Abbott's plan for Australia?

First make a train wreck of the Australian Constitution and democratic processes……

But if the Senate proves intransigent, the Government could increase the stakes by including amendments to the Electoral Act as part of a double dissolution trigger.

A parliamentary secretary, Mr Tony Abbott, who is close to the Prime Minister, has weighed into the debate by floating two radical options to curb the power of minor parties.

The first involves expanding the size of the Parliament, making it easier for the main parties to win a majority of Senate seats in each State, thereby diminishing the ability of the minor players to affect the outcome of votes on legislation.

The second option would divide each State into two Senate constituencies, with minor parties having to achieve a much higher quota of votes to get elected.

While conceding there are drawbacks with both, Mr Abbott said the options would give the Government a handy weapon to threaten the Senate if the Upper House refused to acknowledge the Government's election mandate. [The Sydney Morning Herald, 7 August 1996, “Senate voting rethink to curb minor parties”]

This is Gary Gray, Federal Minister for Resources and Energy, Tourism and Small Business

For readers on the east coast unlikely to know more than the name - this is the Hon Gary Gray AO MP the new Federal Minister for Resources and Energy, Tourism and Small Business, former climate change sceptic and former supporter of the Lavoisier Group.

This is what he said about himself before his recent political elevation to the Gillard Cabinet:

Gary arrived in Australia from Yorkshire, England in 1966 and settled with his family in state housing in Whyalla, South Australia.

Gary got his first job after high school in the local BHP steelworks. In 1981, he graduated from the Australian National University, Canberra with a degree in economics.

In 1983 Gary moved to Kwinana, Western Australia to study education at the University of Western Australia.

He began working for the Labor Party in the Northern Territory and then in the United Kingdom. From 1986 to 1992 Gary worked on every state and federal election.

In 1993 Gary was elected as National Secretary of the ALP holding this office until 2000 when he relocated back to Perth with his wife, Deborah and three boys.

On returning to Perth in 2000 Gary was asked by the Chairman of Wesfarmers, to work as the Executive Director of the West Australian Institute for Medical Research.

In 2001 Shell attempted to take over Woodside Energy, Australia’s biggest independent oil and gas company, which has its head office in Perth. Gary was engaged by Woodside as an Adviser in the campaign to keep the company in Australian hands – which succeeded.

Gary was then asked to join the company, becoming the Director of Corporate Affairs and a member of the company executive team. In this position Gary represented Woodside before governments on four continents as a negotiator, advocate and leader. Gary left this exciting position in 2007 to commit full-time to the community of Brand.

Gary’s contribution to Australia’s democratic process was recognized in 2003 when he was invited to accept the high civil award of Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) and an Australia Medal.

In 2007, Gary was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Northern Australia in the Labor Government. In 2009, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia.

At the 2010 Federal election Gary was re-elected as the Federal Member for Brand and later appointed Special Minister of State & Special Minister of State for the Public Service and Integrity.

In 2007 this is what Gary Gray said about uranium mining:

http://youtu.be/y25Z5udJouY

 Wikipedia had this to add about Gary Gray:

Foreign worker EMAs

As a parliamentary secretary in the Gillard Government, Gray chaired a taskforce comprising employment and training agencies, unions and employers to examine ways of dealing with the expected shortage of workers on major resource projects. In July 2010, the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce put recommendations to the Australian Government, including a proposed enterprise migration agreement (EMA). After consideration by the government, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen and the Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson, announced on 25 May 2012, the first EMA for the planned $9.5bn Roy Hill iron ore mine, proposed by businesswoman Gina Rinehart. The announcement said more than 8000 workers would be required for the construction phase and to meet labour demand, the government would allow up to 1715 457 visas for overseas workers for the three-year construction phase….

What he told The Australian in June 2012 about bringing in foreign skilled workers:

without the EMA, "we won't get the next generation of mining and oil and gas facilities constructed on time and on budget".

Quoted in The West Australian in May 2012 on the subject of cash incentives to encourage workers to relocate to WA:

WA Labor frontbencher Gary Gray said there had long been a deep reluctance to head west for work, conceding financial incentives had generally failed to get people to shift.

"For many, the relocation is difficult because of the great distance, the lifestyle change, and the separation from family and friends," he said.

"Today, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all Australians to be part of the amazing economic expansion in the north, where miners are offering the best wages and conditions on new projects."

On the matter of coal seam gas exploration in 2012:

GARY Gray, the federal Special Minister of State, is assessing an application for coal seam gas exploration at Holsworthy Military Reserve.

If approved, it would be the first time seam gas exploration work would take place on military land and could possibly set a precedent for future applications.

