Liberal-National Party Coalition shows its true colours - seeks to weaken the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill in relation to coal seam gas mining

Media Release

Janelle Saffin MP

Liberal-National Party Coalition shows its true colours on CSG

The Liberal-National Party Coalition has shown, without a doubt, that they are just paying lip service on Coal Seam Gas issues until the election.

The Coalition in the Senate is trying to weaken the Federal Government’s ‘water trigger’ legislation with an amendment that would hand environmental assessment powers to the states.

The Federal Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill, brought in to tighten up our water protection related to CSG activities, was passed in the House of Representatives in March.

The Coalition didn’t vote against the bill in the House, but is now going to put an amendment that would weaken these protections by allowing the Commonwealth to refer scientific assessments back to the states.

Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham, the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, has told the Senate that the Coalition doesn’t like the legislation, but because of the community concerns they wouldn’t oppose it.

But they are clearly working hard to wind back any water protections.

It is there in Hansard, in black and white, the Liberal Senator saying they won’t oppose it because that would let the Government politicise the issue.

But Senator Birmingham said: “… we will work to fix these issues should we succeed later this year.”

And Senator Birmingham is clear about the parts of the legislation the Coalition doesn’t like; the very sections of the legislation that could protect our region.

The Coalition doesn’t believe the water protection should apply to the exploration phase or drill test sites.

And they don’t want the bill to apply to any areas already being assessed, so no scrutiny whatsoever. 

Senator Birmingham said: “If this bill has to pass, it should only apply to new applications and not to those where the process is already underway.”

Again, this would offer no protection to the CSG sites in the Northern Rivers.

I fought hard and worked with the Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to find ways to protect our water, and our farmers from harmful CSG, and the EP & BC Amendment Act offers that protection.

This week’s Senate debate has shown without a doubt that with a Liberal-National Party Government we would see a pro-CSG environment minister determined to wind back any protections.

• Hansard of Senator Birmingham’s speech is attached.

Wednesday, May 16, 2013.

Abbott & his cronies mean spirited and nasty

How low can Abbott and his cronies go?

The Australian on 16^th May 2013:

“THE Coalition has refused to allow a federal Labor MP to return to Sydney to look after her sick 14-month-old baby, forcing her to sit in parliament to watch Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's Budget reply speech tonight.

The Daily Telegraph has learned the Coalition yesterday knocked back a request from the government to "pair" member for Greenway Michelle Rowland after she sought permission to urgently return to Sydney from Canberra this afternoon.

Ms Rowland, the only woman to have given birth during the term of this parliament, sought agreement from the opposition chief whip Warren Entsch yesterday to grant a pair for her from 6pm tonight so she could get the last plane home to Sydney to care for her child Octavia.

It is believed the child is suffering flu and severe fever.

Ms Rowland's husband had taken leave from his job to take care of the child while Ms Rowland was in parliament.

But Mr Entsch refused to grant the pair, despite no parliamentary business listed after Mr Abbott's speech.”

By the time the Tele revealed that Entsch knew Michelle Rowland wanted to return to her 14 month old sick child  it was done and dusted - once more the Coalition had demonstrated that the Opposition benches are inhabited by mean characters.

Lower Clarence residents need to boil their water due to E. coli contamination

Mayor: Richie Williamson General Manager: Scott Greensill                                                                   16 May 2013 BOIL WATER NOTICE – Lower Clarence water supply areas Regular monitoring for E. coli bacteria in the Lower Clarence water supply system is conducted by Clarence Valley Council. Recent monitoring has shown E. coli to be present in the Lower Clarence water supply system. As a precaution you are advised that water for consumption should be brought to a rolling boil. Water should then be allowed to cool and stored in a clean container with a lid and refrigerated. This boil water notice applies to consumers in the Lower Clarence including the following areas: Maclean, Brooms Head, Yamba, Harwood, Ashby, Iluka, and areas in between these towns Cooled boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, cooking, washing raw foods (such as seafood or salads), making ice, and cleaning teeth. Dishes should be washed in hot soapy water or in a dishwasher. Children should take bottled or cooled boiled water to school. Precautions should be taken until further notice.  You will be advised when the boil water notice is lifted. E. coli itself is generally not harmful but its presence in drinking water indicates that the water may be contaminated with organisms that may cause disease. The NSW Department of Health advises that special care is advisable for certain consumers at this time, these include people with severely weakened immune systems (the immunosuppressed), individuals receiving dialysis treatment, and aged individuals. Please contact your doctor or local Public Health Unit (02 6620 7585) for more information. Council, in conjunction with the NSW Department of Health is investigating the problem and is carrying out rectification works including cleaning reservoirs, flushing of mains, supplementary chlorine dosing, and additional surveillance.  Residents may notice elevated chlorine levels in the water supply. If you require further information please contact Council’s Customer Service staff on 6643 0200. Schools: For Precautions for Schools and Child Care Centres during Boil Water Alerts refer to NSW Department of Health website:  Release ends. Authorised by: Scott Greensill, General Manager 02 6643 0212 For further information contact: Rob Donges  Deputy General Manager

