A Crikey whistle-blower bites the dust?

On 9^th December 2010 an Executive Level 2 public servant went on leave until late January 2011.

On 22^nd December 2010 Crikey in its Tips and rumours segment published this:

“Climate Change in debt… The Department of Climate Change is planning a major debt recovery program in the New Year to recover hundreds of millions of dollars rorted under the Household Insulation Program/Low Emmission Assistance Program for Renters, and rescue packages including the Insulation Industry Assistance Program. The Department continues to mismanage not only the primary pink batts program, but all subsequent rescue programs as well at Australian taxpayers’ expense.
The Department is facing multi-million dollar lawsuits in which it does not have the capital to cover. Maybe this is the reason for Prime Minister Gillard appointing Dr Parkinson from the Department of Climate Change to the new role of Treasury Secretary to fund the bail-out.
…and sub-contracts training. The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency sub-contracts Price Waterhouse Coopers to manage the Home Insulation Safety and Rectification programs. Price Waterhouse Coopers sub-contract CSR Bradfords and United Group Limited to conduct inspections and rectifications of houses who had insulation installed under the failed pink batts program.
The Department is paying all training costs of CSR Bradfords staff to be trained as Home Insulation Safety Inspectors but not funding any component of United Group Limited contractors to undertake the same training. How much is the training costing the Australian tax payer and why the inequity in funding arrangements favouring one commercial organsiation over another?
And pink batts still cause grief. Almost 12 months after the Department of Climate Change cancelled its failed pink batts program installers are still no closer to finalising their affairs. Some businesses have gone into liquidation, losing everything they have, while others have resorted to other more desperate means by attempting to take their own lives (which the Department is well aware of). Still the Department mismanages the clean-up of this disastrous insulation program. Not that you would know with a number of executives in the Department responsible for the program getting performance bonuses, awards or promotions as a result of their participation.”
There was another mention of the department in Tips and rumours on 10^th January 2011.

On 30^th January 2011 this public servant lost his job and on 7^th June 2011 his dismissal from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency was confirmed in a decision by Fair Work Australia. On 16^th September 2011 an appeal of this decision was dismissed.

Crikey was mentioned almost in the same breath as “potential breaches of the Australian Public Service (APS) Code of Conduct”. It seems Now with extra source has a dangerous ring to it if you want to walk those departmental corridors.

O'Farrell Government admits heavy metal contamination in NSW North Coast waterways will last for millions of years.....

…….as it prepares to allow the reactivation of the Hillgrove antimony mine which is the focus of much of this contamination and, looks favourably on the prospect of the re-opening of another old antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek in the Nymboida River system within the wider Clarence River catchment.

NSW Parliament Legislative Council Hansard 8 September 2011:

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: I have to make an admission: the Government helped the Hon. Jeremy Buckingham with his question. That is why it is comprehensible and I am able to answer it. The Office of Environment and Heritage was notified that stormwater was overflowing from a dam at the Hillgrove mine, east of Armidale, at 11.45 a.m. on Monday 29 August 2011. The mine is currently not operating but is in care-and-maintenance mode. The spill occurred after continued wet weather produced excess stormwater which exceeded the amount of water that could be stored in the dam. When the mine is operating the stormwater normally would have been used for mineral processing.

As a result, staff of the Office of Environment and Heritage in Armidale notified NSW Health, the Premier's regional coordinator and, subsequently, Kempsey Shire Council and appropriate district emergency officers, and began an investigation into the incident. Run-off from goldmines can contain heavy metals. Therefore, both the company Straits (Hillgrove) Gold Pty Ltd and NSW Health undertook water quality monitoring to provide information to inform the appropriate response. I am advised that historic mining from more than 100 years ago and erosion of highly mineralised soils have deposited a plume of material containing heavy metals in the river system from the Hillgrove area to the Pacific Ocean, an area of approximately 200 kilometres. That is quite a plume. I am further advised that the plume will continue to release elevated levels of heavy metals through physical, biological and chemical processes for millennia. [my bolding]

The response from Clarence Valley residents was predicably firm, as evidenced by this opinion piece written by The Daily Examiner editor on 12 October 2011:

Digging up dirt on mine

 “The spill occurred after continued wet weather produced excess stormwater which exceeded the amount of water that could be stored in the dam.”

THE NSW Minister for Finance, Greg Pearce, may have inadvertently rung an enormous alarm bell for Clarence Valley residents with comments last month about the Hillgrove antimony mine, east of Armidale.

Mr Pearce, who represents the environment minister in the Upper House, was asked by Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham what the government was doing to ensure a proposed antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek did not pollute the Nymboida River.

