When even your fearless leader can't get your name right.....

barryofarrell Barry O'Farrell

off to catch a flight to Grafton to support The Nationals' Chris Galuptis in this Clarence month's by-election

Oi Bazza! It’s Gulaptis. G*U*L*A*P*T*I*S

Or as many locals like to fondly call him; Halpless Gulaptis, Galapagos, Gulapticus, Gulapaduck, Gall-aptis, Batman or Chris Corruptus.

# A chapeau lift to Clarencegirl for sending me this tweet.

U.K. High Court appeal judgment in Assange and Swedish Prosecution Authority - transcript

Assange High Court Judgement 2 November 2011

The Greens issue Clarence By-election challenge in defence of water security

The Greens threw down a political gauntlet in support of their candidate, Janet Cavanaugh, on 1 November 2011 and it would be foolish if any other candidate in the Clarence by-election continued to ignore these issues.

The Daily Examiner 2 November 2011:

THE GREENS have issued a challenge to all contenders for the upcoming Clarence by-election - state your position on mining at the headwaters of the Clarence River.

NSW Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham was in Grafton yesterday in support of Greens candidate for Clarence, Janet Cavanaugh.

The pair raised grave concerns for the Clarence River if a 1.5km x 0.5km open cut antimony mine was approved at Wild Cattle Creek - a tributary of the Nymboida River.

Readings near the proposed mine site, which is being explored by Anchor Resources, have already shown dangerously high levels of antimony and arsenic.

"We are calling on voters to send a message to Barry O'Farrell, letting him know that they want him to rule out mining in the headwaters of the Clarence," Mr Buckingham said. "We're not against all mining but it's got to be responsible mining.

"The risks associated with mining - especially for antimony and gold in the headwaters of the Clarence are too great.

"The experience in the Macleay should be a cautionary tale - you've got an entire river system that's been polluted that's going to be impacted for a millennia to come. "…….

"You would not want to see that happen in the Clarence and put at risk the tourism, the agriculture, the fisheries……..

Mr Buckingham called for a fast-tracking of a Strategic Regional Landuse Policy for the North Coast.

He said the Upper Hunter, New England North West, Central West and Southern Highlands would have SRLPs done out of this year's budget of $2.1 million but he was unsure when the North Coast's policy would be done.

"With the amount of mining and coal seam gas proposed in the Dorrigo Plateau, the Macleay, Clarence Richmond and Tweed Valleys - a SRLP should fast-tracked for the region."

Full article here.

Photograph of Nymboida River from Google Images

A election is a job interview

Would you hire this man?

Mr. Smith holds forth on bloggers

Granny Herald reports on the attitude of NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith to all us crims and ratbags hanging out here on the internetz:

“Mr Smith said bloggers weren't subject to the same sanctions and responsibilities as journalists, who could be sacked for publishing "something that is inappropriate".

Bloggers, or those "who just want to have an opinion" didn't deserve the same protections, he said.

"I'm not going to cover bloggers who may represent terrorist organisations, or criminal organisation, or just be ratbags," Mr Smith said.

"It's not right that a fair publication of the news should be inhibited by fears of being sent to jail.

"But people that don't have that responsibility, who just want to have an opinion out there, to attract 200 or 300, or even two or three others, who'd like to read their blogs, I don't see why they're entitled to that sort of protection."

Ramsey finds closing South Grafton Abattoir may not fix his financial woes

Arguably one of the most disliked blokes in the Clarence Valley, Stuart Ramsey, will have to think again after his dummy spit following adverse Fair Work Australia and Land & Environment Court decisions.

In The Daily Examiner on 2^nd November 2011:

“SOUTH Grafton abattoir owner, the Ramsey group of companies, may have to put up close to $1 million to ensure soon-to-be-displaced workers get their full severance pay and entitlements.

Yesterday, the Fair Work Ombudsman applied to the Federal Court asking that the Ramsey group be required to make the payments, citing concern permanent abattoir employees will not be paid their accrued annual leave entitlements or redundancy pay……….

The ombudsman also asked that the respondents, who were listed as; Stuart Bruce Ramsey, Brugold, Ramsey Food Processing, Ramsey Meats, Ramsey Developments, Coastal Employment Services, Explin, Ramsey Holdings, Ramsey Pastoral Company, Rawhide, Ramsey Pastoral, Ramsey Wholesale Meats, Mortimer Administration Service and Abattoir Contracting Service, pay $988,480 to cover what is estimated to be owed to workers.

The amount was calculated on the assumption that each of an estimated 200 employees would be owed an average of $4942.40.”

Well done, fair Work Australia!