CGS FREE! Northern Rivers. In solidarity with those citizens raising their voices in Sydney on 1 May 2012

Will it be tears before bedtime for Australian Governments lured by SAIC's siren song?

SAIC Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) registered in Queensland since 1990 and located in Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne. Ii appears to do business with the Commonwealth and state governments.

According to IT News For Business on 16 April 2012 SAIC has plans:

Science Applications International Corporation has revealed plans to create a regional cyber security research and development centre in Melbourne.

The R&D centre will create 50 jobs over the next three years, according to a statement by the Victorian State Government.

The jobs will be in the areas including high-end defence simulation and "related defence areas".

Specifically, the centre will research data mining and analysis systems, such as SIAC's enterprise search tool TeraText, and its subsidiary's deep packet inspection software, CloudShield……

SAIC has an existing office presence in Queensland and Victoria, and 41,000 employees worldwide.

Then there was this potted history of the corporation in The Washington Post on 22 April 2012:

Last week in these pages, The Post ran a profile of John Jumper, the straight arrow former Air Force general who was brought in as chief executive of local contracting giant SAIC in the wake of an embarrassing overbilling scandal involving bribery, kickbacks, foreign shell corporations and a safe deposit box stuffed with $850,000 in cash.

A year ago company officials were publicly denying that there were any problems at all with its contract to build a new timecard system for New York City, which by then was so late and so over budget that “CityTime” had become a frequent target for the New York tabloids and political embarrassment for Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

It was just last June that SAIC executives and directors first informed shareholders that there might be a little $2.5 million overbilling problem with the contract and that federal prosecutors had brought criminal charges against six employees of an SAIC subcontractor. Shareholders had to read deep into Note 9 of that quarterly report to learn that there might be “a reasonable possibility of additional exposure to loss that is not currently estimable” that “could have a material adverse impact” on the company’s finances.

It was just six months ago that SAIC got around to firing the three executives who were supposed to oversee the New York operations and letting shareholders know that the board of directors had formed a special committee and hired a couple of law firms to get to the bottom of things.

And it was a month ago that SAIC, acknowledging its responsibility in failing to detect a bribery and kickback conspiracy going on right under its corporate nose, agreed to repay the city $500 million of the $635 million it had received for the completed CityTime system. The settlement will allow SAIC to avoid criminal prosecution and the almost certain debarment from government contracting work that would follow.

Now with the appointment of a new chief executive, SAIC wants to assure everyone that the problems have been fixed and that the company has regained its “entrepreneurial spirit” and returned to its “core values.”……

This is what SAIC told the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications in a submission on 19 February 2011:

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) was founded in 1969 by Dr. J.Robert Beyster on the premise of attracting creative and pragmatic technical people to solve the world’s most difficult problems. Today it is a diversified technical company with business in energy, health, national security, environment, and critical infrastructure. SAIC’s 43,000 personnel are committed to meeting the needs of our customers and growing technology markets. The company is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, and we have business operations in Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland among other locations around the world.

Since the 1990s, SAIC has been involved in high-speed networking and high performance computing initiatives, and through our “spun out” subsidiaries (i.e., Network Solutions, Telcordia, ANXeBusiness, etc.) we participated in the growth of the Internet into its now critical place in global communication, economic, social and information infrastructure. As the Internet has grown, we have worked to develop applications that leverage these capabilities to help government improve service delivery (including eGovernment, education, etc.), and help critical infrastructure industries (energy, health, etc.) enhance their effectiveness. SAIC has also been a leader in the rapid development and integration of cybersecurity systems and components that have become required underpinning frameworks for the expansion of these large scale network architectures.

While this is what Pogo.org is telling the world on its Federal Contractor Misconduct Database:

SAIC

SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) is a scientific, engineering and technology applications company. It works extensively with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and the intelligence agencies. Founded by J. Robert Beyster, Ph.D., and a small group of scientists in 1969, SAIC and its subsidiaries now have approximately 41,000 employees worldwide.

