Harmers produces an exercise in the pathetic

Statement by Harmers Workplace Lawyers
Wednesday 12 Dec. 2012
"Whilst of course we respect the court's decision, we are shocked and disappointed by it. We will argue strongly on appeal that the conclusions in his Honour'sjudgment made about our conduct of the case are simply not justified by the evidence. Neither myself, nor this firm, are part of any conspiracy.
Harmers Workplace Lawyers has over many years assisted thousands of individual,corporate and union clients to access justice.
We have assisted James Ashby in that same way, as an individual who could not otherwise afford to run very expensive litigation in our courts.
This is the sole reason we took on James Ashby's case. Politics played absolutely no role in the decision to take on James as a client. As I swore in my affidavit, and as recognised by his Honour in his decision, my political views are notconsistent with the conservative side of politics. We are a law firm, consciousof our professional obligations, and take no role in politics.
As a firm, we will be examining all avenues to have this decision, and its comments, overturned through due judicial process."
Michael Harmer
Harmers Workplace Lawyers
Michael is not available for further comment.
MEDIA CONTACT Anthony McClellan
AMC Media
Mob. 0433 122 360
anthonymcc@gmail.com
T: antmac9

Is this the end of Mal Brough's renewed political ambitions? ASHBY v COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA and PETER SLIPPER - 12 December 2012 judgement

Earlier this year Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had openly backed former Howard Government Minister Mal Brough’s attempt to return to Federal Parliament:

TONY Abbott has given a boost to former minister Mal Brough's campaign for Liberal National Party preselection in Fisher by declaring ''he would be a very welcome addition to our team''.

Now that Brough is linked to a political conspiracy to bring down the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, one wonders how Abbott will spin that sordid fact.

Excerpts from JAMES HUNTER ASHBY v COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA and PETER SLIPPER judgment:

132 Mr Ashby and Ms Doane had decided by 29 March 2012 that Mr Ashby would make allegations of sexual harassment in legal proceedings against Mr Slipper and would assist Mr Brough and Mr Lewis to damage Mr Slipper in the public eye and political arena with any information they could find including using the requested diary entries together with any proceedings. Mr Ashby referred to seeing or using lawyers in his texts from about this time. Accordingly, I have inferred that he, Ms Doane and Mr Brough intended that Mr Ashby would bring proceedings against Mr Slipper alleging at least sexual harassment.

133 Once they had decided on their course of action, Mr Ashby and Ms Doane did not go straight to see a lawyer to air any concerns about any legal wrongs that either may have suffered. Instead, Mr Ashby or Ms Doane contacted Mr Brough and they began working with him and Mr Lewis. That was an act of disloyalty that they both knew was antithetic to their continuing to work for Mr Slipper. But they did continue. They asked Mr Brough to help them find a lawyer. They used their positions on his staff surreptitiously to copy and provide extracts from Mr Slipper’s diaries for periods in 2009 and 2010 at the requests of both Mr Brough and Mr Lewis. There is no evidence that Mr Ashby ever provided any of Mr Slipper’s diary entries concerning the 2012 Cabcharge allegations to anyone. Mr Ashby met Mr Lewis on 4 April 2012 and Mr Ashby so enthused Mr Lewis that the latter wrote “We will get him!!” just before flying to Sydney.

138 I am also satisfied that Mr Ashby and Ms Doane by about 29 March 2012 were in a combination with Mr Brough to cause Mr Slipper as much political and public damage as they could inflict on him….

141 Mr Brough was unlikely to have been offering to assist Ms Doane and Mr Ashby in seeing Mr Russell QC for advice or looking for new careers out of pure altruism. Realistically, his preparedness to act for them was created and fed by their willingness to act against Mr Slipper’s interests and assisting Mr Brough’s and the LNP’s interests in destabilising Mr Slipper’s position as Speaker and damaging him in the eyes of his electorate….

167 …..In my opinion, Mr Ashby included the Cabcharge allegations in the originating application for the predominant purpose of injuring Mr Slipper and assisting a political attack on him to benefit Mr Brough and the LNP…

199...I am satisfied that the exceptional situation that enlivens the Court’s power to dismiss (or stay) proceedings as an abuse has been proved to the heavy standard required: Williams 174 CLR at 529. The duty and power of the Court to protect its own processes require that I give effect to the findings I have made by dismissing the proceedings under r 26.01...

