Australian Society: Keeping up with the Joneses

A brief look at some of the data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics series Measures of Australian Progress 2010:

HOUSEHOLD ECONOMIC WELLBEING AND PROGRESS

In the decade to 2007-08, the average real equivalised disposable household weekly income for people in the low income group increased by 41%.
Over the same period, the average real equivalised disposable household weekly income increased by 46% for middle income people.

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES

Overall, in 2004-05 and 2008, average real equivalised gross weekly household income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was around 61% of the corresponding figure for non-Indigenous people.

HOUSEHOLD WEALTH

.... in both 2003-04 and 2005-06 the 20% of households with the lowest wealth accounted for just 1% of total household net worth at an average of $27,000. In comparison, the wealth of households in the highest net worth quintile accounted for 59% of total household net worth in 2003-04 and 61% in 2005-06, at an average of $1.7 million per household (ABS 2007a)

INCOME SUPPORT RECIPIENTS

In 2007-08, over half (55%) of low income households received government pensions and allowances as their principal source of income.

The proportion of households whose main source of income was government pensions and allowances has generally declined over the decade 1997-98 to 2007-08. Over this period, lone person households, where the reference person was aged 65 years and over, were the most likely to receive government pensions and allowances as their main source of income (78% in 1997-98 and 76% in 2007-08). In 2007-08, 45% of one parent families with dependent children received government benefits as their main source of income, decreasing from 54% in 1997-98. Factors contributing to the general decline over this decade in government pensions and allowances as householders' main source of income may include: strong jobs growth, the closure or phasing out of some payments, and tightening of eligibility criteria to receive some payments (ABS 2010a).

LEVELS OF HOME OWNERSHIP

Home ownership rates have been fairly stable at around 70% for many decades. As measured in the ABS Census of Population and Housing, in 1971 the home ownership rate was 69% and in 2006 it was 70%, with small fluctuations around 70% in the intervening Censuses.

LOW INCOME RENTAL AFFORDABILITY

Rental affordability for low income households (that is the proportion of housing costs to gross income for low income renters) has remained constant over the past 10 years (28% in 1997-98 and 27% in 2007-08).

(a) Year ending 30 June. Data unavailable for years 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2007 and have been interpolated.

HOMELESSNESS

For one group in the homeless population, information obtained from government-funded specialist homelessness agencies, and compiled by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, showed that during the year 2008-09 there were 204,900 people (one in every 105 Australians) who received support at some point during that year. More females (62%) than males (38%) received support, while males were slightly more likely to have repeat periods of homelessness. The most common reason for seeking assistance was due to domestic or family violence (22% of support periods), relationship or family breakdown (10%) and other financial difficulty (8%). Due to changes in data collection methods, these estimates cannot be directly compared with previous years (AIHW 2010).

EDUCATION

Between 1997 and 2009, there has been a continuing rise in the proportion of people with a vocational or higher education qualification (from 46% to 63%), continuing a trend seen for several decades.
This increase has largely been driven by the rise in the proportion of people with a higher education qualification (ie. a bachelor degree or above) - rising from 16% in 1997 to 27% in 2009. The proportion of people with a vocational qualification also increased, although at a much slower pace, rising from 30% in 1997 to 34% in 2009, with most of this increase occurring prior to 2005.

EMPLOYMENT

Over the last decade the annual average unemployment rate for Australia has generally decreased, from 6.9% in 1999 to 5.6% in 2009.
However, between 2008 and 2009 the unemployment rate increased by 1.4 percentage points, reflecting the recent economic downturn.

Over the last three decades the proportion of employed people working part time has risen from 16% to 29%, while over the same period the underemployment rate rose from 2.7% in 1979 to a high of 7.7% in 2009. Since 2000, there have been more underemployed people in Australia than unemployed.

HOURS WORKED

The average number of hours worked per week has decreased over the last three decades, falling from 35.7 hours per week in 1979 to 32.8 hours per week hours in 2009, largely due to an increase in the proportion of people working part time. The average hours worked by full-time workers rose during the 1990s, peaking at 41.3 hours per week in 2000, but decreasing to 39.7 hours per week in 2009. The average number of hours worked per week by part-time workers increased slightly over time, from around 15 hours in the 1980s to approximately 16 hours from 2000 onwards.

The proportion of employed people who worked 50 hours or more a week increased from 14% in 1979 to 19% in 1999, before falling to 15% in 2009 during the recent economic downturn. The proportion of employed people who worked very long hours (60 hours or more a week) increased from 7% in 1979 to 9% in 1992, where it stayed until 2000 before declining to 7% in 2009.

That's the Ocker spirit!

"AUSTRALIANS drank less beer, smoked fewer cigarettes and left the car in the garage more often during the global financial crisis.
Figures contained in final Budget figures for the past financial year reveal the nation tightened its collective belt amid the fiscal gloom."

Seems we're a hardy lot when the chips are down according to the Final Budget Outcome 2009-10.

The Federal Treasurer is skiting that "international credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's said Australia has "exceptionally strong public sector finances even among the 'AAA' rated sovereigns" and Tony Teh Wrecker is not saying much on the subject at all.

Last Friday also saw Treasury release redacted versions of the Red Book for those interested in doing a bit of trawling:

In light of the public interest in the Incoming Government Brief for a returned Labor Government (the so-called Red Book) and consistent with the policy intent that material be published where there is a general interest in its contents, the Treasury has decided to publish the information released under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act) in relation to the Red Book. Also published is the Treasury’s brief providing an overview of the Treasury portfolio and the related support services (referred to as the administration brief).

