Save those Casino cows!

With Northern Rivers councils seemingly intent on concreting and pebblecreting every available public space lately, it is good to see an elderly woman take a stand against Richmond Valley Council's plan to paint over a much-loved and quirky local mural. Council is quite happy to undertake a shire-wide rates revision which would see more money in its pockets, but is not willing to spend a little to have a local artist or signwriter repair this mural. Sound your horn as you pass council chambers this week and let those councillors know that public art (even smiley cows) matters!

Cats at nine paces during the US presidential election

Watermark's Friday Cat Blogging had these American politcal cats.

Brendan may have lost his shine when he ditched that earring, but did Malcolm ever sparkle in the first place?

The Liberal Party ship hasn't stopped yawing since the federal election last year and often appears perilously close to floundering on one political reef or another.

Brendan Nelson's poor opinion poll showing and unfortunate way with words once more has God's own party canvassing a change of leadership. Eyes are again turning to Malcolm Turnbull.

It's almost as if the ship's crew are intent on sending the boat to the bottom.

As Environment Minister during the last years of the Howard Government he is less than fondly remembered by Tassie and northern NSW for his high-handed attempts to wreck our lands, rivers and coastal oceans.

This is the same man whose history caused The Canberra Times Crispin Hull to write in March this year about the former banker's alleged role in the estimated $900 million HIH collapse and the subsequent court case now underway.

 

"Turnbull still has difficulties. He will be fighting a major case with a lot of publicity. His conduct will be under intense scrutiny. Political enemies and commentators will do their utmost to draw the worst possible inferences from whatever happens during the case. And the timing is appalling. The full case will get to court next year. Given the number of parties, the vast numbers of documents and complexity of legal argument over things such as privilege and meanings in the Corporations Law, the case is likely go on for some time."

Turnbull has quite reasonably refused to "rule out" a leadership challenge under the Howard principle. Former prime minister John Howard when in opposition and government as both deputy and leader said the leadership was always open. Loyal deputies should not have to "rule out" challenges.

This puts the parliamentary Liberal Party in a bind, especially in the face of appalling opinion poll figures for Brendan Nelson.

If the figures do not move, MPs will get restless. They will not want a further swing to Labor at the 2010 (or possibly 2011) election. Ditching Nelson is one thing; finding a suitable replacement is another. Without the HIH case, Turnbull would be the obvious choice. With HIH, they will be taking a risk. Even if Turnbull wins the case, it will be a long distraction at the minimum.

The worse case would be an order for him to pay millions of dollars in damages and a finding of deceptive conduct as alleged by the liquidator a finding no political leader could weather.

Those MPs might also question Turnbull's assessment of "baseless" when pitted against NSW requirements that legal advisers certify a case has "reasonable prospects of success" before proceeding on pain of costs orders against the legal advisers themselves, not just the client."

Is Brendan Nelson related to Joh Bjelke-Petersen?

Been wondering where Brendan Nelson gets his ideas from?

Well, wonder no more. He's been reading The Incomplete Works of Joh the Great - the unpublished personal memoirs of the late (and great, as in fantastic) husband of Queensland's most famous pumpkin scone baker.

Speaking on Sydney radio 2UE this week, Nelson dropped a couple of pure Johisms, but the one that took the cake was his "Just (you) wait and see."

The Sydney Morning Herald's Alan Ramsay provides readers with extracts of Nelson's chat this week with 2UE's Mike Carlton.

Nelson was talking about speculation he is a seat-warmer for Malcolm Turnbull.

2UE's Mike Carlton: "The cruel speculation about you, you must read it every day, that you're merely a seat-warmer for Malcolm Turnbull, that you're there to absorb some of the blows of defeat, and eventually the party will flick you and toss the leadership to Turnbull. You're aware of that?"

Nelson: "Yeah, of course I'm aware of it. And it's nonsense. I've had people underestimating me for 20 years. I'm very determined in this. I've already started the process of policy reform. I'm very focused and determined that we will present an attractive alternative."

Carlton: "You've got to say that. And full marks to do you for saying it. But every time you talk to the Liberal Party, or you pick up a newspaper and read it - and it's there again in the papers this morning - poor old Brendan, lovely bloke, nice fella, we'll leave him in for a bit until it gets hard and then it'll go to Turnbull."

Nelson: "Well, you just watch and see. You'll see how we go. And Malcolm Turnbull is obviously an extraordinarily intelligent, capable and successful man … he's doing a terrific job as the alternative treasurer. But you just wait and see."

Earlier, this exchange took place:

Carlton: "Nice to talk to you. You're looking very spick and span at this hour of the morning. Up and at 'em and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. How do you do it?"

Nelson: "Well, I am and every day. Firstly, it's important that you get up early, you get across what's happening in the news, and plan the day. And my mother always said that I should be neatly presented."

