Mum! Mr. Eleventy is trying to scare me again!

This was Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey tweeting at 3.41pm on 6 May 2014:

Sixteen per cent! *shock, horror, gasp* Must agree with every funding cut, tax increase or punitive welfare measure in the Abbott Government's first federal budget!

Or do I?

What is this 6-year projection up to 2018 actually telling me about the state of national economies in those countries included on this graph.

Take the USA for instance, which Joe Mr Eleventy Hockey appears to be saying is doing so much better than Australia.

In 2013 in US dollar terms federal government spending totalled $3,454.6 billion, federal debt reached $16,719.4 billion and its gross domestic product (GDP) was $6,618.6 billion. Therefore US federal government spending was 52.1% of GDP and gross debt was 100.6% of the country's GDP. Based on White House data, US net debt was 28.5% of GDP and the federal deficit was 6% of GDP in that year.

While in Australia in 2013-14 federal government spending totalled $409 billion, gross commonwealth government debt reached $311 billion (on 31 March 2014) and our gross domestic product (GDP) was $1,577 billion. Therefore federal government spending in 2013-14 was 25.9% of GDP and gross debt was an est.19.7% of GDP (as of 31 March 2014). According to the current Minister for Finance, federal net debt will be an est. 12.4 % of GDP and Treasurer Hockey's own MYEFO projects a federal deficit of 2.98% of GDP for the 2013-14 financial year.

Clearly Mr, Hockey's tweeted graph means little when one compares the word's largest economy with Australia's better economic profile. 

Muuuum! Make him stop!

Note: Australian data drawn from The Treasury, Dept. of Finance, Australian Office of Financial Management and Australian Bureau of Statistics.

NSW Government currently canvassing support for commercial netting of Pine, Bonville, Boambee and Newports estuary creeks

Boambee Creek mouth at Cchange Adventure

NSW Baird Coalition Government’s proposed Reform Program For NSW Commercial Fishing:

Estuary General Fishery

Number of meshing nets 

 If managing the meshing share classes by the number of meshing and flathead nets, a meshing endorsement holder would be able to use one meshing net (or flathead net where relevant) up to a maximum length of 725 metres for every 125 meshing shares. A shareholding of 250 shares would allow the endorsement holder to use two meshing nets (or flathead nets where relevant) with a maximum length of 725 metres for each net. 

Length of meshing nets 

 If managing the meshing share classes by the maximum meshing and flathead net length, a meshing endorsement holder would be able to use up to a maximum of 725 metres of meshing net (or flathead net where relevant) for every 125 meshing shares. A shareholding of 250 shares would entitle the endorsement holder to use up to a maximum of 1,450 metres of meshing net (or flathead net where relevant). Alternatively, one share could equate to 5.8 metres of meshing net. A share holding of 125 shares would entitle the endorsement holder to use up to a maximum of 725 metres of meshing net (or flathead net where relevant). A shareholding of 150 shares would entitle the endorsement holder to use up to a maximum of 870 metres of meshing net (or flathead net where relevant), and so on.

All submission forms are due back by 8am Monday 19th May 2014 and forms for those who are not commercial fishers can be download here.

The Coffs Coast Advocate 8 May 2014:

A proposal to net large swathes of local creeks is ringing alarm bells among local users of the estuaries.

Sawtell resident and avid canoeist Rod Edwards said the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is currently canvassing support for the commercial netting of the Pine, Bonville, Boambee and Newports creeks.

He said the proposals in relation to the Pine and Bonville Creeks would be for netting to be allowed within the boundaries of the Bongil Bongil National Park for all species of fish as well as prawns.

Rod said the use of massive nets would be permitted, with the use of a method known as splashing allowed between sunset and sunrise from June to August.

"The proposal is to allow nets of a staggering 400m in length to be used," Rod said.

"This will decimate fish stocks and the amenity of recreational fishers.

"More importantly, it is within the National Park entirely for Pine Creek and east of the Highway for Bonville Creek. Native bird populations within the National Park which feed and are protected under current legislation will be directly affected if this proposal is allowed to be approved."….

