Personal political perspectives debating the Afghanistan War

Statements made by Federal MPs with electorates on the NSW North Coast, during the Afghanistan War debate in the Australian House of Representatives.

Janelle Saffin, Member for Page [Hansard, 26 October 2010]

I also have had a conversation with a constituent who is the mother of a serving soldier in Afghanistan, and she feels quite passionate about it. She talked to me about when we will be able to leave and things like that, but at the same time she wants us there and wants the job well done. There is a conflict around it. Like a lot of members, I have been contacted by a whole range of groups from around the country, particularly social justice groups. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, ACFID, the Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition, Pax Christi, Jason Thomas, who is a commentator, and all sorts of people and organisations have contacted us.

My local newspapers have been talking about the issue. There was an editorial in the Daily Examiner by David Bancroft, the editor, with the headline 'Keeping the Peace'. I would like to put on record the last two sentences from an article that Chris Masters wrote:

There is no question that our soldiers should leave Afghanistan, and leave sooner rather than later. But only once the job is done.

That is the overwhelming feeling that comes from the community. That is the commitment of the government and the opposition and the message of most of the comments that have been made in this place.

There is currently talk about whether or not we should talk with the Taliban. My information and experience leads me to the view that we always have to talk to those that we seek to make peace with in some way, whether that be through military or other means. But it should always be done strategically, for some sort of strategic advantage. The Taliban regime that ruled Afghanistan was toppled in 2002, but the Taliban are certainly a part of life in Afghanistan. There has been quite a lot of commentary about that recently. I always remember very well what the wonderful President Nelson Mandela said: ‘We don’t make peace with our friends.’ We make it, obviously, with our enemies.

Rob Oakeshott, Member for Lyne [Hansard 21 October 2010]

We have now found ourselves in one hell of a bind. If we leave, like when the 120,000 Russian troops left in 1989, there will be a void. There will be civil unrest and there will be blood. The bad elements of the Taliban would push back and potentially again gain control. The implications for being a 'base for terrorist groups' would potentially re-emerge. On the upside if we leave, however, our 1,550 Australian troops are safe, our tight budget has less strain and our ability to engage on both domestic and regional defence matters arguably increases. Importantly, we must also recognise that article 4 of the ANZUS treaty would be tested if we left.

Compare this with our military staying; there would be more Australian deaths and wounded. The 'base for terrorism' would continue to move to alternative locations such as Pakistan, the Horn of Africa, several Asian hot spots and even into locations such as London. We would continue to work on peace and reconstruction, with gun in hand—'shoot and talk' as General Petraeus recently put it—and we would continue the work of clear, hold and build for at least another 10 years.

Importantly, however, if we are operating in Australia's sovereign interests, we have to leave sometime and we cannot delay the inevitable void that will follow—not now nor in 10 years time. It is this issue—the one called Australia's sovereign interests—that should be central to this debate. We will leave sometime so that we do not spend another $6.1 billion on questionable return. We will leave sometime so we do not continue to lose Australian soldiers for a corrupt regime. We will have to at some point accept a lesser democracy than ours and we will have to at some time recalibrate to focus on our international obligations to our region, to the many challenges that religious extremism and terrorism pose and to what we can and should be doing to develop peace and development in our own region.

Luke Hartsuyker, Member for Cowper

Has not yet risen to his feet in the Afghanistan War debate in the House of Representatives, according to Open Australia records.

Justine Elliott, Member for Richmond

Has not yet risen to her feet in the Afghanistan War debate in the House of Representatives, according to Open Australia records.

Regional Women Wanted!

Media Release on 26 October 2010:

Page MP Janelle Saffin says there need to be more women in the boardrooms of Australia.

Ms Saffin is calling on suitably experienced local women to apply for a new scholarship program aimed at increasing the number of women on boards.

Applications opened today for the Board Diversity Scholarship Program, a $400,000 election commitment from the Australian Government which is jointly funded with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

The scholarships will assist women to attend the AICD’s Company Directors course or Mastering the Boardroom course and participating women will receive a one-year membership of the AICD.

Ms Saffin said the program is designed to prepare talented women to join the boards of companies, community groups and Government organisations.

An Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace census found that only 8.4 per cent of board directorships in the ASX 200 are held by women.

The Minister for the Status of Women, Kate Ellis, said Australian women are continuing to be shut out of our most senior corporate boardrooms.

“The board scholarship program is aimed at getting more Australian women- who already have the skills, abilities and experience to be strong contributors-onto our corporate boards.” Ms Ellis said.

Janelle Saffin said applications for the Scholarship Program are being sought from suitably qualified women from various backgrounds from around Australia, including rural and regional areas, and she encouraged women from the Page electorate to apply.

