Wednesday 11 July 2012
Robertson at the Grafton Gaol picket line 10-11 July 2012
Q: Why didn't the snake bite Chris Gulaptis MP?
South Korea to join Japan in needlessly slaughtering whales - have your say
Thank you very much.
If you wish to register an objection to South Korea’s intention to commence commercial whaling under the guise of ‘scientific research’, this is the person to write to in Australia.
His Excellency Cho Tae-yong
The truth about hunting in NSW National Parks?
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Staff at Grafton Gaol say thank you to Clarence Valley community
Thank you
ON behalf of all the staff at Grafton Jail, our wives and husbands, partners, children and grandchildren we would like to thank some people instrumental in getting us where we are now.
Richard Williamson, Mayor of Grafton; Greg Hayes and his staff from Shoppingworld for supplying us with a table and the use of their photocopier - nothing was too much trouble; Jeremy Challacombe from the Chamber of Commerce; all the shop owners who had petitions in their shops and assisted us in collecting signatures; Ron Bell from the radio station for his assistance with radio announcements; Shirley and John Adams for their support in getting petitions signed at Shoppingworld; our union representatives, who have given us the drive to continue with our quest.
We would like to make a special mention of Tony King from Clarence Valley Unions for his unsurpassed efforts and organisational skills.
Without him, we would not have had a chance of organising this rally, and especially for his generosity in introducing our union representatives to the Grafton community.
Most of all, we would like to thank the people of the Clarence Valley.
We have been overwhelmed by their generous support.
We could not imagine working, or living anywhere else, because of the way the community has rallied for us.
You should all give yourselves a pat on the back and be proud of your efforts.
The staff of Grafton Jail is so proud to be part of Clarence Valley community. Thank you.
Staff of Grafton Jail
Tony Abbot under the influence of one of his many political delusions
Another ill-informed voter who listened to Abbott & Co?
“A CEMETERY has admitted it was a mistake to blame the carbon tax for an increase in the price of a burial plot.
A receptionist at Springvale Cemetery in Melbourne's eastern suburbs reportedly told the Maliki family last week that a $55 charge would apply to a family burial because "even the dead don't escape the carbon tax".
The Opposition and some funeral industry figures have previously suggested cremation prices would rise due to the carbon tax, a claim refuted by the Gillard government.
The communications manager of Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, which administers Springvale Cemetery, told The Australian Online the suggestion to the Maliki family was a mistake.
"It absolutely was in error," Rebecca Atkins said. "Internally, we're going to have to find out who made that comment.
"There is no price increase due to the carbon tax. Our fees go up every year on 1 July and that's in line with CPI and they have done for 30-odd years.
"It's just the timing, I guess. That's where the confusion lies."
Monday 9 July 2012
Strawweight Gulaptiz as useful as pockets in a singlet
IF, the Nationals have the temerity to ever again nominate a candidate in Clarence they should at least ensure that person has graduated and is no longer on trainer wheels.
It's all very well and good for Gulaptiz to join the picket line at Grafton Jail, although party line dancing seems to be a format he's more acquainted with, and jump up and down telling anyone who'll listen to him about how "disappointed" he is with the Government and Premier about their refusal to budge.
But, at the end of the day, Gulaptiz is absolutely useless.
End of story!
Greg Hunt is in error, is in error, is in error.................
On 29 June 2012 ABC online published what appears to have been a media release from Coalition spokesperson for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage, Greg Hunt.
In this release Mr. Hunt specifically named two companies and one industry as included in the listed 294 big polluters directly paying a carbon ‘tax’ from 1 July 2012.
Intrigued by these claims, I went looking for the proof.
This following is what one of the named companies, Mackay Sugar Pty Ltd, has told government, shareholders and the Australian Stock Exchange over the years.
Mackay Sugar on average produces about 850,000 tonnes of raw sugar. The company sells primarily to Sugar Australia (for its Racecourse sugar mill) with any excess sugar product being exported. It also produces 180,000 tonnes of the by-product molasses annually which is mostly sold on the domestic market.
The company has also diversified into electricity production from cane by-product. It is currently expanding its renewable energy investment by constructing a 36MW renewable electricity plant at the Racecourse site which will supply about 30% of the Mackay district’s growing electricity needs. As a renewable energy generator/user, the impact of the carbon price on Mackay Sugar’s milling operations will be managed.
In other words, it is highly likely that Mackay Sugar (although listed as a liable entity) will have little or no exposure to direct payment for its greenhouse gas emissions and, therefore there should be a correspondingly small risk that the sugar Clarence Valley shoppers pick up from local supermarket shelves will contain a price increase attributable to Mackay Sugar’s Clean Energy liabilities in 2012-13.
