DESPERATELY NEEDED: A Federal Government that's prepared to take on Exclusive Brethren

Is someone, anyone, in the Rudd Government prepared to stand up and be counted in relation to the continued funding of Exclusive Brethren schools?

The issue is a simple one. Exclusive Brethren schools receive federal government funding that should be directed towards the education of the nation's poorest children.

Funding deals for Exclusive Brethren schools were set up by the Keating government. They continued and were promoted under the Howard government and still operate under the Rudd government.

The Sunday Age (April 6, 2008) reports rich Exclusive Brethren schools are receiving the same generous rate of government funding as the nation's poorest schools, including those in impoverished Aboriginal communities.

The Rudd Government has pledged to continue paying millions of dollars to the religious sect despite the group boasting that its students are "found in the middle to upper levels of the socio-economic group".

Exclusive Brethren schools are being funded as if they are Category 12 schools, which are the poorest schools in the lowest-income communities in the country. In other words, Category 12 schools serve communities which have very low incomes. Does that sound like the communities Exclusive Brethren school students come from?

Government documents obtained by The Sunday Age show Brethren schools in NSW and South Australia receive category 12 funding despite not meeting these criteria.

Federal school funding documents show that the Brethren's multi-campus NSW school, Meadowbank, and the South Australian school, Melrose Park, were funded at the same rate as "special schools", giving them the same per-student funding as Nyangatjatjara College, in the Northern Territory, the Giant Steps school for autistic students and schools for the hearing-impaired.

The Brethren's MET school in Meadowbank does not meet the criteria for category 12 funding: it is in suburban Sydney, has small class sizes, and is financially supported by a community that boasts it has no poverty.

This scandalous matter need to be addressed, and soon!

Bernard Salt says Angourie is dead; Angourie villagers and visitors fall about laughing

Never having visited Angourie on the Clarence section of the NSW North Coast, KPMG partner Bernard Salt (who describes himself as "a compelling and entertaining speaker, enjoyed by blue-chip companies to stimulate thought provoking discussion at conferences, seminars and workshops") decided last week to declare this beautiful little community dead as an urban locality.

The "lost towns" include places such as Bethanga, Girgarre, Merino and Balmoral in Victoria and Moorook, Iron Knob, Mintabie, Brukunga and Fregon in South Australia. There is only one in Tasmania: Leith. Queensland has Yuleba, Minden, Marpuna, Yelarbon and Croydon. NSW has two: Cullen Bullen and Angourie. There are three in the Northern Territory: Peppimenarti, Gulin Gulin-Weemol and Belyuen, which was formerly known as Dellisaville.

This of course is news to local government which treats Angourie as a distinct urban locality; a complete surprise to village businesses which thrive on local and visitor patronage; and a great puzzlement to residents, who are used to being identified as coming from Angourie rather than from Brooms Head, Wooloweyah or Yamba.

Being a tolerant place, Angourie's response in The Daily Examiner was typically laid back.
Although a gust of laughter could be heard bouncing across the Clarence Valley when morning papers were flicked open yesterday.

Bernard Salt is one of those people invited to Kevin Rudd's Australia 2020 summit in Canberra this month.

Paws and Laws information session, Lismore 17 April 2008

The Northern Rivers Echo

 

Marianne Maquire, who established the Pro Bono Animal Law Service (PALS) will be speaking on animal rights from 2pm on Thursday, April 17, at the Lismore Workers Club.

At 3pm there will be a discussion on the viability of a pro bono animal rights service for the Northern Rivers. Ms Pollard is encouraging lawyers who might be prepared to help to attend as well as interested members of the community.

"There is no funding, so this would have to run with the support of volunteers. If you have a genuine interest then come along and see if you would like to get involved," Ms Pollard said.

 

The Paws and Laws information session, presented by the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre, will be at 2pm on Thursday, April 17, at the Lismore Workers Club. Please RSVP to Angela Pollard on 6621 1005 or Angela_Pollard@clc.net.au.

Is Northern Rivers regional living bad for your health?

The Northern Star published this account yesterday.

"I got there half an hour later and they said 'he's right to go home'; but I persisted because I knew he was not alright," Ms Randall said.
North Coast Area Health Service clinical operations executive director Denice Fletcher rejected suggestions staff at the Casino and later Lismore hospitals did not take Rhys' condition seriously, saying he was kept under close observation in the emergency department while he was at Casino.
"The patient's outward condition did not give cause for major concern," Ms Fletcher said. "Only when the patient's observations began to alter did the medical officer decide it was necessary to transfer the patient to Lismore Base Hospital for further assessment."
Despite the close observation and despite Ms Randall's persistence, it was not until 8.30pm that Rhys was transferred to Lismore Base Hospital for a detailed examination; but his reception there was no better than the one he got in his home town.
By the time Ms Randall reached the hospital, Rhys had already been put on the floor with a thin white blanket strewn over him. At that point he was drifting in and out of consciousness and Ms Randall said he did not appear aware of what was happening around him.
"I don't know if it was the ambulance staff or the hospital that put him on the floor," Ms Randall said.
"There were beds available because there was another woman come in from Casino after us and she got a bed. They obviously thought it (Rhys' condition) wasn't that bad."

