On how not to win friends and influence people as a first-term MP

In The Daily Examiner on 30th^th June 2012:

“Yesterday the Department of Corrective Services announced a savage restructure of the Grafton Jail which would strip all but 60 beds from the 240-bed facility…..

However, Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has defended the decision and blamed the previous Labor Government for allowing the jail to reach such a low point.

Mr Gulaptis yesterday described the jail as a time bomb waiting to go off, harbouring a culture of bullying and harassment among staff and inmates.

He claimed a confidential report into the prison said there were 11 staff who should have been disciplined for bullying and harassing inmates and other staff.”

The Daily Examiner letter to the editor 2nd July 2012:
Gulaptis lost plot
GEE, having a National Party MP in our electorate sure has helped, with 100 jobs gone from Corrective Services, a homeless service now missing from the lower Clarence area.
You really are on top of things Chris. What exactly have you done for the area?
The National Party is supposed to be in this with the Liberals, but all I can see is jobs leaving this area to go to an area held by a Liberal Party member in Cessnock.
Mr Gulaptis, what the hell are you made of?
Your party has gutted this valley and the commentary in The Daily Examiner on the front page Saturday was perfect and the picture was absolutely spot-on, except the creature pulling the heart out should have had Mr Gulaptis's face on it.
Are you going to take responsibility for your party killing this area? How much in income will now not be circulating around this valley thanks to your party?
This is going to have a large flow-on effect; the 100 jobs, Mr Gulaptis, will turn into 200 jobs in other related industries.
Already this job is proving far to much for you and you have let the citizens of Grafton down.
Bill Smith
South Grafton

A selection of online comments.....
By JASMITH from Grafton,

Just what we needed to read in the paper today, that our esteemed Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis calls your husband and dad a Bully. It was a tough enough day for the 100 workers without insults and name calling......WHO'S THE BULLY???????????

By EmmaB from Yamba,

On the front page today’s issue of The Daily Examiner. Is that National Party MP for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, depicted with a bloodied hand holding aloft the bleeding heart just ripped out of Grafton's chest? Looks suspiciously like.....

By Fedup from Junction Hill,

I am left wondering. Why punish all the staff including civilian staff for the abhorrent behaviour of the few ? Why were these 11 people dealt with by the senior managers of the prison system? OR was there another agenda here!!!!!! To all those affected I wish you all the best for the future.

As for The Honourable Member Mr Gulaptis do not come to my door seeking endorsement for the next election especially after your comments. Instead of blaming the former government who by the way did not have a sitting member here look to your own backyard. When all the dust settles would the last person leaving Grafton please turn off the light because the ripple effect of this act of bastardry will echo through this city for years to come.

By willbewatching from Grafton,

This is a horrendous result for Grafton. Economically this will hit hard, talk about time bombs, the effect on the local economy is now the ticking time bomb. I wonder how many residents are here because of the Gaol. I am, my family moved here when I was young because my father transferred to Grafton Gaol and we all stayed. To use the culture at the place as a reason to close is a smoke screen, surely a change at the top, some targeted transfers, and an education process would fix the culture, but no the easy fix is to close the thing. This closure is about money pure and simple, saving money to build a new entertainment centre in Sydney among many other really important things. Well I would expect that not many from here will be going to the new entertainment centre, they will be busy trying to keep their businesses afloat.

By UrsulaTunks from Grafton,

I agree pwalsh. I think our new State Member is probably wondering what the hell he bought into when he took the decision to seek pre selection and ultimately election to the state seat! I don't give a rats bottom about how the situation was allowed to develop, I care about the impact on our community of this decision. Has the government any plan as to how to compensate our community for this action? Will they relocate another department here to fill the massive loss to our local economy as a result of this decision? Or are they just happy to keep us debilitated and as powerless as possible so they can rape and pillage the area for the CSG needed in their electorates in the cities? The electorate of Clarence has been gutted by a government that we were promised would finally give us a voice and some opportunity. Shame of Basil O'Fullivit and his factionally driven power hungry minions.

Australians are expected to gain 15 million kilos of body fat this winter...

 

…let me introduce you to my adipose quota.

