Day 12 of Good Government in Australia

During a press conference on 9 February Prime Minister Tony Abbott declared to the world that good government starts today in Australia.

On Day 12 of his new leaf The Australian reported:

Abbott sits for much of the day in his office in Parliament House pondering national security, Islamic State and reading Winston Churchill. He has 50 staff in his office but he insists on writing many of his speeches as Credlin, sitting in the office next door, works the phones, managing the detail.
She is, as Abbott himself has said, “the fiercest political warrior” he has ever worked with.
This is the Australian duumvirate, a new form of government in which Abbott and Credlin run the country. They are, in reality, co-prime ministers.

New Yulgilbar Fellowship now open to Clarence Valley visual artists

Clarence Valley Council media release:

February 19, 2015

New Yulgilbar Fellowship now open to Clarence Valley visual artists

A GRAFTON Regional Gallery Travelling Fellowship for 2015 is now open for applications from visual

artists living and working in the Clarence Valley.

This inaugural $10,000 fellowship is dedicated to Clarence Valley artists wanting to travel to locations in

Australia or overseas in order to develop ideas, skills and contacts and explore and experience creative

and innovative visual arts.

Gallery director, Jude McBean, said the Fellowship, supported by the Yulgilbar Foundation, was open to

Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists, groups and individuals and was only limited by the artist’s

imagination.

“We encourage applications from visual artists of all mediums and levels who reside in the Clarence

Valley Council area. Our aim with this Fellowship is to allow the successful applicant to explore what is

important to them, their work and career,” she said.

“This is a significant opportunity for Clarence Valley artists to have experiences that they couldn’t

ordinarily afford and to be paid for their time in committing to such an opportunity. Applications could

include meeting or visiting inspiring artists, galleries or regions, to participate in workshops, residencies,

visual art festivals biennales or conferences.”

Application forms and guidelines are available through the gallery on gallery@clarence.nsw.gov.au or via

its website www.graftongallery.nsw.gov.au

Inquiries can also be made to fellowship coordinator, Jane Kreis, on 0409 814 067 or at

janekreis@gmail.com

Destroy the Joint is counting dead women

Margaret Olley's The Yellow Room studio recreated at Tweed Regional Gallery until Sunday 15 March 2015

The Yellow Room exhibition celebrates its name-sake — the small, unassuming, pale yellow room at the rear of the Victorian terrace that formed part of Olley’s home studio at 48 Duxford Street, Paddington, Sydney. The significance of the room to Olley’s life and work lead to its re-creation at the Margaret Olley Art Centre.

The exhibition features a stunning selection of yellow room still lifes and interiors from the early 1990s until 2011, the year of her death

It also features preparatory sketches and unfinished paintings that reveal more of the process behind Olley’s work. 

Her process is the inspiration for an interactive digital painting program that visitors can use to create their own artwork in the MOAC.

Margaret Olley (1923 - 2011) Yellow Room, Evening 1993 oil on board

Private collection, Brisbane, courtesy of Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane

Tweed Regional Galley: 2 Mistral Road (Cnr Tweed Valley Way) Murwillumbah South NSW 2484 

Opening hours: Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Closed Good Friday and Christmas Day.
CLOSED to the public on Monday and Tuesday

Australian Prime Minister Abbott puts boot into delicate death row negotiations

Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s use of aggressive megaphone diplomacy can only make matters worse for two Australian citizens on death row and their families back in Australia.

The Sydney Morning Herald 19 February 2015:

The Indonesian government has warned it does not respond to threats, after Prime Minister Tony Abbott reminded the country it had provided $1 billion in aid after the 2004 tsunami.

"Threats are not part of diplomatic language," Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told reporters. "And from what I know no one responds well to threats."

Earlier Mr Abbott said Australia would let Indonesia know in "absolutely unambiguous terms that we feel grievously let down" if the executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran proceeded.

"Let's not forget that a few years ago, when Indonesia was struck by the Indian Ocean tsunami, Australia sent $1 billion worth of assistance, we sent a significant contingent of our armed forces to help in Indonesia with humanitarian relief and Australians lost their lives in that campaign to help Indonesia," he said.

Mr Nasir said there was  a saying in Indonesian "orang akan terlihat warna sebenarnya" (people will show their true colours).

"So I hope the statement (Mr Abbott) made doesn't show the true color of Australians.