Treasury Incoming Government Brief - Red Book - Redacted - Part 1
3,482.31kb
Treasury Incoming Government Brief - Red Book - Redacted - Part 2
3,354.36kb
Treasury Incoming Government Brief - Red Book - Redacted - Part 3
1,461.28kb
Treasury Incoming Government Brief - Red Book - Redacted - Part 4
3,805.27kb
Treasury - Administration Brief - Red Book 572.75kb

Truth is the first casualty in Senator Nash's media releases

When Janelle Saffin was first elected as the Federal Member for Page in November 2007 she hit the ground running. Very early on she began to actively lobby on behalf of residents in her wide and diverse electorate.

In January 2008 Ms. Saffin was lobbying the Communications Minister to delay shutting down the CDMA network because of residents' complaints concerning bad reception from Telstra's newly introduced Next G and, in 2009 she and the Member for Braddon were instrumental in making Telstra backdown over its introduction of yet another service charge - this time for paying accounts over-the-counter or by post.

So my mouth quite literally fell open when I came across this 15 September 2010 media release from Fiona Nash. A Nationals senator who obviously has political doublespeak down pat as she reverses the order of events and attempts to write Ms. Saffin out of the very campaign she started in partnership with Clarence Valley residents and local media.

Follow Cansdell's Telstra lead, Nash urges Saffin

Telstra's decision to axe 108 business call centre jobs from Grafton is short-sighted and wrong, the NSW Nationals Senator, Fiona Nash, said.

Senator Nash, who's the Nationals' Duty Senator for Page, added she'd be joining Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell's campaign to have the decision reversed and wants to see Page MP Janelle Saffin follow the Nationals' lead.

"As Steve has shown time and time again, the job of a local MP is not about rubber stamping city decisions by your party bosses but fighting for better outcomes for your local community," she said.

"I have today written to Telstra management, asking them to consult with the local community and suggesting a proper review would likely find it is in the best interests of the company to expand rather than axe its operations in the Clarence.

"This is a very bad look for Telstra and a very bad look for Labor at a time when both are media-spinning their supposed commitment to regional Australia.

"I am a frequent visitor to Grafton so I know it is a high-unemployment area bursting with talent and begging to grow, given a fair chance.

"Steve Cansdell is right on the mark when he says a better decision would be to move call centre jobs from Brisbane and Melbourne to Grafton rather than the other way around."

Nash's advisors and staff need to have a quiet word with her, because she is fast making herself a laughing stock on the NSW North Coast.

Come and enjoy Opera With The Cows at Cowper, 17 October 2010

Travelling along the highway to Grafton I passed a banner which announced the very first Opera With The Cows on the NSW North Coast.

According to its official website:

Opera with the Cows is being presented jointly by the North Coast Flute Society and Cowper Public School. It is an exciting new event that will be held annually in the grounds of the school, opposite the mighty Clarence River. A stage will be constructed in the school grounds and the playground will be transformed into a musical arena.

The inaugural event will feature the talents of Catherine Burgess, soprano, Nadene Flick, mezzo soprano, and talented sisters Katie and Emma Goodard.

These two stars will be joined on stage by the students of Cowper Public School. These children have built up an amazing following due to their extraordinary musical talents. They have performed in the Sydney Opera House three times and the girls choir has won numerous prizes in competitions.

The NightinGirls choir will also perform on the night. They have been the recipients of the Open Choir award at the Grafton Eisteddfod for the last three years.

Tickets available at Buckleys Grafton Music
Ph: (02) 6642.4717
Fax 6642.3683

Adults $20
Concession $15
Children $10
Family $15

How many government requests for data has Google Australia received so far this year?

How's Australia running in the government spying & censorship stakes out on the Google digital race track?
Google Transparency Report's latest 2010 numbers crunch to show only the USA, Brazil, India, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have more government requests for info on digital citizens than Oz.
Unlike the second half of last year, an Oz guvmint hasn't yet requested the disappearing of a blog.

Australia January to June 2010:

200 data requests

14 removal requests, for a total of 639 items

92.9% of removal requests fully or partially complied with

• Geo (except Street View)
• 1 non-court order requests to remove content
• 1 items requested to be removed


• Web Search
• 7 court orders to remove content
• 316 items requested to be removed


• YouTube
• 2 court orders to remove content
• 2 non-court order requests to remove content
• 7 items requested to be removed


• Groups
• 1 court orders to remove content
• 314 items requested to be removed


• Gmail
• 1 non-court order requests to remove content
• 1 items requested to be removed

Google's Australian traffic from 1st January to 20th September 2010:

Do your thing with the mouse to make graph grow

Cows & Cows & Cows

Credits: Thanks Steve Bass of TechBite for the tip on this one. 

Original work by Cyriak Harris

Coffs Coast Advocate needs a compass

Wednesday's Coffs Coast Advocate carried a report about an incident where a motorist fled the scene of a crash near Grafton.

According to the Advocate the incident was at Clarenza, west of Grafton.

Wrong, wrong wrong!

Clarenza is east of Grafton.

Looks like a compass is sorely needed at the Advocate.

Here's a suggestion: the Advocate could run a "Wanted" ad in its classifieds section. One of its readers must have a spare compass that could be given to the paper in exchange for a free subscription.

Read the Advocate's piece, written by Matt Deans, here.

Credit: Map from Google maps

Results of Fair Trading checks in Grafton, Maclean and Yamba

Fair Trading Deputy Commissioner Steve Griffin today released the results of a recent NSW Fair Trading education and compliance campaign in Grafton, Maclean and Yamba.

Mr Griffin said results from the week long campaign showed some local traders needed to improve their compliance with Fair Trading laws.

“Between 9 to 13 August, 59 businesses were visited and Fair Trading officers carried out a range of compliance inspections, including checking licensing at motor dealers, motor vehicle repairers, travel agents, pawn brokers and second hand dealers, as well as checking business names,” he said.

