.....Tony Abbott has visions of a
What next - a Boatmobile?
The twittersphere's been tittering at #boatphone & #ausvotes.
Twitpic passed on this from the MSM:
This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
The issues I raise concern Cameron Park and its adjoining Centenary Car Park, I make no allegation of misconduct on anyone's part, rather I consider the matters to reflect adversely upon the supervision of staff by Mayor and General Manager, a failing which can only serve to raise concerns as to due process in Council. All information quoted is from Council's own website.
Recently I browsed that website for content relevant to Cameron Park, Car Park, and super market. The history of this matter of course goes way back but we need only go as far as Council meeting of 19 November 2008, when item 09.207/08 features "Proposed sale of part of Council Car Park (and Cameron Park Maclean)" was tabled. A senior Council staff member within Civil & Corporate declared a non pecuniary interest in that he "Leases shop from tenderer in proximity to site". There were three tenderers, the Newcastle based Buildev Development, Woolworths, and the local entity – Holder Baker Enterprises. That staff member is placed in an awkward situation since Item 1. of his specific delegations affirms his appointment as an "appropriate person" for the purposes of opening and dealing with tenders under the Local Government (Tendering) Regulation 1993. Here tenders were certainly involved.
I consulted other records on the subject, the Council meeting of 22 June 2010 dealt with the matter of "Centenary Drive Car Park – petition received," item 13.095/10 but on this occasion the minutes contain no declaration of interest by that senior staff member, and his name is appended to the report. Was he involved in the preparation of that report? So do we assume that his pecuniary interest was merely intermittent?
We come to the meeting of 18 May 2010 "Cameron Park Maclean-Classification" item 13.062/10. The minutes show no declaration by that senior Council staff member neither is it known what participation if any he had in this matter. So, again we find no declaration of interest by him. Nor is the extent of his involvement known to us, again, was he involved in the preparation of this report?
Next we look at Council papers for 24 February 2009, item 09.002/09 "Reconfiguration of Maclean Car Park (involving some elements of Cameron Park)". Here we have a declaration of interest from that senior Council employee only now it becomes non pecuniary "Lease shop next to car park", we are left to wonder why the change from "pecuniary" to "non pecuniary"? Circumstances do not appear to warrant this.
I note that at its last meeting on 20 July 2010, item 13.103/10 "Centenary Drive Car Park – potential retail site" the same staff member within Civil & Corporate declared a pecuniary interest being a "business owner in proximity to site". He nevertheless assisted in preparing that report to Council. Would it not have been better to divorce him from the proceedings, entirely?
I wish to highlight the fact that appropriate controls, checks and balances along with recognised principles of staff supervision and segregation of duties appear to be largely absent. Mr. McPherson the General Manager as this officer's immediate supervisor should have ensured that he was never placed in a situation where questions of conflict of interest might arise. Nor do we know the extent of that employee's involvement in the matters to hand for we can only speculate as to what was the actual extent of his involvement out of session? I believe that the Mayor has an over arching responsibility where supervision of Council employees is concerned, I am not convinced that such supervision is adequate. I do not feel that the employee involved has been well served in this respect, neither I think have the people of Maclean.
JOHN HANCOCKS
Maclean
* GuestSpeak is a feature of North Coast Voices allowing Northern Rivers residents to make satirical or serious comment on issues that concern them. Posts of 250-300 words or less can be submitted to ncvguestspeak AT live.com.au for consideration.
This is Antony Green's Election Blog, also published early this morning, telling the world that the Australian media is getting it wrong, wrong, wrong:
When I entered the swings into the ABC calculator, I got the following result
http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/calculator/?swing=state&national=0.3&nsw=-2.4&vic=1.6&qld=-5.4&wa=-2.1&sa=0&tas=0&act=0&nt=0&retiringfactor=1
This produced a national 2PP figure of 51.1% for Labor, completely at odds with the figure of Coalition 51.4% reported above. Then it dawned on me that whoever calculated 51.4% has made a very basic error of political analysis.
The five 2PP figures for 2007 and 2010 reported above apply only to the four electorates in each state. They are not 2-party preferred figures for each state, and the Galaxy tables have been very precise in setting out the 4-seats per state nature of the poll.
What someone has done is take the five entries in the 2010 2PP column and average them to get a national figure. Wrong. Very wrong.
There are two serious errors committed here. First, the figures are for four electorates, NOT the states. Second, while the state samples are the same size, the state populations are not. To get a National 2PP figure, you need a weighted average of the state swings, NOT a simple average of the survey 2PPs by state.
The method I used in the calculator is the correct way to produce a national 2PP %. If you assume the swings in the four states are uniform in each state, the new state Labor 2PP %'s are NSW 51.3%, VIC 55.9%, QLD 45.0%, SA 52.4% and WA 44.6%.
These produce a National Labor 2PP % from this Galaxy poll of 51%, not 48.6%. Someone has made an absolute howler in trying to turn polls in 20 marginal seats into a national figure.
The Neilsen Poll published by Fairfax this morning and previewed by Lateline last night supports Antony Green's assessment that surveyed voter intentions are now favouring Labor.
Update: Channel 7's Weekend Sunrise was still repeating the wrong two party preferred percentages during news updates - up to and including the 8am recap.
Actual Galaxy Research 8-13 August poll results here showing 2pp % Labor 52% Liberal 48%.
Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.
A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourism business development services.
A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!
An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements. The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.
A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.
A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?
A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.
An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?
A fun fact musing: An estimated 24,000 whales migrated along the NSW coastline in 2016 according to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the migration period is getting longer.
A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.
A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.
A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?
An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.