What other helpful advice did Nelson's mother give him? No doubt she also told him to wear clean underwear, just in case he gets hit by a bus.

Ramsey, at his best, added this gem:

God help us then if the Liberal Party leaves Brendan to muck along as leader. The man is trying, but he's got no idea. None at all. Neither do most of his colleagues or those who now fill the 70 taxpayer-funded staff positions with Nelson and his Opposition frontbench. At a staff meeting soon after the Coalition's defeat last November, party officials asked the 400-plus redundant ministerial staffers how many had previously worked in Opposition? Five raised their hands. Five!

The blind are leading the blind.

And, just for good measure, Ramsey included this:

Nelson: "My mother rings me every second day. A cartoon, she'll say. 'I've seen your cartoon, I've read a story', and so on. I just say, 'Don't worry, Mum. We're going all right'."

Ramsey: No he's not, Mum. He's doing his best but the job is beyond him. When even old farts like me start to feel sorry for him, you have to accept your son has no chance of surviving, let alone winning. None at all.

Read the complete piece by Ramsey here.

Senator Fielding goosestepping us all towards a political and social straightjacket

At the 24 November 2007 federal election the Family First Party ran 129 House of Representatives and 23 Senate candidates, according to Senator Steven Fielding's website.

According to the Australian Electoral Commission website, Fielding was the only Family First candidate actually elected.

 

One would think that this might indicate to both parliament and government that the majority of the national electorate had rather convincingly rejected Family First's political philosophy.

One would also think that other senators would recall that Fielding's avowed aim is to act as a 'spoiler' in the Senate.

So it came as a rather rude surprise when Crikey reported the following yesterday.

Senators caught up in the Fielding Filth Filter 

Bernard Keane writes:

Steve Fielding, the Senate choice of 1.88% of Victorians, is obsessed with p-rnography. Since he arrived in Canberra, no Estimates session has been complete without Fielding earnestly declaring that Australian families weren't safe from the flood of p-rn ready to roll out of their PCs. His greatest direct contribution to public policy since he was "elected" was to badger the Howard Government into wasting tens of millions of dollars on the ludicrous Netalert internet filter scheme.

Now he has managed to impose the views of his bizarre monotheistic cult on other Senators and their staff. Since 28 March, Senators have been prevented from accessing "inappropriate" internet content at the request of Senator Fielding, who has convinced Senate President Alan Ferguson to impose the same filter as that in place for bureaucrats, though not the Parliamentary Library.

Accordingly, anything related to s-x, drugs, weapons or other "inappropriate content", regardless of what it actually is, is blocked.

Senator Lyn Allison has written to Ferguson demanding to know why Fielding was permitted to impose his own reactionary view of the online world on other Senators, who determines what is "inappropriate" and how Senators are supposed to do their job properly.

Allison reels off a number of topics now blocked by the Fielding Filth Filter: reproductive health; s-xualisation of children; drug abuse and rehabilitation, the opium crop in Afghanistan, weapons trading – all issues of legitimate interest to those engaged in the policy process, and all now blocked as "inappropriate".---

The only available evidence that any politician has been using the Parliament House network to look for inappropriate content comes from the culprit himself – Senator Fielding, who last year boasted of his ability to obtain p-rn from his Parliament House computer---

 

Reporters Without Borders offers tips for those lucky souls still outside the Fielding-Ferguson-Conroy butterfly net who want to remain free to research, post and comment.

Almost time to hit the track for Casino Beef Week, 27 May to 3 June 2008

The NSW North Coast Casino Beef Week Festival is only weeks away. Mark your calendars for a fun time.

 

Festival Events

Tuesday 27th Fashion Parade   Friday 30th Beef Industry Breakfast - free breakfast in Walker Street from 7am, entertainment, face painting, and more Beef Week Cup Race Meeting   Saturday 31st Street Carnival Day from 8am Beef cattle auction Stud beef competition Art and Craft exhibition Wood chopping Show n Shine car show Street entertainment, food and market stalls, whip cracking, and more Street Parade, 1.30pm Rodeo, 4.30pm Sunday 1st June Family fun day, 9am  Dr Harry Old McDonald's Farm Farmer's market Market stalls Draught Horse Field Day, 9am  Ploughing competition Best dressed cart Damper and stew DOWNLOAD FULL PROGRAM HERE

Hillsong make monkeys out of bunnies

Hillsong 1 defeated Rabbitohs nil

Sydney rugby league club South Sydney, the Rabbitohs, have been made to look like absolute dills by playing follow the leader and responding to a tune harped by the bible-bashing Hillsong mob.

The Rabbitohs, along with a number of piss-poor politicians and self-serving business leaders, are supporting the Hillsong Church in its bid to build a super-dooper church in Sydney's inner city.

