Official Lyne & Mayo federal by-election results and WA state election results

For those who like to know the exact details, here are the current numbers for the Lyne federal by-election on the NSW Mid-North Coast and Mayo federal by-election in South Australia, as well as the current figures for the West Australian state election 2008.

• Mayo [Updated: 6/09/2008 9:16:08 PM]
• Lyne [Updated: 6/09/2008 8:09:44 PM]

WA State Electoral Commission updated results here.

The ABC's Antony Green breakdown of polling results here.

Newly independent former Nationals Rob Oakshott romps home in Lyne, Liberals look like winning Mayo and Labor is being trounced in WA but the final outcome still a cliffhanger at this point.

WARNING, WARNING! Digital world domination attempt underway??

Gizmodo sounds a bell about Google's new Chrome browser:

Here are the juicy bits in question:

11. Content license from you

11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.

11.4 You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above license...............

Why in the hell would Google want ownership of every single blog post or email written in its browser? It's so unreasonable that it borders on the insane. [my emphasis]

Is Google Inc. is developing the same delusions of grandeur as US multinational Monsanto or is this just a sensible commercial decision.

You decide.

Update:

Thanks to an alert reader I now know that Google has backtracked on these license conditions.

Section 11 now reads simply: "11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services."

CNet alerts us to the fact that we still may need to be careful using this new browser as in certain configurations it will transmit and store a user's keystrokes (even before the send key is hit):

All this is separate from the issue of what information Google plans to store on its servers. Provided that users leave on the auto-suggest feature in Chrome and have Google as their default search provider, Google has the right to store any information typed into Chrome's Ominibox, which serves as both search bar and address bar. The software maker told CNET News it plans to store about 2 percent of all such data, along with the IP address of the computer that entered the information.

Given the fact that Google Inc. will cooperate with security and intelligence services when required to by law, this level of information gathering may be of some concern to private individuals and political bloggers.

Two faces of environmental graffiti

Anti-Monsanto logo from PimpinTurtle

Mossy VW found at Environmental Graffiti

NSW North Coast picks up 2008 National Local Government Awards

There are 10 award categories in the National Local Government Awards which are held annually.
This week it was announced that councils on the NSW North Coast had received two major awards and two commendations in 2008:


Innovation in Regional Development - commendations -
Nambucca Shire Council, NSW - Collaborating industry and Local GovernmentClarence Valley Council, NSW - Clarence Edge


Youth Engagement - winner -
Clarence Valley Council, NSW - Clarence Valley Youth Summer Events Program


Natural Resource Management - winner -
Clarence Valley Council, NSW - The Clarence Floodplain Project - Reviving Floodplain Watercourses and Wetlands

Well done to the councils and staff involved.

NSW in 2008 - where are they now?

With the political bloodbath that is NSW Labor still rolling on; here's a little stroll down memory lane to a 'sunny park' bench in 2005.

Iemma names new cabinet line-up for NSW

By Anne Davies August 3, 2005 - 1:30PM

High profile minister Michael Costa has been given the finance portfolio and responsibility for delivering infrastructure in Premier Morris Iemma's new cabinet.

The new cabinet was sworn in at Government House at 12.30 today.

Police Minister Carl Scully has been given additional responsibility for utilities and will be responsible for dealing with Sydney's water and electricity needs.

John Hatzistergos becomes Minister for Health and Frank Sartor is Minister for Planning, keeping his responsibilities for the Redfern-Waterloo redevelopment.

Senior minister John Della Bosca has maintained his same portfolios, which include Special Minister of State, Minister for Commerce and Minister for Industrial Relations.

Bob Debus remains Attorney General and Minister for the Environment but picks up responsibility for the arts.

John Watkins, who is likely to become Deputy Premier, remains in the difficult portfolio of Transport but also picks up responsibility for State Development.

Mr Iemma has given himself responsibility for Treasury, which means that he, Mr Costa, Mr Della Bosca and Mr Watkins will now form the team driving the economic direction of the state.

Carmel Tebbutt remains Minister for Education.