 

Photo found at Google Images

Well what did he expect of a party under the leadership of the likes of Tony Abbott?

“This looks like a Stalinist operation really where everyone gets up and hails the party leader.”

{Clive Palmer on ABC News AM 3oth June 2012}

It's past the July 1 witching hour and Whyalla still lives!

Whyalla webcams as the midnight hour comes and passes without life in this steel town being extinguished by the 1 July 2012 introduction of a national price on carbon.

Click in images to enlarge

Update:

Post-Armageddon x 8 Hours 22 minutes and the sun is out in Whyalla!

Fairfax Manoeuvrings: Whose over-inflated sense of entitlement is operating here?

According to that Clayton’s journalist Andrew Bolt; THE hysteria over billionaire Gina Rinehart is not just funny. Have you ever seen so many hypocrites, wasters and self-servers pretending to be principled?.... We hear instead a lot of people with an outsized sense of entitlement, presuming a right to have property they do not own be run to suit them and their interests.

A statement which makes me wonder whose sense of entitlement has led to Ms. Rinehart’s demand for three board seats and a degree of editorial control.

It would seem that her personal sense of entitlement is based on the immense wealth she garners from family mining interests which makes her the country’s richest person.

However, it is less clear what she actually contributes to either the common good or national life.

According to Australian Tax Office Taxation Statistics 2009-10 there were 5,395 individuals, 4,285 companies, 518 partnerships and 931 trusts involved in the mining industry.

The mining industry had a combined tax liability in that financial year of a mere $4,168 million on a total assessable income of $139,593 million. Companies in this sector represented 6.3 per cent of the tax liabilities of all corporations operating in Australia.

To put that into perspective, in 2009-10 manufacturing companies had a tax liability of $23,235 million on a total assessable income of $265,687 million. Companies in this sector represented 12 per cent of the tax liabilities of all corporations operating in Australia.

Even our Northern Rivers retailers belong to a national industry group which has a taxation burden which is more than double that of the mining sector.

Finally, in the 2009-10 financial year 3,138 out of the 4,285 companies in the mining industry paid no tax at all.

So the mining industry remains the national industry sector with the highest percentage of tax exempt companies. A feat it manages due to the high number of tax deductions, rebates, concessions, exemptions, offsets etc. available to mining interests – including tax deductions available on any state royalties payable.

Whilst, as ever, the vast majority of taxation being paid to the Commonwealth still comes from the pockets of salary and wage earners.

Well B*gger Me Dead! It's the 1st of July 2012 and the sky hasn't fallen

The sun rose this morning to the melodic sound of a Northern Rivers dawn chorus, so I’m dedicating this to Tony Chicken Little Abbott who told me my world would end when the Australian Government put a price on carbon and introduced a mineral resource tax today.

This one’s for you mate!

http://youtu.be/-iYBIsLFbKo

Thanks to Clarencegirl for help with posting probs on this one!

Nationals' Kevin Hogan to have second tilt at Labor's Janelle Saffin at next federal election

A Twitter entry today appears to indicate that the NSW North Coast Nationals are so sure the Page electorate is in their pocket that they are again willing to run Kevin Hogan against sitting Labor MP Janelle Saffin.

Because he was so forgettable last time he stood for election and has never taken any interest in the electorate since then, many local voters may find they have little memory of him.

So here is a short reprise:

After getting Federal Nationals pre-selection unopposed in 2009 Kevin Hogan took keeping a low profile to ridiculous length.

This is about as good as it got when it came to his on a steep learning curve campaigning.

Hogan was (and probably still is) in denial about an ongoing Coalition commitment to dam and divert certain North Coast rivers.

He supports the coal seam gas industry and particularly Metgasgo, whose operations in the Casino district have led to fines concerning water management documentation and orders for improperly disposing of contaminated wastewater and for badly constructed ‘holding’ ponds.

Hogan allowed his National Party supporters free rein to post abusive and sexist remarks on his Facebook campaign page.

Like his fearless leaders, he appears to consider the truth to be a highly flexible commodity and even makes false claims about his election campaign giveaways.

