With the Lower Clarence Valley fighting to stave off sale and rezoning of North Coast Area Health Service land adjoining Maclean District Hospital, word on the street is that the Service's financial problems under CEO Chris Crawford are now intractable.
Apparently its media people are sounding increasingly nervous when fielding queries and, many local residents are beginning to fear that a large-scale downgrading or even elimination of smaller district hospitals may be on the Rees-Della Bosca agenda down in Macquarie Street.
Once again the Northern Rivers may be seen as expendable due to another NSW Dept. of Health budget blow-out.
Friday, 12 September 2008
Quote of the week on Obama v McCain
From Hermene Hartman of The Huffington Post last Tuesday, in her article The Elephant in the Room.
On one of the late night news programs, there was a North Carolina redneck type. He was a Southerncrat and in good ol' boy mode, he analyzed the race. He gave one of the most honest assessments, from his viewpoint, I have heard. The question was would Barack beat McCain. He said: Barack, the intelligent man would beat McCain. He said Barack, the charismatic man would beat McCain. He even said Barack, the man, would beat McCain the war hero. But then he said, Barack the Black man would not beat McCain. He said it just wouldn't happen. He spoke with authority and confidence.
Move over and make room for the women?
I'm reliably informed that Australia-wide women make up no more than around 25% of the total number of elected representatives at local government, state and federal level.
In a political scene dominated by men, in the last twelve months we have had a paedophile and a chair sniffer as ministers in NSW and WA Governments.
Opening The Australian yesterday I found that the new NSW Police Minister has just resigned after 3 days in office because of reports that:
"A witness told The Australian Mr Brown stripped down to his "very brief" underpants and danced to loud "Oxford Street-style" techno music on a green leather Chesterfield couch he had recently ordered for his office.
The witness said Mr Brown "mounted the chest" of Wollongong MP Noreen Hay.
The witness said Mr Brown called out to Ms Hay's adult daughter during the performance: "Look at this, I'm tittie-f..king your mother!"
A spokesman for Mr Brown denied he used any such words. However, Mr Brown did not deny the other allegations, including a simulated sex act on Ms Hay."
All this sexually off and sometimes downright criminal behaviour by other hairy-chested blokes leaves me beginning to wonder if we should give women a bit more of a chance when they stand for election.
Even Federal Labor MP Belinda Neal at her supposed worst was not accused of any sexual impropriety.
* Ms. Hay went onto ABC News Radio yesterday morning and totally denied the allegations in rather a strange way - it was ridiculous to think it had happened because there were younger and more attractive women than myself at the party.
Thursday, 11 September 2008
September 11 2008
Cartoon from Salon.comFor a mix of archival footage and whacky theories (from those wonderful folks who gave us rendition and torture to replace the Geneva Convention) click September 11 News
Clarence Valley Conservation Coalition draws up a green report card on local government election hopefuls
MEDIA RELEASE
6 September 2008
For immediate release
HOW GREEN CAN OUR VALLEY BE?
A survey of local government candidates in the Clarence Valley has rated Janet Purcell, Ian Tiley, Pat Comben, Maurie Maher and Grace Clague as having the greenest credentials, with Mark Kingsley and Ian Dinham as close runners up.
The survey, carried out by the combined conservation groups of the Clarence Valley (including the Clarence Valley Conservation Coalition, Clarence Environment Centre, Clarence Valley Branch of the National Parks Association and Valley Watch), asked candidates for their views about environmental planning, waste management, sustainability, transport and protection of the Clarence's biodiversity.
According to the CVCC secretary, Leonie Blain, all of the 21 candidates responded. "We are very happy with the level of response received, with answers to the survey questions from 19 of the candidates. We extend our thanks to all candidates that took the time to provide these responses.
"It was disappointing that Terry Flanagan and Jim Simmons declined to address the survey, providing only general comments which could not be rated," she said.
The survey was mostly asked for yes or no responses to a range of questions, but most candidates took advantage of the opportunity to provide sometimes detailed comments as well as these simple answers.
"These comments revealed an interesting range of attitudes to environmental issues, as well as a range of levels of awareness – both of council's role in relation to the environment and of the environment itself," Ms Blain said.
All candidates indicated opposition to further loss of the Clarence River's water to other communities.
"Curiously, Ian Tiley indicated opposition to the reporting of the daily amount of water extracted from the Nymboida River by the Regional Water Scheme, which the conservation groups believe is necessary for open and transparent accountability of the Scheme's performance, especially once the Shannon Creek Dam is constructed."
On the issue of planning for climate change and development, most candidates indicated that sea level rise, storm surges and increased flooding should be a major constraint in considering development proposals on floodplain and coastal lands. Only Kurt Kristoffersen was undecided on this issue, claiming that climate change is a natural phenomenon.
"This was one of several poor responses from Mr Kristoffersen," said Ms Blain. "He generally showed a low awareness of planning issues and did not even respond to the question on sustainability. In relation to planning to minimise future conflicts between urban residents and flying-fox camps, he stated that flyingfoxes were not even native animals. This must be news to the eucalypt forests of our region which rely on flying-foxes for their pollination."
"Sustainability is enshrined in the legislation of local government. Over the past term of council, Ian Tiley has demonstrated the leadership role that Clarence Valley Council can take with regard to improving our sustainability. A solid understanding of what it means is a must-have for our councillors. However only a few candidates demonstrated this. Very good responses were provided by Pat Comben and Janet Purcell, with good responses from Grace Clague, Maurie Maher, Mark Kingsley, Karen Toms and Ian Dinham."
The candidates' responses to the questionnaire are on display for public scrutiny at the Clarence Environment Centre, 29 Skinner St, South Grafton.
Contact: Leonie Blain 02 6642 7640
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