Monday, March 12, 2012

Turnbull brands Katter ad a 'shocker' | Herald Sun

    • OPPOSITION frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull has labelled Bob Katter's anti-gay marriage ad campaign a homophobic "shocker".
    • Mr Turnbull said he did regret Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's decision not to allow Coalition members a conscience vote on gay marriage in Parliament this year.

      "But the decision has been taken that it won't be a conscience vote so the probability is the party will vote against it," he said.      

      But he made his views on the issue clear: "I would not be troubled if gay couples were able to have their relationships and unions termed marriage."

      • Are we seeing the beginnings of a Malcolm Turnbull revival. It will happen eventually ... why not now

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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Newman ... the ultimate political arrogance

  • After two damning polls in less a week Mr Newman has now announced he and his wife Lisa will divest their business interests within 90 days if he is elected.
  • If he is not elected to the seat of Ashworth he will give up political ambition.

That's dedication to a cause ... Campbell Newman

That's insulting to the electorate too.

 

 

Friday, March 9, 2012

Moyhu to create local service hub at memorial hall ... we'll see!

Having lived and worked for ten years in the King Valley, it is good to see a token development at Moyhu where a new community facility is proposed for the Soldiers Memorial Hall incorporating health services, the King Valley Learning Exchange and a Men in Sheds facility.

The Memorial Hall has been utilised for many years by Ovens & King Community Health running planned activity groups for seniors throughout the district.  The King Valley Learning Exchange has been housed in Moyhu since 2001 when, as co-ordinator of the KVLE, I was able to secure funding to purchase the old Hansonville Church in conjunction with the Moyhu Lions Club and relocate the new premises to the Moyhu Lions Park providing the organisation with it's first permanent home since it was founded some 20 years ago.

Peter Ryan, Vice Premier of Victoria, said the overall $30,000 project
would assist in providing architectural designs and professional planning
and advice for the project, and would ensure consultation with stakeholders
and local community. 
Mr Ryan said the Rural City of Wangaratta
would provide the $10,000 balance of the overall project.


“The $20,000 in Victorian Government support
is funded through our Putting Locals First program through the Local
Initiatives
stream of the $1 billion Regional Growth Fund,”
Mr Ryan said.
 
 

With a budget of $30,000, this token development is probably doomed to failure just have the previous feasibility studies carried out in the King Valley over the last 12 years or more.  The most recent foray in local redevelopment was proposed for the Whitfield Recreation Reserve that would have seen O&K exerting their influence in closing down one operation in favour of an another.    Prior to that, O&K withdrew medical services from Whitfield and Moyhu. It appears to me that this is one more power grab by Ovens & King Community Health to control the remote communities.

Benalla patients satisfied - Benalla - mmg.com.au

    • Benalla Health scored 85.3 out of 100. Hospitals with the highest scores were Timboon and District Healthcare Service, Yea and District Memorial Hospital, Moyne Health Services, Cohuna District Hospital and Casterton Memorial Hospital.
      • As a regular emergency patient of Benalla Hospital, I have to agree this is a fine hospital that has not yet been caught up in the less personal factory hospital concept of the regional hospitals. It seems that all those that scored well in this patient survey were smaller hospitals where the staff are not under as much pressure.

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