Many of the companies identified in the Australian Conservation Foundation report, Australia’s Top 10 Climate Polluters will be known to NSW North Coast residents.
Wednesday 25 March 2015
Moss Report contains damming evidence concerning Australia's offshore regional processing centre in Nauru
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s cold-hearted response on 20 March 2015 to this distressing report:
NSW State Election 2015: What the candidates said at the Yamba Meet the Candidates event on 23 March
The Yamba Chamber of Commerce held its Meet The Candidates on Monday night 23 March, at Yamba Bowling & Recreation Club which kindly hosts this event most election years.
Only five of the eight candidates came to this event which drew a reasonable crowd of interested voters.
Carol Ordish (Christian Democrats) sent her apologies and it was stated that the remaining two candidates were unable to come.
Carol Ordish (Christian Democrats) sent her apologies and it was stated that the remaining two candidates were unable to come.
Debrah Novak (Independent) Trent Nathan (Country Labor)
Janet Cavanaugh (Greens) &
Bryan Robins (Independent) Chris Gulaptis (Nationals)
There did not appear to be any mainstream media there to report on what the candidates were saying in response to the questions.
All the candidates spoke to every question put to them and the 'meet' lasted for over two hours.
The five candidates present were invited to submit two short quotes on their policy positions to North Coast Voices. Those that did have these quotes included below in highlights.
Here is a summary of the majority of the candidate answers without comment.
Janet Cavanaugh (The Greens)
Coal Seam Gas: The Greens are the only party totally opposed to coal seam gas, tight gas and other unconventional mining. We have been opposed for years. The Greens want an enforceable legal right for communities to reject unconventional gas mining. The Nationals support coal seam gas and the state government has spent years renewing PELs (petroleum exploration licences).
Privatisation: The state can be rebuilt without cannibalising assets. What the Baird Government wants to do is rob the state of an ongoing revenue stream for a one-off payment which will soon be spent on its election promises.
Police: I agree that the Lower Clarence needs more police. You are distant from Grafton and often isolated by flood. Sawtell which is only minutes from Coffs Harbour has a fully manned police station, but Yamba doesn’t. The Greens stood by the police when they were trying for better working conditions and compensation. We will stand with them to get police numbers up.
Renewable Energy: The Greens’ vision is a state powered by 100% renewables. We are concerned that the Abbott Government has cut renewable energy funding. The first few years of the O’Farrell government scared away private renewable energy investment in this state.
Mental Health Services: Access to mental health services in the Clarence electorate should not be based on “ability to pay or ability to travel”. This needs to change.
New High School in Lower Clarence: Yes, I support a new high school. Maclean High School needs to close. Flying foxes aren’t the only problem - it’s old, tired and deteriorating. These issues were talked about five years ago but nothing has been done. It should relocate to a new site, but this may not be in Yamba.
Forestry: State forests don’t have the same level of weed and fire control as national parks. The Forestry Corporation has lost $43 million over the last four years.
Subsidies for solar power installations in social housing: I wasn’t aware that public and social housing tenants were not allowed to apply for installation subsidies that were available to their neighbours and yes, I think it is a good idea to look into whether social housing companies could be funded to install roof top panels on their houses and use the money from this electricity generation to help fund their services.
Quotes submitted to North Coast Voices:
"The Greens' vision for NSW is one powered by clean energy. It is now technically possible, and it is also economically and environmentally essential. The dispersed nature of renewable energy promotes job creation in regional NSW. It’s a win-win for everyone, except coal and gas miners."
"The Greens are opposed to the sale of state-owned assets. We were opposed to it under Labor and we’re opposed to it under the Liberals-Nationals. ... We don’t need to do it. The Greens have a fully costed program for a $20 billion investment in infrastructure without privatising any existing assets."
"The Greens are opposed to the sale of state-owned assets. We were opposed to it under Labor and we’re opposed to it under the Liberals-Nationals. ... We don’t need to do it. The Greens have a fully costed program for a $20 billion investment in infrastructure without privatising any existing assets."
