North Coast Nats trying to create a false impression they had a hand in getting federal funding?

If one undertook a vox pop on the streets of Coffs Harbour next week it would be likely that Luke Hartsuyker’s name rather than Rob Oakeshott’s name would be associated with $35 million in Gillard Government funding, after this North Coast Nationals shameless attempt to hijack the announcement.

Excerpt from Independent MP for Lyne Rob Oakeshott media release on 19 December 2011:

FOR the second time in a month, Independent Lyne MP Robert Oakeshott has announced a multi-million windfall for education on the Mid-North Coast.
The Commonwealth will invest $20 million in a health and medical education campus in Port Macquarie – the first of its kind in regional Australia.
Just two weeks ago, the MP announced $15 million towards a Port Macquarie campus for Charles Sturt University.
Today’s announcement involves a multi-partner medical education campus involving the University of New South Wales, the University of Newcastle and the North Coast Institute of TAFE.
“This has been a fantastic fortnight for higher education on the Mid-North Coast, with a record investment of $35 million in tertiary education infrastructure involving three leading universities and the North Coast Institute of TAFE,” Mr Oakeshott said.
“Even more significant than the dollars, is that this campus will be the first regional medical school in Australia where students can complete the entire six-year course, a remarkable outcome for our local students and the university and clinical specialists involved.
“I am absolutely serious about reversing the brain-drain from the Mid-North Coast, and making our region an education hub for the nation,” Mr Oakeshott said.
“The University of NSW will deliver a full six-year medical degree in Port Macquarie from 2014, which is a first for regional Australia, and an important game-changer in the way medical degrees are delivered nationally.

How The Coffs Coast Advocate reported these facts in an online article with photograph which was primarily National Party ‘spin’ on 20 December 2011:

LOCAL Federal member Luke Hartsuyker has welcomed the announcement that his parliamentary colleague Rob Oakeshott has helped to secure $20 million in funding to go toward a multi-partner medical campus in Port Macquarie.

Mr Hartsuyker said that the boost for Port Macquarie's economy should be seen as a pat on the back for all regional town centres not just the Hastings area.

"Everyone welcomes more medical facilities and more medical training in regional areas," Mr Hartsuyker said.

In the past fortnight Mr Oakeshott has announced $33 million in federal money going towards his constituents in the seat of Lyne after recently announcing $13 million that the independant MP helped to get granted to Charles Sturt University to help pay for a Regional University Centre at Port Macquarie.

The local member said that money had already been allocated to the Coffs Coast region when it became a trailblazer in rural medical training.

Overall Australians are going into the 2011 festive season still confident that the economy and home finances are faring well

From the last Essential Report for 2011:

Click on graphs to enlarge

Overall, respondents were optimistic that 2012 would be a good year for themselves overall (52%) and their workplace (45%). They tended to be less optimistic about their financial situation (33% good/27% bad) and somewhat pessimistic about the Australian economy (29%/35%).
Compared to expectations 12 months ago, respondents were much less optimistic about the Australian economy (48% good last year compared to 29% good this year) and also rather less optimistic about their own financial situation (39%/20% last year compared to 33%/27% this year).
When compared with last week’s questions on perceptions of 2011, these figures suggest that respondents expect 2012 to be better than 2011 for themselves and their family (net +36% for next year compared to net +24% for this year), a little better for their workplace (+25% next year, +20% last year) and their own financial situation (+6% next year, -2% this year). The Australian economy is expected to be a little worse in 2012 (-6% next year compared to +2% last year).

UPDATE:

Moody’s Investor Service Global Credit Research - 21 Dec 2011

New York, December 21, 2011 -- Moody's maintains the following ratings on Australia, Government of:

Long Term Issuer (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of Aaa

Senior Unsecured (domestic and foreign currency) ratings of Aaa

Senior Unsecured Shelf (foreign currency) rating of (P)Aaa

RATINGS RATIONALE

Australia's Aaa ratings are based on the country's very high economic resiliency, very high government financial strength, and very low susceptibility to event risk. Economic resiliency is demonstrated by the country's very high per capita income, large size, and economic diversity. As one of the world's most advanced economies, the country has not only a significant natural resource sector--including minerals,hydrocarbons, and agriculture--but also well developed manufacturing and service sectors. It also demonstrates strong governance indicators. In particular, the framework for fiscal policy is transparent and has, until now, consistently kept government debt at low levels.

The government's debt rating of Aaa takes into account the aim of maintaining a balanced budget, on average, over the business cycle. It is supported by the very low level of public debt and the country's strong financial system. In comparison to most other Aaa-rated countries, Australia's government financial strength is very high, with very low gross debt that is easily affordable and provides a high degree of fiscal flexibility...... [my bolding]

Hatip to Latika Bourke for tweeting this information.

I'm shocked, Aunty ABC!

Yes, I’m well and truly shocked Aunty. Two of your radio interviewers have been found guilty of blatant bias a lack of impartiality.

What so flabbergasts me is that it doesn’t happen more often given the number of closet wing-nuts and bat-crazy evangelists that appear to be lurking in those darker regional corners of your media empire.

Kyogle Council directs CSG miners to far queue

Kyogle Council has followed Lismore Council and imposed a ban on any seismic testing, exploration drilling or other road reserve disturbance by the CSG Industry on Council owned infrastructure or infrastructure under Kyogle Council control.