Mr Buckingham said there had been evidence of contamination from the Hillgrove mine and wanted to know what was being done to prevent contamination of the Nymboida or further contamination of the Macleay from the existing pollution.

Mr Pearce initially shrugged off the question, suggesting he didn’t understand what Mr Buckingham was asking.

But later he returned and said: “The Office of Environment and Heritage was notified that stormwater was overflowing from a dam at the Hillgrove mine, east of Armidale, at 11.45am on Monday, August 29, 2011. The mine is currently not operating but is in care-and-maintenance mode. The spill occurred after continued wet weather produced excess stormwater which exceeded the amount of water that could be stored in the dam.”

“I am advised that historic mining from more than 100 years ago and erosion of highly mineralised soils have deposited a plume of material containing heavy metals in the river system from the Hillgrove area to the Pacific Ocean, an area of approximately 200km. That is quite a plume. I am further advised that the plume will continue to release elevated levels of heavy metals through physical, biological and chemical processes for millennia.”

Mr Pearce, we want absolute guarantees there will be no leaching of toxins into the Nymboida and subsequently the Clarence, and if that means no mining, so be it.

Photo of Greg Pearce from NSW Parliament House Full Ministry in Both Houses webpage

This Japanese Minister just told Australia to Get Farked!

Japan Broadcasting Corporation:

“Fisheries minister Michihiko Kano says Japan will resume research whaling in the Antarctic Ocean this year with strengthened defenses against anti-whaling campaigners.
Speaking at a news conference after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Kano said a patrol boat of the Fisheries Agency will this time join the whaling vessels. He said research whaling will be conducted with increased protection against obstructions.
In February, Japan suspended whaling in the Antarctic Ocean after repeated disruptions by the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd. 4 whalers had been operating in the Antarctic since December 2010 and were due to continue until April this year.
Kano said Japan aims to resume commercial whaling and that it needs to continue research whaling for that purpose.
He said Japan would appeal for a restart of commercial operations at the International Whaling Commission by continuing accurate monitoring of whale stocks through scientific whaling.”

Planting carbon price opinions on the Parliament House lawns in October 2011

In the real world....

In the digital world....

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When it comes to Tony Abbott - plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

http://youtu.be/CbRpxd3_EH0

O'Farrell Government treats people of the NSW North Coast with open contempt

From A Clarence Valley Protest on 9 October 2011:

Living in regional New South Wales often leads one to suspect that any state government of the day and its minsters rarely display an understanding of (or empathy with)  the aspirations, problems or concerns of distant local communities.

This was clearly demonstrated when a question raising concerns on behalf of residents and ratepayers living on the NSW North Coast in the Dorrigo, Belligen, Coffs Harbour and Clarence Valley districts was put to the Coalition Government in the NSW Legislative Council last month.

Highlighted below the contemptuous, party-politics-before-people response which was given by the O’Farrell Government:

The Hon. JEREMY BUCKINGHAM: My question is directed to the Minister for Finance and Services, representing the Minister for the Environment. I thank the Minister for his detailed answer previously revealing that the Macleay River has been contaminated by the Hillgrove antimony mine for millennia—which is thousands of years, in case he does not remember. Ancoa has a proposal to reopen the Hillgrove antimony mine responsible for much of this contamination. Anchor Resources plans a new antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek at the top of the Nymboida River. Given the toxicity of antimony and history of contamination, what is the Government doing to ensure that these mines will not further contaminate the Macleay River and contaminate the Nymboida River?

The Hon. GREG PEARCE: Last week I commented upon the member's North Korean controller and the need to translate his questions from Korean to code, then from code to Korean, and then from Korean to English. I said that his questions are garbled. If anyone could make sense of that question, I invite them to answer it for me. I could not follow it at all—I really could not. I invite the member to put the question on notice to get a detailed answer.

[NSW Parliament, Hansard,14 September 2011]

Attention Aussie ISPs: who's laying bets on how long the Movie Rights Group will survive?

I’m laying bets ;-) as to how long the Australian company Movie Rights Group manages to stay afloat and keep its legal attack dog onside, as it endeavours to get hard cash from people it alleges breached copyright and illegally downloaded movies 'owned' by Lightening Entertainment, a Santa Monica-based sales and distribution company.

For heaven's sake, The Movie Rights Group's spokesman doesn't even appear to realise that Lightening Entertainment doesn't actually hold the film copyright of Kill the Irishman.

This is what is known so far…………….

