Quote of the Week from the Labor Push

Sometimes even stating the bl**dy obvious can produce a smile, when it involves the main architects of that planned sell-off of NSW power industry assets.

From Andrew Clennell and Andrew West reporting in The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday.

One senior union official, who holds a key position in the ALP, said: "The reason Costa has blown his top is that he knows that if Morris falls over, then he [Costa] is finished. Costa and Iemma are joined at the bloody hip."

Treasurer Michael Costa appears to be going that extra mile in an effort to dynamite any slim chance Labor may have had at the next state election.

He continues to be as juvenile today as this pic from the past at Workers Online.

Costa is fast earning my nomination for Nong of the Year 2008.
Although he runs a close second to Morris Iemma himself for ever listening to this unpredicatable political catherine wheel.

And the band played Waltzing Matilda as the land dried up and drifted away

Below are the fine words signifying nothing which Prime Minister Rudd put our name to yesterday.

However, the Rudd Government is still streets ahead of  the Coalition on climate change, as former Howard Government ministers use the current global crisis to play politics and jockey for power within their own parties.

Their hypocrisy appears to know no bounds as shadow ministers like Malcolm Turnbull spin former Howard Government policy on a full 360 degree axis in an effort to score and pander to populist positions or vested interests with regard to fuel emissions and the Murray-Darling Basin.

 

Text of G8 statement:

 

We, the leaders of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States met as the world's major economies in Toyako, Hokkaido, Japan, on 9 July, 2008, and declare as follows:

1. Climate change is one of the great global challenges of our time. Conscious of our leadership role in meeting such challenges, we, the leaders of the world's major economies, both developed and developing, commit to combat climate change in accordance with our common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and confront the interlinked challenges of sustainable development, including energy and food security, and human health. We have come together to contribute to efforts under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the global forum for climate negotiations. Our contribution and cooperation are rooted in the objective, provisions, and principles of the Convention.

2. We welcome decisions taken by the international community in Bali, including to launch a comprehensive process to enable the full, effective, and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now, up to, and beyond 2012, in order to reach an agreed outcome in December 2009. Recognising the scale and urgency of the challenge, we will continue working together to strengthen implementation of the Convention and to ensure that the agreed outcome maximises the efforts of all nations and contributes to achieving the ultimate objective in Article 2 of the Convention, which should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

3. The Major Economies Meetings constructively contribute to the Bali process in several ways:

* First, our dialogue at political, policy, and technical levels has built confidence among our nations and deepened mutual understanding of the many challenges confronting the world community as we consider next steps under the Convention and continue to mobilise political will to combat global climate change.

* Second, without prejudging outcomes or the views of other nations, we believe that the common understandings in this Declaration will help advance the work of the international community so it is possible to reach an agreed outcome by the end of 2009.

* Third, recognizing the need for urgent action and the Bali Action Plan's directive for enhanced implementation of the Convention between now and 2012, we commit to taking the actions in paragraph 10 without delay.

4. We support a shared vision for long-term cooperative action, including a long-term global goal for emission reductions, that assures growth, prosperity, and other aspects of sustainable development, including major efforts towards sustainable consumption and production, all aimed at achieving a low carbon society. Taking account of the science, we recognize that deep cuts in global emissions will be necessary to achieve the Convention's ultimate objective, and that adaptation will play a correspondingly vital role. We believe that it would be desirable for the Parties to adopt in the negotiations under the Convention a long-term global goal for reducing global emissions, taking into account the principle of equity. We urge that serious consideration be given in particular to ambitious IPCC scenarios. Significant progress toward a long-term global goal will be made by increasing financing of the broad deployment of existing technologies and best practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience. However, our ability ultimately to achieve a long-term global goal will also depend on affordable, new, more advanced, and innovative technologies, infrastructure, and practices that transform the way we live, produce and use energy, and manage land.ate resilience. However, our ability ultimately to achieve a long-term global goal will also depend on affordable, new, more advanced, and innovative technologies, infrastructure, and practices that transform the way we live, produce and use energy, and manage land.ate resilience. However, our ability ultimately to achieve a long-term global goal will also depend on affordable, new, more advanced, and innovative technologies, infrastructure, and practices that transform the way we live, produce and use energy, and manage land.ate resilience. However, our ability ultimately to achieve a long-term global goal will also depend on affordable, new, more advanced, and innovative technologies, infrastructure, and practices that transform the way we live, produce and use energy, and manage land.

