Watchdogging the News

VIC POLICE FAIL: Police state hits school yard

2011-08-05T16:04:00.001+10:00

Teacher arrested in front of class in Melbourne's west | Herald Sun

Police entered the school in Werribee to arrest her yesterday, officers asking her year 10 class to turn around as they stood on a sports field as they loaded their teacher into a divisional van.

Greg's Opinion:

A bit over the top! The teacher was going nowhere except to class.

By all means, arrest her after school or in her own time. For the year 10 students to be told to turn around whilst the police put the teacher in the divisional van is straight out of a CSI television episode.

Not involving the school principal is a serious breach of protocol as s/he is responsible for all that occurs on the school property.

Sex abuse becoming the norm in Australia

2011-08-03T17:23:00.001+10:00

Sex abuse link to high rates of mental illness - ABC News

A study published today reveals that as many as a quarter of Australian women have experienced some form of assault or sexual abuse.

Can this really be? There seems to be more assault and sexual abuse today than there was earlier in my lifetime. Many will say that it only appears so because communications is so much better. Well if that is the case, could it be that sexual abuse is not so much a crime as a basic feature of human nature.

After all, we are sexual creatures with the need to procreate programmed into our psyche. But why do so many of us become offenders ... or victims? One in four women are affected. How many men are involved - probably about the same proportion.

It is becoming more common to hear of offenders from other countries committing sexual crimes in Australia so I wil stick with my perception that it is more common today than when I was younger. We are told in the media that some of these use the defence that rape is culturally acceptable where they come from. Well, it is not acceptable in Australia and people like this need to understand that they must abide by our cultural norms if they are accepted into our communities. If they cannot handle that, we need to tell them where to go.

Carbon price - I'm not convinced!

2011-08-01T10:15:00.001+10:00

Carbon price evidence high as Everest: PM

"She has a mountain to move to convince Australian voters to support her carbon price package but Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the evidence backing her position is as "high as Mount Everest"."

I just don't get it.

Try as I might, I cannot find a single way that a carbon price will help me or the environment.

It seems to be nothing more than a political point scoring exercise between Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott.

How can Julia know more than everyone else in Australia - and how come Tony cannot see what the prophet Julia sees.

As for the rest of you ... can you show me the error of my ways?

GOVT.FAIL.AU: Labor tough on whistleblowing

2011-01-11T16:56:00.002+11:00

Labor tough on whistleblowing - The Canberra Times

The Labor Government is a far more ferocious prosecutor of whistleblowers and leakers than the Howard government, with Kevin Rudd overseeing a doubling of leak referrals to the Federal Police during his time as prime minister.

New figures obtained during a Fairfax investigation into Federal Police leak probes show that while the Howard government referred 16 leaks of government material to Federal Police between 2005-07, the Rudd Government referred 32. The surprising figures reflect a similar trend in US politics, where the more liberal Obama Administration has become known for taking a harder line on whistleblowers than the previous Bush administration.

The Federal Police unit the investigations are run out of is a section called Special References, and most investigations are run by a Canberra-based million-dollar-a-year, 17-officer unit called Head Office Investigations.(snip) ''If the government want us to do it, they're our masters, so we do it ,'' the source said. ''And that's not just a particular government, both Labor and Liberal and everyone in between gets the shits when their policies are undermined or their big announcements appear on the front page of the newspapers 24 hours before they announce it.''

Now we see why the Prime Minister set herself against Julian Assange and the release of Cablegate. Without whistleblowers, our democracy is degraded as there is no other way to monitor the activities of those who we elect to govern on our behalf. Our governments must be held accountable.

Is your ADHD teenager trafficking drugs?

2011-01-08T15:06:00.002+11:00

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0108/1224287042366.html

YOUNG PEOPLE with attention deficit disorder problems are at a significantly higher risk of misusing drugs and alcohol.

(snip)

Conference organiser Rose Kavanagh said there is still widespread ignorance over the links between the disorder and substance abuse, even among health professionals. “All the research points to this link, but there needs to be much greater awareness about the problem,” she said.

(snip)

US research indicates that at least one-fifth of 17-18-year-olds with the disorder had some form of substance abuse problem.

(snip)

Until recently it was thought sufferers outgrew the condition. But recent studies show that around 60 per cent of those diagnosed with the disorder in childhood will continue with a modified form of the condition into adulthood.

Well ... gollee! For years, I have been amazed that our health professionals could believe that a kid, after some years on Ritalan, or the alternatives, could 'grow out' of the need for legalised speed when they become adults. This has to be a contributing factor the self-destructiveness of so many of our teenagers. Road rage - and any other rages - should be evaluated to see what proportion of this behaviour could be attributed to the use of these drugs prescribed to manage ADHD in our children.

Let me tell you a story. Back in the 1990's, a fourteen year old in my care came home from school with a foil of Ritalin tablets. He had bought them from a classmate who had been prescribed them for ADHD. That kid was already a 'drug dealer' selling his tablets to his mates. Logic suggests that he didn't need the Ritalin if he was able to sell it rather than taking it. That beg's the question, how many teenagers are fakinhg ADHT to be a hero 'selling drugs' to their friends.

Starwars trumps Julian Assange

2011-01-04T22:51:00.002+11:00

Julian Assange, in his 2006 dissertations, speculated on what it would take to bring down a conspiracy. In his latest Cablegate release, we find that the Chinese have found an answer.

Chinese relations in deep freeze : Views and News from Norway
- Aftenposten reported Tuesday that WikiLeaks documents it has obtained show that American officials are deeply worried over China’s newfound ability to shoot satellites out of the sky. Its first display of its ability took place in January 2007, when a rocket from the Xichang space center in Sechuan Province destroyed a US satellite and violated international agreements against exactly that.
  
  China since has reportedly attacked at least three satellites, in violation of international agreements, and the US has needed to alter the course of several of its own satellites, to reduce the danger of more damage.
  
  “The satellites are incredibly important, for surveillance, navigation or communication,” Ståle Ulriksen of foreign policy research institute NUPI told Aftenposten. “If anyone knocks them out, the entire western military concept can collapse. The US and NATO will lose their military might.”

Julian Assange - Hero or Fool?

2011-01-02T13:50:00.005+11:00

In the mid 1980's - before the Internet and the state of the art computer was an 8286 processor with about 40 Mb hard drive - I used to attend computer swap meets where we brought our machines to a central place and swapped hardware and software.

One of our number was a blond headed, lanky teenager who became affectionately named "The Kid". He had an uncanny ability to break the license code of any proprietary software presented to him. He was already fluent in encryption mehods and was hacking into international network computers using a 1200 baud modem illegally connected to the Telecom phone system. At that time, there were no laws to be broken and it all seemed pretty harmless as he and his mates were not destructive of others networks - although they always left a message to say that they had been there to let them know that their security had been breached. I believe that kid grew up to become Julian Assange.

I have been a WikiLeaks reader for about three years and have referenced their revelations in my blog in particular the leak of the proposed banned web sites of the Australian government's Internet filtering system.

When 'Cablegate' began, I wondered if 'The Kid' was indeed Julian Assange and embarked on a research effort delving into his past.

First, I uncovered the archive of his web postings from 2001 to 2007 which give an insight into how he has developed the philosophies he espouses with WikiLeaks. Then came 'The Assange Essays' of 2006 where he searches for a way to break down conspiracies. But the daddy of them all is his development of Rubberhose an encryption method designed to withstand the torture often afforded to human rights workers who carry sensitive information on their laptops. Assange delves into the metits of the sytem when someone is being 'Rubber Hosed" or beaten into submission.

Early in the release of 'Cablegate', I suspected that Julian Assange had underestimated the might of the United States and that he will unwittingly suffer the worst of consequences. However, after researching his background, I am convinced that his life has been devoted to his cause and that he is the truest of freedom fighters. I challenge you to explore the above links. There is another good background piece, on the man himself, here.

Finally, having read No Secrets, Julian Assange’s mission for total transparency, I am totally convinced that this story parallels my own experience of 'The Kid'.

The 24 Types of Authoritarians - Let's rate our pollies

2010-07-12T14:17:00.001+10:00

Source: Mises.org

Brumby must accept responsibility for his own poll ratings

2010-07-01T14:15:00.002+10:00

Rudd to blame for poor Vic poll: Brumby

tags: politics, Brumby, Rudd
- Victorian Premier John Brumby has blamed Labor's dismal performance in the latest opinion poll on the damage to the Labor brand under former prime minister Kevin Rudd.
- Mr Brumby said issues within the party at a federal level had affected the result but would not say whether he expected his government's popularity to improve under Ms Gillard.

As another unelected leader like Julia Gillard, he would say that wouldn't he. Surely, it wouldn't have anything to do with his handling of the State's water supplies - or the standover tactics being used in Parliamentary inquiries - or the ongoing corruption allegations throughout the police system.

Greg's View of Todays News - 03/02/2010

2010-03-02T22:30:00.001+11:00

Russian politician says wants to be cloned for nation's sake
""Scientists should work, we should not be afraid. Cloning is a remedy for humanity... Let us grow people and take their organs to replace [those damaged]," the controversial senior lawmaker said during a live broadcast on Russia 24 TV channel.

"We should clone clever, talented people, a list of people to be cloned should be created. We should have new Einsteins, Kurchatovs, Tsiolkovskys, Yesenins, Pushkins," he went on.
"
tags: press, crazy, clone
- "Scientists should work, we should not be afraid. Cloning is a remedy for humanity... Let us grow people and take their organs to replace [those damaged]," the controversial senior lawmaker said during a live broadcast on Russia 24 TV channel.
  
  "We should clone clever, talented people, a list of people to be cloned should be created. We should have new Einsteins, Kurchatovs, Tsiolkovskys, Yesenins, Pushkins," he went on.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Greg's View of Todays News - 02/23/2010

2010-02-23T22:30:00.001+11:00

Garrett faces 'cover-up' allegations over home insulation risk report
If Peter Garrett is to believed, then he does not have the confidence of his department. Have'nt we got the same problem in Defence?
tags: press, garrett, government
The little-told story of how the U.S. government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition. - By Deborah Blum - Slate Magazine
Why would anyone be surprised that America would poison their own people.
tags: press, alcohol, government, prohibition
- The little-told story of how the U.S. government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition with deadly consequences.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Greg's View of Todays News - 02/22/2010

2010-02-22T22:30:00.002+11:00

Sleep deprivation 'justified in combat' | Herald Sun
tags: press, torture, war, sleep, deprivation
- - post by gnaylor
- CHANGES to Australian law against torture should not stop army intelligence officers using methods like sleep deprivation to gain information in the field, federal parliament has been told.
  
  Liberal MP Luke Simpkins, a former army officer, said putting pressure on detainees to divulge information quickly was part of combat.
  Mr Simpkins said sleep deprivation could cause sufficient disorientation for information to start flowing within 24 hours.
  - - post by gnaylor
Californian City Residents Now Have To Pay For 911 Calls
tags: press, 000, medical, emergency, 911, stupid
- Tracy residents will now have to pay every time they call 9-1-1 for a medical emergency.
  