Chris Gulaptis (Nationals)
Coal Seam Gas: Short sharp answer is No to coal seam gas. However, it is not that simple as the miners have a valuable product and the state government would have to buy them all out from finite resources. So that is not going to happen. The mining companies cannot be stopped if they meet the conditions of their PELs. That is why we have developed a Gas Plan.
Privatisation: Nothing is being sold it is being leased. Nothing in the Clarence Valley is being leased. The $6 billion that regional NSW will get from the sale is better than waiting for a share of over $1 billion annual [electricity network] revenue
Police: There has been a “significant increase in the number of coppers”. There are two 24hr police stations in the Coffs Area Command – at Coffs and Grafton. The Nationals worked really hard with NSW Police to get extra numbers.
Renewable Energy: New South Wales is leading the country in renewables.
Mental Health Services: Bringing mental health services to Yamba is a complex issue. I don’t have the answer – I don’t know.
New High School in Lower Clarence: I suspect you will receive “a yes from everyone because we are all in campaign mode”. We do not have the student numbers in the education catchment to get a new public high school in either Maclean or Yamba. Relocating the bats from around Maclean High School is one option instead of rebuilding.
Forestry: The Koala National Park was a Labor thought bubble. Turning state forest into national park “will make koalas extinct”. In a national park they will get burned out. Koalas are very sexually active. We need to look after the chlamydia infections first. National parks encourage weeds.
Subsidies for solar power installations in social housing: No, I didn’t know that some people were locked out of solar power subsidy offers. It would cost a lot of money to install rooftop solar power in public and social housing and I can’t see where the funding would come from. The government only has so much money – the capital cost option would need squeezing into the budget.
Trent Nathan (Country Labor)
Coal Seam Gas: Labor is for a Gas Ban not a Gas Plan. We will ban the gas industry from the Northern Rivers forever. People on the ground do not want the gas industry in this region. Labor has recently added the Pilliga region to its total ban policy.
Privatisation: The fact that Essential Energy has been quarantined from the sale [of electricity assets] does nothing to assist people in the Northern Rivers. Transgrid which sends electricity to Essential Energy is to be sold off completely. An independent assessment of this asset sale is that the state government will only receive $13 billion not the $20 billion it is hoping for.
Police: It’s pleasing to hear more police are coming. Let’s hope they come to the Lower Clarence. One of the issues is that when Grafton police come to the Lower Clarence it leaves the Grafton area short. We’ve had to wait until the 2015 election to get the Baird Government to increase police numbers.
Renewable Energy: I support renewable energy. We lost home grown talent overseas because renewable energy is more respected there.
Mental Health Services: Mental health services are underfunded and funding is often ill-directed. It’s disappointing that some funding for younger mental health suffers has been cut.
New High School in Lower Clarence: Yes I support a new high school in the Lower Clarence but I won’t devalue my support by saying it is because I am in campaign mode. I agree with Chris about the demographics. However, I see a need for more investigation. If Yamba wants a high school let’s keep the conversation going.
Forestry: I understand the timber industry concerns about jobs. However Notaras has been successful negotiating all parties in government and I will help you continue to negotiate.
Subsidies for solar power installations in social housing: It’s a good idea. It needs planning, costing and a business model.
Deb Novak (Independent)
Coal Seam Gas: My job is “to keep the bastards honest” - to keep Labor and the Greens honest. These parties haven’t listened to the voice of the people. The Baird Government have brought back some PELs but renewed some as well.
Privatisation: I stand against privatisation of state assets. I support everything Trent has said.
Police: Sixteen new police have been promised for the region and are expected in May 2015. Grafton has already received 14 extra police and the Lower Clarence 4. I’ve “got to say thank you, Chris” for that, but Casino spending years waiting for adequate police numbers is not good enough.
Renewable Energy: Australia lost its world leadership in renewable energy. We need to reverse this.