Judgment transcript here.

Taking to the air

Pic from teh googles

 

James Ashby Statement

7 October

In response to media inquiries, we note that Fairfax Media claim to have an Affidavit admitted into evidence on Thursday but as yet not released by the Court. The affidavit contains the details of all the text messages between Mr. Ashby and Mr. Slipper. It was introduced into evidence to show the full context of the communications between the two men. The Fairfax report does not do that. This affidavit was not given to Fairfax by Mr. Ashby nor by anyone associated with Mr. Ashby. All parties to the litigation, including the Commonwealth, had copies of this document that has now been released to Fairfax. ENDS

Anthony McClellan.

AMC MediaMob: 0433 122 360

anthonymcc@gmail.com

After reading the documents it's hard not to think of this as a political conspiracy

ABC TV 7.30 Report 26 July 2012:

There’s mounting evidence of a concerted plot against Peter Slipper in the form of hundreds of pages of fresh evidence filed with the Federal Court based on emails and text messages between the key players. There've always been questions about whether the claims by Mr Slipper's accuser, James Ashby, were politically motivated. That's the basis of Peter Slipper's defence in a case that could have serious repercussion for the Federal Parliament. …..

Now in the Federal Court, hundreds of pages of evidence, emails and text messages that reveal a web of planning and prior knowledge by key political figures. The two Slipper staffers, James Ashby and Karen Doane, were in frequent contact with several players before the case blew up. The first is Mal Brough, former federal minister, arch enemy of Peter Slipper, rival for his seat. Karen Doane was seeking his help to line up a job with the new Queensland Government or with the mining magnate Clive Palmer….

Mr Brough also met with James Ashby and had many contacts via text and email. He told him to get a lawyer, a point he's acknowledged publicly….

But it's the effort to expose Mr Slipper's travel records that's one of the most intriguing aspects of the new evidence. Ashby and Doane secretly accessed their boss' diary…..

The diary extracts were sent to the journalist Steve Lewis and to Mal Brough. He replied ... "Can that be emailed, James? It is hard to read."…..

The next figure to emerge is the Queensland Government minister Mark McArdle. He too appeared to have inside knowledge of the Ashby complaint before it went public. He promised to keep it to himself and Ashby kept him in the loop…
JAMES ASHBY...."One day I'll ask you to don a shirt that says 'Vote 1 Ashby'."

On and on the alleged plot wends its way towards eventual publication the mainstream media.

The evidence has been made public by the Federal Court of Australia and can be found at Online file - Ashby v Commonwealth of Australia NSD 580 of 2012.

Ashby argues the Constitution made me do it?

Granny Herald carried this last Monday:
“Michael Lee, SC, barrister for Mr Slipper's former media adviser, James Ashby, told the Federal Court he intended to argue Mr Ashby was justified in leaking Mr Slipper's diary extracts under the freedom implied in the constitution to publish material discussing government and political matters.”
Have hours of fun finding this implied freedom to leak in the Australian Constitution here. 

James Ashby apparently desires that the Commonwealth and Slipper defend all allegations before he supplies evidence of these same allegations to the Federal Court

 

In the matter of Ashby v Commonwealth of Australia:

Click on image to enlarge

What Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pyne doesn't want canvassed in the Australian House of Representatives

Online file - Ashby v Commonwealth of Australia NSD 580 of 2012

In view of the high number of media requests for file access in this matter, the Court has established an online file on to which publicly accessible material has been placed and will be placed in the future. Consistent with Rule 2.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 restricted documents, such as affidavits and exhibits, only become public once admitted into evidence and approved by the Judge.

Material will be added here as it becomes available.  

Three excerpts from one court document now publicly available:

Ashby: Hmmm interesting. I had no idea of that rule... I bet the likes of Jacki and Bruce McIver have some influence. Jacki is definitely a key player in the party these days. To arrange a lawyer for $1 of that caliber is a big thing in my mind.

Doane: Agreed. It is also due to the barrister's ties to the LNP and the way this will tip the govt to Mal's and the LNP's advantage. Definitely a good move for us to meet with him so he gets to know us other than w the black mark from being w Peter!!