Suitable background for the course includes experience as a board member; an executive or advisor reporting to a board; a senior executive reporting to a CEO; a senior government or public official; or senior academic.

The scholarship recipients will be selected by representatives of the AICD and the Australian Government’s Office for Women.

This initiative complements the Australian Government’s commitment to increased representation of women on Government Boards.

Applications close on 12 November, 2010 and more information is available at www.companydirectors.com.au/diversityscholarship

Photograph from The Northern Star

A message for those who think water that runs into the sea is a waste

Recommended reading for persons who support the diversion of Australia's east coast rivers.

Today's edition of The Age carries a succinct letter to the editor that just about says it all.

Paradoxical view

THE view that water that runs to the sea is a waste (''The trouble with water'', The Age, 23/10) is the sort of informed theorising normally heard in a bar or taxi. Yet this flat-earth view is held by people managing our most valued resources: land and water. It illustrates the abiding paradox of Australian land use. To work our landscapes, it is not considered necessary to understand them. 

John Bond, Wandin North

Moggy Musings [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]

An everyone's an expert musing: A local golfer was about to tee off when a family of Kookaburras began to raucously laugh from a perch on a nearby tree. Quick as a flash the golfer cried: "I haven't hit the ball yet!"

A big fish in a small pond musing: September is the month for mayoral elections in the Clarence Valley and knives have been stealthily unsheathed as councillors jockey for enough votes to become the next mayor or deputy mayor. Wonder if anyone's going to point out that the present Clarence Valley Mayor, Richie Williamson, committed a big no-no when he used his title to formally endorse Federal MP Janelle Saffin at the August 2010 federal election? It's a non-aligned local government that you're supposed to be fronting, Richie!

A cat's got the (ice) cream musing: Somebody whispered in my ear that the Wendy's-Arby's international franchise group is looking into the possibility of an outlet on the Clarence Coast. The company just might be focussing on Yamba. Supa Shakes 'n' icecreams marching seawards to finish off the few small family take-away businesses that may manage to survive McDonald's recent move there?

A green about the gills musing: The moogies in Yamba are all looking a bit sick this morning since they discovered a younger Barnaby Joyce had been bonking in their territory. Expect a lot of scent spraying tomorrow!

A Rexie turns reporter musing: Hey Boy, While out walking with the boss (well, I let him think he's the boss, but you and I know otherwise) this week I heard that a lady golfer (yes, I know what you're thinking, and I have to agree with you - blokes who participate in that activity, which is often described as an exercise that destroys a good walk, play in men's events and not gents' events while the sheila sex play in ladies' events rather than women's events) shot a hole in one on the Yamba course. Weather conditions on the day were most uncomfortable, and that's putting it mildly, so the woman promptly adjourned to the club house with a view to celebrating her success, which was a first for her. However, the woman was advised that unless she competed her round of golf her achievement would not be recorded. So, the woman returned to the course and finished her round and can now proudly officially boast about her performance. Strange game, that golf, wouldn't you agree? Woof! Woof! Rex

An I can't believe he said this musing: Watching Lateline over Ian's shoulder on 28th July I saw a clip of Tony Abbott saying that his company tax cut will be in place by 192013. Now that's a long time to wait!

A political clone? musing: Rex the German Shepherd tells me that hoomins aren't smart enough to recognise by smell so they're all getting a bit confused because Nationals candidate in Page Kevin Hogan is so much like the last Nationals candidate in that electorate - from his hairdo right thru to his focus-speak campaign ads. "So easy to confuse the b#ggers!" is what they're saying.

Now media tart Howes enters the water security debate

Adding nothing to the Murray Darling Basin Plan debate except more politics and personal ambition, here comes P-A-U-L!

"Today, wide-ranging groups from union officials to irrigators have been meeting in Sydney to discuss the impacts of the draft basin plan.

Paul Howes from the National Workers Unions says the plan points to significant job losses - and that is the union's main concern.

"The Murray-Darling Basin itself is the heartland of AWU - it is where we are from," he said.

"It is where we still have a bulk of our members who work in the horticultural and agricultural industries and we will work with those other organisations in those areas who have concerns.

"We are not going to jump the gun. We understand that this is a proposal from an independent commission.

"We are not going to be alarmist and we are certainly not going to play into the hands of the Opposition on this, but equally we are going to make sure we live up to our responsibility which is to make sure AWU members' job security is protected and we are not going to be supporting or backing any proposal from the commission that would see even a single job of an AWU member lost."

Have Lleyton and Bec sold the naming rights of their third born?

Want to know the name of LLeyton and Bec Hewitt's Number 3?
That's easy, peasy and will only cost a measly two bucks.
Using a premium (yes! that's what it's called, I kid you not) SMS service called ''Text A Star'' sports fans and other assorted idiots can find out the infant's name.