Clarence Valley Council Locked Bag 23 Grafton, NSW, 2460 Australia

Tony Abbott's Budget Reply Speech 2013 Translated

Translation of the ABC News Online transcript of Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s Budget Reply Speech of 16 May 2013:

Bad guvmin, bad guvmin, look at my RM Williams boots, bad guvmin, I have a wife, bad guvmin, I’m just like you, bad guvmin, no carbon tax, bad guvmin, lower taxes, bad guvmin, me stand for good guvmin, bad guvmin, wasteful spending, bad guvmin, I can use clichés, bad guvmin, ministers can’t guarantee anything, bad guvmin, you can believe my promises but not the other guy’s, bad guvmin, count the billions, bad guvmin, in 121 days there will be an election, bad guvmin, trust me, bad guvmin, lotsa parliamentary sitting days will be dedicated to repealing laws, bad guvmin, I haz monies!, bad guvmin, IR law? look over there not over here, bad guvmin, boats there are boats, bad guvmin, kill the public service, bad guvmin, I will rob low income earners and stop bi-annual Centrelink benefit increases so vote for me, bad guvmin, your boss doesn't have to pay you extra super nah nah nah, bad guvmin, I own Howard & Costello's past surpluses, bad guvmin, we have A PLAN, bad bad Labor guvmin.

Post-Budget 2013 reaction on the NSW North Coast? Yawn......

 

After all that pre-Budget heat in the national media over the last few weeks, a quick Google search this morning revealed a surprising level of what might be described as post-Budget apathy here on the NSW North Coast.

 

Two days after the Federal Treasurer’s 2013 Budget Speech the Nationals candidate standing for election in the Page fereal electorate in four months time, Kevin Hogan, had no post up on his Twitter account that even mentioned the budget. While his Facebook entry was barely more than a photo opportunity and a mention of a televised NBN interview. Hogan’s campaign website has one lonely post which merely responds to a pre-Budget Pacific Highway funding newspaper article and he had a brief highway funding quote in local media on 16 May.

 

Luke Hartsuyker, the National’s Federal Member for Cowper, had a single website post on Budget night and nothing else two days later. His Twitter account is still tweetless and the Facebook page carrying his name remains silent.

 

Curiously both men appear to have sent out almost identical media releases, which probably means that there was a Budget night Coalition cheat sheet for sitting MPs and candidates.

 

A point picked up by APN media the day after the Budget speech:

 

Both National party members today put out eerily similar press statements attacking the budget delivered by Treasurer Wayne Swan last night.

While Mr Hartsuyker and Mr Hogan's statements focus on different elements of Pacific Highway funding, both use the same dot points and even an identical direct quote…..

While it is common for members of the same party to "stay on message", it is unusual that the two men have said almost exactly the same thing.

 

Similarly Janelle Saffin, Labor’s Federal Member for Page, was very low key post-Budget. With no media releases concerning the Budget posted on her personal web page by the morning of 16 May. Ms. Saffin’s Twitter account and Facebook page also had nothing to say on the subject. However, she was quoted in local media on 16 May concerning health and education measures contained in the 2013 Budget.

 

Labor's Richmond Federal MP Justine Elliot was quoted in The Northern Star as backing the Budget the day after its delivery, but appears to have had nothing to say on the subject on her Facebook site.

