Federal Labor hanging on in the latest opinion poll

Federal Labor must occasionally be doing something right even if The Australian newspaper isn’t reporting it.

This week’s Essential Research opinion poll shows Labor neck-and-neck with the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis which is calculated on vote distribution at the last general election.

However, first preference voter intention is still favouring the Coalition by three percentage points and, unless the bleed across to the ideologically popular Greens slows it is possible that Labor will continue to trail in the minds of those voters polled.

Q. If a Federal Election was held today to which party will you probably give your first preference vote? If not sure, which party are you currently leaning toward?

Q. If don’t know -Well which party are you currently leaning to?

sample size = 1,844

Click on image to enlarge

NB. The data in the above tables comprise 2-week averages derived the first preference/leaning to voting questions. Respondents who select ‘don’t know’ are not included in the results. The two-party preferred estimate is calculated by distributing the votes of the other parties according to their preferences at the 2010 election.

Modern aviation today or why it's safer to fly Bumblebee

Logo, quote and update link from Qantas website

This is the official Qantas explanation for the spot of bother with its flight to Sydney via Singapore on 4 November 2010:
"Qantas Flight 32, operated by an A380, was en route from Singapore to Sydney when a serious engine issue occurred.
As is normal procedure the aircraft turned back to Singapore and landed safely.
All passengers were accommodated in Singapore and an alternative aircraft is now bringing passengers to Australia."

Richard Farmer over at Crikey posted this little bewdy yesterday showing the Rolls Royce Trent 900 Series engine warning issued to commercial airlines almost three months to the day before Australia's 'own' airline apparently experienced the third and most spectacular Airbus malfunction so far.
If Qantas passengers had been aware of the wording in this directive, I doubt any would have boarded.

Click on image to enlarge

Update on QF32 and Qantas A380 Operations

From the Truth Is Stranger Than file: GMO Death-Tech meets Hit Squad

"A death-tech firm weds a hit squad.”
Blogger Rady Ananda

It appears that bio-tech giant Monsanto & Co. has graduated from in-house open source intelligence gathering and moved on to involve itself in the murky world of Blackwater ops.

From The Sovereign Independent, 1 November 2010:

Monsanto hired mercenary Blackwater to infiltrate anti-GMO groups

A spokesperson for Monsanto, reached by Scahill, first denied the relationship with Blackwater, but then admitted that Monsanto had paid Total Intelligence for intelligence reoprts

“… about the activities of groups or individuals that could pose a risk to company personnel or operations around the world which were developed by monitoring local media reports and other publicly available information. The subject matter ranged from information regarding terrorist incidents in Asia or kidnappings in Central America to scanning the content of activist blogs and websites.”………

The documents obtained by Scahill show that Monsanto paid Blackwater’s subsidiary, Total Intelligence a total of $232,000 for intelligence services provided in 2008 and 2009. Aside from the brief statement provided to Scahill, Monsanto is keeping quiet on the matter, as is Blackwater and the other organizations cited in Scahill’s article. Scahill said the Canadian Military paid Blackwater over $1.6 million for training, which was provided through Blackwater’s subsidiary, the Terrorism Research Center. Blackwater violated some US export control laws, reported Yahoo News this past August, violations which included the provision of training to the Canadian Military. While the list of violations the US Department of State found Blackwater guilty of is extensive, the company was only fined $42 million. The company name ‘Blackwater’ was changed to Xe (pronounced ‘zee’) in 2009, which Source Watch called a ‘rebranding effort.’ The company is now up for sale. AFP reported Blackwater operatives were accused of killing 17 Iraqis, wounding a further 22 in what was said to be an unprovoked attack in 2007. The company was later cleared of all wrongdoing. Blackwater was ordered out of Iraq earlier this year because of that violent incident said CBS News.

GMO FOOD PRODUCTS AND PRODUCTION AIDS APPROVED FOR SALE/USE IN AUSTRALIA

* This post is part of North Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.

Want to know about the history of Yuragir National Park in northern New South Wales?

An excellent point of reference is There were always people here: a history of Yuraygir National Park .

Written by Johanna Kijas and published by the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change, this publication is one to treasure. I've been on the lookout for something such as this for many years.

