The Lies Abbott Tells - Part Seven

THE LIE

The Australian 16 December 2013:

TONY Abbott has ramped up the pressure on Indonesia to resume cooperation to stop asylum boats, blaming a lack of assistance from Jakarta for an "uptick" in boat arrivals over the past fortnight.....

THE FACTS

Since the Abbott Government was sworn in on 18 September and up to 14 December 2013, 26 suspected illegal entry vessels have arrived in Australian territorial waters. Either as undiscovered land falls/escorted boats/passengers from unsafe boats taken on board naval or custom vessels.

Indonesia was reported to have ceased surveillance of asylum seeker movements in late November.

The average number of boats arriving in Australia between 18 September and 30 November was 1 boat every four days.

This is the same average number as recorded between 18 September and 14 December 2013.

There has been no significant increase (or decrease) in the number of boat arrivals since the start of the Abbott Government’s Operation Sovereign Borders.

The most insincere and perverse 'Merry Christmas!' of 2013

Federal Communications Minister and Telstra/BigPond Fail - BIG TIME!

It is 2.24 pm on the afternoon of 16 December 2013 and I am experiencing an all too familiar complaint with my Telstra/BigPond Broadband Internet connection.

I have been (sometimes for hours at a time) unable to connect to the Internet via my BigPond account since around 9.30am this morning.

This is not an isolated instance – it has been happening almost every day since, as a pensioner, I paid good money at commercial rates to Telstra/BigPond for a connection to the Internet via ADSL and Wireless.

I have complained to Telstra/BigPond again today as I have in the past and, they have as always always assured me that the connection problem will be fixed/is fixed.

However, that fix never lasts above half an hour to around twenty-four hours later.

I suspect that is because Telstra/BigPond is offering me an Internet service down copper wire infrastructure in a coastal section of a regional NSW flood plain, with a high water table which the company knows is impacted by acid sulphate.

Telstra Limited and BigPond are well aware that they are incapable of honouring the service publicly advertised, offered to and paid for by me - and the same service offered to many thousands of others on the NSW North Coast.

Perhaps Federal Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull might like to explain how he is to deliver the allegedly high-speed National Broadband Network to my street/door when Telstra/BigPond cannot even deliver a basic slow service to me today?

UPDATE

Executive Operations-Telstra contacted North Coast Voices on 17 December 2013 and is endeavoring to resolve the problems with my Internet connection.

UPDATE 2

It's now 7 February 2014 and I think it is safe to declare that my Internet connection problem has been resolved.

There is still the odd episode, but these are now measured in minutes not hours.

I have to say that I was impressed by the level of service Telstra displayed in resolving my very public complaint.

A special favourable mention goes to Executive Operations and to Tony the technician.

Nationals MP Kevin Hogan caught trying to rebrand funding

Federal Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan, appears to think the voters in his electorate are all idiots and that this clumsy attempt to rebrand funding, by inserting himself into story, would go unnoticed.

This is Hogan in The Northern Star on 14 December 2013 along with Diesel the wombat and friends:

Three new rainproof features worth $500,000 were unveiled at the popular local attraction yesterday by owner Tony Gilding and Federal MP for Page Kevin Hogan....

"We have no problem getting tourists here," Mr Hogan said.

"But we know from every study we do the longer we keep them here, the more money they spend."

These are the same new features being announced in the Echo NetDaily eight months earlier by then Federal Labor Government MPs Janelle Saffin and Justine Elliot who were photographed with the very same wombat:

Tony Gilding of the castle yesterday announced a major expansion and refurbishment program. The program is in part funded by two grants from the federal government’s tourism industry assistance schemes. The total project budget is excess of $500,000 and the funding assistance from the federal government is $227,475. The balance will be funded by the Macadamia Castle.....

