Oops, fly's undone!

Came back from fishing to find that one of my drafts has sneaked its way into today's posts.
Now removed. Sorry all!

Incontinent Victorians and other southerners brown off one Northern Rivers cane farmer

From The Daily Examiner letters to the editor on 27 July 2010:

Browned off

IF you'll excuse my language, I write to say that I am sick of the s**t and the p*ss. No, I don't refer to the election.
I refer to the travellers through our region - almost exclusively Victorians in my observation - who think it reasonable to come onto my property to take a pee and a poop. I am sick of the toilet paper along the side of the road, the disposable nappies and the doggie doo.
I am sick of people pulling onto a cane pad 150 metres off the highway, down a gravel country road, hidden behind large cane, within sight of a single farmhouse, without a public notice anywhere evident, who think it is reasonable to say: "Oh, we didn't realise this was private property."
Apparently you and your dogs can take a crap on any piece of public property in Victoria.
Ferry Park, Maclean, is five minutes one way from my place and within half-an-hour drive in the other direction you will have come through Grafton, South Grafton, Ulmarra, Brushgrove and Tyndale village.
I believe there is a website now which lists public conveniences all over the country.
Is there an epidemic of incontinence from Victoria?
Then of course there are the decent people who call in to ask if they might have a closer look at a piece of sugar cane - mostly southern New South Welshmen,South Australians and Tasmanians.
Happy to oblige and put on a bit of an act with the old fashioned cane knife.
I get four or five a year, but I imagine there are more who just pull up somewhere out of sight and steal a bit.
Because, yes, it is theft, and it is trespass, and it is public indecency.
My front paddock is no more open to public utility than their balcony or driveway at home - unless it could be considered an invitation, a mutual exchange of convenience when next we travel south - is the garden state facing a compost shortage?
So I have started a log, if you'll again pardon the pun, of the rego numbers of the dumpers and slashers, the overnighters and the light-fingered.

JAMES MOLONEY
Tyndale

Are whaling nations slaughtering cetacean friends?

Young Humpack Whale in waters off the Clarence Coast July 2010

Photograph in the Clarence Valley Review

It is known that Japan's whaling fleet kills lactating female whales and their young in the Southern Ocean, but is this slaughter doing even more damage to cetacean social bonds?

Humpback whales form lasting bonds, the first baleen whales known to do so.

Individual female humpbacks reunite each summer to feed and swim alongside one another in the Gulf of St Lawrence, off Canada, scientists have found.

Toothed whales, such as sperm whales, associate with one another, but larger baleen whales, which filter their food, have been thought less social.

The finding raises the possibility that commercial whaling may have broken apart social groups of whales.....

The longest recorded friendships lasted six years, and always occurred between similar-aged females, and never between females and males. (BBC NEWS )

Mayne gets down and dirty in Senate seat fight

Senate hopeful Stephen Mayne was emailing this about last Tuesday:

"The gaming watchdog will investigate the presence of two teens on the gaming floor of an Altona North hotel part-owned by Liberal Senator Julia McGauran, after a complaint by rival Senate candidate Stephen Mayne.

Mr Mayne, an independent, said that two 15-year old girls in the gaming area at The Millers Inn last week. Senator McGauran is a part-owner of the pub, at which punters lost more than $12 million last financial year.

A spokesman for anti-gambling independent Senator Nick Xenophon, cited as a witness, said the girls were on the gaming floor for 10 minutes. Senator McGauran said it was 2.5 minutes."

2010 Election Campaign Day 16 - Political advertising

Can you find any legible authorisation on this official National Party campaign pic gracing candidate Kevin Hogan's Facebook page?
























Nup, didn't think so.

Details of all NSW North Coast candidates in the 2010 Federal Election

NSW North Coast Federal Electorates - the candidates, their details and positions on ballot papers.

RICHMOND

1	van LIESHOUT, Joan	Liberal	Local Councillor	Phone (work): 07 5599 2385 Email: joan.vanlieshout@nsw.liberal.org.au
2	ELLIOT, Justine [incumbent]	Labor	Member of Parliament	Phone (work): 07 5523 4371 Email: justine.elliot.mp@aph.gov.au
3	HARTLEY, Matthew	Independent	Film Maker	Email: mattharcla@gmail.com
4	ROBINSON, David	Australian Democrats	Poultry Farmer	PO Box 16 ALSTONVILLE NSW 2477 Phone (home): 0412 458 477 Phone (work): 0412 458 477 Mobile: 0412 458 477 Email: me@drobinson.com.au
5	FAULKNER, Nic	Independent	Research Consultant	39 Fingal St BRUNSWICK HEADS NSW 2483 Mobile: 0488 404 882 Email: nicolas.faulkner@bigpond.com
6	HUNTER, Alan	The Nationals	Company Director	PO Box 1856 KINGSCLIFF NSW 2487 Phone (work): 13 0005 7200 Mobile: 0488 158 978 Email: alan.hunter@nationals.org.au
7	BOYD, Julie	Independent	Educational Consultant	PO Box 66 HASTINGS POINT NSW 2489 Phone (home): 0414 868 854 Mobile: 0414 868 854 Email: jboydelection@gmail.com
8	EBONO, Joe	The Greens	Manager	Phone (work): 02 6684 2416 Email: richmond@greens.org.au
9	HEGEDUS, Stephen M	Independent	Lawyer	PO Box 2253 BYRON BAY NSW 2481 Phone (work): 0428 665 955 Mobile: 0428 665 955 Email: smhegedus@gmail.com

