Oh no Brad, tell me it ain't so!

If the idea of genetically modified crops made you feel slightly queasy, then a technicolour yawn might be induced at even the passing thought that it's not only fictional serial killers who may've been having something extra with their fava beans.
Of course the only possible place to hide the stuff originally derived from R&D using human cells would possibly be in the "high fructose corn syrup" or "natural" flavouring. Then again the blog first reporting this was an American Christian pro-life site and thus its balance is suspect.
Conclusion: No-one is actually eating foetal product, but quite a few food and beverage multinationals are somewhat embarrassed because it seems that they probably do benefit from research and development originally based on human embryonic stem cells – and maybe cadavers.

#"Several big food and beverage companies are looking at a new ingredient in the battle for health-conscious consumers: a chemical that tricks the taste buds into sensing sugar or salt even when it is not there."

# "Pepsi is funding the research and development, and paying royalties to Senomyx, which uses HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney cells) to produce flavor enhancers for Pepsi beverages."

# "PepsiCo is ignoring criticism from pro-life advocates upset that the company contracts with a research firm that uses fetal cells from babies victimized by abortions to test and produce artificial flavor enhancers."

# "Senomyx is collaborating with leading global food, beverage, and ingredient supply companies to develop and commercialize our flavor ingredients. We have entered into exclusive or co-exclusive product discovery and development collaborations with Ajinomoto Co. Inc.; Cadbury Adams USA LLC, a unit of Kraft Foods Inc.; Firmenich SA; Nestlé SA; PepsiCo; and Solae."

#"Overview: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, which is a stage reach 4-5 days post fertilization."

#"The idea is the brainchild of biotech firm Senomyx of San Diego, California. To create its taste testers, the company adapted a tool that has been used by the pharmaceutical industry for over 20 years – lines of kidney cells with genetically modified DNA. Drug companies typically insert genes into these cells that coat their surfaces with receptors involved in certain diseases, to test how they respond to treatments.

Senomyx inserts genes from the surface of the human tongue instead, which cover the cells with taste receptors. The company has developed cell lines that respond to each of the five tastes: sweet, bitter, salty, sour and savoury (also known as "umami")."

#"Thank you for contacting us to share your sincere concerns," the PepsiCo response says. "Please be assured that PepsiCo is committed to using only the highest ethical methods in all aspects of our research. This is something we take very seriously, and we hold ourselves and all of our research partners to the same high standards as the world's leading research centers."

The email continues: "With respect to the flavor discovery research with Senomyx, we utilize techniques that have been the gold standard for several decades by top universities, hospitals, U.S. government agencies, food and beverage companies, and essentially every pharmaceutical and biotech company in the world. Yet, there is some misinformation being circulated meant to distort what we're doing and question our motives and those of other companies. This is unfortunate, and it is certainly not reflective of the work we are doing. We hope this information is helpful and reassuring. Thank you again for reaching out to us and allowing us to clarify the situation."

Gillard and Ludwig fiddle while last of the goodwill burns

Labor MPs are stepping up pressure on Julia Gillard to take decisive action on Australia's live export trade to counter a growing community backlash against cruelty to animals.
They are concerned at the potential effect on the Government of a television campaign to be unleashed today by three groups that have received more than 200,000 online signatures to a petition calling for a total ban on the live export of cattle.
Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig confirmed last night that a ban was now in place against the export of live animals to 12 Indonesian abattoirs outed by the ABC for cruel slaughtering practices.
However the promised independent reviewer had not been appointed by last night, nor had the terms of reference for the inquiry been settled.
[The Canberra Times 4 March 2011]

It is hardly surprising that Labor backbenchers are pushing the Prime Minister.

This issue has the ability to mushroom even further than troubling concerns over the treatment of asylum seekers given that it doesn’t trigger that deep well of xenophobia within the Australian psyche.

The general response would be the same if the Four Corners exposé had been concerned with local abbattoirs.

The Gillard Government cannot afford to go slowly or employ half measures when addressing live animal export to Indonesia – only a total ban will see Australian cattle protected from deliberate and unthinking cruelty in that country.

Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig needs to do the maths. There are more voters living in urban areas of this country who don’t make a living either directly or indirectly from the cattle industry than those who do in rural and regional Australia.

Snapshot of RSPCA Australia banner 4 June 2011

GRACE: mapping Earth's water supplies 2002 to 2010

The GRACE Tellus program has been running for nine years now and is a collaboration of the US and German space agencies (NASA and DLR) whose key partners are the University of Texas Center for Space Research, Geoforschungszentrum Potsdam and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Its twin satellites, launched 17 March 2002, are making detailed measurements of Earth's gravity field over land and ice and over the oceans to investigate Earth's water reservoirs .

Earth’s gravity from space

WHAT IS 'EQUIVALENT WATER THICKNESS'?

The observed monthly changes in gravity are caused by monthly changes in mass. The mass changes can be thought of as concentrated in a very thin layer of water at the surface, whose thickness changes. In reality, much of the monthly change in gravity is indeed caused by changes in water storage in hydrologic reservoirs, by moving ocean, atmospheric and cryospheric masses, and by exchanges among these reservoirs. Their vertical extent is measured in centimeters, much smaller than the radius of the Earth or the horizontal scales of the changes, which are measured in kilometers. Some changes in gravity are caused by mass redistribution in the 'solid' Earth, such as that following a large earthquake, or that due to glacial isostatic adjustment; in those cases the concept of 'equivalent water thickness' does not apply, even though it is possible to compute the quantity...

As GRACE travels over areas of snow and ice sheets such as Greenland and Antarctica, changes in mass will be recorded. This information, along with measurements from the ground and other satellites will enable scientists to determine if these areas are growing or shrinking. Knowledge of this mass variation is key to understanding the effects of climate change and sea level rise.