Council's meeting on Monday night further resolved to inform the CSG industry and the NSW State Government that the moratorium will remain in place until its previous recommendations have been satisfactorily addressed.

On 18 April 2011 Council resolved:

That Council write to the State government to call for a moratorium on CSG drilling until such times as the impact of CSG on water supplies, the environment and personal property and amenity is understood through independent research, funded by government, is carried out.

On 12 September 2011 Council resolved:

That Council addresses the Parliamentary Inquiry taking the positions outlined below:
1. That Council re-confirms its request to the State Government for a moratorium on CSG drilling (not just the issue of licences) until such time as the impact of CSG on water supplies, the environment and personal property and amenity is understood through independent research, funded by government, is carried out.
2. That Council advises the Parliamentary Inquiry that it supports the many genuine concerns of a large proportion of its community with regards to the Coal Seam gas Industry and the proposed pipeline along the Lions Road and their potential impacts on our Council area. In particular we note the potential for adverse impact on the headwaters of the Richmond River from which a majority of our community depends upon for human use, irrigation and stock use.
3. That Council advises the Parliamentary Inquiry that the Coal Seam Gas Industry should be subject to the same process as any other development; that is via a comprehensive EIS which addresses all the issues, provides for Community input and places the onus on the industry to provide scientific proof of the safety aspects. Not the reverse as recently suggested by the Minister.
4. That Council provides a further written submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry which outlines in more detail the community concerns as expressed in resolution no. 2.

That Council write to Tony Windsor MP expressing concerns with Coal Seam Gas explorations, and advise that Council supports him in presenting his private members bill to the Federal Parliament.

On 28 November 2011 Council resolved:

That Council approaches NSW State Government in relation to the Environmental Impact Statement from Metgasco on the proposed pipeline over the Lions Road, seeking assurance that Council will be involved in the process and be allowed to have input.

Christmas brings out those water raiding crazies

Crazy can be the only way to describe those misguided individuals who, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, still maintain that damming and diverting the Clarence River will save the Murray Darling Basin from continued unsustainable water extraction, environmental degradation and, subsequent commercial agricultural decline.

Here is the latest person to raise the subject, the former West Australia Water Minister and self-proclaimed founder of the Watering Australia Foundation (WAF), Ernie Bridge who apparently wants to take all the major East Coast rivers and turn them inland.

Here is Ernie in 2004 speaking on the subject with George Negus.

Here is Ernie in December 2011 speaking with Farm Weekly:

"The Clarence River in northern NSW has more than enough water to spare for the job (to flush the Murray).

Water from the Clarence could be diverted into the Darling River and then it would flow into the Murray”

The Grim Reaper's preferred walking speed while on the job is 3 km per hour. So walk faster this Christmas if you want to see New Year!

Aussie researchers with a typically morbid sense of humour produced this just in time for The British Medical Journal’s Christmas 2011 issue:“How fast does the Grim Reaper walk? Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis in healthy men aged 70 and over.”

Introduction
“The Grim Reaper, the personification of death, is a well known mythological and literary figure. Reported characteristics include a black cloak with cowl, a scythe, and cachexia. High quality scientific research linking the Grim Reaper to mortality has been scarce, despite extensive anecdotes
Walking speed is a commonly used objective measure of physical capability in older people, predicting survival in several cohort studies. A recent meta-analysis found that being in the lowest fourth of walking speed compared with the highest was associated with a threefold increased risk of mortality. Moreover, the association between slow walking speed and mortality seems consistent across several ethnic groups and shows a dose-response relation. Although the association between walking speed and mortality has been well documented, the plausible biological relation between the two remains unclear.
We assessed whether the relation between slow walking speed and mortality results from the increased likelihood of being caught by Death. By assessing this relation using receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, we hypothesised we would be able to determine the walking speed of the Grim Reaper—information of importance to public health.”

Discussion
“Based on receiver operating characteristics analysis and estimation of the Youden index, a walking speed of 0.82 m/s (2 miles (about 3 km) per hour) was most predictive of mortality. Therefore, we predict that this is the likely speed at which the Grim Reaper prefers to ambulate under working conditions. Older men who walked at speeds greater than 0.82 m/s were 1.23 times less likely to encounter Death. In addition, no men walking at speeds of 1.36 m/s (3 miles (about 5 km) per hour) or above were caught by Death (n=22, 1.4%). This supports our hypothesis that faster speeds are protective against mortality because fast walkers can maintain a safe distance from the Grim Reaper. Interestingly, the predicted walking speed of Death estimated in the present study is virtually identical to the gait speed (0.80 m/s) associated with median life expectancy at most ages and for both sexes in a recent meta-analysis of gait speed and mortality using data from diverse populations. This indicates that the preferred walking speed of the Grim Reaper while collecting souls is relatively constant irrespective of people’s geographical location, sex, or ethnic background.”

Conclusion
“The Grim Reaper’s preferred walking speed is (2 miles (about 3 km) per hour) 0.82 m/s under working conditions. As none of the men in the study with walking speeds of 1.36 m/s (3 miles (about 5 km) per hour) or greater had contact with Death, this seems to be the Grim Reaper’s most likely maximum speed; for those wishing to avoid their allotted fate, this would be the advised walking speed.”


The bad news oozing out from this study is that the infamous lycra-clad fitness freak, Opposition Leader Tony Look at my Box Abbott, is bound to make it through to polling day in 2013.