ABC News on the 5th October 2011 ran this interesting information:

Australian internet service provider (ISP) Exetel says it has been approached by a firm acting on behalf of the film's copyright holder Lightning Entertainment and asked if it would be able to hand over the names and addresses of internet users.

Exetel boss John Linton says the Movie Rights Group – a Gold Coast-based organisation representing the interests of Lightning Entertainment – approached his company’s lawyers asking whether Exetel would be able to provide the names and addresses of 150 of its IP users were an Australian court to issue a subpoena…..

In the blog post, published on Exetel's website but behind a paywall, Mr Linton suggested the Movie Rights Group's positioning could be part of a "US extortion scam" but said it looked to be "real" and "properly thought through".

"What may or may not transpire from here is not possible, at least for me, to assess," he wrote.

The Age coloured the picture in further on the 8^th October 2011:

Movie Rights Group was set up a year ago by two brothers, and does not appear to be connected to studio groups or copyright organisations.

It was registered in November 2010 to New Zealand-born Matthew Wade Clapham and Richard Dean Clapham, according to documents lodged with the corporate regulator. Matthew Clapham declined to comment yesterday.

The Movie Rights Group had this to say on its website as of 10th October 2011:

Settlement

Settling quickly is an easy process that may well avoid costly and time-consuming Court appearances. Upon settling your matter, you'll be issued with a full release of liability. Your settlement terms and personal information will be kept strictly confidential.

If, however, you decide not to settle and wish your matter to be heard in Court, we strongly suggest you engage a lawyer as soon as possible.

Full details of how to settle are contained in your infringement notice.

Here is an excerpt from Gordon Walker’s Linked in brag page viewed on the 10th October 2011:

Gordon Walker's Experience

VP Sales and Marketing

Movie Rights Group LLC

Internet industry

2010 – Present (1 year)

Founder and CEO

Munro Medical Pty Ltd

Medical Devices industry

October 1997 – March 2002 (4 years 6 months) Queensland, Australia

Imported, sold and leased Hospital Grade infant respiration monitors for "SIDS at risk babies" to hospitals, public health services, local area health services and individuals throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Founder and CEO

Munro & Kay Pty Ltd

Real Estate industry

February 1987 – March 2002 (15 years 2 months) Queensland, Australia

Company formed to build and renovate residential properties on the northern end of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Gordon Walker's Education

Royal Australian Air Force OTS

Advanced Diploma Aviation, Air Traffic Control

1975 – 1980

Australian Joint Anti Submarine School

Anti Submarine Warfare

Australian Joint Warfare Establishment

Joint Operations

Department of Transport (ATG)

Civilian Air Traffic Control course

RAAF School of Air Traffic Control

Air Traffic Control

Gordon Walker's Additional Information

Websites:

Company Website

Groups and Associations:

Leukaemia Foundation, Surf Life Saving Australia, Guide Dogs, SIDS for Kids

Honors and Awards:

Air Force Commendation

So does any of the above information lay to rest the voiced suspicion that Movie Rights Group's positioning could be part of a "US extortion scam" or the possibility that Movie Rights Group may not have a very long business life?

Well the only people associated with the company who've gone public are:

1.  Gordon Walker who claims to have founded Munro Medical Pty Ltd a current corporation with a registered address at Murwillumbah as well as being listed as having premises in Ballina on the NSW North Coast (although the deregistered company which most matched his published timeline above is here) and, Munro & Kay Pty Ltd a defunct Queensland company which commenced sometime between 1987 & 1991 and applied for deregistration in 1992, but if the Linked in entry is correct continued to trade until 2002.

2. Matthew Wade Clapham and Richard Dean Clapman who were directors of a New Zealand company, Ram Productions Limited which came into being in 1999 and was deregistered in 2006 according to the NZ Register of Companies.

Matthew appears to have been a shareholder in another New Zealand company, C.M.R. Productions Limited – which unsurprisingly was deregistered in 2005 five years after it was born.

UPDATE:

Internet Media Productions is a 10 year-old Queensland company which was deregistered in August 2011.
WebTrafficAgents.com lists this company and Matthew Clapman as the registrants for pornconductor.com.
Whois also records the company and Matthew as registrants for throatsex.com.
While WooRank still lists the company and Matthew as registrants for seductivepornmovies.com.
Though I think he may have sold on or anonymised two of those sites by now.

FURTHER UPDATE:

MSM finally catches up with the p0rn angle and finds more websites - as well as publishing photos of the Clapham brothers.
*http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/playing-dirty-20111017-1ltam.html
*http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/porn-link-tipped-in-net-piracy-case-20111017-1ltex.html
Bet those boys are starting to feel sorry they ever approached Extel!