Light Up the Darkness Fundraiser for Mental Health, Yamba 3 November 2012

 

http://www.facebook.com/Lightupthedarknessformentalhealth

 

Light Up the Darkness Fundraiser for Mental Health to be held on Saturday 3rd November at 6.30pm at the Yamba Bowling Club. Tickets $50.00 each and can be purchased from the Bowling Club. Darren 'the gun' Flanaghan who was instrumental in freeing the trapped miners at Beaconsfield Mine in Tasmania 5 years ago is our special Guest Speaker. Please support us as we raise awareness for the need for a Mental Health Practitioner in the Lower Clarence.

Cansdellgate - the matter of 'bankruptcy'

Shortly after the latest news about former and disgraced MP for Clarence Steve Cansdell went into the public domain on Wednesday mention was made by a number of reputable sources about the bloke's bankruptcy. Now, it seems, any mention of bankruptcy was a big mistake.

ABC local radio aired an interview with Cansdell where he said,  "I've had probably the worst 12 months of my life, plus the bankruptcy, although things are getting better." [emphasis added]

Listen to the interview here.

However, the ABC website now reports Cansdell said, "I've had probably the worst 12 months of my life, close to bankruptcy, although things are getting better." [emphasis added]

Today's Daily Examiner carries a piece titled "Clarification". It states:

Former Clarence MP Steve Cansdell was quoted in yesterday's Daily Examiner as saying "I've had probably the worst 12 months of my life plus the bankruptcy although things are getting better." Mr Cansdell was referring to narrowly avoiding bankruptcy - he was never actually bankrupt during those 12 months. The Daily Examiner apologises for any confusion.

So, there you have it! Simple, isn't it?!

Was the former and disgraced MP loose with the truth when he spoke with ABC radio or was he simply bankrupt of good ideas? Perhaps, being a former pollie, he was simply appealing for more sympathy votes.

Image from forbes.com

POLITICIANS UNDERWHELMED BY TELSTRA CEO THODEY'S 'CORPORATE SPEAK'

 

 

 

Politicians underwhelmed by Telstra CEO’s ‘corporate speak’

 

LISMORE’S political leaders have been left ‘underwhelmed’ by Telstra CEO David Thodey’s ‘corporate speak’ response to their call for the telco to make a $3.4-million investment in digital infrastructure to compensate for the impending Goonellabah Call Centre closure.

 

Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin, State Member for Lismore Thomas George and Lismore Mayor Cr Jenny have adopted a bipartisan approach to negotiating with Telstra management on getting the best outcomes for 116 affected local staff and for the district’s economy.

 

“David Thodey is not offering anything extra to the Lismore district and we are disappointed but not surprised given the ease with which he can change the lives of more than 100 local people so dramatically,” the politicians said in a joint statement.

 

“We had approached Mr Thodey in good faith and were hopeful that our request, based on a detailed consultant’s study which identified gaps in telecommunications infrastructure in the Lismore area, would be given serious consideration,” they said.

 

“We asked Telstra to make a significant additional investment in new fixed and wireless networks and in retraining for affected workers, but Mr Thodey maintained that planned infrastructure upgrades will provide customers with enough coverage and that redundancy packages are adequate.

 

“We asked for a partnership between Telstra and Lismore City Council to run a two-year program to increase the use of broadband by local businesses, but Mr Thodey referred us to NBN Co and the Australian Government’s general educational programs.

 

“The only concessions from Telstra are its sponsorship of a jobs market which was already taking place at the Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre next Friday (October 19) and an agreement to consider allowing equipment in the call centre to be reused by another business if a new tenant can be found for the site.

 

“We have decided to release to regional media outlets all correspondence around our request to Mr Thodey for a digital infrastructure investment, so that the local community can get a clear indication of this corporation’s level of commitment to the regional city of Lismore.”

 

Thursday, October 11, 2012.

 

Poor ol' cocky

 

A Black Cockatoo

Find out more about the impacts of coal seam gas mining at A Black Cockatoo.

http://ablackcockatoo.blogspot.com.au/

Sez Alan Jones over at 2GB

A toxic kiss if ever there was one

Tony Abbott, the author, the power bill and parliament

Image from ABC News online

Synergy (West Australia) is a state government-owned corporation which raised its residential and business electricity prices on 1 July 2012.

It states that the average customer uses 15.89 units of electricity per day or 969.22 units over 61 days. This should result in a carbon price charge in the vicinity of $22 (based on the state corporation's own calculations) for a billing period of this length.

In the case of an electricity account for June-July 2012, this average household should only attract a carbon price charge of around $11 dollars, because this charge was not introduced until halfway through the billing period.

Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, claimed in the Federal Parliament this week that the electricity account for June-July 2012 (pictured above) represented an $800 increase in electricity costs to an 82 year-old author/ pensioner since the previous billing period and that 70 per cent of this rise is due to the carbon tax.

This particular household appears to have almost doubled its electricity consumption since that previous billing period and used 112 units of electricity daily or 6,832 units over 61 days, resulting in a bill for $1,563.70 in total (GST and carbon price inclusive).

It is worth noting that at an average of 112 units per day this customer uses seven times more electricity than the average Synergy customer and, the carbon price charge included in this bill would be in the vicinity of $77 - again based on the state corporation's own calculations for this level of electricity consumption.

In fact most of the actual $827.45 increase represents increased tariff and supply charges imposed by the WA Coalition Government coupled with the cost of markedly increased consumption.

If Tony Abbott was seriously concerned about this woman, then he would be advising her to have her electricity meter checked and have someone look at her major appliances, if as she allegedly asserts in her email to him, there has been no change in lifestyle which would explain higher electricity use.

Perhaps Mr. Abbott might like to also speak with his political colleagues in the Barnett Government, given a June 2012 final report by the WA Economic Regulation Authority foreshadowed further price increases next year based on Synergy's operating costs:

Synergy reported that its forecast increases in operating costs were based on the following explanatory factors:
- an expected increase in the costs of dealing with customer complaints, due to tariff increases, and additional Ombudsman-related compliance costs;
- the implementation of new products and services required by government;
- increasing implementation costs associated with the new billing system;
- costs associated with strategic projects and business transformation; and
- higher IT costs arising from the separation of IT systems from Western Power.

Though, given this is a West Australia story, perhaps it is more than Mr. Abbott who has a connection with a mining industry unhappy about the national carbon price scheme and who may be intent on pushing the anti-tax case. Parliament might like an explanation as to how this pensioner came to his notice.

Is the Hon. Tony Abbott MHR mad as a cut snake?

Australian Coalition Opposition Leader Tony Abbott on the subject of the Independent Member for Fisher -

In the House on the 9th October 2012:

“I move: That, as provided for by section 35 of the Constitution, the Speaker be removed from office immediately.”

“That is why this particular Speaker is no longer a fit and proper person to be the Speaker of this House.”

 “This Speaker is this Prime Minister's creation.”

“This Speaker should be gone, and he should be gone today.”

In the meeja the next day:

“Certainly he was elected as a Coalition member, his electorate would expect him to vote with the Coalition,” Mr Abbott told Sydney's 2UE radio.”
"if he chooses to vote with the Coalition, we certainly will be happy to have that vote."

Sure, Tones – you’ve certainly earned his vote.