  But there are a couple of options. Residents can pay a $48 voluntary fee for the year which allows them to call 9-1-1 as many times as necessary.
  
  Or, there's the option of not signing up for the annual fee. Instead, they will be charged $300 if they make a call for help.
  - - post by gnaylor
US Called Civilian Slaughter OK
tags: press, bush, usa, torture, cop-out
- Former Justice Department lawyer John Yoo argued that President George W. Bush’s commander-in-chief powers were so sweeping that he could willfully order the massacre of civilians, yet Yoo’s culpability in Bush administration abuses was deemed “poor judgment,” not a violation of “professional standards.”
- Waterboarding and some of the other measures, such as slamming detainees against walls and depriving them of sleep, have long been considered acts of torture and have been treated as war crimes in other circumstances. However, Yoo – working closely with Bush administration officials – claimed that the techniques did not violate U.S. criminal laws and international treaties forbidding torture.
Circumcision - The kindest cut
tags: press, circumcision, STD
- CIRCUMCISION is making a comeback as a new generation of parents arm themselves with medical research to justify their decision.
- Dr Dilley said parents were asking for circumcision because they thought it would benefit their child – "to look like dad", be more hygienic and reduce risk of disease
- ... it reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases, penile cancer and penile inflammatory disorders, as well as being more hygienic.
- It has also been shown to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in female partners.
  
  "At birth it's a very simple, safe procedure that gives immediate benefit through infancy and continues through life," he said.

Holier than thou - Professor Tim Flannery

2010-02-21T12:16:00.001+11:00

Scientists 'not clear' on climate

tags: climate, change., penny, wong, tim, flannery, we, must, be, idiots, scientists
- Environmentalist Tim Flannery has blamed scientists for a rise in climate scepticism, saying they had not clearly explained the science to a ''confused Australian public''.
- ''We've got a big problem with the gap between scientific information and a very confused public here in Australia,'' Professor Flannery said.
  
  ''The only way to solve that is to listen to the Australian people's questions and talk to them about it, and they [the scientists] have been rather poor at doing that.''
- At the conference, Senator Wong released a government position paper on climate change adaptation, which highlights the need for consistent policies around Australia to prepare for future impacts that are ''already built into the system''.

Greg's Comment:

More disregard for the intellectual competency of the Australian people. A "confused Australian public" indeed. Government apologist, Professor Tim Flannery, should remember that he was only a member of that same Australian public before he became Australian of the Year

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Organ harvesting in a hospital near you

2010-02-21T10:28:00.002+11:00

Doctors worried about 'cash-for-organs'
- Hospitals across Australia could be paid to harvest the organs of dead patients under a $17 million federal program.
  
  An "activity-based funding" scheme has been set up under the Organ and Tissue Authority in which hospitals could receive up to $11,400 for each patient who becomes a donor.
  
  ... doctors are worried it could be seen as an incentive for hospitals to pressure patients into giving away their organs, the News Ltd says.
- "This payment applies to potential donors that would not normally be transferred to the ICU as part of their treatment or end-of-life care."

Greg's Comment:
There are two ethical issues here. First, we know that hospitals will cook the books to get more funding and the opportunity for manipulating this concept will prove too much for some. The other issue is about the development of a class system for access to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). A case of "give us your organs or you can't come in"?

The real cost of free insulation in your roof

2010-02-20T16:03:00.001+11:00

Government to give installers an extra $10m | Herald Sun

tags: insulation scheme, Rudd Government
- THE federal government will spend $10 million to help thousands of workers affected by changes to the bungled home insulation program.
- The schemes, part of the Rudd government's $42 billion stimulus package, will be replaced with another renewable energy rebate that will take effect from June.
- An additional $10 million will provide 2000 jobs training places, on top of the 4000 places announced last year, he said.

Greg's Comment:

That's an extra $10 million + $10 million + $5 million for foil insulation inspections that was never budgeted for. Next, how much to compensate the pre-existing insulation industry after the government has literally destroyed it? - and I guess there will be further elctoral fallout.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Victorian Government considering political suicide

2010-02-19T05:14:00.002+11:00

State Government considering $50 bin tax to make Victoria a green mecca | Herald Sun
- REVEALED: HOUSEHOLDS face a radical $50 garbage tax under plans to make Victoria a green mecca.
  
  The State Government is quietly surveying voters to gauge how much they would be prepared to pay for greener waste disposal.

What a stupid idea. The State Government is raising the cost of water and is imposing Smart Meters upon us - which we have to pay for in advance - and now they propose a $50 levy on garbage collection. That's what we pay council rates for, isn't it?. In rural councils like Wangaratta, we already pay a surcharge of over $200 per annum to have a garbage collection. Adopting this proposal is political suicide.

Is Penny W(r)ong right?

2010-02-19T04:53:00.004+11:00

Wong says beaches could erode away | Herald Sun
- AUSTRALIA'S most iconic beaches, including Sydney's Bondi and surfing mecca Bells beach, could erode away or recede by hundreds of meters over the coming century, the nation's Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said yesterday.
  
  But locals aren't so sure, The Australian reports.
- In her opening address to the National Climate Change Forum in Adelaide yesterday, Wong made some alarming predictions for Australia's coast.
- She urged people not to listen to critics using isolated errors in the UN climate change panel's report to undermine action, claiming the report had been subject to "breathless, scandalised claims" implying the world had been hoodwinked by scientists.

Greg's Comment::

Penny Wong is using the arrogant Kevin Rudd concept of, "If I say it, it must be right". It shows a return of the Howard politics of fear where there is no justification for such statements. Beach sand is a fluid medium that gets moved by the tides and storms and is redeposited in another place. Our coastline is constantly changing and will continue to do so.

She may be smart but she shows a complete and utter disregard for the intellectual competency of the Australian people in telling them not to listen to critics of what she has determined to be right.

We must take into account the critics of the ICCC and the ICCC itself which is about to undergo a restructuring because they have accepted the flaws in their own processes. When the world's leaders could not agree on ways to handle climate change in Copenhagen, it seems horribly unlikely that Australia's Penny Wong is the only person on earth to get it right. She has no right to be imposing her will on her fellow Australians

Bushfire inquiry covers up fuel reduction failure

2009-08-28T23:19:00.001+10:00

“With the interim report from the Bushfires Royal Commission now out, the most stark revelations are those which are not stated,” CEC Leader Craig Isherwood said today.

Back in February, Mr Isherwood said that Victoria doesn’t need a Royal Commission, as it has had two Royal Commissions before, by Judge Stretton, into the Victorian bushfire disasters of 1939 and 1944, and the result was crystal clear: the bushfire disasters then, as now, were caused by what the Judge called “ridiculously inadequate” prescribed burning of the forests, and he mandated “fire prevention must be the paramount consideration of the forester”.

“Guess what was left out of this interim report?” Mr Isherwood asked.

He restated, “For forty years, fuel reduction burning was practiced as a scientific forestry management measure, until the intervention of, first, radical greenies in the Cain/Kirner Labor Government, and then, radical economic rationalists in the Kennett Government.

“Environmental concerns for ‘biodiversity’ etc. were increasingly cited to stop fuel reduction burns in the Cain/Kirner years, and then Kennett slashed the Department’s budget and staff, and gutted its ability to do prescribed burns.

“In 1992 the Auditor-General found that the Department of Conservation and Environment [now Sustainability and Environment] had cut expenditure on fire prevention by 23 per cent over five years, and in 2003 the Auditor-General found that the amount of prescribed burning had never met the Department’s targets.”

Mr Isherwood continued, “As I stated in February, prescribed burning doesn’t stop bushfires, but it dramatically reduces the intensity of the type of wildfires that erupt on extreme fire danger days like Black Saturday.”

He pointed out that last December, two months before the Black Saturday bushfire disaster, the Brumby government had already rejected the idea of tripling the area of prescribed burning from 130,000 to 385,000, stating that “the government supports a move away from focusing on hectare-based targets, which may lead to inappropriate planned burning programs.”

Mr Isherwood blasted the government: “This is pollie-code, for ‘we don’t want to spend the money’, to fund the personnel, machinery and infrastructure (which was dismantled in the 90s), and have a crash programme to expand our capacity to ‘triple’ the area we can safely perform controlled burns.

“Well, the reality is, that with the government now issuing warnings that the approaching fire season will be worse than the last, currently only 503 prescribed burns over 113,000 hectares have been completed.

“Given that national parks alone have increased from 276,343 hectares in 1975 to 3,230,741 hectares in 2005, more than a ten-fold increase, even controlled burning targets of 385,000 hectares per year, is a small target for bushfire control.”

Mr Isherwood concluded, “The government continues to be criminally negligent, when it comes to bushfire control.”

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia
Media Release 25^th of August 2009 Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

Continuing education for Sykes

2009-08-28T22:30:00.002+10:00

Being Principal for a Day at Benalla East Primary School gave local MP Bill Sykes an insight into the efforts made by local teachers to provide the best possible educational opportunities for young people in Benalla.

Whilst the thought might strike fear in the hearts of his former teachers, Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes said he was proud to be a part of the ACER Principal for a Day program on Tuesday 25 August.

Dr Sykes, whose three children attended Benalla East Primary School said, “The school’s commitment to providing children with the best available support was most impressive.

“Principal Hazel Bell led by example – during the day Hazel interviewed parents of new students, counselled students about bullying and met with School Council representatives.

“I was particularly interested in the restorative justice program which strives to be proactive in the management of misconduct. Emphasis is on the offender’s understanding that their actions had hurt or offended someone and that they need to apologise as well as ‘mend their ways’.

Dr Sykes continued, “The assistance given to students struggling to keep up academically was provided in a friendly and supportive way. The look of pride on one little girl’s face when she spelt a difficult word was heart warming.”

Dr Sykes also sat in on a Junior School Council Committee meeting which provided a good example of young people being encouraged to develop their leadership skills.

At the end of the school day Dr Sykes joined staff from all of Benalla’s State Schools for a forum on Benalla’s Education Regeneration Project.

Again Dr Sykes was impressed with the passion and commitment to the children’s well being demonstrated by the 160 teachers at the forum.

Dr Sykes said, “Whilst the Benalla Education Regeneration Project is still in its early days it is clearly something that the wider Benalla community should embrace and support.

“With full community support we have the opportunity to redefine the education outcomes for our children and to recommend to the State Government the best means of delivering these outcomes.”

Dr Sykes concluded, “The families of Benalla are fortunate to have a committed group of principals and teachers available to help educate their children. I call on all families to make sure that they do their bit to help educate their children by helping with homework and to support the principals and teachers in their work.

“After such a positive experience I encourage local businesses and community leaders to sign up for the 2010 Principal for a Day program.”

Further information is available at www.acer.edu.au/pfad.

