before: Professor G.D. Walker, Senior Member. Decision: The decision under review is affirmed.

A little less than Magnum musing:

So who was the person rumoured to have been lurking in the vicinity of Osprey Drive, Yamba, allegedly keeping tabs on Clarence Valley Council staffer/s?

An it's in the eyes musing:

The Australian media is trying to convince readers that how the Prime Minister looks indicates the degree to which the MH17 passenger plane downing in the Ukraine is affecting him. G'aaarn! This is a man who to win an election put bulking product in his hair and darkened it, used a skin tightening product on his face to get rid of many wrinkles, used enough makeup to make a thespian blush and, barefacedly lied at the drop of the hat. A meeting round the catnip patch has decided 4 to 1 that it would not be beyond the wiles of Tony Abbott to irritate his eyes to achieve a suitably "stressed" look for his many media appearances since the mid-air disaster.

An how churlish musing:
Cr Williamson said councillors only had positive things to say about the Clarkes and were thankful for the great work they had done over such a long period after Clarence Valley Council sacked the operators of the public pool at Maclean – apparently leaving it to a local journalist to tell them they had lost their jobs.

BOY

PS. I went a-hunting for teh inky graphics on Google Images

Letter Writing 101: never indulge your phantasies in a letter to the editor

The Daily Examiner carried this interesting exchange in its letters columns on 24 and 25 September 2014:

Congrats Debrah

Sincere congratulations to Debrah Novak for her 20 years at The Daily Examiner.

In my now 15 years of residence in retirement in the Clarence Valley, Debrah has always been incredibly honest and painstakingly fair on any project we worked together on. She possesses a genuine interest in all things and all people and causes in the Clarence Valley.

When she did a photographic essay on an island within the river, near Maclean, on which certain original inhabitants of our Valley were confined five decades ago producing some of the state's finest fruit and vegetables, this basic inequality really affected Debrah and I was privileged to be one of the few in Maclean with whom she shared some of her most private thoughts on past inequalities.

John Berlin¹

Vivid imagination

John Berlin must have a vivid imagination to believe he and I have worked on projects together or that I have done a photo essay of Ulgundahi Island.

John Berlin and I have never worked on any project and I would never work with him on anything.

I have only spoken to this man on two occasions and not at any length. One of those times was when he was being arrested for impersonating a police officer, something he was later found guilty of.

Debrah Novak

1. The Daily Examiner, 24 August 2011, Fraudster put behind bars

Two polling companies, two different assessments of Tony Abbott & Co

This week News Corp and its part-owned polling company Newspoll was trumpeting a poll bounce for Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on the back of national security issues.

However, another polling company Roy Morgan Research had a different assessment of how Australians reacted to Abbott’s national security media blitz.

The Australian 23 September 2014:

SUPPORT for the Coalition has risen to a five-month high as voters show their approval of Tony Abbott’s handling of national ­security matters, with a six-point leap in the Prime Minister’s ­personal satisfaction rating taking it to the highest level since ­November.

The latest Newspoll, conducted exclusively for The Australian at the weekend, reveals the government’s primary vote has climbed two points to 41 per cent while Labor dropped one point to 34 per cent. It is the Coalition’s highest level of support since April — before its poorly received budget sent its core vote tumbling as low as 35 per cent — but still below the 45.6 per cent achieved when it won the election last year…..

Based on preference flows at the last election, the Coalition has narrowed the two-party-preferred gap although Labor is still ahead by 51 per cent to 49 per cent. Labor has been ahead in two-party terms for 11 consecutive Newspoll surveys.

 

Roy Morgan Research 22 September 2014:

Abbott’s decision to ‘send in the troops’ fails to secure poll bounce: Young Australians comprehensively reject the Abbot Government

September 22 2014 | Finding No. 5824 | Topic: Federal Poll Public Opinion

Finding No. 5824 – This multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention was conducted via face-to-face and SMS interviewing over the last two weekends of September 13/14 & 20/21, 2014 with an Australia-wide cross-section of 2,922 Australian electors aged 18+, of all electors surveyed 2.5% did not name a party.

In mid-September ALP support rose to 54.5% (up 0.5%) increasing their lead over the L-NP 45.5% (down 0.5%) on a two-party preferred basis. If an election had been held the ALP would have won easily according to this week’s Morgan Poll on voting intention conducted with an Australia-wide cross-section of 2,922 Australian electors aged 18+ over the last two weekends.

Primary support for the ALP rose to 37.5% (up 0.5% over the past fortnight) whilst L-NP primary support was up 0.5% to 38.5%. Support for the other parties shows The Greens rose to 12% (up 1.5%), the Palmer United Party (PUP) 4.0% (down 0.5%) while Independents/ Others fell 2% to 8%.