Federal Contract $: $6861.6m

Total Number of Instances: 13

Total Misconduct dollar amount: $ 533.3m

Can Australian governments afford this corporation?

North Coast Voices in May 2012

Due to a combination of illness, family commitments and travel, most of North Coast Voices regular contributors will be missing for much of this month.
Leaving me to do a daily post or two over this period.
I will try to cover the topics usually written about by my compatriots, however I hope regular readers of this blog will bear with me if I do not manage to explore these subjects as fully as they have come to expect from this blog.

NSW North Coast residents head to Sydney for Anti-CSG Rally on 1 May 2012

Opinion piece Protest hitting its mark**  by The Daily Examiner journalist Terry Deefholts on 30 April 2012, as NSW North Coast residents and Dirtgirl head to Sydney:

SHORT of a war against an invading enemy, it's difficult to recall an issue that has united such a cross-section of the Australian community as coal-seam gas mining.
As the momentum for tomorrow's rally against CSG mining on productive land gathers steam, some other developments are having an equally large impact on the industry.
Websites opposed to CSG are updated several times a day with articles outlining spills, leaks and general bad behaviour from mining companies, but one article stood out in the past 48 hours.
The news, as reported in The Sun-Herald, that the Chinese Government had pulled the plug on $10 billion in mining-related investments in Australia is loaded with questions.
Quoting mining industry sources, the article stated the Shenhua Group, which spent $600 million developing a coal mine in Gunnedah, will no longer pursue plans to spend a further $9 billion across the country.
Shenhua, it said, told the department of the Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson that it would take its money to mining projects in African Mongolia because of "political interference" and regulatory roadblocks it experienced under the NSW Coalition Government in NSW.
While the loss of such a large investment is hardly a thing to celebrate financially, indeed it will have a terrible impact on north-west NSW if it proves true. The NSW Government can hardly be blamed for putting in place moratoriums to protect water resources and land for its constituents. Food and water security should not be negotiable for anyone and they clearly overrule some company's right to a profit.
The Examiner wishes a safe journey to those who are making the effort to get to Sydney tomorrow to have the community's voice heard on this topic.
A special shout-out to dirtgirl, CVACSG members and The Gas Girls, who will be resplendent in gold.

** It is interesting to note that the reported threat by China Shenhua Energy Company Limited’s Shenhua Group (which owns Shenhua Watermark Coal Pty Limited operating in north-west NSW) is apparently not one it has relayed to any other interested parties and, it is going ahead with its community consultations at Gunnedah in May and expects to begin construction in 2013 according to its website. Any theat probably has more to do with the hard-line bargaining position it takes with state governments and any short-term mining activity economizing this multinational corporation might possibly be considering in NSW may have as more to do with its intention to purchase a $7.9 billion energy asset in China.

North Coast Regional Environment Conference, Coffs Harbour 5-6 May 2012

North Coast Regional Environment Conference, Coffs Harbour May 5 and 6

Venue: Cavanbah Centre, 191 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour [admission free – donation requested for lunch]

NCC and conference hosts North Coast Environment Council (NCEC) have announced an exciting regional conference agenda for 2012.The North Coast Environment Council is hosting the Nature Conservation Council of NSW annual regional environment conference in Coffs Harbour on May 5 and 6.

Saturday, May 5, the focus will be on mining. With Coal Seam Gas threatening to devour the Northern Rivers, Coal eating up the Hunter Valley and Antimony and Gold huge threats to the Dorrigo Plateau and the coastal rivers including the Macleay and Clarence... it's time to get a regional picture and plan a regional response.

There will be a range of speakers including Bev Smiles who has watched coal eat the villages of the Hunter; Sue Higginson from the Environmental Defenders Office on legal options to protect land, water and community; and Aidan Ricketts, one of the creative thinkers behind the Northern Rivers Community Strategy to Lock Out CSG.
May 6, the focus will be on creating Healthy Landscapes with a panel discussion on the Canary in the Coalmine... but in this case it's the disappearing Koala in our Forests.