Coffs Harbour City Council:

The Boambee/Newports Estuary has a roughly rectangular shape catchment area of approximately 49 km². It extends about 8 km from the coast with a coastal floodplain of approximately 3 km wide. It consists of three main tributaries: the largest being Newports Creek in the north; Boambee Creek is next largest and drains the middle portion of the catchment; and Cordwells Creek the smaller of the catchments drains the south. The Boambee/Newports Estuary is permanently open to the ocean and has no artificial entrance training works, as it is naturally trained by Boambee Headland on the southern side.

The perils of taking a story from the Internet

One reader objects in a letter to the editor in The Daily Examiner on 8 May 2014 to a lazy cut and paste used to create an article on the cheap:

Language warning

As Australians we say "aeroplane" not "airplane", "lift" not "elevator". It therefore surprises me that the article 10 High-flying Machines in DEX (29/4) was obviously just lifted from an American web source without checking for correct spelling for our shores.

What little is left for Australians to call their own let's try hard to keep.

Let Americans go on airplanes and I'll go on an aeroplane.

Celeste Warren

Yamba

Quote of the Week

If black people are to address racism – because all decisions that affect us adversely stem from this pernicious mindset - the first thing we need to achieve is the status of 'human being' in the eyes of broader community. In media and film/tv we are frequently the victim or the perpetrator. Social media delivers the opportunity to be much more than that. [Siv Parker, writer and blogger, On Dusk, 6 May 2014]

Wondering why Metgasco Limited hasn't been mentioned during NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings in April-May 2014?

So many Liberal Party donors and so many companies are receiving a mention almost in passing at the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Operation Credo and Operation Spicer hearings, that the twitterverse could almost be forgiven for starting to wonder about the role of some of those not mentioned but of interest because of their history of interaction with government.

However, coal seam gas and tight sands mining company Metgasco Limited didn’t need to spend big on political donations to the Liberal and National parties in order to progress its commercial interests in New South Wales – it made sure it was very well-connected in another manner.

In 2011 it employed Richard Shields as an in-house lobbyist:

Richard Shields - External Relations Manager

Richard has extensive knowledge and experience in politics, having worked for almost 20 years in senior government, party related and private sector roles. He understands the challenges and complexities of the legislative and regulatory processes of government, in addition to having a strong insight into managing media and community relations.

Prior to joining Metgasco, Richard served as Deputy Director of the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division) for over 3 years and also served as the Interim State Director. Other positions held by Richard include a Policy Adviser to former Senator the Hon Helen Coonan as Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts.

Richard has also worked as a Senior Cnsultant [sic] for two of Australia's largest issues management firms. Drawing on his strong media and stakeholder manageent [sic] skills, Richard advises the Managing Director and Board on issues management, communications and engagement strategies and investor relations…… [Metgasco Limited website on 10 June 2013]

The External Relations Manager is a head of function role reporting to the CEO and is member of the Executive team. Broadly, the role of the External Relations Manager is to develop and implement Metgasco’s approach to Government Relations, Community and Media management and Investor Relations…..

[Richard Shields’ cached Linkedin profile]

Richard may have left Metgasco but the connections he forged for the mining company are apparently still holding firm, as the second (albeit acting) NSW Coalition Government Police Minister in a row appears to back this miner:

The first, Mike Gallacher - now a subject in the ICAC Operation Spicer investigation – was police minister when this occurred:

The Northern Star 6 November 2013

Letters from Metgasco Limited CEO Peter Henderson to NSW Government Ministers between December 2012 and Feb...

With a third NSW Police Minister, Stuart Aryes, appointed this week it will be interesting to see how he reacts to Metgasco Limited's demands of government.

In light of matters the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is uncovering, perhaps Warringah Club activities need to be revisited

In light of the fact that the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is currently investigating allegations that in the years leading up to the 2011 state election senior Liberal Party fundraisers were hiding prohibited donations (using associated entities and at least one corporation set up as a slush fund) with the co-operation of certain Liberal state and federal politicians; it may be time to look at the extraordinary conclusion drawn by the NSW Election Funding Authority in 2010 – that the Warringah Club aka The Sydney Small Business Club and the NSW Liberal Party were unaware of their legal disclosure obligations.