Mental Health Services: It is astonishing that the entire Clarence Valley doesn’t have even one mental health unit. “I will advocate for mental health suffer groups even if I’m not elected”.
New High School in Lower Clarence: I support a new high school, but let’s make it a specialist one such as a sports excellence or performing arts focussed high school. This will attract quality teachers. I would be happy to work with your group if I am elected. Chris hasn’t had a conversation with Maclean High School, I have. Student numbers are increasing. Evidence is there that a new high school could be built in the Lower Clarence. The Catholic diocese doesn’t have a new high school on their radar for the next 10 years.
Forestry: I understand how [Mr.] Notaras feels. There was a “lack of consultation” before Labor announced its Koala Park. Even if I don’t get elected please get back to me.
Subsidies for solar power installations in social housing: First we need to build extra housing before addressing solar power for public housing.
Quotes submitted to North Coast Voices:
On Saturday if you vote for me you will give the Clarence Electorate their own strong voice, one which will be fully available and present for the four year term.
I bring a life time of skills and knowledge to the position of MP and will work hard for small business, agriculture, youth, aged care, education and health services.
Bryan Robins (Independent)
Coal Seam Gas: From Day One I have called for opposition to unconventional gas mining. “Yamba is heaven on a stick” and the community doesn’t want this toxic gas industry. It’s also a bit rich that the Baird Government blames Labor for coal seam gas exploration when they have been renewing licences themselves.
Privatisation: I am opposed to the sale or lease of state assets. “The Baird Government stands for Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong. Let’s get our feet on the ground and put this region first. The McKell [Institute] report said that privatising electricity is not in the interests of New South Wales.
Police: We need more country cops. I will push for the reopening of closed one-man police stations for the smaller distant villages in the electorate.
Renewable Energy: The Nationals got it wrong. Now NSW is going one way and the rest of the world another. The Northern Rivers per capita solar power installation shows that solar power can lead the way.
Mental Health Services: People in rural and regional areas feel they have been short changed over mental health services. Adequate services are especially important because in smaller communities because mental health suffers are more visible and may experience discrimination.
New High School in Lower Clarence: I support a new high school.
Forestry: I have no response on this issue in my notes for this candidate. For this I apologise.
Subsidies for solar power installations in social housing: It’s a good idea. It’s disappointing to hear that social & public housing is not eligible for subsidies to put in solar power.
Tuesday 24 March 2015
Climate Action Network Australia (Clarence Branch) say Greens the ones to tackle climate change
PO Box 1324 Grafton NSW 2460
www.climatechangeaustralia.org
Member group of Climate Action Network Australia
Greens the ones to tackle climate change
Hoping for a clean energy future is easy. Finding an election candidate with a plan is harder, as local group Climate Change Australia found after surveying Clarence candidates for their policies.
According to group member Claire Purvis, Greens candidate Janet Cavanaugh provided the most comprehensive answers to the survey, which sought to pinpoint candidates’ plans to reduce NSW’s greenhouse gases. Independent Debrah Novak came second.
‘Of the eight candidates, only the Greens, Debrah Novak, and the Christian Democrat Party’s Carol Ordish responded,’ said Ms Purvis.
Candidates were asked for their vision and plans on the future of electricity generation, and how they would encourage renewable energy industries. They were also asked how they would protect residents from climate change impacts such as coastal erosion, flooding and storms.
‘Janet Cavanaugh told us the Greens have a plan to end fossil fuel power generation by 2030, having already moved legislation. They propose a state-based renewable energy support scheme, calling for an all-party commitment to a renewable energy future for NSW, enshrined in legislation, to provide a stable and attractive investment environment. The Greens also plan to phase out coal exports, including retraining workers. To protect residents from climate change impacts, they would require new development to take into account sea-level rise predictions, include buffer zones to protect foreshores and allow for future coastal retreat, and plan for increased storm intensity in building codes.’