Malay Mail Online 19 February 2015:

SYDNEY, Feb 19 — Prime Minister Tony Abbott today denied threatening Indonesia over the fate of two Australians on death row by linking their fate to aid, insisting he was simply pointing out the depth of ties between the neighbours.

As tensions mount in the bid to save Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, Abbott yesterday said Jakarta should remember the significant monetary aid Canberra supplied in the aftermath of the devastating 2004 tsunami.

He urged Indonesia to reciprocate in Australia’s time of need, but the comments were coolly received in Jakarta with the foreign ministry warning that “threats are not part of diplomatic language”…..

The truth about Tony Abbott's war on terror?

From time to time snippets of truth concerning Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s expensive war on terror, estimated to cost at least $400 million a year, appear in the media. 

This is one example.......

The Canberra Times 17 February 2015:

Iraq. The diggers are carrying diplomatic passports because Baghdad's government won't sign a "Status of Forces" agreement. Our troops are cooped up inside bases watching from the sidelines as Iranian Quds revolutionary guards prosecute the fight against ISIL (and whoever else gets in their way). Oh, and the Iraqis don't even want our aircraft based in their country. Abbott's like the boyfriend who can't understand a polite brush-off.

Call goes out to put Gulaptis last on the March 2015 state election ballot paper

The candidates may be acting coy five weeks out from the NSW state election but voters may be beginning to force the pace, if this open letter published in the Clarence Valley Review is any indication:

This open letter to Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, was sent on behalf of all community Groups Against Gas within the Clarence electorate.

Mr Gulaptis,

Do you honestly think a few slick Gas Plan ads will woo us outraged voters back? Nationals’ entire track record indicates your real plan is to ignore our concerns and roll gas mining out across the North Coast.

Even your most loyal voters were shocked when Dart’s massive North Coast licence was renewed just before Christmas. Our shock turned to outrage when we realised that the 25% of Dart’s original leasehold that it had to forfeit, included Ballina. What a sly attempt, at the expense of our long-term future, to lure back voters left hanging by Don Page’s retirement!

That shameful action came hot on the heels of the retirement of your Minister for Resources and Energy, after allegations of corruption by ICAC. Then, just one year after Nationals passed a bill making ‘Public Interest’ legal grounds to refuse or limit gas licences, your party back-flipped and cancelled it!

And now, just weeks before the elections, you refuse to answer four simple questions about your own commitment to protect us voters from the dangers of gas mining.

Every other Clarence candidate answered with honesty and integrity, but you arrogantly responded with your own four questions! Well Mr Gulaptis, let’s see if the answers speak for themselves:

You ask:

1. Which State Government issued the petroleum exploration licences in NSW?
Try as you may to shift the blame back to when CSG was thought safe, but it was Nationals who renewed licences in NSW, even after you knew the real risks. Other parties will implement Gas Bans, not just plans.

2. Which State Government suspended Metgasco’s license in the Northern Rivers?
Not yours! Even after widespread protests from rural communities, plus Police warning the Premier that breaking Bentley blockade could result in local deaths, he only suspended drilling at that site, not the Licence covering the much greater lease! And now, because ‘Public Interest’ no longer counts, the Supreme Court may award Metgasco millions from our taxes!

3. Which Federal Government approved the CSG mine at Gloucester?
Your party has disbanded its own exclusion zoning to trash Gloucester AND your Gas Plan is to push through Narrabri and Camden as well!
4.Which State Government has reduced the CSG footprint across the Northern Rivers and NSW? Not yours! In fact, last month you actually renewed the largest licence in the Northern Rivers!

Many once-loyal Nationals voters have had enough lies! They know gas mining will destroy their precious bores, their family’s health and their kids’ future unless they act now. Gas will be the decider when they lodge their vote. Gas will come way ahead of loyalty to people they no longer trust. Almost 90% percent have said they want gas bans. They don’t want toxic plans…and they will be heard!

When they see four candidates on the lower house voting form, they will know to vote Gasfield Free they simply need to number every box and put ‘Gulaptis’ last!

Lynette Eggins (Clarence Alliance Against Gas), Leonie Blain (Knitting Nannas Against Gas Grafton Loop), David Irving (Yamba Group Against Gas), Deb Whitley (Pillar Valley Group Against Gas), Tony Belton, Annie Dorian (Iluka Group Against Gas), Jeniffer Lewis (Mid-Clarence Group Against Gas), Dr Eric van Beurden (Richmond Valley Group Against Gas)