John Howard - to old and dishonest add recklessly stubborn

It seems there is no end to John Howard's determination to block any effective response to climate change.

"PRIME Minister John Howard has refused to confirm or deny that he was advised by one of his ministers two years ago to increase Australia's renewable energy targets.

The Australian today reported that former environment minister Ian Campbell wrote to Mr Howard in December 2005 questioning the Government's refusal to expand the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target scheme.

Senator Campbell had said the reluctance to lift targets risked undermining efforts to combat climate change and might force investors offshore.

"I'm not gong into discussions that may or may not have occurred," Mr Howard told ABC radio today."

 

Full News.com.au  article:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22684563-29277,00.html

Howard's team is cosy with another lunatic right-wing religious element

Yet another report has surfaced about prominent members of the Government, including the PM and the Treasurer, bending over backwards to accommodate lunatic right-wing fringe religious elements.

How is it that these fringe elements get such ready access to the ears of our Government but others have great difficulties?

The Age today reports that although PM John Howard condemned the League of Rights as 'a bit anti-Semitic', he refused to cut ties with an evangelical pastor who has accepted a platform from the far right-wing group.

The report continues:

The Australian League of Rights, founded by Eric Butler in 1960, insists the Holocaust — in which millions of Jewish people were murdered by the Nazi regime — did not happen.

Danny Nalliah, head of Melbourne-based Catch the Fire Ministries, last night reaffirmed he would address the league again, despite criticism from Jewish leaders that his actions had conferred legitimacy on the group.

In light of Pastor Nalliah's reaffirmation last night, at least one Jewish leader urged political leaders to distance themselves from him. Grahame Leonard, president of the executive council of Australian Jewry, said the pastor's stated intentions were "at best, naive" given the league's bigoted views.

How true! Any decent-minded person would give the likes of Nalliah as wide a berth as possible.

Read the full report here:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/federalelection2007news/howard-keeps-link-to-controversial-pastor/2007/10/31/1193618975753.html

Intelligent design a vote winner? Pull the other one

It seems that the Federal Liberal candidate for the seat of Lalor, Pastor Peter Curtis is swimming against the tide in a big way.

 

In The Age last Sunday he was quoted: "He said that, if elected, he would be urging the Liberal Party to introduce intelligent design to state school science classes. Intelligent design is an assertion that certain features of the universe and living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, and not by natural selection. "I would be very much in favour of intelligent design being taught in public schools," Mr Curtis said. "Just as the theory of evolution is taught as well — in my view regrettably taught in science classes, because I think it's a theory and not a science."

 

In a country which has a universal nickname for God and takes its religions with a grain of salt, the good pastor expects that the prospect of having ID taught in schools will attract voters to the Liberal Party. Good one, Prime Minister.

Federal Election 2007 close of roll figures

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has released Newsfile, No. 134: Federal Election 2007 - Close of Rolls. This includes close of roll figures for each division.

 

North Coast enrolled voters:

Cowper electorate - 92,767

Page electorate - 93,426

Richmond electorate - 90,018

 

See Australia-wide details at:

http://www.aec.gov.au/pdf/publications/newsfiles/134/Newsfile_No134.pdf

 

The AEC will formally declare all candidates at 12 noon tomorrow.

A rather dispiriting view of Australian voters

I wonder just how many of these 'I don't know, I don't really care, just let me vote so I can get on with my weekend' people live on the NSW North Coast?

 

The Sydney Morning Herald today:
 http://www.smh.com.au/news/federalelection2007news/unless-youre-a-bowler-step-back-from-the-fray/2007/10/31/1193618974918.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Tony Abbott caught swearing at Nicola Roxon and other related Liberal Party silliness

Yesterday was a day when Federal Labor's Nicola Roxon was shown to be the better politician, showing up on time and on message.

It was nice to see Ms. Roxon demonstrate a measure of respect for both the National Press Club who sponsored the debate and Australian voters who had tuned in to see this event.

As for Liberal's Tony Abbott.....

 

Lateline on Abbott-Roxon exchange:

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s2078036.htm

Lateline talking to Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard:
 http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2007/s2078035.htm

Campaign Day 18

Saw on the news last night that Tony Abbot failed to arrive until almost halfway through allotted time for the nationally televised Health Debate with his Opposition counterpart.

Discourteous? Rude? Arrogant? You bet!

But what can we expect from a Minister for Health who also took the opportunity this week to publicly insult a dying man.

It's almost as though the Libs have a death wish.