No names, no pack drill

 

All personal submissions published on the Australian Parliament Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s Inquiry into Multiculturalism in Australia web page are only identified by the initials of their authors.
I don’t know who this circumstance reflects on more – the Committee or the political climate in this country.

Equal gender numbers make up new senators entering the Australian Parliament in July 2011

Senators-elect (terms of service commencing 1 July 2011)

Di Natale, Richard
VIC AG
Public health specialist, drug and alcohol clinician and general practitioner
Drug and Alcohol Clinician, Geelong, 2008–2010Worked on HIV prevention for injecting drug users in India with the Nossal Institute for Global Health, 2005–2007
Public Health, Department of Human Services, 2001–2004
Medical practitioner, Aboriginal Health Service (NT), 1999–2000
Fellow, Australasian Faculty of Public Health MedicineMaster of Public Health, Master of Health Sciences

Edwards, Sean
SA LP
Born and educated in Clare, South Australia, as part of the 5th generation of Clare Edwards’, his career pursuits in business meant he has been involved in both rural and city communities in the varied fields of property development, agriculture, viticulture, winemaking and global trade. Married with four children.

Fawcett, David
SA LP
Director, Fawcett Consulting
Member of the House of Representatives for Wakefield (SA), 2004–2007
Army officer, 1982–2004Commanding Officer, RAAF Aircraft Research and Development Unit, Edinburgh, SA

Gallacher, Alex
SA ALP
Secretary/Treasurer, SA–NT branch, Transport Workers’ Union of Australia (TWU), 1996–Federal President, TWU, 2007–2010
Vice President, TWU, 2005–2007
Organiser, TWU SA–NT branch, 1992–1996Federal Industrial Relations Officer, TWU, 1988–1992
Director, Motor Accident Commission (SA), 2005–2010Commissioner, National Road Transport Commission, 2003–2004 Member and acting Chair, Road Safety Advisory Council (SA)

Madigan, John
VIC DLP
Blacksmith, Hepburn Springs, Vic
Apprenticeship, Victorian Railways Newport workshop
Former employee of Victorian Railways for 10 years

McKenzie, Bridget
VIC NATS
Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Gippsland Campus, Monash University, until 2010Junior vice-president, The Nationals (Vic), 2006–2009
Former secondary school teacher
Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement)Bachelor of Education

Rhiannon, Lee
NSW AG
Member of the NSW Legislative Council, 1999–2010
Founder and director, AID/WATCH, an NGO that monitors Australia’s overseas aid program, 1993–1998
Founder and convenor, Coalition for Gun Control, 1988–1992
Former freelance journalistCampaigner on a range of issues including promoting workers’ rights, public education, environmental protection and political donation reformQualified zoologist and botanist

Singh, Lisa
TAS ALP
CEO, Asbestos Free Tasmania Foundation
Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, 2006–2010Minister Assisting the Premier on Climate Change, 2009–2010
Minister for Corrections and Consumer Protection, 2008–2010
Minister for Workplace Relations, 2008–2010
Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier Assisting with Education, 2008

Thistlethwaite, Matthew
NSW ALP
General Secretary, NSW Labor, 2008–2010
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Unions NSW, 2004–2008
Industrial Officer, The Australian Workers’ Union, 1995–2004
Director, State Transit Authority of NSW, 2005–2008
President, Maroubra Surf Lifesaving Club, 2004–2008
Member, Racing Industry Advisory Council, 2002–2008
President, NSW Young Labor, 1997–1998Bachelor of Economics (UNSW)Diploma of Law

Urquhart, Anne
TAS ALP
President, Unions Tasmania, 2007–Vice President, Australian Labor Party (Tas), 2004–Secretary, Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (Tasmanian Division), 2004–2010President, AMWU (Tas), 1998–2004
Organiser, Food Preservers’ Union, 1990–1998

Waters, Larissa
QLD AG
Community environmental lawyer, Environmental Defenders Office (Qld) Inc., 2002–Graduate lawyer, Freehills national law firm, 2001–2002
Researcher, Land and Resources Tribunal (Qld), 2000–2001Volunteer Queensland editor, National Environmental Law Review, 2005–2008
Volunteer board member, Queensland Environmental Law Association, 2004–2007LLB (Hons)/BSc, Griffith UniversityGrad Dip (Leg Prac), College of Law, NSW

Wright, Penny
SA AG
Solicitor, tribunal member and mediator
Deputy President, Guardianship Board (SA), 1996–2010
Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, Relationships Australia, 2007–2010
Member, Social Security Appeals Tribunal, 2006–2007
Conciliator & Investigating Solicitor, Legal Practitioners Conduct Board, 2003–2006
Member, Residential Tenancies Tribunal, 1993–2003
Former campaigner for human rights, aid and environmental organisations

AG—Australian Greens, ALP—Australian Labor Party, DLP—Democratic Labor Party, LP—Liberal Party of Australia, NATS—The Nationals

'Cause a light-hearted view of the world never goes amiss.....

Footpath sign in the main street of Maclean "The Scottish Town" on the NSW North Coast...........everything else is just old newspaper wrapping this quick and easy meal.

Thanks to Clarencegirl for the pic.

There's more to lose than a few dollars if antimony mining is again allowed in the Clarence River catchment

…………wealth is about more than money.
Quality of life and the environment feature pretty high on my agenda. And we need to be mindful of what happens after we sell off the farm. In the case of the proposed antimony and gold mines in the Wild Cattle Creek and Tyringham areas - the mining company would be Chinese, the approving authority the Bellingen Shire Council and most of the workers (and there is unlikely to be too many of them) would probably be based in Coffs.
But who cops the risk if a tailings dam fails and mercury or other heavy metals spew into the tributaries of the Nymboida River?
The Clarence Valley, of course.
And it appears unlikely to receive any of the benefits.
Mining has helped Australia ride out an international financial storm, but we need to be careful that we look at more than dollar signs when considering projects. There's more to lose than a few dollars.

[David Bancroft, Editor, The Daily Examiner 2 July 2011]