WATER

LAND

World Environment Day 5 June 2011

Think about it
Deeply and often
Then act

Australian and British attitudes to climate change: latest 2011 report

It would appear that more Australians accept the science behind climate change predictions than believe contrarians, denialists, propagandists and prevaricators like Tony Abbott, Nick Minchin, Andrew Bolt, Alan Jones and The Australian campaign against science.

Public Risk Perceptions, Understandings, and Responses to Climate Change in Australia and Great Britain: Interim Report
[Joseph P. Reser, Nick Pidgeon, Alexa Spence, Graham Bradley, A. Ian Glendon & Michelle Ellul, Griffith University Climate Change Response Program and Understanding Risk Centre, Cardiff University, 2011]

Australia-specific research findings1
71% of Australian respondents reported that their level of concern about climate change had increased over the past two years.
78% of Australian respondents agreed that, “If nothing is done to reduce climate change in the future, it will be a „very serious‟ or „somewhat serious‟ problem for
Australia”.
When asked, “How serious a problem do you think climate change is right now”, 45% of Australian respondents reported that it was a serious problem.
Respondent objective knowledge levels about matters relating to the underlying science of climate change and projected impacts were modest, with respondents
getting, on average, four to five out of 10 true/false statements correct. These findings are interesting when compared with respondent self-reported knowledge level, with close to 75% of respondents feeling that they knew a reasonable amount about climate change, suggesting that many respondents either overestimated or underestimated their own knowledge levels in the area of climate change.
The Australian survey findings with respect to perceived interrelationships between climate change and natural disasters are of particular interest. It is clear that the evidence and projected consequences which respondents refer to in the context of their belief and concern about climate change are often related to extreme weather events and natural disasters.
37% of Australian respondents reported having had direct personal experience with differing natural disaster events. Overall, public risk perceptions and understandings of the threat of climate change in Australia appear to be strongly influenced and informed by knowledge of direct or indirect experience with both acute and chronic natural disasters in the Australian environment.
59% of Australian respondents thought that the region where they lived was vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with two thirds of these respondents indicating that their location was „very‟ or „reasonably‟ vulnerable.
An important and neglected domain in climate change surveys relates to the possible psychological impacts of the threat and perceived environmental consequences of
climate change. Australian survey respondents completed a seven-item measure of experienced psychological distress with respect to the threat of climate change. 20%
of respondents reported feeling, at times, appreciable distress at the prospect and implications of climate change and its consequences.
1 A number of these specific findings are not reported or discussed in detail in the interim report, but will befully addressed in the subsequent final report which will be completed and available in July 2011.

More specific joint findings include the following:
74% of Australian respondents and 78% of British respondents believed "that the world's climate is changing", with 8% reporting "not knowing" in both countries.
71% of Australian respondents either "strongly agreed" or "tended to agree" with the statement, “I am certain that climate change is really happening”.
90% of Australian respondents and 89% of British respondents believed that human activities were playing a causal role in climate change.
54% of Australian respondents and 41% of British respondents believed that they were already experiencing the effects of climate change. Australian respondents provided many examples of direct encounters with what they viewed as evidence of climate change in open-ended survey items.
66% of Australian respondents and 71% of British respondents reported that they were "very concerned" or "fairly concerned" about climate change, with an additional 22% and 19% respectively, indicating some level of concern.
Australian and British respondents were only slightly less concerned with respect to the personal impacts of climate change, with 62% of Australian and 60% of British respondents reporting that they were "very concerned" or "fairly concerned".
A psychological variable of demonstrated importance in the context of climate change is perceived self efficacy, i.e., the extent to which people feel they can engage in actions that could make a difference either in their local or global environment.
The survey findings suggest that the majority of both Australian and British respondents feel that despite clear difficulties and challenges, their actions can make a difference, and that the issue of climate change is serious, urgent, and personally relevant.
Taken as a whole, these Australia/Great Britain comparison findings indicate striking similarities, high levels of climate change concern, and strong belief on the part of over 70% of respondents in both countries that human activities are in part responsible for current global climate change.
These findings also suggest that media coverage of public perceptions of and responses to the threat of climate change is often very wide of the mark, and that reported declines over the past several years in public concern about climate change and its relative importance as an environmental issue and threat have been overstated.

Download full report here.

Koori Mail Collection Online 1991-2011 digital archive of a vibrant media presence

The Koori Mail Collection Online

The Koori Mail – 100 per cent Aboriginal owned and controlled – is situated on Bundjalung country on the far north coast of New South Wales. Its shareholders are five small Aboriginal organisations – the Bundjalung Tribal Society (Lismore), Bunjum Co-operative (Ballina/Cabbage Tree Island), Buyinbin Co-operative (Casino), Kurrachee Co-operative (Coraki) and Nungera Co-operative (Maclean).

The Art of Colour

Noel Hart Inside the Sun

Artslave 201115

John Mawhinney Ceramic Form 2005

John Cottrell Azo Window

Which Australian politician said this?

“I think there does need to be give and take on both sides, and this idea that sex is kind of a woman's right to absolutely withhold, just as the idea that sex is a man's right to demand I think they are both they both need to be moderated, so to speak.” *

Give yourself a pat on the back if you immediately thought that only Australian Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott would voice the idea that a woman doesn’t have an absolute right to say no.

* ABC TV Q&A, Religion, Sex and Politics, Thursday 19 March 2009

Women of New South Wales - Unite! Equal Pay Rally & March on 8 June 2011 in Sydney, Newcastle and Lismore NSW

Equal Pay for Women

Community Worker Equal Pay Campaign

NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
RALLY & MARCH 12 NOON: SYDNEY HYDE PARK SOUTH
and
12 noon – The Tram Sheds, Newcastle Foreshore Park, Wharf Rd, Newcastle
11am – Cnr Carrington & Magellan St, LISMORE, Northern NSW

On 16 May 2011 Fair Work Australia (FWA) ruled that the ASU and its Equal Pay Case partners have proved that social and community services workers in the not for profit sector are underpaid and that at least part of the reason for that underpayment is gender. However, FWA is seeking further submissions in order to determine the rate of increases.