The Sydney Morning Herald 5 November 2010:

THE political fund-raising arm of the federal Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has been found to have breached electoral laws, while one of his principal donors has also failed to make required disclosures, according to documents lodged with the NSW Election Funding Authority.

After a five-month investigation, the authority found that the Warringah Club, which raises money for Mr Abbott's campaigns in his seat of Warringah, had broken the law by not disclosing the sources of its donations.

''The club failed to lodge a declaration [as required] and the matter is to be further investigated to determine whether to pursue prosecution,'' the authority's funding and disclosures director, Brian DeCelis, wrote to the NSW Greens, which raised an official complaint about the Warringah Club in May.

But Mr DeCelis also found that the club and the NSW Liberal Party, which lodged false declarations relating to the club, ''did not understand their disclosure obligations'' and therefore would not be prosecuted for knowingly making a false statement.

During the investigation, the Warringah Club submitted an amended list of donors showing it had given $93,000 to Mr Abbott's Warringah Federal Electoral Council in 2004 and 2007, and $10,000 to the NSW Liberal Party in 2007.

Donors to the Warringah Club include the property developers and long-term backers of Mr Abbott, John and Stanley Roth, who gave $10,440 in November 2008 and $2300 to the Warringah Club in 2009.

However, in a letter on May 19, to the NSW Planning Department in support of its planned residential and retail development on the site of Kirrawee Brickworks, the Roth family company Henroth Investments listed no political donations in 2008.

It disclosed $36,500 in donations made in 2009-10 to organisations including the Warringah Club, but applications under Part 3A of the NSW Planning Act require the declaration of donations made up to two years prior. Nor did the Liberal Party of NSW disclose the receipt of the Henroth donations in its 2008 declaration…..

The Sydney Small Business Club (The Warringah Club) – an associated entity of the NSW Liberal Party and Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s support group – is hardly new to either state or federal financial disclosure systems as it has been submitting associated entity returns in New South Wales since at least 2000-01 and in some years the amounts disclosed are substantial.

By way of example:

In 2012-13 The Sydney Small Business Club reported $14,000 received and payments of $5,644.00
In 2011-12 the Club disclosed it received $29,230.00 and made payments of $42,358.00 and in 2010-11 declared $116,234 received and made payments of $157,187.

In 2009-10 the Club declared $43,800.00 in receipts and $14,935.00 in payments and in 2008-09 it reported $29,050.00 received and $11,115.00 paid out.

In 2010-11 the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division) disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commission that it had received a $50,000 donation from The Warringah Club, a donation amount which was repeated in 2011-12.

The Sydney Morning Herald 6 May 2014:

The Liberal Party of NSW last month declared a four-year-old donation of $25,000 from the Warringah Club, a fundraising entity associated with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as well as amending its most recent returns to declare more than $100,000 in political donations including in-kind support to Joe Hockey’s Federal Electoral Committee.

The amended returns were received by the Australian Electoral Commission on April 5, 2014, as the Independent Commission Against Corruption was preparing to begin public hearings into political donations channelled to a company associated with a staff member in the office of Terrigal MP Chris Hartcher, uncovered during Operation Spicer. It is not clear what prompted the additional disclosures....

Eight months after voting for a rate increase to progress a gas industry in the Northern Rivers Cr. Stuart George became Metgasco Limited's community relations manager

Serendipity or something else?

Richmond Valley Council Ordinary Monthly Meeting Minutes 15 March 2011:

Project Officer for Gas/Intermodal industrial land projects.

This is a Community Strategic Plan (Local Economy) priority....

Snapshot from RVC 15 March 2011 OMM Minutes

The Northern Star 30 April 2011:

DESPITE growing concerns about the burgeoning coal-seam gas industry, Richmond Valley Council (RVC) will proceed with its plans to work with the industry to identify and develop economic opportunities in the region.

Cr. Stuart George’s Linkedin profile:

Community Relations Manager

Metgasco Ltd.

November 2011 – Present (2 years 7 months) Casino