What the three major political parties are promising voters in Page

In the last three years the Federal Labor Member for Page Janelle Saffin has delivered over $505 million in federal funding across the electorate and if re-elected this coming Saturday further promises:

$10 million for new Outpatient (Ambulatory Care) Unit, Grafton Base Hospital
$3 million for Community Dental Care Fund
Better Schools Plan fully funded for all Clarence Valley schools
$282.3 million for pre-construction of the Pacific Hwy upgrade Woolgoolga to Ballina
$3 million for Casino Hospital emergency department upgrade
$3.5 million towards Casino Regional Livestock Exchange upgrade
Disability Care roll-out to Clarence Valley with regional office (70 staff) in Lismore
$14 billion in addition to existing Commonwealth funding for the National Disability Insurance Scheme by 2019
$500,000 to expand Kyogle Community Gym
Keep the Federal 'water trigger' protections
Keep the Clarence Valley and Northern Rivers CSG-free

This is what the Nationals candidate Kevin Hogan is offering:

$2.1 billion extra for the Pacific Hwy upgrade
Commitment to the rollout of the $300million Wooden Bridges Program
$463,969 for 55 CCTV cameras in Casino CBD
$13,750 for new goalposts for Grafton Rugby League Club
$560,000 for development of Grafton Hockey Complex
$23,253 for a new kitchen at Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre
$13,000 for Woombah/Iluka Men's Shed
$115,500 for Bunjum Aboriginal Co-op in Ballina to upgrade the premises to an education centre
Joint Green Army Project for Rekindling the Spirit and Jubulum Land Council creating 10 full-time trainee places for 25 weeks
Joint Green Army Project for EnvITE and National Parks and Wildlife in the Clarence Valley creating 10 full-time trainee places for 25 weeks.
A local share of the $200 million a year Stronger Regions Fund

The Greens candidate in Page Desley Banks is offering:

Ban CSG and unconventional gas mining
$30 billion over 10 years to secure clean energy
Mining tax as a central element of tax system
Invest in public education, including early childhood and TAFE
Increase Newstart payment by $50 per week
Reverse cuts to the Single Parent payment
Create universal Denticare under Medicare

* Election promises above are as published in The Daily Examiner 3 September 2013.
* It is noted that the Nationals candidate is the only one not promising to to keep the Northern Rivers CSG free.

Weirdness characterizes Liberal Party candidate in the McMahon electorate

The Sydney Morning Herald 31 August 2013:

A Liberal Party candidate proposed a radical new policing system in which criminal suspects would be injected with satellite-trackable microchips shot from a ''high powered sniper rifle''.

Ray King, who is contesting the western Sydney electorate of McMahon, was behind the idea, which he claimed would improve productivity of the NSW Police Force.

Mr King, a former police commander in Liverpool, landed in hot water on Friday over critical comments he made about burqas at an election campaign function where guests included the disgraced former detective Roger Rogerson and current assistant police commissioner Frank Minnelli.

In 2011, Mr King outlined his ideas in a 12-page essay, Microchipping of human subjects as a productivity enhancement and as a strategic management direction of NSW Police...

The most controversial part of Mr King's plan was the means by which microchips would be inserted into the body. He named Danish company Empire North as having patented the ''ID Sniper Rifle'' as the ''long-distance injector'' of the microchip.

But a search for Empire North in Copenhagen suggests the company does not exist and the ID sniper rifle is actually part of a plot of a Danish sci-fi docu-drama called Empire North.

A Liberal source said the essay was a ''futuristic scenario'' but, in the Liverpool Champion on March 30, 2011, Mr King raised microchipping as a genuine prospect. ''I'm an advocate for this type of technology,'' he said. ''I think we need to explore the use of microchips to help put criminals behind bars.''

Thanks Rupert Murdoch, but Australians can choose their own government

http://youtu.be/grqp-JQMFuM

Australian Press Council Update 28 August 2013:

On Friday 23 August the Chair of the Council, Prof Julian Disney, wrote to major newspaper editors reminding them of the Council's longstanding guideline on election coverage. A copy of the message is below.