5. Taking into account assessments of science, technology, and economics, we recognize the essential importance of enhanced greenhouse gas mitigation that is ambitious, realistic, and achievable. We will do more -- we will continue to improve our policies and our performance while meeting other priority objectives -- in keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Achieving our long-term global goal requires respective mid-term goals, commitments and actions, to be reflected in the agreed outcome of the Bali Action Plan, taking into account differences in social and economic conditions, energy mix, demographics, and infrastructure among other factors, and the above IPCC scenarios. In this regard, the developed major economies will implement, consistent with international obligations, economy-wide mid-term goals and take corresponding actions in order to achieve absolute emission reductions and, where applicable, first stop the growth of emissions as soon as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among them. At the same time, the developing major economies will pursue, in the context of sustainable development, nationally appropriate mitigation actions, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, with a view to achieving a deviation from business as usual emissions. on as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among them. At the same time, the developing major economies will pursue, in the context of sustainable development, nationally appropriate mitigation actions, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, with a view to achieving a deviation from business as usual emissions. on as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among them. At the same time, the developing major economies will pursue, in the context of sustainable development, nationally appropriate mitigation actions, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, with a view to achieving a deviation from business as usual emissions. on as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among them. At the same time, the developing major economies will pursue, in the context of sustainable development, nationally appropriate mitigation actions, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, with a view to achieving a deviation from business as usual emissions.We, the leaders of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States met as the world's major economies in Toyako, Hokkaido, Japan, on 9 July, 2008, and declare as follows:

1. Climate change is one of the great global challenges of our time. Conscious of our leadership role in meeting such challenges, we, the leaders of the world's major economies, both developed and developing, commit to combat climate change in accordance with our common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and confront the interlinked challenges of sustainable development, including energy and food security, and human health. We have come together to contribute to efforts under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the global forum for climate negotiations. Our contribution and cooperation are rooted in the objective, provisions, and principles of the Convention.

2. We welcome decisions taken by the international community in Bali, including to launch a comprehensive process to enable the full, effective, and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now, up to, and beyond 2012, in order to reach an agreed outcome in December 2009. Recognising the scale and urgency of the challenge, we will continue working together to strengthen implementation of the Convention and to ensure that the agreed outcome maximises the efforts of all nations and contributes to achieving the ultimate objective in Article 2 of the Convention, which should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

3. The Major Economies Meetings constructively contribute to the Bali process in several ways:

* First, our dialogue at political, policy, and technical levels has built confidence among our nations and deepened mutual understanding of the many challenges confronting the world community as we consider next steps under the Convention and continue to mobilise political will to combat global climate change.

* Second, without prejudging outcomes or the views of other nations, we believe that the common understandings in this Declaration will help advance the work of the international community so it is possible to reach an agreed outcome by the end of 2009.

* Third, recognizing the need for urgent action and the Bali Action Plan's directive for enhanced implementation of the Convention between now and 2012, we commit to taking the actions in paragraph 10 without delay.