The NSW O'Farrell Government is resisting equal pay for women and argued that:

1. the previously agreed pay equity principles should NOT be applied – fundamentally calling on FWA to restrict the capacity for community workers achieve equal pay and set in law principles which will obstruct any future equal pay cases.
2. the work of non-government community workers is not as valuable as the work of government workers doing similar work.
3. increases in community workers pay should NOT be awarded...

We all need to take action. We have struggled for decades… the fight is not won.
On June 8 all equal pay supporters must rally in support of the Equal Pay Campaign.

For national events go to: www.payup.org.au/more_info/

[Australian Services Union NSW & ACT (Services) Branch, excerpts from email of 13 May 2011 and ASU website ]

The Strange World of Alan Jones

Michelle Grattan writes of 2GB Radio shock jock Alan Jones on 1 June 2011:
Jones “has agreed to be the founding patron of Australia's newest and arguably most extreme climate-science denier organisation - the paradoxically titled Galileo Movement.
This group's leaders aren't merely sceptical about mainstream climate science - they outright deny that the world is warming (the thermometers are in the wrong place). They scoff at the idea that human activity can cause warming (carbon dioxide is just plant food); and they even reject that global warming could be harmful (relax, do nothing - it's natural).
Instead, they fervently believe that it's all part of a secret ideological conspiracy by corrupt scientists using fake data to collude with greenies, socialists, libertarians and the United Nations to falsely alarm the gullible and enrich themselves by stealing our money and sovereignty. Fair dinkum.
Now that new movement has a familiar ring to it. Ah, yes – it’s the Monckton mob downunder.

The Galileo Movement Pty Limited which was registered in February 2011 and has a Crows Nest NSW address:
“has available expert advice from Australian and international specialists across all diverse fields of global warming including meteorology and climate science, palaeoclimate, physical sciences (physics, chemistry), life sciences (biology), social science (economics), formal science (mathematics, statistics), communication, law.
These experts include eminent professors, PhD's, scientists and people with diverse life experience including” {wait for it}:

And; “The Galileo Movement's patron is Australia's own Alan Jones. Alan has a long history of speaking out for the downtrodden and for protecting freedom. His innate expertise straddles the fields of politics, sport and the media. His wealth of experience complements the basic science that is the Galileo Movement's core.”
The Movement was founded by Queenslanders John Smeed (who professes to be a retired company director with a diploma from QIT School of Mechanical Engineering who supports the Liberals) and Case Smit (another retired company director who claims a Bachelor of Science from a unstated institute of higher learning). The same duo who organised former journalist and climate change denier Lord Monckton’s antipodean tour in 2010.
This group now has its very own dedicated page over at Source Watch.

During May this year Alan Jones interviewed Professor David Karoly (who supports global warming as a scientific reality) and those Galileo Movement advisers Professors Bob Carter and Richard Lindzen, along with Timothy Ball another adviser - as well as Malcolm Roberts the Movement’s project manager.
Now I’ve only heard the Ball podcast listed as “Alan Jones speaks to Professor Timothy Ball about climate change and the Galileo Movement”, but I don’t remember hearing Jones declare an ‘interest’ in the Movement – did you?
Perhaps that’s something else the Australian Communications and Media Authority might consider if they again investigate this outrageous propagandist (previous investigation).

Galileo download webpage with all Alan Jones podcasts

Because some things bear repeating

From TonyMadMonkAbbott on YouTube

The ultimate Abbott position on anthropomorphic global warming and almost everything else

A classic from Kudelka....













Another from Broelman....

Thursday Dog LOL

Hat tip to Clarrie Rivers
for sending me this
canine planking LOL

Clarence MP performs somersault

The Member for Clarence Steve Cansdell has had to eat his words. Today's Daily Examiner reports on its front page that Cansdell has been forced to make a public apology in relation to comments he made about people acquitted  in the Yamba "riot" trial.

Source: The Daily Examiner, 1/6/2011

Grafton Sisters of Mercy saying yes to a price on carbon pollution

According to Say Yes Australian campaign:

Over 140 Australian leaders and community groups have thrown their support behind Australia saying “yes” to cutting carbon pollution and “yes” to a clean energy economy. The ‘We Say Yes’ statement launched in Canberra today and featured in a full page ad in
The Australian, has been endorsed by prominent Australian scientists, doctors, writers, religious leaders, actors and community groups.

One of these community groups was the Sisters of Mercy at Grafton in the Clarence Valley on the NSW North Coast. Well done to Barbara Bolster and the rest of the convent community!

STATEMENT

“We Say Yes” to a Price on Carbon Pollution

Climate change is already affecting our country, our communities, and the survival of the world’s poor. This year, we have an opportunity to tackle climate change through a price oncarbon pollution.

To reduce pollution and embrace a cleaner and healthier future Australia urgently needs to put a fair price on pollution. It’s reasonable to ask the big polluters to pay a fair amount per tonne ofcarbon they emit so they have an incentive to pollute less.

We say yes to embracing a cleaner and healthier future by placing a fair price on pollution. We say yes to rewarding businesses who do the right thing, and giving other businesses a reason to clean up their act.

Saying yes to a price on pollution means saying yes to investment, innovation, and new jobs based on renewable energy that never runs out. In a country abundant with sun and wind, these industries have waited years to flourish while Australia has delayed.

Putting a price on pollution will release billions of dollars that will be used to support lowincome households, protect jobs, drive innovation in adaptation and clean energy projects and technologies, and support Australian farmers who want to protect the land for future generations.

We say YES to a price on pollution and renewable energy investment, YES to jobs and YES toprotecting our ecosystems, health and environment before it’s too late. Will you join us?