Bill Sykes MP, State Member for Benalla
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Water
2/55 Carrier Street, Benalla 3672
Ph: 03 5762 2100 Fx: 03 5762 4478 Mobile: 0427 624 989
Email: bill.sykes@parliament.vic.gov.au

Initial response Bushfire Royal Commission Interim Report

2009-08-18T20:18:00.001+10:00

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, makes initial comment on the Bushfire Royal Commission Interim Report, which was delivered today, Monday 17 August 2009.

It’s a pity that we had to have a tragedy of these proportions for a Royal Commission to investigate and make recommendations for actions which the Brumby Government should have taken years ago in response to previous reports and experience from the 2003, 2006/07 mega fires in particular.

Having read the Executive Summary I note and support:

The call for more detailed early warnings providing people with more information upon which to decide whether to stay or go keeping in mind the fire risks, the physical and emotional demands of staying;
The recognition of a role for sirens for early warnings;
Greater use of commercial and community radio;
More flexible management of road blocks; and
Establishment of refuges/’safer’ places.

I remain concerned that:

The problems of centralised and bureaucratic management and lack of local input has not been adequately addressed; and
The problems of inadequate basic communication infrastructure, eg: mobile phone coverage, land line maintenance, CFA internal communication coverage, has not been adequately addressed.

The Commission’s Final Report is due to be completed by 31 July next year.

Bill Sykes MP, State Member for Benalla
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Water
2/55 Carrier Street, Benalla 3672
Ph: 03 5762 2100 Fx: 03 5762 4478 Mobile: 0427 624 989
Email: bill.sykes@parliament.vic.gov.au

U.S. revolt part of global mass-strike: CEC media

2009-08-14T10:17:00.001+10:00

**U.S. health care revolt part of global mass-strike; Rudd beware!**

Every government in the world is facing a popular mass-strike revolt, similar to the current uprising in the United States, as populations being smashed by the global economic breakdown explode in rage at their leaders.

In the U.S., popular rage at Obama’s continuation of Bush’s multi-trillion dollar bailout of Wall Street and the City of London, has now spilled out onto the streets. (Click here to view video footage)

Americans voted for Obama for “change” from the disaster years of Bush and Cheney, but are now turning on him, after seeing that he not only continued the bailout, but intends to pay for it by slashing health care funding for the elderly and disabled.

Obama and his fellow Democrats, riding high on public opinion only a few short months ago, have been driven into virtual hiding by constituents who’ve descended on public health care reform meetings in droves, to put their representatives on the mat.

Last week, Obama cancelled a series of public meetings scheduled to discuss health care, and read a three-minute statement from his teleprompter instead, before fleeing to a “holiday”, to regroup, and emerge to address a carefully-vetted audience in New Hampshire on 11^th August.

The media, which seduced Americans to vote for Obama’s empty rhetoric through a massive PR campaign, is now falsely typecasting what is a spontaneous outpouring of popular anger, as an organised right-wing campaign, to further isolate Obama from the consequences of his betrayal.

U.S. Democratic Party senior-statesman and physical economist Lyndon LaRouche observed today that the U.S. leadership is behaving like Louis XVI of France, who, when confronted with a mass revolt triggered by widespread poverty and hunger, brought in 100,000 Austrian troops to put it down.

This declaration of war on his own people only further fuelled the uprising; Louis and his government then fled into hiding, which provoked the bloodbath of the French Revolution:

“This is a crisis, like that of the French Revolution, in which, in a vacuum, created by the absence of competence from the Executive—only panic and stupidity from the Executive! —and the lack of competence from other elements of government, has created a vacuum, which can lead to the most terrible consequences,” Mr LaRouche said.

Citizens Electoral Council leader Craig Isherwood today warned Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that he too risked a mass-strike revolt:

“Australians are being smashed by the global economic breakdown crisis, and Rudd is doing nothing to fix it,” Mr Isherwood said.

“Instead, he has committed the nation to hundreds of billions of dollars in debt, to fund bank guarantees and stimulus packages which are only about bailing out the financial system, and pushed ahead with a ‘carbon trading’ and ‘health care reform’ agenda, which will kill people.

“He has not only rejected LaRouche’s and the CEC’s solution of a bankruptcy reorganisation of the system, but he has rubbished the national banking and debt moratorium policies of his own party’s heroes, John Curtin and Ben Chifley—leaders who truly fought for the common good.

“Rudd better change his policies, and go back to ‘old’ Labor’s people-first economic policies, or it will soon blow up in his face,” Mr Isherwood concluded.

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release 13^th of August 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

Energy Concessions ease winter bill pressures

2009-08-13T16:20:00.001+10:00

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes is urging eligible people to apply for the 2009 Non-Mains Winter Energy Concession program.

Applications are now open for concession cardholders who are dependent on non-mains energy.

Dr Sykes said, “It is a useful rebate available to concession cardholders including pensioners, Centrelink Health Care Card holders and Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card holders who are reliant on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), alternative fuel such as heating oil, and/or non-mains metered electricity for domestic heating and cooking.

“In some cases a rebate is also available for people when they have had to purchase firewood for heating and cooking.”

Dr Sykes said the concessions are particularly important for low income residents throughout the Benalla electorate who are still unable to connect to natural gas due to the Labor Government reneging on its promise to extend the natural gas network.

Dr Sykes said that these residents must use the more expensive LPG.

“The concession program opened on July 1st and if people get in quick they will be able to get some of their money back as soon as possible,” Dr Sykes said.

A fourth tier has been introduced for the rebate this year. The amounts available are:

$38.00 rebate for concession cardholders who spend from $95 to $213.99 on non-mains energy
$113.00 rebate for concession cardholders who spend from $214 to $641.99
$188 rebate for concession cardholders who spend more than $642 to $1,069.99, and
$268.00 rebate for concession cardholders who spend more than $1,070.

Application forms are available from a number of outlets, including LPG suppliers, caravan park proprietors, local councils, rooming houses, financial counsellors and by contacting the Concessions Information Line on 1800 658 521.

The program will run until the end of January 2010.

Dr Sykes said that if people were struggling with immediate payments, they may be eligible for further assistance through the Non-Mains Utility Relief Grant Scheme. Information about that program is available through the Concessions Information Line, 1800 658 521.

Fire Services Levy increase to 84% outrage

2009-08-13T16:17:00.001+10:00

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes has described the Brumby Government’s increase in the Fire Services Levy (FSL) for country Victorians to 84% as outrageous.

Speaking in Parliament today Dr Sykes moved a motion condemning yet another increase.

Dr Sykes called on the Parliament to condemn the Premier for:

increasing the cost of insurance for bushfire victims;
increasing the cost of insurance for farmers and country businesses battling the effects of 13 tough years; and
exacerbating the inequitable situation whereby only those who insure their property contribute to the cost of fire services.

The FSL for country businesses is currently 68% which is already a steep increase on much lower rates in previous years.

The FSL on country homes will jump from 26% to 31% whilst the FSL on metropolitan homes will decrease to 20%.

Dr Sykes said that what is particularly galling about this massive tax hike on country people is that the same people who pay the FSL then turn out free of charge to fight fires as CFA volunteers. This service has been conservatively valued at over $500 million per year and much, much more in years with the big fires such as 2003, 2006/2007 and 2009.

Whilst Premier Brumby repeatedly denies that the FSL is a tax the Federal Government views it differently.

Peter Ryan, Leader of the Nationals and Shadow Minister for Bushfire Response has been successful in getting the FSL investigated as part of the Federal Government’s Standing Review on Australia’s Future Tax System.

A petition opposing the FSL is in circulation and available from http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sykes/.

Dr Sykes said, “I encourage people to access petitions either from my office or website and sign and return them to 2/55 Carrier Street, Benalla for tabling in Parliament.”

Dr Sykes concluded, “I and my Liberal National colleagues are committed to a fairer system of funding fire services and we will not give up until we have achieved it.”

What's on around Wangaratta - 14 August

2009-08-13T14:55:00.000+10:00

Climate change crusaders are genocidalists—are you?

2009-08-12T00:54:00.000+10:00

The hot-off-the-press August/September 2009 edition of the New Citizen rips the mask off the climate change crusaders behind carbon trading, as genocidalists, enacting the long-term British imperial agenda to reduce the world’s human population to 2 billion people, or less.

Read, in their own words, the British eugenicists who invented the lie of overpopulation—Thomas Malthus, Charles Darwin, Lord Bertrand Russell, Sir Julian Huxley, Prince Philip, Sir Crispin Tickell et al.—and ask yourself, “Do I agree with them?”

Adolf Hitler did, as all greenies do, whether they are too stupid to know it or not.

If you don’t agree with genocide through depopulation, join the CEC’s fight to kill this genocidal garbage off, and return government policy to ensuring a future for humanity, through economic development and scientific endeavour.

The New Citizen also documents:

Kevin Rudd’s murderous health care reform proposals, modelled on Jeff Kennett’s gutting of Victoria’s public health system in the 1990s.
Lyndon LaRouche’s stark warning of an economic blowout by mid-October 2009, as well as LaRouche’s ideas of a new credit system, a Four Powers agreement between the United States, Russia, China and India, and a manned Mars program, to save the economy.
Click here for a PDF copy of the New Citizen;

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release 11^th of August 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

You've got to love a prediction.

2009-08-03T14:34:00.001+10:00

Economic collapse by October 12-15

Lyndon LaRouche will present a webcast presentation from Washington D.C., live at 3am Australian Eastern Standard Time on 2^nd August, on his latest economic warning that the world economy will collapse by mid-October, triggered by the bankruptcy of the state governments, and federal government, of the United States of America.

“Although we can say, contrary to all wishful thinking, that the system is doomed, by no later than October 15, and therefore, immediate action is required weeks, even two months before October 12th of this present year,” LaRouche explained. “We must cancel the $24 trillion bailout immediately during the weeks just ahead, and put the system through an orderly bankruptcy reorganisation, as specified under our Federal Constitution. The entire Federal Reserve System must be put into receivership. There is no way that the Fed can honour those intrinsically fraudulent bail-out efforts underlying the still cancerous growth of current nominal financial obligations. Reducing the obligations of legitimate national and state chartered banks to the magnitude of Glass-Steagall standards, either will be done, through bankruptcy reorganisation now, or the United States itself will soon cease to exist. Without such a proceeding in bankruptcy as I specified during the period from July 27, 2007 into that September, there is presently no hope for the continued existence of the U.S.A. or any among the nations of Europe, in their present forms.”

LaRouche has titled his presentation, “The Coming Fall of the House of Windsor”, which will address the necessity of installing an anti-British-imperialist world economy:

“Only the sudden and thorough scrapping of the monetary systems which have reigned over the world since the death of President Franklin Roosevelt, could provide humanity today an escape from a New Dark Age whose character would bring the entire planet rather quickly from a level of about 6.7 billions individuals, to probably something near the goals, of no more than two billions, demanded from pro-genocidalists such as the late Bertrand Russell and the sheer evil of the World Wildlife Fund of Prince Philip and the now deceased Prince Bernhard.

