North Coast Voices

Tuesday, 11 November 2008

Big Mal enters the Twilight Zone

Our fearless Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull is definitely on the fringes of the twilight zone here [strange music offstage]:

"The Opposition Leader has attacked the Prime Minister, questioning his "undiplomatic" approach to inter-party relations. Mr Turnbull has claimed the PM ignores him in social situations and refuses to respond to his letters."I don't have any relationship with him at all," he told News Ltd. "For someone who trained as a diplomat he is often very undiplomatic. He is very chilly towards me. He is odd."

"Mr Turnbull even complained Mr Rudd's wife Therese Rein snubbed him."

'Big Mal' wonders why the Rudd's might be a trifle chilly towards him.
Pull the left one!
The fact that in the last year a strong rumour was doing the rounds that someone in Canberra ran a very crude search for dirt on Ms. Rein's business connections might just have a bit to do with it.
Although the whole cold shoulder allegation may just be the delusion of un très gros ego, un énorme ego.
Maybe next week the attention seeking Mal will tell the nation he is so poor he has been reduced to selling matchsticks!

Yesterday the situation changed with Turnbull - he now insists the news.com.au journalist fabricated the entire quote concerning Ms. Rein.
Now pull the right one now, Mal!
What will the next episode hold? Maybe next week Mal will inform the nation that he is now so poor that he has to sell matchsticks on the street corner.

Monday, 10 November 2008

Looking back at a genuinely historic political moment

Cartoon found at patrickmoberg.com

Click to enlarge

If you see this ladybird - pounce!

This is the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

More details and pictures can be found here.

Due to misguided release it it has moved from its native habitiat and now can be found in America, Canada, Britain and Europe, where its voracious appetitie means that it out competes indigenous ladybirds and causes population decline before moving on to attack beneficial insect populations.

So far AQIS appears to have kept it out of Australia but this is by no means certain, so if you happen to see it in your garden, catch it in a bottle and contact AQIS or the CSIRO.

To sort out the good from the bad regarding ladybirds go to the CSIRO's Ladybirds of Australia.

Best recent political quotes

"Kevin is all about acclaim, and if he doesn't watch himself he's going to find a very smart opponent right up his arse. Turnbull is no dope."
Paul Keating being quoted by Alan Ramsey in The Sydney Morning Herald on 8 November 2008.

"I think most people would say that the concern for Australia about Obama is that in the campaign a lot of his rhetoric has been very protectionist,"
Malcolm Turnbull being quoted by The Australian Conservative blog on 7 November 2008

"I do not underestimate the enormity of the task that lies ahead. It is not going to be quick - it is not going to be easy for us to dig ourselves out of the hole that we are in"

Barack Obama being quoted in Sky News on 8 November 2008.

'handsome, young and suntanned'

Silvio Berlusconi praising the US President-elect in quote in Sky News on 8 November 2008.

A leading academic researcher, Marian Baird, said women should not have to pay for men's mistakes, and urged the Government to reconsider.
"It's outrageous to think that because of bad management by people in the money markets paid maternity leave will go. We've been waiting 30 years for this."
Associate Professor Faculty of Economics and Business (Syd Uni) Marian Baird quoted by Adele Horin in The Canberra Times on 8 November 2008.

"Obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why wouldn't he be? What is he, an Arab? He's not going to clean the floors of the White House,"
Benjamin Emanuel, father of Obama's new chief of staff, demonstrating in Press TV last Saturday that even the Cool Aid Kid has problems.

"I'm convinced we are going to have a first-class working relationship,"

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd after telephoning a newly elected Barack Obama and quoted in the Herald Sun on 8 November 2008.

Please, could someone put a child lock on his phone.

Herald Sun reader brad of melbourne writing about Rudd on the same day.

Yamba - a nice place to live

A farewell to Cox Street

Click to enlarge

Will Rudd turn into President Obama's tart?

With the exception of Edward Gough Whitlam, there hasn't been an Aussie prime minister in living memory who hasn't rushed to bow down before our 'great and powerful friend'.
Indeed Little Johnnie Howard raised this to such an art form that Australia breached international law because Dubbya asked him to.

As sure as night follows day - sometime in the next twelve months a new and untried President Obama will ask Australia for more troops to prop up the 'war' in Afghanistan and bang on our borders demanding admittance of more American produce and products without sufficient quarantine safeguards.

Now Prime Minister Rudd can resist the pressure to come from the ANZUS elephant, but will he?

Sadly he will probably behave like many before him and almost trip over the lectern in his eagerness to publicly pledge undying loyalty to that foreign government administration which is often so toxic to our own national health.

Sunday, 9 November 2008

Save our green space cries the Lower Clarence! Public Meeting 10 November 2008

HELP SAVE OUR PARK AT CENTENARY DRIVE MACLEAN

OPPOSE THE SALE OF THE PARK AT CENTENARY DRIVE, MACLEAN AND ATTEND THE THREE COUNCIL MEETINGS THAT WILL MAKE THIS DECISION.

WE MUST CONVINCE COUNCIL THAT THE LOWER CLARENCE COMMUNITY VALUE THIS PARK AND OUR ASSETS.

THE ON-SITE MEETING (AT THE PARK) IS ON MONDAY 10th NOVEMBER AT 12:15.

THE COMMITTEE MEETING IS TUESDAY 11th NOVEMBER AT 2:00PM AT THE MACLEAN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.THE COUNCIL MEETING IS ON WEDNESDAY 19TH NOVEMBER AND BEGINS AT 4:00PM.

None of our councilors have voiced their rejection of this sale. Our presence at these meetings and our phone calls, emails and letters and a show of force are vital to help stop this loss of our valuable community asset!

It is important that you attend the meetings.

If this is not possible please phone, email or write to our councilors to let them know how you feel.

Clarence Valley Councillors contact details:

Clr Richie Williamson (Mayor)

Phone: (02) 664 3 0245

Fax: (02) 6642 7647