 Today's Sydney Morning Herald reports:

Fans who want to find out the baby's name have to subscribe to a premium SMS service called ''Text A Star''.

The service, which costs $2 a message, was set up to allow sports fans to ''get a unique insight into the life of your favourite player … without any media filter'', its creators say on its website.

First came the expensive glossy magazine spreads of celebrity baby snaps sold to the highest bidder. Now we have an Australian sports star charging fans for the privilege of finding out the name of his newborn. The tennis player Lleyton Hewitt and his former actress wife Bec announced at the weekend the birth of their third child, a girl.

Hewitt posted on his website on Saturday: ''Today, Lleyton Hewitt announced via Text a Star the following: 'Bec, Mia, Cruz and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our family last Tuesday. Mum and baby are great! Dad, big sister and brother elated.

Obviously, Hewitt's earnings of $2.9 million in 2009 and $6.6 million in 2008 were not enough.


 Credits: The Sydney Morning Herald  with image by Cathy Wilcox

Dracula Rising and David Hicks {video}

Taking water for irrigation from the Murray-Darling Basin [poll]

The Essential Report for 25 October 2010 had this result on the subject of water extraction in the Murray-Darling Basin:

Click on image to enlarge

47% agreed that “strong action must be taken to restore the health of the Murray Darling river system even if it means some job losses or other economic impact “ while 31% agreed more with the statement “protecting the economic well being of local communities and jobs must be the first priority”.
A majority of Labor (52%) and Greens voters (74%) agreed that “strong action must be taken to restore the health of the Murray Darling river system even if it means some job losses or other economic impact” while Liberal/National voters were split (42%/42)%.

# The survey was conducted online from 19th October to 24th October 2010 and is based on 1,002 respondents.

Oi, Nick! How many rivers will you kill?

A Clarence Valley Protest wonders about Nick Xenophon’s maths abilities, attention to detail and motives:

Sunday, 24 October 2010

Exactly how many coastal rivers systems would Senator Xenophon like to lay waste?

South Australians Senator Nick Xenophon and Family First Legislative Council Member Robert Brokenshire are calling for the Gillard Government and Federal Parliament to look at damming and diverting the Clarence River across the Great Divide and into the Murray Darling river systems.

Xenophon appears to believe that the total volume of additional annual environmental flow (which the Murray Darling Basin Authority has identified as being required to stop the Basin rivers and wetlands irreversibly failing) can be found through interbasin water transfer.

Brokenshire envisions water diversion on a similar scale to the Snowy Mountains Scheme which ruined the iconic Snowy River.

Both men clearly have the Clarence River in their sights.

In 2004 a South Australian state government water diversion investigation decided on the basis very limited data that the average annual discharge for the Clarence River system is 3,700,000 ML/year and the 2007 SMEC desktop study gave a very optimistic top annual freshwater figure of 100,000 ML/year allegedly available for diversion [www.waterproofingadelaide.sa.gov.au,March 2004,"Water Proofing Adelaide: Large Scale Water Supply Schemes",information sheet,pp.3-4 and Australian Parliament,Senate 2007,RRAT Committee, Inquiry into Options for additional water supplies for South East Queensland,Report].

While according to The Clarence Environment Centre; the Lilydale gauge readings (which provide the most accurate flow figures available) indicate that water discharge into the sea is less than two million megalitres per year on average [Submission No. 214,May 2007].

Senator Xenophon mentions a water volume of 4,000 GL/year as the diversion level required to ‘save’ the Murray Darling Basin:

Going in to bat for farmers in the basin, he said diverting 4000 gigalitres annually into the river system would alleviate the need for irrigation cuts and secure environmental flows.

Now 4,000 gigalitres is 4,000,000 megalitres – so at first glance Xenophon is either supporting future zero flow in the Clarence River and its inevitable death or he has more than one coastal catchment in mind.

So how many rivers would Senator Xenophon like to lay waste in order to satisfy the greed of Murray Darling Basin irrigators?

The water madness continues.....

Reported in The Daily Examiner on October 23 2010:

THE grab for Clarence water continues in political circles with South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon calling for the Murray Darling Basin Authority to examine the viability of diverting the river.
Senator Xenophon was joined by Family First Legislative Council Member Robert Brokenshire in pushing for diversion as a solution to irrigation problems in the Murray Darling Basin.
With the massive social impacts to communities in the basin and the enormous cost of water buybacks estimated at $6 billion, plus an agricultural production loss of between $1 billion and $2 billion, Senator Xenophon said diversion was becoming a financially attractive proposition.
Going in to bat for farmers in the basin, he said diverting 4000 gigalitres annually into the river system would alleviate the need for irrigation cuts and secure environmental flows.
Mr Brokenshire said the Clarence River scheme could deliver the same amount of water to the Murray Darling system as utilised by the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric scheme, by building a 25km network of tunnels across the Great Dividing Range.
This week, Senator Xenophon asked independent New England MP Tony Windsor, the head of the inquiry into the social impact of irrigation allocation cuts in the Murray Darling, to look at alternate water sources for farmers in the basin.

