They just don't make politicians like they used to

Friday night's ABC TV news in Queensland had a piece where Premier Bligh was praising her fellow members of the parliament, especially those on her side of the chamber. Bligh was advancing the notion that MPs are very capable persons and especially skilled at multi-tasking. She remarked, "They can walk, talk and chew gum (all at the same time)."

Back in the good old days MPs were far more talented. Most were able to whistle and fart and drive a cart - all at the same time, of course!

Call for sacking of NSW Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, ASAP

Politicians can run but they cannot hide. Another correspondent in the Coffs Coast Advocate's letters section has gone to town on the NSW Environment Minister for her repeat "Fail" efforts.

Pollution fears realised by mine overflow

THE letter by Claire Thompson (CCA, 25/10) clearly outlines what we all fear and yet seem powerless to stop.

Also an article with regards to "toxic pollution of the Macleay River from the Hillgrove Antimony Mine near Armidale."

The NSW Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, responded saying, "there is no increased risk because pollution from the mine has been diluted", this despite 900,000 litres of contaminated water overflowing from the Hillgrove Mine and entering the river system.

This minister should get the sack ASAP, especially considering what has already happened with the contamination and air pollution in Newcastle, and now this. The only one that seems to be on our side is Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham and Coffs Harbour councillor Mark Graham.

Sad state of affairs.

Ziggy Koenigseder

Source: Coffs Coast Advocate, 27/10/11

I see Chris has joined Facebook

Chris Gulaptis has joined Facebook very quietly sometime in the last few days. Which is probably just as well as he hasn’t quite got the hang of why people friend on FB – either they find your site interesting or they want to come up alongside a very popular person.

For a by-election candidate who used to be a local government demagogue politician he doesn’t have much to say and the bulk of the photos he has posted makes us believe that barely a handful of people attended the opening of his campaign office and no-one turned up at the market stall.
Also, that perhaps he has the hots for Andrew Stoner. 

Must do better, Chris!

Anony-mice

Yamba

Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents. Email ncvguestpeak at live dot com dot au to submit comment for consideration.

Saffin asks hard question of Anchor Resources

From A Clarence Valley Protest.

The Daily Examiner, letters to the editor, 25 October 2011:

Significant threat to waterways
I was pleased to see the expanded Daily Examiner coverage online of a mooted mining exploration project (DEX 5 October, 2011 "Significant threat to waterways"), having been alerted to the growing concern in the area by a Dorrigo resident and having just commenced some fact finding to see if the project would impact in our backyard. (Yes, it is a clear case of protecting your own backyard.)
The Daily Examiner asked all the right questions - questions which the Federal National Party MP Luke Hartsuyker should be asking.
Granted, 60 new jobs would be of great benefit to the region but what if those jobs are at the expense of hundreds of other jobs lost as the result of contamination of the Clarence River, impacting on industries such as tourism, agriculture and fisheries?
We need to carefully consider any threat of contamination of our water supply.
The water supply that provides, among other things, drinking water, irrigation and commercial and recreational fishing activities for the Clarence Valley and surrounds.
Through earlier "NOT A DROP" campaigns started by the Daily Examiner, I have made it abundantly clear of my commitment to the Clarence River not losing a drop of water, despite questionable schemes such as diverting the Clarence inland.
This time "NOT A DROP" means we don't poison a drop of Clarence water, as the history of this type of mining is littered with pollution of waterways, water sources and nearby communities.
Mr Price of Anchor Resources is quoted as saying: "Using world best practice, there will be no contamination."
I have written to Mr Price on our behalf to ask him what "world best practice" actually involves and how it would prevent one iota of poison from entering the Clarence catchment.
I shall keep constituents informed through the local media of the progress of my approach to Anchor Resources.

JANELLE SAFFIN, MP

Federal Member for Page

*Hat tip to Clarrie Rivers of North Coast Voices for providing the transcript!

The Big Blue Army at work

Proposed South-west Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network

A record 42,000 demand sanctuaries in consultation period

Thank you to the 42,000 people that called for a network of large marine sanctuaries in Australia’s South West during the recent consultation period. This is the highest number of submissions ever sent to a government process on a conservation issue in Australia.

This also represents an enormous community backlash against totally inadequate marine sanctuaries proposed by Environment Minister Tony Burke in May this year. With 8 out of 10 hotspots for South West marine life left unprotected by this original proposal, we would expect some dramatic changes to the final sanctuaries being decided upon around November 2011.

These new sanctuaries should deliver what science says is needed – not what fishing and oil industries may want. However we are concerned that these vested interests will be working to undermine the overwhelming call from the community for protection.

To ensure that proper protection is delivered we will have to remain vigilant and we will need your help.

Join the Big Blue Army and we’ll keep you informed of developments in the run up to the final decision in a few months time.

