Q&A has a lot to answer for

Inspired by Malcolm Turnbull’s appearance on ABC TV’s Q&A, someone has begun a Turnbull for Prime Minister campaign on Facebook:

This is a page for all that want real change. For those that voted Labor, Greens or Independents because they would not or could not vote for Tony Abbott. It's for the Liberals who voted for Tony Abbott and now see him as the wrong person to lead the Liberal party. It's for those that voted for Julia Gillard or Labor but have now seen her performance and see her lack of leadership and know that's no good for our country. And its for those that find this government wanting. It's for those people that watched Malcolm Turnbull on Q&A recently and knew we had a leader of substance. Malcolm Turnbull for PM!

At the moment there are only two followers listed on Facebook. Ignore the trifling fact that Australians can't directly vote in a prime minister and give the lad a thrill by ‘liking’ him or summin – if for no other reason than it will tee off St. Tones of the Love Rug. J

Why did Cansdell get a gig as a parliamentary secretary?

After reading a piece in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald I'm left scratching my head and asking, "Why did Cansdell get a gig?"

Sean Nicolls gave an account of why backbenchers in the NSW government were awarded consolation prizes and given appointments as parliamentary secretaries.

However, no where in the piece did Clarence MP Steve Cansdell get a mention.

So, if it wasn't a consolation prize (because from my reading Cansdell doesn't fit any of the reasons Nicolls provided), what was it?


Lists, like polls, are often dismissed by politicians as of interest only to the media. In the case of opinion polls, our political leaders assure us they never read them. As for lists, they insist nothing should be read into them.

It's garbage, of course. Politicians live and die by the polls. And the best lists can tell you what's really going on behind the scenes.

One such list was released this week. It detailed which backbenchers have been rewarded with the title of parliamentary secretary.

A kind of consolation prize for missing out on the ministry, these roles are designed to take some pressure off ministers whose workload is expected to be particularly heavy.

They are also widely regarded as both a sign an MP is being groomed for bigger things (an apprenticeship of sorts), an opportunity to share the spoils of government among the factions and in some cases a means of raising an MP's profile to shore up a seat.

Barry O'Farrell has appointed 13 such secretaries. The list makes for fascinating reading.

The most striking detail is the Premier's use of the positions to mollify the Liberal Party faction which threatens to cause him the most trouble: the ''hard'' or religious right.

Hard-right powerbrokers, the upper house MPs David Clarke and Marie Ficarra, are the two most notable inclusions. Clarke will serve as parliamentary secretary for justice, aiding his factional ally, the Attorney-General, Greg Smith. Ficarra will serve as parliamentary secretary to the Premier.

From the same faction, the upper house MP Matthew Mason-Cox has been rewarded as with the prestige Treasury and Finance portfolios.

The appointments are widely regarded as some consolation for O'Farrell resisting their push for cabinet positions.

The next biggest winners are positions specially created by the O'Farrell government.

The appointment of the Dubbo MP, Troy Grant, (natural resources) and the Bathurst MP, Paul Toole, (Deputy Premier and Asia-Pacific trade), can be seen as a nod to the Nationals and a reward for stealing back independent-held seats. The choice of the Vaucluse MP, Gabrielle Upton, (Tertiary Education and Skills), a prominent member of the moderate faction, signals recognition for her talent and passion for higher education.

A former pro-chancellor of the University of NSW, Upton is well known for her plans to modernise the university research sector.

Her fellow moderate, Rob Stokes, has been made parliamentary secretary for renewable energy. This signals Stokes, an environmental lawyer with his eyes on bigger things, is destined for a cabinet post at the next opportunity.

Among the other winners are the Nationals MLC Melinda Pavey, the new parliamentary secretary for regional health. Along with the Coalition's former environment spokeswoman, Catherine Cusack, Pavey was a surprise exclusion from the cabinet.

The other appointments are MLC John Ajaka (transport and roads), the Riverstone MP Ray Williams (Western Sydney) and the Port Stephens MP Craig Baumann (regional planning).

The most significant omissions are Cusack, the Nationals MLC Trevor Khan and two Liberal rising stars - the barrister and Cronulla MP Mark Speakman of the moderates and the Baulkham Hills MP, David Elliott, of the ''soft'' right. Their omission may illustrate one of O'Farrell's biggest problems - how to reward everyone who is deserving in such an enormous party room. [Source: smh, 7/4/11]

BTW, Upper House Member Charlie Lynn also failed to get a mention.

Latest word on Tony Abbott's off the cuff remarks

Last Friday a friend sent me this short email:

Attached is a very short video clip (30 seconds) of Tony Abbott at a country retreat. He takes a short break to speak to the nation about his views on a number of important matters. Many people say this is his best presentation to date. His comments here actually make more sense than anything else he's ever said. This is the only speech that he has made, so far, with which I agree.

What's wrong with this WSJ offer?

The Wall Street Journal wants me to fork out to read it as a print newspaper or to see online articles it's hidden behind a paywall, but expects me to giveaway newsworthy documents for free just because Dow Jones & Co has created SafeHouse? Which by the way seems to reserve its own right to blow the whistle on me if I do upload to this leaky website. BAAWAAHAHAHA!
Errr..........and has it also purloined another's brandname or does it have an agreement with this company?

Does former NSW Police Commissioner Peter Ryan know that his identity has been stolen?