Dear editor,

In response to concerns expressed by members of the general community as well as within the media industry, I am writing to the editor of each metropolitan daily newspaper to emphasise the importance of the advisory guideline on election reporting. It was issued by the Press Council in 2009 and continues in operation.

In particular, I draw your attention to the 2009 opening section of the guideline which reads as follows:

“The Council upholds the right of a newspaper to have its own political position; to accept certain beliefs and policies and to reject others; and to favour the election of one party and to oppose the election of another.  However, the Council has emphasised strongly that newspapers that profess to inform the community about its political and social affairs are under an obligation to present to the public a reasonably comprehensive and accurate account of public issues. As a result, the Council believes that it is essential that a clear distinction be drawn between reporting the facts and stating opinion. A paper’s editorial viewpoints and its advocacy of them must be kept separate from its news columns.”

We seek your cooperation in observing this guideline during the current Federal election campaign. The full text is available at http://www.presscouncil.org.au/document-search/guideline-reporting-elections/

Yours sincerely,

Prof Julian Disney AO
Chair
Australian Press Council
23 August 2013

Setting the record straight

Letter to the editor The Northern Star 27 August 2013:

Can't go both ways

Can the Nationals be allowed out on their own? It is reported that, in a letter to Mr Albanese in late June this year, Mr Duncan Gay, NSW Minister for Roads and things, stated: "...NSW has received nearly $740million more than requested from the Federal Government..." for the Pacific Hwy upgrade.

In a press release in August encouraging voters to support Coalition candidates, Mr Gay stated: "Kevin Rudd and Anthony Albanese have turned off the (funding) tap for duplication of the highway from Newcastle to the Queensland border..."

Perhaps a little more central office oversight or possibly more rigorous vetting of Nationals propaganda is required.

Kevin Ruff

Casino

Letter to the editor The Daily Examiner 27 August 2013:

Hogan set straight

On July 31 on his Facebook campaign page, Nationals candidate in the Page electorate Kevin Hogan stated: "After six long years of Labor mismanagement, the Northern Rivers economy is nowhere near as strong as it could be. Debt has grown to record levels, unemployment has risen and local families are struggling with rising costs."
Sounds as though our region is in dire straits doesn't it? But how factual is that statement?
Looking first at the unemployment rate in those regions into which the Northern Rivers falls.
It was 16.2% for Richmond-Tweed and Mid North Coast in July 2013, down from 17% in November 2007 (ABS Cat. No. 6291.0.55.001) and across the Northern Rivers has been trending down since peaking during the global financial crisis (Regional Development Australia: Northern Rivers, 2013).
In fact: "The number of employed persons in regional NSW grew by 7.2% (85,000 persons) between 2008 and 2013. Newcastle experienced the largest growth (22,600 persons) followed closely by the Richmond-Tweed and Mid North Coast region (19,700 persons)," as cited in NSW Regional Labour Force Trends: Statistical Indicators 3/2013.
So local employment has actually grown during the almost six years there has been a Federal Labor Government.
Turning now to the regional economy.
Regional Development Australia's documents show that the Northern Rivers Gross Regional Product (GRP) has continued to grow annually. In 2008/9 it was $7.8billion, in 2009/10 it was $11.1billion and by 2011/12 the annual growth of GRP was 11.4% compared with overall NSW GRP growth at 2.2%.
Which means the Northern Rivers has been outperforming the state average when it comes to GRP growth - that doesn't happen if a regional economy is not reasonably strong.
Next, how are people faring in the Northern Rivers with cost-of-living pressures as opposed to lifestyle pressures?
Well, the Life Cost Index (LCI) for employee households rose 1.4% through the year to the June quarter 2013 compared to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which rose 2.4% through the year to the June quarter 2013 (Selected Living Cost Indexes, Australia, June 2013). In June 2007 when the Coalition was last in power, the CPI rose 3.1% for employees (Analytical Living Cost Indexes for Selected Australian Household Types, June 2007).
However, if you are a self-funded retiree or receiving a Centrelink/Veterans Affairs pension, then the LCI and CPI percentage changes actually fell between June-September 2012 and March-June 2013 (ibid). Presumably because income/tax concessions/government cash transfer levels increased.
Comparing March-June 2007 with March-June 2013, then the CPI fell from being between 2.2-2.8% to 0.4% for those receiving Centrelink/Veterans Affairs pensions.
So when it comes to cost of living, Northern Rivers residents are not faring any worse under a Federal Labor Government.
Finally, the question of debt levels. Mr Hogan did not specify whether he was referring to Northern Rivers public or private debt, so looking for answers is a waste of effort at this time.
For the record, I have never been a member of a political party.