During the 2010 federal election campaign, Hogan accepted ‘help’ from a paid staffer of a sitting NSW Nationals MP – then denied all knowledge when this breach of the rules became known.

Was so cavalier about election campaign rules and conventions that he thumbed his nose both online and in print.

Sexism: It's a European Commission thing!

http://youtu.be/g032MPrSjFA

"speak their language to get their attention"

Taking my breath away

Yamba food store launches Red Granny Smith Apples

Yamba, the Number 1 town in Australia, can lay claim to yet another first.

One of its food stores advertised in a free local newspaper this week that it has Granny Smith apples on special. But, wait for it ... the apples are very special ... they're red Granny Smiths. At just 99 cents a kg they have to be the steal of the week.

Has Clive really decided to go for Tony's jugular or is it a political feint?

ABC Radio on the 27^th June 2012:

"If a person decides they want to be a lobbyist they shouldn't be head of a political party or on the executive of a political party which could influence government policy," he says.

He says he is raising the issue as a representative of the Queensland LNP.

"This was raised at the state council of the LNP and it was passed," says the mining boss.

Clive Palmer says he was surprised by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's reaction to the idea.

"I was puzzled that anyone could be so violently opposed to transparency in government," says Clive Palmer.

“I was shocked by it," he says.”

Anyone else catch a whiff of week-old mullet?

Just as Tones Teh Terrible comes a little closer to hard questions about the level of his own involvement in what looks more and more like a conspiracy to bring down the Independent Speaker of the House of Reps, up jumps mining magnate Clive with a private confrontation concerning paid lobbyists he's happy to talk to the media about.

Yeah, pull the other one fellas.

While divisive politics are played at a national level, a humanitarian perspective finds local expression

REFUGEE ISLAND

What a difference an "E" makes
crossing from Yamba Bay to the far side of Yamba Road,
Yamba on Friday night 29 June 2012

A hat tip to Clarrie Rivers' sharp eye

Coal Seam Gas Mining: "The NSW Government intends to allow widespread use of wastewater 'holding ponds' across NSW and the Northern Rivers"

Clarence Valley Conservation Coalition 24 June 2012:

Last year in July the NSW Government banned construction of CSG evaporation ponds in response to community concerns about the danger of overflows and leakage of toxic chemicals from these structures.

In response to the Casino protest, NSW Minister for Resources and Energy, Chris Hartcher, stated on 21 June that the government had not approved any evaporation ponds since its July 2011 ban, and that the Metgasco pond was a "holding pond" approved by Richmond Valley Council.

Boudicca Cerese, spokesperson for Lock the Gate Northern Rivers, said, "The Minister tried to split hairs about the difference between an evaporation pond and a holding pond, but no-one is buying it - a toxic pond is a toxic pond and we don't want them.

"Management of coal seam gas wastewater in the region is a ticking time bomb that represents a real risk to our floodplains, waterways and farmland.
"It is clear from the Ministers' statement … that the NSW Government intends to allow widespread use of wastewater 'holding ponds' across NSW and the Northern Rivers."

The protesters have announced that they intend to continue their action against Metgasco's "holding pond".

The Northern Star on the subject of holding ponds.

23 June 2012:

THE State Government has found coal seam gas company Metgasco did not provide adequate freeboard in its wastewater holding ponds and has directed the company to draw down the levels.

"Freeboard" refers to the allowance between the top of the water in a pond and the point at which water would overflow.

On June 18 the government directed the company draw down the levels to accommodate "more than a one in 100 year rainfall event".

The finding comes on the back of breaches of the company's petroleum exploration licenses (PEL) revealed by the Northern Star last week.

In those cases in May the company was fined $5000 for failing to provide information about its wastewater disposal plans.

It was also directed to report water quality and management details.

The latest direction related to PEL16 which covers Casino and includes Shannon Brook where protesters have begun a vigil at a pond under construction.

They provided the Northern Star with video footage showing water lapping the edge of a pond.

"If the ponds at Shannon Brook, which is very low flat country, were to overflow or leak you have a situation where salty polluted water could potentially disperse across a large part of the landscape onto prime cropping and pasture lands and eventually into sensitive wetland areas in the Ellangowan area," Boudicca Cerese of Lock the Gate Northern Rivers said.

