Today's APN reading competition

A court report appearing in an APN newspaper today makes one wonder what was deleted from the report. Readers who work out the answer might forward it to the editor of The Northern Star The Daily Examiner.

NCV suspects the editor probably has some prizes for readers who provide the correct answer. (Hint: find ****)

NCV apologises to The Northern Star for having previously stated that it carried the blooper. Having seen its print edition NCV acknowledges that the Star doesn't carry the blooper; however, the piece which was written by a Star journalist appears in the Examiner (see below) with the colourful language.

Image credit: APN

Sanctuary Northern Rivers

Sanctuary Northern Rivers

Sanctuary Northern Rivers is a local community based not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers that assists off-shore refugees to come to Australia under the Government’s Humanitarian Settlement program.  Over the past 8-9 years it has assisted over 150 African refugees to settle in Lismore and Mullumbimby.  It provides advice and sponsorship when applying for a visa under the program, financial assistance in the form of airfares for these people to come to Australia when a visa is granted and personal support throughout the settlement process.  

In addition, it auspices the Universal Declaration of Human Rights project to schools as one of the organisation’s key objectives is to educate young people and the community about the plight of refugees.  Article 14 of the Declaration says people have the right to seek asylum in another country when under persecution in their own country.

Email: info@sanctuary.asn.au

Newsletters

Facebook Sanctuary Northern Rivers Inc

A Saturday Morning Light Moment

https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei

One proud voter tweeting the world

@JustJen64

Pell and Abbott - two high profile Catholics who remain in denial concerning the extent of institutionalized child abuse and the part each may have played?

Cardinal George Pell and Minister for Health and Ageing Tony Abbott in 2004

This is the reality that is the Catholic Church in Australia in November 2013.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, self-styled Captain Catholic in a Radio 3AW (Melbourne) interview on 14 November 2013: As is pretty well known, I have a lot of time for George Pell... Well, I didn’t see his evidence before the committee and I haven’t read the report. He is, in my judgment, a fine human being and a great churchman.

Three snapshots from the Victorian Parliament Family and Community Development Committee Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other Non-Government Organisations report entitled Betrayal of Trust:

Betrayal of Trust Report:
Volume 1 (PDF 2.2Mb),
Volume 2 (PDF 4.0Mb)

This is an excerpt from the 1997 evidence given by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, when he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, in support of an alleged paedophile priest, John Gerard Nestor, later forcibly laicized by the Vatican:

Q. You kept up your friendship with the defendant?

A. From time to time, yes.
Q. And you saw him?
A. From time to time, perhaps once or twice every twelve months. 
Q. And you've kept up that friendship until this day?
A. That's correct....
Q. First of all, how would you describe him as a man? 
A. An extremely upright and virtuous man. I guess one of things that I liked very much about John when I first him, was his maturity, intellectual, social, emotional he was, to that extent I guess, a beacon of humanity at the Seminary
Q. How did he appear to get on with his peers at the at Manly?
A. Obviously we have different relations with different people. John got on extremely well with some, less well with others. I guess one of the things that marked John out from his peers at the seminary was he was a man with high expectations of himself and others and I can recall on occasions being more than a little annoyed with him, because, you know, he would want to bring me up to the mark, bring me back to the path of virtue from time to time and this didn't always go over too well with me. And I guess it could annoy others as well.
Q. But as far as his own conduct was concerned, did you ever become aware of anything which would in any way question his beliefs and his dedication as a priest?
A. Never.
Q. And you've come all the way from Sydney today to give this evidence?
A. I have indeed.
Q. You do have other duties to perform? A. I have an electorate to represent and a ministry to assist.

NO CROSS-EXAMINATION

[http://tl.gd/n_1rjd2n5]  

On only the second full business day of the 44th Australian Parliament the Abbott Government appears to be in breach of a Senate Order

It seems that Prime Minister Tony Abbott is willing to defy a Senate Order For Production Of Documents, as what was tabled one hour and thirty-four minutes past the stated deadline was a Letter from the Assistant Treasurer (Senator Sinodinos) to the Clerk of the Senate (Dr Laing) responding to the order of the Senate of 13 November 2013, dated 14 November 2013.