Mr. Hunt also mentioned that Kraft Australia Holdings Pty Ltd (of Vegemite fame) will be raising prices because it is one of those identified big polluters. Unfortunately for Mr. Hunt this multinational company is not on the Federal Government list of liable entities for this financial year. So one has to suspect that he has been taken in by the multinational's lobbying in the media for grant monies/tax relief.
Finally, Mr. Hunt included an entire Australian industry as one of these big polluters liable to directly pay for its carbon emissions. Again, he is on shaky ground because neither dairy farmers nor dairy manufacturers are liable entities this year according to both the Federal Government and the Australian Dairy Industry Council Inc.
He also neglected to mention that corporations and local governments can stay off the list of liable entities by altering production/ business practices and/or switching to higher levels of renewable energy use through co-generation/biomass schemes and the like.
Any price increases on electricity or groceries due to carbon pricing will be directly attributable to lazy companies, that failing to address their own greenhouse gas emissions, expect their wholesale/retail customers to subsidise this folly though those very same increases being passed on to local consumers of the final product in the supply chain.
I’m sure Greg Hunt is well aware of all these points and has taken advantage of the gullibility of hard-pressed mainstream editors to create a little political mischief.
Well, b*gger me dead 2
Teh Mad Monk manages to show off his ar$e and his tonsure at the same time
Since this little bit of grandstanding, Abbott has taken to cultivating a discreet comb over to reduce the size of his bare paddock and, was that the beginnings of sideburns I saw him sporting yesterday or just a bad ABC makeup job?
Sunday 8 July 2012
Grafton Gaol Picket Line - 8 July 2012 Update
Below are some of these long haulers.
It is understood that, earlier in the night, a local tow truck (called by police to move a vehicle blocking the entrance to Grafton Gaol) refused to cross the line.
At 3pm on Sunday 8 July it was reported:
The picket line holds firm.
*Photographs found at The Daily Examiner or supplied by protest participants.
ssssssSnake MP
Be very wary of Brumby's Bakeries
According to media reports Brumby’s franchises have all received a head office memo suggesting that Consumer Price Index related price rises be implemented in June-July 2012 and that stores should; Let the carbon tax take the blame.
Having been outed so publicly, the head of the Retail Food Group, Brumby's parent company, Tony Alford issued his own statement to the the stock exchange saying the comments ‘‘were not sanctioned and are of significant concern to the board’’.
The company also ordered its stores to remove Liberal Party posters and placards about the carbon tax, warning them they could face fines of up to $1.1 million if they engage in false or misleading conduct.
Brumby's prices are due to rise on 16 July and I suggest that Northern Rivers shoppers pay special attention to the amount of that rise.
Memo to that little spiv from Sussex Street, Sam Dastyari
I’ll keep it short ‘n’ sweet Sammy.
My ballot paper belongs to me. I get to decide how I cast my preferences.
A salaried factional heavy and his NSW Labor mates - who wouldn’t know where to find the Northern Rivers on a map - have no say whatsoever.
Saturday 7 July 2012
BOOM, BOOM! Boson joke of the year
So bad it’s funny…………………
A Higgs boson walks into a church.
We don't allow Higgs bosons in here!" shouts the priest.
"But without me, how can you have mass?" asks the particle.
Like everything else Tony Abbott tries to organise....
Friday 6 July 2012
Jockey ducks and weaves
Jockey Matt Dacos certainly earned his riding fee in race 6 at the Grafon races on Thursday. Dacos was aboard Cee Jay Clang near the 1200m mark when he was struck in the face by a low flying duck. Dacos overcame that obstacle, continued to ride his mount and eventually finished in second place.
NSW jockeys earn the princely sum of $162 whether their mount wins or loses. If their mount wins or runs a place they also pick up a standard 5% of the prize money, which is sometimes accompanied by a "sling" from grateful connections.
Does anyone know how the duck fared?
Image credit: dailyexaminer.com.au
Gulaptis admits he "stuffed up" & then offers a string of weak excuses to 2,000 strong crowd
The Great Garbage Swindle
Clarence Valley Council is running the old pea and thimble scam, but are using garbage cans instead of thimbles.
Here is how it works.
If you are lucky enough to have the three wheely bins, green red and yellow, you are not in the firing line of this sting.
If you are one of the many in Valley rural areas who only receive the service of the red and yellow bins, read on….
It pays to think on the fortnightly cycle of the garbage service outside of the towns.
Last year the red bin was collected every week, therefore in one fortnight 2 red bins were collected and one week in the same period the yellow bin was collected. This makes a grand total of 3 bins per fortnight.
This current year the red bin is collected one week and the yellow bin the next week, the total number of bin per fortnight collected is 2.
When you look at this there is a 1/3 reduction in our garbage service, but the council assures me that the price we will pay for garbage services in our rates will remain the same.