The afternoon of May 6 there will be a couple of options for field trips.

Follow the link below to find out more and register.

http://www.nccnsw.org.au/events/ncc-regional-conference-2012

[By email 29 April 2012]

April 2012: Abbott's month that was..........

 

On 29 April 2012 Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott called for the approximately 93,661 voters in the federal electorate of Dobell in NSW to be immediately disenfranchised after he heard that their elected representative since 2007, Craig Thomson MP, had resigned from the Australian Labor Party and moved onto the parliamentary cross-benches as an Independent.

Again on 29 April Sky News revealed Abbott’s personal reference for then Coalition MP Peter Slipper:

On Sunday Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne defended Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's personal reference for Mr Slipper's preselection campaign at the 2007 election which praised the Sunshine Coast MP.

"Tony Abbott has always been famously generous with his colleagues and his friends. It doesn't surprise me at all that he would write a reference of that nature," Mr Pyne told Sky News.

Also on 29 April  the Northern Rivers Echo reported that the highest levels of the Howard Government (in which Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was then a senior minister) had known about and attempted to conceal Peter Slipper's parliamentary travel expense allowance difficulties:

AN ''urgent'' ministerial briefing note to the former special minister of state Eric Abetz warned that as far back as 2002 something was amiss with Peter Slipper's family travel expenses.

The note, obtained by The Sun-Herald under freedom-of-information laws, reveals Mr Abetz and other ministers were advised Mr Slipper had been spoken to ''on various occasions'' about his family travel entitlements, yet continued making expense claims that broke the rules.

Other documents obtained under FOI reveal the Howard government at the time prepared a brief titled ''hot issues'' just in case the matter was raised in an estimates hearing.

The suggested response was to say Mr Slipper had repaid the $5079.40 owing to the Commonwealth but in the background notes, headlined ''not for release'', it said ''Mr Slipper was critical of departmental processes in identifying apparent travel outside of entitlement.......

Elsewhere it was reported that known Abbott ally Senator Santo Santoro had supported Slipper's continued pre-selection in Fisher, before his own ministerial fall from grace in 2007. Abbott later voted for Santoro in his successful bid to become vice-president of the political arm of the Liberal Party in 2011.

The Sunshine Coast Daily on 25 April takes Abbott to task for trying to rewrite his history with Peter Slipper:

Tony Abbott lied on Monday night when he told the ABC he had been in the process of shepherding Mr Slipper out of parliament when Julia Gillard made him Speaker.

How can that be true? Mr Abbott and his then Prime Minister John Howard wrote letters to Liberal members in Fisher urging them to back Peter Slipper in a preselection contest with Glenn Garrick and Harry Burnett.

Mr Abbott's office was the source of the press release Mr Slipper put out explaining his reasons for accepting the PM's offer of the deputy speakership even after he absented himself from the Liberal Party room vote that selected Bruce Scott as its nomination for the job.

On 24 April The Australian carries Abbott's denial that Coalition staffers didn't help prepare the sexual harassment case against Speaker Peter Slipper, but didn't mention the newspaper's previous claim that Coalition political operatives began leaking to it after Slipper's defection or that Abbott had particular friendships with senior staff at The Australian.

News.com.au on 24 April points to Abbott’s troubles with the calendar:

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was a week out when talking about the cost of borrowing being cut, apparently confusing the release of inflation data with the Reserve Bank's board meeting.

He told reporters today: "Should the Reserve Bank lower interest rates today, that will be welcomed.

"But that obviously is a matter for the bank."

On the same day and at the same news outlet, Abbott the man who became Parliamentary Leader of the Liberal Party and therefore also of the Coalition Opposition by a margin one solitary vote, woke to see this:

"I have been a good friend of Tony Abbott even when he didn't have many," Mr Slipper said on Twitter.

"I even delivered him the key vote he needed to become leader."