Doane: The email for Mal doesn't seem to work. I have: Mal.brough1@bigpond.com . Do you have something different?

Ashby: Whoops it's Mal.brough2@bigpond.com sorry bout that. My fault.

Doane: I want to balance your harassment charge with one of my own. He is demeaning, aggressive and w his bcc's unprofessional at the very least. However I don't want to diminish your claim in any way. As you said last night, both claims may strengthen the case. I might look for a lawyer myself if we don't have contact soon.

Ashby: Yeah I will contact Mal again today. Failing that I will make contact with someone myself as well.

Update

The Australian 27 June 2012:

LNP president Bruce McIver has conceded that Howard government minister Mal Brough approached him, and possibly party donor and mining magnate Clive Palmer, searching for a job for a Slipper staffer, believed to be Karen Doane, who in April proposed launching a harassment case against the Speaker.

The Queanbeyan Age 27 June 2012:

NEWS Limited and one of its journalists were involved in an elaborate plot to bring down parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper, according to documents filed with the Federal Court.
The documents expose private communication between News political correspondent Steve Lewis and Mr Slipper's former staff member James Ashby, including one in which Lewis says: ''We will get him.''
The documents also reveal that News - the Australian arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire - paid for Mr Ashby to stay in a Sydney hotel and meet Lewis on April 10 this year. In one text, the reporter told Mr Ashby: ''I will sort out payment'', and: ''Just tell hotel to book u in again and News will sort''.

Growing dirt pile is getting closer to NSW O'Farrell Government Resources and Energy Minister, Chris Hartcher - Part Three

 

It would appear that the Ashby virus is spreading……………….

The Sydney Morning Herald 19 May 2012:

POLICE are investigating a claim Senator Bill Heffernan assaulted an employee of Chris Hartcher, the NSW Energy Minister, in an alleged homophobic attack at a fractious Liberal Party meeting on the central coast.

Ray Carter, 67, has accused Senator Heffernan of assaulting him and, according to sources, vilifying him over his sexuality at a gathering of party members in the federal electorate of Robertson.

Senator Heffernan was acting as an emissary of Tony Abbott at the Breakers Country Club at Wamberal on May 3. A Liberal source said the pair had been seen to physically clash on two occasions during the evening and also alleged that Senator Heffernan had aimed ''homophobic slurs'' at Mr Carter. In a statutory declaration, Mr Carter alleges Senator Heffernan hit him on his shoulder, causing him to fall into his seat, and later saying to him: ''I didn't know you were a poofter.''……..

Mr Carter, who has been suspended from Mr Hartcher's electorate office over a donation scandal, waited nearly a fortnight to report the allegation to Gosford police.

 Part One here.

James Ashby sends it all to Twitter and Scribd

Anthony J McClellan‏@antmac9

#slipper Ashby Statement coming shortly #auspol

7:03 PM - 17 May 12 via Tweetbot for iOS · Embed this Tweet

It would appear that Twitter and Scribd are being used to bypass the mainstream media in all matters pertaining to James Ashby v Commonwealth of Australia & Anor.

Letter to AHRC Re Bob Carr and Barnaby Joyce Sent 17 May 2012

 

Who is this spinmeister? According to The Power Index it is:

 

Anthony McClellan – Managing director, AMC Media
The former 60 Minutes veteran is now one of the most respected crisis management specialists in the country. Tough and competitive, McClellan represented Kristy Fraser-Kirk in her legal battle with David Jones and mine managers during the rescue operation at Beaconsfield.

Christopher Pyne, Mal Brough & James Ashby - the plot thickens

Liberal Party frontbencher and Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pyne protesting his ‘innocence’ in The Sydney Morning Herald on 2 March 2012:

Mr Pyne had gone to the Speaker's office to see Mr Slipper, but he was in the chamber. Mr Pyne was then invited for a drink with Mr Ashby and another staffer while he waited.

Mr Pyne said in a statement that he had met Mr Ashby three times, twice in the Speaker's office and ''once when he came to my office to collect wine being given to a former Coalition staffer as a farewell gift''.

He said that ''on no occasion did he raise the matters canvassed in the Federal Court'' and that he had never had any telephone contact with Mr Ashby.