Support for PUP is highest in the three States that elected Palmer United Party Senators: Queensland (7%), Western Australia (5%) and Tasmania (4%). Support for PUP is lower in the rest of Australia: Victoria (3%), New South Wales (2.5%) and South Australia (2%).

Analysis by Gender

Analysis by Gender shows ALP support well ahead amongst women: ALP 57% cf. L-NP 43% on a two-party preferred basis. However, men also support the ALP 51.5% cf. L-NP 48.5%.

Analysis by Age group

Analysis by Age group shows the ALP still with its strongest advantage among younger Australians. 18-24yr olds heavily favour the ALP (76.5%) cf. L-NP (23.5%); 25-34yr olds favour the ALP (62.5%) cf. L-NP (37.5%); 35-49yr olds favour the ALP (55.5%) cf. L-NP (44.5%); 50-64yr olds favour the ALP (53%) cf. L-NP (47%); only those aged 65+ still clearly favour the L-NP (60.5%) cf. ALP (39.5%).

Analysis by States

The ALP maintains a two-party preferred lead in all Australian States except Queensland. New South Wales: ALP 55% cf. L-NP 45%, Victoria: ALP 55% cf. L-NP 45%, Western Australia: ALP 56.5% cf. L-NP 43.5%, South Australia: ALP 56% cf. L-NP 44% and Tasmania: ALP 55.5% cf. L-NP 44.5%. Queensland is level pegging: L-NP 50% cf. ALP 50%.

Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating

The Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has risen to 95.5pts this week (up 0.5pts over the past fortnight). Now 42.5% (down 0.5%) of Australians say Australia is ‘heading in the wrong direction and 38% (unchanged) say Australia is ‘heading in the right direction’.

The Morgan Poll surveys a larger sample (including people who only use a mobile phone) than any other public opinion poll. The Morgan Poll asks Minor Party supporters which way they will vote their preferences. *News Corp’s poll does not measure or reference the PUP vote!

The Morgan Poll allocated preferences based on how people say they will vote – allocating preferences by how electors voted at the last Federal Election, as used by News Corp’s poll*, show the ALP (53.5%) cf. L-NP (46.5 %) – for trends see the Morgan Poll historic data table.

Gary Morgan says:

“Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s decision to commit 600 Australian troops to Iraq has failed to boost the Government in today’s Morgan Poll. This is unusual as the Morgan Poll has shown on past occasions that external security threats usually favour the incumbent Government. This was the case in early 2003 in the run-up to Iraq War and also in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

“In addition, Prime Minister Abbott lifted the Australian terrorism alert to high for the first time ten days ago (September 12, 2014) just before this polling period began. However, in contrast to what the Morgan Poll has shown in the past the L-NP has received no ‘poll boost’ in the past fortnight with the ALP (54.5%, up 0.5%) increasing their two-party preferred lead over the L-NP (45.5%, down 0.5%).

“The small boost in support to the ALP comes despite a special snap SMS Morgan Poll last week showing a narrow majority of Australians (54%) approving of Abbott’s decision to send 600 Australian troops to Iraq against 46% that disapprove. Interestingly, the snap SMS Morgan Poll showed a majority of men and Australians aged 35+ approved of sending the troops whereas a majority of women and Australians aged 18-34 disapproved.

“Supporting the sentiment amongst younger Australians against sending Australian troops to Iraq is a strong swing to the ALP amongst 18-24yrolds in today’s Morgan Poll. Now a huge 76.5% (up 15.5%) of 18-24yr olds support the ALP cf. 23.5% (down 15.5%) support the L-NP on a two-party preferred basis.

“The extensive raids carried out last week against potential terrorists in Australia have had a strong impact on the electorate with a separate special snap SMS Morgan Poll last week showing a narrow majority of Australians (52.5%) support the death penalty being imposed for people convicted of a terrorist act in Australia that kills someone compared to 47.5% that are opposed. This is the first time a majority of Australians have favoured the death penalty being imposed for any crime since 1995 when 53% of Australians supported the death penalty for convicted murderers.”

Electors were asked: “If an election for the House of Representatives were held today – which party will receive your first preference?”  Visit the Roy Morgan Online Store to browse our range of Voter Profiles by electorate, detailed Voting Intention Demographics Reports and Most important Political Issue Reports (all 150 electorates ranked by an issue).

Finding No. 5824 – This multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention was conducted via face-to-face and SMS interviewing over the last two weekends of September 13/14 & 20/21, 2014 with an Australia-wide cross-section of 2,922 Australian electors aged 18+, of all electors surveyed 2.5% did not name a party.