“In total, 34 breaches were detected and 26 inspection reports issued.

“Notably, the level of compliance by motor dealers was disappointing, with only three out of seven traders compliant.

“A motor dealer in Yamba received two penalty notices totalling $660 for failing to have a prescribed notice signed by a customer and for not having the prescribed form attached to the vehicle.

“Another motor dealer in Maclean received a $330 penalty notice for misrepresenting a vehicle’s year of manufacture.”

Mr Griffin said local businesses and traders benefited from attending presentations focused on their areas of activities, as well as visits to their premises.

“Fair Trading staff delivered 11 information sessions attended by 360 participants, on topics including: associations, tenancy, motor vehicles and general fair trading information,” he said.

“Members of the local indigenous community participated in a Kooris and Cars presentation delivered jointly with the Roads and Traffic Authority.

“Seventy five year 9 and 10 commerce students from Maclean High School took part in a Money Stuff program where they learnt about refunds and warranties, credit and mobile phones.”

Mr Griffin said Fair Trading staff distributed 100 Seniors Guides (in PDF format: size 1.57Mb) to Maclean Meals on Wheels and more than 150 product safety kits to local pre-schools and day care centres.

“As a result of the visit, local consumers are now more aware of their rights and where to go for information and help,” he said.

Source: NSW Fair Trading

The wheel of the Australian Press Council grinds slowly but it does grind

A statistic which does not generate local pride. Out of the twenty-nine complaints adjudicated by the Press Council of Australia so far this year, NSW North Coast newspapers have featured twice.

February 2010:

The Australian Press Council has upheld a complaint by SANE Australia against a bylined article and two pictures in the weekend edition of The Tweed Daily News of August 22-23, 2009......
While there was a clear public interest in the publication of the report about a missing man, and the search for him, there was no justification for the publication of the photos in a form that clearly identified the man and did not adequately respect his privacy and sensibilities. Because it knew a mental health assessment was being made, the newspaper should have been more cautious in the way it treated the incident, including publication of the bylined article, which could have been written more sensitively.

March 2010:

The Australian Press Council has upheld a complaint by Douglas Baggaley against The Northern Star, Lismore, over an article arising from the funeral of his mother.
The December 30 article, headed Baggaleys miss Byron funeral of grandmother, reported that her two grandsons who were in jail did not attend. Half the article detailed the convictions of the grandsons for crimes committed in 2007.
Mr Baggaley said that the article belittled his family at a time of deep loss and had outraged and insulted the family, their friends and the community. He demanded an apology from the newspaper......
However the Council believes the newspaper erred in gratuitously highlighting the grandsons and their criminal records at such length and in such detail that the article was clearly unbalanced and, as a result, unduly offensive to the family, in a time of grief. The newspaper's failure to print any public expression of regret exacerbated the offence.

Telstra says it's time to move on......

In good ol' Granny Herald last Wednesday:
"TELSTRA boss David Thodey says the telecommunications company is becoming impatient with delays in finalising its deal with the national broadband network.
Mr Thodey said 18 months after the NBN project was unveiled, it was important for the country, and for Telstra, to finish the regulatory work and pass implementing legislation.
''We need to move on,'' he told reporters in Hobart yesterday."
Well young Dave knows quite a bit about moving on - just ask the 180 people in the Clarence Valley who will be losing their jobs when he closes down Telstra's call centre in Grafton.
I've stuck with Telstra through thick and thin - through numerous name changes, decreased services, increased billing charges, partial privatization and Teh Three Amigos.
But taking away that many jobs in one hit in one NSW North Coast town? It'll be Telstra which will be moving on from my house.
Any one got the Optus number handy?

Boosting the Speaker's power in the House of Representatives

The following statement may or may not be correct as to the constitutional validity of 'pairing' the Speaker of the House of Representatives, however I remain uncomfortable with the notion of the Speaker having anything but the casting vote set out in The Australian Constitution Part III s40 Voting in House of Representatives.

In one scenario predicated on the statement below:
Pairing the Speaker would nullify the vote of another member of parliament and if a deadlock was the result of such a pairing the Speaker is required to deliver a casting vote - in effect the Speaker's position would be expressed twice in this instance while all other MPs (except the paired MP who would have no vote) would have only been able to express their position once in the same division of the House.

ADVICE ON THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF PAIRING ARRANGEMENT OF THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

22 September 2010

The Government has today been provided with advice by the Commonwealth Solicitor-General on a question pertaining to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Forty-third Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia.

The advice considers whether there is any constitutional impediment to a pairing arrangement between the Speaker of the House of Representatives and another member from an opposing political party. The advice deals with a possible arrangement involving a pairing of members from opposing parties.

The Solicitor-General has advised that there are no necessary constitutional impediments in such an arrangement, subject to certain provisos.

One proviso is that the arrangement could not give the Speaker a deliberative vote nor deprive the Speaker of a casting vote. The arrangement entered into by the Government and the Opposition does not breach this proviso, as the Speaker would continue to exercise a casting vote only, consistent with the Commonwealth Constitution.

A further proviso is that adherence to the arrangement by the "paired" Member could only be voluntary. The pairing arrangements agreed to by both the Government and the Opposition are voluntary.

The Government notes the Solicitor-General's advice that there is no necessary constitutional impediment to a pairing arrangement between the Speaker of the House of Representatives and another member from an opposing political party.

The Solicitor-General's advice has been provided to the Opposition.

The Gillard Government remains fully committed to the "Agreement for a Better Parliament: Parliamentary Reform" which was adopted on 6 September 2010.