The publication explores the ways in which:
* Aboriginal people have retained their connections to Country
* settler Australians have created new lives and formed new attachments to the landscape
* complex historical and social forces and conflicts have shaped the creation and establishment of Yuraygir National Park.

It also records some of the wonderfully rich memories that people have of this landscape. It records the way they experience it, the way they remember it, how they continue to revisit it, and how the landscape itself provokes powerful emotions.

I must acknowledge that it was a review by blogger perkinsy that pointed me in the direction of this excellent publication. Thanks, perkinsy!

Here are some extracts from perkinsy's review:

One of the features of this publication is the incorporation of both Aboriginal and settler histories into the narrative.  The custodial relationship of the local Aboriginal people to the land prior to European settlement, during the difficult period of colonisation through to today is recognised throughout.  Australian history did not start with European settlement, the Aboriginal people had lived here for thousands of years.  Acknowledgement of this is also reflected in the title – ‘there were always people here’.

 ... there is enough information for a reader who is interested in a particular issue mentioned in the publication to follow up more detailed sources through the footnotes and the extensive bibliography.

This is more than a synthesis of the work of others.  Kijas has sought to address the gaps in our knowledge of the history of the area.  The contribution that this publication makes to our knowledge is through the many interviews that Kijas has done with those people whose families made a significant contribution to the area, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal.

Read perkinsy's review of There were always people here.

Credits: Department of Environment and Climate Change and Yvonne Perkins

Another attempt to define protections for Australian mental health service consumers

National standards for mental health services 2010
National standards for mental health services 2010 (PDF 699 KB large file)

"This document outlines a set of mental health service standards which can be applied to all mental health services, including government, non-government and private sectors across Australia."

Standard 6.

Consumers

Consumers have the right to comprehensive and integrated mental health care that meets their individual needs and achieves the best possible outcome in terms of their recovery.
(Note: The consumer standard is not assessable, as it contains criteria that are all assessable within the other standards.)

Criteria

6.1 Consumers have the right to be treated with respect and dignity at all times.

6.2 Consumers have the right to receive service free from abuse, exploitation, discrimination, coercion, harassment and neglect.

6.3 Consumers have the right to receive a written statement, together with a verbal explanation, of their rights and responsibilities in a way that is understandable to them as soon as possible after entering the MHS.

6.4 Consumers are continually educated about their rights and responsibilities.

6.5 Consumers have the right to receive the least restrictive treatment appropriate, considering the consumer’s preference, the demands on carers, and the availability of support and safety of those involved.

6.6 A mental health professional responsible for coordinating clinical care is identified and made known to consumers.

6.7 Consumers are partners in the management of all aspects of their treatment, care and recovery planning.

6.8 Informed consent is actively sought from consumers prior to any service or intervention provided or any changes in care delivery are planned, where it is established that the consumer has capacity to give informed consent.

6.9 Consumers are provided with current and accurate information on the care being delivered.

6.10 Consumers have the right to choose from the available range of treatment and support programs appropriate to their needs.

6.11 The right of consumers to involve or not to involve carers and others is recognised and respected by the MHS.

6.12 Consumers have an individual exit plan with information on how to re-enter the service if needed.

6.13 Consumers are actively involved in follow-up arrangements to maintain continuity of care.

6.14 The right of consumers to have access to their own health records is recognised in accordance with relevant Commonwealth and state / territory legislation / guidelines.

6.15 Information about consumers can be accessed by authorised persons only.

6.16 The right of the consumer to have visitors and maintain close relationships with family and friends is recognised and respected by the MHS.

6.17 Consumers are engaged in development, planning, delivery and evaluation of the MHS.

6.18 Training and support is provided for consumers involved in a formal advocacy and / or support role within the MHS.

They have stopped throwing shoes in Britain......

"A woman stabbed an MP twice in the stomach during a constituency surgery in revenge for his vote for the war in Iraq, a court heard today."
{The Independent UK on 1st November 2010}
More here.

Albanese sends out a parliamentary wrap up on legislation passed

Federal Minister for Infrastructure & Transport and Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese, is quite pleased with how the Gillard minority government is coping so far according to his 29 October 2010 media release:

After three full sitting weeks the evidence is clear: the new, reformed Parliament is functioning well and getting on with the job of passing legislation, providing new opportunities for MPs to express the views of their local communities and keeping the Government accountable.