“While it is necessary to continue the use of money as a medium of exchange within the microcosms of the social process of economy, any useful definitions of the role of money must abandon those old, systemically failed, definitions, which have been formerly taught in schools and universities, and as presently official accounting practice; there must be sudden and sweeping installation of a new form of an anti-British-imperialist world economy, that among cooperating, perfectly sovereign nation-states. That urgently needed change, will come into existence on the battleground once occupied by the preceding reign of the now hopelessly failed existing nation-states of the former monetary systems.”

For a full rundown of the CEC’s warnings about the present crisis, and our solutions, click here to receive a free copy of the DVD documentary, the Homeowners & Bank Protection Bill—The Only Solution.

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release 31^st of July 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

It’s not Labor, it’s fascism

2009-08-02T18:33:00.001+10:00

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release 30^th of July 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

Rudd policies on people’s bank, free trade, health:

The CEC issued the following statement, as the ALP National Conference commenced in Sydney on 30^th July. The statement was distributed by the LaRouche Youth Movement to conference delegates.

The Rudd Government’s policy response to the global economic collapse is the dead-opposite of the general welfare policies of the old Labor Party of John Curtin, Ben Chifley and Jack Lang. Rudd’s policies on free trade, a people’s bank, and health care are in fact the same as Labor’s historical enemies, such as the banker-backed fascist New Guard in the 1930s, which planned a paramilitary coup against NSW Premier Jack Lang for putting NSW residents ahead of British bondholders during the Depression, or the modern fascists in the Mont Pelerin Society and their various Australian fronts, such as the Centre for Independent Studies.

People’s Bank: The Australian Labor Party established the Commonwealth Bank in 1911, as a people’s bank. In the 1930s, a big business-dominated private board controlled the bank—not the government, and the board refused the Labor Government’s request for funds to build public works to alleviate unemployment in the Depression. Labor leader John Curtin stated, in 1937, that the Government’s powers over the bank must be restored, because unless the Government controlled monetary policy, “it cannot govern, except in a secondary degree”. In his election ads, in 2007, Rudd took the opposite position: “I’m an economic conservative. I believe in the independence of the Reserve Bank.” [i.e. private control] When major economists in early July called for a new people’s bank, Rudd’s Labor government showed they were now the enemies of the idea and dismissed it outright.

Free trade: In March, Prime Minister Rudd told an American audience, “Protectionism is intrinsically evil.” On the global stage, Rudd is one of the leading British-allied politicians, who are holding the line against the rising impulse for protectionism worldwide, in the face of the economic crisis. Free trade is a British East India Company invention, which it used to smash any nation that resisted its trade in slaves, drugs, tea and sugar, most notably in the two Opium Wars against China. The real economic growth and prosperity post-WWII was underpinned by the protectionist regulations of the Bretton Woods system, all of which was scrapped in 1971, and once again national economies had their domestic industries smashed by a revival of British free trade, this time called “globalisation”. Rudd’s well-publicised attack on “neo-liberalism” is a fraud: free trade lies at the foundation of the neo-liberal philosophy.

Health: Rudd’s health reform inquiry, the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, betrays his fascist intentions. The Age reported on 28^th July, “Australia’s health-care system is one of the best in the world [sic], but as the final report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission says, it could be better.” How? “Medicare could be radically transformed into a more market-driven scheme as part of a sweeping overhaul of the national health system to be considered by the Rudd government.” [Emphasis added.] Specifically, the Commission proposes that Australia adopt a form of America’s murderous managed care—i.e. HMOs—under the classic behavioural economics label, Medicare Select.

Don’t be fooled by Rudd’s noncommittal response to the Commission’s report. He picked the Commission, including Commissioner Stephen Duckett, the architect of Jeff Kennett’s assault on Victoria’s public health system in the 1990s, specifically the “casemix” funding model, which emphasised efficiency over care, and gutted the state’s health system. Kennett’s reforms in Victoria were written and directed by the British economic warfare unit, the Mont Pelerin Society (MPS), which revived the fascist economic policies of Hitler and Mussolini, and implemented those policies in Pinochet’s Chile, Thatcher’s Britain, New Zealand, post-Communist Russia, and in Australia through the Tasman Institute and Institute of Public Affairs—the co-authors of Kennett’s reforms—and Bob Carr and Kevin Rudd’s favourite, the Centre for Independent Studies.

The world economy has collapsed, after almost 40 years of free trade looting by private corporate interests in the City of London and Wall Street who have become more powerful than national governments, thanks to the policies championed by Rudd’s modern Labor Party. Old Labor called these global corporate interests the Money Power, and fought for the common good of all Australians, against them. Will modern ALP members continue to prostitute their souls, and stick with Rudd’s sell-out to fascism, or are they going to honour Labor’s true heroes, O’Malley, Curtin, Chifley, Lang et al., and join the CEC and Lyndon LaRouche’s fight against fascism, and for the common good?

Common sense at last for native vegetation management

2009-08-02T18:02:00.000+10:00

Source: Sykes Media Release

The easing of native vegetation management regulations to allow fuel reduction around homes has been welcomed by Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes.

Dr Sykes said, “At last we have signs of the Brumby Government applying some common sense to the management of native vegetation.”

The new regulations revealed in The Age on Saturday, 1 August 2009, include

* residents to be allowed to clear trees within 10 metres of their homes without a permit;
* shrubs and scrub up to 30 metres from houses will also be able to be cleared; and
* collecting fallen trees on roadsides to use as firewood will be made easier.

Dr Sykes continued, “As always, the devil will be in the detail but at least this is a step in the right direction.

“It is now essential that the Brumby Government extends this common sense approach to native vegetation management to broad acre land holdings and in particular, along fence lines between private land and Crown land.

“The stupidity of the current regulations has frustrated many land holders trying to re-fence after the Black Saturday fires.

“Land holders have only been allowed to clear a strip of 3-4 metres wide even though large trees beyond this cleared strip will inevitably fall on the new fence lines, possibly even during construction.

“This stupidity puts lives at risk and damages fences causing considerable expense, extra work and frustration for fire affected land holders who already have more than enough on their plates.”

The timing of the Brumby Government’s announcement is intriguing according to Dr Sykes who said it is only a couple of weeks before the Royal Commission hands down its first report. It follows on from a range of announcements regarding building requirement changes and more recently communication system improvements.

“So rather than have one complete package of announcements after the Royal Commission report, we have a progression of disjointed, often poorly thought through announcements by a Government trying to ‘spin out it’s “good news” stories’. Sadly, as is often the case it’s not all good news.

For example, the building requirements in some high fire risk siituations require the use of materials which are not available. And in nearly all cases the cost of replacement buildings has been increased substantially.

“Now that the Brumby Government has finally acknowledged that fire risk can be reduced by prudent removal of nearby trees and shrubs there may be a strong argument to re-visit the building requirements released a few months ago.”

Dr Sykes concluded, “This is a step along the road back to common sense but I won’t ease up on my campaigning until I’ve seen the fine print and achieved a common sense approach across the whole issue of native vegetation management.”

What's on around Wangaratta - 23 July

2009-07-23T18:48:00.001+10:00

Swan, unions at odds over Buy Australia push

2009-07-22T19:35:00.001+10:00

Swan, unions at odds over Buy Australia push - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
- Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan says he does not agree that Australian companies should be given preferential treatment when tendering for government contracts.
  
  Unions say a Buy Australia campaign is needed to help local companies hit by the global recession.
  
  They are set to raise the issue at next week's ALP national conference.
  
  But Mr Swan says a Buy Australia campaign would be counterproductive.
- Greg says: If buying Australian would be counterproductive, does that mean the government will AVOID Australian made products and services for the sake of the world economy?
  
  To keep Australian jobs, the Government must purchase Ausstralia products and services unless there is a major economic advantage in buying imported goods/services. They must not purchase imported products/services just for political expediency. If that is protectionism, it will have no effect on the world economic stage as our country is so small.

Australia needs a space program

2009-07-22T18:45:00.001+10:00

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release 21^st of July 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

Isherwood: Australia needs a space program

The 40^th anniversary of the moon landing is a reminder of how far backwards the world has gone under the monetarist policies of globalisation, and a lesson that genuine economic prosperity requires exploration, scientific discovery, and new technologies, declared Citizens Electoral Council leader Craig Isherwood today.

“For that reason, Australia, which under globalisation has collapsed from an industrial powerhouse to little more than a colonial quarry, needs its own space program,” he said.

The Australian economy in the 1950s and 1960s was able to play a key role in early space exploration, including being just the fourth nation to launch its own satellite from its own soil, at Woomera in South Australia in November 1967.

However, it was immediately following that high-point, that Australia’s protectionist industrial policies championed by the great Country Party leader John McEwen, under which Australia had developed world-beating industrial and scientific capacity, were systematically dismantled by British imperial free trade policies, and most of the cutting-edge areas of Australian industrial development, including the space program, nuclear power program, and machine tool production, began to be slashed.

“And look where it got us,” Mr Isherwood said, “$1.2 trillion in foreign debt, collapsed manufacturing, collapsed agriculture, and a quarry economy that depends on China for its survival.

“If Australians want a real economic recovery, don’t look for it in a rise in the stock market, or in housing prices to even more unaffordable levels—look for it in a resurgence in world-class scientific and industrial capacity, which developing our own space program will catalyse.

“We have all of the ingredients for a successful space program: We have brilliant sites for space bases on Christmas Island and Cape York Peninsula, because of their proximity to the equator.

“And we have hardy souls in our scientific community, including our own home-grown astronauts Andy Thomas and Paul Scully-Power, and cutting edge rocket scientists in our universities, who have toiled away with minimal support to develop new space technologies, but who could achieve spectacular results if they were charged to lead a national effort.”

Mr Isherwood concluded, “A space program isn’t a cost, but an investment, which will mobilise our engineering, manufacturing, construction and scientific capabilities, and generate spin-offs for the economy that create jobs and raise our living standard.”

For background on an Australian space program, click here.

Telstra fee hike highlights Broadband inequities

2009-07-22T18:36:00.001+10:00

Source: (State MP for Benalla) Bill Sykes Media Release

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, said today an increasing trend by Telstra and other utility companies to shift to electronic billing systems highlights the need for the Brumby Government to lobby the Rudd Federal Government to meet its commitment to reach 98% of Australians through its Broadband upgrade project.

From September 14 Telstra customers who receive bills in the post or pay in person at an Australia Post outlet or Telstra Shop will be hit an extra $2.20 administration fee for each bill.

Dr Sykes said, “Telstra’s shift to an electronic billing system penalises those who wish/need to pay bills by conventional means. Further this highlights the broadening of the disadvantage gap by the Rudd Government’s $43 billion broadband upgrade which specifically excludes country communities of less than 1,000 people.

