This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
A
52 ha mixed soybean, corn and cane farm on the Casino Coraki Road in the NSW Northern Rivers plants sunflowers as a rotation crop.
When
the sunflowers are in full bloom in the roadside paddocks the mass
effect attracts both locals and tourists. Photos with the crop in the background seem to be the order of the day.
This
year cut sunflowers blooms were available at the roadside for a donation via a secure charity box to allow visitors depart
with a handful of sunshine.
All money raised went to the Casino
Cancer Group.
Hopefully
sunflowers will be a crop visible from the road again next year.
On
Wednesday 3 March 2021, Australian of the Year, 26 year-old Grace
Tame gave a televised National Press Club of Australia Address.
This
is the news.com.au
published transcript of that address. It does not include the
question and answer period at the end of the address:
“In
April of 2010, I was battling severe anorexia. Truth be told, I still
am.
“This
illness had nearly taken my life the year prior, and seen me
hospitalised twice. Bone thin and downed in fine down hairs from
malnourishment, I was picked on for the way I looked. My mum was
eight months pregnant at 45. I was a 15-year-old student at a private
girls’ school in Hobart.
“I
arrived later to discover the rest of my Year 10 classmates were
attending a driving lesson off campus I had completely forgotten
about. Lapses like this weren’t uncommon – I was barely there.
One of the senior teachers saw me walking around aimlessly in the
courtyard. He was very well respected, the head of maths and science
at the school for nearly 20 years. He taught me in Year 9. I thought
he was funny. He told me he had a free period and asked me to chat
with him in his office. He asked me about my illness, I talked, he
listened. He promised to help me, to guide me in my recovery.
“As
a teenager with no frame of reference, and thinking nothing odd of
this, I told my mother about the conversation. My parents had a
meeting with the school principal, requesting the teacher stay away
from me. In (a) meeting I then had, I think to apologise to him for
putting him in this position in front of the principal. I was told I
had done something wrong.
“Thus,
the first seeds of terror, confusion, and self-doubt were sewn in my
mind. Indeed, it didn’t make sense. In secret, he was adamant I
still come to see him. To talk. My parents were against me, he
insisted. I was not to tell them because they wouldn’t understand.
Pregnant women, he said, were full of hormones. That must be why my
mother and I were arguing.
“He
gave me a key in his office, where it was always music playing, and
the same music always, Simon and Garfunkel. Over a period of months
he made me feel safe. I was sexually abused as a six-year-old by an
older child who told me to undress in a closet before molesting me.
He told me he would never hurt me. Until he did. By way of a
masterful re-enactment I didn’t see coming. With a closet. And an
instruction to undress.
“Most
of you know the story from there. That is, how I lost my virginity to
a 58-year-old paedophile and spent the next six months being raped by
him at school nearly every day on the floor of his office. When I
reported him to police, he found 28 multimedia files of child
pornography on his computer. As per the lasting impact of and
manipulative grooming and a four months after the abuse, I
effectively defended him in my statement. I was terrified he would
find out I betrayed him and he would kill me. He was two years in
jail for maintaining a sexual relationship with a person under the
age of 17.
“Repairing
myself in the aftermath of all this was not a simple, linear
undertaking. For every step forward, there were steps back and to the
side, and some almost off the edge. I saw counsellor after
counsellor. But I also abused drugs, drank, moved overseas, cut
myself, threw myself into study, dyed my hair, made amazing
friendships, got ugly tattoos, worked for my childhood hero, found
myself in violent relationships, practised yoga, even became a yoga
teacher.
“I
starved, I binged, and I starved again. One of the toughest
challenges on my road to recovery was trying to speak about something
we were taught is unspeakable. I felt completely disconnected from
myself and everyone around me. Many people didn’t know how to
respond. That said, the ones who listened, the ones who were eager to
understand, even when they couldn’t, made all the difference.
“Still,
the doubt lingered. How could I have been so stupid, as to not see
what this man was doing from the outset? Was it my fault? Should I
have known it was a lie when he said he learned more from me than any
of his other students? Maybe I should have been more alarmed when he
asked me if I knew where my clitoris was. It was when the perpetrator
was released after serving 19 months for abusing me, correction,
maintaining a sexual relationship with me as a 15-year-old, and then
spoke freely to the media about how awesome it was, I realised we had
this all around the wrong way.