 

Matthew Fraser, the Nationals candidate standing in the Richmond electorate at the September federal election, was quoted by APN media the day after the Budget speech and was predictably staying on message allegedly big debt and broken promises. His campaign website has had nothing to say since 10 May. Fraser’s Facebook page links to that APN article and a campaign propaganda site, with one lonely post on alleged overspending.

 

By Wednesday 15 May 2013 ABC North Coast’s Facebook page could barely give ABC News a handful of budget quotes from local residents and the Clarence Valley Rate Payers, Residents & Business Owners had nary a mention of budget issues by Thursday morning.

 

Also on Thursday morning the Rural Doctors Association of Australia had what was essentially a generic response on budget changes to indexation of Medicare Benefits in a brief The Northern Star article and, in the same issue there was a mixed response to health, education, superannuation, housing and cash transfers by two members of the business and community sectors .

 

No local residents appear to have been so hot under the collar on Budget night that they fired off letters to editors in time for inclusion in Northern Rivers newspapers over the last two days and, the main online community newspapers haven’t caught up with the budget details yet.

 

Perhaps tonight’s Budget Reply Speech by Opposition leader Tony Abbott will draw more of a response from voters on the North Coast?

Richmond Beef has a gripe?

In July 2011 the Australian Government lifted its month long ban on the export of live cattle to Indonesia.

In August 2011 the Richmond River Beef Producers Association went to the local media, not to express concerns about this ban which did not directly affect the small group of producers in the Kyogle region, but to highlight concerns about Kyogle Council’s Draft Local Environment Plan potentially devaluing rural properties.

Thirteen months later the Richmond River Beef Producers Association wrote to the Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin concerning the alleged flow-on effects from the now defunct Live cattle ban.

Then this letter to the editor appeared in The Northern Star 15 May 2013:

Irrational ban
Has the Federal Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, gone into hiding?
Our beef industry organisation has written two letters to Janelle Saffin, one in October last year, the second in February this year, regarding important issues in relation to the beef industry.
To date we have not even had an acknowledgement of those letters, let alone a reply.
The issues we raised alerted her to the flow-on effect that we could expect from the Government's irrational banning of the live export of cattle to Indonesia.
These warnings have now been realised, as the cattle producers here, and all over the country, are being dealt a severe blow, with prices well below the cost of production as the market is now saturated.
The very least we would have expected from our elected representative was an acknowledgement of our letters.

Kathy Day

Acting Secretary

Richmond River Beef

Now I will accept Ms. Day’s word that these letters received no reply, however I do note the following:

The market is not saturated solely by cattle which were not sold off twenty-three months ago -  these cattle were successfully withheld from the market until dry conditions in the northern half of Australia resulted in more cattle across the board being sold off to meat processors in the first quarter of this year.

However, Meat and Livestock Australia reports that this sell-off is not affecting all regional markets: In contrast, pockets of the eastern third of Queensland and NSW had well above average rainfall through summer, causing flooding in some regions and in the process building sufficient feed banks for the winter. This has, to a small extent, eased some of the pressure on cattle markets. 

In May 2013 The Australian  reported that an extra 20,000 to 25,000 cattle [will be] shipped into Indonesia from major live export ports such as Darwin, Karumba and Derby in June and that the flow-on effect of the early quota movement would be an extra 25,000 cattle sold to Indonesia this year, given the need to keep the beef supply pipeline full every month.

On 8 May 2013 the yarding of export cattle at Casino Saleyards consisted of a few pens of grown steers/heifers and a mix of cows from a pool of 1,584 beasts, which suggests that export cattle are not a large part of the local market.

It would appear that cattle producers in the Northern Rivers may not be as affected by any residual flow-on from the short-lived 2011 live cattle export ban as Ms. Day suggests.

One has to wonder if the Day family's association with the North Coast Nationals, rather than concerns over cattle prices or unanswered letters, prompted a return-the-favour letter to the editor in an election year.

Brandis as Australian Attorney General if the Coalition wins government?

Liberal Senator George Brandis

This was one response to the proposition that made it into the media on 10 May 2013:

As an experienced lawyer confided: ''Better to appoint a wombat as the next attorney-general. At least it would do no harm and it would mean well.''

Unidentified Australian marsupial ready to throw his hat into the A-G ring

* Brandis photograph and Norman Lindsay drawing found at Google Images