“A charge for customers paying their bills in person and receiving paper bills in the post directly disadvantages rural Victorians who remain on low speed dial-up or cannot be connected to the internet due to lack of coverage.

“The changes will also affect country Victorians unfamiliar with email and internet systems, in particular aged people (excluding pensioners who are exempt) and people with a disability,” Dr Sykes said.

The Labor Government’s broadband scheme, which promised 98% coverage prior to the 2006 election, has been downgraded to 90% coverage and excludes communities of less than 1000. That means people living in Devenish, Glenrowan, Swanpool, Jamieson, Lake Eildon, Tolmie, Strathbogie, Longwood, Murchison, King Valley, Mudgegonga and Tawonga will miss out.

“Without high-speed broadband coverage residents in these communities will have little choice but to cop the Telstra administration fee on the chin,” Dr Sykes said.

Telstra have said the changes were designed to cut costs and the new charges were in line with industry standards.

“What this means is that cost cutting measures are being passed onto the customer and that once again those living in rural areas will be disadvantaged.”

Telstra have also increased credit card payment fees from 0.69 percent to 1 percent. Pensioner Discount and Disability Program customers will be exempt from the fee. Health Care Card users will need to apply for individual exemptions.

“An increase in utility providers, such as Telstra and Optus, using paperless bill and payment systems means people in rural areas are being forced to rely more and more on internet services.”

Dr Sykes concluded: “The Brumby and Rudd Governments have a duty to ensure country Victorians are not disadvantaged by the lack of a regional broadband network and must provide high speed broadband coverage to everyone living in North East Victoria.”

Greg's comment:

The Labor Government’s broadband scheme, which promised 98% coverage prior to the 2006 election, has been downgraded to 90% coverage and excludes communities of less than 1000. That means people living in Devenish, Glenrowan, Swanpool, Jamieson, Lake Eildon, Tolmie, Strathbogie, Longwood, Murchison, King Valley, Mudgegonga and Tawonga will miss out.

I have lived in the King Valley for 10 years and find that, due of the lack of broadband access, there are few in the valley who have bothered to become Internet savvy. I suspect the same would apply to all those other communities mentioned.

These are the very people that would benefit most in transacting over the Internet through E-commerce. The move widens the IT gap between the urban and rural communities and, unless any broadband service becomes available, these rural communities will drift further into the remoteness of the bush.

Fix country roads: save country lives

2009-07-21T17:51:00.001+10:00

Source: (State MP for Benalla) Bill Sykes Media Release

TAC Community Road Safety Grants

The Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, said today the alarming Victorian rural road toll to date in 2009 highlights an urgent need to invest more in rural roads to save country lives.

In light of an alarming 14% rise in the rural road toll compared to the same time last year, Dr Sykes said it is a timely reminder that the deadline for the fifth round of funding for the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) Community Road Safety Grants Program closes on 14 August, 2009.

“I welcome the TAC Road Safety Grants program but twelve more deaths on rural roads is a tragedy and the TAC program is clearly not going to be enough to address this issue,” Dr Sykes said.

“A decrease in the road toll in Melbourne and regional cities and towns show that Labor should be doing more to improve the state of Victorian country roads to save country lives.

“We must fix country roads to save country lives.”

Dr Sykes said he was hopeful the TAC program would go some way to address the need to improve rural road safety.

The TAC program offers community groups the opportunity to apply for funding for road safety projects which aim to encourage involvement in local road safety programs in line with the Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy, arrive alive (www.arrivealive.vic.gov.au).

“The scope of initiatives through this program is extensive,” Bill Sykes said. “Successful applications in previous years have included projects such as a volunteer supported driver education project, programs to reduce drink driving and raising road safety awareness, increasing the safety of older cyclists, creating safe access to schools for all road users, improving driver reviver programs and volunteer driver education projects,” he said.

“In addition to the unsafe state of rural roads, road users in regional Victoria face specific road threats such as wildlife, gravel and roadside obstacles. I encourage community groups throughout the Benalla electorate to apply their local knowledge, to get involved and help make our roads safer.”

Given the State Government’s failure to fund long overdue road safety improvements in rural areas the Community Road Safety Grants provides important education and road safety initiatives.

Dr Sykes said the Brumby Government’s lack of commitment to rural road safety was yet again highlighted when it saw fit to cease funding the pre-licence driver education Careful Cobber program.

“Educating our young people on driver safety, in particular on rural roads, is one of the most pro-active steps any government can take toward reducing the road toll. Unfortunately the Brumby Government stopped funding for the Driver Education Centres of Australia (DECA) run Careful Cobber program, a pre-licence driver education program which has assisted thousands of children across Victoria,” Dr Sykes said. “The Government has also failed to assist service club supported programs at Alexandra and in the Alpine Shire.”

The TAC will consider applications up to $20,000. Applications for larger funding can be discussed with a Community Road Safety Grants officer on (03) 5225 6954.

Guidelines and applications forms can be downloaded from www.tacsafety.com.au or contact a Community Road Safety Grants officer on (03) 5225 6954. Applications can be mailed to Transport Accident Commission, Community Road Safety Grants, 60 Brougham Street, Geelong. VIC. 3220.

CEC: Grand hospital reconstruction plan

2009-07-17T17:03:00.001+10:00

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release 16^th of July 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

CEC issues call for grand hospital reconstruction plan

In response to the growing spread of A(H1N1) swine flu, which modelling based on the 1918 Spanish flu shows could kill 10,000 people in NSW alone within two months, Citizens Electoral Council leader, Craig Isherwood, today called for an emergency health care reconstruction program to prepare Australia’s health care system adequately for a deadly pandemic—for which swine flu is at the very least a dress rehearsal.

Mr Isherwood explained, “The plan must include the building of new hospitals, research, bio-defence and laboratory testing facilities, acquisition of new medical equipment such as ventilators, expansion of the number of intensive care beds, and crash programs to draw more students into the medical profession, and intensive training programs to bring them, and existing students up to speed.

“Discussion is now breaking out among many governments, most prominently France, over aspects of the physical economic mobilisation required to protect the national interest, under pandemic conditions. France has initiated an emergency plan capable of doubling the number of hospital beds. Even Mexico has ordered new ventilators and other specialised equipment which has been found to be necessary to deal with the respiratory illness brought on by this flu.

“On the other hand, in Britain, central authorities are issuing guidelines on how to make do with scarce ventilators. We cannot have that situation in Australia!”

Animal testing has revealed that this flu virus is able to replicate itself in the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles, i.e. within the lungs, rather than just in the nose and throat as the seasonal flu does. The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) of 13^th July points out that the high rate of “cases of severe respiratory failure associated with this influenza” calls for “mechanical ventilation for these patients [which] is complex, and requires expertise and specialised equipment.”

“It is high time,” Mr Isherwood stated, “that Australia embark on programs to develop and expand our collapsing health care system—with the use of the most modern technologies and scientific advancements available.”

Mr Isherwood cited the warnings of CEC and LaRouche collaborator, Mohd Peter Davis, who was a virus researcher with the CSIRO in the 1980s, and now resides in Malaysia. Davis wrote to the New Straits Times on 12^th July, saying:

“The flu dress rehearsal reveals the tragic truth that we have completely failed to prepare worldwide defenses to combat a virulent flu pandemic. As a virus researcher 30 years ago with the Australian CSIRO, I was warning my colleagues that another 1918 type flu pandemic was inevitable, given my understanding that viruses rather than merely being the agents of disease had a hidden, more fundamental and essential role in the biosphere... but their civilisation destroying potential had to be controlled by science and technology.

“I proposed then exactly what French scientists are now advocating, namely the mass production of an effective flu vaccine and the vaccination of the entire world population within two weeks of a virulent strain emerging. However, my call for this ambitious international research program fell on deaf ears and we lost a 30 year head start.

“Now most can see the enemy approaching but we have no bullets.”

(Davis also suggested evaporatively cooled, high humidity buildings which can inactivate the influenza virus and help protect health care providers. Click here to read the full article.)

Mr Isherwood called upon the Rudd Government to finally heed Davis’ call. “The government has limited control over whether a vaccine can be produced in time, but what they can do, is act decisively to shore up our health system so it is adequately prepared. This means the garbage economic rationalist approach to health care spending must end—any government that hides behind budget constraints to justify not fixing hospitals will be responsible for killing their own people.”

Read more about the real dangers of the Swine Flu here.

Labor’s natural gas promises still hot air

2009-07-17T17:00:00.001+10:00

Source: Sykes Media Release

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes has again called for an extension of the natural gas network in North East Victoria despite the State Labor Government’s persistent inaction on this issue for many years.

Speaking on the Energy Legislation Amendment Bill recently, Dr Sykes reminded Parliament of a 2002 pre-election commitment by Labor to deliver natural gas to 23 Victorian towns including Mansfield, Bonnie Doon, Alexandra, Yea, Bright, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford.

“Regrettably the money that we thought was earmarked for country local government areas was redirected to meeting the needs of the urban interface local government areas, at the expense of providing the opportunity for those country communities to have natural gas,” Dr Sykes said.

Dr Sykes said the Labor Government diluted the value of their $70 million natural gas extension commitment to regional Victoria by changing the rules to include 9 interface local government areas where a large percentage of the money was spent, leaving very little money for country areas.

“The situation is further exacerbated because many rural towns, such as Violet Town, have a natural gas pipeline nearby but locals are not connected because of the high cost of tapping in,” he said.

“A Violet Town resident recently expressed her frustration at having natural gas close at hand but is forced to rely on the more expensive LPG, as is the hospital, community centre, football ground, bowling club and local hotels.”

Submissions to a Parliamentary Inquiry into Regional Centres of the Future, initiated by The Nationals in 2008, to consider initiatives to assist strong growth in regional Victoria have identified an urgent need for incentives for businesses and industry to set up operations in rural Victoria. The extension of natural gas to country Victorian towns to provide affordable energy is one crucial need.

Dr Sykes told Parliament, “It has been very difficult to attract opportunities for employment and replacement of industries (such as the loss of the tobacco industry in the Ovens Valley) in areas affected by ongoing drought, bushfires and economic downturn.

“The Alpine Shire, for example, was wooing Ito En to put its green tea manufacturing facilities in Myrtleford or at Mount Beauty. One of the reasons why that did not proceed was the high cost of energy,” he said.

Dr Sykes told Parliament, “We need a sound legislative base to enable a better national approach to the supply and distribution of energy. However, we also need to have physical assets – physical structures – in place. We have to have the grids available for the distribution of electricity and gas.”

Dr Sykes said country people have not forgotten the promise made by the Labor Government to extend natural gas to rural areas.

“I question a government that sees fit to spend an estimated $750 million on a pipeline from the drought impacted north to the south of the state, which is not going to be able to deliver the water that is claimed and yet sees no case for extending the natural gas network to rural communities which would have sound economic benefits for residents, industry, businesses and communities.”

