Andrew Robb comes out in defence of his host, Huawei

One of those tsk, tsk moments....

National Times 28 March 2012:

The opposition finance spokesman, Andrew Robb, has stood by his comments blasting the government for blocking the Chinese telecommunications equipment company, Huawei, from tendering for work with the National Broadband Network, despite the government decision being based on advice from the security agency, ASIO.

Excerpt from Australian Opposition Finance Spokesperson Andrew Robb’s Declaration of Member’s Interests dated 23 January 2012:

UPDATE

The Australian 29 March 2012:

BRITAIN'S intelligence services were forced to erect a costly, resource-intensive auditing structure to ensure Huawei did not steal secrets after the Chinese telco was allowed to take part in a British broadband project.
As Foreign Minister Bob Carr moved to soothe tensions with Beijing, encouraging Huawei to expand its commercial operations in Australia in lieu of lucrative National Broadband Network contracts, the country's top signals intelligence expert, Des Ball, said yesterday there was "no doubt" Huawei partnered with China's espionage services.
Professor Ball, of Australian National University, said officers from Britain's Government Communications Headquarters, the country's top signals intelligence agency, had told him they had to check all the servers, routers, chips and hardware installed by Huawei after the company was allowed to take part in a large-scale broadband project in Britain. "And they still don't have any guarantee they picked everything up," he said....

Perhaps, Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop needs to check the software which came with that Media Pad Huawei Technologies (Aust) gave her as a gift earlier this year.

Greens renew call for Dorrigo Plateau mines ban

Greens renew call for Dorrigo Plateau mine ban

Excerpts from Media Release: 22 March 2012

Greens NSW MP John Kaye has joined the Dorrigo Environment Watch  in calling for the Dorrigo Plateau to be declared a 'no mine zone' to protect the regions river systems and water supply…...

  

Dr Kaye said: "The Dorrigo antimony mining proposals is playing Russian roulette with the environment and downstream residents' health.

"The O'Farrell government knows that he Dorrigo Plateau is entirely unsuitable for antimony mining.

"Antimony mining, high rainfall and steep terrain is a highly risky combination. 

"The Nymboida and Clarence rivers would likely suffer as toxic pollutants including arsenic and antimony are washed out of the mine and into the catchments that supply drinking and agricultural water.

"The O'Farrell Government has reneged on their pre-election promise to create mining 'no-go' zones in sensitive areas.

"The Dorrigo Plateau catchment supplies water for fisheries, agriculture and domestic consumption.

"Antimony mining would put at risk the local environment and the economy and threaten the livelihood of farmers and the health of residents.

"The O'Farrell Government has failed to rule out Anchor Resources' proposal for a revitalised and expanded antimony mine at Wild Cattle Creek, despite strong community opposition and the environmental and health risks it would create.

"The antimony mine at Hillgrove continues to leach toxic heavy metals into the surrounding environment with several spills reported last year and residents told not to pump from the Macleay River.

"The O'Farrell government should learn the lesson from contamination of the Macleay River and prohibit antimony mining on the Dorrigo Plateau.

"Dorrigo Environment Watch have been monitoring the effects that exploration and mining have had on the local environment.

"Frustrated by years of inaction by successive state governments, they are seeking international intervention. UNESCO have been asked to protect the pristine Godwana Rainforests from mining contamination.

"The Greens are calling on the O'Farrell Government  to recognise the threat that antimony mining poses to the Dorrigo ecosystem and rule out any future mining projects in the Plateau area" Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

April to June 2012 may be good weather for ducks in the NSW Northern Rivers region

National Seasonal Rainfall Outlook: probabilities for April to June 2012, issued 21st March 2012 by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

Wetter season favoured for much of eastern Australia
The national outlook for April to June 2012 shows the following:

  large parts of eastern Australia more likely to have a wetter season

  southeast SA, western and central Victoria, and Tasmania more likely to have a drier season

This outlook is mostly due to warmer than normal waters over the Indian Ocean.

The chances of receiving above median rainfall for April to June are above 60% over south eastern Queensland and the north eastern half of NSW, rising to a greater than 75% chance over the far northeast of NSW and southeast of Queensland. Such odds mean that for every ten years with similar ocean patterns like the current, about six to eight years would be expected to be wetter than average over these areas, while about two to four years would be expected to be drier during the April to June period…….

Albanese has been keeping score on Abbott's Noalition

Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Leader of the House and Federal Member for Grayndler, in full battle cry in The Australian on 23 March 2012:

Noalition Bowling - 0 to 301

The US Republican Party has been dubbed the ‘Party of No’ for its program of perpetual obstruction.  Or, as former presidential hopeful Sarah Palin helpfully described it, the ‘Party of Hell No’. The Republican how-to manual seems to be firmly in the grasp of Tony Abbott as he sets out each day to rally his Noalition troops. There is nothing constructive in this manual. There is nothing in it about building a better Australia. Its sole instruction is to oppose everything and, hopefully, destroy the government in the process.  And, just like in the US, the conservative leader is aided by his friends outside the Parliament with very deep pockets.