Solicitor-General's advice In the matter of the Office of Speaker of the House of Representatives [PDF 285KB]

Who is Supertintendent Pieter Poynton APM (Ret) and why is he out there in cyberspace?

On International Sweep Day this week the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) swept the Internet looking for sites which scam the young.

It seems the digital highway is littered with people pretending a position or occupation to which they are not entitled in the real world or dubiously offering goods and services they may not have the capacity to deliver.

However, not all misrepresentations out there in cyberspace are aimed at scamming money. Sometimes the motives are more complex.

The prevelance of individuals who pretend a military past has seen the formation of the Australian and New Zealand Military Impostors (ANZMI) website which appears to represent a group of irate individuals intent on exposing this form of fraud.

Of course military rank is not the only rank type assumed by the wannabe brigade. Just this week I was sent a link to one intriguing persona which has surfaced - a certain 'decorated' Superintendent Pieter Poynton APM (Retired).

I look forward to seeing how this latest phantom develops and how many online and print newspapers get taken in.

Telstra caught out in a big fat lie

Click on image to enlarge

On 21 September The Daily Examiner informed Telstra that "We have been lied to. It's bad enough that we could lose 180 jobs, but to be lied to about the reasons is incredibly galling."

To be told that the national telecommunications company is pulling a customer service facility out of the Clarence Valley because there isn't a big enough workforce in the area to consolidate it here and then be told that Telstra had not even advertised locally, exposed the lie for what is was - an attempt to pass the blame back onto the community.

One has to wonder why this national telecommunications company decided to be less than straightforward with the Clarence Valley community and whether it now regrets the very vocal local fallout from this lack of honesty.

For those interested in signing the community petition asking Telstra to reconsider its intention to close the Grafton Call Centre, it can be found at a stand located within Grafton Shopping World until the end of the week.

To express your opinion directly to Telstra's CEO email David.Thodey@team.telstra.com.

• Previous NCV post Live or work in the Clarence Valley? Hang up on Telstra!
• DEX article Valley ‘should dump Telstra'

Dating tips for the rich, powerful and not necessarily young and single

There is apparently a healthy supply of lonely chief executives seeking a well-connected soulmate. A dating service in Sydney has spruiked its founder as being responsible ''for marrying off CEOs of blue chip companies with renowned celebrities and Australia's social elite''.

Elite Introductions International provided no names of who it has married off. But it seems pretty desperate itself to drum up business.

In a media release the agency compared its founder to Patti Stanger, the host of the US reality TV show Millionaire Matchmaker.

''Unlike Patti, I would never do cattle calls with potential dates for my clients, and confrontational mixers are a no-go zone,'' Trudy Gilbert said.

Apparently Gilbert has a ''little black book that many would die for''. Some of Gilbert's suggestions for pheromone-filled dating experiences include sailing, rock climbing and even a dangerous drive.

''Learn how to slide your car sideways and how to get out of a spin. From an advanced driver course to a one hour thrill rally drive, this is one extreme date that will get the heart pumping,'' her website says.

(Source: The Sydney Morning Herald)

So, what other advice does Ms Gilbert provide?

Well, here's a sample:

Golden rules for first dates - tips for women on first dates

1) Don't ask how much money your date earns.
This has to be the number one golden rule. I was appalled by how many women actually ask this question followed by What car do you drive? and Do you own your own home?

2) Don't dress too sexy on the first date.
This is not a good idea unless you are hoping for something to happen at the end of the evening.

3) Try and not wear too much make up.
Men have told me over and over that they don't like girls who wear too much make up. The natural look is much better.

4) Don't wear too much jewellery.
If you are divorced, don't continue to wear your wedding ring either.

5) Don't talk about work the whole time.
This is just plain boring for the other person who is not interested in hearing about your career the whole evening.

Golden rules for first dates - tips for men on first dates

1) Plan the date.
A date that is planned is often more successful than a date that is thrown together at the last moment. Guys take note! An easy way to make a good impression from the start is if you have something planned. An unplanned date can still work but why risk it? At least have a back up plan.

2) Never be late.
There is really no need to say anymore. If you are going to be late, at least call first.

3) Be interested in her.
Focus on her by asking her questions and make the effort to find out who she is. I cringe when I hear men talk about themselves the entire evening, leaving the lady bored and frustrated. And remember no wandering eyes either.

4) Be confident.
Women are drawn to confident men. But we carefully as there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance.

5) Be a gentleman.
On a first date I would strongly recommend opening doors for your date, pulling out her chair, and pouring her wine. Sadly, today few men do these acts of chivalry so it is an easy way for you to make a good first impression and stand out from your competition.

6) Offer to pay on the first date.
It does not make a good impression if you don't offer. One of the most unappealing traits women find in men is being stingy. Don't let this be the last impression she has of you at the end of the night.

7) Compliment Her.
Give her a sincere compliment at the end of the night and thank her for the date.

If you follow these tips, you have a good chance she will say yes to a second date!

For more advice about dating, check out Elite Introductions here.

The pic of Ms Gilbert (above) is on her website.

The anti-science brigade ramps it up

If you thought that the current climate of anti-science couldn't get much worse than aggressive creationism, intelligent design and climate change denialism, then you have obviously missed a website set up to promote a book and November 2010 conference in Indiana USA.

Galileo Was Wrong: The Church Was Right

First Annual Catholic Conference on Geocentrisim

Galileo Was Wrong is a detailed and comprehensive treatment of the scientific evidence supporting Geocentrism, the academic belief that the Earth is immobile in the center of the universe. Garnering scientific information from physics, astrophysics, astronomy and other sciences, Galileo Was Wrong shows that the debate between Galileo and the Catholic Church was much more than a difference of opinion about the interpretation of Scripture.