Let's grow our own medical professionals

2009-07-16T23:48:00.001+10:00

Study the first step for medical centre - The Border Mail
- A PLAN to build a regional centre at Wangaratta to train medical graduates and retain health expertise in the North East and Riverina has been given a boost with the Victorian Government agreeing to fund a feasibility study.
  - This is the ONLY way to keep medical graduates in rural areas. The, reason we lose our graduates to the city is that, in completing their courses in capitol city universities, they meet and mate with others doing professional courses. Once married (or paired off), they have to consider the professional careers of both parties and the likelihood is that the opportunities they are exposed to are in the city of their tertiary education. Now, with a complete medical training facility in a country location (e.g. Wangaratta), the students will most likely come from regional areas. As they pair off and seek their career location, there is a much higher probability that they will spend their careers in the rural locations. It was once pointed out by a prominantan local politician that "Doctor's wives want to live in upmarket suburbs of the capital cities and living in 'the bush' is inconceivable to these ladies. Breed them here, educate them here, and keep country medicine viable. - post by gnaylor

What's on around Wangaratta - 10 July 2009

2009-07-08T14:20:00.001+10:00

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Sykes: Petition to revise Patient Transport Scheme Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, is calling on the State Government to revise and update

2009-07-02T22:46:00.000+10:00

Source: Sykes Media Release

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, is calling on the State Government to revise and update the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS).

Dr Sykes said patients and carers continued to raise the issue with him concerned that the current system is unrealistic and that the assistance criteria unfairly disadvantages rural people.

Dr Sykes is urging local residents to sign a petition which will be presented to Parliament during the next sitting. The petition seeks to draw attention to the inequitable nature of the current level of reimbursement under VPTAS and points out that many rural patients are disadvantaged under the current scheme.

Patients wishing to utilise the VPTAS must travel 100 kilometres or more one way from the patient’s place of residence to the treatment location of the nearest approved medical specialist. Patients can also apply for a ‘block treatment’ if travelling an average of 500 kilometres per week for five consecutive weeks or more.

“The actual application of these guidelines means many patients throughout the Benalla electorate are missing out on VPTAS because they either fall short of the 100 kilometres, sometimes by just 1 kilometre or their travel is less than five consecutive weeks.”

Dr Sykes said, “Criticism of the VPTAS system by members of the public has been ongoing. Just this week I received correspondence from a prostate cancer patient, who needed to travel for treatment every day for 2 weeks over a period of two years at a total distance of 5600 kilometres. He was not eligible for transport assistance because the travel was not in a five week block.”

Dr Sykes said in light of ongoing criticisms from members of the public a review of the criteria that underpins arriving at these inconsistent outcomes for patients was essential. He also said any review of the criteria should take into account that medical treatments for many serious illnesses has changed, resulting in some instances, in a reduction of visits by patients.

Dr Sykes also said there was a clear need for the current rates to be reviewed given increasing fuel prices.

The Department of Human Services undertakes a fuel review every two years. From October 1 2007 the State Government raised the transport subsidy from 14 cents per kilometre to 17 and the accommodation subsidy to $35 per night from $30.

Dr Sykes has raised the issue in Parliament on more than one occasion and said; “The issue is that the rate of assistance is very low. These rates have been disappointingly low for a long time but the impact of them has been accentuated or exacerbated by increasing fuel prices.

“More realistic rates for the reimbursement of travel costs in the commercial world are more in the order of 50 to 80 cents or even $1 per kilometre and accommodation costs is more in the order of $100 a night.”

Dr Sykes highlighted that a lot of the people asking for assistance have very little money; “It is really a big call and a big demand on their pocket to be able to find the money to access health services which people living in Melbourne and other large communities take for granted.”

Other key components of VPTAS are the high level of paperwork involved and a delay in the reimbursement of money.

Dr Sykes said he had raised the issue with the Minister for Health and was pleased the minister has undertaken to look at the situation.

“While the minister’s attention at the moment is specific to a particular area of Victoria I would hope he will also look at the bigger picture.”

Media contact: Bill Sykes (03) 5762 2100 or 0427 624 989 www.billsykes.com.au

Bill Sykes MP, State Member for Benalla
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Water
Ph: 03 5762 2100 Fx: 03 5762 4478 Mobile: 0427 624 989
Email: bill.sykes@parliament.vic.gov.au

Save the sausage sizzle

2009-07-02T22:45:00.000+10:00

Source: Sykes Media Release

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes believes that the Brumby Government needs to get its act together and speed up the implementation of amendments to the Food Act.

Current rules require organisers to have to deal with up to 40 pages of paperwork and have a food safety program or food safety supervisor just to run a simple sausage sizzle or cake stall.

“In February 2008 the Treasurer loudly proclaimed how the Brumby Government was going to save the sausage sizzle and implement new regulations,” Dr Sykes said. “However, we now learn that these changes are not going to be fully in place until early 2011.

“Once again we find that Government bureaucracy is over-riding the needs of our communities,” he said.

Dr Sykes has previously raised the issue of reducing regulatory burdens and red tape in Parliament which would save, for example community fundraising efforts such as the sausage sizzle.

“Community organisations such as the Country Women’s Association, Rotary, Lions and Red Cross do magnificent work raising money through cake stalls and sausage sizzles and helping out our volunteers in times of emergency such as the recent bush fires.

Dr Sykes recognised the Saturday morning sausage sizzle outside the local supermarket in rural towns like Bright, Mansfield, Euroa, Alexandra, Myrtleford and Nagambie as a feature of rural life.

“They are a valuable fundraiser; they are a key community building exercise, and they are valuable for fellowship and support particularly in tough times in the country.

“We were all looking forward to these promised changes but because of Government inaction and red tape the whole process continues to be held up,” Dr Sykes said.

“I urge the Brumby Government to take charge of the entire process and, in their own words, save the sausage sizzle by speeding up the implementation of the legislation that makes it easier for groups holding sausage sizzles or cake stalls,” he said.

Media contact: Bill Sykes (03) 5762 2100 or 0427 624 989 www.billsykes.com.au

Rowena Sladdin
Electorate Officer
Office of Bill Sykes MP, State Member for Benalla
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Water
Ph: 03 5762 2100 Fx: 03 5762 4478

Rain must not drown out drought assistance

2009-07-02T22:41:00.002+10:00

Source: Sykes Media Release

Recent rainfalls throughout North East Victoria is welcome news for the agriculture sector, but much more rain is desperately needed to end the state’s decade-long drought.

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes said this week, “The physical drought may well be breaking, which is good news for our farmers, but the recovery period does not stop just because it rains for three days.”

Rainfall figures for January 1 to June 29, 2009 show rainfall across the board was below average with local figures showing Benalla was 134 mm below average, Mount Hotham 315 mm below average and Wangaratta 127 below average.

The Nationals MPs across the State have voiced their outrage that from 1 July 2009 there would no longer be funding for 10 of the 13 drought support programs in Victoria.

“I and my National Party colleagues have repeatedly pushed the Labor Government to put some certainty around these programs, and each year for the past couple of years, Premier Brumby has left farmers in the dark.

“Despite calling on the government time after time to stop playing financial games with people who really need on-going help they continue to stick their head in the sand and adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach,” Dr Sykes said.

The funding cut-off will affect vital support programs such as the Drought Health Services and Community Support, the Municipal Rates Subsidy, the Drought Employment Program, the Drought Apprenticeship Retention Bonus and the Drought Extension Support.

Outreach worker, Ivan Lister, said; “This kind of rain is ideal for crops and while it puts growth on grass it does not instantly put dollars in pockets. It will take years for farms to become viable again.

“That’s where my role, and the role of drought counsellors, is so important in supporting people through the long term stress after years of drought. Not much changes at that level because it rains,” he said.

“You have to be realistic about this and the future still looks grim. Farmers have to recover from high debt levels, they have to find the money to restock and farmers are an aging sector with fewer young people joining the industry. The damage done by the prolonged drought will take a long time to repair.

“That said I encourage farmers to continue to watch out for each other, to support each other and seek out support when needed,” Ivan Lister said.

Dr Sykes said the government must continue drought co-ordinators and counsellors for at least another 18 months and undertake to review the entire sector of drought assistance projects.

Media contact: Bill Sykes (03) 5762 2100 or 0427 624 989 www.billsykes.com.au

Bill Sykes MP, State Member for Benalla
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Water
Ph: 03 5762 2100 Fx: 03 5762 4478 Mobile: 0427 624 989
Email: bill.sykes@parliament.vic.gov.au

Sophie Mirabella speech: Child Sexual Abuse

2009-06-20T16:17:00.001+10:00

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise with a heavy heart this evening to talk about an issue that deeply cuts into community, destroys families and destroys lives. I am speaking this evening about child sexual abuse. It is not a palatable issue. It is not something that people like to speak about, because it is one of those very distasteful, awful and disturbing issues. Sometimes those who try to raise these issues receive all sorts of criticisms. I was moved to again think deeply about this issue after the sentence brought down in the case of the DPP v LW, on 15 June 2009 in the criminal division of the Supreme Court in Victoria. In this case, a mother was sentenced to six years imprisonment because she was found guilty of incitement to murder her stepfather. Her stepfather had been charged with an offence after a complaint was made to police. He had sexually assaulted the woman’s 12-year-old daughter. I thought to myself that it would be very interesting to find out what sort of punishment the stepfather received and, although I cannot be 100 per cent sure, I have received advice that his sentence was far more lenient. So this woman’s stepfather molested her daughter and he received a lenient sentence, while she received a far less lenient sentence after she was found guilty of incitement to murder the man who committed this heinous crime against her daughter.

Over the last few days, I have said to people, ‘What would you do if you found A, B, or C had interfered with your child?’ The instinctive reaction of a parent is not only to protect their child but to punish someone who could be so sick, be so antisocial and break all the rules as we know them in a civil society and impinge on the freedom and the innocence of childhood. The instinctive reaction of parents is to say, ‘I’d want to destroy the bastard; I’d want to kill the bastard.’ That is the instinctive reaction and that is natural.

What we are seeing here—and I am not advocating that we should go out and fulfil our instinctive urges—is a disconnect between the community sentiment of disgust and the anger that we feel for the perpetrator when a child is abused, and what the law actually does and what sentencing achieves. Perhaps what we need are greater, more severe penalties for child abusers, because it is not just the dollars and cents, the estimated $4 billion a year which child abuse costs; it is the human tragedy. We see disturbed adults who were abused as children. They have suicidal, antisocial behaviour and a greater incidence of substance abuse and eating disorders. They have issues with trust and intimacy and they are at risk of revictimisation, with the risk of sexual violence in adulthood for women who were abused at 54 per cent, versus 26 per cent for women who were not. There are real issues here.

As a community we need to demand of our legislators in relevant jurisdictions that they amend laws to reflect the due punishment for people who perpetrate such crimes because there are too many of them out in the community and walking the streets, perpetrators who get away with so much to satisfy their perverse desires and leave behind a string of damaged and bruised children and families. We must do better. We must serve our community and the children of Australia much better than we are currently. The beginning is to start talking about this more and more, not to be embarrassed, because it is a real problem, and not to be ashamed to say that these abhorrent people deserve greater punishment.