Debrah Novak also strongly supports phasing out coal power in favour of renewable energy. Ms Novak is concerned about inadequate funding for climate change research and development, She pointed to relationships between fossil fuel lobbyists and government as a barrier to a clean energy future. She is committed to working with other elected MP’s with the same vision to advocate renewable energy technologies. In addition to strengthening building codes, she called for a consultative approach to coastal planning issues, including involvement by traditional owners.
Carol Ordish, rather than address the questions, said people everywhere are to be responsible for where they reside.
Both Ms Novak and Ms Cavanaugh said they would be celebrating Earth Hour on election night, Ms Cavanaugh at the Grafton Cathedral event, and Ms Novak toasting the first female MP for Clarence. Both have signed the Community Planning Charter, which invokes community well-being, public participation, corruption-free planning, conservation, and integrated planning and infrastructure.
‘It is disappointing that neither Labor nor Nationals candidates responded to the survey,’ said Ms Purvis. ‘Labor’s Trent Gilbert told a candidates forum in Grafton that we should reduce reliance on coal. He pointed to renewable energy policies in California, without spelling out any Labor proposal. We have not seen any commitment at all from Nationals Chris Gulaptis on the issue. He should be actively promoting a switch to supporting renewable energy. It will bring jobs to the North Coast.
‘Climate change is a global challenge. We must have a long-term strategic plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by phasing out our reliance on coal and stimulating investment in renewable energy technologies. Climate change affects everyone: Ross River fever is moving south, cyclones are fiercer, and heat records are continually being broken.’
Will 'grey power' be a factor as New South Wales goes to the polls on Saturday?
COTA NEW SOUTH WALES
MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 23 March 2015
POLL SHOWS OLDER VOTERS CAN NO LONGER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED
IN NSW ELECTION
A poll conducted by COTA NSW during Seniors Week showed that 65% of respondents do not believe that they’re a priority for politicians in the run up to the New South Wales (NSW) election on 28 March.
“We surveyed hundreds of people attending Seniors Week events and found a high level of dissatisfaction among older voters. For too long the major parties have tended to assume that older voters are ‘rusted on’, and their votes can be taken for granted. This is no longer the case.”
Over 43% of the State’s electorate is aged 50 and over, which translates to almost 2.5 million people.
“Once again we’ve seen few election commitments targeting older voters,” said Mr Day. “We were pleased to see the Premier commit $343 million to extend vital concessions for seniors. But aside from this, we’ve seen little focus on older people’s needs.”
“Older voters helped make NSW the great state it is. They want to continue to be able to participate in the society and the economy. This means they want politicians to tell them what they’ll do so they can continue to participate in paid employment, and to have access to appropriate housing in well-planned communities. They want to know how politicians envisage a transport system that will meet the needs of all voters, and a health system that recognises the needs of people at every life stage.”
“Politicians need to appreciate that an ability to recognise the priorities of older voters is a sign of basic political understanding. If you can’t understand 43% of the NSW electorate, whose interests are you serving?”
“Older voters want substance. They want to be presented with long-range plans that set out a vision for an age-inclusive society, where older people are able to continue to participate in every aspect of life.”
“They also want to see Ageing Strategies that indicate political parties have a clear sense of how they would undertake co-ordinated, whole-of-government action to ensure such a society is achieved. Sadly, we’ve seen nothing like this from either major party in the run up to Saturday’s election.”
Letter
to the Editor in The Northern Star,
13 March 2015:
Mention dementia
A number
of candidates standing at the forthcoming state election have mentioned mental
health services and cancer treatment as issues important to their electorates,
but I have yet to hear any express an opinion on the subject of dementia.
According
to Alzheimer's Australia: "Dementia is the third leading cause of death in
Australia".
Dementia
prevalence projections by NSW electorates on the Far North Coast expects the
number of people suffering from this devastating disease to rise by 2020 to
6,903 [nsw.fightdementia.org.au, August 2014].
Broken
down by electorate this comes to Ballina 1623, Clarence 1697, Lismore 1565 and
Tweed 2018.