Reba Meagher remains Minister for Community Services and Diane Beamer has survived to remain in cabinet as Minster for Western Sydney and Minister for Fair Trading.

Tony Kelly has received a promotion and will become Minister for Justice, Juvenile Justice, Emergency Services and Land.

Joe Tripodi becomes Minister for Roads.

Three new ministers, still to be elected by caucus next week, will be given the portfolios of Aboriginal affairs, ports and waterways, and housing................

Mr Iemma described his cabinet as stable and experienced.
"Today represents the start of a new era in NSW," he told reporters.
"The Government is vibrant and enthusiastic with energy.

On the same day it was reported that Craig Knowles had quit both the NSW ministry and parliament and Deputy-Premier had Refshauge announced his retirement the day before.

Today, three years later, another new premier Nathan Rees faced the media and solemnly promised to "Yada, yada, yada".

Labor ministers are gone, gone, gone.... But troubles remain for the NSW North Coast

If Rupert's team is correct, then NSW Treasurer Michael Costa has been sacked from the NSW Labor ministry and will announce his own demise at 10am this morning.

Meagher, Greene and West are tipped to follow and Premier Iemma himself expected to stand down before Christmas this year, if the Ryde by-election shows a significant swing against Labor.

Crankie Frankie Sartor is also predicted to shift portfolios from Planning to Health.
A move which is likely to see already ailing rural and regional health services ripped apart in the same manner Sartor wrecked the development planning process.

If Carmel Tebbutt does step up to the position of NSW Premier, hopefully she will shift Sartor once again to a junior ministry where his very right-wing and elitist view of the world will do less damage to communities on the NSW North Coast.

Even Country Labor is rumoured to have little time for Frank now.

Update:

Morris Iemma resigned as NSW Premier later in the morning.

Sacked NSW Treasurer Michael Costa appears to believe that he can parley his position back from the new Premier, Nathan Rees.

Carmel Tebbutt has accepted the position of Deputy-Premier.

The cabinet reshuffle currently underway may still bring grief to the Northern Rivers.

Rees is rumoured to be in favour of the privatisation of regional water infrastructure despite his denials.

Outright privatisation or amalgamating water corporations across different catchment areas are often seen locally as scenarios which would be precursors to damming and diverting water from the Clarence River system.

Liberal Party attempting covert takeover of Kwoff?

It seems the Liberal Party of Australia (or one of its ardent supporters) is attempting to flood social news website, Kwoff , with posts from its own official website.

According to its Kwoff profile, this political party has been lodging posts since 28 July 2008.

On one morning alone, the Liberal Party accounted for one quarter of all Just In entries. Defintely a case of political overkill.

Examples found last Wednesday include:

Coalition introduces Lower Lakes Assistance Fund Bill South Australian Senator Nick Minchin today gave notice in the Senate of a Bill to provide $50 million emergen...
by LiberalPartyofAustralia 5 minutes ago liberal.org.au
Treasurer disputes own department's figures Treasurer Wayne Swan today disputed figures released by his own department and confirmed by him the day after ...
by LiberalPartyofAustralia 7 minutes ago liberal.org.au

June quarter 2008 National Accounts Today's National Accounts shows the resilience of the Australian economy thanks to the extensive economic refo...
by LiberalPartyofAustralia 17 minutes ago liberal.org.au

Labor continues its assault on Aussie tourism Labor is refusing to listen to the Coalition’s concerns about the impact the increased luxury car tax will h...
by LiberalPartyofAustralia 55 minutes ago liberal.org.au

Mr Garrett must rule out scrapping the $8,000 solar panel rebate Peter Garrett must confirm that he won’t scrap the $8,000 solar panel rebate in the wake of news today that ...
by LiberalPartyofAustralia 1 hour 7 minutes ago liberal.org.au

Greens / Labor deal - cut BMW tax, increase Aussie cars tax The Greens need to explain to the drivers of Mayo who tow a caravan, a boat or a horsefloat why they should by... LiberalPartyofAustralia 5 hours ago liberal.org.au