Australian Water Holdings: Footy, limousines and pole dancing

It would appear that either the directors or the ten or so employees knew how to give themselves a good time…….

Excerpt from NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Credo-Spicer Investigation public hearing on 27 March 2014 on the subject of Australian Water Holdings Pty Ltd:

GEOFFREY WATSON SC (counsel assisting ICAC): And earlier in your evidence you used an expression horrified, you were  horrified by the expenses, apart from the salaries, you’ve told us about that, were there other aspects that horrified you?

MICHAEL COSTA (former NSW Labor Treasurer who succeeded Arthur Sinodinos as Chairman): Oh, Mr Canaway made it very clear what some of the expenses were via his due diligence um, arrangements and, you know, they were quite staggering.

WATSON: What sort of things?

COSTA: Oh, that stuff that’s been canvassed in the press, limousines um, um, I think he did mention pole dancing um, so I don’t know what that was all about um, look, it was, it was clear that the um, the, the expenses were out of control um  

WATSON: What about the box out at the footy stadium?

COSTA: I, I didn’t find out about that till much later and Robert Groom advised me of that, we - and when I was there I tried, we tried to cancel it um, but it wasn’t um, possible to cancel because they had a, a contract. I think I must have found out um, there might have been two or three games left or ah, but I never of course went there. The other um, was it, the other expenses were things like directors’ fees for the Queensland directors which I thought were ah, you know um, had to be cut ah, that whole Queensland operation though it was, I’ve got to say they were doing good work up there, I mean, the proposal they came up with ah, in terms of the coal seam gas was a very innovative proposal and if it had of been successful would have been um, um, you know, added enormous value to the company.

In which House of Representatives Speaker Bronwyn Bishop fails to acknowledge a Point of Order and allows comment on a matter still before an Australian court

On Tuesday 25 March 2014 former member for Dobell, Craig Thomson, was released on bail (approximately one hour after sentencing) after his legal team appealed the three-month jail sentence.

One day later in the House of Representatives Prime Minister Tony Abbott mentioned Craig Thomson in relation to the matter under appeal.

Because the matter is still sub judice Abbott's remarks were irresponsible at best and prejudicial at worst.

Hansard 26 March 2014:

Mr SHORTEN (Maribyrnong—Leader of the Opposition) (14:40): My question is to the Prime Minister.

Why does the government have a plan to bring back knights and dames, but no plan for Australian jobs? Prime Minister, why is the Abbott government's priority a plan to bring back knighthoods? ….

Mr ABBOTT: This is a government which is capable of doing several things at the same time. But our priority is lifting the burdens on Australian families, and last week we tried to scrap the carbon tax, and Labor made the carbon tax stay. Yesterday we tried to scrap the mining tax, and Labor made the mining tax stay. We are trying to clean up the building and construction industry; Labor is trying to stop that. We are trying to get rid of

union rorts, rackets and rip-offs, and corruption of the sort that the former member for Dobell was engaged in; Labor is still protecting that kind of wrongdoing. These are our priorities; I am proud of them.

Mr Burke: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If there was ever a breach of standing order 104(a), it is what we just heard.

The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister has the call.

Is Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott barking mad or merely a silly fool?

Sir Pository of Wisdom from the brush of Ron Tandberg

But that’s what Governors-General do – they encourage us to be our best selves. They are our cheerleaders-in-chief…..

As Sir Peter Cosgrove and Lady Lynne travel the length and breadth of our country, visiting all the places that aren’t important enough for Prime Ministers…

[Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Remarks At The Reception Following The Swearing In Of The 26th Governor-General Of Australia, Parliament House, Canberra, 28 March 2014]

Firstly, Sir Pository of Wisdom ignores the fact that a governor-general is not a cheerleader, but the Monarch’s representative in a constitutional monarchy and therefore one of the safeguards built into the Australian Constitution.

Secondly, he is wrong about the title of the Governor-General’s spouse – she is Lady Cosgrove. She would only be Lady Lynne is she had a title in her own right.

Thirdly, the Governor-General and his spouse take precedence over the Prime Minister and his spouse.

Finally, Sir Pository confirms that he considers much of Australia is beneath his notice as prime minister.

The laughter continues at Abbott's attempt to turn back the clock by reintroducing knights and dames

Editor David Moase in The Daily Examiner, 27 March 2013, Page 11:

If there was one headline I didn't expect to see this week, it was the news Australia will soon have knights and dames in our Order of Australia honours.

It is a staggering decision by the Prime Minister - not a jump to the left or a step to the right but he's definitely doing the time warp.

Was there something particularly wrong with the Order of Australia that needed this extra level of honours using titles we ditched 20 years ago?

Are governors-general or other members of society really in need of an old-fashioned title in front of their name?

But who am I to argue with the PM, so without further ado I'd like to release the first round of honours in the Order of the Opinion Page*.

Firstly, for his long-running and unstinting support of conservative politics, enthusiastic mocking of anything on the political left and battling against the chainsaw-stopping efforts of Greenies and global warming advocates ... arise Sir Fred Perring, of Halfway Creek.

In the interests of bipartisanship, the second honour goes to a man who has been a longstanding foot soldier in the class warfare of the Valley, whose efforts in support of Labor are undiminished and is a champion of the battlers around Maclean ... arise Sir Bruce Apps, of Townsend.

And finally, for hours spent reading Hansard, commitment to fully attributing references in her letters and for holding the council and the conservatives'  feet to the fire ... arise Dame Judith M Melville, of Yamba.

*Due to budgetary constraints, all awards of the Order are strictly honorary.

When a website tells the unvarnished truth.....

This is an image of Prime Minister Tony Abbott, on his feet during Question Time, which was displayed on the Australian Parliament website on 24 March 2014:

Quote of the Week

People do have a right to be bigots, you know. In a free country, people do have rights to say things that other people find offensive, insulting or bigoted.

[Australian Attorney-General Senator George Brandis on his feet in the Senate, Hansard 24 March 2014]

A Northern Rivers' water authority does not want Metgasco & Dart gas exploration in areas it intends to source future water supplies

Echo NetDaily 25 March 2014:

Rous Water has called on the state government to prevent gas exploration in areas it is planning to explore for underground water sources.

The county council, which supplies Lismore, Ballina, Richmond Valley and Byron LGAs, has identified subterranean water in its future water strategy as the best and most cost-effective source to meet its increased needs in the coming decades.

But the recent pollution of aquifers in the Pilliga by Santos mining with uranium and a number of heavy metals has triggered serious concerns among the board at the prospect of something similar happening in the northern rivers.

At its most recent board meeting Rous Water unanimously passed a motion that the NSW government and all the relevant state members of parliament be informed of the specific areas Rous Water has identified as potential future water sources for region.

‘The motion requested that the government not approve any exploratory or production gas wells in the vicinity of those areas under investigation until such time as Rous Water’s future water strategy is fully determined,’ said one board member, Lismore councillor Simon Clough.

There are two petroleum exploration licences (PELs) – 16 (Metgasco) and 445 (Dart) – where drilling activity could adversely affect Rous’s future water strategy…

Read rest of article here.