"The latest breaches really highlight the fact that across the board, Metgasco's wastewater management is a complete debacle.

25 June 2012:

PROTESTERS are continuing to stop the construction of a CSG wastewater holding pond at Shannon Brook near Casino through an ongoing blockade.

As many as 30 protesters held the line at the weekend by blocking the entrance to the site.

A call has been put out to help maintain a vigil to prevent any further works and protesters say they have no plans to leave any time soon.

The activists say a Metgasco ute was seen arriving at the site about 6.40am yesterday, stopping about 100m from the protesters before turning and driving away.

Spokesman for the Richmond Valley Group Against Gas Dean Draper said there had been a groundswell of support for the blockade.

"We want to make sure we respect the farmers and keep this place operating as a farming area, so we are asking people to book with us if they want to come down," said Mr Draper.

26 June 2012:

METGASCO did not tell a parliamentary inquiry the company was disposing of coal seam gas wastewater at the Casino sewage treatment plant.
The Northern Star on June 13, revealed the company disposed of more than 1.3 million litres at the plant in the 10 months to March......
But Metgasco chief operating officer Michael O'Brien made no mention of the disposal when giving evidence to the NSW Government inquiry into coal seam gas on December 8.
Under questioning from Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham, Mr O'Brien explained the company disposed of water in "above-ground holding ponds".
"The only way you deal with produced water and drilling fluids is to hold them in these ponds?" Mr Buckingham asked.
Mr O'Brien responded: "Currently, for our production pilots, that is the case, but when we go into production we will look for a beneficial use for the water."

* Photograph of protester chained to mining equipment from Lock The Gate.

Geoff Provest tells a monumental political whopper about Barry O'Robba's plan to fleece the poor

My Daily News on  20^th June 2012:

"The Federal Labor Government is delivering a boost for pensioners to help them make ends meet, but Barry O'Farrell just wants take a slice of it for himself.

"It's greedy, it's grubby and it's wrong."

Mr Provest, a Nationals MP, has rejected the claims.

"Residents of public housing pay around 25% of their income on their rent and that is not going to change," Mr Provest said.

"In fact, because we know residents are going to do it tough under the Gillard/Elliot carbon tax, the lump sum carbon tax compensation payments have not been counted as income for rent purposes.”

This is what the NSW Minister for Family and Community Services Minister for Women Pru Goward said on the 14^th June in a press release:

“from March 2013 regular fortnightly carbon tax payments will be taken into account for the purposes of calculating heavily subsidised social housing rents.”

What makes it worse is that community housing tenants (who already pay more than 25% of their pension or benefits to their landlords) will also be fleeced of one quarter of the Commonwealth carbon price compensation – and community housing companies are probably the biggest social housing landlords on the NSW North Coast.
Provest has made a monumental fool of himself and shown the Nats up for the unrepentant liars that they are.

Janelle joins Yamba for a little Midnight Sports Finals action

Janelle joins Yamba Midnight Sports finals action

FEDERAL Member for Page Janelle Saffin will be cheering from the sidelines tomorrow night (Friday, June 29) when more than 20 young people from the Lower Clarence complete the inaugural Yamba Midnight Sports tournament at Yamba’s Raymond Laurie Centre.

Ms Saffin said she was looking forward to finding out from local youth, aged 12 to 18, what they thought about the seven-week program, modelled on a successful Midnight Basketball tournament held in Grafton recently.

“Both of these tournaments were partly funded under a $40,000 Safer Suburbs Program grant which I secured for Clarence Valley Council at the last election, and I am keen to see how this is benefiting young people locally,” she said.

“This free program each week has been offering a healthy team dinner followed by structured workshops on mural art, drumming and building self-esteem, and games of basketball and futsal.

“I’d like to commend the young athletes and hip hop artists from the Grafton area for making the bus trip north to help youth workers and volunteers with the workshops and sport. I’d also like to encourage families and members of the public to come along and watch the finals from 9.30pm.”