Scientific evidence available to us within the last 100 years that was not available during Galileo's confrontation shows that the Church's position on the immobility of the Earth is not only scientifically supportable, but it is the most stable model of the universe and the one which best answers all the evidence we see in the cosmos.

At this rate it won't be long before these jolly souls join the flat earthers in positioning themselves for a comeback via a membership drive.

The University of Western Australia has a survey Attitudes Towards Science currently online:
This study explores people’s beliefs about a wide range of topics, ranging from scientific propositions to claims made in the media and on the internet. In addition, the survey is interested in your attitudes towards your own life and issues confronting modern societies at the moment. The survey consists of around 40 questions and should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

K-K-Keneally is just too cute for words

In 2009 Wayne Swan said that the Rudd Government wouldn't tolerate the NSW Government clawing back a big hunk of the base-rate pension increase for single pensioners in increased rental payments for those in public or community housing.
The Rees Government temporarily placed a stay on implementing the rent increase until September 2010.
This month the Gillard Government has requested the Keneally Government not to claw back this same increase and again the NSW government has temporarily stayed its hand.
Presumably for only a short period after last Monday's indexed pension rise because the last state budget deliberately didn't quarantine that 2009 base-rate increase.
Premier K-K-Keneally is being just a little too cute if she thinks that wiping $18 dollars from the payment in hand received by public housing tenants on single pensions won't be noticed if it doesn't quite coincide with this month's $15 pension increase.
They'll notice Kristina and they're bound to remember on polling day in 2011.

This is the Member for Tweed in June this year in the NSW Parliament:
"But the New South Wales Labor Government is clawing back $7.50 per week from those people who can least afford it. Approximately 28 per cent of the Tweed electorate's population is aged over 65 years. In fact, for this age group the Tweed ranks second in the State, behind Port Macquarie. Aged pensioners have worked hard all their lives and have given a great deal to this great State, if not this great nation, of ours. Yet their pension increase is being clawed back. Some people may say that $7.50 is not a large amount, but it will buy several loaves of bread or other essentials. Many aged pensioners budget down to their last dollar every week. Last year electricity costs increased by 20 per cent and over the next two years they are expected to increase by another 40 per cent. Many pensioners have told me that their bills will increase by $300, $400 or $500 a year, yet all the Government says is that they can get the pensioner rebate to offset the increase. The pensioner rebate is $140, so they will not save anything. In fact, they will be worse off.
Aged pensioners in the Tweed have told me that they take cold showers every second day because they cannot afford to run the electric heater for their hot water systems, and time and again they turn off appliances. In other words, their lifestyle and comforts of living are being eroded. No longer can they afford the things for which they worked hard all their life. I don't normally agree with much that Geoff Provest has to say, but in this case his words bear repeating.

A bit of background Fair dinkum, you're a bit of a political b*tch aren't you Kristina and Australian pensions increase effective 20 September 2009 and other changes

Saffin takes Nash to task over local beef industry claims

On 17 September 2010 Nationals Senator Fiona Nash stated that Page Labor MP, Janelle Saffin, is putting her own political survival ahead of the jobs of North Coast farmers and beef industry workers and characterised Saffin's actions as nutty .

Ms Saffin was rather naturally not amused and countered with this media release yesterday:

Saffin calls for increase in frozen meat exports

Page MP Janelle Saffin has hit back at National Party Senator Fiona Nash for her ridiculous claim that Janelle is planning a Private Members Bill that would hurt the local beef industry.

"Once again Senator Nash has not let the facts get in the way of her wild allegations.

"For a start, I have never talked about putting up a Private Members Bill to ban live exports.

"The facts are that in the last Parliament I put forward a Notice of Motion raising concerns about Live Exports. It was listed but did not get debated before the Parliament was dissolved.

"The Notice called for moves to expand Australia's frozen and chilled meat export industry using Australian halal meat exports.

"I plan to reintroduce the Notice of Motion because I believe this is an issue that should be raised in the Federal Parliament.

"There was nothing in my original notice of motion talking about banning live exports, but that hasn't stopped Senator Nash trying to get a headline.

"This is certainly an issue on which many people have strong opinions and I am aware of the arguments for and against live exports, which is why I would like to see the issue raised in Parliament.

"Senator Nash is way off the mark if she thinks I have not discussed this with people in the local beef industry.

"She claims I am not concerned about local, but it is local meatworkers who have come to me on this issue because the live export trade is costing them jobs and the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union is campaigning on this as well.

"Rather than see millions of live sheep and cattle sent offshore for processing, we could be doing more processing here, providing more jobs and value adding locally.

"It is through value adding that we get to strengthen the economy and create jobs.

"There is already a trade in Halal processed frozen meat being exported and we could be expanding this industry and phasing out the live exports.

"Steve Martyn from the Australian Meat Industry Council says the live export trade means we're exporting jobs away from local processing sector without recognising the benefits processing companies bring to their local communities.

"The media interest in the story shows it is timely to raise this debate and we should be looking at the economic and the humanitarian arguments.

"I will not be silenced on this and there is nothing 'nutty' about raising issues of national interest for debate. The only thing nutty here is Senator Nash.

"I suggest in future if she wants to know what I am planning that she contact me, instead of going off half-cocked with her usual pile of misinformation in search of a headline.