Mirabella’s adviser resigns after bad behavior

2009-06-20T12:03:00.002+10:00

Written by JEFF ZEUSCHNER. Source: Wangaratta Chronicle

AN employee of Sophie Mirabella (MHR, Indi) resigned yesterday after admitting to behaving inappropriately at a glamorous ball attended by the Prime Minister on Wednesday night.

Several women complained about how Anthony Scrinis, appointed last month as media adviser to Wangaratta’s federal member, had behaved towards them at one of Canberra’s most prestigious annual events.

Mrs Mirabella, the opposition spokeswoman for early childhood education, childcare, women and youth, was unavailable when Wangaratta Chronicle phoned her Canberra office last night.

But a staff member read a statement from Mrs Mirabella, which said: "The probationary staff member has apologised and acknowledged that his behavior was inappropriate, though he disputes some of the allegations being made. He has voluntarily tendered his resignation, which I have accepted."

The staff confirmed Mr Scrinis was still on the first month of a mandatory three month probationary period, and said he was not an adviser on women matters.

"We have two working mothers who advise her on relevant issues," the staff member said.

Greg's Comment: Take a look at the Anthony Scrinis website. It might help you get a better understanding of the man

Sykes: Local gap year students ‘dudded’ by Labor

2009-06-19T18:10:00.002+10:00

Source: (State MP for Benalla) Bill Sykes Media Release

Over 100 students in the Benalla electorate, currently in their university gap year, will be forced to reconsider whether they can afford to take up their deferred tertiary place in 2010 because of the Labor Government’s ill-conceived changes to Youth Allowance, Nationals Member for Benalla Bill Sykes said today.

“The Labor Government simply does not understand the ramifications of their proposed changes to the independent Youth Allowance,” Dr Sykes said. “By making the changes retrospective, students who in good faith at the end of their 2008 VCE year made the decision to defer an offered tertiary place in order to qualify for Youth Allowance have now been caught short.

Dr Sykes said almost all those country students who deferred their studies for a year did so to become eligible for Youth Allowance.

“This is the most important issue to hit rural Victoria for years and the On Track figures released reveal the full impact of the Youth Allowance changes,” Dr Sykes said.

The On Track report, prepared by the Australian Council for Educational Research, showed that the rate of deferral in country areas was twice that of Melbourne students. The report also showed a lower uptake of tertiary study by rural students.

“It shows, for example, that 84 per cent of the 64 students from Benalla College were offered a university or TAFE place and that 37 per cent deferred. That’s 24 young people from just one school who have been hit by the change. By comparison, in a Melbourne school of comparative size VCE numbers 93 per cent of the 62 students were offered a university or TAFE place and only 6 per cent deferred.

“In spite of a high percentage of offers 18 per cent of students were actually university enrolled.

“Of the 49 students from FCJ College 94 per cent were offered a university or TAFE place and 50 per cent deferred. That’s another 24 students from Benalla who have been hit by the change. While FCJ College however had no students looking for work 23 per cent of students were enrolled at university.”

While the statewide deferral rate was more than 12 per cent, many regional schools had rates in the high 20s and even into the 30 per cent range with one school at 50 per cent.”

Dr Sykes said that if the Federal Government does not scrap its Youth Allowance changes next year’s On Track figures will show an alarming decrease in the uptake of tertiary places by country students because without Youth Allowance higher education is not possible.

The Federal Government argued in Parliament this week that changes to Youth Allowance involve more than a single issue and were designed to weed out those twisting the rules to get the money.

“In arguing that case,” Dr Sykes said, “they again missed the point, and that is that Electorate Offices, state wide, are not being contacted by people who know they should not get Youth Allowance but by people who are halfway through their gap year and are now not eligible.”

Earlier this month Dr Sykes direct mailed a petition against the changes to Youth Allowance to over 800 young people in the Benalla Electorate with many more distributed to homes and schools. He has since made three presentations of signed petitions in Parliament.

“I will present more petitions when Parliament resumes next week and call on people to return all signed petitions to my office as soon as possible,” he said. “At both State and Federal levels, the fight against these changes has been led by Nationals MPs and we will maintain the pressure to have these controversial changes scrapped.”

Sophie Mirabella Parlimentary speech: (Education)

2009-06-16T21:06:00.000+10:00

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I have some questions for the Minister for Education. In a ministerial statement on education, employment and workplace relations, on page 24 of the budget paper of 12 May, she announced, regarding phase 2:

The remaining up to 222 early learning and care centres will be considered when the child care market is settled and based on the experience of the priority centres.

There has been a considerable departure from the advice provided previously in this statement and in the fact sheet on the department website that states:

… the remaining up to 222 ELCCs would be established progressively by the end of 2014 and delivered as part of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Partnership arrangements.

My questions to the minister are as follows: (1) now that it appears that the commitment has been shelved indefinitely, can you outline exactly what criteria will be used to determine when the childcare market is settled; (2) if an assessment of how the first 38 centres are operating will form part of the decision on whether to proceed with the other 222 centres, does that mean that a decision will not be made until all 38 are operational? Presumably that will be well after 2011 and, therefore, long after the next election. The minister has created an out by saying that the 222 centres are contingent on the experience of the first 38 centres, hasn’t she? But she is not listening. This was not a caveat in Mr Rudd’s much publicised election promise to build 260 new centres to end the dreaded double drop-off, was it? She is still not listening.

Regarding the work done on the government’s paid parental leave to date, did the government pay any external consultants to work on the response to the Productivity Commission’s report which was released with the budget. If yes, who were they and how much were they paid? If not, which department did the policy work and prepared the 29-page booklet, Australia’s paid parental leave scheme which was released on budget night? Of the $2.35 million budgeted for communication and evaluation expenses for the coming financial year, exactly how will that be spent given the scheme will not even be coming into effect until halfway through the following financial year?

According to the FaHCSIA budget statement, it will be this department which administers the program. Has a special group or task force been assembled to manage the introduction of paid parental leave? If so, how many people are currently employed in that capacity and what number is that expected to grow to over the coming years? What role will FaHCSIA play in the implementation of the scheme, given that businesses will be paymasters? Is it expected that Centrelink or another body would administer the scheme? In other words, whom would businesses have to deal with in order to ensure that they received the advance payments so that they could pay their employees?

On what modelling was the costing of the scheme based—was it the Productivity Commission’s or another body’s? On page 9 of the budget night booklet on paid parental leave it clearly states that an estimated 148,000 parents would be eligible for the PPL payments each year and it also says that they will on average be around $2,000 better off under the current arrangements. Taking into account tax payable and changes in family payments et cetera, is that correct? Without even taking into account the cost of administering the scheme, that would mean a net cost of $269 million a year. How does this equate with the claim on page 1 that the scheme would cost a total $721 million over five years, which is an average of $146 million a year. Even taking into account that the scheme will not start until mid-2011 does not that equal at least $1.036 billion not $721 million? While I understand there is a complex mixture of family payments affected, it is quite clear that either the figure of $721 million is incorrect or the claim that families will be better off by an average of $2,000 is incorrect.

Even the government has said that 14 per cent of working families would be worse off under this scheme and will have the option to remain under the current scheme. Isn’t that correct? What are the factors that determine whether a family will be worse off? Part of it is timing, isn’t it? Women who take their paid parental leave in the last 18 weeks of the financial year are likely to lose more in tax and family payments than women who take it at the beginning, especially if they intend to take the full 12-months maternity leave as most women do. What consideration has been given to the impact on maternity services if women time their pregnancies for the beginning of the financial year to maximise their benefit? Has any research been conducted on how our hospital system would cope? Of those 14 per cent of working women who would be worse off taking paid parental leave, exactly how will they determine whether they want to take parental leave or not? How accurately will they be able to determine their entitlement and by what method?

Will the $150,000 threshold be indexed? The $150,000 threshold applies to the primary carer’s income not to the family income—is that correct—could you please confirm? A woman who earns a tidy $140,000 and whose partner is a multimillionaire would be eligible for paid parental leave but a family couple who each earn around $78,000 are not eligible for the baby bonus—is that correct? The fact is that only around 127,000 families in any given year would receive the paid parental leave and the other 154,000 would not receive any additional benefit. So the majority of new mothers would not benefit from this new scheme—is that correct?

I would like to clarify another point. On what modelling was the assumption made that this scheme would result in an increase of average leave taken by women after childbirth by around 10 weeks? Aren’t the objectives of increasing workforce participation between pregnancies and at the same time increasing the length of time spent by women caring for their children when they are very young almost mutually exclusive? Is the message really that only the first 18 weeks are important or that six months, the figure referred to in the government booklet, is the right amount of time? Isn’t it a fact, according to the Productivity Commission’s own report, that at least 83 per cent of Australian women already stay at home with their babies for the first six months? Is the message from the government to these 83 per cent of women that they ought to be heading back to the workforce after just six months? In examining this particular scheme has the government given any consideration to the social capital of those women who do not choose to take time out of the paid workforce for a period? What signal does the government send to women who are often the mainstays of our schools, community groups and sporting clubs that their efforts are important to the nation?

What's on around Wangaratta - 12 June 2009

2009-06-14T21:03:00.000+10:00

World Government is real aim of global warming swindle

2009-06-14T20:50:00.000+10:00

Media Release 12^th of June 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

World Government is real aim of global warming swindle

British influential Lord Christopher Monckton said in a 2^nd June interview with 21st Century Science & Technology that the cabal’s intentions in promoting the global warming fraud, was never about the climate but was always about setting up world government.

Lord Monckton also reiterated his view that the motive for promotion of the triple frauds of global warming, biofuels, and the DDT scare, is the genocidal reduction of the world population, especially in Third World nations.

Lord Monckton has special authority in stating this. His grandfather played a key role in arranging the 1936 abdication of that chief symbol of Britain’s Nazi-loving aristocracy, King Edward VIII, as part of the effort by anti-fascists to crush the Hitler project in Britain.

Monckton said that the global warming cabal plan to use the Copenhagen Climate Summit, scheduled for December 2009, to turn the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change into an enforcement body for world government. “And at that summit, they are hoping the first steps to turn the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change into a world government will be taken. They are not frankly particularly worried about whether they get a deal on who should cut global emissions by how much. It is not, and never was, about that. It is not and never was about the climate,” Monckton said. This is a plot for “government to hand over their sovereignty and their powers—of course in our democratic countries, their powers are peoples’ powers—to unelected bureaucrats, technocrats, and dictators, so that they will govern us in the future.”