“Add
the fact this man was awarded a federally funded PhD scholarship to
the only university in my state. My mother was studying there. She
soon dropped out because of his presence. In fact, he was put in
student accommodation. Despite multiple reports to police by fellow
students of his predatory behaviour, and once again convicted and
jailed for his vulgar public comments during his PhD tenure, he was
eventually awarded a doctorate.
“After
all this, it became quite obvious to me why child sex abuse remains
ubiquitous in our society, while predators retain the power to get
what they want, to objectify their targets through free speech, the
innocent, survivors and bystanders alike, are burdened by a
shame-induced silence.
“I
connected with groundbreaking fellow survivor and journalist, Nina
Funnell. I needed to raise awareness and educate others about sexual
abuse and the prolonged psychological manipulation that belies it.
After months of recounting, retraumatising details, tearfully
transposed by Nina, we discovered we were barred by section 194k of
Tasmania’s evidence act, that made it illegal for survivors of
child sexual abuse to be identified by the media, even after turning
18, even with their consent. Nina created the Let Her Speak campaign
to reform this law. We were then joined by 16 other brave survivors
who lent their stories to the cause. The law was officially changed
in April last year, almost 10 years to the day from the beginning of
my story.
“It
is so important for our nation, the whole world, in fact, to listen
to survivors’ stories. “Whilst they’re disturbing to hear, the
reality of what goes on behind closed doors is more so. And the more
details we omit for fear of disturbance, the more we soften these
crimes. The more we shield perpetrators from the shame that is
resultedly misdirected to their targets. “When we share, we heal,
reconnect, and grow. Both as individuals and as a united strengthened
collective. History, lived experience, the whole truth, unsanitised,
and unedited, is our greatest learning resource. It is what informs
social and structural change. The upshot of allowing predators a
voice but not survivors encourages the criminal behaviour.
“Through
working with Nina, finally winning the right to speak, and talking
with fellow campaign survivors and countless other women and men who
have since come forward, it has become clear that there is the
potential to do so much more to support survivors of child sexual
abuse to thrive in life, beyond their trauma. And more so, to end
child sexual abuse. It is my mission to do so. And it begins right
now. As a fortunate nation, we have a particular obligation to
protect our most vulnerable. Our innocent children, and especially
those further disadvantaged through circumstance, being part of a
minority group, or geographical location. And there are three key
areas that we can focus on to achieve this.
“Number
one, how we invite, listen, and accept the conversation, and lived
experience of child sexual abuse survivors. You have heard me say it
before, it all starts with conversation. Number two, what we do to
expand our understanding of this heinous crime, in particular, the
grooming process, through both formal and informal education. Number
three, how we provide a consistent national framework that supports
survivors and their loved ones, not just in their recovery, but also
to disempower and deter predators from action.
“So,
what is it that we must do? First and foremost, let’s keep talking
about it. It’s that simple. Let’s start by opening up. It is up
it us as a community, as a country, to create a space, a national
movement where survivors feel supported and free to share their
truths. Let’s drive a paradigm shift of shame away from those who
have been abused and onto abusive behaviour. Let’s share the
platform to remind all survivors that their individual voice matters
amongst the collective. Every story is imbued with unique catalytic
educative potential that can only be told by the subject. Let us
genuinely listen, actively, without judgment, and without advice to
demonstrate empathy and reinsure it never was our fault. Further to
this point, while I must express my unflinching gratitude for this
new-found platform, I would like to take this particular opportunity
to directly address the media with a constructive reminder – the
need for which has become starkly apparent to me this past month.
“Hosts,
reporters, journalists, I say to you – listening to survivors is
one thing – repeatedly expecting people to relive their trauma on
your terms, without our consent, without prior warning, is another.
It’s sensation. It’s commodification of our pain. It’s
exploitation. It’s the same abuse. Of all the many forms of trauma,
rape has the highest rate of PTSD. Healing from trauma does not mean
it’s forgotten, nor the symptoms never felt again. Trauma lives on
in ourselves. Our unconscious bodies are steps ahead of our conscious
minds. When we’re triggered, we’re at the mercy of our emotional
brain. In this state, it’s impossible to discern between past and
present. Such is retraumatisation.
