Frank Sartor's name is turning into a swear word on the NSW North Coast

The NSW North Coast has been under sustained population growth and demographic change for decades; as retirees, sea-changers and tree-changers look for their piece of coastal paradise.

Consequently demands on local government infrastructure have been relentlessly growing in relation to how many extra bodies there are per town or square kilometre and, although all groups profess satisfaction with their new lives, within five years they are demanding increased infrastructure and services.

Throughout this period there has been limited NSW Government assistance for local government. 

Indeed there has been considerable cost-shifting onto this lower tier of government at both state and federal level.

Now NSW Labor's Morris Iemma and Frank Sartor are intent on finally bringing the only truly immediate form of government available to us, local government, to its knees by depriving it of reasonable Section 94 developer contributions.

 

Genia McCaffery, President of the Local Government Association of NSW, reflects a widespread dissatisfaction with State Government.

 

"Local government usually negotiates as a first option, so it is a measure of how angry we are with the State Government's high-handed treatment that we are now proposing drastic action. On Wednesday 250 mayors, councillors and general managers from across NSW defied the State Government by vowing to refuse to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars in community funds.

The State Government plans to slash the contributions developers are required to pay to councils - usually an amount per lot known as a Section 94 levy - to help fund the additional infrastructure that is needed to service the new population housed by the development.

Furthermore, the State Government plans to take control of the smaller contribution developers will have to pay rather than passing it on to the local council so that the council can use the money to build new roads, stormwater and drainage facilities, parks and sporting fields or to extend existing facilities such as libraries and community centres.

We argue that developers should not be able to walk away with huge profits from development, leaving councils with the cost of providing infrastructure to meet the needs of new residents. This burden is particularly onerous under the rate-pegging scheme, where our revenue from ratepayers is already restricted.-------

The Government is hiding behind the catchphrase of housing affordability. They argue that slashing contributions will take $50,000 to $60,000 off the price of a new home. In reality, developers contribute just $13,000 to $15,000 per house.

Does anyone really believe that developers will pass the $15,000 in savings on to new home owners? This Government is pandering to the interests of one group - developers, the same interest group that makes large contributions to party election funding."

The Sydney Morning Herald full opinion piece:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/councils-are-nearing-melting-point/2008/01/31/1201714145875.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 

Going toe-to-toe on the whaling issue in Tokyo

Japan versus the rest of the world is how the issue of 'scientific research' whaling in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary is shaping up.

 

The U.S. based Pew Charitable Trusts through its environment group is now attempting to referee.

It called a two-day symposium in Tokyo and made this left field observation which may not meet with the approval of the International Whaling Commission.

"Tuiloma Neroni Slade, the chairman of the symposium, said a resolution of the row could include a recognition of wider hunting rights by Japan's coastal whalers, suspension of research whaling, and a limit on the number of animals that whaling nations can kill each year."

 

The Age yesterday reported on the Australia-Japan whaling impasse.

"Japan's prime minister insisted a bitter dispute over whaling won't hurt bilateral relations, a day after Australia expressed its disappointment as whalers resumed their hunt.----

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is in Tokyo and has held talks with Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who sought to downplay any diplomatic fallout from the dispute.

"The whaling issue is a matter of each country's circumstances," Fukuda told reporters after the meeting, during which the whaling standoff was discussed.

"It should not negatively influence diplomatic relations.

"It's important to address the whaling issue in a calm manner."

Smith said he was disappointed the whalers had resumed their hunt in the Southern Ocean, killing five minke whales hours after he arrived in Tokyo on Thursday."

Nelson and Turnbull: oh, what hyp-hyp-hypocrites

These last few days the airwaves have been full of Liberal Party leader Brendan Nelson and wannabe leader Malcolm Turnbull rabbiting on about how the Howard Government had left a booming economy without a worry on the horizon. They both accuse the Labor Federal Treasurer Wayne Swann of putting a spin on talk of increasing inflationary pressures.

Hello? In the twelve months before the 2007 federal election almost every economist who gave a public opinion warned that the Howard Government needed to watch the growing trend towards inflation, as it presided over back-to-back interest rate rises.

Both these blokes need a good kick in the withers to bring them back on track to reality.

Did that resounding election loss teach them nothing?

Australian political financial disclosure returns for 2006-7 just released

Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) media release today.

 

"The 2006/07 annual financial disclosure returns from political parties, associated entities and donors have been released for public inspection.

The annual returns are on the Australian Electoral Commission's website at http://fadar.aec.gov.au/

The returns for the 2006/07 financial year include 49 political party returns, 218 associated entity returns and 194 donor returns. 