Earlier yesterday, he said that, as manager of opposition business, he had more contact with the Speaker's office than other MPs, and it was not unusual for him to socialise with Mr Slipper's staff in his absence.

He said he was ''simply passing the time of day. We had a beer and a political discussion.'' But he said: ''I don't remember ever having asked for Mr Ashby's number.''

One voter writes a letter to the editor to the Brisbane Times which is published on 3 May 2012:

If Christopher Pyne was drinking with Mr Ashby in the Speaker's office while Parliament was in session, I can think of at least three questions that Mr Pyne should be asked: who was paying for the booze; was he (Mr Pyne) drinking while at work; and, isn't drinking during working hours a dismissable offence (''Pyne caught up in Slipper scandal'', May 2)? Over to you, Chris.

Trevor Nayler

Ermington

Now The Australian on 5 May 2012 reports that Slipper’s arch-rival became involved and Pyne finally outed for an email to Ashby he originally denied:

FORMER Liberal cabinet minister Mal Brough has admitted telling James Ashby to go to the police and take legal action over allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of taxi vouchers by Peter Slipper after a series of secret meetings with the political staffer earlier this year.
After a Gillard government campaign to link federal opposition MPs to the court action that led Mr Slipper to step down as Speaker, Mr Brough yesterday revealed he was briefly a confidant to Mr Ashby, even organising him legal advice, in the weeks before the adviser launched his explosive law suit against his then boss.
Mr Brough, who is standing for pre-selection in Mr Slipper's Queensland seat of Fisher at the next federal election, rejected speculation the Liberal National Party turncoat had been snared in a "honey trap" set by Mr Ashby with the backing of senior Coalition figures.
The one-time indigenous affairs minister in the Howard government, who lost his seat in the 2007 election landslide, revealed his role in Mr Ashby's court action as Labor stepped up its bid to tie Tony Abbott and Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne into setting up the Speaker.
In an exclusive interview, Mr Brough outlined the chain of events that led Mr Ashby to file his legal claim in relation to the sexual harassment he alleges to have suffered at Mr Slipper's hands, as well as the veteran MP's alleged misuse of taxi dockets, now the subject of an Australian Federal Police investigation…….
Mr Brough, who waged a two-year campaign in the LNP branch to oust Mr Slipper as candidate at the next election, said he had had little interaction with Mr Ashby before the "distressed" parliamentary adviser approached him. ….
Mr Abbott yesterday admitted that Mr Pyne, manager of opposition business, had sent an email to Mr Ashby after the pair had drinks in the Speaker's office on March 19. But Mr Abbott said Mr Pyne had not made further contact with Mr Ashby.

The Yass Tribune on went on to state on 5 May:

THE man who has accused Peter Slipper of sexual harassment and fraud, James Ashby, was undermining his boss's re-election even as he continued to work in the Speaker's office.

Mr Ashby was promoting one of Mr Slipper's potential rivals for the seat of Fisher in a series of YouTube videos while he was a media adviser to the Speaker……

The subject of two videos compiled by Mr Ashby is the Sunshine Coast businesswoman Peta Simpson who, with Mr Brough, plans to nominate as the Liberal National Party candidate for the seat of Fisher, now held by Mr Slipper.  

Ashby’s YouTube account can be found here.

Update:

Pyne's lie caught out.

Abbott on Slipper in 2011 - "He's a mate of mine"

It is hard to see Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's recent statements concerning The Speaker Peter Slipper as anything other than hypocritical manufactured outrage, given he was still supporting this member of parliament during periods when other serious allegations had surfaced, including those mentioned in current court papers.

Abbott and Slipper posed photograph from Google Images

He’s a mate of mine

Abbott speaking at 7.32 mins on 2011 audio clip

http://youtu.be/kLP2MIggvLs

QUESTION:

Are you concerned that Peter Slipper last night issued a statement threatening to resign from the Queensland Liberal National Party?

TONY ABBOTT:

Look, there are all sorts of issues at a local party level and they’re things that should be sorted out at a local party level.

QUESTION:

Will you be talking to Peter Slipper and Mal Brough to sort out their situation?

