From blogger to pollie: Stephen Mayne elected to local government

Stephen Mayne, Australia's favourite shareholder activist and possibly its only perennial shareholder activist, has announced that he's just been elected to Mannigham City Council.
Here's the low-down in his Mayne Report.
Congratulations Stevo, I look forward to hearing that you're throwing your heart and soul into the job.

Graphic from The Mayne Report

Can Therese Rein ever be seen with Kevin Rudd again?

Shown here are a media photograph and a cartoon of the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Mr. Rudd and his communications minister want to impose a national ISP-level filtering system on the Australian Internet.

LogiPik is one form of filtering software guaranteed to stop unwanted images in their tracks.

Here is its assessment of the Kevin Rudd cartoon:
Evaluated as: p*rn
Completed in 1 sec.

And here is its assessment of the Kevin Rudd photograph:
Evaluated as: p*rn
Completed in 2 sec.

Additionally, here is its assessment of a media photograph of Kevin Rudd and child (not shown here, because what child wants to be reminded that they were once close to the man that a filter rejected):
Evaluated as: p*rn
Completed in 12 sec.

Yes, it's staring us in the face - Kevin the PM p*rn star.

With such a 'dubious' moral character on display for all the world to see; can Therese really afford to keep this man?
Especially when the chance exists that at least one of the various filtering software/hardware systems (that would be used by ISPs if the Great Firewall of Australia comes to pass) will frequently label her husband and life partner as a piece of p*rnography.
Because, let's face it, Australian ISPs are bound to rely on systems which in turn rely on dubious software and blacklists found overseas.

Cartoon from Strange Times and photo from Time Magazine

One step closer to the removal of a federal minister's right to deny access to information using a conclusive certificate

The Freedom of Information (Removal of Conclusive Certificates and Other Measures) Bill 2008 is finally before the Australian Parliament and the text can be found at Com Law.

The primary purpose of the Bill is to repeal the power to issue conclusive certificates in the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) and the Archives Act 1983 (the Archives Act) for all exemption provisions where certificates may be issued.

The proposal to repeal the power to issue conclusive certificates forms part of the Government's 2007 election commitments made in its policy statement, Government information: restoring trust and integrity.

The effect of the repeal of the certificate power will be that the AAT may undertake full merits review of all exemption claims.

This Bill does not seek to alter the exemption provisions in Part IV of the FOI Act or in Division 3 Part V of the Archives Act, except to the extent that it repeals the power to issue conclusive certificates. Where a document or record properly falls within an exemption category in those Acts (for example, documents affecting personal privacy or documents whose release could damage national security, defence or international relations), access may be refused.

Existing conclusive certificates will be revoked if and when a new request for access to a document or record covered by a certificate is received.

'This rancid government': Northern Rivers not impressed with NSW Health

I have to say that few people in the Northern Rivers region would be surprised with the observations on regional hospitals found in the Garling Report released this week.

The Northern Star reported:

Commissioner Garling said he was told the North Coast Area Health Service got about $70 million less each year than it should under the current funding formula and the inequity had been in place since the 1980s.“We should be getting our fair share,” Dr Pezzutti said.He said the money should be shared out among the health services based on their demographics.“Each area has a certain number of aged people, disabled people, mentally ill, poor, rich and tourists,” the doctor said.“It’s a complicated formula, but we should be getting more funding.”Instead of spending more money, the Garling report said greater efficiencies should be achieved. Dr Pezzutti said the health service could be more efficient but it would cost money.The report recommended setting up four new bodies to improve the quality and effectiveness of the health workforce.“If the government does not provide additional funds for this, it will have to come out of the current funding,” he said.“It is clear they have got into trouble this year already.”

While in an 'editorial' in The Daily Examiner on Saturday David Bancroft put matters very bluntly:

Now, on top of being short-changed $70 million a year, a razor gang is making its way around the region identifying where it can cut 400 full-time equivalent jobs.

There is already thought that Grafton Base Hospital's high dependency unit and maternity unit might be at risk.

These are the cuts the health service simply cannot bear.

And we, as taxpayers and users of the health system, should not tolerate them.

We need to demonstrate at public rallies in Grafton and Maclean today our support for improved, not reduced, health services.

Public pressure might, just might, convince this rancid government to change its mind.
(The Daily Examiner, 29 November 2008, page 12)

The Federal Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, in the same issue of The Daily Examiner did not back away from supporting the Northern Rivers community:

"Its clear locals need better services and I support them in their expressed concerns about the proper delivery of health and hospital services in our area," Ms Saffin said.

We need more health services and staff across the Northern Rivers, and for anyone to suggest that less is better for us is nonsense.

"This is not the time for cutting front line positions in health care."

The North Coast has known for a long time that state governments tend to ignore us.

When in power the Liberals and Nationals appear to believe the region does not have to be courted because it is seen as a Nationals stronghold.
Likewise, the Labor Party seems to believe that the region deserves a minimum of serious attention for that very same reason.

Both groups, in their profound ignorance, failing to consider the altered political demographics that sea and tree changers have brought into the mix and both ignoring their responsibilities to equally distribute a fair share of government funding and services regardless of the political imperative.

For all major political parties in New South Wales the large metropolitan centres have always come first simply because the sheer weight of their voter numbers are seen as more important to the outcome on election day.

The Rees Government should remember that regional and rural seats matter and if enough voters within them are dissatisfied with health care, then his government will fall at the next state election.

Stephen Conroy's lackeys crack a funny

If we ever needed proof that the Dept of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy had become infected with its minister's mania, the following quote supplies it:
"ISPs will be recognised for their participation in the Pilot. This recognition will strengthen their brand image with the community."
Really?
Excuse me while I roll about laffing.
All I know is that iNet has said that it wants take part in the trial. Presumably to get its hands on free filtering hardware/software and so keep its commercial options open, although it's presenting this wimp-out as a public service
So there will be a large blue moon over Bourke before I sign up to iNet.
Nor will I be knocking on the Optus door because they are also said to be lining up for the trail.
As for Telstra - didn't it assist DBCDE in setting up that 'play' pilot in Tassie?

Moggy Musings [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]

A phishing musing:

Ever since Clarencegirl gave me an email address I have been receiving some very strange offers.

This is one I am tempted to take up on behalf of all Northern Rivers motorists and their pets!

From: Mr Yan (cataniarealty@bellnet.ca)

Sent: Saturday, 25 October 2008 3:53:42 AM
Reply-to: yan31@btinternet.com

To: yan@dbs.dk
I have a project I want you to run with us. It involves exportation of 35,000 barrels of crude oil daily from Kirkuk, Iraq. If you are interested, email me.

Mr. Yan.

A Bravo! musing:

A big bravo on 1st October 2008 to the many people (including Gold Coast SeaWorld staff, Australian Seabird Rescue volunteers and National Parks & Wildlife Service personnel) who successfully rescued a Bottlenosed Dolphin and her baby trapped in Prospect Lake at Ballina for the last two weeks.
Mum and bub were taken from the lake and released into the Richmond River.

A tolerance musing:

It's September and Spring is here and on the NSW North Coast soft fruits are beginning to ripen on the trees in our backyards.

Please be tolerant of the birds and bats which decide to feed on this fruit. They are only doing what comes naturally.

A rejoicing musing:

A YOUNG adult humpback whale was freed from shark control netting in which it was entangled off Tugan Beach on the Gold Coast on 27 Spetember 2008. Animal rescuers managed to sucessfully release it after 7 hours of sustained effort. Well done!

Anyone who spots a whale or other marine animals tangled in fishing gear or shark netting should call the 24-hour Shark Hotline on 1800 806 891.

An in the dog house musing:

A dog on the Tweed told a cat on the Richmond who whispered to a bird on the Clarence that a prominent local National Party member is out of his house and in the proverbial doghouse after he was found to be repeatedly sleeping in strange kennels.

A Cat v Dog war musing:

The Dog Channel has revealed another outbreak of 'hostilities' in the 1,ooo year Cat-Dog war:

The presidential campaign in recent days has involved statements about a Pit Bull wearing lipstick and a pig wearing lipstick. Now, cats are in on the lipstick debate, and the fur is expected to really fly.
"Can you put lipstick on a cat and call it change?" is a question being posed by the company behind two websites launched Thursday morning: Catsarebetter.com and Dogsarebetter.com.

Vote early and vote often!

A vice-presidential musing:

Obama's running mate, Senator Joe Biden, has a cat according to Pet Shed. The man can't be all bad!

Sunday's laugh

In The Daily Telegraph last Wednesday

CROP circles have baffled people for decades and now a new phenomenon is stopping residents in their tracks on the state's Far North Coast.

Happy faces painted randomly on hay bales in a paddock on the outskirts of Lismore has given residents something to smile about and got them talking about whether it's vandalism or creative licence.

Landowner Tony Neill said that when he drove out of his driveway and saw the smiley faces for the first time it made his day.

**************

ScepticLawyer mentioned a website which dissects blogs, Gender Analyzer.

Just for laughs I ran North Coast Voices through its program with the following outcome:

Results








We think http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/ is written by a man (84%).


You just have to admire a website that will confidently assure you that your site is highly likely to be written by a man, when women outnumber men on North Coast Voices (unless you also count in Boy the Wonder Cat!)

Gender Analyzer has a survey of its overall results:

Did GenderAnalyzer give the correct result for your blog?

Votes
Yes 53 % 8555
No 47 % 7713