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.
TOP
10 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTORATES RANKED BY ORDER OF WEALTH IN
2020*
Wentworth
(NSW) – Liberal
– Dave Sharna since 2019 (general
election) –
No 1 electorate
Warringah
(NSW) – Independent
– Zali Steggall since 2019 (general
election) –
No 2 electorate
Bradfield
(NSW)
– Liberal –
Paul
Fletcher
since 2009
(by-election)
– No 3
electorate
North
Sydney
(NSW) – Liberal
– Trent Zimmerman since 2015
(by-election)
– No 4
electorate
Mackellar
(NSW) – Liberal
– Jason Falinski since 2016
(general
election)
– No 5
Cook(NSW)
– Liberal
– Scott
Morrison
since 2007
(general
election)
– No 6
Goldstein
(Vic)
– Liberal
– Tim Wilson since 2016
(general election) – No 7
Higgins
(Vic) – Liberal
–Katie
Allensince
2019
(general election) – No 8
Curtin
(WA)
– Liberal
–Celia
Hammondsince
2019
(general election) – No 9
Kooyong
(Vic)
– Liberal
–Josh
Frydenbergsince
2019
(general election) – No 10.
Four Liberal electorates in this group contain sitting members in the office of Prime Minister, Treasurer, Minister
for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts and,
Assistant
Minister to the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions
Reduction.
Within this group of wealthy electorates only est. 6.48% of all households were living below the poverty line.
It
should come as no surprise that in
10 electorates with the lowest wealth rankings:
5
were LNP/Nationals electorates
– Herbert (Qld), Flynn (Qld), Forde
(Qld), Longman (Qld), Capricornia
(Qld).
Across these five Labor electorates est.13.38% of all households were living below the poverty line**, while across the other five LNP/Nationals electorates est.12.18% of all households were living below the poverty line.
The two NSW Northern Rivers federal electorates ranked 25th (Richmond– Labor since 2004) and 112th (Page– Nationals since 2013 general election) for average wealth per capita. With Richmond having 14% of all households living below the poverty line and Page having 16.4% of households.
NOTE:
* Order of wealth is calculated by average per capita wealth in an
electorate as set out in Roy
Morgan Wealth Report,
1 May 2020.
Self-proclaimed
‘Scomo’ Scott Morrison’s other
nicknames and the descriptive
political terms applied to
him by the general public up to 8April 2022
Listed
in no particular order and presented as hashtags for readers’
convenience. Some of these nicknames and descriptive political terms
surfaced for a single tweet or post while others were repeated and
shared multiple times. Sometimes similar hashtags appear to represent
different aspects of Scott Morrison’s behaviour over time. This is
not an exhaustive list – it is likely there are tweets and posts I
did not happen to see. One hashtag has been left off this list
because the level of profanity was problematic.
Although
global financial systems have held up during the COVID-19 global
pandemic, by April 2022 the Russian invasion of Ukraine and
subsequent risk of financial stress caused by sanctions had become a factor in the international financial
equation. Thus far any risk for Australia's economy appears to be considered manageable.
The
incidence of household financial stress is low and declining, but a
small share of households are vulnerable to cash flow shocks …
The
share of APRA-regulated lenders’ non-performing housing loans was
just 0.9 per cent at the end of 2021 – lower than before the
pandemic (see ‘Chapter 3: The Australian Financial System’).
Almost all borrowers
who have exited loan payment deferral arrangements available earlier
in the pandemic are now up to date with their repayments.
The recent strength in employment is likely to have offset the
unwinding in fiscal policy support for most indebted households. For
the small number of borrowers who are currently experiencing
repayment difficulties, liaison with banks indicates that the vast majority
had been experiencing problems prior to the pandemic, and that early
indicators of financial stress in other borrowers (such as households
reducing their prepayments) remain very low.
