The 'alleged' defamation that NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell is now trying to spin

 

Premier O'Farrell appears to believe that saying "alleged" absolved him of all blame in this report by ABC News 2 February 2013:

 

Mr McCardle is demanding an apology from Mr O'Farrell and says his client will take him to court for defamation if he does not.

But Mr O'Farrell says he does not see any need to apologise.

"I hasten to explain to Mr McCardle, who is a lawyer, that I did use the word allegations," he told Macquarie Radio.

"I didn't prejudge the allegations."

 

The Premier’s original statements

 

Snapshot from The National Times article Thomson's lawyer demands O'Farrell withdraw comments 1 February 2013:

 

 

"I think Mr Thomson and his lawyer need to calm down a bit - after all, the allegations surrounding Craig Thomson is that he was all too ready to take his clothes off in front of strangers in exchange for money."

 

And at 4.17 minutes into this YouTube video when he had to quickly bite his tongue just before "in front of strangers" in an effort to avoid mention of money:

 

 

http://youtu.be/8Gj6trSfuo0

 

O'Farrell has been very silent since NSW Police had to admit that its statment to the media concerning the need to publicly arrest Federal Independent MP Craig Thomson at his electoral office had been incorrect.

 

Yamba versus McDonalds revisited

[Tiley, Dr. Ian (2012) Divided We Fall: An Insider’s Perspective on Local Government Amalgamations]

Click on image to enlarge text

The Nannas gently chide Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis over his tacit support of coal seam gas mining

Clarence Valley Review 30 January 2013

The body language is telling. NSW Nationals MP for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, is obviously not comfortable with the message. Which is unfortunate.

Given that the alleged $1.4 billion in direct expenditure Metgasco claims it will be contributing to the Northern Rivers economy over 20 years pales in comparison with the more than $1 billion tourism contributes each year to the region and, an initial 1,000 well wide gas field will inevitably have a negative impact on this section of the regional economy.

Taking the mickey out of Abbott's relentless self promotion

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's crass attempt to ride on the back of last month's devastating bushfires across New South Wales drew an almost Where's Wally? response across the Twitterverse.

His image was inserted into a good many photographs.

This happens to be my personal understated favourite. It may be the only time James Hunter Ashby and Abbott are ever sighted together.

The Libs in action when last in federal government

If you didn't sound like the average Lib then twas off to jail for you.

“It was understandable authorities would think mentally ill Australian woman Cornelia Rau was an unlawful citizen, Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said today.

Ms Rau, a 39-year-old permanent resident who came to Australia when she was a baby, was released from Baxter immigration detention centre in South Australia on Friday.

She had spent six months in a Queensland jail before being sent to the centre, where she spent four months after telling authorities she was a German woman named Anna Schmidt.

That was despite the former Qantas flight attendant being listed as missing in August last year.

The federal government announced it would investigate the incident, but Ms Vanstone today said it was "a pretty fair understanding" authorities would believe she maybe an unlawful citizen.--
(she) spoke German, said she was German"

{Sydney Morning Herald 7^th February 2005}

 

A disturbing scene from The Age of Stupid (2009)

From the opening scenes of The Age of Stupid

a film about failure to address the causes

of climate change

 

It may be a camera shot straight out of a Hollywood film studio's box of special effects, but are climate catastrophes becoming more than a movie script?

If Australia in 2013 is any indication, the world is still doing too little to keep this imagined Sydney scenario safely in the realms of fictional scenarios.

In the week ending 3 January 2013 the total combined greenhouse gas emissions of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania was 24% higher than the 1990 total, according to The Climate Group and by 10 January was 34% higher.

In the week ending 16 January the total combined greenhouse gas emissions of these same five states was 36% higher than the 1990 total.

While by the week ending 24 January 2013 the total combined greenhouse gas emissions had risen yet again to 37% higher than the 1990 total and, was still 8.2% higher than the year 2000 total - the last Kyoto Protocol reference year on whose national greenhouse gas output Australia pledged (under the Cancun Agreements) an unconditional 2020 target of 5 per cent below 2000 levels.

It's time to name and shame investors placing Clarence River catchment water at risk

 

Metgasco Limited is actively exploring for coal seam gas in the Clarence Valley with a view to eventual production if successful and Anchor Resources Limited has identified both gold and antimony potential in the upper reaches of the Clarence River catchment on behalf the Chinese multinational mining corporation which owns it.

 

Commercial mining activity by these companies will have the potential to contaminate ground and/or surface water systems which supply fresh water to an estimated 150,000 people living in the Dorrigo Plateau, Coffs Harbour and Clarence Valley regions of New South Wales, as well as place sustainable water for agriculture and livestock at risk.

 

Metgasco Limited Top 20 Shareholders in 2011-12

 

 

Anchor Resources Limited Top 20 Shareholders in 2011-12