“I
cried more than once while writing this. Just because I’m been
recognised for my story doesn’t mean it’s fair game anywhere, any
time. It doesn’t get any easier to tell. I may be strong, but I’m
human, just like everyone else. By definition, truths cannot be
forced. So grant us the respect and patience to share them on our own
terms, rather than barking instructions like take us back to your
darkest moment, and ‘tell us about being raped’. The cycle of
abuse cannot be broken simply by replaying case histories, we cannot
afford to back track. Else, we’ll go around in circles, trapped in
a painful narrative, and we’ll all get tired, both as speakers and
listeners. We’ll want to switch off and give up. And retreat once
more into silence.
“On
average, it takes 23.9 years for survivors of child sexual abuse to
be able to speak about their experiences. Such is the success of
predators at instilling fear and self-doubt in the minds of their
targets. More so than they are masters of destroying our trust in
others, perpetrators are masters of destroying our trust in our own
judgment. In ourselves. Such is the power of shame. A power, though,
that is no match for love. When I disclosed my abuse to another of my
teachers, Dr William Simon, his absolute belief in me was the only
assurance I needed to tell the police. It helped me recover a little
of my lost faith in humanity. There certainly isn’t a single rigid
solution. Solutions will naturally come in due course by allowing and
enabling voices to be heard.
“Certainly,
talking about child sexual abuse won’t eradicate it, but we can’t
fix a problem we don’t discuss, so it begins with conversation.
Which brings me to my second point: from there, we need to expand the
conversation to create more awareness and education. Particularly
around the process of grooming.
“Grooming
– it’s a concept that makes us wince and shudder and as such, we
rarely hear about it. To the benefit of perpetrators. While it haunts
us, and we avoid properly breaking it down, the complexity and
secrecy of this criminal behaviour is what predators thrive on. In
turn, we enable them to charm and manipulate not just their targets,
but all of us at once, family, friends, colleagues and community
members, and this must stop. Our discomfort, our fear, and resulting
ignorance needs to stop giving perpetrators the power and confidence
that allows them to operate.
“As
a start, we should all be aware of what has been identified as the
six phases of grooming, that certainly ring true in my experience.
Number one, targeting. That is, identifying a vulnerable individual.
In my case, I was an innocent child, but I was anorexic, with
significant change happening at home. Number two, gaining trust. That
is, establishing a friendship and falsely lulling the target into a
sense of security, by empathising and assuring safety. For me, that
is what I thought was listening to my challenges. Empathising with my
situation, and providing me a safe space to retreat to when I needed
it. Number three, filling a need. That is, playing the person that
fills the gap in a target’s mental and emotional support. In my
case, although I was surrounded by an incredibly attentive family and
team of medical professionals, most of their support came in the form
of tough love. The teacher thus assumed the role of sympathiser,
telling me what I wanted to hear. Number four, isolating, driving
wedges between the target and their genuine supporters. This involves
pushing certain people away, but exploiting others. I remember
studying the film Iron Jawed Angels in history. The main character is
force fed, much like I had been. Aware of my distress upon seeing
this, my history teacher quietly led me out of the classroom. I said
nothing. But she took me straight to his office. Where she left me
with him. Panicked, in tears. It wasn’t until many years later I
questioned why she and other staff would take me to him when I was
upset. Staff he privately mocked and referred to as ‘the menopausal
virgins club’. He must have told them. Number five, sexualising.
That is, gradually introducing sexual content as to normalise it. In
my case, in conjunction with subtly explicit conversation, I was
carefully exposed to material that glorified relationships between
characters with significant age differences. There was one film in
particular he made me watch, called The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,
the last line of which, ‘Give me a girl at an impressible age, and
she is mine for life’.
“And
remember how I said Simon and Garfunkel was always playing? Their
music was the soundtrack to The Graduate. He made me watch that too.
It was, both literally and figuratively, The Sound of Silence. You
know the lyrics. The vision that was planted in my brain, still
remains, within The Sound of Silence. Number six, maintaining
control. That is, striking a perfect balance between causing pain and
providing relief from that pain. To condition the target to feel
guilt at the thought of exposing a person that also appears to care
for them. Abusers scare you into silent submission. At over six foot,
he towered above me. He once told me a story about a friend of his
who sought revenge on a woman by digging her eyes out with a spoon.