Households
in flood-affected areas of New South Wales and Queensland are facing
significant challenges. To alleviate near-term financial
challenges, government disaster-relief payments and hardship
assistance from lenders have been made available. Recent estimates suggest
that the number of insurance claims is higher than following the 2011
Queensland floods and Cyclone Yasi; although, to date, the total
value of claims has been lower as fewer homes require rebuilding.
Banks direct exposures to the most heavily affected households are
small relative to total lending.
More
broadly, the small share of borrowers with low liquidity buffers are
more likely than other borrowers to have their financial resilience tested
if they experience an adverse shock to their incomes or expenses,
including through higher inflation. The risks for households with low
liquidity buffers are likely to be even higher for those whose
payment buffers have been declining (as opposed to low and stable)
and for those who also have high levels of debt. The Securitisation
data indicate that, for owner-occupiers with variable-rate loans, the
overall share
of borrowers with a loan six or more times their income and a buffer
of less than one month of minimum repayments has declined since
the beginning of the pandemic, to just below 1 per cent (Graph 2.4).
The share of owner-occupier variable-rate borrowers with low and
declining buffers has decreased to around 2 per cent over the same
period. Declines
in the shares of both groups of vulnerable borrowers are partly due
to lower interest rates.
Historically,
renters have been more likely to experience financial stress than
indebted owner-occupiers. According to the Household, Income and
Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, around one-third of
renters reported at least one instance of financial stress (such as being
unable to pay a bill on time or heat their home) in 2020, compared to
one-sixth of owner-occupiers (Graph 2.5). Although renters are unlikely
to pose direct risks to the stability of the financial system (as
they have less debt), financial stress for renters could translate to repayment
difficulties for indebted landlords or pose indirect risks by
constraining household consumption and so economic activity. Renters with
a combination of low liquidity buffers prior to the pandemic
(equivalent to less than one month of disposable income) and high
housing cost burdens (rental payments equivalent to more than 30 per
cent of disposable income) were much more likely to report financial
stress than other households. Around 15 per cent of renters were
vulnerable based on this metric in 2020.
Although
the value of consumer debt has declined over recent years, there has
been strong growth in households using buy now, pay later (BNPL)
services. BNPL services are generally a form of short-term financing
that allow consumers to pay for goods and services in
instalments. It is estimated that the value of BNPL transactions
increased by around 40 per cent over the year to the December quarter
of 2021, and the total number of BNPL accounts was equivalent to
around one-third of the adult population (although some people have
more than one account). There have been some increases in the
incidence of late payments on these products. However, the value of
BNPL transactions remains relatively small compared to other forms of
personal finance, with the value of domestic personal credit and
charge card purchases on Australian issued cards around 15 times
larger than BNPL transactions in the December quarter of 2021.
… including
a small share of borrowers who could struggle to service their debts
as a result of higher interest rates and/or inflation
….Around
60 per cent of all borrowers currently have variable-rate loans, with
around two-thirds of these being owner-occupiers. Scenario analysis
using information in the Securitisation dataset indicates that if
variable mortgage rates were to increase by 200 basis points:
•
just
over 40 per cent of these borrowers made average monthly payments
over the past year that would be large enough to cover the increase
in required repayments (Graph 2.6)
•
a
further 20 per cent would face an increase in their repayments of no
more than 20 per cent
•
around
25 per cent of variable-rate owner-occupiers would see their
repayments increase by more than 30 per cent of their current
repayments; however, around half of these borrowers have accumulated
excess payment buffers equivalent to one year’s worth
of their current minimum repayments that could therefore help ease
their transition to higher repayments
•
the
share of borrowers facing a debt servicing ratio greater than 30 per
cent (a commonly used threshold for ‘high’ repayment burdens)
would increase from around 10 per cent to just under 20 per cent.
One
caveat is that households’ average monthly mortgage payments over
the past year may have been larger than might reasonably be expected
going forward, especially as previous spending patterns resume
alongside the recovery in economic activity. It is difficult to draw
inferences about the capacity of investors with variable-rate loans
to make higher repayments, as they tend not to make excess mortgage
payments (and other forms of saving are less visible in available
data).