Judith M Melville

Yamba

Letter to the editor The Daily Examiner 28 August 2013:

Saddled with Tony

I was amazed to read in Saturday's Examiner that the Federal Opposition Leader claimed expenses for participating in community and charity events.

As I have participated in some of these events myself, including the BUPA challenge ride during the Tour Down Under in January this year and the Coffs Cycle Challenge earlier this month, I now find out that not only have I paid my own way to these events, but have help pay for Tony Abbott's way as well.

I have also assisted in organising fundraising events in both Queensland and NSW, all of which cost personal time and money, to give you an example.

In the most recent event, two months ago, the Brooms Head Fun Run that raised $2200 for the Westpac helicopter service, I travelled a total of 196km ie three trips to Brooms Head to set up the course, check on facilities and organise the day, set up signs and pick up trophies from Yamba.

On top of this the Lions Club members and other helpers on the day travelled a combined total of 400km and no one claims or gets paid expenses.

If you look at the Coffs Cycle Challenge, there would have been at least 40 people acting as marshals around the course, all using their own vehicles to get to their locations.

Our Mayor Richie Williamson has participated in our fun runs and I can bet you that he did not claim any expenses from the Clarence Valley Council.

And to say that Tony Abbott had other business to attend to would be incorrect because if these events were not on he would not have turned up.

He would be better off supporting these events with a cash donation.

This may only be small costs compared to the big picture, but it shows the contempt that our politicians show towards the general public that try and make our communities a better and more enjoyable place to live.

Ken Crampton OAM

Maclean

Letter to the Editor The Clarence Valley Review 28 August 2013:

Disempowering communities

The Grafton Loop of the Knitting Nannas Against Gas (KNAG) have written to the Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis MP, about the Government’s proposed amendment to the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP)  dealing with Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries.

The Nannas are appalled that the Government is proposing to disempower local communities even further when it comes to mining development.

The proposed amendment means that the “significance” of the “resource” (be it a coal or gas or some other resource) becomes the central consideration in the approvals process.

This means that matters of importance to the local community – such as their amenity, health, water resources, and the natural environment – will be downgraded to minor considerations.

The Knitting Nannas fear that the Government is forgetting the importance of those people they are supposed to represent – the general community.  We also note that many people are becoming increasingly concerned about the continuation of governments’ anxiety to promote mining despite public unease.

We believe that this amendment to the SEPP should be abandoned in the interests of the general community and our children and grandchildren.

Leonie Blain

for the Knitting Nannas, Grafton

Abbott's Army is still a company of clowns

Brisbane Times 1 September 2013:

A volunteer for the Liberal National Party candidate aiming to unseat former treasurer Wayne Swan was convicted and jailed in the United Kingdom for making hoax terrorist threats.

Matthew Carney, 28, has been an active volunteer in LNP candidate Rob McGarvie's campaign in the northern Brisbane electorate of Lilley.

But Mr McGarvie said Mr Carney was a close family friend who deserved a second chance after the "stupid practical joke" that landed the then-24-year-old in jail....

So much for Abbott's 'real solutions' unity ticket

The Guardian 1 September 2013:

Open warfare has broken out between the Liberal and the National parties with New South Wales National senator Fiona Nash joining her party leader, Warren Truss, in attacking the Liberal shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, for being “disconnected” from regional Australia.

The war began over Liberal party advertisements in the West Australian newspaper on Saturday which claimed credit for the $1bn national stronger regions fund Truss announced on Thursday.

The advertisement used a picture of the Coalition leadership team but Truss had been taken out and the word “national” had been removed from the fund’s title.