TONY ABBOTT:

In the end, they’re both loyal members of the LNP here in Queensland. Peter is a good, strong member of the Coalition down in Canberra.

[Tony Abbott Doorstop, 5 September 2011,transcript]

THE Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, is urging the Queensland Liberal National Party to show restraint amid a growing push for a quick preselection challenge against the federal Liberal MP and Deputy Speaker, Peter Slipper.

Mr Abbott and others in the Liberal Party feel that if Mr Slipper loses his preselection, he may quit the party and sit on the cross benches, costing the Coalition a precious vote in the finely balanced Parliament.

The Liberal Party federal director, Brian Loughnane, was making representations to the LNP state president, Bruce McIver, yesterday.

Sources said Mr Loughnane was trying to defuse the situation on behalf of Mr Abbott.

[The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 November 2011]

The leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott, recently came out in support of Peter Slipper in an on-air interview with 101.5FM - 4OUR.

Mr Abbott said Mr Slipper was a "good bloke" and was loyal.

"He has been a good loyal servant of the Liberal Party, and more recently the LNP," Mr Abbott told the Morning Magazine in an interview. (Listen to the podcast below)

[101.5FM, Morning Mag, 24 November 2011]

Mr Speaker, we have known each other for many years. We have shared good times and not-so-good times. You have been an extremely effective and efficient Deputy Speaker of this parliament. You certainly have the technical skills and the knowledge of this parliament to be effective in this chair. We congratulate you. We wish you well and we express the hope and the confidence that you will serve without fear or favour. [Tony Abbott welcoming Slipper as The Speaker, Commonwealth Hansard, 24 November 2011]

UPDATE:

When Peter Slipper became an independent Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Tony Abbott-led Opposition began ‘leaking’ damaging documents to The Australian:

SIX months ago when Peter Slipper was spectacularly reinvented by the Gillard government as Speaker, seething kingmakers in the Liberal Party organised a dump.

Slipper, the member for Fisher who had been begrudgingly tolerated by his party despite his penchant for stretching the public purse to accommodate premium travel and perks, was officially a turncoat. The gloves were off.

Among the documents provided to The Australian by political operatives last November was an email exchange dating back to 2003 when Julia Gillard was in opposition and Tony Abbott a minister in John Howard's government. In themselves, the emails are hardly explosive - they evince a warm relationship between two adults: the boss, Slipper, and his employee, Tim Knapp. They discuss plans for a private weekend meeting. It would be thwarted because, as Knapp wrote, "it may be awkward ... unless you want me to introduce you as my boyfriend to them all".

Slipper asked if "Sat night my place for dinner" would be OK. Knapp replied: "To be honest i am a little unsure of coming to your place for dinner i think we need to keep things within the workplace to keep suspicions at a minimum."……….

When this becomes common knowledge in April 2012, Abbott does not deny knowledge of the allegations or the leaks, but tries to spin the facts:

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says complaints made to Howard government staff by the man accusing Peter Slipper of sexual harassment did not constitute a "formal" complaint.

Former aide James Ashby has filed a civil claim in the Federal Court, alleging Mr Slipper made unwelcome sexual advances towards him in January this year.

The documents also allege the Sunshine Coast MP misused taxpayer-funded taxi vouchers.

The only reasonable conclusion which can be drawn from this scenario is that the Liberal Party of Australia and Tony Abbott (both in government and opposition) concealed serious allegations from the Australian Parliament and voters in order that the Coalition could hold onto the federal seat of Fisher in Queensland, which was retained by Slipper in the 2010 federal election with a +2.28% swing.

Note:

Although Coalition political operatives were involved in approaching the media after Slipper became Speaker, Tony Abbott offers a carefully-worded denial of any Coalition involvement in preparing the Ashby sexual harassment case:

Mr Abbott says he has no knowledge of any coalition personnel helping to prepare the case against Mr Slipper.

Further update:

Slipper on Abbott via Twitter in April 2012.....

Peter Slipper MP‏@PeterSlipperMP

I have been a good friend of Tony Abbott even when he didn't have many. I even delivered him the key vote he needed to become leader!

Peter Slipper MP‏@PeterSlipperMP

#auspol Tony was an honoured guest at our wedding 6 years ago and it was great to have him and other friends and family there.

