The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Benedict will spend an extra three days holidaying in Australia prior to World Youth Day 2008 (WYD08), but those in the know about where the Pope will be putting his feet up are staying mum.
The Catholic Weekly reports that the Pope will undertake his longest trip to Australia, spending eight days here after arriving on July 13.
WYD08 co-ordinator Bishop Anthony Fisher said the recommended venue will be a location that is serene, beautiful and suitable for the leader of the world’s Catholics.
“He will have the opportunity to see some of Australia’s beautiful flora and fauna.”
So, where will the Pope be holidaying?
Perhaps these locations are on the short list:
* the Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo
* Nimbin
* Star City Casino
* Kings Cross
* God's waiting room (aka the NSW Central Coast)
Wednesday 7 May 2008
Sorry, Janelle - Rudd and Iemma just shortened your political honeymoon
When Prime Minister Kevin Rudd openly supported the Iemma-Costa proposal to sell-off NSW electricity retailers he ran the risk of tarring all his MPs with this unpopular brush, because let's face it - Australia is wall to wall Labor governments right now.
It was always going to be a hard ask for federal MPs to retain that just married feeling with their local electorates once the 2008 budget is handed down later this month.
However, a very competent Member for Page just had the goodwill precipitously wrenched away by the infamous privatisation plan.
North Coast residents on low incomes are well aware that no federal or state policy will be able to adequately compensate them for increased electricity costs and service charges.
The introduction of the Commonwealth Goods and Services Tax taught a well-remembered lesson in that regard.
Unfortunately for Janelle Saffin, not even the manifest inadequacy of North Coast Nationals and Leader of the Opposition Brendan Nelson's continual failure to grasp the issues will save her from the inevitable backlash.
It was always going to be a hard ask for federal MPs to retain that just married feeling with their local electorates once the 2008 budget is handed down later this month.
However, a very competent Member for Page just had the goodwill precipitously wrenched away by the infamous privatisation plan.
North Coast residents on low incomes are well aware that no federal or state policy will be able to adequately compensate them for increased electricity costs and service charges.
The introduction of the Commonwealth Goods and Services Tax taught a well-remembered lesson in that regard.
Unfortunately for Janelle Saffin, not even the manifest inadequacy of North Coast Nationals and Leader of the Opposition Brendan Nelson's continual failure to grasp the issues will save her from the inevitable backlash.
Whacking the global warming denial mole: some things never change
Tim Lambert posted this week trying to set the record straight on claims that global warming had stopped.I'm beginning to think that Tim is never going to be able to change the minds of those Australian journalists indulging in climate change denialism.
By October 2004 Andrew Bolt thought it possible that global warming was being caused by sun activity and by this year is inclined to believe that recent wet weather trumps climate change.
In December 2004 Michael Duffy was taking shots at the idea of man-made global warming and is still whiteanting way even now.
Also in December 2004 Tim Blair discovered where his audience wanted him to go and hasn't really deviated to date.
Neither the literary skills or the arguments of their respective denialist fan clubs have advanced in recent years and I suspect that most of those commenting in support of Andrew, Michael and Tim haven't ever had one thought beyond their original positions.
Graph found at Real Climate.
Labor betrays New South Wales and the Northern Rivers
The NSW Labor parliamentary party yesterday declared itself willing to trust to Morris Iemma's leadership on 'fire sale' privatisation of the state's power industry.
I hope these same pollies are willing to trust the electorate to remove them from their seats in 2011.
Deceitful, spineless, brown paper bag merchants one and all.
Not only are they condemning low-income eraners to electricity price increases which will go beyond what could have been expected under state ownership, they are placing NSW northern rivers under threat because certain multinational power companies have had their eyes on our fresh water for years with regard to proposals to build new hydro-electric schemes.
Tuesday 6 May 2008
Southern Cross University to host July 2008 Second Regional Forum on Climate Change and Coastal Communities
The NSW North Coast's Southern Cross University will host the Second Regional Forum on Climate Change and Coastal Communities in July 2008.
Organiser Associate Professor Graham Jones said that while progress had been made in some areas since the initial forum, there were many challenges facing the Mid North and North Coast regions.
"We can expect the sea level to rise by at least one metre over the next 90 years and in some places that will have quite a substantial impact. If there's a one-metre rise, this can produce inundation of about 100 metres," Professor Jones said.
"This has major implications for planning of coastal developments."
People from the Coffs Harbour region north to the Queensland border are being invited to attend.
Speakers include Dr John Hunter, from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre at the University of Tasmania, who will provide an overview of the impact of sea level rise on the northern NSW coastline, and Professor Rodger Tomlinson, from Griffith University's National Centre for Climate Change Adaptation, who will talk about coastal erosion and the coastal planning that will be required over the next century.-------
Anyone interested in participating in the Climate Change Forum should contact the Centre for Regional Climate Change Studies on 6620 3650, email graham.jones@scu.edu.au or visit the website www.scu.edu.au/schools/esm/
The forum will be held at the Whitebrook Theatre, Lismore campus, on July 3 and 4.
Charting inflation makes me feel soooo safe
TD Securities and the Melbourne Institute have created an inflation gauge to chart the rise and rise of the cost of living for Aussies on a monthly basis.
At over $600 a subscription it way beyond my wallet but I'm sure it will be useful to somebody.
What is interesting is that this gauge appears to heavily rely on the Internet to gather information for many of the 1,000 price lines it charts.
Given the laxity some companies display towards regularly updating their websites, this might really throw a spanner in the works.
Forbes reports that according to the gauge the year-end inflation rate has been running at over 4% for the last three months.
At over $600 a subscription it way beyond my wallet but I'm sure it will be useful to somebody.
What is interesting is that this gauge appears to heavily rely on the Internet to gather information for many of the 1,000 price lines it charts.
Given the laxity some companies display towards regularly updating their websites, this might really throw a spanner in the works.
Forbes reports that according to the gauge the year-end inflation rate has been running at over 4% for the last three months.
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