Around the traps in the last few days.....

A bit of free promotion APN didn't need?
With the euthanasia debate heating up, I was amused to see that APN Outdoor received a bit of free promotion on the nightly news last week after one of its outdoor billboards advertising in Yagoona ran a large advert promoting the pro-choice position. Probably won't please the bishops.

Fine print on the back of that NBN envelope?
NATIONAL Broadband Network users will not be able to use their telephones in a power failure unless they pay for a back-up system.
Telstra copper lines will be replaced by NBN fibre as part of the $11 billion deal with the federal government.
NBN Co has a hands-off approach to ensuring lines will be available at all times.
Customers will rely on the fibre network for broadband and fixed telephone services. Each home and business will need a network termination unit for power.
The unit needs a standard 240 volt, 10 amp power outlet and without that it cannot work.
If the unit loses power, telephone lines will not work unless NBN users have a back-up battery system, an optional item under NBN Co guidelines.
The peak electrical body says NBN Co and the government must ensure service providers guarantee basic telephone services or people's lives could be in danger in emergencies.
The company says it will not supply, install or maintain the battery back-up. That means network users will have to purchase a back-up unit and battery, and ensure the unit is next to a power outlet.
Users must buy the back-up unit from their NBN service provider. The 12V 7.2Ah sealed lead acid battery for the back-up costs about $50. {The Australian 22nd October 2010}

NSW water raiders using #agchatoz to tweet their displeasure....
nswirrigators: 464 pages of Volume Two of #basinplan just released online. Saving the environment by ruining a forest? http://tinyurl.com/3x4umuw #agchatoz
nswirrigators: 3.30pm on the day #basinplan volume two was meant to be released and nothing yet. These people do not learn... #agchatoz #abcrural

A victim of friendly fire
"This is a debate that Australians need to have about the future of banking, and the banks now are clearly ignoring the government," Mr Hockey has said. "The Australian people need to know where the banking system is going."....
Liberal MP Don Randall launched into a withering attack on Mr Hockey's suggestion, labelling a "typical lunatic fringe idea" from the Greens - until it was pointed out that it came from the Coalition's top money man. "It's really going to have a negative effect on our economy ... it's really a worry". {news.com.au 21st October 2010}

Ad astra takes on Tony
Take the attack on the Government by Tony Abbott over the contemporary court martial of three Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. In a particularly contemptible assault he accused the Government of ‘stabbing the soldiers in the back’ and not giving them the support they deserved, of abandoning these men fighting as they are for their country. It was a powerful and aggressive strike. Yet what did the mild-mannered Stephen Smith say? He said Abbott’s words were ‘unfortunate’. Too right they were, but in the hurly burley of politics, words hardly like to make headlines, hardly likely to effectively rebut the Abbott charges.
I would have preferred him to say to Abbott: “How dare you have the temerity to make such outrageous accusations. It was the Howard Government, in which you were a minister that created the process for such trials of servicemen thought to be in contravention of the rules of engagement, and it had bipartisan support from Labor. You know perfectly well that in this process Government has no part to play, nor have politicians or politics. You know that this Government wants the process YOU established to bring about a considered outcome and that it wishes to play no part in it. Yet you come along with this completely illegitimate accusation which you know is dishonest, in order to score political points. And you were only too willing to enlist Alan Jones to promulgate this deception, something he was only too ready to do. Worse still, you allowed him, without contradiction, to denigrate the female prosecutor for laying the charges, even although you knew that she was acting completely in accordance with the process the Howard Government established. How dare you behave in this disgracefully disingenuous way, cast aspersions on those involved, and the Government too, although it is NOT involved. This is worse even that the usual low standards of political discourse which you employ. You are a disgrace.” {The Political Sword 22nd October 2010}

Too much fiction in Pollieville, U.K.?
A BRITISH MP enraged her constituents and her party after letting slip that her blog, which tells people how hard she works, is "70 per cent fiction".
Nadine Dorries, a Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire in southern England, made the admission to investigators during a sleaze inquiry that cleared her of abusing the Government's expenses system but found that she misled voters. {news.com.au 22nd October 2010}

The atheist and the ancient lamp

Source: The Fitz Files, The Sun-Herald, 24/10/10

Australia's Great Divide

Source: The Readers Panel, SMH, 23/10/10