Most
borrowers with fixed-rate loans are also likely to be able to handle
the increases in their repayments when their fixed-rate terms expire.
Many
borrowers have taken advantage of very low interest rates on
fixed-rate products in recent years; in late 2021, almost 40 per cent of outstanding
housing lending had fixed interest rates – roughly double the share
at the start of 2020. Around three-quarters of currently outstanding
fixed-rate loans will expire by the end of 2023……
Australian
Human Rights Commission,
general
release,
7 April 2022:
Statement
on international accreditation of the Australian Human Rights
Commission
The
Australian Human Rights Commission’s status as a National Human
Rights Institution (NHRI) has been reviewed by the Global Alliance of
National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) – the international
standards body.
This
review, conducted every five years, considers whether the Commission
continues to meet the UN
Principles on National Institutions (commonly known as the
Paris Principles), which establish whether national human rights
commissions operate with the necessary level of institutional
independence to ensure the effective promotion and protection of
human rights.
The
Commission faced three possible outcomes through this review:
reaccreditation as an A-status institution; downgrade to a B-status
institution; or deferral of reaccreditation for a period of time in
order for serious matters of compliance to be addressed.
The
Australian Human Rights Commission was not reaccredited as an
A-status national human rights institution. Its reaccreditation was
deferred.
The
key concern of the Committee that led to the deferral was the
selection and appointment process for Commissioners. This latest
report of 29 March 2022 reflects feedback from the Committee over a
10-year period about Australia’s appointment processes, with three
appointments in this timeframe that did not meet the accreditation
requirements.
The
Australian Government now has approximately 15 months to address this
matter before a final decision on the Commission’s status is taken
by the Committee in October 2023. The Committee has indicated that
the Commission is at risk of being downgraded to a B-status NHRI if
this issue is not sufficiently addressed within this timeframe.
For
30 years the Australian Government has played a key role in promoting
the establishment of national human rights institutions across the
globe, including by leading resolutions in the UN General Assembly
and UN Human Rights Council on the importance of such institutions.
This is the first time the Commission has been at risk of losing its
A-status as an NHRI since the establishment of international
standards for National Human Rights Institutions in 1993.
The
Commission’s President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM,
has shared with the Government the Commission’s concerns over the
implications of the deferral and potential risks to the promotion and
protection of human rights in Australia, as well as Australia’s
reputation internationally.
The
Commission continues to advocate for the necessary policy and
legislative changes to ensure Commissioner appointments are publicly
advertised and subject to an open, transparent and merit-based
process, in line with our international commitments. The Commission
will continue to work with the Government, the Parliament and civil
society to secure a successful re-accreditation as an A-status NHRI
in 2023.
On
5 April 2022 the Liberal
Party of Australia (NSW Division) Executive was composed of:
State President Philip Ruddock, State Director (in attendance) Chris
Stone, Urban Vice-Presidents Penny George,Country
and Regional Vice-Presidents Tobias Lehmann & Aileen MacDonald
Female Vice-President Mary-Lou Jarvis, Young Liberal President De Yi
Wu, Leader
of the Federal Parliamentary Party Scott Morrison MP (and from time to time his representative Alex Hawke MP), Leader of the
State Parliamentary Party Dominic Perrottet MP, Urban Representatives James
Wallace, Matthew Hana, Chantelle Fornari-Orsmond, Martin Zaiter, Sally
Betts, Zac Miles, Michelle Byrne, Sammy Elmir & Jacqui Munro
(replacing Matthew Camenzuli who was expelled from the Liberal Party
on or about 6 April 2022 for bringing the legal action, Camenzuli
v Morrison), Country Representatives Michelle Bishop, PatrickDoherty, Mark Croxford, James Owen, Chair of Convention Committee and
Director of Policy Engagement Alex Dore and Treasurer Mark Baillie.