1 million women
350.org Australia
Adam Kilgour, Board Member, The Climate
Institute
Alternative Technology Association
Ann Kantor, Philanthropist
Ararat Greenhouse Action Group Inc
Assoc. Prof. Grant Blashki, Nossal Institute
of Health, University of Melbourne
Association for Berowra Creek
Australia Tibet Council
Australian Conservation Foundation
Australian Council of Social Service
Australian Council of Trade Unions
Australian Religious Response to Climate
Change
Australian Solar Energy Society
Australian Youth Climate Coalition
Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero
Emissions Inc. (BREAZE)
Ban Uranium Mining Permanently
Benalla Sustainable Future Group
Bishop Patrick P. Power, Bishop of Canberra
and Goulburn
Blue King Brown
Chelsea Heights EarthCarers
CHOICE
Climate Action Sydney Eastern Suburbs
Cimate Change Balmain-Rozelle
Clare Martin, former NT Chief Minister,
former CEO ACOSS
Climate Action Burwood Ashfield
Climate Action Network Australia
Climate Action Newcastle
Climate Action Newtown
Climate Action Tomaree
Climate and Health Alliance*
Climate Change Australia Clarence
Climate Change Australia Hastings
Climate Change: Our Future (Glen Eira &
Monash)
Climate Emergency Netwotk
ClimateWorks Australia
Colong Foundation for Wilderness
Communities Combating Climate Crisis,
Healesville
Community Environment Network, Lake
Macquarie Planning Committee
Conservation Council of South Australia
Conservation Council of Western Australia
Cool Melbourne
Corinne Grant, comedian and writer
Dandenong Ranges Renewable Energy
Association Inc.
Darebin Climate Action Now
David Pocock, Australian Wallabies and
Western Force rugby union player
David Shelmerdine, Deputy Chair,
ClimateWorks Australia, philanthropist
Doctors for the Environment
Dr Richard Charlesworth AM, Olympian,
Australian hockey coach
Dr. Chris Riedy, Research Director, Institute
for Sustainable Futures
Dr. Denis Saunders AM
Dr. John Hewson, former leader of the
Liberal Party
Dr. Rosemary Stanton OAM, nutritionist
Dylan Lewis, entertainer
EarthSong
Edmund Rice Centre
Environment Centre Northern Territory
Environment Victoria
Environmental Farmers Network
Eva Cox AO, writer and social commentator
Felix Riebl, musician
Fr. Bob Maguire AM
GetUp!
Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand
Great Lakes Environment Association
GreenCoast Catalysts
Greenpeace Australia Pacific
Healesville Environment Watch Inc
Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, Griffith
University
Ian Robertson, Secretary, DEPA and Chair,
Investment Committee LGS
Jon Dee, Founder & Chairman, Do
Something!
John Quiggin, Federation Fellow, University
of Queensland
John Thwaites, Chairman, Monash
Sustainability Institute, Monash University
Julian Burnside AO QC
Katie Noonan, entertainer
Katoomba Area Climate Action Now
Ken Done AM, artist
Kevin Dupé, CEO and Director
Lighter Footprints
Locals Into Victoria's Environment (LIVE)
Malcolm Fraser, former Prime Minister of
Australia
Moonee Valley Climate Action
Moreland Energy Foundation
Mosman Clean Energy for Eternity
Mount Alexander Sustainability Group
National Parks Association of Queensland
National Parks Australia Council
Nature Conservation Council of NSW
Nicholas Gruen, CEO Lateral Economics
Nick Earls, author
North Shore Climate Action
Oxfam Australia
Pacific Calling Partnership
Parramatta Climate Action Network
Peter Doherty PhD AC FAA FAS, Nobel
Laureate
Peter Martin, Founder, Hamer/Martin
Environment Fund
Phillip Adams AO, writer and broadcaster
Plug-in Australia
Portland Sustainability Group
Prof. Dave Griggs, Director, Monash
Sustainability Institute
Prof. David Karoly, University of Melbourne
Prof. Jeffrey Sheen, Macquarie University
Prof. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Global Change
Institute, University of Queensland
Prof. P.N. (Raja) Junankar, University of
New South Wales
Prof. Patrick Dodson, Indigenous Leader
Prof. Tony McMichael, The Australian
National University
Public Health Association of Australia
Public Transport Users Association
Queensland Conservation Council
Rebecca Gibney, actor
Rob Gell, Director and former television
weather presenter
Robert Purves AM, Purves Environmental
Fund
Samah Hadid, former Australian Youth
Ambassador to UN
Sara Gipton, CEO Greenfleet
SEARCH Foundation
Sisters of Mercy Earth Link
Sisters of Mercy Grafton
St Johns Wood Sustainability
Surf Coast Energy Group
Sustainability in Stonnington
Suzie Wilks, television personality
Sydney Youth Climate Action Network
TEAR Australia
Ted Egan AO, former Administrator of the
Northern Territory
The Climate Institute
The Hon. Bob Carr
The Hon. Dr. Barry Jones AO
Tilman A. Ruff, Chair, International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Australia
Tim Winton, author
Tom Long, actor
Total Environment Centre
Transition Town Kenmore
Uniting Justice Australia
UQ Climate for Change (University of
Queensland)
Warrandyte Climate Action Now
Western Climate Action Now
Wodonga & Albury Towards Climate Health
Women's Environment Network Australia
WWF-Australia
Yarra Climate Action Now
*"This position reflects the views of the Alliance but may not reflect the full or particular views of all of
the members."

Right-wing think tank Menzies House & Australia's neo-cons don't get the response they desire

Menzies House poll result 6.30pm 29 May 2011

Poll has been online since 16 February 2011

The Failure of Multiculturalism
Cory Bernardi post
Menzies House 8 February 2011

Bronwyn Bancroft is one of five children's fiction authors short-listed for the 2011 Prime Minister's Literary Awards

Congratulations to author and artist Bronwyn Bancroft for making this impressive short-list for the 2011 Prime Minister's Literary Awards.

"This year there will be five short-listed authors for each category and the winner will receive $80,000 and the remaining short-listed authors will receive $5000 each."

