Skinner Street latest front in Page battle - is anybody listening?

"About half way down the street a truck was parked by the kerb. On it were retiring Page MP Ian Causley, the Nationals candidate for Page Chris Gulaptis and Cowper Nationals candidate Luke Hartsuyker. All were busy spruiking on a loud hailer.

About 50 metres away was former Labor leader and Opposition trade and regional development spokesman Simon Crean, Labor candidate for Page Janelle Saffin and Clarence mayor Ian Tiley.

Apart from a small entourage with each group, there was hardly another soul.

It wouldn't have surprised if tumbleweed blew down the street."

Full story in The Daily Examiner today:

http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3754119&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

 

Well what do they expect. It's Jacaranda time and everyone deserves a break from this oh so long election campaign.

The only brightspot was the announcement of Federal Labor's pledge of $1 million to revamp South Grafton's Skinner Street which, along with its big money promise to revitalise Casino, is good news for North Coast residents.

 

It's Jacaranda Grand Float Parade this afternoon - hopefully the candidates won't turn up in their princess costumes.

Campaign Day 20 - halfway madness

We are now in the halfway phase of the federal election campaign and I'm wondering just how many more impossible things we're supposed to believe before breakfast each day.  

I've come to the conclusion that there is a special place in Hell for prime ministers who call six-week election campaigns.

Even the commitariat are feeling the strain. I hear that Janet Albrechtsen is crouched in a darkened room whimpering in the middle of a nest of shredded articles, an unkempt David Flint can be found living in a Rushcutters Bay stormwater drain frightening passers-by by declaiming from Liberal Party press releases in a hollow voice, Sol L. was detained after he was discovered with pith helmet and blunderbuss openly hunting suburban streets for undecided voters, and the normally staid Alan Ramsey is planning to elope with Bill Heffernan.

Federal Election 2007: NSW North Coast candidates & ballot position

PAGE

1	BEHN, Doug	IND	Independent	Self Employed
2	VEGA, Mirian	FFP	Family First	Business Women
3	CULVERWELL, John	CEC	Citizens Electoral Council	Tour Guide
4	MELLAND, Julia	DEM	Democrats	Politician
5	JONGEN, Theo	GRN	The Greens	Health Care Worker
6	SAFFIN, Janelle	ALP	Labor	Lawyer
7	KANE, Tony	IND	Independent	Hypnotherapist
8	AVASALU, Rhonda Joy	CDP	Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)	Home Duties
9	BEATTY, Ben	LDP	LDP	Geologist
10	GULAPTIS, Chris	NP	Nationals	Surveyor

 

COWPER

1	HARTSUYKER, Luke	NP	Nationals	Member of Parliament
2	SEKFY, Paul	ALP	Labor	Small Business Owner
3	CARTY, John	GRN	The Greens	Barrister
4	ARAPI-NUNEZ, Flavia	FFP	Family First	High School Teacher
5	BELGRAVE, Leon A	LDP	LDP	Retired
6	LIONS, Deborah	CDP	Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)	Home Manager

 

RICHMOND

1	FARMILO, Daniel	LDP	LDP	Investor Services
2	ELLIOT, Justine	ALP	Labor	Federal MP
3	EBONO, Giovanni	GRN	The Greens	Editor
4	PAGE, Sue	NP	Nationals	GP, Senior Lecturer
5	McCALLUM, Graham	CEC	Citizens Electoral Council	Self Employed
6	SLEDGE, Scott	DEM	Democrats	Self-funded Retiree
7	RAYMOND, Barbara Jean	CDP	Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)	Student

Nationals candidate for Page not enrolled in seat he is standing for?

Surname:	*
Given Names:	* (e.g. MARY JANE)
Flat Number:
Street Number:
Street Name:	*
Street Type:	Avenue Circle Circuit Close Court Crescent Drive Esplanade Expressway Highway Lane Motorway Parade Place Road Square Street Terrace Way Other
Suburb or Town:	*
State:	NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS ACT NT  *

Your enrolled address is 9 MCPHEE ST MACLEAN NSW 2463

Your Federal Division is COWPER

AEC verification link:

https://oevf.aec.gov.au/verifyenrolment.aspx

The information above was sent to me by email.

Does this make Mr. Gulaptis a Nationals candidate who cannot vote for himself? And who does his wife get to vote for?

Kevin Rudd rolls into Coffs Harbour

This week Kevin Rudd made it to Coffs Harbour on the NSW North Coast. How sweet it is to have so many marginal seats on the coast.

The Advocate this morning:
 http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3753854&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

Campaign Day 19

From the number of times in the last couple of days (including this morning on ABC radio) I have heard Chris Gulaptis saying that Rudd's health promises to the Clarence Valley are an 'election stunt', I would surmise that the Nationals have been blindsided by this more generous offer of $23 million.

Rule of law and separation of powers compromised in Howard's Australia

Dr. Mohamed Haneef was found not guilty of terrorism charges, was eventually released and then deported by the Howard Government.

 

The Australian reported today.

"CONFIDENTIAL emails between top AFP agents and a senior public servant advising Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews indicate that there was a secret plan to thwart a decision by a magistrate to release then terror suspect Mohamed Haneef on bail.

The emails show the AFP was aware of a weekend "contingency" plan to ensure the Indian doctor would remain behind bars by having Mr Andrews revoke his visa under the Migration Act in the event of bail being granted by Brisbane magistrate Jacqui Payne on the following Monday.-------

The emails, obtained under Freedom of Information laws by Dr Haneef's lawyers, show that while the AFP was uncertain on Saturday, July 14, after an initial bail hearing whether Dr Haneef would be freed two days later by Ms Payne, the police had developed "contingencies".

The first email, written by Brisbane-based counter-terrorism co-ordinator David Craig to commanders of the AFP's counter-terrorism unit at 5.22pm on July 14, states: "Contingencies for containing Mr HANEEF and detaining him under the Migration Act, if it is the case he is granted bail on Monday, are in place as per arrangements today."

Under the Migration Act, such a contingency necessarily needed to involve Mr Andrews.

This email was forwarded at 8.10am on Monday, July 16, by agent Luke Morrish, the AFP's Canberra-based acting manager for domestic counter-terrorism, to top Immigration Department public servant Peter White."

 

The Australian article:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22688973-601,00.html

Copy of Haneef email:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/files/haneef-email.pdf