The weird team of bedfellows supporting this proposal includes the right-wing religious rat bag Fred Nile and the Liberal's Scott Morrison, federal member for Cook, who was previously a director of the NSW Liberal Party.

Want another opinion on this matter? See Oz Atheist.

Facebook digital board games helped win the Australian 2007 federal election?

A National Library of Australia staff paper The 2007 Federal Election and the Internet is quite firm on the point that the Internet is beginning to impact on federal election campaigns.
Election 2007 staff paper link.

It is clear now that the 2007 federal election can safely be adjudged as the first in which the Internet became not just the repository for information, but also a tool both to communicate policies with the public and to allow potential voters to in return interact in multiple ways with the parties and their candidates. It is impossible to say what effect this may have had on the electoral outcome, and assuredly as in previous elections not every voter would have visited an election website. However, the Internet is now and remains the only medium in which all those involved in elections are present. It is the only place that the general public can examine political parties' policies as the days of the printed manifesto or policy brochure are long gone. It is also therefore the place of record and as such needs to be preserved. Democracy requires the political process to be open and accountable, maintaining an archive of online election documentation, media statements and policies therefore is a vital component of that process.---

Unsuccessful and essentially pointless use of social networking was that by politicians who did not actually themselves create or maintain their profiles instead letting party staffers intermittently update them. The only benefit that 'friends' got from these sources was an occasional press release. However, many other less high profile candidates, particularly those who were not sitting, used the opportunity to create networks, communicate their views and motivate supporters. Successful social networking involves giving over something of your self, sharing interests and activities. Thus a candidate who was prepared to converse, take quizzes, play scrabble games and other quotidian activities on Facebook, was far more likely to develop friendships which could translate into votes.---

Blogs have been a feature of the Australian Internet landscape for a number of years. The blogosphere is now a mature feature of political discourse. However being mature has meant that political affiliations on most influential or popular blogs have become fixed and it is made very clear on most of them which political persuasion is dominant. On some of these blogs comment facilities exist only for those who agree with the blog's political line and discussion or dispute is treating as emanating from 'trolls'- trolls being the popular term for generally pseudonymous online agitators who enjoy causing controversy and baiting other users. However, it is also the case that a number of open forum websites and blogs are used not as a place for debate, but somewhere where interested parties (often un-disclosed party staffers) try to score points. Consequently, the more open arena for balanced and non-partisan comment and analysis was on the psephology blogs. There are a number of amateur and professional psephologists in Australia, most of whom seem to have websites and blogs. Some such as Possum Comitatus (http://nla.gov.au/nla.arc-77602), Peter Brent (http://nla.gov.au/nla.arc-42909) and William Bowe (http://nla.gov.au/nla.arc-42908) maintain large sites continuously and have been doing so for a number of years. These sites cater both for voters or offer policy guidance but primarily provide election predictions and analysis of other's predictions and of other opinion poll derived data.

Meanwhile the Australian Electoral Commission supported Youth Electoral Study No. 4 looking at today's 'apathetic' youth was recently released. Study No. 4 link.

Besides a surprisingly high estimation of 300,000 18-24 year olds not bothering to sign onto the electoral roll, the study shows that while youth generally votes for the first time without a strong previous attachment to a specific political party, young women are more likely to reach their majority without this firm commitment and politicians are in with a chance with these women if they address social and environmental issues.

There is obviously a lesson or two for future election candidates in all this, as well as reasons for internet users to be cautious about political content.

"Government doesn't listen to us blackfellas anymore"

In a recent conversation I was told: "Government doesn't listen to us blackfellas anymore."

Four and a half months after Labor won federal government, it is unfortunate but not exactly surprising that this feeling still exists here on the NSW North Coast.

 

Labor MPs Janelle Saffin and Justine Elliott and Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker would do well to consider that it takes more than bi-partisan token gestures to bridge the divide perpetuated and often deepened by previous governments and parliaments.

 

Apart from Andrew Hegedus as a Clarence co-facilitator, how many people from local indigenous communities actually attended the two Labor sponsored three-hour Clarence Valley 2020 local summit meetings held on 4 & 5 April 2008?

 

Whatever local summit media release went out after these meetings obviously didn't contain much about Clarence indigenous views because nary a word from this perspective appeared in the online news media or any newspapers which came my way.

 

I await media coverage of the Lismore 2020 local summit next week with interest.

Perhaps that media release might also tell those without the means to attend exactly who was there creating the documents supposedly carrying our collective voices to Canberra at the end of the month.

Dr. 'I'm listening' Nelson fails to rate a blip on Google Trends this month

Poor Brendan Nelson didn't even raise a blip on this Google Trends graph covering worldwide searches for his name compared to that of Kevin Rudd, starting 30 March and ending 6 April 2008.
It seems his listening tour is not inspiring anyone to find out more about him.

* "kevin rudd" * "brendan nelson"