Clarence By-election: Independent candidate failed Political Advertising 101

A how-to-vote advertisement placed in a local paper by an independent candidate contesting the Clarence By-election suggests the candidate who secured the donkey vote position on the ballot paper is a bit of a donkey himself.

The candidate's ad shows no signs of authorisation, which is a dead-set requirement. The Electoral Commission of NSW's advice to candidates isn't all that difficult to read and comprehend.

The Commission's website clearly states "once the Writs have been issued all electoral material (advertisements, how-to-vote cards, handbills, pamphlets, posters or notices) must include details of the name and full address of the person authorising the printing of the material, and the name of the printer and the full address at which it was printed.

If the electoral material is to be distributed on election day, it must also clearly identify the person, political party, organisation or group on whose behalf the material is to be distributed.
It is acceptable for electoral material not originally including this information to be amended by writing, stamping or overtyping the necessary details.
It is also necessary for any electoral material displayed on electronic billboards, digital road signs and the like to contain visible, legible characters indicating the name and address of the person who has authorised the display."

 

Source: The ad is in The Clarence Valley Review, 9/11/11

Murdoch press tries to make Australia believe it has been in the grip of a gimme culture since 2007

With predictable regularity the Murdoch media runs articles on the level of Centrelink welfare payments. This month it is the turn of The Telegraph with its erroneous headline Massive blow-out in dole queue above an article telling us that Centrelink "customers" have swollen to 7.1 million since 2007.

Now before anyone starts to feel that taxpayers are being overwhelmed by a gimme culture, it is highly likely that The Telegraph has lumped all payments sent out through Centrelink in this figure. Including payments for drought assistance, disaster relief, child care rebate, paid parental leave and Austudy to name a few.

When looking close to home, the combined resident population of the NSW North Coast and Mid-North Coast was an estimated 557,407 in 2010, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The unemployment rate on the North Coast in the March Quarter 2011 was 5.8% and the workforce participation rate was 55.3%. These rates indicate that there were less than 15,000 people out of work in thre first three months of the year.

The NSW unemployment rate was 4.8% and workforce participation rate was 64.2% over the same period. These percentages represent a distinct improvement.

Centrelink’s March 2011 quarterly report lists the main pensions, benefits and allowances paid in North Coast federal electorates:

Old Age Pension

Lyne 23,090

Cowper 20,474

Page 19,558

Richmond 15,880

Total  79,002

Carer Allowance

Cowper 5,220

Page 5,018

Lyne 5,102

Richmond 4,068

Total 19,408

Carer Payment

Cowper 2,306

Lyne 2,096

Page 2,031

Richmond 1,476

Total 7,909

Concession Cards

Lyne 2,280

Page 2,245

Richmond 2,137

Cowper 1,842

Total 8,504

Disability Support Pension

Cowper 9,383

Page 9,238

Richmond 8,069

Lyne 7,876

Total 34,566

Family Tax Benefit

Cowper 10,693

Page 10,264   

Richmond 10,066

Lyne 8,844

Total 39,867

Rent Assistance

Richmond 15,452

Cowper 14,143

Page 13,593

Lyne 12,200

Total 55,388

Wife’s Pension (Age)

Cowper 109

Lyne 107

Page 85

Richmond 62

Total 363

Wife’s Pension (Disability)

Cowper 183

Page 164

Lyne 156

Richmond 116

Total 619

Centrelink electorate data - March 2011

Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2009-10  

ABS LABOUR FORCE SURVEY NSW RESULTS FOR MARCH 2011

A contrarian's tale or Traps in the path of a preconceived position.

An object lesson on the ills of only reading material which agrees with your own preconceived position. Taken from Sceptic: one inclined to doubt accepted opinions  in The Bendigo Advertiser on November 6, 2011:

Stephen Harper: a contrarian's tale

1. What is your background?

I'm 51. I'm currently a builder. I also have a business degree and an applied science degree in wine science.

2. What sparked your interest in climate change?

The fact that a few years ago we were told the ''science is settled'' and anyone who asked any questions was an idiot and told to sit down and shut up.

My BS meter went off the radar and I started looking into it.

3. When did you become a sceptic?

Probably a couple of years ago; there was so much evidence, so many smoking guns. The whole point is we're meant to be sceptical. I'm just a product of the Enlightenment. If the people who want to put windmills all over the place were in charge 100 years ago, we wouldn't have half the technology or the lifestyle we've got today. They would have stopped everything.

4. What are your main sources of information?

I've read about 15 books. The first one was An Appeal to Reason: A Cool Look at Global Warming by former Thatcher government minister Nigel Lawson. Then there was Climate: The counter-consensus by Bob Carter. Websites? I look at wattsupwiththat.com and joannenova.com.au. Those two I find very interesting and fair.

5. What are your general political views?

I joined the Climate Sceptics Party two years ago, but I don't do anything. I probably would be libertarian. Each side of politics has got something to tell us … but the Greens are a complete disaster. I'd generally vote conservative. They're all corrupted, but it's the best of a bad bunch.

6. Do you ever have doubts?

It doesn't mean that some of these things aren't right to some extent, that humans are affecting the climate. I always want to keep an open mind and yes, we have caused some warming, but not very much; it's not catastrophic, it's not unprecedented, we just need to take a Bex and a good lie down and wait and see what happens.

7. Do you think there's a conspiracy to push global warming?

I do not think that there's a conspiracy to push global warming. There are many, many strands that keep the juggernaut rolling along. ''Noble cause corruption'' is a classic case in point. Morality has crept into science and some scientists have become convinced that the end justifies the means … This is never acceptable in science. There are elements of people in the United Nations who would love to have international government, but it's just one element of a much larger train that keeps rolling on.

And the errr..... plaudits for Abbott & his mob continue

“The immediate test of whether a party is fit to govern is the minerals resources rent tax (MRRT). In economic terms, it's a no-brainer, which is why the opposition's stance is such a worry. Either there are no brains, or the leadership is so pathetically shallow that they are prepared to damage the country to get the keys to the Lodge.” {The Sydney Morning Herald, Abbott's gross failure of economic credibility, 7th November 2011}

George Wagener Dislikes Coal Seam Gas Mining

George Wagener (left)

Greenridge, Casino NSW

Grazier

ex-Nationals member

Fighting Coal Seam Gas Mining

Supporting The Greens

according to J. Buckingham MLC (right)

Picture found at  yfrog.com/h3pivkhkj

Never a truer word on the subject of Tony Abbott

“Politicians don't come any more ferocious and brutal than Abbott. He reverted to the wild the moment he got his paws on the Liberal leadership.

His style is pure attack dog, as feral as you'd get. Everything, irrespective of merit, has to be opposed and torn to pieces…”

{Laurie Oakes in the Herald Sun 5^th November 2011}

Nationals candidate Chris Gulaptis forced to play third wheel?

Can Chris Gulaptis’ humilation get any deeper?  Rarely let outside his front gate without a minder and obviously not allowed to open his mouth in front of the media unless absolutely necessary. These pictures clearly show he has been reduced from the NSW Nationals' Clarence By-election ‘star’ to a mere cypher they hope to foist on the electorate before voters find out how little he knows about either politics or policy.

Gulaptis (centre in white shirt) plays third fiddle to the Clarence Valley Mayor

Gulaptis (far left) plays second banana to NSW Health Minister

Gulaptis (face obscured) plays passive casting extra in crowd scene