Tomorrow night’s workshop will involve two teams reviewing the tournament, which has been managed by former Grafton Vikings stalwart player Shane Brotherson.

Janelle will present the awards and certificates at the end of the night, along with Clarence Valley Councillor Sue Hughes, who will be representing Yamba Midnight Sports Committee Chair and Deputy Mayor Cr Craig Howe.

Yamba Midnight Sports is an Australian Government initiative, which is being partly funded by Clarence Valley Council and supported by the Yamba and Maclean Chambers of Commerce.

Other community supporters include Youth Directions Inc, CHESS Yamba, Maclean Community Health, Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation, New School of Arts Community Centre-Street Cruise, Clarence Community Transport, Volunteering Clarence Valley, Raymond Laurie Sports Centre, Maclean High School, Yamba Rotary Club, Smokos Snack Bar, Juvenile Justice, and CRANES Community Support Programs.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Myths and facts about the NT Intervention from an indigenous perspective

From Stop The NT Intervention:

·        
* Yuendumu statement to Jenny Macklin signed by 236 people in 24 hours:

"We don't want this intervention! Children are worse off under this legislation... This is our land. We want the Government to give it back to us. We want the Government to stop blackmailing us. We want houses, but we will not sign any leases over our land, because we want to keep control of our country, our houses, and our property".

·        
* It costs tax-payers $7000 per person to administer the welfare quarantine (according to HREOC) which has seen people going hungry trying to access the most meagre Centrelink payments.

·        
* Three years after this “emergency” response there have hardly been any improvements in the situation.

The available statistics show that

-       the child malnutrition rate has increased

-       the unemployment rate has increased

-       the program to build new houses (SIHIP) has only delivered very few houses so far

-       school enrolments and attendance have basically not changed despite efforts to increase school attendance

-       Income management did not result in buying more fresh food and vegetables

Something fishy about a Clarence River virgin

Come in spinner and fall for this one hook, line and sinker.

Trawling around the net produced this interesting chat line that had quite a few fishos engaged.

First fisho, Crash71, said, "Heading down to Iluka in a couple of weeks and was wondering if anyone had any tips or pointers of where to start fishing. Never fished the area before but I have dreams of fishing the close in reefs from my tinny as well as chasing Jewies and Tailor from the wall, perhaps even a flathead or two in the river. So many hopes but no idea so hopefully someone can help me out with any knowledge they have of the area."

A number of fishos rose to the task.

1. kingcray:  "Always a feed of bream at Browns Rocks. Other than that fish the middle wall for flatties and jew. Should be plenty of blackfish along the walls."

2. theoldlegend: "Mosey on up to Browns Rocks, go past the green beacon for about 60 metres or so and sound around for the drop off. That should put you on to them. About 2 hours before the top and a couple of hours after the top should be the best times. Then there's always flatties on the Yamba side of Middle Wall at low. Try for jew on the Iluka side of Middle Wall towards the eastern end provided the tide's not roaring too much."

3. 095rat: "Good jew at high tide on full moon near the end of middle wall (Iluka side),used stinky old pillies I had intended to use as berley."

Crash71 was so appreciative of the advice offered: "Can't wait to talk to a local at the boat ramp or pub. I contacted Ben the owner of Dizzys Bait & Tackle at Iluka and he was sensational. I chewed his hear for 10 or 15 minutes about whats on at the moment and where a Clarence River virgin should start fishing. Can't wait to call in on arrival and continue our chat, I'm also very keen to support his shop as he has already provided good info & it seems only fair he profits from his knowledge.

"Both 'Kingcray & the Old legend were spot on regarding Browns Rocks. It appears the bream are schooling around there and the flathead (reportedly) are also being caught from the rocks and further upstream. Appreciate the advice, cheers."

So, now, we're all in the picture about where to drop a line. Tight lines, one and all.

Credit: Sourced from AusFish

Most unbelievable headline of the year

NSW gets tough on CSG industry

Updated: 14:35, Saturday June 23, 2012

Clarence Valley Council rips the green heart out of Maclean, the 'Scottish Town'

Maclean's small and unique central business district has once more fallen victim to the unelected triumvirate which governs the Clarence Valley Local Government Area, with more of its green heart ripped away to please the developer, IGA Metcash.