Peter Slipper MP‏@PeterSlipperMP

@AussiePlease#auspol That's true but if I had voted another way, he wouldn't have become Leader.

Will NSW Nats MP Steve Cansdell take up Lynne Mowbray's challenge?

On Page One of The Daily Examiner on 9 August 2011 one distressed local threw down a gauntlet in front of the Nationals Member for Clarence and Parliamentary Secretary for Police, Steve Candell, who is part of the NSW OFarrell Government:

ON WEDNESDAY afternoon several people at a Maclean car park witnessed an incident involving three people who appeared to be severely affected by alcohol and drugs.....
The two males continued harassing the woman to get back behind the wheel and continue driving as she was the only one who appeared to possess a licence.
It was obvious the two males were agitated. One appeared to be extremely volatile and aggressive and the other reeked of alcohol.
They ended up taking off in the car, driven by the highly intoxicated man and leaving the woman behind.
This incident was reported to the police out of fear these people were a mobile time bomb.
The Maclean police station was unattended at the time and the communication machine on the wall was faulty....
He explained there was no police presence in the Lower Clarence area on that day and an earlier domestic violence matter at Harwood had to be attended by the only available police car, which had to travel from Grafton.
I was in disbelief there was not one officer on duty in the whole of the Maclean, Yamba and Iluka areas.
As the police officer relayed this information to me I couldn't help but flash-back to three years ago when I witnessed a motorist asleep behind the wheel of his car, which was parked in the middle of the road leading into Maclean, at night with the lights off.
After waking him that night he appeared hostile and to be under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. I followed him into town as he drove on the wrong side of the road towards oncoming traffic.
I phoned the police twice, pleading with them to stop him before he killed someone, but I was told there was no police presence in Maclean, as they were called out to Yamba.
There were several other accounts of people being forced off the road as he headed towards his destination.
I remembered the gut-wrenching hopelessness and desperation I felt when the police called me back a short time later and asked me to come into the station the next day to provide details for a coronial inquest into the man's death. He ended-up hitting a tree at Ashby at high speed.
I remember how I sobbed uncontrollably, knowing I did my best to save this man but the “system” let me down.
The lack of police in the area that night not only left me scarred for the rest of my days, but also affected the police who attended that scene, the tow truck operator, the undertaker who attended and the family, neighbours and friends who were left to grieve.
The system let us all down that night.
In his new appointment as Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services, I challenge the Member for Clarence, Steve Cansdell, to table this editorial in parliament.
The days of talking the talk are gone. It's now time to walk the walk.
Your electorate is lagging in police numbers and it's up to you to not just fight for change, but to deliver it. You have been given the baton and now is your time to run with it.
Give our police the control they need in their own area and enough police officers to staff our stations and reduce the work-related stress of our officers.
I can't help thinking that if we had our police station in Maclean staffed three years ago, that man would still be around today. It grieves me to think that while we play politics it is our community that suffers.
Please end this absurd disregard for our struggling officers and this community's safety and peace of mind.

Political opportunism continues in relation to loose talk concerning any Clarence water diversion

From A Clarence Valley Protest on 26 November 2010:

Fringe parties still making hay with Clarence water talk

August and November 2010 sees political opportunism continue.........

# The following is on the website of the fledgling political party the Citizens Electoral Council of Australia:

Newly elected National Party MP for Riverina, Michael McCormack, described the plan as "a guide to depopulate inland Australia". Although this was said in passing, it reflected our material, and was the most truthful thing any Federal MP has said about the implications of the plan. He also asked what effect this is having on our kids, as they hear their parents talk about the meaning of the plan……………………..

What we lead with in one meeting, we find is raised more in questions at the subsequent meeting, ie repealing the Water Act, or the Wentworth Group. Circles discuss it, and raise it at the next one. An Italian farmer talked about the Clarence River scheme, and had our leaflet from Griffith on him when he asked the question.

The LYM spoke to a Hay councillor who recognised the CEC, and was very responsive on water projects, the Clarence and Bradfield, saying we should've done this a long time ago. All of the MDB Fraud DVDs were distributed, to a very good response.

* Michael McCormack is on the parliamentary committee currently inquiring into the regional social/economic impacts of the proposed Murray Darling Basin Plan and probably looking at interbasin water transfer.