UPDATE:

Transcript of Saffin's Notice of Motion of 16 March 2010 in OpenAustralia:

That the House:
(1)
notes:
(a)
that the Commonwealth is the primary regulator of animal welfare;
(b)
the national and international concerns about the welfare of animals transported under the live animal export trade, both during transportation and their treatment at their destination raised in campaigns by organisations and individuals including the World Society for the Protection of Animals, Princess Ali of Jordan, the RSPCA, the Barristers Animal Welfare Panel, and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore;
(c)
that Australia is one of the few countries to consistently treat animals humanely during slaughter and its meat has gained wide acceptance in the Middle East as meeting halal standards;
(2)
acknowledges the opposition of the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union and the local meat processors, including Casino Northern Cooperative Meat Company, to the live export trade on the grounds that it has a detrimental effect on the local meat processing industry, affecting jobs and the Australian economy; and
(3)
supports moves towards the expansion of the frozen and chilled meat export industry using Australian halal stunned meat exports.

Bread and butter concerns, Mr. Abbott?

Self-professed conservative Catholic and Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, tells us that we shouldn't be concerned about the right of Australian territories to make their own law or the right of citizens to die with dignity.
We should instead be focused on more important issues.

In this country hundreds of thousands of people (or 6.74 individuals per 1,000 standard population) die each year from ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, trachea and lung cancers, dementia and alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, colon and rectum cancer, blood and lymph cancer (including leukaemia), diseases of the kidney and urinary tract, breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, bowel or rectal cancer, cirrhosis and other diseases of liver, skin cancer (such as melanoma), and many more causes than I can easily or comfortably recount here.

Not all of these deaths are due to sudden catastrophic events. Many involve months, if not years, of slow and painful dying - sometimes within the bosum of an extended loving family and sometimes alone with limited community support.

In many areas on the NSW North Coast residents over sixty years of age predominate. Some amongst them would be wondering if dying with dignity will be an option open to them if they enter frail old age with a chronic painful, debilitating disease or terminal illness.

However, Tony Abbott appears to care little for their concerns in the face of failing public health systems, dysfunctional area health services and geographically distant family members. So divorced is he from the practical reality of living with illness and disease, that he chides us all for not focusing on 'great big new taxes' and his desire to become prime minister.

Mr Abbott says there are other, more pressing issues to deal with.
"I'm not denying that there are concerns that people have in this area, but I think that we need a parliament which focuses on bread and butter concerns," he said.

I say to Tony Abbott that dying with dignity is as much a concern for debate as anything he can bring before the federal parliament, because it is closely allied to the individual's basic human right to self-determination and for a great many Australians human rights are a pressing issue.

Yes, Kevin - you ARE the alpha male!

The body language, tone of voice and phrasing say it all - Kevin Rudd is strutting his stuff and making sure that the Australian electorate knows that he is the dominate male in the Gillard Government.

From his attempts to take over photo opportunities when he and the Prime Minister are together, the grooming of a child fellow minister when cameras were rolling, his insistence that the media realise he is in charge of the timetable during media conferences, making sure his version of his appointment as Foreign Minister was the one that dominated that day's news cycle and now jetting off to prance across the world stage before Julia Gillard even moves into The Lodge.

Sadly for Kevin, Kudelka's sharp whimsy has brough him undone and exposed the fact that (no matter how one cuts the cloth) his ministry exists at the pleasure of Prime Minister Gillard and Federal Treasurer Swan.

Once Rudd used to be almost likeable. If only Thérèse could convince him of the wisdom of humility......

The Hobart Mercury, 14 September 2010

It's a pure pleasure on the Clarence Coast

Click on photograph to enlarge

According to The Clarence Valley Review, Eric Burrows took this photograph on a Sunday walk between Plumbago and Shelley Beach headlands on the Clarence Coast in northern New South Wales.

Well done, Eric!

Oakeshott becoming a good reason for returning to the polls as soon as possible

The Independent MP for Lyne Rob "I thought the group hug meant something" Oakeshott's bid to become Speaker in the House of Representatives is trying the patience of many locals and raising a few eyebrows around the country.
As far as I'm concerned it's fast becoming a good reason why another House of Reps election should be called as soon as possible.
Australia deserves more than another wayward ego on the bully boy march even before Parliament is recalled - Tony Teh Wrecker (who thinks that the nation is nothing more than a gift wrapped present to be privately given at will) is enough to cope with as he trys to force his way into government.

The Oz on 18th September 2010:
ROB Oakeshott's parliamentary reform deal with Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott could open the way to High Court challenges to laws passed under the agreement.
Legal experts warned yesterday that granting a parliamentary "pair" to the new Speaker of the House of Representatives - ensuring the Speaker's vote was cancelled out by a member with the opposite position - breached the spirit of the Constitution and would invite a legal challenge.
The warning, from leading constitutional lawyer Geoff Lindell, raises doubts about the validity of key parts of an agreement struck by Labor and the Coalition with independent MPs over the powers of the Speaker.
Professor Lindell's view is in line with that of legal academic Greg Craven, the vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University, who argued that the parliamentary reform agreement ran contrary to the intention of the Constitution.
"What the agreement does is allow the Speaker almost to vote negatively by taking one vote off one side of parliament," Professor Craven said. "It gives the Speaker a negative vote." This meant the "parliamentary reform" agreement was "pushing against the intention of the Constitution"....
But Professor Lindell said the result of a pairing arrangement would give the Speaker the ability to influence the outcome of a vote on an issue.
Mr Oakeshott said last night that unless the agreement giving the Speaker a pair were honoured "all bets are off and we could be heading for Mexican standoff on the first day of parliament...."

Fast food giant McDonalds 'enraged' over PCRM's public service announcement [video]

Washington-based health lobby Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has commissioned a provocative new fast-food commercial drawing attention to the link between heart disease deaths and fast food.

Reportedly this advertisement was recently aired on American television and has "enraged" fast food giant McDonald's.