This is not the first incident of its kind. It is past time for the North Coast Area Health Service to get its act together and deliver a decent service for everyone living in this region.

I have long been disturbed by the strong hint of inherent racism within the public health system, the indifference frequently displayed to individuals at the bottom of the local socio-economic scale, the moral judgements which flourish, and the marked bias of some staff doctors and private GPs working within the hospital system who appear to see themselves as gate keepers first and medicos second.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that a Northern Rivers resident is more likely to receive prompt, comprehensive assessment and vigorous, effective treatment if he/she is white, reasonably affluent, articulate, established in the community and visibly supported by family.
For everyone else regional health care is becoming something of a lottery.

Daily Examiner apologises for goof up

A very contrite Daily Examiner has today published a page one apology for its goof up yesterday.
Headed "Worker fights for Life" the Examiner says "Late on Thursday night several sources all said he (the worker) had died, but in fact he had been kept alive by the medical team at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney."

What sources? Obviously not reliable ones.

It was then the deputy editor's task to pen the editorial "Sorry for adding to distress" in which the Examiner apologises "to the family and friends of a 33-year-old-man (who was) critically injured in an industrial accident at the Grafton Shoppingworld construction site on Thursday."

Global economic downturn may see NSW North Coast councils return to roads, rats and rubbish

In The Northern Star yesterday North Coast local government exposure to the failing US subprime market was discussed.
Byron Bay Council takes issue with NSW Treasurer Michael Costa's assessment of the situation, but Lismore Council admits to difficulties.

It was revealed yesterday that NSW councils faced service cutbacks and even higher rates after losing up to $400 million in the sub-prime mortgage crisis.
Byron Shire was listed among the top 10 worst-affected councils, with a reported loss of $6.9 million - or 11 per cent of its total investments. But the council yesterday hit back, saying the claims were deceptive.--
Lismore City councillor and finance journalist David Tomlinson said it was clear Lismore City Council, which lost $3.1 million in the credit crunch, did not really understand the sort of product that was being used to invest ratepayers' funds.
"The strategy being recommended by our financial advisers is to hang on and hope for the best," he said.
"There is, however, a real credit risk if things do not improve.
"Lismore has $1.7 million at what is now regarded as relatively high risk, and another million regarded as troubled.
"We could lose the lot."

In the Clarence Valley some ratepayers are also beginning to worry that all is not well in their financial garden and wonder about the level of subprime exposure there.
Clarence Valley Council's investment income was $1.3 million lower than expected in the 12 months to January 2008.
This despite State Government assurances that the forced amalgamation of valley councils into Clarence Valley Council would see economies of scale, annual savings in the vicinity of $1.5 million and an increased ability to take advantage of investment opportunities.
At present the projected budget deficit stands at around $778,840 and the end of this financial year is fast approaching.
Both the mayor and general manager have flagged a review of investment and funding sources.
However, if the books are to balance by 30 June as promised, then expenditure will also have to be carefully examined.

It looks as though North Coast councils are being forced back into the old rates, roads, rats and rubbish mould by the ongoing failure of federal and state governments to address the role of contemporary local government, increasing levels of cost-shifting being forced on this sector and poor investment advice.

Advice to the lovelorn: Labor 'consoles' the Nationals

The Daily Examiner published this letter to the editor yesterday which had a local Labor luminary giving Dear Abby advice to the NSW North Coast Nationals failed candidate for Page, Chris Gulaptis.

 

Love stinks

 

POOR Chris Gulaptis; jilted by Labor as he tried desperately to get beyond that first stolen kiss, then an engagement with the Liberals broken off and finally marriage with the Nationals never consummated.

Love can be cruel.

Never mind Chris, tomorrow's a new day.

Get out there and get yourself a new flash suit, a smart haircut, a lovely big bunch of fresh flowers and start wooing the Democrats.

They know all about unrequited love and you never know, it just may end up a match made in heaven.

 

Bill O'Donnell

Maclean

Brendan Nelson's 2008 space odyssey

Four days into his 'listening' tour Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson stopped writing entries in his diary from the road and replaced those coy internet observations with media links. 

No obvious explanation. However the puzzle was easily solved by exploring those links for days three, four and five.

