Tuesday 4 February 2014

Did Japanese whalers act like irresponsible hoons in the Southern Ocean on 2 February 2014?



DW: Deutsche Welle 3 February 2014:

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Japan's top government spokesman, said the anti-whaling group known as Sea Shepherd had orchestrated the collision, which took place in the Southern Ocean on Sunday.
"The sabotage activity was extremely dangerous," Suga told reporters.
The spokesman said Japan had urged the Netherlands to take "practical" measures to prevent a recurrence of Sunday's collision.
Sea Shepherd claim the Japanese vessel was responsible for the incident. The group alleged the Japanese ship hit their boat, the Bob Barker, in an effort to drive them away.
It said the harpoon vessel had spent hours prior to the collision dragging steel cables across the bows of the Sea Shepherd's ships in a bid to damage the rudders and propellers.
It was an "unprovoked attack" by the Japanese harpooners, carried out in a "ruthless" fashion, Bob Barker Captain Peter Hammarstedt said.
No one was injured in the incident, although both boats sustained minor damage....
Australia's Environment Minister Greg Hunt ordered an investigation into the collision on Monday, issuing a warning to both groups.
"This must be a message to both parties - whalers and protesters - these are dangerous waters, nobody can play any games with safety, nobody can play any games with international law," Hunt said.
"Everyone must abide by the law and, of course, if there is evidence that either party has breached international maritime law, we will raise it."
Japan is legally permitted to hunt whales in Antarctica for scientific purposes under an exception to a 1986 ban on whaling. The country is reportedly planning to kill roughly 1,000 whales this year....
Australia has appealed to the UN's highest court to outlaw the program. The International Court of Justice is expected to issue its decision later this year.

The only good news story to come out of Australian Customs since 7 September 2013




24-01-2014 –

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) is pleased to announce it will this morning reunite a teddy with her owner, after it was lost at Sydney International Airport on Tuesday, 21 January 2014.
On Wednesday 22 January ACBPS received a Tweet notifying the Service that a teddy bear had been lost at the airport, after a family of passengers arrived back home from an international flight.
ACBPS officers quickly swung into action, launching a search of Customs controlled areas in an attempt to reunite the lost teddy with her family.

After a thorough search officers located the teddy, safe, sound and fast asleep in a Customs controlled area of the Airport, yesterday morning , Thursday, 23 January.

Although she didn’t have a valid passport or any other travel documents, ACBPS officers were quick to establish her identity after a short interview and are confident she can be allowed into the country to be reunited with her family.

While her ordeal was no picnic, ACBPS is confident the teddy will bear up okay.
Media Enquiries:
Customs and Border Protection media: (02) 6275 6793

The Lies Abbott Tells - Part Ten


THE CLOAKED LIE

Mr Abbott also empathised with Hadley, who complained that he and fellow host Alan Jones "who lean a bit to the right" were "belted over the head" "on a regular basis" by the media regulator, the Australian Communications Media Authority, while the ABC was left to its "own devices" and "self-regulation".
"I can understand your frustration," Mr Abbott told the radio presenter.
"At times there does appear to be a double standard in large swathes of our national life." [ABC News 29 January 2014]

THE TRUTH

The rules governing broadcasting content can be found in legislation, standards, licence conditions and codes of practice. These rules cover the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS) as well as commercial broadcasters.
The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 applies to the ABC and SBS as it does to commercial broadcasters.
There are also additional acts which apply to public broadcasters, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 and Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991.
The Australian Communications Media Authority (ACMA) has the authority to adjudicate complaints made to it about both public and commercial broadcasters. It exercises that authority.
ACMA has the right to report the ABC or SBS to the Minister if either of these broadcasters do not comply with recommendations resulting from an adjudication. Parliament is then informed of any non-compliance.
ACMA adjudication of complaints about the ABC in 2012-2013 did not find for the complainants in the majority of cases.
Both the ABC & SBS are obliged to appear before Senate estimates committees as part of the regular parliamentary scrutiny of public broadcasting.

ABC current Code of Practice (Revised 2013)

Monday 3 February 2014

Screenshot from Metgasco Limited proposed unconventional gas drill site at Bentley, NSW


Screen shot from Prime 7 News on 23 January 2014:


You are now on video just to both let you know, and I would like it if you would reverse off my leg [Unknown female at a Metgasco proposed drill site at Bentley on the NSW North Coast]

One of the men this woman was addressing:
















Local people at Bentley, around 19 kms from Lismore, started their blockading of gas industry infrastructure on 23 January 2014 in what local and national media have dubbed The Battle Of (For) Bentley.