For the first time, people who engage in political expenditure are required to lodge a return.  Fifty-one political expenditure returns have been lodged for 2006/07.

Total receipts disclosed by political parties in the 2006/07 financial year were $127,218,316.76 compared to $74,556,334.55 for the 2005/06 annual returns.

For associated entities, the total declared receipts increased from $113,397,256.91 in 2005/06 to $637,938,063.70 in 2006/07 – largely as a result of the increase in the number of associated entities.

At this time last year, the AEC had received 80 political party returns, 89 associated entity returns and 317 donor returns. 
The increase in associated entity returns since last year can be attributed to the broadening of the definition of associated entity to include trade unions affiliated with the Australian Labor Party. 

The decrease in donor returns is a result of the new increased disclosure threshold (more than $10,300 for 2006/07) applying for the full financial year.  During the 2004/05 financial year, the last to use the old threshold, there were 1,286 donor returns. In 2005/06, when the new threshold applied for half the year, the number declined to 317 donor returns.

Attached is a fact sheet showing the basic disclosure requirements."

 

For those who love following the money trail, all the usual suspects plus more can be found using the search button at:

http://fadar.aec.gov.au/

Sen. Ted Kennedy on the campaign trail for Obama and asking for money

The emails received from Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama's campaign team have been a fascinating glimpse into the American political process as it is practised.

One of the marked differences from the Australian system is the constant drive for political donations from ordinary citizens.

Now Senator Ted Kennedy has said "I'm for Obama" and went on to (rather mistakenly) ask me for money yesterday.

What puzzles me [sly smile]. Where are Hillary's emails? Does Senator Clinton have all the campaign funding she needs? And why have no Republicans placed me on their mailing lists?

 

The email:

Dear [edited],   When I endorsed Barack Obama on Monday, I was also endorsing a candidate with the power to transform America.   As President Kennedy said in 1960, "It is time for a new generation of leadership."   This campaign is about a new generation of leadership today. A generation ready to be part of something bigger than themselves. A generation ready to change the country, and a generation ready to change the world.   I'm doing everything I can to elect Barack Obama. With less than a week before my state and 21 others make their voices heard, there is no time to lose.   Please join me by making a $50 donation now:   https://donate.barackobama.com/newgeneration   Like my son Patrick and my niece Caroline, I have found a new generation of leadership for America in Barack Obama -- and I hope you have too!   Sincerely,   Senator Edward M. Kennedy

It's time to speak up in Professor Garnaut's review of climate change issues and carbon trading

The government-sponsored Garnaut Review has committed to undertaking an extensive consultation process to encourage open and informed discussion on key climate change issues.

 

With less than an estimated one quarter of all Australian businesses currently attempting any form of climate change action, it seems that ordinary Australians might have to ginger the debate by making submissions to the Garnaut Review.

 

A strong demand by actual or future customers, for industry wide mid-term climate change targets, is one way to jerk the business community out of its present torpor.

 

Remember, approximately 50% of all Australians live within 7km of our coastline which is expected to take the early brunt of extreme climate change events.

Such extreme events won't just affect the value of houses but, in some cases, the actual value of the land on which they stand.

Climate Change Review Discussion Paper:

http://www.garnautreview.org.au/CA25734E0016A131/WebObj/FinancialServicesforManagingRisk-ClimateChangeandCarbonTradingIssuesPaper/$File/Financial%20Services%20for%20Managing%20Risk%20-%20Climate%20Change%20and%20Carbon%20Trading%20Issues%20Paper.pdf

 

Information on making submissions to the Review:

http://www.garnautreview.org.au/CA25734E0016A131/pages/submissions-financial-services

Kevin Rudd sprays for propaganda roaches and Brendan Nelson bombs

Rudders is a bit of a wonder. The election promises of Kevin 07 are being ticked off at a gratifying rate.

Now it's the turn of the former Howard Government propaganda juggernaut.

The Ministerial Committee for Government Communications is to be abolished and the Government Communications Unit is gone.

Government advertising is to be slashed. Advertising policy and practice are being redesigned -

hopefully with reference to the many calls for a more transparent disclosure of marketing costs.

I look forward to a life where government advertising doesn't constantly assault my senses with the bl**dy obvious or insult my intelligence with blatant lies.

Or am I living in a fool's paradise?

 

This week Brendan Nelson wants a preview of the Commonwealth Government's formal apology to indigenous Australians, to make sure that the government is not apologising for the wrong things. He worries that other matters are more important.

Is this Liberal Party buffoon serious? Will someone please put this bloke out of his misery by challenging his leadership.