North Coast Voices

Saturday, 3 November 2007

Skinner Street latest front in Page battle - is anybody listening?

"About half way down the street a truck was parked by the kerb. On it were retiring Page MP Ian Causley, the Nationals candidate for Page Chris Gulaptis and Cowper Nationals candidate Luke Hartsuyker. All were busy spruiking on a loud hailer.

About 50 metres away was former Labor leader and Opposition trade and regional development spokesman Simon Crean, Labor candidate for Page Janelle Saffin and Clarence mayor Ian Tiley.

Apart from a small entourage with each group, there was hardly another soul.

It wouldn't have surprised if tumbleweed blew down the street."

Full story in The Daily Examiner today:

http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3754119&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

Well what do they expect. It's Jacaranda time and everyone deserves a break from this oh so long election campaign.

The only brightspot was the announcement of Federal Labor's pledge of $1 million to revamp South Grafton's Skinner Street which, along with its big money promise to revitalise Casino, is good news for North Coast residents.

It's Jacaranda Grand Float Parade this afternoon - hopefully the candidates won't turn up in their princess costumes.

Campaign Day 20 - halfway madness

We are now in the halfway phase of the federal election campaign and I'm wondering just how many more impossible things we're supposed to believe before breakfast each day.

I've come to the conclusion that there is a special place in Hell for prime ministers who call six-week election campaigns.

Even the commitariat are feeling the strain. I hear that Janet Albrechtsen is crouched in a darkened room whimpering in the middle of a nest of shredded articles, an unkempt David Flint can be found living in a Rushcutters Bay stormwater drain frightening passers-by by declaiming from Liberal Party press releases in a hollow voice, Sol L. was detained after he was discovered with pith helmet and blunderbuss openly hunting suburban streets for undecided voters, and the normally staid Alan Ramsey is planning to elope with Bill Heffernan.

Federal Election 2007: NSW North Coast candidates & ballot position

PAGE

1	BEHN, Doug	IND	Independent	Self Employed
2	VEGA, Mirian	FFP	Family First	Business Women
3	CULVERWELL, John	CEC	Citizens Electoral Council	Tour Guide
4	MELLAND, Julia	DEM	Democrats	Politician
5	JONGEN, Theo	GRN	The Greens	Health Care Worker
6	SAFFIN, Janelle	ALP	Labor	Lawyer
7	KANE, Tony	IND	Independent	Hypnotherapist
8	AVASALU, Rhonda Joy	CDP	Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)	Home Duties
9	BEATTY, Ben	LDP	LDP	Geologist
10	GULAPTIS, Chris	NP	Nationals	Surveyor

COWPER

1	HARTSUYKER, Luke	NP	Nationals	Member of Parliament
2	SEKFY, Paul	ALP	Labor	Small Business Owner
3	CARTY, John	GRN	The Greens	Barrister
4	ARAPI-NUNEZ, Flavia	FFP	Family First	High School Teacher
5	BELGRAVE, Leon A	LDP	LDP	Retired
6	LIONS, Deborah	CDP	Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)	Home Manager

RICHMOND

1	FARMILO, Daniel	LDP	LDP	Investor Services
2	ELLIOT, Justine	ALP	Labor	Federal MP
3	EBONO, Giovanni	GRN	The Greens	Editor
4	PAGE, Sue	NP	Nationals	GP, Senior Lecturer
5	McCALLUM, Graham	CEC	Citizens Electoral Council	Self Employed
6	SLEDGE, Scott	DEM	Democrats	Self-funded Retiree
7	RAYMOND, Barbara Jean	CDP	Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)	Student

Friday, 2 November 2007

Nationals candidate for Page not enrolled in seat he is standing for?

Surname: *

Given Names: * (e.g. MARY JANE)

Flat Number:

Street Number:

Street Name: *

Street Type:

Suburb or Town: *

State: *

Your enrolled address is 9 MCPHEE ST MACLEAN NSW 2463

Your Federal Division is COWPER

AEC verification link:

https://oevf.aec.gov.au/verifyenrolment.aspx

The information above was sent to me by email.

Does this make Mr. Gulaptis a Nationals candidate who cannot vote for himself? And who does his wife get to vote for?

Kevin Rudd rolls into Coffs Harbour

This week Kevin Rudd made it to Coffs Harbour on the NSW North Coast. How sweet it is to have so many marginal seats on the coast.

The Advocate this morning:
http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3753854&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

Campaign Day 19

From the number of times in the last couple of days (including this morning on ABC radio) I have heard Chris Gulaptis saying that Rudd's health promises to the Clarence Valley are an 'election stunt', I would surmise that the Nationals have been blindsided by this more generous offer of $23 million.

Rule of law and separation of powers compromised in Howard's Australia

Dr. Mohamed Haneef was found not guilty of terrorism charges, was eventually released and then deported by the Howard Government.

The Australian reported today.

"CONFIDENTIAL emails between top AFP agents and a senior public servant advising Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews indicate that there was a secret plan to thwart a decision by a magistrate to release then terror suspect Mohamed Haneef on bail.

The emails show the AFP was aware of a weekend "contingency" plan to ensure the Indian doctor would remain behind bars by having Mr Andrews revoke his visa under the Migration Act in the event of bail being granted by Brisbane magistrate Jacqui Payne on the following Monday.-------

The emails, obtained under Freedom of Information laws by Dr Haneef's lawyers, show that while the AFP was uncertain on Saturday, July 14, after an initial bail hearing whether Dr Haneef would be freed two days later by Ms Payne, the police had developed "contingencies".

The first email, written by Brisbane-based counter-terrorism co-ordinator David Craig to commanders of the AFP's counter-terrorism unit at 5.22pm on July 14, states: "Contingencies for containing Mr HANEEF and detaining him under the Migration Act, if it is the case he is granted bail on Monday, are in place as per arrangements today."

Under the Migration Act, such a contingency necessarily needed to involve Mr Andrews.

This email was forwarded at 8.10am on Monday, July 16, by agent Luke Morrish, the AFP's Canberra-based acting manager for domestic counter-terrorism, to top Immigration Department public servant Peter White."

The Australian article:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22688973-601,00.html

Copy of Haneef email:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/files/haneef-email.pdf

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Moggy Musings

Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.

A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourism business development services.

A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!

An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements. The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.

A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.

A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?

A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.

An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?

A fun fact musing: An estimated 24,000 whales migrated along the NSW coastline in 2016 according to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the migration period is getting longer.

A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.

A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.

A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?

An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.

North Coast Voices

Saturday, 3 November 2007

Skinner Street latest front in Page battle - is anybody listening?

Campaign Day 20 - halfway madness

Federal Election 2007: NSW North Coast candidates & ballot position

Friday, 2 November 2007

Nationals candidate for Page not enrolled in seat he is standing for?

Surname: *

Given Names: * (e.g. MARY JANE)

Flat Number:

Street Number:

Street Name: *

Street Type:

Suburb or Town: *

State: *

Your enrolled address is 9 MCPHEE ST MACLEAN NSW 2463

Your Federal Division is COWPER

AEC verification link:

https://oevf.aec.gov.au/verifyenrolment.aspx

The information above was sent to me by email.

Does this make Mr. Gulaptis a Nationals candidate who cannot vote for himself? And who does his wife get to vote for?

Kevin Rudd rolls into Coffs Harbour

Campaign Day 19

Rule of law and separation of powers compromised in Howard's Australia

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