According to a Save Our Marine Life email  only 112 submissions were received opposing this West  Australia marine reserve network

Time to wrap yourself in the flag and holiday in Oz?

Seems quite a few small Oz tourist towns might need our holiday dollar if this trend to either stay at home or holiday overseas continues to grow.

Roy Morgan Research 17/10/2011

The percentage of Australians who intend to travel domestically on their next holiday in the next twelve months has declined 3% in a year to 55%, according to the Roy Morgan Research Holiday Tracking Survey conducted in the three months to August 2011.

By contrast, the percentage of Australians who intend to go overseas on their next holiday in the next twelve months is 9% in August 2011, up 1% in a year and up 3% since August 2006.

In total around 12.6 million (68%) Australians 14 years or older intend to take at least one holiday in the next 12 months in August 2011, down from 70% in August 2010.

Intention to take a holiday in the next 12 months

   

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (June 2006 – August 2011, average sample per quarter n=5,077). N.B. A small percentage of holiday intenders cannot nominate where they will be going on their next holiday. As a result, the percentages shown as intending to go overseas or domestic on their next holiday do not add to the total intenders.    

Drawing from Google Images   

Moggy Musings [Archived material from Boy the Wonder Cat]

A Will he or won't he, does he or doesn't he? musing: Here on the NSW North Coast everyone's been waiting to see who, if anybody, the ALP puts up at the Clarence By-election. Peter Ellem has put his name forward. Now I'm told Pete's a nice guy - but we moggies need to know if he likes cats before we can give Teh Paw of Approval. :-D

A Do you want fries with that? musing: McDonald's Australia serves up used condom to toddler.

A political il regrette musing: It must be ever so galling for the NSW O'Farrell Government to realise that if the then Nats MP for Clarence Steve Cansdell had not been so frightened of facing Mayor Richie Williamson at the March 2011 state election and, made a panic-driven decision or two, then the MP's falisfying of a 2005 statutory declaration would not have become public knowledge or be currently under investigation. BOF has his first real scandal since coming to government because a North Coast MP in a safe seat couldn't hold his nerve.

A you heard it here first musing: Clarence Valley politics shock announcement http://cheezburger.com/View/5214573056

An It's all about the numbers musing: My little canine friend, Veronica Lake, tells me that all the goggies she knows are running the numbers on former Nats MP for Clarence Steve Cansdell whenever they meet on street corners. They reckon he might have resigned before being publicly discovered to save his $80,000 or so per annum pension; reported himself to police to get a 25% discount on any sentence he might possibly receive if the matter of falsifying a stat dec ever went to court; announced both actions on a Friday to limit the amount of immediate media coverage in the hope of taking some of the heat out of the disclosure that it was allegedly a staff member he persuaded to lie for him; and continues to hope that nobody adds 1+1 and suggests that the former staffer whom the newspapers say was going to report the matter is the same staffer who lied for him in 2005 and the very same who is alleging that he abused his parliamentary allowance/s. Ah, ain't rumour mills grand?

An eating at McDonalds kills musing: An 80-year-old woman pulled from the bathroom of a Pooler McDonald's Wednesday died early Thursday morning at Memorial University Medical Center, according to Pooler Fire Chief Wade Simmons. Anne Felton, of Ponte Vedra, Fla., died after being exposed to fumes. Carol Barry, a 56-year-old Jacksonville, Fla. resident, remained hospitalized Thursday. She was listed in good condition at Memorial University Medical Center. Nine people were sent to the hospital with difficulty breathing after inhaling fumes in the McDonald's, located off U.S. 80 near Interstate 95. according to The Savannah Morning News report on 9September 2011.

A moving forward musing: Which North Coast developer, infamous for allegedly removing records from a company's registered office in order to avoid lawful scrutiny by an investigative reporter, has convinced one acting local government general manager to report specific council conduct to ICAC as the developer himself prepares to stand at the next local government elections? Rumour around the catnip patch is that he sees this as clearing the decks of any opposition to future expansion plans.

An Is it political payback? musing: At the last NSW state election Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson ran against seating Clarence Nats MP Steve Cansdell. It was an edgy contest conducted via the media. Now it seems that while other Nats & Libs had publicized the NSW Police short resources audit period and openly encouraged constituents to participate, Cansdell neglected to spread the news or to inform remind nudge Clarence Valley Council about this audit. Then he went to the media to complain that council was tardy in putting in a submission to this audit. There's a decided scent of payback in the air.

A speak to the hand musing: Mata Hari, the slinky oriental cat who lives on Yamba Road, tells me that Clarence MP Steve Cansdell is finding it hard going being a member of government. She heard that he can't get the ear of his minsters when he needs to - that NSW Health Minister Skinner in particular fobs him off on advisors every chance she gets. Wonder how he's doing with the Police Minister?