BACKGROUND

Senate Hansard 12 November 2013:

Senator Cameron to move:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister Representing the Treasurer, by no later than 2 pm on Thursday, 14 November 2013; all documents relating to the decision to grant $8.8 billion to the Reserve Bank of Australia Reserve Fund, including, but not limited to, documents produced by and/or for, and communications to and/or from the following:

(a) the Treasurer;

(b) the office of the Treasurer;

(c) the Treasury;

(d) the Prime Minister;

(e) the office of the Prime Minister;

(f) the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet;

(g) members of the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia; and

(h) the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Senate Hansard 13 November 2013:

Reserve Bank of Australia

Order for the Production of Documents

Senator CAMERON (New South Wales) (15:46): I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister Representing the Treasurer, by no later than 2 pm on Thursday, 14

November 2013; all documents relating to the decision to grant $8.8 billion to the Reserve Bank of Australia Reserve Fund,

including, but not limited to, documents produced by and/or for, and communications to and/or from the following:

(a) the Treasurer;

(b) the office of the Treasurer;

(c) the Treasury;

(d) the Prime Minister;

(e) the office of the Prime Minister;

(f) the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet;

(g) members of the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia; and

(h) the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Question agreed to.

Senate Hansard 14 November 2013:

Senator SINODINOS (New South Wales—Assistant Treasurer) (15:34): I table my response relating to the order for the production of documents concerning the Reserve Bank of Australia reserve fund.*

* House of Representatives Hansard for 14 November confirms that the Labor Opposition's believes Sinodinos tabled none of the requested documents.

Madam Speaker Bronwyn Bishop - partisan, contradictory and in error

First the derogatory nickname used for the Labor Leader of the Opposition was ruled a description then in the next breath It was not a description. 

Either way the new Speaker found using a nickname was not unparliamentary, despite such use appearing to fly in the face of at least two sections of House of Representatives Standing and Sessional Orders** which were not included in those government amendments to these orders that were voted in at 12.44pm on 13 November 2013.

Excerpt from House Of Representatives Hansard of 13 November 2013:

Mr PYNE (Sturt—Minister for Education) (09:22): The reason standing orders should not be suspended on this occasion is that the coalition won the election two months ago and today we want to introduce the carbon tax repeal bills. On the draft daily program, the carbon tax repeal bills are listed for debate. Labor has demonstrated for the last 20 minutes that they will do anything to stand in the way of lowering electricity prices in this country. 

'Electricity Bill' Shorten, as his first political act in the parliament, has desired to get his Manager of Opposition Business to block the repeal of the carbon tax. 

Mr Burke: I rise on a point of order. A large number of comments were made yesterday about people being referred to by correct titles.To have the Leader of the House immediately abrogating that is inappropriate and his comment should be withdrawn. 

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the House was not addressing a member by any title; he was merely using a description and I do not find the term unparliamentarily. [sic]

Mr Burke: On the point of order, Madam Speaker, I am not sure whether you heard the description that was given— 

The SPEAKER: It was not a description. 

Mr Burke: but what we had was something that even the Prime Minister yesterday acknowledged could not be used within the chamber. 

The SPEAKER: I have already ruled on the point of order and you are raising the matter a second time.

** 64 No Member to be referred to by name

In the House and the Federation Chamber, a Member shall not be referred to by name, but by one of the following forms, as appropriate:

(a) the Member’s ministerial office (e.g. Prime Minister, Minister for Defence, Attorney-General);

(b) the Member’s parliamentary office (e.g. Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition, Chief Government Whip);

(c) the Member’s electoral division (e.g. Member for Adelaide).

89 Offensive words

A Member must not use offensive words against:

(a) either House of the Parliament or a Member of the Parliament; or

(b) a member of the Judiciary.

Note:

The new Nationals Member for Page was in the Chamber and voted with other Government MPs to gag debate on the Speaker's ruling.