Tenterfield-born Bronwyn is descendant of the Djanbun clan of the Bundjalung nation and details of her career and art can be found here.

Images from Dept. of Prime Minister and Cabinet Office of the Arts

What retired alleged war criminals earn these days

iwatch news 20 may 2011 on the subject of former U.S. President George Walker Bush:

“When George W. Bush declined President Barack Obama’s invitation to a ceremony at New York City’s Ground Zero after Osama bin Laden was killed, the former president cited his desire to keep a low public profile.

But Bush has been high profile on the private, paid speaking circuit: he has raked in millions of dollars since he left office by making scores of speeches that typically earn him six figures a pop.

In the week after Obama’s Ground Zero event, the nation’s 43rd president made time for three separate speeches to hedge fund executives, a Swiss bank sanctioned for keeping secret bank accounts, and a pro golf event underwritten by the accounting firm involved in the Tyco International financial scandal.

Bush’s standard speaking fee is reportedly between $100,000 and $150,000.

David Sherzer, a spokesman for the former president, told iWatch News that since Bush left office he has delivered almost 140 paid talks, at home and abroad. Those speeches have earned Bush about $15 million, a conservative estimate, following in the golden path blazed by his predecessor, Bill Clinton.

Almost all of Bush’s speeches are closed to the press. Bush uses the Washington Speakers Bureau to arrange his paid speaking gigs.”

When you add what wife Laura earns from speaking engagements I imagine the family retirement pot grows larger.

Listed under “similar speakers” at the Washington Speakers Bureau is none other than that antipodean retired alleged war criminal John Winston Howard. Although Jackboot Johnny is not in the same fee league as his mentor, he is charging $40,000 or up for his pearls of wisdom. It comes as no surprise that the third member of that sanguinary trio, Tony Blair is also on the Bureau’s books. Who said alleged crime did not pay?

Ludwig partially bans live export to Indonesia but fails to follow Saffin's well-grounded lead

The Australian Online 31 May 2011:

caucus erupted after Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig announced a ban on exports to 11 Indonesian abattoirs, which many MPs felt did not go far enough.

About 20 Labor MPs spoke on the issue, with many saying they had been besieged by phone calls after a confronting Four Corners documentary showed graphic images of Australian cattle being whipped, beaten and dismembered in dozens of prolonged and painful slaughters last night.

Backbench MP Janelle Saffin presented a notice of motion to caucus, seconded by fellow MP Kelvin Thomson, proposing a complete ban on live exports to Indonesia to be discussed at the next meeting in a fortnight.

Saffin says no more excuses for live exports

Page MP Janelle Saffin says there are no more excuses for industry, governments or anyone to continue supporting the live export trade.

Following last night’s Four Corners program, Agriculture Minister, Senator Joe Ludwig today called for the complete suspension of live animal exports to the Indonesian facilities identified in the footage gathered by Animals Australia.

Ms Saffin today said she approves the suspension of live animal exports to the Indonesian facilities identified in the Four Corners program.

“Along with other Labor MPs, I met with Minister Ludwig on the live exports issue yesterday, and following today’s Caucus meeting, the Minister announced the action.

“And yes, I have put forward the view that we have a cessation of live exports.

“I first raised the issue in Parliament early last year and this year my private members motion calling for the phasing out of live exports and an increase in chilled and frozen meat exports was debated in Parliament.

“I’ve been leading this debate with colleagues for some time, particularly promoting changes within our Labor party, in terms of policy.

“Like so many people, I could barely watch the footage from Animals Australia that was screen on last night’s Four Corners program. 

“There is now a groundswell of support within the Labor Party to change the practices of live export on the humanitarian grounds, and also because it exports jobs.

“There has been an incredible response to the Four Corners program, and I have had farmers contacting me saying that if this is what’s happening, it has to stop.

“We as Australians have a way of treating animals, and if we export animals we expect those standards to prevail.

“I’ve been told by the Meat and Livestock Association and Livecorp that they operate with best practice, but seeing last night’s program put paid to that.

“I don’t have faith that they, as industry bodies, are looking after those they represent, let alone the public interest.

“We have a responsibility to make sure that animals are treated in the same way that we treat them here.

“Some years ago when confronted by the same scenes of cruelty in Egypt, the trade was stopped almost overnight.

“I am pleased that Minister Ludwig has taken the action he took today,” Ms Saffin said.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig and the Government, have undertaken the following actions:

-       asked the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to conduct an investigation into the footage

-       announced an independent review to investigate the complete supply chain for live exports up to and including the point of slaughter

-       asked for orders to enforce the suspension of live animal exports to the facilities identified by the evidence provided by RSPCA and Animals Australia

-       the Minister will add further facilities to the list of banned facilities in future, if required

-       Implemented a moratorium on the installation of the restraint boxes, seen being used in the footage. This will apply to the instalment of any new boxes with Commonwealth funds across all global markets and

-       Asked the Chief Veterinary Officer to co-ordinate an independent, scientific assessment of the restraint boxes used in Indonesia.

Media Release, 31 May 2011

Saffin justified over call for more frozen beef exports instead of high level of live exports from Australia

LiveCorp, Meat & Livestock Australia, Cattle Council of Australia and the Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry have been found severely wanting in their attitude to animal welfare with regard to Australia's live animal export industry, given the ABC Four Corners episode A Bloody Business aired on 30 May 2011.

By the same token; these recent revelations have justified NSW North Coast Federal Labor MP for Page, Janelle Saffin, raising concerns about live exports in her 16 March 2010 House of Representatives motion in support of Halal frozen meat exports.

A motion which saw her publicly attacked at the time by the Nationals for Regional Australia's Senator Fiona Nash.

Those having some oversight of the live animal export industry apparently only began to stir over current welfare concerns once they were approached by the Four Corners investigative team and, the Australian beef industry will have no-one to blame but itself for any negative impacts felt by its members.