# The Agmates website indicates that another fringe political party Climate Sceptics Party of Australia is also out in the Basin stirring up support for interbasin water transfer:

Climate Sceptics candidates Steve Davies (Barker) and Leon and Nathan Ashby (Senate) will tour Murray river towns early next week explaining their policy on water.

The party believes there is plenty of water in Australia and it would not support a water buy back policy for the River Murray but rather support diverting water from Northern Australian rivers as the solution for extra water to SA. It would be a vastly improved Bradfield scheme something proposed over 70 years ago by the designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, John Bradfield. Lead Senate candidate Leon Ashby says "Rivers such as the Clarence, Tully, Herbert, Burdekin, and Flinders in northern Australia have vast amounts flow into the sea during floods.
These floods could be diverted to flow to many places inland including down as far as Murray Bridge via gravity fed pipelines and channels."

# The Murray Darling Basin Authority is noting this discussion:

The Authority heard:
•That the MDBA should consider the need for extra dams.
•That the Lake Mejum scheme should be reconsidered as an option for storing water for irrigation.
•Support for building the Clarence river scheme.
•That the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme being built to generate power but also for irrigation and to look after the environment – it was straight forward, why are we moving away from this?
•There is a need for real works and measures to water the environment.
•Concern that vast amounts of water are lost to evaporation.

Flying foxes - let's get it right

It is disturbing that incorrect information about the bats in Maclean has been widely circulated. The management of urban flying-foxes is complex.

The community is entitled to be presented with information that is free of hysteria, stereotypes and political manoeuvrings.

Research, that can be verified, indicates that most efforts to relocate flying-foxes in Australia, including Maclean have been unsuccessful e.g., despite over 10 years of disturbance at Maclean the flying-foxes return annually, and due to their fidelity to camp sites are likely to return for many more years, maybe indefinitely.

Relocation attempts are often extremely costly e.g., over $400,000 at Maclean since 1999 and $3 million at Melbourne. Relocations need to be considered by the broader community, not just immediate communities, as relocations have the potential to shift the flying-foxes to other urban areas.

It is highly probable that the flying-foxes from Maclean have relocated to Iluka causing conflict with those residents. Further relocations at Maclean have the potential to increase conflict again in Iluka and fragment the animals into other urban townships such as Ashby and Yamba.

Given the high costs and uncertainty of relocation, it is very clear that other options such as community education, revegetation of buffer zones and modifications to buildings are also considered.

Flying-foxes are a native species and they are responsible for the propagation of our iconic forests. It is important that we recognise the intrinsic value of our Australian wildlife. To do less is a sad indictment on all of us.

Imelda Jennings

Secretary, Wildlife SOS

* 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 live dot com dot au for consideration.

Weekend Markets held on the NSW North Coast - where and when for 2010

Weekend Markets regularly held on the NSW North Coast

Assorted local market snapshots from Google Images

Saturday Markets

Brunswick Riverside Market

Memorial Park

Fawcett Street
1st Saturday of each month

Evans Head Community Market
Park Street Recreation Reserve
4th Saturday of each month

Kingscliff Beachside Market
Marine Parade
2nd & 4th Saturday of each month
Maclean Community Market
Main Street car park River Street
2nd Saturday of each month

Mullumbimby Museum Market
Stuart Street
3rd Saturday of each month

Murwillumbah Cottage Market
City Centre
3rd Saturday of each month

Sunday Markets

Alstonville Community Market
Alstonville Showgrounds
2nd Sunday of each month

Ballina Community Market
Canal Road
3rd Sunday of each month

Bangalow Village
Bangalow Showgrounds
4th Sunday of each month
Byron Bay Community Market
Butler Street Reserve

1st Sunday of each month

Grafton Old Schoolhouse Market
Lawrence Road
Last Sunday of each month

Iluka Community Market
Cnr Own & Spencer Streets
1st Sunday of each month

Kingscliff Town Market
Lions Park
5th Sunday of each month

Kyogle Community Market
Kyogle Showgrounds
2nd Sunday of each month

Lennox Lakeside Market
Lake Ainsworth
2nd & 5th Sunday of each month

Lismore Car Boot Market
Lismore Shopping Square
1st & 3rd Sunday of each month

Murwillumbah Community Market
Murwillumbah Showground
4th Sunday of each month

Nimbin Aquarius Market
Community Centre
3rd & 5th Sunday of each month

Pottsville Community Market
Phillip Street Reserve
1st & 3rd Sunday of each month

