Robin Hood O'Farrell, giving to the rich and taking from the poor

NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard 14 June 2012:

Mr ROBERT FUROLO:……Today we face a new challenge. The decision of this heartless Government to use the Federal Government's carbon price payment to calculate the rent of public housing tenants is reprehensible. To attack the most vulnerable, the most disadvantaged, the elderly, the sick and the frail and to take their payment designed to offset the impacts of carbon pricing is just plain wrong. What makes this worse is that at the same time as the O'Farrell Liberal Government is hitting the most vulnerable with increased rent for public housing pensioners and families it is cutting the rent for jetties and pontoons for millionaires and their waterfront homes. That is right: hit the pensioners in public housing with a rent increase and cut rent for millionaires in waterfront properties. What kind of topsy-turvy world is this? What does that say about the Government's values? [my emphasis]

If you think this couldn't happen in Australia then blithely vote Libs or Nats at next federal election

If you think that a Tony Abbott federal government couldn’t possibly encourage state policies which resulted in this type of barbarity then vote for a Coalition candidate at the next election:

“an Escanaba woman sentenced to 30 days in jail because she is too poor to reimburse the court for her son’s stay in a juvenile detention facility.
Like many people in these desperate economic times, Ms. Nowlin was laid off from work, lost her home and is destitute,” said Michael J. Steinberg, ACLU of Michigan Legal Director. “Jailing her because of her poverty is not only unconstitutional, it’s unconscionable and a shameful waste of resources. It is not a crime to be poor in this country and the government must stop resurrecting debtor’s prisons from the dustbin of history.”
In December 2008, Ms. Nowlin’s 16-year-old son was sentenced to the Bay Pines Center and Ms. Nowlin was ordered to pay $104 per month for his lodging. At the time of this order, Ms. Nowlin was homeless and working part-time with a friend after being laid off from her job. She told the court that she was unable to pay the ordered amount, however the judge found her in contempt for failing to pay. In addition, Ms. Nowlin’s requests for a court appointed attorney were denied.
Since March 3, 2009, Ms. Nowlin has been serving her sentence at the Delta County Jail. On March 6, 2009, she was released for one day to work. Once released she picked up her $178.53 check from work thinking that she now could pay the $104.00 to get out of jail. However, upon her return to jail that evening, the sheriff forced her to sign over her check to the jail to cover $120.00 for “room and board.” She was also charged $22 for a drug test and the booking fee.”

If you are not sure, maybe you should consider voting for anyone but Abbott & Co.

A $64 question: who is the current Member for Clarence?

Chris Gulaptis, a bloke who's keeping a green leather bench in the NSW Lower House warm, must spend half his time looking over his shoulder to see what his old mate Steve "Scandal" Cansdell is up to.

The occupants of premises in the village of Harwood Island have a poster of their pin-up boy on the wall of their building. And guess what! It's not Chris. Yes, that's right, it's good old Steve.

That has to be a real vote of confidence for the newcomer.

Public sector job cuts in the Clarence Valley - community forum to be held in Grafton

The Northern Rivers Rocks To Protect Its Tomorrows

http://vimeo.com/43886948

This is the first trailer for the forthcoming music movie ROCK THE GATE! The film will be out on DVD and in selected cinemas in August 2012. Featuring performers and activists including Xavier Rudd, OKA, Dubmarine, Steady Eddy, Brian Monk, Drew Hutton and S Sorrenson, as well as the people of the Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia.

Original music in this trailer from Luke Vassella, who also appears in the film. All proceeds will go to Lock the Gate Northern Rivers to fight the scourge of coal seam gas. If you love the trailer, tell your friends! This will be the music movie of the event that ROCKED the Northern Rivers!

Director/co-producer: David Lowe. Lead camera/editor: Pancho Colladetti. Co-producers Amanda Doran, Nora Savona and Heather McDiarmid. Rock the Gate event organisers Amanda Doran, Amanda Shoebridge and Elly Bird.

Sorta says it all about the JuLIAR crew

http://youtu.be/qbMUpimQbHw

"Banned Julia Gillard Election Commercial"
Gotta be a spoof...

Metgasco and Richmond Valley Council partners in unlawfully dumping of coal seam gas mining wastewater

These articles raise as many questions as answers about the apparently cosy relationship between Metgasco and Richmond Valley Council mayor, councillors, senior management - remembering Mayor Col Sullivan supported Cr. Stuart George's decision to become a land administration officer with this CSG mining company in 2011.

Lock the Gate Northern Rivers:

Lock the Gate Northern Rivers has received confirmation from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) that Metgasco have been disposing of wastewater from its coal seam gas exploration activities illegally at the Casino Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) for almost a year.
This wastewater disposal practice represents a violation of both the gas company’s water management plan as well as the Richmond Valley Council’s STP license and both parties have been told by the EPA to stop immediately.
This information is contained in a letter from the EPA to lawyers acting for Lock the Gate Northern Rivers which was received late last week. A copy of the letter is available on request.
“We found out in March that Metgasco may be removing wastewater from their holding ponds to stop them overflowing and raised our concerns with Richmond Valley Council at that time,” said Boudicca Cerese, spokesperson for Lock the Gate Alliance Northern Rivers.
“Council then referred the matter to the EPA who have now confirmed that Metgasco have disposed of more than 1 million litres of CSG wastewater at the Casino sewage plant since March 2011 in breach of conditions for management of the plant.”
“This disposal practice makes it obvious that Metgasco’s holding ponds are unable to contain the volumes of wastewater produced in drilling operations, despite repeated assurances by them that the ponds are sufficient and will not overflow during heavy rainfall events.”
“The whole matter indicates complete disregard by Metgasco of the regulations under which this industry is supposed to operate, an apparent lack of concern for the impacts of their activities on the environment, and an inability to properly manage the operations which they are undertaking”.
“What we are seeing is an abysmal failure of the current system to properly manage this harmful industry, with industry and local council both flouting existing regulations and a state government that is failing in its duty of care by neglecting to monitor and control the industry.”
“We are calling on the state government to suspend all of Metgasco’s CSG operations in the region and fully investigate their activities to ensure that no further unlawful practices are taking place.”
“It should not be up to local residents to monitor and report on these companies – that is the role of government and for all their talk about strengthening regulation of the industry, they are currently missing in action on this issue,” she said.

The Northern Star 13 June 2012:

But Metgasco has failed to see what all the fuss is about.
In a statement, chief executive Peter Henderson said that all of the company's operations, including the management of "produced water", was approved by "government authorities".
He also said the discharge was safe.
"We have independent technical advice that produced water ... can be discharged safely to the local sewage plant," he said.
Council general manager John Walker said the council had misinterpreted its licence conditions, but he said the council alerted the EPA after concerns regarding the practice were raised with the council.
"We did it, we thought it was okay, it's not okay so we won't do it any more," Mr Walker said.

On Saturday 8 September 2012 all NSW councils will hold an election, including Richmond Valley Council. Something residents and ratepayers might like to start thinking about right now.