Following a report published January this year by industry and government, painting a positive picture of conditions in Indonesia, animal welfare campaigners took their own cameras into abattoirs to record the conditions for themselves. That footage reveals that Australian training of the slaughtermen in Indonesia has been grossly inadequate. Animals smash their heads repeatedly on concrete as they struggle against ropes, take minutes to die in agony after repeated often clumsy cuts to the throat. In some cases there is abject and horrifying cruelty - kicking, hitting, eye-gouging and tail-breaking - as workers try to force the cattle to go into the slaughter boxes installed by the Australian industry, with Australian Government support. [Excerpt from transcript of A Bloody Business,30 May 2011]

A Bloody Business video on demand*
* Warning this video contains graphic images

A new YAMBA group. Want to join up?

This group is meant for xxxx brothers with a reasonable level of fitness, where they can be involved in active team sports, like basketball, soccer, flag football, etc.

YAMBA says, "There is clearly a need for a social association for xxxx brothers to simply get out and be active in somewhat high numbers amongst one another on a regular basis, so here it is.

"The group is open to non-xxxx's as well, just don't expect any "beer kickball" games to be scheduled :)"

Read more details of YAMBA here.

Australian Liberal Party supporting the tobacco industry?

British American Tobacco website on 27 May 2011:

We have a clear policy and compliance procedures on political donations, set out in our Group-wide Standards of Business Conduct. Contributions from our companies to political parties and organisations, their officers, elected politicians and candidates for elective office are generally not encouraged.

Such payments can only be made for the purpose of influencing the debate on issues affecting the company or Group and not to achieve any improper business or other advantage (such as to secure a government contract), must not be intended personally to benefit the recipient or his or her family, friends, associates or acquaintances and must be permissible under all applicable laws….

We collate information centrally on contributions to political parties and to individual politicians that are made for the benefit of their party. Payments in 2010 were as follows:

Where there's smoke there's money (2004) in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine in December 2004:

Voting records of 527 members of the 106th U.S. Congress were obtained for 49 tobacco-related bills between 1997 and 2000. Tobacco industry political action committee (PAC) contributions for each member were summed from 1993 to 2000. A cross-sectional, multilevel model was constructed that predicts voting behavior based on amount of contributions, political party, home state, and amount of state tobacco agriculture. The data were analyzed in 2002, 2003, and 2004.....

A total of $6,827,763 was received by the legislators from 17 tobacco industry PACs, an average of $12,956 per member. Senate Republicans received the most money (mean $22,004), while Senate Democrats received the least ($6,057). Republicans voted pro-tobacco 73% of the time and Democrats voted pro-tobacco only 23% of the time (p <0.001). Pro-tobacco voting percentage varied significantly by state (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.27, p <0.001). The amount of PAC money received by a member of Congress was positively associated with voting pro-tobacco (p <0.01), even after controlling for political party, state, and state tobacco farming. For Democrats in Congress who voted pro-tobacco, for every $10,000 contribution they received, they were 9.8% more likely to do so. On the other hand, for Republicans who voted pro-tobacco, for every $10,000 received, they were only 3.5% more likely to do so....

Tobacco industry contributions, political party, and state-level factors influence the voting behavior of Congress members. In the 106th Congress, Republicans voted pro-tobacco over three times as often as Democrats. However, for those Democrats who voted pro-tobacco, the relationship between receiving tobacco industry PAC money and a pro-tobacco vote was stronger than it was for Republicans.

Tobacco funding: time to quit (2010) in The Drum in May 2010:

The Australian Electoral Commission website reports that in recent years both the Philip Morris company and British American Tobacco have been generous donors to the Liberal Party and the National Party. During the year 2008/9 Philip Morris contributed $158,000 to the Liberal and National parties around Australia.o:p>

Tobacco industry donations to the Liberal Party of Australia at national level in 2009-10 according to the Australian Electoral Commission:

British American Tobacco $19,800
Phillip Morris Limited $15,000 and $16,500

Tony Abbott:

2009 - I was a child that was regularly imprisoned in a car with heavy smokers. My parents both smoked heavily when I was a kid. Now has it done me any harm? Well, yes, you be the judge, you be the judge. I mean maybe but for that I would have been six foot six, and I would have had much greater intelligence, who knows.

2010 -

2011 - Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has defended his anti-smoking credentials amid criticism that the Liberal and National parties were influenced by donations from tobacco companies.

The federal government says the fact 97 per cent of British American Tobacco's political donations worldwide last year went to the Liberal and National parties proved the Coalition "on the drip".

Mr Abbott said tobacco companies "wasted their money" if they thought it would influence the Liberal Party and said when he was health minister he helped reduce smoking rates.

Mr Abbott, a former health minister who beefed up the health warnings on cigarette packets, says he is not convinced the plain green packets with graphic health warnings will help reduce smoking. Other Liberals argue tobacco is a legal product and the companies have intellectual rights over their brands.

Obama acting like Nixon - how disappointing

“Two weeks ago, a grand jury meeting in a courtroom in the Eastern District Court of Virginia heard testimony for at least two days from at least three people subpoenaed by federal prosecutors, several sources tell The Huffington Post. The jury has been convened to consider whether to approve the prosecution of WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange. A subpoena delivered to a Manning associate in the Boston area says that prosecutors are investigating "possible violations of federal criminal law involving, but not necessarily limited to, conspiracy to communicate or transmit national defence information in violation of" the Espionage Act, as first reported by Salon's Glenn Greenwald.…… "To the extent that we can find anybody involved in breaking American law who has put at risk the assets and the people that I have described ... they will be held responsible," Attorney General Eric Holder said last November. "They will be held accountable."……The potential prosecution of WikiLeaks and Assange alarms First Amendment advocates, who say that though it might be common for government leakers to be prosecuted, it would be unprecedented for a recipient of classified information to be indicted for espionage……The Nixon administration's effort to halt the New York Times from publishing the Pentagon Papers, for example, led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling that affirmed First Amendment rights. More recently, two lobbyists for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee were charged with violating the Espionage Act after a Pentagon analyst gave them classified military information about potential attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, but the charges were later dismissed.” {HuffPost Politics on 26^th May 2011}

Moggy Musings [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]

 

An it defies understanding musing: For a few months now a North Coast resident has been busy pretending to be a well-known former NSW Police Commissioner. A couple of my four-legged friends say their owners have received copies of some of his strange epistles which allege wrongdoing on the part of the Local Court. Yuk.