A
battle had been brewing for some time between the Federal Liberal
Party Executive, the NSW Liberal Party Executive and state local party
branches over the 2018 changes to the NSW
Division Constitution which included the right to state
branch plebiscites. These changes also allowed the federal leader of
the Liberal Party a guaranteed seat on the executive.
The
open stoush widened and had developed by February 2022 into Camenzuli
v Hawke. Followed by Morrison
& Ors v Camenzuli & Ors; Attorney-General of the
Commonwealth v Camenzuli & Ors, heard by the High
Court of Australia in March 2022. The High Court remitted the case to
its jurisdiction and then promptly remitted it back to NSW Court of
Appeal – given that no difficulty was found to exist in the hearing
schedule in the state court.
On
5 April 2022 in Camenzuli
v Morrison the NSW Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, ruled
that the Federal Liberal Party Executive had the power to intervene
in the NSW Division’s candidate preselection process and take
control of the selection of candidates.
The
12 electorates in question being Farrer, Mitchell,
North Sydney, Hughes, Parramatta, Fowler,
Grayndler, Newcastle, Warringah, Greenway,
Eden-Monaro and McMahon. Candidate selection and
endorsement was by a three person federal committee comprising ScottMorrison, Alex Hawke and Trent Zimmerman and
occurred ahead of the 5 April judgment.
Legal
proceedings in the matter of the usurped state candidate preselection
process has not gone away however.
In
MATTHEW CAMENZULI v THE HON. SCOTT MORRISON MP First
Respondent, CHRISTINE McDIVEN AM Second Respondent, THE HON. DOMINIC
PERROTTET MP Third Respondent, THE HON. ALEX HAWKE MP Fourth
Respondent, THE HON. SUSSAN LEY MP Fifth Respondent, TRENT ZIMMERMAN
MP Sixth Respondent, THE HON. PHILIP RUDDOCK AO Seventh Respondent,
THE HON. JOHN OLSEN AO Eighth Respondent on 7 April 2022 the
High Court of Australia decided the timetable for hearing of oral
arguments in this Special Leave To Appeal Application, commencing 4pm
on Friday 8 April 2022.
Apparently
Morrison et al intend to argue that Camenzuli no longer has standing
before the Court as he is not now a member of the Liberal Party and
will ask that the application be dismissed.
Scott Morrison's dysfunctional need to control every aspect of the Liberal Party of Australia is ripping this 77 year-old conservative political party apart in a very public manner.
Banks
also told the ABC Scott Morrison was like “menacing controlling
wallpaper” during the period where she decided to leave the Liberal
party after Malcolm Turnbull was deposed as prime minister.
She
says she intended to stay on the backbench after Morrison took over
as PM but changed her mind after he attempted to “silence” her.
“I
thought if I’m to exit this parliament, I’ll exit on my own terms
and under my own story and not on their terms, so I announced that I
was going to become an independent.
“It
was the three months of Morrison’s leadership that … was
definitely the most gut-wrenching, distressing period of my entire
career.”
Text Exchange Between Then Liberal Premier of New South Wales Gladys Berejiklian & A Person Understood To Be A Cabinet Minister
Barnaby
Joyce labelled Scott Morrison “a hypocrite and a liar” in a
private text message, sent before he returned to the leadership of
the National party.
In
another blow for the embattled prime minister, the leaked text, seen
by Guardian Australia, was forwarded to the former Liberal staffer
Brittany Higgins by a third party.
In
it, Joyce said he did not “get along” with Morrison.
“He
is a hypocrite and a liar from my observations and that is over a
long time,” Joyce said in the message, dated March last year.
“I
have never trusted him, and I dislike how earnestly [he] rearranges
the truth to a lie.”
Joyce’s
attack is the second time in a week private text exchanges, critical
of the prime minister, have been leaked. On Tuesday, Morrison was
blindsided when the Ten Network’s political editor, Peter van
Onselen, used a televised question and answer session at the National
Press Club to reveal private criticism of Morrison.