Yesterday the Government supported the first Private Member's Bill to be passed by the House of Representatives in more than a decade, Andrew Wilkie's Evidence Amendment (Journalists' Privilege) Bill 2010.

As well as giving individual members more opportunities to raise issues and put forward legislation of their own, the new Parliament has also been busy debating and passing the Government's ambitious reform agenda.

In just three sitting weeks, the House of Representatives has passed 29 government bills, with 11 of them having passed both the House and Senate and on the way to becoming law – see below........

Bills passed House, Senate and both houses

(as at 28 October 2010)

Passed the house (29 bills):

· Airports Amendment;

· National Health and Hospitals Network;

· Sex and Age Discrimination Amendment;

· Australian National Preventive Health Agency;

· Radiocommunications Amendment;

· Social Security Legislation Amendment (Connecting People with Jobs);

· Autonomous Sanctions;

· Australian Civilian Corps;

· Corporations Amendment (No. 1);

· Defence Legislation Amendment (Security of Defence Premises);

· Fisheries Legislation Amendment (No. 2);

· Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Weekly Payments) Bill;

· Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2010 Measures No. 1);

· National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme);

· Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measure) Bill;

· Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Safety Levies) Amendment Bill;

· Superannuation Legislation Amendment;

· Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Amendment;

· Protection of the Sea Legislation Amendment;

· National Security Legislation Amendment Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement;

· International Tax Agreements Amendment (No. 2);

· Primary Industries (Excise) Levies Amendment;

· Tradex Scheme Amendment;

· Carer Recognition;

· Civil Dispute Resolution;

· Food Standards Australia New Zealand Amendment;

· Telecommunications Interception and Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment;

· Veterans' Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures).

Passed the senate (16 bills):

· Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2010;

· International Tax Agreements Amendment Bill 2010;

· National Measurement Amendment Bill 2010;

· Service and Execution of Process Amendment (Interstate Fine Enforcement) Bill 2010;

· Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Amendment Bill 2010;

· Protection of the Sea Legislation Amendment Bill 2010;

· Native Title Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2010;

· Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2010;

· Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Safety Levies) Amendment Bill 2010;

· Primary Industries (Excise) Levies Amendment Bill 2010;

· Veterans' Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2010;

· Food Standards Australia New Zealand Amendment Bill 2010;

· Carer Recognition Bill 2010;

· Tradex Scheme Amendment Bill 2010;

· Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Amendment Bill 2010;

· Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Identity Crimes and Other Measures) Bill 2010.

Passage completed through both houses (11 bills):

· Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2010;

· International Tax Agreements Amendment Bill 2010;

· Protection of the Sea Legislation Amendment Bill 2010;

· Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2010;

· Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Safety Levies) Amendment Bill 2010;

· Primary Industries (Excise) Levies Amendment Bill 2010;

· Veterans' Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2010;

· Food Standards Australia New Zealand Amendment Bill 2010;

· Carer Recognition Bill 2010;

· Tradex Scheme Amendment Bill 2010;

· Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Amendment Bill 2010.

Yet another power hungry richardhead who wants to hold two elected offices at once

Stone the crows! It must be in the job description that pollies have ego enhancements, ethic removals and full-frontal lobotomies before standing at elections in any tier of Oz government.
Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson is the latest to put up his hand to keep that mayoral role if he stands as an independent and gets elected to the NSW Parliament in March 2011.
Just what the Valley needs - a jack of all trades and master of none as he ping pongs between Macquarie Street and Prince Street.
To top it off, we also have Tweed Shire Mayor Kevin Skinner thinking of throwing his hat into the ring next March and an unwelcome rumour that former Maclean Shire Mayor Chris Gulaptis may return to the NSW North Coast in pursuit of a state seat after he was firmly trounced in Page at the 2007 federal election.

U.S. Mid-Term Elections underway 2 November 2010 - links to count coverage

Note the gun-toting supporters of a Tea Party candidate in this American election campaign advertisement, run in the lead-up to the U.S. mid-term elections which commence this evening around 10pm AEST (Sydney) or 11am GMT (London).



For those interested in these mid-term elections - the vote count can be followed at:
Politico 2010
CNN Politics Election Center
Election Projection 2010
USA Today Politics