Grafton Gaol Picket Line - 8 July 2012 Update

Some, like Nationals federal candidate Kevin Hogan and Nationals NSW MP Chris Gulaptis came for the photo opportunities afforded by news cameras, others came to support their community during the long, cold haul on the picket line last night.

Below are some of these long haulers.

Former Country Labor candidate for the Clarence by-election Peter Ellem, second from left, shows solidarity at the Grafton Gaol picket line with United Services Union Regional Organiser Craig Chandler, Corrective Services teacher Sharryn Usher and husband Robert, Public Services Association Assistant General Secretary Shane O'Brien and Grafton Gaol Assistant Superintendent Damien 'Bluey' Carter.

The picket line 7 July 2012

The Daily Examiner Editor Jenna Carney and photographer Debrah Novak were also on the line last night.

It is understood that, earlier in the night, a local tow truck (called by police to move a vehicle blocking the entrance to Grafton Gaol) refused to cross the line.

At 3pm on Sunday 8 July it was reported:

Police at the scene have now dispersed and the six remaining prisoner transfer trucks were seen leaving the area and have not returned.

These transfer trucks are expected back tomorrow morning.

The picket line holds firm.

*Photographs found at The Daily Examiner or supplied by protest participants.

ssssssSnake MP

Lower than a Snakes Belly

This is the Member for Clarence, Chris Would I Lie To You? Gulaptis.

Posturing in a protest T-shirt after signing a petition he knew was going nowhere.

A day later and he‘s offering a Northern Rivers Jobs Plan to replace the 107 people he and his mates in Macquarie Street just sacked at Grafton Gaol.

But under this plan they won’t be giving money to farmers, cane growers, cattlemen, trawler owners, timber mills, quarry operators, car yards, supermarkets, local retailers, publicans, accountants, real estate agents, security firms or companies under 2 years old to create new employment opportunities in these businesses.

You know, just the sort of places where jobs might be created in a region like the Clarence Valley.

Swinging Voter No More

South Grafton

* 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 gmail.com.au for consideration.

Be very wary of Brumby's Bakeries

According to media reports Brumby’s franchises have all received a head office memo suggesting that Consumer Price Index related price rises be implemented in June-July 2012 and that stores should; Let the carbon tax take the blame.

On the NSW Mid and Far North Coast Brumby’s outlets can be found at Ballina, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Lismore, Murwillumbah, Port Macquarie and Tweed Heads.

Having been outed so publicly, the head of the Retail Food Group, Brumby's parent company, Tony Alford issued his own statement to the the stock exchange saying the comments ‘‘were not sanctioned and are of significant concern to the board’’.

The company also ordered its stores to remove Liberal Party posters and placards about the carbon tax, warning them they could face fines of up to $1.1 million if they engage in false or misleading conduct.

Brumby's prices are due to rise on 16 July and I suggest that Northern Rivers shoppers pay special attention to the amount of that rise.

Memo to that little spiv from Sussex Street, Sam Dastyari

I’ll keep it short ‘n’ sweet Sammy.
My ballot paper belongs to me. I get to decide how I cast my preferences.
A salaried factional heavy and his NSW Labor mates - who wouldn’t know where to find the Northern Rivers on a map - have no say whatsoever.

BOOM, BOOM! Boson joke of the year

 

So bad it’s funny…………………

A Higgs boson walks into a church.

We don't allow Higgs bosons in here!" shouts the priest.

"But without me, how can you have mass?" asks the particle.

Like everything else Tony Abbott tries to organise....

…..even his carbon-based Apocalypse (ordered directly from God’s eBay account for delivery on 1 July) went seriously awry as a meteor arrived early and missed mainland Australia entirely so that Whylalla, along with every other mining town in the country, was not wiped off the map:

Jockey ducks and weaves

Jockey Matt Dacos certainly earned his riding fee in race 6 at the Grafon races on Thursday. Dacos was aboard Cee Jay Clang near the 1200m mark when he was struck in the face by a low flying duck. Dacos overcame that obstacle, continued to ride his mount and eventually finished in second place.   

NSW jockeys earn the princely sum of $162 whether their mount wins or loses. If their mount wins or runs a place they also pick up a standard 5% of the prize money, which is sometimes accompanied by a "sling" from grateful connections.

                                                Does anyone know how the duck fared?

                                                               Image credit: dailyexaminer.com.au



Gulaptis admits he "stuffed up" & then offers a string of weak excuses to 2,000 strong crowd

First untruth – I didn’t know about the closure of the gaol as it was happening {What, questions raised in Budget Estimates and on the floor of the House didn’t give you a clue? You certainly knew at least 300 positions were being deleted across Corrective Services NSW – after all your minister confirmed this - and yet you didn't check to see if your election promise still held? Pull the other one!}

Second untruth – I know what it is to lose your job and have to move out of town {Maaate! You quit your council elected office and headed north across the border to a new job after a failed bid to enter Federal Parliament in 2007 and that’s not the same thing as facing forced redundancy.}

Third untruth - "If I lied, I would tell you that I lied" {A triple pork pie with pike as local government voters can attest from bitter experience.}

Fourth untruth – I want to work with the unions "to put a hold on this” {Did you think no-one noticed that all you are promising is to talk with O'Farrell about a future regional investment package - not actually keeping the gaol from being downsized and downgraded?}

While I'm at it I dips me lid to The Daily Examiner for its beaut news coverage.

UPDATE: If the body language of fellow Nats Williamson and Challacombe didn't give the game way when Gulaptis was saying he knew nothing of the closure of the gaol until it was happening, then this confirms the suspicions of many - MAYOR Richie Williamson said he was devastated after a meeting with Acting NSW Premier Andrew Stoner and Attorney General Greg Smith SC, in which they said State Government would charge on with its plans to downsize Grafton Jail. Cr Williamson said the State Government wasn't interested in doing business or listening to the delegation of Grafton community and union representatives in Sydney this afternoon and that jail transfers would continue. "And the heart will be ripped out of the Clarence Valley," he said. {The Daily Examiner}

The Great Garbage Swindle

 

Clarence Valley Council is running the old pea and thimble scam, but are using garbage cans instead of thimbles.

Here is how it works.

If you are lucky enough to have the three wheely bins, green red and yellow, you are not in the firing line of this sting.

If you are one of the many in Valley rural areas who only receive the service of the red and yellow bins, read on….

It pays to think on the fortnightly cycle of the garbage service outside of the towns. 

Last year the red bin was collected every week, therefore in one fortnight 2 red bins were collected and one week in the same period the yellow bin was collected. This makes a grand total of 3 bins per fortnight. 

This current year the red bin is collected one week and the yellow bin the next week, the total number of bin per fortnight collected is 2.

When you look at this there is a 1/3 reduction in our garbage service, but the council assures me that the price we will pay for garbage services in our rates will remain the same. 

So my argument is: since the garbage service has reduced by 1/3 or 33.3% and the price we pay for this service is the same as last year we are in affect paying 33.3% more than we did last year.

To put this in dollar terms if the garbage charged on my rates last year was $300, this current year I am in effect paying $100 more this year.

All this without a visible increase in the rate notices.

If this isn’t the best little pea and thimble scam you have seen in a while let me know. 

In fact I hear that an unprecedented number of ‘Nigerian’ emailers have applied for Australian residency visas so that they can sit at the feet of a veritable scam meister.

Bins from Google Images