It’s hard to imagine the despair then, at the conclusion of the autumn session, as Coalition troops head home for the recess. For the Gillard Labor Government has just achieved something of a milestone with the passing of the 300^th bill through the House of Representatives. All the bluster, all the raucousness, all the desperate opposition to everything, has not actually translated into any parliamentary success for this Opposition which has failed to knock back one single bill.

Prime Minister Gillard promised the Australian people a year of delivery and that is what they have been given. Most recently, we passed the Mining Resources Rent Tax, spreading the benefits of the mining boom to everyday Australians. The money raised will fund a major tax break for Australia’s 2.7 million small businesses, cut company tax, give more  superannuation for all workers particularly the lowest paid, and fund critical new roads, bridges and rail lines for our mining regions.

We also passed legislation giving the nation’s truck drivers better protection and entitlements, something that’s been called for since 1979. This will cut the incentive to chase dangerous deadlines, making our roads safer not just for them but for the rest of us as well. And then there’s the means testing of private health insurance, a commonsense change that will mean working people will no longer be funding the medical insurance of people like me who can afford to pay our own way.

Sticking to his Noalition principles, Tony Abbott has taken on the historic mission of repealing just about every piece of Labor legislation. Goodbye mining tax, pension cuts, extra super for low paid workers. No more investment in clean energy technology, the end of the National Broadband Network, trade training centres and computers in schools. And that would only be the beginning.

As we advance our legislative program the Opposition’s tactics have become ever more desperate and disruptive. Already this year, 48 Coalition MPs have been thrown out of the House by the Speaker. The worst offenders have been Bronwyn Bishop and Joe Hockey (four times) closely followed by Christopher Pyne, George Christensen and Kelly O’Dwyer (three times).  We even had the spectacle of Tony Abbott’s chief of staff being threatened with expulsion following her vocal heckles from the staff benches.

Then there’s the near daily attempt by Tony Abbott to suspend standing orders. This action, intended for only the gravest matters, has been trivialised by this Leader of the Opposition who sees it as nothing more than a chance for a night-time news grab. But by cutting short Question Time, he avoids what has until now been the Opposition’s traditional job: holding the Government accountable.

His demands for suspensions have cost this 43^rd Federal parliament 12 full question times that could have been spent challenging the Government on the economy, our health reform, infrastructure investment, anything really. Of the first 100 questions they have asked, there were only three on jobs, one on the surplus and one on the cost of living.

In a few months, this Government will reach its second birthday. The question all Australians should be asking is when will we see an Opposition that puts their interests first? When will we see an Opposition that treats the Parliament with respect? Shrill carping and scary slogans are no alternative to intelligent debate and policy. It’s time the Opposition did its job.

Question & Answer of the Month

Tony Abbott Australain Leader of the Opposition

An exchange in the comments section of a Granny Herald article on 20^th March 2012:

Is there no depth to which Abbott will not descend?

Steve

March 19, 2012, 10:12AM

No. Abbott can sink MUCH further, believe me.

Morandir

Marrickville

March 19, 2012, 10:22AM

NSWALC told to show its face over mining exploration plans

Patsy Nagas

Northern Rivers Echo 22 March 2012:

Former Kyogle councillor and Aboriginal woman Patsy Nagas also challenged NSW Aboriginal Land Council CEO Geoff Scott to come and face local people. She expressed anger at the Sydney-based land council's application for petroleum exploration licences in the region.

"It's breaking cultural protocol to start with… It's someone else giving away someone else's country," she said.

She claimed the Githabul people had already signed over land that they claimed through Native Title near The Risk and The Lions Road for mining exploration. She said the issue was of great concern and there needed to be deeper discussion about the implications for Aboriginal people and their land.

Byron Shire News 16 March 2012:

"It is another spiritual country; it is not (Mr Scott's) country and it is up to the people of that area."

The Northern Star 13 March 2012:

Bundjalung elder and Gugin Guddaba Local Aboriginal Land Council deputy chairwoman Patsy Nagas also said her group were strongly opposed to the development of coal seam gas in the region.  

Photograph from Google Images

The James Hardie alleged compensation fund scam drags on through the courts into 2012

Lawyers Weekly March 2011:

“On Friday the High Court also granted leave to appeal to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) against a decision by the NSW Court of Appeal in December last year that overturned fines of $30,000 and five-year corporate board suspensions against seven former non-executive directors of James Hardie.”

High Court of Australia:

Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Shafron; Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Terry; Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Hellicar; Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Brown; Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Gillfillan; Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Koffel; Australian Securities and Investments Commission v O'Brien; Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Willcox; Shafron v Australian Securities and Investments Commission

S174/2011—S181/2011; S173/2011: [2011] HCATrans 293; [2011] HCATrans 294; [2011] HCATrans 295.

And it's not over yet.