So my argument is: since the garbage service has reduced by 1/3 or 33.3% and the price we pay for this service is the same as last year we are in affect paying 33.3% more than we did last year.
To put this in dollar terms if the garbage charged on my rates last year was $300, this current year I am in effect paying $100 more this year.
All this without a visible increase in the rate notices.
If this isn’t the best little pea and thimble scam you have seen in a while let me know.
In fact I hear that an unprecedented number of ‘Nigerian’ emailers have applied for Australian residency visas so that they can sit at the feet of a veritable scam meister.
Bins from Google Images
NSW Government closes forty-five year old, inefficient power station which has been surplus to requirements for last 12 months - media wildly blames introduction of carbon price
Delta Electricity announced today the closure of Munmorah Power Station after 45 years of operation. The station has been maintained on standby but has not been in production since August 2010.
Just how much is Cardinal George Pell's word worth?
It's up to you to judge the contents of this ABC Four Corners 3 July 2012 transcript:
For a number of years he's apparently been writing for The Armidale Express and The Armidale Independent, as well as for The Catholic Weekly. He belongs to the Catholic Historical Society among others.
A University of New England newsletter seems to point to "F" having had contact with that educational insitution in the early 2000s.
If the snapshot from the 5th July 7.30 Report can be believed "F" i s also a member of Lions up Armidale way - having been sponsored by a fellow Census collector and probably distant rellie.
UPDATE:
The Sydney Morning Herald on 18th October 2012:
"A former NSW priest who allegedly told three senior Catholic clergy a decade ago that he had repeatedly sexually abused altar boys has been arrested in Armidale for historic offences against girls.
Detectives arrested the man known as Father F in the state's New England region today in relation to a number of child-sex offences against three female children in the 1970s and 1980s.
The State Crime Command's sex crimes squad set up Strike Force Glenroe in July to investigate allegations that Father F had abused altar boys while a priest based in Armidale and Parramatta."
Thursday 5 July 2012
Grafton Gaol and Cansdellgate - on the same agenda
What action has this (O"Farrell) Government (in NSW) taken on the previous member (Steve Cansdell) on his action regarding his speeding fine?
The writer added, "It appears that members of parliament are immune to action being taken against them, no matter what the offence. What a disgraceful lot we have governing us at the moment."
Here's the complete text of Charles Lincoln of Gulmarrad's letter to the Examiner.
National Party 'stooges' failing to deliver
Regretfully, I have to put pen to paper and place my objections to the manner in which this present State Government is neglecting, wrecking and displaying complete disregard for the voters of this area, the Clarence Valley.
We have a Coalition Government which is only interested in looking after its voting power base, ie, Newcastle-Sydney-Wollongong, and having a complete disregard for its National Party constituents in this area.
We have a National Party representative who is completely out of his depth and is failing his constituents badly.
First it was the loss of Telstra jobs; then the closure of the meatworks at South Grafton; and now it is the loss of 92 jobs at the Grafton Jail.
What this Government is doing by its actions is propping up its swinging seats down Kempsey and Cessnock way at the expense of the Clarence Valley.
The National Party representatives are only "Liberal Party lackeys or stooges", and the voters of this area cannot see past the end of their noses, as they continue to elect them - and for what reasons?
Failure to deliver, inexperience in government, and engaging in nepotistic practices seems to be the norm.
No thought has been given to the jail workers who reside down here on the Lower River, who have bought houses, have their children attending local schools and are set up trying to exist with mortgages over their heads.
And now they may have to relocate, take their children out of their existing schools and make a new start at another school.
In many cases, this may be a retrograde step and cause a child to fall back a couple of years with his/her education.
What a miserable lot this incumbent government is.
Their only concern is a "grab for money to build up their own egos".
And while I am writing in this vein, may I ask: what action has this Government taken on the previous member on his action regarding his speeding fine?
It appears that members of parliament are immune to action being taken against them, no matter what the offence.
What a disgraceful lot we have governing us at the moment.
And National Party voters have the hide to claim that the previous Labor Government stank.
But be reminded, this lot have only just started, and the stench is starting to emanate from the Queensland border nearly down to Sydney.
Many people were dissatisfied with the previous Labor government after 15 years on the treasury benches and said that they had to go.
They possessed one outstanding quality and that was they showed empathy and compassion for the average person.
But this lot is only interested lining their own pockets and supporting those with vested interests who can donate to their party and provide a secure board job for them after they have retired from politics.
Charles Lincoln, Gulmarrad
Da Troll
By yambaman from Yamba,
Such as his real name, what he looks like, his age, home address, the car he drives, preferred sport, hobbies and much, much more courtesy of his tendency to chatter away on multiple platforms across cyberspace.