The Channon Craft Market
Coronation Park
2nd Sunday of each month

Uki Buttery Bazaar
The Old Buttery
3rd Sunday of each month

Yamba Community Market
Yamba Oval
4th Sunday of each month

Sawtell MarketsSawtell Market Ground
4th Saturday of each month

Woolgoolga Markets
Woolgoola Beach
2nd Saturday of each month

Bellingen Community Markets
Bellingen Park,
Church Street
3rd Saturday of each month

Ashby Markets
Community Centre
Lismore Street, Ashby
3rd Sunday of each month

Updated guide in PDF download of all 2010 NSW North Coast monthly & annual community markets and farmers-growers markets.

"Moggy Musings" [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]

A grassy knoll musing: My little canine friend, Veronica Lake, says that humans she meets are starting to wonder about the number of Google searches coming out of Canberra which have the term "therese rein" plus "company", "ethics", "asic" or "problems".
Ronnie is wondering if Malcolm Turnbull's dogs are trying to dig up another mole for their master because his last one ran away. :-D

A bookish musing: Ashby cattle dogs Rolly, Trudy and Rose are about to join Clarence Valley local Steve Otton's old mate Tiny as the subject of a children's book due out in 2011, called RT and Rose: Three Dogs and a Beach Adventure.

Tiny: a little dog on a big adventure is in online bookstores now.

Humans aren't the top of the evolutionary tree musing:

Now as a bona fide Aussie moggy I think that cats are top of the tree, but I do realise that almost every species has the potential to equal humans when in comes to affection, loyalty and mateship.

Mickey the chocolate-coloured Kelpie pup from Nymboida who stayed for five days besides his injured companion dog Buddy. Bringing him wild-caught food and helping to chew through the fallen branch which had impaled him and, then when the older dog was freed leading this sick mate home to a worried owner and the splendid care of South Grafton Veterinary Clinic - well that is a dog who is the equal of humankind! Story here.

I was lost and now I'm found musing: Just like Lassie the adventurous collie dog, a scruffy pet named Muffy will finally return home after a nine-year, 2000km (1250 mile) odyssey down the east coast of Australia. The terrier-cross .... was last seen by her owners on the Gold Coast in Queensland in 2000 ago when she took off from a friend's house one day and never came back. This week the little white dog is reunited with her family.

An all creatures great & small musing:

Monday 27 August 2009 is Cupcake Day for the RSPCA.

It's time to bake up a storm and raise money to help Australian animals who are experiencing hard times or abuse.

Go to this RSPCA link for details. Patty cake, patty cake....I know you all can!

More bad news on NSW North Coast koala numbers

It seems every time one turns around these days one hears of land either being illegally cleared or cleared for approved development but also 'accidentally' being cleared of known koala habitat trees.

The situation appears to be dire in the Clarence Valley with population numbers in the vicinity of the Shannon Creek Dam site falling from an estimated 140-240 koalas to between 4-12 animals, the Ashby colony now only around 30-50 and Woombah koalas near local extinction according to Valley Watch environmental group [The Daily Examiner,Grafton,12 August 2008,p.1]

The Northern Rivers koala (phascolarctos cinereus) is now listed as a vulnerable species within New South Wales.

Sick or injured koalas also find their way into trees on the fringes of ever encroaching urban areas or are found by the roadside.

The Friends of the Koala which has been fighting to conserve Koalas and their habitat in the Northern Rivers of NSW has a 24 hour koala rescue and care service operating out of the Lismore area on PH: 6622 1233 and W.I.R.E.S can be contacted in Clarence Valley on PH: 6643.4055 and Northern Rivers on PH: 6628.1898.

These two worthy groups are always on the lookout for volunteers and are very grateful for donations.

The next time you decide that you would like to treat yourself to an espresso or cafe latte with a piece of cake - give the money to a wildlife group instead.

Photo from Friends of the Koala website.