Despite the eloquent pleas of those councillors hailing from the 'Scottish Town', a majority at the 26 June 2012 Ordinary General Meeting voted to further reduce the size of Cameron Park - until it will resemble nothing more than a barren pocket handkerchief of sun damaged turf between so-called improvements jammed together willy-nilly (see Item: 13.080/12  below).

McLachlan Park which straddles the town's vital flood levee is also under threat to compensate for the original carpark land sold to IGA at an almost bargain basement price.

Once again Clarence Valley Council has broken faith with Lower Clarence residents and ratepayers.

Avid council watchers tell me that It is not hard to work out that this unelected triumvirate is possibly taking full advantage of nine shire councillors who have formed into dysfunctional cliques and, that on most matters it favours National Party political aspirant Mayor Richie Williamson's faction.

Item: 13.080/12 REPLACEMENT PARKING OPTIONS FOR MACLEAN CBD

….options to replace Maclean CBD public carparking lost due to the sale of 3,750m² of Centenary Carpark to Metcash for a supermarket development.

1. Cameron Park, Maclean

Plan A (attached) shows an arrangement whereby 15 additional 90º nose-in spaces can be provided by encroaching 6.0metres into Cameron Park green space. While acknowledging that this is contrary to Council's September 2011 resolution that Cameron Park green space be excluded from consideration, the space sought in this instance is approximately 230m² (out of total green space of approximately 5,500m²) and is located on that section of the Park having least public usage.

Plan A also indicates the provision of an additional thirteen 90º nose-in spaces immediately adjoining the swimming pool. This would require the relocation of the three long-vehicle spaces currently at this spot, and it is proposed to relocate those to the northern side of Argyle Street, shown on Plan B.

2. McLachlan Park

A concept plan prepared by the Maclean Chamber of Commerce for the upgrade of McLachlan Park incorporates 45º nose-in parking. Council staff have refined that plan to provide 16 additional spaces (29 new – 13 existing), including 3 in the carpark beside Spar following demolition of the existing toilet block (refer Plan C)……

3.5 Cameron Park

Remove 7-9 trees and excavate topsoil from 6 metre wide strip, construct carpark and line mark for 15 spaces; construct carpark adjacent to pool and line mark for 13 spaces. In conjunction with those works, the remainder of Cameron Park should be upgraded including new toilets, improved playground, additional seating and BBQ shelters. An improvements plan will need to be prepared and all works could be funded from the proceeds of the supermarket site sale.

3.6 McLachlan Park

The preliminary concept plan suggests the following works:

 Remove 5 Camphor Laurel trees

 Remove existing footpath and excavate 2-3 metres into park.

 Underground power along park frontage as required.

 Construct retaining wall along edge of excavation, designed to protect the integrity of the levee.

 Relocate the bus bay approximately 30 metres to the north.….

The total number of replacement spaces is now 86, leaving a shortfall of 23 spaces.

Mapping here.

Before Clarence Valley Council moves further with this park theft, local people might like to write or email councillors (details here) and tell them just how 'thrilled' they are at the prospect of losing more of Maclean's public, passive green space.

Carbon Pricing: If any of these businesses put up their retail prices between July 2012 and December 2013 by more than 0.01% to 0.05% on any item they will probably be fleecing their customers

Tony Abbott and Federal Coalition MPs encourage the butcher, baker and candlestick maker to put up their prices after 1 July 2012. Knowing that, in most cases, it would be difficult to justify any price increase above one cent per food or beverage item over the next eighteen months.

A big thankyou to journalist Latkia Bourke for uploading these letters and accompanying posters to Scribd.

See Bakers

Are you a right-thinking Australian? Nationals start a 'Get Rid Of Rob' campaign

 

Are the NSW North Coast Nationals and their federal counterparts on the money, or paranoid and desperate? You be the judge……………

Get Rid Of Rob

Election campaigns aren’t cheap and we need your support to help get rid of Rob.

All money raised through this site will go directly towards supporting The Nationals’ campaign in the seat of Lyne.