A spokeswoman from the Department of Finance and Deregulation confirmed to the Champion an application had been made by AGL.

"AGL has expressed interest in obtaining access to commonwealth owned land located in NSW, including in the Holsworthy area," the spokeswoman said.

"Under the Lands Acquisition Act 1989, all decisions to authorise or to refuse access to Commonwealth land by mineral explorers are made by the Special Minister of State."

An AGL spokeswoman told the Champion consultations had begun for preliminary exploration….

On Sky News PM Agenda, 19 March 2013:

 I'm a strong supporter of the coal seam methane industry, of the shale gas industry, of unconventional gas as we call it.

On the subject of mining generally:

In The Sydney Morning Herald,  25 March 2013

Our resource industry rests on a secure and sound environmental approvals process,

A good approvals process is as essential to a successful mining operation as good engineering and sound banking.

Speaking with Emma Alberici he stated that the mining industry needs bankable approval processes.

Hansard, 17 September 2009 on the subject of his contact with James Hardie:

I rise to discuss a matter recently published in a book called Killer Company by Matt Peacock, a book about James Hardie and about James Hardie’s actions in seeking to deal with asbestos issues. In that book the author records as follows:

Baxter quickly sought advice from Hardie’s other PR consultant, Gavin Anderson and Co, which suggested hiring Stephen Loosley, a former secretary of the New South Wales Labor Party and then consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he had been joined by the former national secretary of the Labor Party, Gary Gray.

At no time have I ever worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers. At no time have I ever provided advice to James Hardie. At no time have I ever been a paid consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Indeed, this allegation as recorded by the author, Matt Peacock, followed an article in the Sydney Morning Herald five years ago which prompted me to write a letter to the editor which was published in that newspaper. In his article about the James Hardie inquiry, ‘Guns are trained on Hardie’s messenger’, in the Sydney Morning Herald dated 24 September that year, Richard Ackland wrongly asserted that I had been engaged by James Hardie to work for it behind the scenes. The facts are as follows. In 2000 I worked for the West Australian Institute for Medical Research. One of the research projects was on mesothelioma, funded in part and for many years by James Hardie. The research was highly regarded. I approached James Hardie in late 2000 specifically with regard to its funding of this research. During that approach I was asked if I was able to work for James Hardie as a consultant. I said I was not able to work for it but that I might be able to if I accepted a position, which I was at that time considering, as a consultant to the legal firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. As things worked out, I did not work for that legal firm. I did not work for James Hardie and I received no payment from James Hardie, and I did not provide it with any advice. I was not engaged to work behind the scenes, and I said in that letter that if Mr Ackland had checked his facts with me he would have known that to be the case.

Unfortunately, it is the case that Matt Peacock did check the facts with me and I did inform Matt that at no time had I ever worked as a consultant to PricewaterhouseCoopers and at no time had I worked as a consultant to James Hardie. I find the way in which Mr Peacock has recorded this fact pattern to be both bizarre and inaccurate. He could have done better in order to better illustrate his story of the need for adequacy in the funding vehicle which was to be created by James Hardie to fund future actions with regard to victims of asbestosis. I am more than prepared to say to Matt Peacock that his book is a fine piece of work. I have not found any other inaccuracies in it and regard it to be an excellent study of the dynamics and the consequences of Hardie’s actions.

Snake! Snake! Snake!

The Daily Examiner 22 March 2013:

EIGHTY-seven-year-old bingo enthusiast Una Walters responded to the cry of "snake" faster than she could say "house" at South Grafton Ex-Servicemen's club last week.

A red-bellied black snake interrupted the weekly meat raffle on Friday by crawling up a lady's leg.

As the club's secretary manager Col Green panicked and scrambled for a handbag to capture the metre-long intruder, one of his most loyal customers leapt into action.

"I turn around, and here's Una standing there with the snake in one hand," Mr Green said.

"I'm not scared of the bastard!" Una shouted as she held the snake near its head.

It was about 6.45pm last Friday and the meat draw was well under way when someone from a table in the centre of the room yelled: "Snake! Snake! Snake!"

Commotion ensued and people scattered from their chairs as the red-bellied black slithered its way between the feet of scurrying patrons and club staff.

"He (the snake) had crawled up a woman's leg and tried to curl around it," Mr Green said.

"I grabbed a lady's handbag, hoping to get the snake in there so we could send him on his way."

The perpetrator evaded being caught for some time until Una intervened.

"I turn around and here's Una standing there with the snake in one hand," Mr Green said…..