An I swear it's true musing: I was reading over my house slave's shoulder the other day and had to chuckle at one EEFector email displayed on the monitor which made me suspect someone in Frisco had been nibbling on catnip at the end of another long day fighting guvminn intrusion into teh internetz - EFF filed an amicus brief supporting online free speech today, asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourteenth Circuit to affirm a permanent injunction blocking a federal law that would violate the First Amendment by imposing penalties on website operators that publish indecent material without also using technological measures to block access by kittens. The Kitten Internet Protection Act of 2008 (KIPA) was passed after the Supreme Court struck down its predecessors, the Child Online Protection Act of 1998 (COPA) and the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (CDA). The government had argued that narrowing the law's scope to young felines would make the restrictive law pass constitutional muster. In the district court, EFF successfully argued that the law unduly restricted websites, and that supervision of online activities was best left to Ceiling Cat, not the government.

A Maccas musing: My little canine friend Veronica Lake tells me that McDonalds in Yamba is making itself even more unpopular in that small town by beginning to throw its money around in an effort to squeeze its fast food competitors out of Treelands Drive. Trouble is the other fast food chain franchise it is targeting happens to be run by a young and popular local family. The Westlawn Group doesn't come off too well in this scenario either, as it bumped Subway off its 'Yamba Fair' main road signage in favour of Maccas which isn't even a tenant in its shopping complex. Typical!

A loitering in the halls musing: With prosecution evidence in some disarray in an ongoing Clarence Valley trial, I had to laugh when I heard that one cocky defense barrister solicitor has been heard quietly singing during proceedings; "10 green bottles sitting on the wall and if one green bottle should accidently  fall ..."

Memo from a local pensioner: Onya, Cate & Mick!

I’m a pensioner who barely scrapes by when compared with the ruling elite in this Lucky Country. I don’t smoke, drink or gamble on lottery tickets anymore. But as all I have is my pension I can’t do much more than cover rent, food and utility bills every fortnight anyway.

The Murdoch press tells me that I’m upset with Cate Blanchett and Michael Caton because they have come out in support of a carbon price: Cate Blanchett has sparked outrage in the community with her decision to front an advertising campaign promoting the Federal Government's controversial carbon tax.
The millionaire Hollywood actor has been accused of being out of touch by spruiking the benefits of the tax that she can afford to pay, unlike many already hard-up Australians.

WRONG! I fully support carbon pricing even though it will bite into my income in much the same way as the GST does. At least Gillard is offering to compensate me. Howard gave me not so much as a brass farthing when he introduced the “never ever” GST.

Upriver Bill
Northern Rivers

Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents. Email ncvguestpeak at gmail dot com to submit comment for consideration.

No wonder the Americans are annoyed with Pakistan

When a U.S. combat team entered Pakistan and assassinated Osama bin Laden, the long-held suspicion that the Al Qaeda leader had been hiding in that country was confirmed.

After having given literally billions to the Pakistan Government to fight terrorism (and with millions unaccounted for) it must have been galling for the Obama Administration to suspect that members of either this government or its military knew where he was all along.

All that money goes some way to explaining America’s sense of entitlement when it unlawfully breached Pakistan sovereignty and lessens the impact of Pakistan’s outrage.

From Wikileaks Cablegate a U.S. diplomatic cable dated 14 December 2007 and originally sent from a building approximately 49kms from Abbottabad:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 005266 SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2017 TAGS: PINR PK PREL PTERSUBJECT: PAKISTAN: FIXING COALITION SUPPORT FUNDING REF: A. ISLAMABAD 4817 ¶B. ISLAMABAD 4369 Classified By: Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request, see Para 12. ¶2. (C)

SUMMARY. Since 2002, the USG has reimbursed Pakistan over 5.3 billion USD for support to U.S. operations using Coalition Support Funds (CSF). When pending claims are processed, that figure will likely exceed 5.6 billion USD. The CSF authorizing legislation was written soon after 9/11; six years down the road, we need Pakistan to more vigorously engage in the war on terror, but CSF is not working the way it should. CSF is not reaching those parts of the GoP that are shouldering the load in GWOT operations. Two clear examples of the problem are helicopter readiness and medical support to the Frontier Corps. The readiness of Pakistan's helicopter fleet is poor. Despite giving the GoP 55 USD million for helicopter operations over seven months, only 2 to 6 Pakistani Cobras are fully mission capable at a time they desperately need air power to fight spreading militancy. Additionally, we have processed or will process reimbursement requests for 100 million USD over the year to support medical operations, but the Frontier Corps still does not receive basic medevac support. Another consequence of the current system is political. It fuels the internal argument that the USG is "paying" Pakistan to fight a U.S. war - this at a time when the Pakistanis need to accept the direct threat to their own security and sovereignty posed by al-Qaida, Taliban and extremist forces.