4. We support a shared vision for long-term cooperative action, including a long-term global goal for emission reductions, that assures growth, prosperity, and other aspects of sustainable development, including major efforts towards sustainable consumption and production, all aimed at achieving a low carbon society. Taking account of the science, we recognize that deep cuts in global emissions will be necessary to achieve the Convention's ultimate objective, and that adaptation will play a correspondingly vital role. We believe that it would be desirable for the Parties to adopt in the negotiations under the Convention a long-term global goal for reducing global emissions, taking into account the principle of equity. We urge that serious consideration be given in particular to ambitious IPCC scenarios. Significant progress toward a long-term global goal will be made by increasing financing of the broad deployment of existing technologies and best practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience. However, our ability ultimately to achieve a long-term global goal will also depend on affordable, new, more advanced, and innovative technologies, infrastructure, and practices that transform the way we live, produce and use energy, and manage land.ate resilience. However, our ability ultimately to achieve a long-term global goal will also depend on affordable, new, more advanced, and innovative technologies, infrastructure, and practices that transform the way we live, produce and use energy, and manage land.ate resilience. However, our ability ultimately to achieve a long-term global goal will also depend on affordable, new, more advanced, and innovative technologies, infrastructure, and practices that transform the way we live, produce and use energy, and manage land.ate resilience. However, our ability ultimately to achieve a long-term global goal will also depend on affordable, new, more advanced, and innovative technologies, infrastructure, and practices that transform the way we live, produce and use energy, and manage land.

5. Taking into account assessments of science, technology, and economics, we recognize the essential importance of enhanced greenhouse gas mitigation that is ambitious, realistic, and achievable. We will do more -- we will continue to improve our policies and our performance while meeting other priority objectives -- in keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Achieving our long-term global goal requires respective mid-term goals, commitments and actions, to be reflected in the agreed outcome of the Bali Action Plan, taking into account differences in social and economic conditions, energy mix, demographics, and infrastructure among other factors, and the above IPCC scenarios. In this regard, the developed major economies will implement, consistent with international obligations, economy-wide mid-term goals and take corresponding actions in order to achieve absolute emission reductions and, where applicable, first stop the growth of emissions as soon as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among them. At the same time, the developing major economies will pursue, in the context of sustainable development, nationally appropriate mitigation actions, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, with a view to achieving a deviation from business as usual emissions. on as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among them. At the same time, the developing major economies will pursue, in the context of sustainable development, nationally appropriate mitigation actions, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, with a view to achieving a deviation from business as usual emissions. on as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among them. At the same time, the developing major economies will pursue, in the context of sustainable development, nationally appropriate mitigation actions, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, with a view to achieving a deviation from business as usual emissions. on as possible, reflecting comparable efforts among them. At the same time, the developing major economies will pursue, in the context of sustainable development, nationally appropriate mitigation actions, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity-building, with a view to achieving a deviation from business as usual emissions.

Come all ye faithfull and Sieg Heil George Pell

Stone the crows! Cardinal Pell's wet dream has finally come true.

This month, in connivance with the NSW Iemma Government, he has managed to roll back political and social history as far as the Middle Ages, when church and state were so closely intertwined that they were virtually one.

Annoying or inconveniencing participants in the Catholic Church's taxpayer-funded indulgence, World Youth Day, is now an arrestable offence in this state.

And no, George, I won't believe any hot air about these draconian measures not being sought by the Church. This sort of thing is exactly your style. As is beating up on victims of sexual abuse.

With over 10,000 votes recorded by The Sydney Morning Herald online poll and 90% of those votes going against the Labor far-right mafia's new regulations, it seems that many are unhappy with this turn of events.

Annoying pilgrims at Youth Day : What do you think of the new laws?
For them - 10%
Against them - 90%
Total Votes: 10983
Poll date: 01/07/08

In the interests of thumbing a nose at both Iemma and Pell - here's a little something from Rottentoons.

Update:

Today's Herald Sun article revealing legal attempts (by the Church in New South Wales led by Cardinal Pell) to avoid any legal responsibility to compensate victims of abuse.

This is not a matter of historic record. This is the Catholic Church in 2008 using legal devices to avoid responsibility in court for parishioners raped, sodomised or otherwise abused in its "care".

Our apologies

We are experiencing some technical difficulties with posting to our site.
Please bear with us while this is rectified.