On 23 April the Fraser Coast Chronicle snapped Abbott in those red budgie smugglers and accidentally let us all know that this is one pollie who is beginning to pork up:

9 News on 20 April carries Abbott’s attempt to bury Joe Hockey’s bout of truth telling:

The coalition has no plans to abolish any welfare programs, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

Mr Abbott has again defended comments made by shadow treasurer Joe Hockey, who warned Australia needed to keep an eye on its welfare payouts.

Mr Hockey used a speech in London this week to criticise the "age of entitlement" in regard to social payments in western nations and urge development countries, including Australia, to means test them.

On 18 April one voter did what Australians do best – laughed at the political Abbott:

Tony Abbott has been brooding!
His budget plan’s been dissed! He can’t see why!
He’d billed it as a Magic Pudding!
Claims it’s better than Labor’s flat square pie!“I’ll safely manage Oz finances.
My team Catholic, church-going, good!
With atheist Gillard you’re taking chances.
Where’s her faith in a magic pud?...... (more here)

The Manly Daily outs Abbott on 17 April for coming second last in a competitive ocean swim:

The federal Liberal Warringah MP and Opposition Leader finished second-last in the 50-59 age group, with a time of 46 minutes 59 seconds. 

In The Australian on 16 April Abbott tries to distance himself from his finance spokesperson:

TONY Abbott has distanced himself from Andrew Robb's defence of ANZ's rate hike, saying it is not his place to dictate what banks should and shouldn't do.

In a rebuff to his finance spokesman, Mr Abbott said big banks were “quite capable of defending themselves” .

Gay rights protesters zero in on Abbott on 15 April as he dines with his “friend” Greg Sheridan, foreign editor of The Australian newspaper:

On April 12 The Canberra Times asked:

Is Australia ready for a Prime Minister in red budgie-smugglers, and what will our nation – or the world – look like with Tony Abbott in charge?

Finally, what would a month be without the sight of Abbott in lycra - as in this stage managed AAP One media shot on 1 April:

Battle of Two Valleys: Clarence & Lismore Councils vying for 2012 National Award for Excellence in Local Government

Clarence & Lismore councils vying for National Excellence Award

FEDERAL Member for Page Janelle Saffin has congratulated Clarence Valley and Lismore City councils on becoming category winners and finalists for the 2012 National Awards for Local Government.

“Clarence Valley Council and Lismore City Council are now in the running for the overall 2012 National Award for Excellence in Local Government, to be announced at a special presentation in Canberra in late June,” she said.

“Lismore City and Tweed Shire councils recently agreed to work with Northern Rivers-New South Wales Business Chamber regional manager John Murray on a great initiative to make local councils more ‘small business-friendly’.

“This is why I have asked Federal Minister for Local Government Simon Crean to consider adding another category to next year’s national awards aimed at encouraging closer relationships between the local government and small business sectors.”

Ms Saffin said Clarence Valley Council this year had added to its cabinet of previous national awards, taking out two of the 27 category awards and being commended in a third category.

These included:

• Winner for Regional Collaborations, for the Clarence Valley Industry Education Forum, a partnership initiative established in 2006 which aims to build the future of the Clarence’s young people as well as meeting industry and community needs. The forum has three current programs – ‘Career Link’, ‘Fresh Start’ and ‘Stellar’.
•  Winner for Engaging and Strengthening Indigenous Communities, for ‘Fresh Start’, a  school-to-work transition program for Aboriginal students and their families that tackles high Aboriginal youth employment.
• Commended for Innovation in Natural Resource Management for Building Innovative NRM Partnerships – A Success Story on the North Coast of New South Wales.

Ms Saffin also praised Lismore City Council’s Road Safety Officer Lisa Marshall and her team for winning the National Road Safety Council-sponsored Excellence in Road Safety Award for its ‘Drive To Conditions’ program.

“This integrated road safety program was developed in response to the high number of crashes occurring locally as well as consistent feedback from community members and local police that many motorists were not driving to conditions,” she said.

Information about the National Awards for Local Government can be found at http://www.regional.gov.au/

Friday, April 27, 2012.  Media Contact: Peter Ellem 0437 303 875.