He told me he killed people as a soldier. He’d also sit outside on
my street at night in his car, to watch me undress through the
window. I was already embarrassed by my shape as a young teenager in
eating disorder recovery. I remember standing naked behind his desk
after he had just raped me, and asking him if he thought I was fat.
He looked me up and down and said, ‘You could do with some more
exercise’. Like I was a dog. But he also told me I was beautiful.
See, how it is all stiflingly, painfully complex?
“But
as we talk more about child sexual abuse, our lived experiences and
what we know, our understanding of this premeditated evil will
continue to develop. We need to warn our children, age appropriately,
of the signs and characteristic behaviours, while educating how to
report it, should it happen to them, or to those around them. This is
a serious enough topic, unfortunately too common in occurrence for us
to hope that kids know this. So I challenge our education system to
look for ways to more formally educate our children. Because we know
that education is our primary means of prevention.
“And
finally, to my third point, we need structural change. A national
system that supports and protects survivors and deals with crimes in
proportion to their severity. Let’s start by considering the
implications of linguistics related to offences. Through Let Her
Speak campaign efforts, we saw the wording of my abuser’s charge
officially changed from maintaining a sexual relationship to a person
under 17, to the persistent sexual abuse of a child. Think about the
difference in the crime according to the language of both of these.
Think about the message it sends to the community. Think about the
message it sends survivors. Where empathy is placed, where blame is
placed, and how punishment is then given. We need to protect our
children not just from the physical, mental, and emotional pain of
these hideous crimes, but from the long lasting sometimes lifelong
trauma that accompanies it. Whilst national structural change is no
small feat, nor is educating our children on the dangers and the
complexities of grooming, it is work that needs to be done and we
need to start somewhere.
“Let’s
start by reviewing our linguistics and agreeing between ourselves. We
have eight different state and territory jurisdictions and eight
different definitions of consent. We need to agree on something as
absolute as what consent is. We need a uniform, state and federal,
national standard definition of consent. Only then can we effectively
teach this fundamentally important principle consistently around
Australia.
“Since
I was announced as Australian of the Year just over a month ago,
hundreds of fellow child sexual abuse survivors have reached out to
me to tell their stories. To cry with me. Stories they thought they
would take with them to the grave, out of shame for being subjected
to something that was not their fault. Stories of a kind of suffering
they had previously never been able to explain. Stories of grooming.
I am one of the luckiest ones. Who survived, who was believed, who
was surrounded by love.
“And
what this shows me is that despite this problem still existing, and
despite a personal history of trauma that is still ongoing, it is
possible to heal, to thrive, and live a wonderful life. It is my
mission and my duty as a survivor and as a survivor with a voice to
continue working towards eradicating child sexual abuse. I won’t
stop until it does.
“And
so, I leave you with these three messages – number one, to our
government – our decision-makers, and our policymakers – we need
reform on a national scale. Both in policy and education. To address
these heinous crimes so they are no longer enabled to be perpetrated.
Number two, to my nation, the wonderful people of Australia – we
need to be open, to embrace the conversation, new information, and
take guidance from our experiences so we can inform change. So we can
heal and prevent this happening to future generations.
“Number
three, and finally, to my fellow survivors – it is our time. We
need to take this opportunity. We need to be bold and courageous.
Recognise that we have a platform on which I stand with you in
solidarity and support. Share your truth. It is your power. One
voice, your voice, and our collective voices can make a difference.
We are on the precipice of a revolution whose call to action needs to
be heard loud and clear. That’s right. You got it. Let’s keep
making noise, Australia.”
Having
supplied little more than business names for these independent
assessors, this is the scant information I have collected since
reading The Guardian news article of 7 March 2021.
1.
Outlook Matters Psychology, Innovative Rehab, Pain NT
- business names for
Victorian for profit company Outlook Matters Pty Ltd
offering Therapeutic Supports and Early Intervention Supports for
Early Childhood (deafness & mental health).
2.
Konekt Limited – a
company listed on the stock exchange has
9 for profit subsidiaries. Provides organisational health and risk management solutions.Its
4 directors have backgrounds in banking, accounting,
marketing, financial services, health insurance and one
was formerly
a senior executive in Rupert
Murdoch’s infamous
London-based News International PLCand currently chairs a data
centre company, NEXTDC Limited.