Van
Onselen told Morrison he had a record of a text message exchange
between a party colleague and the former New South Wales premier
Gladys Berejiklian in which she branded the prime minister a
“horrible person” who was untrustworthy.
“The
minister is even more scathing, describing you as a fraud and ‘a
complete psycho’,” Van Onselen said. “Does this exchange
surprise you? And what does it tell us?”
Van
Onselen later said the conversation was between Berejiklian and a
federal minister.
Outgoing Liberal SenatorConcetta Fierravanti-Wells
It’s
fair to say I have not seen eye to eye with Connie Fierravanti-Wells
on factional issues, but I do thank her for her honesty in admitting
she assisted Scott Morrison in his preselection for Cook.
More
importantly I am also happy to endorse her belated character
assessment of the prime minister. She was spot on.
Sadly,
it’s just all come a bit late for the Liberal party. The party I
joined 40 years ago and loved. The party he has ruined.
The
inspirational party of Robert Menzies, whose photo today is affixed
to a multitude of policies and statements that bear zero resemblance
to the character and values of those tens of thousands of
Australians, who formed the Liberals after the second world war,
determined we would be a force for freedom, fairness, and the power
of individuals – the idea that enterprise and humble ambition
through hard work mattered and should make a good life for them and
their families.
That’s
totally what I signed up for. And that’s what has been lost in the
factional model of power driven by Alex Hawke and enabled by Scott
Morrison as state director when everything changed and the Liberal
dream was set on this awful path that in 2022 sees ruthless self
interest spill out of the party tribulations and infect flood relief
public policy.
Connie
said the prime minister has “lost his moral compass”.
Coincidently I used those exact same words in my email to Liberal
state director Chris Stone two weeks ago, saying I could no longer
stomach these self-serving behaviours and I do not recognise the
party I joined.
It’s
a terrible situation for me personally – at the age of 58 I have
invested my entire adult life in the Liberal dream only to see it
trashed – and it’s not like I haven’t tried to stop it. I have
given absolutely everything, sucked in a lot, tried to make it work –
only to lose it all, to the ruthlessness of the wrong people in power
for the wrong reasons.
The
Liberal party has no interest group like trade unions (Labor) or
environmentalists (Greens). No, we exist for our values and ideas
only. We are member based – so Scott Morrison trashed that over two
decades starting with his time as state director, then as a scheming
MP and now as prime minister finding loopholes in our constitution to
delay pre selections in order to get his way.
I
thought forcing moderates to vote for Craig Kelly in Hughes prior to
the last election was the worst. But he has outdone himself
engineering a federal intervention to jump over the organisation all
together. Yes, he got what he wanted – at the expense of destroying
our rules-based selection system and disgusting virtually every
member of the NSW division. And in the process, our president, Philip
Ruddock, who used to be a highly respected party warrior, looks like
a complete tool. Reputations destroyed. So many Liberals I respected
including moderates complied and here we are.
The
climate change fight has divided and just exhausted many of us in the
NSW Liberals. And sitting here in the flood-ravaged northern rivers I
can only deplore how much time has been lost.
Somehow
the federal Liberal party, encouraged by the Murdoch press, has
delayed the urgent need for climate change action by at least 15
years. To give you an idea as to how completely anti-intellectual and
stupid this is, just read Andrew Bolt’s opinion piece in the Daily
Telegraph last week saying it was “woke warmists” (climate change
activists) like Tim Flannery who caused Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine. This is the sort of commentary the Liberal party has
indulged and wedged and tried to harness into votes. It’s
appalling.