Former Member for New England and Nationals candidate in the 2013 federal election has home raided by ICAC

The Armidale Express  27 March 2013

The Telegraph online 27 March 2013:

DUMPED nationals candidate Richard Torbay has had his house raided by ICAC, following revelations last week that he had been referred to the corruption watchdog.

UPDATE

The Coffs Coast Advocate 27 March 2013:

FORMER Northern Tablelands MP Richard Torbay was believed to be lying low at a property near Coffs Harbour today as ICAC officers reportedly performed a search of his Armidale home this morning.

Position vacant: appplications to be forwarded to Chris Gulaptis, Member for Clarence

The lads at the table of knowledge at the local watering hole had a rib tickling session yesterday. The main topic on the session's agenda was local MP Chris Gulaptis's bit about who would have the honour of presenting the trophy to the owners of the winner of the 100th Grafton Gallops Cup this year. On Monday Gulaptis told State Parliament the Premier had been invited to present the trophy but the Premier would be otherwise engaged on the day so has had to rsvp with an inability card.

Gulaptis went on to say, "Unfortunately, I cannot see anyone (else) of sufficient standing to present the trophy to the 100th Grafton Cup winner this year."

So, there you have it! No Barry, ... , no one up to his standing, ...

Does that mean the cup will have to be abandoned?

O'Farrell's new coal seam gas policy is an invitation to corruption

In March 2013 the O’Farrell Government placed a draft State Environmental Planning Policy on public exhibition which purports to create exclusion zones wherein coal seam gas exploration and mining cannot take place in future.

However, this draft amendment to the Mining State Environmental Planning Policy allows local councils to grant exemptions to these exclusion zones.

Apparently Premier O’Farrell and his backers have decided to ignore the fact that local government is the most corruptible of all three tiers of government in Australia.

One has only to look at this short list of NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigations into councils over the last five years to realise this.

In 2012 ICAC found that twenty-one people employed or formerly employed by fourteen different local government councils had acted corruptly and, that fifteen employees of private sector companies and one employee of a government agency had assisted in these corrupt activities.

Also in 2012 ICAC found that a councillor and a property developer had acted corruptly in 2009 and 2010.

In 2011 ICAC found three employees at three separate councils had acted corruptly.

In 2010 the Commission found an employee and a contractor had acted corruptly at one council, while a job applicant had been found to have offered a bribe at a second council. In that same year another person was found to have acted corruptly when seeking a licensing agreement with a third council.

In 2009 ICAC made corruption findings involving two persons associated with a property development and one council employee and, also found that two person had attempted to bribe council employees at another council.

In 2008 the Commission found ten people had acted corruptly with regard to one particular council, including four sitting councillors and, that this corruption had allegedly involved 139 offences.

In 2007 ICAC made corruption findings involving three councils.

As for any thought that the revamped Division of Local Government (now under the wing of the Dept. of Premier and Cabinet) may curb any future enthusiasm for corrupt behaviour should local councillors and senior managers be given any right to extinguish the possibility of exclusions zones on land wanted by mining companies – on past performance aid from this quarter is highly unlikely. Especially as the Division appears to prefer sending problems brought to its notice back to councils for resolution and, as since April 2012 the pecuniary interest of councillors is no longer a bar to voting on the creation or amendment of a local environmental plan which is a land use planning instrument.

In 2011-12 alone at least 34 per cent of the complaints concerning 125 councils the Division received involved either natural resource management, public land management, land use planning/development or pecuniary interest.

That mining companies may offer bribes as a matter of course in doing business is not a new issue, often misleadingly referring to them as tax deductible facilitation payments or business expenses if they appear on company books at all.

The O’Farrell Government’s desire to shift responsibility for creating lasting exclusion zones back onto local government, with its highly suspect track record, is an act of betrayal of Northern Rivers communities. Nothing more, nothing less.

If Federal Labor retains the Page electorate in September 2013 it will be due to the almost universal respect won by the sitting member Janelle Saffin

Only the most rusted on of Liberal or Nationals supporters dispute the assertion that Labor's Janelle Saffin is a respected and hardworking advocate for her electorate.

This is a typical view.......

UrsulaTunks from Grafton in The Daily Examiner 22 March 2013:

Janelle has always been a Kevin Rudd supporter, since this government was first elected. She didn't commit political suicide she simply displayed her integrity and remained loyal. Janelle isn't interested in 'politics' per say, Janelle’s primary interest is our electorate. I'm not a Labor voter, nor a member of the Labor party. However when it comes to Members of Parliament Janelle will go down in history as one of the best, hardest working members in the history of Federal Government.