3.
Rehab Management (Aust) Pty Ltd – occupational rehabilitation and corporate health services provider. One of 5 for profit
subsidiaries belonging to Arriba Group Pty Ltd. It has offices
in all states and territories
4.
Access Care Network Australia Pty Ltd
– registered as a charity this WA
company provides advice,
support and referral to
enable people to remain living in their own homes.
5.
IPAR Rehabilitation – for
profit provider of injury prevention, occupational rehabilitation and
return to work services in Australia, with offices in every state and
territory.
6.
Advanced Personnel Management (APM) –member of the multinational
APM Group, acts as a
for profit employment agency
for people with illness, injury or disability.
7.
HealthStrong Pty Ltd - a for
profit residential aged care and home care provider owned by
Australia’s second largest health insurance company Medicare
Private Limited.
8.
Allied Care Group – a subsidiary ofZenitas
Healthcare Ltd, a for profit home care provider
listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (formerly known as Zenitas
Healthcare Limited, BGD Corporation Ltd,
Boulder Steel Ltd, Boulder Group Nl, Boulder Gold N.L).
This
panel will be in place for three years, with the option for the
National Disability Agency (NDIA) to extend it for two more years.
The
Morrison government is facing growing backlash from the disability
community over a plan to introduce “independent assessments” to
the national disability insurance scheme by the middle of the year.
Under
the current process, applicants submit evidence from experts,
including their specialists, and these reports are evaluated by the
National Disability Insurance Agency.
From
mid-2021 they will undergo an “independent assessment” by an
allied health professional employed by one of eight contracted
providers paid by the government.
The
changes have sparked widespread backlash, including from a coalition
of 25 disability advocacy groups which this week called for the plan
to be scrapped.
They
said their clients had expressed “acute fears regarding the risks
to their health, wellbeing and access to reasonable and necessary
supports”.
Labor,
the Greens, and the Liberal MP Russell Broadbent have also suggested
the change is a cost-cutting exercise, a claim strongly denied by the
government.
The
government argues that people with disabilities and their families
are now forced to spend money collecting reports from experts. This
has meant outcomes have been inconsistent and too often based on
where a person lives or their access to health professionals.
This
week the NDIS minister, Stuart Robert, released data showing plans
were worth more on average in more affluent electorates in Adelaide,
compared with less wealthy areas.
The
government says the assessments – which will be free of charge and
last about three hours on average – will create an easier,
“streamlined” process.
Yet
some people who have already taken part in an independent assessment
have been highly critical of the plan.
Aaron
Carpenter, a 41-year-old who lives with autism and agreed to take
part in the pilot program, told the Guardian the experience had been
“dehumanising”.
When
he applied for the scheme, Carpenter’s own clinical psychologist
wrote a report outlining the functional impact of his disability.
He
questioned why his independent assessment was instead conducted by a
physiotherapist.
Carpenter
said he was asked many “yes or no” questions with “no context”
and was at one point asked to complete a “task”, which was to
make a cup of tea.
The
NDIA has told participants the assessments include questions “about
your life and what matters to you, and ask to see how you approach
some everyday tasks”, and will also include some “standardised
assessment tools”.
Carpenter
said: “There’s a level of trauma that comes with disability and
it’s through being made to be like a dancing monkey.
“We
almost have to tell our story every single time we see somebody. To
do that with a complete stranger, over the course of an hour or two,
cannot capture us at all.”
After
the assessment was finished, Carpenter applied to the NDIA for a copy
of the independent assessor’s report.
He
was dismayed when he saw a section titled “self-harm” was listed
as “not-applicable”.
“When
I have a bit of a sensory meltdown, it’s not nice,” he said. “I
will punch things, I’ll punch myself, I’ll pull my clothing off.
“Probably
my biggest impairment is being able to manage sensory input to the
point where I don’t have meltdowns.”
Nicole
Rogerson’s 25-year-old son, Jack, also lives with autism and took
part in the pilot.
Rogerson,
the chief executive of Autism Awareness Australia, told Guardian
Australia she had “open mind” and understood why the agency had
proposed the changes.
But
she was so dissatisfied by the process she cut her son’s assessment
short.
“It’s
just sort of, sit down, the laptop comes out, out comes a manual of
questions, and the testing begins,” she said.
“Some
of the questions were about his capability in certain areas. And he’d
be sitting there saying, ‘Oh, yeah, I can do a lot.’ It was, ‘Do
you do all your own cooking?’ and he’d be like, ‘Oh, yeah, I
can cook.’ There’s a big difference between whether you can cook
something and, ‘Can you live independently?’
“He
was answering incorrectly, not meaning to. And she’s noting all
this down. My concern was, how good are these assessors? Do they know
about autism, and/or intellectual disability? Are these answers going
to be considered ‘the answers’?”
Rogerson
said her son had been asked to take the garbage out during the
assessment and eventually she could see him “starting to feel
really low about himself”.
She
was worried about how the assessments might impact the mental health
of some participants.
“She’s
asking him, ‘How does your disability affect your job? And he’s
saying, ‘Oh, no, I’ve got a job. I’m fine.’
“And
he’s looking at me like, why is this woman asking him to rate his
own disability, of which he doesn’t really like talking about or
think he has one.”...
Critics
have compared the independent assessments to Abbott government
reforms introduced for the disability support pension, which helped
drive a large reduction in successful claims.
Jordon
Steele-John, a Greens senator who lives with cerebral palsy, claimed
the government was using the assessments as “a tool to reduce the
number of people on NDIS”.
“That
is their objective,” he told the Guardian. “They may dress it up
in whatever bureaucratic language they want, but they want to knock
people off the scheme.”
Labor’s
NDIS spokesman, Bill Shorten, told a rally last month the
government’s independent assessments plan was “nothing less than
a complete all-out assault to undermine the NDIS”.
A
spokesperson for Robert said the changes were based on the
Productivity Commission’s original design for the scheme and on
recommendations from the 2019 Tune review into the NDIS Act.
He
rejected suggestions there had been no consultation, adding that over
the past three months there had been “additional consultation to
support the rollout of independent assessments”.
“These
reforms, in addition to the already significant improvements to wait
times, deliver on this roadmap and will set up the NDIS for the
future – an NDIS that works for everyone,” he said.
All
new applicants will need to undergo a mandatory independent
assessment under the government’s plan, while the scheme’s
existing 440,400 participants will be subjected to an assessment when
their plan comes up for review.
The
government is expected to release draft legislation shortly, before a
bill is introduced to parliament that will allow the changes to come
into effect by mid-2021.
Which means that Mr. Hogan does not support genuine climate change mitigation measures.
However, the Knitting Nannas Against Gas (KNAG) have never stopped reminding him that it is his duty to represent the people in his northern NSW electorate not a particular political party.
The
Grafton Nannas have written to you a number of times over the years
expressing their concern about the Federal Government’s lack of
effective action on climate change.
We
are dismayed that your Government is still ignoring the scientific
advice about the need for urgent action on reducing Australia’s
carbon emissions.
Your
Government is at odds with the States and Territories which are all
committed to net zero emissions by 2050 - irrespective of the party
in government. Furthermore these governments are all taking action
to ensure that they achieve this important goal.
Your
Government is also at odds with many major companies in the private
sector which understand that they need to make changes in their
operations to survive – and prosper – in a carbon-constrained
world.
It’s
way past time that your Government stopped pandering to the fossil
fuel lobby, dropped its ridiculous and damaging “gas-led recovery”
and pursuit of futile pie in the sky nonsense such as carbon capture
and storage and took its responsibility to the Australian people and
future generations of Australians seriously.
We
Nannas are particularly concerned for today’s young people who will
inherit a world which is set to be irretrievably damaged by the
selfishness and folly of you and your Coalition colleagues.
Do
you, Mr Hogan, feel any personal responsibility for your Government’s
failure to act effectively for our young people?
The Australien Government has made an ad about the new media legislation it just passed, and it's surprisingly honest and informative! pic.twitter.com/iD5KRenxGT
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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
[Adopted and proclaimed by United Nations General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948]
Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.
A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourismbusiness development services.
A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!
An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements.The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.
A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.
A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?
A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.
An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?
A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.
A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.
A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?
An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.
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