PAGE

1	JOHNSON, Jeff	The Greens	Renewable energy consultant	Phone (work): 0438 677 202 Mobile: 0438 677 202 Email: page@greens.org.au
2	SAFFIN, Janelle [incumbent]	Labor	Member of Parliament	PO Box 139 LISMORE NSW 2480 Phone (home): 0418 664 001 Phone (work): 02 6621 9909 Mobile: 0418 664 001 Email: Janelle.Saffin.MP@aph.gov.au
3	HOGAN, Kevin	The Nationals	Consultant	PO Box 50 LISMORE NSW 2480 Phone (work): 02 6622 4562 Email: kevin@kevinhogan.com.au
4	SUMMERVILLE, Merle Desley	Independent	Client Service Officer	"Hiddenvale" 157 Beech Tree Rd SEXTONVILLE NSW 2470 Phone (home): 02 6667 1131 Mobile: 0427 671 131 Email: nmsummer@harbourdat.com.au
5	MELLAND, Julia	Australian Democrats	Bookkeeper	163 High St LISMORE HEIGHTS NSW 2480 Mobile: 0431 357 585 Email: julia.melland@democrats.org.au
6	BEHN, Doug	Independent	Motor Mechanic	12 Flame St EVANS HEAD NSW 2473 Phone (home): 0412 123 421 Phone (work): 02 6682 5399 Mobile: 0412 123 421 Email: dbehn@nnsw.quik.com.au

COWPER

1	SEKFY, Paul	Labor	Community Worker	Phone (work): 0419 440 065 Mobile: 0419 440 065 Email: paul.sekfy@alp.com.au
2	KING, Dominic	The Greens	Teacher
3	ARKAN, John Singh	Independent	Coffs Harbour City Councillor	Phone (home): 02 6654 7673 Phone (work): 02 6654 7673 Mobile: 0418 465 930 Email: john.arkan@gmail.com
4	LIONS, Deborah A J	Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)	Mngr house emergency acc.& stdnt	Mobile: 0431 603 848
5	HARTSUYKER, Luke [incumbent]	The Nationals	Member of Parliament	PO Box 2056 COFFS HARBOUR NSW 2450 Phone (work): 02 6652 6233 Email: luke.hartsuyker.mp@aph.gov.au

LYNE

1	OAKESHOTT, Robert [incumbent]	Independent	Member of Parliament	PO Box 330 TAREE NSW 2430 Phone (work): 02 6552 4780 Email: robert.oakeshott.mp@aph.gov.au
2	LIPS, Frederik	Labor	Medical Practitioner	Phone (work): 02 6584 5988 Email: Frederik.Lips@alp.com.au
3	GILLESPIE, David	The Nationals	Specialist Physician	PO Box 2011 PORT MACQUARIE NSW 2444 Mobile: 0488 628 701 Email: david@davidgillespie.com.au
4	WRIGHT, Barry	Independent	Retired
5	OXENFORD, Ian	The Greens	Retired	9 Loganvale Pl LOGANS CROSSING NSW 2439 Phone (home): 02 6559 4834 Phone (work): 02 6559 4834 Mobile: 0409 594 834 Email: lyne@greens.org.au

All Australian electorate details here.

Betting odds for political candidates on the NSW North Coast - then and now

Whether you believe that where the money goes indicates voter intentions or not, it is interesting to note that betting on Day 14 of the 2010 federal election campaign on 30 July 2010 was going Labor's way on the NSW North Coast in much the same way as it was going Labor's way on Day 39 of the 2007 federal election campaign on 21 November 2007.

Even in Cowper and Lyne (which did not fall to Labor in 2007) recent betting is running along the lines of the final result in the last federal election. #

THEN:

Sportingbet at 3.23pm 21 November 2007 (from North Coast Voices archives).

PAGE
Janelle Saffin (ALP) $1.53
Chris Gulaptis (NATS) $2.35

RICHMOND
Justine Elliot (ALP) $1.80
Sue Page (NATS) $6.00

COWPER
Not found but Centrebet has Luke Hartsuyker at 1.41 and Paul Sekfy at 2.70

NOW:

Sportingbet at 9.30am 30 July 2010.

PAGE
Janelle Saffin (ALP) 1.45 [Sportsbet 1.35] [Centrebet 1.42] [BetFair 1.26]
Kevin Hogan (NATS) 2.55 [Sportsbet 2.55] [Centrebet 2.63] [Betfair 1.11]

Any Other Party not listed [Sportsbet 26.00] [Centrebet 81.00] [Betfair 2.00]

Greens not listed [Centrebet 21.00]

RICHMOND
Justine Elliott (ALP) not listed [Sportsbet 1.02]
Alan Hunter/Joan van Lieshout (NATS/LIB) not listed [Sportsbet 5.50]
Any Other Party not listed [Sportsbet 101.00]

COWPER
Luke Hartsuyker (NATS) not listed [Sportsbet 1.50] [Centrebet 1.38]
Paul Sekfy (ALP) not listed [Sportsbet 2.00] [Centrebet 2.78]
Any Other Party [Sportsbet 34.00]

Greens not listed [Centrebet 31.00]

LYNE

Any Other Party not listed [Sportsbet 1.50] [Centrebet 101.00]

Australian Labor Party not listed [Sportingbet 7.50] [Centrebet 21.00]

Coalition not listed [Sportsbet 13.00] [Centrebet 11.00]

Independent Oakeshott not listed [Centrebet 1.01]

# As not all online betting websites have all electorates posted yet it is not possible to do a direct comparison.