Given that McDonald's Australia is on schedule to impose its presence on the small NSW coastal community of Yamba before Christmas 2010, I'm sure that this ad is being noted and that residents will bring it to the attention of Clarence Valley shire councillor Margaret McKenna who brazenly argued that McDonald's food was "nutritious" before voting for the multinational's development application.

Want to talk turkey online? Go to NRTT

Many in the Northern Rivers region have a sneaking fondness for that bundle of feathers, idiosyncrasies and downright stubborn determination to own local gardens within its home range, the Australian brush, bush or scub turkey, so it is no surprise to find that a Kyogle-based newspaper called Northern Rivers Talking Turkey has an online presence.

NRTT is a rural independent newspaper based out of Kyogle in the Northern Rivers district of NSW Australia, which has the goal of informing local people about local and other issues of interest and promoting knowledge to the community about new and existing businesses and services available in our area.
The Northern Rivers Talking Turkey covers news and events which affect you, in your local area. Serving Kyogle, Casino, Wiangaree, Woodenbong, Urbenville, Bonalbo, Cawongla, Wadeville, Nimbin, Mt Burrill, Uki and everywhere between.

NRTT allows online submission of letters to the editor immediately below many of its articles.

It's print issues and small website are the home of Bundjulahm Blurb with Patsy Nagas.

The newspaper's owners and editors are to be congratulated for giving the delightful Patsy an online voice for the information and enjoyment of all.

http://nrtt.com.au/

The NSW Government's response to coastal erosion and land recession - create a fee and deny responsibility

With climate change impacts beginning to knock at the door of coastal communities, the policy and legislative response of the NSW State Government has been astonishing to say the least.

It continues to green light urban expansion in regional coastal zones and vulnerable estuaries, while progressing amendments to the Coastal Protection Act 1979 in a pretence at action in relation to predicted changes in the nature and/or degree of coastal hazards due to climate change.

Creating a seven member Coastal Panel as a response to predicted climate change impacts and risk. In effect putting in place a smoke screen for continuing ministerial endorsement of urban expansion in the coastal zone.

The coastal zone encompasses the interface between land and sea. It is a zone of interaction between terrestrial and marine systems and processes. Within this zone there is a wide variety of landscapes and habitats, including beaches, headlands, rock platforms, dunes, foreshores, estuaries and marine waters. For the purposes of this guideline, the NSW coastal zone is defined in the Coastal Protection Act 1979 [Draft Guidelines for preparing Coastal Zone Management Plans, August 2010]

Further the NSW Government encourages local government coastal management plans which will inevitably be skewed in favour of the expressed wishes of beach/riverfront landowners, allows councils to levy an annual fee on residential/commercial lots (subject to possible sea water intrusion/storm surge damage and erosion) many of which should never have been granted development consent in the first place and, gives a green light to the ad hoc creation of emergency fortifications as well as the establishment of permanent sea walls it obviously fully expects will lead to further erosion elsewhere.

In a bid to protect the interests of influential developers the NSW Government apparently intends to don the mantle of Canute and pursue a risible policy of encouraging never-ending beach nourishment as a way of holding back the relentless effect of wave action and increased tidal pull. The cost of which will inevitably be borne by local councils and ratepayers.

This is what the Keneally Government admits to, without the political will to bite the bullet and stop further urban expansion in vulnerable areas:

Sea level rise will exacerbate the impact of coastal hazards. It will affect each of the coastal hazards in a different way as identified below:

Beach erosion – climate change is expected to alter storminess which will in turn alter beach erosion. Scientific understanding of the projected changes to storminess is still developing, and there is insufficient evidence to provide direct advice on how to consider changes in storminess at the present time.

Shoreline recession – sea level rise will result in higher water levels on the open coastline. This will correspond with an increased rate of shoreline recession.

Coastal lake or watercourse entrance instability – sea level rise will result in changes to dynamics of berm heights and break-out conditions.

Coastal (oceanic) inundation – sea level rise will result in increased still water levels. In most instances, dunal systems are sufficiently elevated that the episodic threat from oceanic inundation due to wave run-up and overtopping of coastal dunes or barriers is negligible. Notwithstanding, the threat of oceanic inundation along the open coast in the vicinity of low-crested dunal barriers (less than 5 m AHD) should be considered where this is relevant. Coastal (estuarine) inundation – around lower-lying estuarine foreshores, the threat from tidal inundation will be significantly exacerbated with a projected rise in mean sea level. The interaction between this issue and catchment flooding is particularly important for coastal councils and has been considered in the Flood Risk Management Guide –Incorporating sea level rise benchmarks in flood risk assessments (DECCW 2010b).

Coastal cliff and slope instability – in many cases the base of coastal cliffs are protected from direct wave action by rock platforms. However, under sea level rise projections, these rock platforms may be submerged on a permanent or temporary basis resulting in direct wave action on the base of cliffs. This in turn will have the effect of undermining cliff stability, depending on the relative strength of the geology of the cliff.

Additionally, the NSW Government in addressing risk assessment allows the possibility of infrastructure/property damage or loss, fatalities, injuries and population displacement as consequences of erosion or land recession. However in the past it has been careful to assert that it is exempt from any legal responsibility and now wants to increase exemptions to liability on the part of state government departments/agencies and local government.

On a scale of 1 to 10 the Keneally Government gets -5 for its policy and legislative response to predicted climate change impacts. But then from the time Keneally became NSW Planning Minister planning instruments began to contain so much wriggle room that developers and commercial interests could almost do as they willed in certain coastal LGAs or bypass them completely in pursuit of their aims. It is worth noting that in the past developers' pockets have proven to be deep when it comes to political donations and the Election Funding And Disclosures Amendment (Property Developers Prohibition) Act 2009 was quietly repealed on or about 15 December 2009 - twelve days after Keneally ousted Rees as NSW Premier.