¶3. (C) Post has worked extensively with the GoP to increase GoP transparency and accountability. What we have discovered is that we are receiving reimbursement requests for barbed wire and air defense radar systems that have no or marginal impact on the GWOT. We recognize the legal and political sensitivities involved in developing a new approach, but the program, as it is currently being implemented, simply is not meeting U.S. or Pakistan counter-terrorism objectives. This message outlines several ways forward. In the meantime, DOD or CENTCOM should undertake an audit or program review of CSF. END SUMMARY. TARGETING CSF FUNDING TOWARD PAKISTAN AND U.S. STRATEGIC GOALS

¶4. (C) U.S. Public Law 109-289 (2206) authorizes CSF to reimburse Pakistan for logistical, military and other support provided to U.S. military operations. Under this authorization, the U.S. has reimbursed Pakistan 5.3 billion USD since 2002. When pending claims are processed, the total CSF reimbursement to Pakistan will exceed 5.6 billion USD. Pakistan receives nearly 90 percent of total CSF worldwide. While the December 8, 2003 guidance provided by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) on parameters for reimbursements is broad, there have been multiple instances in which Post is confident funds have been diverted and that reimbursed claims figures have been seriously inflated. A few examples: -- HELICOPTER READINESS. Pakistan received 55 million USD for helicopter operations from July 2006 to February 2007; however, Post estimates that as few as 3 Cobra Helicopters were fully mission capable as recently as 10 weeks ago. Post is confident Army Aviation Command never received the 55 million. -- MEDEVAC ASSISTANCE TO FRONTIER CORPS. The Pakistan Army claimed 99 million USD over past 12 months for medical operations and the U.S. has paid or is in process of paying all/all submitted medical claims. Yet, despite providing this plus fully funding 235 million USD CSF lease assistance for 26 new Bell 412 helicopters, the Inspector General of the Frontier Corps has repeatedly requested U.S. assistance in providing assets for medevac, obviously unaware of the resources the U.S. has provided. --RADAR MAINTENANCE: Between August 2006 and July 2007, Pakistan submitted claims for almost 70 million USD in ADA Radar Maintenance, although there is no enemy air threat related to the war on terror. --BARBED WIRE: Between August 2006 and July 2007, we received a claim for 26 million USD in barbed wire and pickets. While these items are no doubt helpful in protecting outposts, the claim figures are highly suspect.

¶5. (C) Ambassador, the Office of Defense Representative and DOD officials have repeatedly raised CSF disbursement and other problems with the Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance and key military officials but have not received satisfactory responses. In fact, recent correspondence from Pakistan leadership argues for additional funding to support increased operations.

¶6. (C) CSF reimbursement funds go directly into Pakistan,s general treasury -- from there we have no visibility on their final destination or application. And we are not alone - based on our conversations with GoP officials, from President Musharraf down to the average Pakistani private, no one in Pakistan seems to have a clear grasp of the amount of US military reimbursement assistance actually provided.

¶7. (C) The CSF authorization legislation was drafted soon after 9/11. Six years down the road, we still need Pakistan to engage more vigorously in the fight against extremism, but it is clear we also need to do a better job of making sure our monies are targeted to meet our counter-terrorism objectives. POTENTIAL APPROACHES TO CSF REFORM

¶8. (C) Potential options to address CSF issues include the following: (1) Stop approving Pakistan's CSF reimbursement requests until we receive adequate assurances on disbursement; (2) Earmark CSF monies for specific areas: maintenance, support, etc.; (3) Create a CSF "trust fund" that would allow the USG to control reimbursement and to obligate some funds for specific needs; or (4) Convert CSF into a direct cash transfer program.

¶9. (C) Option 1 would lead to a major political clash and damage our military to military relationship, just as we have the potential for greater cooperation under Chief of Army Staff General Kayani's leadership. This would undermine the very purpose of CSF--to encourage the GoP to continue fighting militant extremism. The Taliban, al Qaida and Islamic extremists represent a clear and growing danger to U.S. and Pakistani security and to regional stability. As allies with forces in the region, we have a responsibility to strengthen and focus our assistance to improve their security forces' capabilities.

¶10. (C) We understand DOD has determined Options 2, 3 and 4 would require asking Congress to amend the authorizing legislation. Post could attempt to persuade Pakistan to concur with establishment of some form of "trust" mechanism - pointing out the alternative may be a severe reduction or loss of funding if Congress continues to see insufficient transparency and accountability. In any event, a new approach is urgently required. We believe some variation of Options 3 and 4, which allow the USG to earmark at least some CSF monies for those Pakistani military elements of vital interest to us (helicopters, special forces and Frontier Corps), is the most logical and efficient approach. CSF AUDIT/PROGRAM REVIEW

¶11. (C) Post repeats that we do not have visibility over the destination of CSF funds. Accordingly, Post would welcome an audit or program review of the CSF process by CENTCOM or by DOD. ACTION REQUEST

¶12. (C) Action Request: Post would appreciate a front-channel response to the options proposed in para 8 and the proposal for an audit/review. PATTERSON

Road testing Australia's healthcare professionals

Whitecoat Launching late June 2011

"nib are developing a new online service called Whitecoat. It lets you find and compare healthcare specialists in your local area. There are nib customer reviews, and ratings for service and value. Whitecoat will feature over 250,000 healthcare specialists including dentists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, osteopaths, remedial massage therapists, acupuncturists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, nutritionists, naturopaths, herbalists, homeopathists, myotherapists and bowen therapists. Whitecoat is particularly useful for people who have moved to a new area, need treatment for a specialist service for the first time or just want to check out their own healthcare specialist on Whitecoat. So if you need a dentist, physio, chiro or remedial massage therapist who's been road-tested, go to whitecoat.com.au It's powered by nib for all Australians.”

This may get interesting – an insurance company about to publish a league table of Australian healthcare professionals and the Federal Health Minister along with heathcare workers are not amused. Apparently it’s OK for them to access data concerning consumers but consumers are not expected to return the compliment.

"Say Yes Australia" Week May 30 - June 5 Second carbon price television advertisement launched tonight (video)

http://www.youtube.com/user/SayYesAustralia
http://www.sayyesaustralia.org.au/
http://twitter.com/#!/SayYesAustralia
Blanchett fronts carbon tax campaign

Quote of the week

 

“If Reuters is the best newswire, then Twitter is Reuters on acid, crack and cocaine”

Neal Mann quoted on news: rewired 27 May 2011