Snapshot of the lower half of the in memoriam for a deceased NSW Police officer

On 4 May 2011 The Clarence Valley Review newspaper published an in memoriam in its classified section which was purportedly lodged by one Peter James Ryan using a post office address in Maclean on the NSW North Coast.

This is not the first time this fake Peter Ryan has been active.

On 4 April 2011 he sent a fax (copy here) to both the Local Court at Grafton and the NSW Chief Judge, as well as to various other individuals.

As his approach to the courts was reported in The Daily Examiner, one has to wonder why alarm bells did not ring at the Review when it received the in memoriam for publication.

I suspect that Dr. Ryan would not be amused by this turn of events as he appears to act as a security consultant and public speaker since his retirement.

As April turned to May

A look at trans-Atlantic priorities according to the NY Daily News

National Weed Research Grant Goes To Trenayr Institute

Joint media release on 4 May 2011 from Labor MPs Mike Kelly and Janelle Saffin announcing a grant to the NSW North Coast’s Primary Industries Institute at Trenayr, to study an invasive exotic weed group which includes the notorious Giant Parramatta Grass and Giant Rat’s Tail Grass (NSW DPI photograph on the left):

PAGE MP Janelle Saffin has welcomed $144,396 in Australian Government funding for the Grafton Primary Industries Institute to continue research into biological control of weedy sporobolus grasses that impact on agriculture and the environment.

The national weed research project, being led by Mr David Officer at Trenayr, is one of 33 new projects under a $6.1-million investment announced by Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Dr Mike Kelly.

Ms Saffin said Mr Officer’s important work would promote biological control of weedy sporobolus grasses using a naturally occurring fungus, Nigrospora oryzae.

“This research will also investigate whether the fungus will infect other weedy sporobolus grasses,” she said.

“The Grafton Primary Industries Institute has a reputation for undertaking cutting edge research. This project hopefully will bring innovative approaches to tackling some of Australia’s most invasive plant pests.”

Dr Kelly said that weeds have a major impact on the national economy, costing farmers more than $4 billion annually in lost production and control measures.

“The damage caused to Australia’s natural environment by weeds is also immense,” Dr Kelly said.

“The research investment is a key plank of the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program which is leading Australia’s search for weeds solutions.”

The newly funded projects began in March 2011 and run until May 2012.

This Program is being managed by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC).

A full list of the 33 research projects is available at http://www.rirdc.gov.au/programs.

The barbarians are not longer at the gate - they are inside the castle walls

It would be hard to find worse news for one of Australia's most endangered marine species, the Grey Nurse Shark, than this press release from an underwhelming and incredibly short-sighted NSW Minister for Primary Industries and Nationals MP for the landlocked seat of Burrinjuck, Katrina Hodgkinson, who appears hell-bent on ecological destruction for its own sake:

Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, today announced a revocation of the recreational fishing closures introduced at Fish Rock and Green Island in January this year, as promised in the lead up to the NSW election. Katrina Hodgkinson said that the NSW Government would put the closures back out to public consultation for a further three months to ensure the best outcome is achieved for both the grey nurse shark population and the local community.
"The NSW Government is committed to protecting the grey nurse shark population at Fish Rock and Green Island," she said.
"However, as promised prior to the election, we want to ensure the community have a proper chance to be consulted before any final decision is made.
"The NSW Government has also committed to a scientific review of the effectiveness of management arrangements in meeting domestic and international commitments to the conservation of marine biodiversity, and to ensuring the conservation needs of grey nurse shark are met well into the future.
"The outcomes from community consultation and scientific review will be used to guide the development of new management arrangements for Fish Rock and Green Island.
"Fishing and diving at Fish Rock and Green Island provide many social and economic benefits to the local community and it is important that the community have the chance to provide input into the future of the area.
Minister Hodgkinson said the revocation of the fishing closures means that the critical habitat rules that existed prior to Friday, January 28 will be reinstated.
"Recreational anglers are reminded that fishing with bait or wire trace while anchored or moored, or attaching weights of more than 500 grams to fishing lines is prohibited within 200 metres of Fish Rock and Green Island," she said.
"Today's announcements only affect recreational fishing, the commercial fishing closures at Fish Rock and Green Island to protect grey nurse sharks will continue unchanged.
For further information visit www.dpinsw.gov.au/fisheries

* Image from ABC Coffs Coast

What a ridiculous beat up by the Murdoch media

The online blurb for a Malcolm Farr article published by News Limited on 4 May 2011:

Rudd breaks silence on his ousting: 'Character building'

By Malcolm Farr RUDD speaks of his removal as PM in address in the US, in a sign he's not in a mood to forgive or forget.

And the basis for the claim that Rudd is not in a mood to forgive or forget?

This bland comment in his speech to the Brookings Institute in Washington DC on 3 May 2011:

This week — any week — it's great to be back at Brookings.

I spoke here last, just three years ago.

If a week is a long time in politics, three years is an eternity.

The three intervening years have been something of a rollercoaster ride:

• for the world economy;
• for global politics;
• and, for some of us personally

All of which, as they say in the classics, has been character building.

The stretch between what was actually said and the wording of the blurb is so long that one can only call that link a lying lure. Presumably a crude effort to drive readers to this article and create a perception in the minds of advertisers that they are getting value for their dollar. Is it any wonder that mainstream media’s reputation is in tatters?

An audio of his speech The Rise of Asia, International Cooperation and U.S. Foreign Policy can be found here.