The
prevalence projection for the number of people with dementia within North Coast
Area Health Service boundaries in 25 year's time is 27,661.
It's
time all state election candidates in NSW North Coast electorates considered
the social and economic implications of these figures and inform today's voters
how they will begin the task of attracting federal and state government funding
for increased health and support services in the region.
Because
some of today's voters may find themselves in families affected by this
devastating disease tomorrow.
Judith M. Melville
Yamba
How the Irish fought big tobacco and won
Using Australia as a role model, the Irish Government introduced plain packaging for tobacco into law on 9 March 2015.
MerrionStreet Irish Government News Service:
Published on Thursday 19th March 2015
Speech: Dr James Reilly, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs was today the keynote speaker at the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates
It’s an honour to address you here today as a Minister but I feel particularly privileged as a doctor.
Recently, Ireland became the second country in the world and the first in Europe to enact plain packaging legislation.
This has been a long journey.
We first considered this policy after it was introduced in Australia in December 2012 - and I’d like to pay particular tribute to them.
The road to passing the legislation had far more twists and turns than we anticipated – both in Ireland and in Europe.
It was clear from the outset that there would be additional hurdles to passing legislation for plain packaging in Ireland due to our obligations to comply with European Directives.
At the time, a 2001 Directive was in force which did not permit picture warnings on the front of the packet.
A draft Directive – that would make plain packaging far more effective and legally sound – was progressing slowly through the European bureaucracy.
By a happy coincidence, Ireland held the Presidency of the European Union at the beginning of 2013.
With the support of other countries, we succeeded in passing a new Directive through the Council of Ministers in just six months.
This Directive permitted warnings – including pictures – to occupy 65% of the front and back of the packet and explicitly permitted countries to introduce plain packaging.
It was only when the Directive made its way to the European Parliament that we saw the full power and influence of the tobacco industry at work.
Leaked tobacco industry documents show that 161 lobbyists were hired and millions of euro was spent by one tobacco company alone.
Members of the European Parliament complained that the scale of lobbying on this Directive was unprecedented.
Key parts of the Directive were under serious threat.
There was a very real danger that the European Parliament would vote in favour of reducing the size of warnings and even that the Directive wouldn’t get through the European Parliament.
In an unprecedented response, I and 15 other European Health Ministers co-signed a letter urging Members of the European Parliament to progress the Directive.
At the same time, the Irish Prime Minister and I wrote to every Member of the European Parliament in the largest grouping urging them to keep large warnings on the packets and to progress the Directive.
Thankfully, the tobacco industry’s lobbying was not successful in diluting picture warnings or the right of member states to introduce plain packaging. Ireland’s legislation was evolving in tandem with these events in Brussels.
After the Tobacco Products Directive was passed in Europe, the tobacco industry shifted their focus to Ireland.
Their response was unprecedented and global.
From Members of the European Parliament to US Congressmen. From Indonesian farmers to Irish retailers.
We were lobbied on a scale that Irish politics had never seen before but we had built a strong coalition that proved impenetrable to tobacco industry lobbying.
Politicians from all parties and none joined forces to support this measure. Committed NGOs - from both the public health sector and the protection of children sector - worked tirelessly to maintain public support.
We formed a coalition whose resolve was unshakeable.
When the tobacco industry realised this, they changed tactics.
Japan Tobacco International, Imperial Tobacco and Philip Morris all threatened the Government with legal action should our legislation proceed.
The legal letter from Japan Tobacco International was especially aggressive.
Not only did they attempt to tell a sovereign Government that we did not have the authority to enact plain packaging legislation, they attempted to tell us how far we could progress it through our Parliament and insisted that we provide them with a written undertaking – within a matter of days - not to progress it any further.
They did not receive any such undertaking.
Our plain packaging Bill was passed through our Upper House and Lower House without a single Member of Parliament or Senator voting against it.
There has been a battle to progress this legislation every step of the way.
But these were all battles worth fighting The Irish Philosopher, Edmund Burke said “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.
