Just for the record.........NO CLEAN FEED!

************

McGauchie's definitely not in the brass razoo stakes

"Telstra's multi-millionaire chairman has hit back at the "hysterical" public outrage over executive pay, defending corporate Australia against the growing "bosses are bastards" mentality.

Donald McGauchie - who approved a multi-million dollar golden handshake for Telstra's soon-to-depart chief executive Sol Trujillo - said the outcry of "us versus them" in response to job cuts is helping no one, as companies do all that they can to protect their employees and shareholders.

McGauchie, who was paid $602,500 last year for his role as chairman, owns nearly $500,000 worth of Telstra shares. Last year he attended nine board meetings - earning $66,000 per meeting.

Including his fees for board roles at James Hardie Industries and Nufarm, he earned a total of nearly $900,000 last year as a non-executive director."

Well that's nice work if you can get it.

I specially like the fact that Donald G. McGauchie AO (former National Farmers Federation president) was on the board of James Hardie Industries Ltd where his director compensation for 2008 was a lordly $189,192.00.

Was that before or after James Hardie tried to bilk asbestos victims? Oh, it went way back to during!

And is he the same McGauchie that SourceWatch claims tried to break the maritime unions, was once lauded by Li'l Johnnie Howard as an heroic figure for that same union busting and is still on the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia. [Sing Amen]

Why just last week McGauchie warned of tough economic times ahead - just not for him.

**Donald McGauchie's board affiliations according to Business Week.

I'm rather surprised to find Kevin Bacon missing from this list........

Maud up the Street reckons the well-connected Donald's probably a member of The Australian Club in The Big Smoke, but I'm betting on The Melbourne Club further south myself.

Queensland election: will the LNP re-introduce duck and quail shooting?

Brisbane's Westender reports: Rumours abound that Queensland's pro-hunting lobby has persuaded the LNP to re-introduce duck and quail shooting if it wins government after March 21.

The LNP has not been forthcoming to organisations like Birds Queensland about its intentions and the Greens are concerned that the LNP will attempt to sneak into government without releasing policies like its approach to hunting native animals.

Greens MP Ronan Lee, who led the original move to ban duck and quail hunting, said the LNP should immediately dispel these rumours by stating publicly the laws against duck and quail hunting will not be altered.

"There is a widespread feeling in the community that these practices are cruel and inappropriate and Mr Springborg should be prepared to clarify his policy," Mr Lee said.

pic Westender

Harmony Day in Grafton, 27 March 2009

GRAFTON MIGRANT WOMENS GROUP

HARMONY DAY 2009

12PM - 1.30PM FRIDAY 27 MARCH

MARKET SQUARE, GRAFTON

PERFORMANCES
LOCAL SERVICE INFORMATION STALLS
$2.00 LUNCH - Satays + plain rice or Noodle dish or Fruit salad.

Clarence Valley Council will provide 2 small marquees, tables and chairs to be shared by local service providers. Other information stands are welcome. Please RSVP by 20 March 2009. Community Development Officer Tim Shearman Ph:66450232 or tim.shearman@clarence.nsw.gov.au

A Special Kind Of Vision: contemporary indigenous art on the NSW North Coast

On 5 March Arts Northern Rivers and the Retrospect Galleries hosted the launch of a full-colour book showcasing contemporary indigenous art titled A Special Kind Of Vision.

An exhibition of the same name is running at the gallery featuring the work of:
Albert Digby Moran / Alison Williams / Bevan Skinner / Brenda Webb / Frances Belle Parker / Garth Lena / Gilbert Laurie / Graeme Walker / Jacqui Williams / Joanne Lapic / Karla Dickens / Kim Healey / Lelarnie O’Sullivan / Les Evans / Lewis Walker / Lexie Donovan / Mark Deamon Noter-Browning / Michael Philp / Noel (Charlie) Caldwell / Oral Roberts / Penny Evans / Peter Robinson / Priscilla Sutor Anderson / Robert Appo / Timothy Ives.

Where: Retrospect Galleries, 52 Jonson Street, Byron Bay

When: Opening 6pm Friday March 6, exhibition runs till Thursday March 26

Time: Open 7 days, 10am to 6pm

More info: (02) 6680 8825 or www.retrospectgalleries.com

Painting is Alison Williams' Belonging from Arts Northern Rivers e-news

Copies of the book are available at Arts Northern Rivers and Retrospect Galleries for RRP $38.50

The Prim Minister and Senator Conjob go sensoring

With their national broadband plans languishing (will there or won't there be an announcement on Friday 13th) and the Great Firewall of Australia still not legitimately live trialled, I was amazed to see the Prime Minster's monkey Senator Conroy announce his burning desire not to produce "dumb projects":
THE federal Government is considering mandating that all major new infrastructure projects such as bridges, roads and railways have smart sensors built into them to monitor maintenance and help prevent disasters like the Minnesota bridge collapse.
Minnesota bridge collapse?
Yeah that's a big bridge. In America.
But most of our bridges are smaller ones dotted over the country and maintained by local government on shoestring budgets.
Will the Rudd Government's grand smart sensor implant hype plan actually come with increased funding for local councils so that they can boost the rate of upgrading and why isn't any of this proposed smart technology going into aging infrastructure like the 7,000-odd wooden bridges in NSW many of which are on the North Coast?
Surely the most vulnerable of bridges deserve the highest level of monitoring.

Water, water, everywhere....

Sitting here on the NSW North Coast congratulating myself on the blessed good fortune which meant that the weather has not dealt our region a really bad hand so far this year, it is hard to imagine the extremes experienced elsewhere.

This is the Burdekin Dam, northern Queensland in February 2009.

Thanks to Andrew, Monica, Samantha and Connor for the pics.

Best blog legend found this week

From Monbiot:

"Tell people something they know already and they will thank you for it.
Tell them something new and they will hate you for it."

Best blog comment found this month

From Deltoid:

The Washington Post would decide that George Will is entitled to s*domise puppies live on national TV if they thought they could make money off of it.
Posted by: Dunc February 27, 2009 11:34 AM

Queensland election: LNP candidate a ''serial carpark squatter''

Brisbane's Courier Mail reports that Michael Palmer, Lawrence Springborg's representative for Nudgee, knows a thing or two about bludging.

Palmer, described by the Mail as a "billionaire spawn", has been branded "an arrogant little sod" and a "serial carpark squattter" by a South Brisbane oral surgeon.

The 18-year-old aspiring pollie, and son of the state's richest man Clive Palmer, yesterday plonked dad's golden Mercedes outside the Hope St specialist - where he had no appointment - and wandered off for several hours.

The LNP Nudgee candidate has done this repeatedly in his campaign car, copping a written warning each time, Dr Matthew Voltz told Confidential.

"I thought enough is enough," he said.

When Palmer finally returned, the surgeon approached the Merc to discuss the issue.

But the young man in a hurry "reversed his vehicle away from me, almost driving over me in the rush to escape", Dr Voltz said.

"He saw me coming ... he gave me a wave and I thought, 'You arrogant little sod'.

"I pointed to the sign and said, 'Next time you'll get towed'."

When Confidential contacted Palmer, he said the specialist was "just taking things all a bit too dramatic (sic)".

"It's true that he did knock on the window there but I wasn't really sure what it was about," he said.

"I received the notice there and then I just drove away."

Asked if he'd return to the car space, Palmer spun us a yarn about making an appointment for the specialist next week since he had not been to a dentist in six months.

"I've had a few friends call me and, you know, word of mouth is that they're a pretty good outfit," Palmer said.

Yeah, right, Michael.

They're an oral surgery, not a dental clinic, so you can't make an appointment - you need a referral.