Federal MPs Justine Elliot and Janelle Saffin attended the launch of the Macadamia Castle expansion program. Ms Elliot said the Macadamia Castle is one of the north coast’s most iconic and exciting tourist destinations. In operation for more than 30 years, its animal park has provided exciting adventures for generations of kids. ‘I’m proud as the local MP to have delivered this important federal funding for an outstanding local business,’ she said. ‘This federal funding will help Macadamia Castle expand to provide more jobs and enhance their tourist attractions. I congratulate Macadamia Castle for their outstanding role as a major tourist destination on the north coast.’

Ms Saffin said she was pleased to support the application for federal funding as Macadamia Castle provides valuable employment and training opportunities to over 50 local people. ‘Many of his wonderful staff are my constituents, as are many of the local families that take advantage of the attractions wonderful facilities.’

Side by side with Hogan’s photo opportunity with the wombat, The Northern Star ran this short article on 14 December 2013:

THE Federal Government has scrapped the Tourism Industry Regional Development Fund Grants Program.

The Northern Rivers received $500,000 for two tourism-related infrastructure projects from the program.

It is understood the money will be redirected to larger tourism infrastructure projects instead of the government picking individual businesses to benefit.

"In line with the government's policy priorities for tourism, funds allocated to the TIRF grants program will be re-focused to support demand-driven infrastructure for the tourism industry," the Department of Industry website stated.

Apparently Diesel will not be having his photograph taken with Mr. Hogan again for quite a long while.

More bad press for Metgasco Limited

Just when coal seam gas exploration and wannabe production company Metgasco Limited thought that the Heilpern judgment might be fading from memory, comes this....

Ballina Shire Advocate 10 December 2013:

GREENS MLC David Shoebridge has obtained documents showing Metgasco CEO Peter Henderson was writing to Police Minister Michael Gallacher and Attorney General Greg Smith about anti-CSG protests in Northern NSW earlier this year.

The documents came as a result of a GIPA (Government Information Public Access) request from Mr Shoebridge after magistrate David Heilpern questioned whether charges against two protesters were politically motivated.

Mr Heilpern said the case against Alan Roberts and Bradley Rankin was "an abuse of the processes of the court" and said the police resources spent on a minor traffic offence were over the top.

"It is in that context that the realistic suspicion of political interference arise," he said.

Mr Shoebridge said the documents, seen by The Northern Star, raise more questions than they answer.

"There clearly was significant pressure from Metgasco for police to prosecute protesters.

"The public has a right to know the full extent of the corporate pressure on police to prosecute the Glenugie protesters and my office is making further application to the police to be provided with all of the correspondence they had with Metgasco."

Metgasco CEO Peter Henderson confirmed he wrote to four NSW ministers, saying they had "a legitimate, government-approved right to explore" within their licence area.....

I note that during Glenugie protests former Deputy State Director and Director of Party Affairs at Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division) Richard Shields was still Metgasco’s External Relations Manager. Shield’s came to Metgasco in 2011 immediately after leaving his position with the Liberal Party machine.

Australian democracy is dying by inches on the floor of the House of Representatives and the cause is the Hon. Bronwyn Kathleen Bishop MP

Excerpt from Australian House of Representatives Hansard of 10 December 2013, in which The Speaker Bronwyn Bishop has yet another ‘senior moment’, forgets parliamentary processes, gets snakey when she is reminded of the correct procedure and shows her intensely partisan nature:

Mr BURKE (Watson—Manager of Opposition Business) (21:16): I move:

That so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Watson moving immediately:

That this House:

condemns the Government for failing to allow proper debate on legislation before the Parliament.

Mr BURKE: We are in the middle of a debate on important legislation about infrastructure—

The SPEAKER: I call the Leader of the House.

Mr BURKE: and the cowardice of the Leader of the House—

Mr PYNE (Sturt—Leader of the House and Minister for Education) (21:17): I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

The SPEAKER: The question is that the member be no longer heard.

The House divided. [21:21] .....

Question agreed to.

The SPEAKER: Is the motion seconded?

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler) (21:25): Indeed, Madam Speaker. I second the motion and I have nothing more to say.

The SPEAKER: I call the Leader of the House.

Mr Albanese: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. With respect, Madam Speaker, now that I have concluded my speech, you need to put the resolution to the House before you give someone else the call.

Mr Pyne: The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Mr Albanese: Yes, well, you need to do that, Madam Speaker. The Manager of Opposition Business knows that.

Government members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: The former Leader of the House, who is now apparently the Acting Manager of Opposition Business, has given the chair advice. The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mr Pyne: Madam Speaker—

Mr Albanese: Madam Speaker—

The SPEAKER: Both the Manager of Opposition Business and the Leader of the House will resume their seats. If the Manager of Opposition Business is raising a point of order to resume his status, then it is acknowledged.

Mr Albanese: Let's be bipartisan! That is outrageous!

Mr Burke: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Madam Speaker, if you want to be an impartial chair, I ask that you withdraw.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mr PYNE (Sturt—Leader of the House and Minister for Education) (21:27): Madam Speaker, the government opposes the—

The SPEAKER: I recognise the Manager of Opposition Business and have already said that I acknowledge the Manager of Opposition Business. Now I call—

Mr Burke: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

The SPEAKER: The member will resume his seat.

Mr Burke: A point of order, Madam Speaker!

The SPEAKER: The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. There will be no further points of order acknowledged.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mr BURKE (Watson—Manager of Opposition Business) (21:28): Madam Speaker, I move:

That the Speaker’s ruling be dissented from.

You have just ruled that no other points of order will be heard. That is a ruling, and I move that the Speaker's ruling be dissented from.

The SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Mr Burke: No, Madam Speaker! There has never been an occasion when a Speaker has refused to allow a resolution for dissent to be heard. Your role and everything that is contained within Practice falls apart if you will not hear the dissent motion.

Honourable members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: The member will resume his seat.

Mr Burke: Madam Speaker, I don't need to. I—

The SPEAKER: Both members will resume their seats. You are asked to resume your seat; you will do so.

Mr Burke: I have asked that your ruling be dissented from!

The SPEAKER: You will resume your seat. You have said that you are dissenting from my ruling. Whether or not you consider I have made a ruling, I do not consider I made a ruling. However, I will entertain your dissent motion if you wish to pursue it.

Mr BURKE: Madam Speaker, critical to the role of Speaker in this House is the one principle that the Speaker will not engage in debate. The comments that you made with respect to me would have been reasonable interjections when you were in this House merely as the member for Mackellar—rules that were reasonable for any member to get up and try to make a half-funny, childish interjection. But you need to recognise, Madam Speaker, that you are meant to be impartial. You need to recognise, Madam Speaker, that the office you hold is

greater and more important than your own political rhetoric. You need to recognise, Madam Speaker, that we have not previously—

Mr PYNE (Sturt—Leader of the House and Minister for Education) (21:30): It is time this farce were brought to an end, and I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

The SPEAKER: The question is that the member be no longer heard.

The House divided. [21:34].....

Question agreed to.

The SPEAKER: Is the motion seconded?

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler) (21:40): Yes, Madam Speaker. A high degree of impartiality in the execution of the duties of office is one of the hallmarks of good speakership. That is what House of Representatives Practice—

The SPEAKER: I call the Leader of the House.

Mr Pyne: I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

The SPEAKER: The question is that the member be no longer heard. A division having been called and the bells being/having been rung—

Mr Albanese: I am wondering, Madam Speaker, whether there is any precedent for a shutting down of a dissent debate in the Speaker of the House of Representatives since 1901, ever?

The SPEAKER: I do not know whether that is a point of order.

Mr Albanese: Because there has not been in the last 17 years.

The SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. There is no point of order.

The House divided. [21:44] ....

The rest of this sorry saga can be read from Hansard 10 December 2013 p. 107