If we do nothing, the tobacco industry will delay and thwart public health legislation.
If we stand up to them – if we meet them head on – we will defeat them.
Because their only aim is to protect their profits.
Our aim is to protect the health of our people, especially that of our children.
We have the truth on our side.
Truth - as an old lady once told me - is not fragile. It will not break - nor will we.
I’ve been asked repeatedly why don’t we wait to see how a larger country - one with a bigger legal arsenal – gets on with plain packaging before we proceed.
Ladies and Gentlemen, there is a time to follow and there is a time to lead.
When one addiction is responsible for almost one in five deaths in our country – it is time to lead.
We have taken the lead from Australia but we are now giving the lead to Europe.
The UK are following and France intends to move next.
If Europe follows, can the rest of the world be far behind?
I’ve worked as a doctor for almost three decades. I’ve seen first hand the consequences of smoking.
I’ve seen the painful deaths – watching patients gasp for air or waste away from cancer as their lungs fail. I’ve seen the devastation on the faces of their families.
All these deaths are entirely preventable. All these deaths for what? For nothing. This addiction gives nothing to smokers lives and robs us all of so much.
Robs us of 5,200 Irish people who die of smoking every year.
Robs us of 700,000 Europeans who die of smoking every year.
That’s almost the population of Amsterdam annihilated every single year.
That’s 700,000 families who must live their lives without their loved ones. Children without their parents; partners without their partners.
While the economic impact of this can be estimated, the human toll cannot.
But there is hope. Throughout the developed world, smoking rates are falling.
We now know the policies that work.
When we meet again in three years time, I hope cigarettes will be sold in plain packaging, not just in Australia and Ireland, but in the UK, France, Norway, Finland, New Zealand and many other countries.
I hope plain packaging will be driving down smoking rates throughout the world. Throughout the world we have committed NGOs and politicians who are showing the determination required to tackle this scourge head on.
That is why conferences like this are so important. We learn from each other. We learn what works. We learn to stand together. Despite their billions of euros and hidden connections, the tobacco industry can be defeated.
We must rise to the challenge to protect our children from a killer addiction that ends the lives of half of those who become addicted to it.
Remember: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.
We won’t stand idly by - our children can’t afford us to fail. Standing together - we can, we must, we will prevail.
In which Tony Abbott calls Bill Shorten "the Dr Goebbels of economic policy and Christopher Pyne accuses Mark Dreyfus of calling Abbott "Goebbels-like" in the past
Just to make it very clear, despite what Christopher Pyne was saying to The Speaker in this video, the Member for Isaacs Mark Dreyfus never at any time referred to Tony Abbott as "Dr. Goebbels" or called him “Goebbels-like” in the House of Representatives.
It is easy enough to check using OpenAustralia.
In recent years there has only been one offender in the House and three in the Senate before Prime Minister Abbott opened his mouth on 18 March 2015 and called Opposition Leader Bill Shorten “the Dr. Goebbels of economic policy”.
Senator Ross Lightfoot (Liberal) used the sentence The spin you put on it would make Goebbels blush in May 2008,Senator Ian MacDonald (Liberal) said Goebbels would be proud of you in September 2011, MP for Moreton Graham Perrett (Labor) used the phrase Goebbels-type experiment in June 2013 and, Senator Linda Reynolds (Liberal) stated Goebbels was in favour of free speech for views he liked in October 2014.
Whatever MPs and Senators may say or imply outside of parliament is not normally the business of parliament and, it should not have been on the day though I suspect it was a factor as The Speaker, Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop, sent Labor MP Mark Dreyfus from the House for objecting.
How the Northern Hemisphere saw the situation.....
Whatever MPs and Senators may say or imply outside of parliament is not normally the business of parliament and, it should not have been on the day though I suspect it was a factor as The Speaker, Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop, sent Labor MP Mark Dreyfus from the House for objecting.
How the Northern Hemisphere saw the situation.....
