'Carbon Tax' plebiscite? Jeez Louise, whose dumb idea was that?

In Australia there is the ability to hold Advisory Referendums (also called Plebiscites) which in the present era are conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission on a fee for service basis.
These plebiscites involve voluntary voting on an issue and these votes has no legal force whatsoever.
Like national referendums, national plebiscites don’t have a history of giving the question framers the answer they want.
So who doesn’t have a right to insist that the Gillard Government contract the Australian Electoral Commission to run a “carbon tax” plebiscite costing somewhere between $69 million and hundreds of millions? Who also says he won’t be bound by the results if it’s a big “Yes” to a carbon tax, but who supposedly wants 14 million+ voters to turn out on a probably wintry Saturday to cast their votes anyway?
Who won’t be paying anything out of his own pocket, but expects the Government to cut back on what it delivers in the current Budget by dipping into funds supplied by the hard work of taxpayers?
Or if the Government understandably won't oblige, may even expect people like mining magnates Gina Rinehart and Twiggy Forrest to dig into their own deep pockets to force the issue for him?
You guessed it in one – Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, aided and abetted by his Coalition cronies.
Maud Up The Street tells me she phoned Tony Abbott's parliamentary office this morning and was told that Abbott doesn't intend to put any bill before the Senate or the House just yet - instead he intends to put a notice of motion on the House of Reps schedule foreshadowing a private member's bill on a plebiscite. Maud says that means it won't come before Parliament for a week or two at the very least and during that time the composition of the Senate will change. Something she says Abbott is careful not to mention if he can help it.

Potted History: Australia 1952 t0 1956 - Women as Reds Under Beds

League of Women Voters of South Australia (1909 - 1979)
Alternative Names
Women's Non-Party Political Association (former name)
Women's Political Association (former name)
Summary
Originally formed in 1909 as the Women’s Political Association, its name was quickly changed to the Women’s Non-Party Political Association and then the Women’s Non-Party Association. Catherine Helen Spence spoke at the inaugural meeting and introduced the major planks of the Association which were ‘Equal Federal Marriage and Divorce Laws’, and ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’. In 1939 the Association changed its name to the League of Women Voters. This was an Australian-wide title that enabled its aims to be more widely known. The League remained politically active in these areas and was instrumental in the development of a Parliamentary Bill to enact the principle of equality for female and male parents which was passed in 1940. In later years the League developed a close relationship with the Women’s Electoral Lobby, acting as a mentor. In 1979 the League was voluntarily wound up as it was felt that the Women’s Electoral Lobby could carry on its work. Ellinor Walker gave the valedictory address.

There was a time not so long ago when standing up for women's rights and equal pay meant that Communisim was suspected by Government and ASIO.............

Today is UNCR World Refugee Day - time to remember that Refugees R Us

The global theme for UNHCR World Refugee Day in 2011 is “One  refugee without hope is too many”and it’s time to remember that Refugees R Us.
Many of our own forebears came almost penniless to Australia after 1788 because they had been dispossessed in Scotland, were persecuted because of their religion in Ireland, experienced poverty and discrimination across England, endured years of political upheaval and cultural suppression in various European states or were fleeing catastrophic wars and sometimes genocide.

At last! There is movement at the station....

....and a little good news on the renewables front.
A media release by the Australian Prime Minister, and Federal Minister for Resources was sent out on 18th June 2011 telling us that:
"The Federal Government will provide more than three quarters of a billion dollars to help build two of the largest solar power stations in the world.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson today announced the record funding to support construction of the solar projects at Chinchilla in Queensland and Moree in New South Wales.
Solar Dawn and Moree Solar Farm have been selected as the two successful consortiums to build the power plants under Round 1 of the Australian Government’s $1.5 billion Solar Flagships program..........
Together, the projects are expected to generate enough power to support the electricity needs of more than 115,000 Australian homes per year.
The Solar Dawn consortium, led by Areva Solar, will build a 250 megawatt (MW) solar thermal gas hybrid power plant near Chinchilla.
Solar Dawn will be one of the largest power plants of its kind in the world as well as one of the most environmentally responsible.
At least 85 per cent of Solar Dawn’s power generation will be entirely emissions free......
The Moree Solar Farm consortium, led by BP Solar will build a 150 MW photovoltaic power plant near Moree.
This is nearly twice the size of any photovoltaic power plant operating in the world today......
Work will commence next year and the plants are expected to be completed and commissioned by the end of 2015.
Together, Solar Dawn and the Moree Solar Farm will bring Australia closer to a cleaner energy future."
Moree Solar Farm is a consortium of BP Solar, FRV and Pacific Hydro and Solar Dawn was created by a consortium compsed of Areva Solar and CS Energy.

Fairfax's move to dumb down its reporting is working

Fairfax, publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review, has been dismantling its senior (experienced) staff and opting for fewer, newer, fresh faced staff (who are obviously cheaper) in its bid to cut costs but as can be seen below cutting costs results in cutting corners. Gilard!

Image displayed 7.00am Sunday 19 June 2011.

And, like the Murdoch publications, Fairfax plans to put some of its online content behind a paywall. Heaven help its readers!

What does it take to ensure a company that controls South Grafton’s abattoir complies with court orders imposed on it?

A company that gave Grafton workers the boot just before Christmas in 2008 and has repeatedly polluted local waters has to front the Land and Environment Court on charges of contempt of court.
The Daily Examiner reports the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water confirmed that contempt charge against the licensee of Ramsey Food Processing (RFP) are set down for August 11.The Ramsey associated with RFP is the same Stuart Ramsey who has very extensive interests in the racing game. It seems Ramsey can find enough cash to put heaps of money into his nags but cannot find enough money to ensure he's a responsible employer and business owner. Shame! Shame! Shame!

Ramsey is somewhat elusive. It seems he's able to avoid being captured on camera at race tracks despite getting heaps of free publicity. His name and racing interests get lots of mentions on the SKY Racing channels ... hmmm.

Here's a pic of young Ramsey when he was a school boy.
Although he's holding a winner's pennant, who did the hard yards?


Credits: The Daily Examiner and The Daily Telegraph

NSW Natural Disaster Declarations after June 2011 storms and flooding

Photograph of Red Rock storm damage from The Daily Examiner 18 June 2011

Storm and floods - June 2011

Bellingen
Cessnock
Clarence Valley
Coffs Harbour
Dungog
Glen Innes Severn
Gloucester Shire
Greater Taree
Kempsey
Muswellbrook
Nambucca
Port Macquarie-Hastings
Port Stephens
Upper Hunter

This is the second time natural disaster declarations have been issued this year for Belligen and the Clarence Valley on the NSW North Coast.

A full chronological list of NSW Natural Disaster Declarations 2009-2011 can be found here.