“There
has been no conspiracy in my decision to speak out about Scott
Morrison. Nobody puts words into my mouth”
Robert
Menzies invested in the CSIRO, universities and schools, and spoke
with great intellectual power about the role of education and science
in powering a modern Australia. These values have been totally
abandoned by the Morrison government. And I am not happy that
successive NSW Liberal premiers have handed the education portfolio
to the Nationals, because education is the core business of any
Liberal government. Like agriculture for the Nationals and industrial
relations for Labor, for us, it’s education. Our philosophy of hard
work, competition and markets only works because every child has the
opportunity of a first-class education. Our rhetoric falls flat on
its face if education isn’t progressing. It’s who we are in terms
of fairness and equity. I cannot understand how this – our most
sacred core value – has been palmed off to another party. It’s
all about inside deals where what we stand for and care about is now
negotiable and can be bargained away. Koalas are on that list. I am
so incredibly disappointed – not for myself, but for our higher
duty to Australia.
So
it’s been a difficult time as the ruthless “faceless men”
factional power model has taken hold of the party – in my case, the
NSW division. Certainly I left the moderates some years ago and
standing aside from the factions was a poor career decision, but I
thought I could manage to make a contribution. Many of my policy
proposals including cost of living and childhood flu immunisation did
get adopted and made a difference.
But
Scott Morrison’s brazen attempt to fund flood victims in a
Nationals seat and exclude flood victims in a Labor seat that I
happen to live in was just too much. I cannot deny we are all
overwrought here, witnessing so much suffering. My bullshit tolerance
levels are at zero. So to see the self-serving ruthless bullying that
has increased inside the Liberal party spill over into public policy
and the poorest most vulnerable Australians who lost everything in
the floods are the targets of this outrageous abuse of morality and
power is simply intolerable. Particularly for anyone who actually
understands or cares about why the Liberal party was formed in the
first place and the values we are entrusted to uphold.
I
spoke out expecting it would make no difference – but a Newton’s
Cradle effect took hold when others across politics backed the need
for fairness to flood victims. It became so embarrassing that the
assistance was extended to all northern rivers victims. Of course I
was surprised and happy but it seems now we are paying a second price
with the prime minister refusing to engage NSW government on
additional measures that are so needed for victims of this incredible
disaster. It’s so bad I am moved to endorse Connie’s character
assessment of the PM. “It’s my way or the highway.” For flood
victims. Un-bloody-believable.
Everyone
seems to find it hard to believe but I am merely a sidelined female
backbench Liberal MP with a brain of my own – I have not been put
up to this. I have five years left in my upper house term. No doubt
they will find some other assassination of my character to dismiss my
opinions rather than address the substance of what I am saying. The
truth is, there has been no conspiracy in my decision to speak out
about Scott Morrison. Nobody puts words into my mouth. I am what they
call a “problem woman”, plus I live in the regions where we just
call it out as deserved. The NSW government is not to blame for my
outspokenness on this issue and punishing them for my remarks –
ergo further punishing our flood victims – is yet another chapter
in the disgrace of the prime minister’s approach to this flood
catastrophe.
He
obviously thinks it’s all about him. Actually, as anyone in the
northern rivers will attest, this drama is not about him. It’s
about the victims. And his inability to see that, and the compliance
of his federal colleagues is further infuriating evidence the Liberal
party is completely lost and adrift.
We
are so lacking in compassion that even flood victims who have lost
everything are like any other pawns in this awful Game of Thrones.
And so we have forfeited the precious integrity and values that
Australia admired and needed and that served our country so well for
decades. The dumb compliance of the federal parliamentary party tells
me my beloved Liberal party is beyond healing itself. I have failed
and so have like-minded Liberals who understand the significance of
who we are and why we even exist. Thus the task of reinventing the
Liberals (if that’s even possible) has sadly defaulted to the
electorate. Judgment looms. I myself cannot vote for the re-election
of the federal Coalition government......[my yellow highlighting]
The PM on 7.30 Report said I grew up at Alstonville - but I grew up on farm near Yass. Moved to Alstonville in 2000. He claimed I “made similar criticisms of Gladys” - TOTALLY UNTRUE - he just made that up.
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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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