The
Independent (Ireland) 18 March 2015:
Speaker
Bronwyn Bishop ordered Labour lawmaker Mark Dreyfus - one of only three Jewish
lawmakers in Parliament - out of the House of Representatives for rising from
his seat to angrily berate the prime minister.
Fellow Labour
lawmaker Michael Danby, also Jewish, left the chamber with Mr Dreyfus in
solidarity.
"There
are no Nazis here and we shouldn't be making comparisons with the paradigm of
the ultimate evil in politics to heighten political differences," Mr Danby
told The Associated Press (AP) later.
"It's
beneath him and it goes to the question of his judgment. I think a lot of his
backbench will be groaning and tearing their hair out."
Mr Dreyfus
later described the Nazi reference as inappropriate for a prime minister….
Peter
Wertheim, executive director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, an
organisation representing Jewish community organisations, declined to comment
today because of his council's apolitical stance.
But he
referred AP to the council's long-standing policy statement that it: "Deplores
the inappropriate use of analogies to the Nazi genocide in Australian public
debate."
On 20 March 2015 Abbott tries a little 'context' in an ABC interview reported in The Age on the same day:
On 20 March 2015 Abbott tries a little 'context' in an ABC interview reported in The Age on the same day:
"Mr
Abbott for a Rhodes scholar, how come you say so many stupid things? 'Lifestyle choices' has enraged Aboriginal community
leaders, and yesterday, bringing Goebbels into the Parliament?" Faine put to
the Prime Minister.
"I
withdrew and I apologised and I did it straight away, there was no hesitation.
I accept that in the context of history and the way things have developed that
was an over-the-top remark and I straight away withdrew and apologised,"
Mr Abbott responded.
"But why
do you have this foot in mouth disease, what's going on?" Faine asked.
"All of
us from time to time in the heat of debate and you know how heated the
Parliament can get, sometimes can go too far," Mr Abbott said.
Unfortunately for Abbott images of him laughing at the response to his remark during and at the end of the incident give lie to the sincerity of his apology.
Unfortunately for Abbott images of him laughing at the response to his remark during and at the end of the incident give lie to the sincerity of his apology.
Financial Review 19 March & 21 March 2015
Monday 23 March 2015
So just how different are NSW Premier Mike Baird and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott?
Photograph from The Daily Telegraph, Tony Abbott (left) and Mike Baird (right)
Michael Bruce "Mike" Baird MP Anthony John “Tony” Abbott
Liberal Premier of NSW Liberal Prime Minister of Australia
State Member for Manly Federal Member for Warringah
on Sydney’s North Shore on Sydney’s North Shore
Born April 1968 in Melbourne Born November 1957 in London
Almost 48 years old 58 years old
Attended an exclusive private school, Attended an exclusive private school,
King’s School St Ignatius College
Bachelor of Arts (Economics) Bachelor of Arts (Economics)
University of Sydney Bachelor of Laws
University of Sydney
Master of Arts (PPE)
Oxford University
Studied theology with a view Studied theology with a view
to becoming an Anglican minister to becoming a Catholic priest
Regent College, British Columbia St. Patrick’s Seminary, Sydney
Member of Queenscliff Surf Life Member of Queenscliff Surf Life
SavingClub Saving Club
Sometimes boxes for exercise Former recreational boxer
Lives in federal electorate Lives in federal electorate
of Warringah at Fairlight, NSW of Warringah at Forestville, NSW
Announced a budget deficit in 2014-15 Announced a budget deficit in 2014-15
in his first state budget as Premier in his first federal budget as Prime Minister
Has a policy of privatization of Has a policy of privatization of
state assets state assets
Supports petroleum & mineral exploration Supports petroleum & mineral
including coal seam gas including coal seam gas
Cut public service jobs as Cut public service jobs as
NSW Treasurer Australian Prime Minister
Sometimes avoids press questions Frequently avoids press questions
after a
"And what a pleasure it is to stand here in “Mike Baird, my friend, my local
“If everybody had the chance to sit down his responsibilities with integrity and
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