Little Brennie has spun so far away from the shores of reality that he launched into the rarefied atmosphere of outer space and is now suffering the effects of oxygen deprivation.

It's 2008: A (Liberal) Space Odyssey.

 

Brendan knows that banks have hearts too and that they are as devastated as the families they turn out into the snow

"The consequences for Australia are many, but amongst them is that our growth, our economic growth is set to slow – currently just running at under four per cent and estimated by the Reserve to go closer to three per cent by 2009. We also know that most of our banks have found it necessary to increase interest rates beyond official movements from the Reserve, and the market share of banks has increased while that of other institutions, especially those relying on securitisation, has reduced as market share. And in our own country of course increases in rates of bad debt and of course repossessions.

I'd say my job I suppose and my privilege and my responsibility as the alterative Prime Minister of Australia, and a member of parliament, is frequently to balance good policy with the needs, aspirations and to give voice to everyday Australians. I only say, in relation to repossessions, having had some experience in my early life being directly involved with it on the receiving end, caring for families who were losing their homes and small businesses, that, and I know everyone in this room appreciates it but it is a gut wrenching experience. And I think anyone that suggests that it's not equally a significant experience for those who are the lenders misunderstands the nature of what you do and how many of you do it."

 

Then went on radio the next day and tried to spin what he told the bankers

"QUESTION:

Now, there's an interesting story in today's Daily Telegraph in Sydney and it quotes you virtually sticking up for the banks and I know what you were at a financiers meeting and you sort of said that people who do these expulsions have feelings as well, but I doubt whether it is a reasonable proposition to compare the emotional dynamics of those doing the expelling as to those expelled who don't have a place to live. Now have you backed the wrong horse here?

DR NELSON:

Well, look Leon in fact what I said was I was at Lowood which is an hour out of Brisbane earlier in the week and I was filling up a woman's car with petrol and she said, 'Brendan, I can only afford $30 worth, I've got to go and buy groceries, we've got kids to feed and we've got a home loan', and another woman while I was there by the way put $5 worth of petrol in the car. I said to the people in the finance sector: those are the people who are on the receiving end of the policies which you drive. And I was particularly angry about comments made by the Governor of the Reserve Bank which I criticised last week as being insensitive. What I also said yesterday, by the way, was that those people who are actually in the end are foreclosing on people's homes in this environment where interest rates are going up, they also have a difficult job. But you're absolutely right. I mean I spent 10 years of my life working with families who are losing their homes and there's no comparison."

 

The Coalition only stands candidates for its own benefit O.K. - b**ger the voters

"Well look the only thing that I will say is that every member of parliament elected in November last year has a responsibility to his or her electorate to work as hard as they possibly can for them. I'm not going to contribute to any speculation about the future or otherwise of any member of parliament.

As far as Gippsland is concerned, the normal processes of the Liberal Party, and the Victorian division of the Liberal Party, are already in train. We will do what is best for the people of Gippsland and we will do what is best for the Coalition."

 

Somewhere in the backroom of the Liberal Party organisation there is sure to be an echo of this conversation occurring right now, as Malcolm Turnbull waits to suit up for his own interstellar journey.

 

Dr. Frank Poole: Well, whaddya think?
Dave Bowman: I'm not sure, what do you think?
Dr. Frank Poole: I've got a bad feeling about him.
Dave Bowman: You do?
Dr. Frank Poole: Yeah, definitely. Don't you?
Dave Bowman: [sighs] I don't know; I think so. You know of course though he's right about the 9000 series having a perfect operational record. They do.
Dr. Frank Poole: Unfortunately that sounds a little like famous last words.
Dave Bowman: Yeah? Still it was his idea to carry out the failure mode analysis experiment. Should certainly indicate his integrity and self-confidence. If he were wrong it would be the surest way of proving it.
Dr. Frank Poole: It would be if he knew he was wrong. Look Dave I can't put my finger on it but I sense something strange about him.
Dave Bowman: [sigh] Still I can't think of a good reason not to put back the number one unit and carry on with the failure mode analysis.
Dr. Frank Poole: No - no I agree about that.
Dave Bowman: Well let's get on with it.
Dr. Frank Poole: Okay. Well look Dave. Let's say we put the unit back and it doesn't fail uh? That would pretty well wrap it up as far as HAL was concerned wouldn't it?
Dave Bowman: Well, we'd be in very serious trouble.
Dr. Frank Poole: We would, wouldn't we. What the hell could we do?
Dave Bowman: [sigh] Well we wouldn't have too many alternatives.
Dr. Frank Poole: I don't think we'd have any alternatives. There isn't a single aspect of ship operations that isn't under his control. If he were proven to be malfunctioning I wouldn't see how we'd have any choice but disconnection.
Dave Bowman: I'm afraid I agree with you.