Pretty in pink on the North Coast

Untitled by Debrah NovakAn verandah by Anthony Nugent

Frangipani by Wolfram Borgis

Hogarth's attempt to stifle Chile conference just another step in covert US-Japan move against anti-whaling nations?

It shouldn't come as any surprise that International Whaling Commission (IWC) Chair, Bill Hogarth, is attempting to stifle debate and voting at the IWC conference in Chile.

 

It was only late last year that the US Dept. of Commerce through NOAA (for which Hogarth then worked) issued a press release which indicated a close relationship might be developing between the U.S. and Japan over future international commercial whaling.

 

The Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs appears to confirm this in a December 2007 official transcript of interview which indicates that Japan has some expectation that Hogarth is pursuing "normalisation" of the IWC which is expected to occur within 2 years.

 

The insertion of a U.S. based organisation, Pew Charitable Trust, into negotions over whaling led to the March 2008 closed-door IWC meeting which appeared ready to support Japan.

Indeed, Pew's involvement might be the vehicle being used by the U.S. to further Japan's aims.

 

But Japan is expecting more than a reform of tone. It wants to see some sign of progress towards the eventual approval of sustainable commercial whaling.

If it does not get that, it is likely to explore further the option of leaving the IWC and setting up a separate organisation of like-minded countries.

The Pew symposium suggested that some members of the anti-whaling bloc might not have too many problems with that, providing an extensive checklist of safeguards is introduced, possibly including elements such as

• limiting the species hunted
• deciding catch sizes internationally
• insisting on the observation of whale sanctuaries
• bringing scientific whaling under international oversight

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the U.S. is not adverse to assisting Japan broker a trade-off which would allow it to increase its coastal whaling in return for minimum concessions on its 'scientific' research.

 

Japan Today reported on 22 June 2008:

Even anti-whaling countries have shown concern about the course of the IWC, with some, including the United States, seeking establishment of a working group of 10 to 15 countries to discuss coastal whaling and research whaling.

 

Japan is currently Vice-Chair of the IWC and its veiled threat to withdraw from the commission is now firming into a public stance.

 

In Chile this week Japan continues to try and isolate Australia.

AUSTRALIA is on its own at a global whaling meeting in Chile by not offering concessions on hunting the creatures, Japanese whalers have said.

 

Australia is not a big export market for Japanese goods and services, nor does Japan invest heavily in this country.

How little importance Australia now holds for the Government of Japan is indicated by the schedule of VIP visits found at its own Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

The imbalance is clear over the last decade (list does not include Rudd, Smith and Crean visits to Japan since the November 2007 change of government in Australia). 

 

From Australia to Japan

Year	Name
1957	Prime Minister Robert Menzies
1970	Prime Minister John Gorton
1973	Prime Minister Edward Whitlam
1976, 1978, 1980, 1982	Prime Minister John Fraser
1984, 1986, 1987, 1990	Prime Minister Robert Hawke
1992, 1994, 1995	Prime Minister Paul Keating
1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005	Prime Minister John Howard

From Japan to Australia

Year	Name
1957	Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi
1963	Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda
1967	Prime Minister Eisaku Sato
1971	Prince and Princess Mikasa (international conference)
1971-73	Prince Katsura (study)
1973	The Crown Prince and Crown Princess (the current Emperor and Empress) (goodwill visit)
1974	Prince Naruhito (the current Crown Prince) (tour)
1974	Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka
1980	Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira
1982	Prince Katsura (tenth anniversary of establishment of the Australia Japan Society)
1985	Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone
1988	Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita
1992	Princess Sayako (tour)
1993	Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa
1993	Prince and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (discussions about educational assistance for children with hearing or sight impairments)
1994	Princess Tomohito of Mikasa and Prince Katsura (charity event to provide educational assistance for children with hearing or sight impairments)
1995	Prince and Princess Akishino (official visit)
1997	Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto
2002	Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi