Sportingbet odds as Turnbull's 'septem valde horrendus dies' begin and other tales

Seeing that many are predicting that this week will be septem valde horrendus dies for Malcolm Turnbull, I thought I might lead off with a look at how the formal betting is running.

Sportsbet online yesterday afternoon:
Liberal Leader At Next Federal Election 21 Jan 2010 Straight
Malcom Turnbull 1.60
Joe Hockey 3.00
Tony Abbott 6.50
Julie Bishop 21.00
Any Other 13.00
Andrew Robb 9.00
Peter Dutton 21.00

Pic from ABC News

Australia has a brand new federal political party - move over Family First!

Snapshot from the Australian Electoral Commission website

click to make it grow

Yes, your eyes didn't deceive you - it's the Australian S~x Party
Although born in November 2008 with Eros as midwife, it was only registered federally in glorious technicolour on 5th August 2009.
Giving it a comfortable amount of time to gear-up for the next federal election.
I don't know who will have apoplexy first; Family First's Senator Steve Fielding who if he gets re-elected in 2010-11 may find himself sharing his Senate play lunch with an ASP senator defending legal erotica, Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy who is determined to eradicate anything far-right Christianity disapproves of, or Teh DBCDE which must be privately wondering how a political party with such a name will fare if a national Internet filtering scheme comes to pass.

Daily Examiner editor spits the dummy as he grabs his hat and coat

The Daily Examiner, 4 August 2009

Click on image to enlarge

Editor Peter Chapman takes a swipe at the noisy minority as he prepares to leave The Daily Examiner for Queensland's The Fraser Coast Chronicle, after less than 15 months in the Clarence Valley.

Which possibly makes him the shortest-term editor but one The Daily Examiner has ever had in its 150 year history.

In November 2008 Peter gave a talk to Grafton U3A which indicated that he has worked on at least thirteen different print and television media outlets since the early 1970s, as well as for approximately four sporting bodies.

2009 Bangalow Music Festival 14 - 16 August 2009

From Regional Arst NSW August e-Bulletin:

Combining world-class musicians, captivating chamber repertoire, delicious food and a festive atmosphere surrounded by the sub-tropical beauty of this heritage township, the Bangalow Music Festival returns in 2009 with an invigorating line-up.

This year the program takes on a British flavour with music by Benjamin Britten and Edward Elgar, an Australian premiere of Gustav Holst's Quintet for Piano and Winds, plus works by Philip Cannon, Samuel Coleridge Taylor and Benjamin Frankel. Come and experience for yourself why Peter Sculthorpe described this as the finest musical festival outside of a capital city anywhere in the world.

For further information please contact Southern Cross Soloists: Tel 0448 641 835, Email manager@southernxsoloists.com

Nationals MP for Clarence maintains 'total, over-my-dead-body opposition to any diversion of the Clarence River'

Steve Cansdell, State MP for Clarence, has told the Murray-Darling Association and Councils from western New South Wales they are wasting their time with their proposal to raid the Clarence River.

Cansdell's comments (reproduced below) were published in
Coastal Views (part of The Daily Examiner stable) on August 7.

I have never believed in the saying that politics is the art of compromise. In life, you have to stand up for what you believe in or step out of the ring.

That is why I maintain my total, over-my-dead-body opposition to any diversion of the Clarence River.

The latest bid to raid our river comes from the Murray-Darling Association backed by some Councils from western New South Wales.

You’re wasting your time guys, because the answer is still no. We are sympathetic to your water problems, but this is not the way to solve them.

It is far too expensive both in dollar terms and in environmental costs, and you just couldn’t pump the volume of water needed to fix the Murray-Darling water crisis anyway.

I am not sure if the plan has ever been costed, but it is unquestionably beyond the financial reach of the state and federal governments, which are already deeply in the red.

Ecologically it is about as smart as our forefathers’ decision to introduce to Australia rabbits, foxes and cane toads.

It is a bit like raising the rate of the GST. The only way it can happen is if both the State and Federal Governments agree to it.

The NSW Parliament passed a motion against the proposal a little over two years ago. When I spoke in that debate, I said people wanting Clarence water are welcome to it, but only if they move here.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd also gave an unequivocal pre-election pledge it would not happen under his watch, and this is one promise he has to keep.

Finally, congratulations again to the Daily Examiner for its “Not one Drop” campaign. With his front-page story on Monday, David Bancroft was once again bang on the mark. It is good to see the local media in touch with the local community.

Sources: cansdell.com.au and The Daily Examiner

Proposed 2009 NSW electoral boundary changes

Image from AEC 2009 Report of the Redistribution Committee - Maps

Click on image to enlarge

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has released its 2009 Report of the Redistribution Committee outlining proposed New South Wales electoral redistribution.

Here on the NSW North Coast the AEC proposal is to leave Richmond electorate unchanged, reduce the total number of electors in Cowper by 256, with the Page electorate picking up these 256 Elland voters as well as 1,094 voters in the area north-east of Amosfield, Sandy Hills and Ewingar State Forest in Tenterfield LGA from the Division of New England .

Lyne electorate will see the entire Gloucester Local Government Area transferred into its boundaries but otherwise remain unchanged.

UPDATE:

Antony Green's summary of proposed redistribution outcomes - NSW North Coast

Cowper
Held by Luke Hartsuyker
Very minor boundary adjustment with Page.
Old Margin National 1.2%
New Margin National 1.2%

Lyne
Held by Rob Oakeshott
Won by Independent Rob Oakeshott at a 2008 by-election. At the 2007 election, Lyne was won by the National Party with a margin of 8.6%. Gains Gloucester from Paterson.
Old Margin Independent held
New Margin Independent held

Page
Held by Janelle Saffin
Only minor boundary changes with the transfer of areas around Drake from New England.
Old Margin Labor 2.4%
New Margin Labor 2.2%

Richmond
Held by Justine Elliot
Unchanged.
Old Margin Labor 8.9%
New Margin Labor 8.9%

While out in the blogosphere Utegate goes LOLZ...

Teh Utegate tail from then to now according to various animalehs from lolpolz (in very much shortened form here):

KRudd

MalcolmAFP

KRudd

ALP

Annie from Byron

Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents. Email ncvguestpeak at live dot com dot au to submit comment for consideration.

One little minnow's.........

....view of the universe at I can has cheezburger.