Please click on the amount you wish to donate (an estimate of what assistance that support could provide is listed) or choose your own amount.

All right-thinking Australians thank you for your support.

Contributions	Estimated Expense Equivalent
$16.00	Campaign T-Shirt for a volunteer
$35.00	5 pack of corflute signs to erect around the electorate
$69.00	30 second radio ad on 2MC highlighting Rob Oakeshott's betrayal of the community
$100.00	1000 how to vote cards, showing people how to Get rid of Rob.
$400.00	Small newspaper ad in The Manning River Times about stopping the carbon tax
$750.00	Medium newspaper ad in The Port News detailing The Nationals' plan for Lyne
$1325.00	Production of 2000 "Get rid of Rob" Bumper Stickers
$2500.00	One month's rent for the "Get rid of Rob" Campaign Office
	Donate Your own donation amount

* Every cent donated will go towards helping The Nationals get rid of Rob

 

What Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pyne doesn't want canvassed in the Australian House of Representatives

Online file - Ashby v Commonwealth of Australia NSD 580 of 2012

In view of the high number of media requests for file access in this matter, the Court has established an online file on to which publicly accessible material has been placed and will be placed in the future. Consistent with Rule 2.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 restricted documents, such as affidavits and exhibits, only become public once admitted into evidence and approved by the Judge.

Material will be added here as it becomes available.  

Three excerpts from one court document now publicly available:

Ashby: Hmmm interesting. I had no idea of that rule... I bet the likes of Jacki and Bruce McIver have some influence. Jacki is definitely a key player in the party these days. To arrange a lawyer for $1 of that caliber is a big thing in my mind.

Doane: Agreed. It is also due to the barrister's ties to the LNP and the way this will tip the govt to Mal's and the LNP's advantage. Definitely a good move for us to meet with him so he gets to know us other than w the black mark from being w Peter!!

Doane: The email for Mal doesn't seem to work. I have: Mal.brough1@bigpond.com . Do you have something different?

Ashby: Whoops it's Mal.brough2@bigpond.com sorry bout that. My fault.

Doane: I want to balance your harassment charge with one of my own. He is demeaning, aggressive and w his bcc's unprofessional at the very least. However I don't want to diminish your claim in any way. As you said last night, both claims may strengthen the case. I might look for a lawyer myself if we don't have contact soon.

Ashby: Yeah I will contact Mal again today. Failing that I will make contact with someone myself as well.

Update

The Australian 27 June 2012:

LNP president Bruce McIver has conceded that Howard government minister Mal Brough approached him, and possibly party donor and mining magnate Clive Palmer, searching for a job for a Slipper staffer, believed to be Karen Doane, who in April proposed launching a harassment case against the Speaker.

The Queanbeyan Age 27 June 2012:

NEWS Limited and one of its journalists were involved in an elaborate plot to bring down parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper, according to documents filed with the Federal Court.
The documents expose private communication between News political correspondent Steve Lewis and Mr Slipper's former staff member James Ashby, including one in which Lewis says: ''We will get him.''
The documents also reveal that News - the Australian arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire - paid for Mr Ashby to stay in a Sydney hotel and meet Lewis on April 10 this year. In one text, the reporter told Mr Ashby: ''I will sort out payment'', and: ''Just tell hotel to book u in again and News will sort''.

Response of some Yamba residents to Clarence Valley Council Deputy Manager's statement - ROFLOL

 

Clarence Valley Council deputy general manager Rob Donges said council already spends a fair amount of money and time trying to ensure footpaths and other well-used public spaces are safe for residents. [The Daily Examiner,Skateboarders a 'danger': Elderly man wants them off the footpaths,25 June 2012]

Borsak baulked

The Leader of the NSW Shooters & Fishers Party Robert Borsak has been caught out trying to slip clauses into legislation before the NSW Parliament allowing unsupervised amateur hunters the right to bear semi-automatic weapons.

So subservient is Barry O’Farrell to this man that it wasn’t until The Greens, the National Coalition for Gun Control and some journalists blew the whistle that he was forced to backtrack and remove some of these ‘rights’ in relation to weapons.