Coastal Protection Service Charge Guidelines
These statutory Minister's guidelines will describe how a council should calculate the coastal protection service charge to be levied on land under the Local Government Act. It will include how councils should calculate the reasonable costs of providing a coastal protection service and how these costs should be apportioned between the various parcels of land subject to the charge. It will be similar in concept to the Stormwater Management Service Charge Guidelines published by the (then) Department of Local Government in 2006. Draft guidelines will be released for comment by councils and other stakeholders in September before they are approved and issued by the Minister.

This month DECCW will also release Guidelines for assessing and managing the impacts of seawalls.

Australian National Goanna Pulling Championship, Wooli 3 October 2010

From goannapulling.com.au

2010 celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Goanna Pulling at Wooli

This NSW North Coast event will be held Sunday 3rd October 2010 at Wooli Sports Ground from 9am to 4pm.

Competition takes place on Goanna Mountain where men and women compete for the honour of Australian Champion in their respective categories.

Winners receive the Yearly Championship belt and a cash prize and the Australian "Open" Champion has his/her name engraved on the perpetual shield.

Competition Categories

Men's Heavyweight - 95kg and Over.

Men's Middleweight - 82kg to 95kg

Men's Lightweight - 63kg to 82kg

Tyro - under 63kg

Ladies - over 70kg

Ladies - under 70kg.

Some of the other events on the day

Woodchop events; Underhand Handicap, Standing Handicap, Standing Block and Championship Underhand, and Woodchop - Boys. Cash prizes for all events.

A.T.O.W.A. Registered Professional Tug-o-War.

Did Bennie really say that?!

"Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live..."

Yup, you heard it from il papa's own mouth.

It wasn't centuries of entrenched anti-semitism in European society and institutionalised anti-semitism in both Catholic and Protestant mainstream religions which allowed the Nazis to plough politically fertile ground as they first demonised, physically isolated and then attempted wholesale eradication of Jews both before and during World War Two. Oh, no.

Apparently it was teh godless in society who encouraged and supported the Third Reich in this endeavour. An argument that's a bit rich coming as it does from a former member of the Hitler Youth.

I suspect that next Bennie will be blaming atheists for the fact that (according to him) paedophile priests have no free will when in a position of power over a child.

Is it any wonder that the Catholic Church's reputation is all but beyond repair?

One thing's for certain - Robert Bruce and that Knox laddie will be spinning in their graves about now.

"Mass Attendance in Australia" 2008

Pic of il papa in his glory days from Google Images

Live or work in the Clarence Valley? Hang up on Telstra!

In The Daily Examiner on 16 September 2010:

TELSTRA could lose millions of dollars worth of business from the Clarence Valley if it proceeds with plans to close its Grafton call centre, putting 108 workers out of jobs.
Yesterday Member for Page Janelle Saffin said if the Telstra plan went ahead, businesses across the Valley should reconsider their phone carrier.
She said if Telstra decided to abandon the Valley, we should consider abandoning it.
Today we launch a concerted campaign – 'Hang up on Telstra' – to encourage people to change carriers, but only if the Telstra plan proceeds.
Daily Examiner general manager Judy Lewis said she would consider dropping our Telstra account, worth about $5000 a month, and Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson said he would be asking his council to consider something similar. The council account is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Send Telstra a message it understands – money.
Ms Saffin yesterday launched a petition calling on Telstra CEO David Thodey to intervene immediately and halt any plans to axe the jobs of its 108 Grafton workers.
For the first time in anyone's memory, there was a queue of people in Grafton's main street waiting to sign the petition.

Grafton fights call centre closure

Contact Ms. Saffin's electoral office at 3/55 Prince Street, Grafton Ph: 6642.8507 to find out where petition can be signed.

Five short words for Mick Keelty

Keelty to tell court Rush was a minor player

Too little, too bluidy late!

Oakeshott as Speaker of the House?

If Rob Oakeshott were to become Speaker of the House of Representatives 2010 may yet go down in Australian history as the year of the most theatrical 'dragging to the chair' on record.
Indeed probably the most undignified installation since the 13th century.

Seventeen minute rulings on points of order during Question Time might become the norm. With hammed softshoe segues for the benefit of the visitor's gallery.

It would be hard to imagine anyone less likely to be able to manage a fractious Lower House or preside over Department of the House of Representatives .
Harry Jenkins' jaw must have dropped when he first heard of Oakeshott's ambition to replace him.

Still Oakeshott would easily live up to an early description of the office of speaker - The Mouth.

However, it may be a position Labor wants Oakeshott to fill in the hope it will lessen the chance that he will recant his support of the Gillard Government.

Being of a cynical turn of mind I recall that The Speaker receives an additional salary and expense of office allowance (slightly more than those of the majority of Ministers) in addition to salary and allowances as a Member of Parliament.

Power, extra money and on camera every day the House is sitting. Aaahh......................

The Australian online poll on 15 September 2010

Hartsuyker shuffled into yet another minor shadow ministry

No matter which way you look at it the Nationals Luke Hartsuyker has lost out in the gravitas stakes in Tony Abbott's shadow ministry reshuffle - leaving him tagging yet another minor ministry.
He's still chasing the snake's tail as Shadow Minister for Sport and Youth with Spokesperson for Regional Communications tacked on, which follows on from the minor Shadow Consumer Affairs, Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law position he previously held.
Obviously Luke doesn't yet have the full confidence of his leaders outside of the one area in which he sometimes excels - creating havoc on the floor of the House as Deputy to 'Poodle' Pyne's Manager of Opposition Business.
I predict that Malcolm Turnbull is going to find his colleague something of an embarrassment whenever he opens his mouth on regional communications.