Fellow Shooters & Fishers Party MLC Robert Brown was so incensed with this turn of events that at the first opportunity he said this to a Greens MLC in Parliament on 20 June 2012 Unfortunately, we are in a modern era so I cannot take you outside and beat you to death.

It is not yet clear if the NSW Game Council gains the right to pressure local councils and catchment management authorities to cease feral animal control on their lands so that these same gun-happy hunters can blast away to their hearts content – everywhere from national parks though to local tips - in the GAME AND FERAL ANIMAL CONTROL AMENDMENT BILL which finally passed the Upper House on 21 June 2012.

Now who on earth told a local journo that?

“LOCAL Federal member Luke Hartsuyker tabled the concerns of Cowper constituents during Thursday's House of Representatives sitting in Canberra.”
Now who on earth told The Coffs Coast Advocate journo that?
What actually happened was that Hartsuyker got to his feet and made a speech unsupported by any piece of paper outlining Cowper voter’s concerns – absolutely nothing was “tabled”.
In fact his speech contained the same old dodgy claims about a Coffs Harbour butcher’s power bills he’s been trotting out since 2010.

Dirtgirl helps launch Clarence Valley Council's innovative waste management strategy

It was a bright sunny morning at Yamba Markets on Sunday 24 June, when Dirtgirl came to lend a hand at the launch of Clarence Valley Council’s new waste management strategy.

Dirtgirl has agreed to be the council’s waste ambassador and she had youngsters enthralled as she sang and danced about loving food, hating waste and the fun of recycling.

Dirtgirl being greeted by Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson

Doing her thing

Wowing the kids

Faces in the crowd

Le cuisinier en chef, Pierre

Peter Ellem representing Page MP Janelle Saffin
& Cr. Sue Hughes from Clarence Valley Council
at the highly successful launch

A cry from one Aussie heart.................

Who will rid me of this smug, privileged, paternalistic, misogynistic, devious, ex-seminarian, closet fascista, brains-in-his-gonads and just plain politically stupid, Federal Member for Warringah?   

http://youtu.be/12PN66IBoPs


http://youtu.be/Tc5ljcri6Nk


http://youtu.be/ZvYzLIywCiA


http://youtu.be/GLAu2aY5UgY


http://youtu.be/pJTX0iWYX9A

When NSW Government funding decisions cost lives

This article by Jessica Grewall in The Daily Examiner on 18 June 2012 deserves a gold star:

Playing with people's lives

IT WAS 7am, the platform was wet and slippery and when the doors to my first western suburbs Sydney train opened, the only free seat was covered in spilled coffee.
The two women standing nearby warned me we were in for track work delays so I opened the morning paper, took a deep breath and thought "life in the big city could take some getting used to".
It was 4pm that day, in a different part of the state, when a car travelling along a wet and slippery stretch of the Pacific Hwy north of Coffs Harbour, spun out of control and changed the lives of the family inside forever.
As I cursed the hour-long train trip home, a 10-month-old baby boy was pulled from the highway wreck and flown to hospital in a critical condition.
While I was enjoying a night out with friends the next night, that little boy died.
It would be ridiculous to compare the frustration I had felt getting to work late on that cold autumn morning with unimaginable grief those parents live with every day.
And yet, the politicians in this country who have the power to dramatically reduce the possibility of other parents facing the same horror, have decided taxpayers' money is better spent making my trip to work that little bit more comfortable.
The Coalition's cry that they did not have the funds to match the Federal Government's offer to fund half of the Pacific Highway duplication is disgraceful.
What about the $5.5billion set aside in this week's NSW Budget for Sydney's transport network?
The people using public transport in Sydney are not dying from sitting in overcrowded or slow trains.
Waiting another four years won't kill them.
It could kill Sydney votes though and the majority of people living along the most deadly road stretch in Northern NSW live in cosy National seats.
In the lead-up to last week's budget, "honour" was a word which was thrown around freely by State and Federal MP's.
Both governments called on each other to "honour" election promises and funding split agreements.
There is nothing honourable about playing with people's lives.
The only way to honour the families of those whose deaths could have been avoided is for the people who have failed them to fix the damned road.