Monckton also restated his view that the global warming scare is the third genocide being committed against the world’s population. He said people are already dying, all over the world, of starvation caused by the biofuels scam, which came out the global warming scare. The other two genocides that Monckton speaks about are: (1) The banning of DDT which has so far caused the deaths of 40 million, and has left millions more, mostly children, still infected with malaria. (2) The failure to properly respond to the AIDS pandemic, by use of well-established public health measures, including universal testing, and isolation and treatment of the carriers. This intentional genocidal policy has led to 25 million deaths worldwide, and at least 40 million infected. Monckton’s horrifying estimate of the number of persons infected with the HIV virus is only a published estimate by the World Health Organization. The extent of the HIV infection in the world population is not known since there is still to this day resistance to a policy of universal testing for the HIV virus in the general population.

Out of the Ashes of GM: a Clean Energy Company and a New Way of Funding Government.

2009-06-13T23:38:00.002+10:00

Out of the Ashes of GM: a Clean Energy Company and a New Way of Funding Government.

Sophie Mirabella: Youth Allowance debate - 1 June 09

2009-06-02T21:22:00.001+10:00

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to speak on a matter that is of particular concern and has caused extreme stress amongst certain communities in my electorate of Indi north-east Victoria—in fact, right across to rural and regional Australia. Young country kids with a dream to go on to tertiary study, and their families, are now being put in a position where they are paying for Labor’s reckless spending. They are paying for Labor’s $315 billion debt. They are some of the biggest losers that have emerged from the government’s current budget and projected budget. But they are not the only ones—they are the ones that are immediately apparent. I have been personally contacted and my office has been inundated with extremely stressed parents, educational institutions and young people who were caught unawares with the government changes to the Youth Allowance Scheme. They did not think that one of the poorest groups in the community, struggling students, would be slugged and would be punished by the current government. But that is exactly what has happened.

This is not a rort. Young students, particularly rural students, applying for the independent living away from home allowance is not a rort; it is an absolute necessity for some young people to go on and study. That does not mean that they themselves do not still work part-time jobs or that their parents do not save thousands of dollars to send them off to pursue further tertiary studies, but it is that bit of assistance for those students who do not have the luxury, like many students in capital cities, to live at home or to live close to home with their parents while they are studying. For rural students it is doubly hard, moving away from a familiar environment and also incurring all those expenses that one incurs when one moves out of home—not when they are prepared to do so but because they have to.

So what do a lot of students do? They work hard and they have been working hard trying to earn over $19,500 to qualify for the independent youth allowance entitlement. But the government has now said: ‘No, we don’t think that’s fair. We think that you must work 30 hours a week for at least 18 months.’ This is in an environment where we are told next year there are going to be a million people unemployed. They are saying to young people: ‘We’ve put your future into debt. We have hocked the future. We think we are going to pay it off by 2022, but it will probably go well on into the future.’ The $315 billion will not stay at that, I can assure you of that, Madam Deputy Speaker Moylan. Just as we are certain that by the time we retire superannuation laws will have challenged several times over, we can be just as confident that the debt will definitely increase beyond this amount under the current government.

So not only have they burdened future generations they are also saying, ‘You will work 30 hours a week over 18 months in an environment of increasing unemployment.’ This is when many rural areas are suffering from drought and it is really hurting. It is not just those farming businesses but also other industries that rely on that and those industries that see the filter-through effect in these regional towns and centres. In that sort of environment that is what Labor is saying to young people and young rural families. It is absolute proof that they are utterly out of touch and utterly insensitive to the aspirations of young country kids and their families.

We heard today, during question time in the House, one of the Labor ministers mock this notion of aspiration. But there is genuine aspiration out there in the community, even with the dark and difficult times ahead. Young people who are straight out of school have a right to dream; they have a right to pursue their further studies and not to be hampered by the fact that they live in the country. They still do it hard; they still work. Now we have a situation where those students who are currently having a gap year and who are fully expecting to start tertiary studies next year will slip through the cracks.

The government has been asked to make some changes to youth allowance. It has also been asked to put off some of its changes. I have received a lot of correspondence on this matter, and I want to read some extracts from some of these letters and emails. This one says:

Our son Joseph successfully completed his VC last year and gained placement at a university at Melbourne to undertake a degree in 3D animation, which has been his passion for many years. Whilst we would have loved for Joseph to continue to live at home whilst pursuing his dream, Albury-Wodonga tertiary institutions unfortunately do not offer this course. As proud parents, we were naturally thrilled and proud of our son’s achievement. Due to the substantial financial burden of having a son living away from home, Joseph and we decided that he would defer his university studies for a year and hopefully find work in order to qualify for Centrelink’s youth allowance. In February, Joseph gained employment in a local factory doing process work on night shift. Moving from a high school environment to working nights in a factory presents as a very dramatic transition. Joseph has met this challenge admirably. He is very goal oriented and we will do whatever it takes to get to where he wants to be.

The federal government’s 2009 budget proposes changes to the youth allowance eligibility criteria. Effective from 1 January 2010 the criteria for which Joseph was working towards have been removed—meaning that he cannot become eligible with the actions he has been undertaking for the past four months. We are devastated by this and completely fail to see any fairness in this change whatsoever. The impact of this change on Joseph is that his career aspirations are now in serious doubt.

And the quotes go on. This quote is from two parents who are in their 50s:

Yes, my husband and I both work and are over 50 and have a large housing loan because we chose to make a move to a larger town where jobs were more plentiful. We are certainly living better than some out there but we are not really in a position to take full financial responsibility for Emma living and attending university in Melbourne. How many politicians or highly paid public servants would ever have to go through the decisions that every day students and parents are having to decide presently? I think that we have been severely short changed and sold out by the Rudd government.

It goes on to say:

I actually voted for them because I believed in them. I am sure both my husband and myself would have been happy to forgo our lots of $900 if it meant keeping the youth allowance in tact.

And it goes on. And why does it go on? Because this measure is really hurting people out there. It is hurting families and it is hurting young students.

But we saw today the Deputy Prime Minister in her sheer insensitivity and arrogance claim that the Liberal Party want to defend the current system. In criticising the existing system, she said:

If the Liberal Party want to go out and defend the current system with its skew to people who earn $200,000, $300,000 and $400,000 a year, we would simply say: ‘That is what the Liberal Party does. It always seeks to benefit those better off at the expense of the vast majority.

Well, Deputy Prime Minister, you are wrong. There are many decent Australians out there who are not earning $200,000, $300,000 or $400,000 a year. There are many families out there who need the current system to remain as it is. You ought to have the courage to say that you are wrong. You ought to have the courage to apologise to these families for the stress that you have caused them. And you ought to seriously reconsider the decision. It is not just the financial burden that this generation will have of paying back your debt and your reckless spending but also the impact of this decision on country kids. All sorts of organisations, such as the Albury Wodonga Careers Advisers Association, as well as parents and schools are trying to help by asking the government to enact a grandfather clause that will protect these young people who are currently deferring their studies. I fully support them in that pursuit.

Just think about the burden you have created and think about your responsibility in actually governing for all Australians and look beyond the politics of envy and the false assumptions that that has given you in looking at country students and their families. You need to have a look at these changes and you need for once to listen to rural and regional Australia and young students.

Locals warm to solar power bid

2009-06-01T21:50:00.002+10:00

Written by STEVEN BURKE. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

SOLAR power proved a hot topic in Wangaratta on Friday, with more than 150 people attending information sessions run by Solar Shop Australia.

Residents learnt how to best capitalise on the $8000 rebate for installing solar panels.

Launched this month across nine rural Victorian municipalities, the program will enable residents to install a 1kW solar photovoltaic (PV)system at the substantially reduced cost of approximately $2000. The program is being facilitated by the Northeast Greenhouse Alliance (NGA), working in partnership with the Rural City ofWangaratta.

Council’s environment manager, Bronwyn Chapman, said she was amazed by the number of people who attended the meeting.

"It goes to show how interested people are in finding alternatives to coal power for their houses," she said.

"People understand power is only going to get more expensive.

"And Wangaratta residents are obviously keeping up to date with all the latest developments."

One resident interested in harnessing the sun’s power was Maurice Byrne, who said he would consider installing the panels.

"This is the first time where they are not wanting a whole lot of money up front," he said."The benefits of solar power are certainly becoming more attractive."

Anyone wishing to arrange a home inspection can contact Solar Shop Australia on 133 SOLAR or for more information visit www.solarshop.com.au.

What's on around Wangaratta - 15 May 2009

2009-05-15T18:20:00.000+10:00

Broadband is costing us (Wangaratta)

2009-05-04T23:46:00.000+10:00

Provider claims we’re paying too much, for too little, and it is costing Wangaratta business

Written by TRISH GALLAGHER. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

BROADBAND that is too expensive and sub-standard is restricting business growth in Wangaratta, a local access provider has claimed.

WangNET’s Geoff Turnbull said there wouldn’t be a week go by without someone from Melbourne who is thinking of moving to the area enquiring about a broadband connection.

"It’s a shock to them when they find out what we have to pay, and how poor the speeds are, and that includes both domestic and business customers," Mr Turnbull said.

"There are a lot of potential businesses who change their mind about relocating here when they find out what the service is like..it’s costing us."

Mr Turnbull said he pays around $120 a month for sub-standard home internet access, 10km from Wangaratta, compared with his brother in Melbourne who pays $30 for a much better service.

He claims the problem is the structure of Telstra, which, unlike in the electricity system, both owns the network and has a retail arm, causing a conflict of interest.

"Governments have funded Telstra to provide ADSL at most Australian exchanges," Mr Turnbull said.

"When Telstra enabled all of its exchanges, it put in ADSL2+ equipment in most cases, but only enabled it to ADSL1.

"ADSL1 has a range of four to five kilometres from an exchange, and a maximum speed of eight megabits per second.

"ADSL2+, the minimum standard for most of the world, has a range of 15km at 20-24 megabits per second.

"Under the broadband guarantee and previous programs, the government said Telstra had to allow competitive access, so it makes only ADSL1 available.

"If a competitor wants ADSL2+, they have to put in their own equipment.

"As soon as this is almost complete, Telstra immediately switches the exchange to ADSL2+ and signs up customers to its own long contracts."

The solution, said Mr Turnbull, is to restructure Telstra to separate its network arm from its retail business.

"If the exchanges and network were owned by a standalone entity, there would be an incentive to build a better network, allowing all internet service providers to offer better services," he said.

"The government should immediately use its remaining Telstra holdings to restructure the organisation and buy back as much of the network as possible.

"At present, there is no incentive for Telstra to develop the network because it then has to give access to competitors, which it does not want to do."

Possible hiccup in VEC data system

2009-04-30T13:05:00.001+10:00

Source: Sykes Media Release

Over recent weeks it has come to the attention of Nationals Member for Benalla, Dr Sykes, that something may be amiss with the way the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) has processed voting papers in the 2008 Benalla Rural City Council Elections.

“I have been contacted by a number of constituents concerned about the issue of Infringement Notices by the VEC for ‘Invalid Response to Apparent Failure to Vote Notice’,” Dr Sykes said.

The ‘Invalid Response to Apparent Failure to Vote Notice’ is issued following a reply by the constituent to an ‘Apparent Failure to Vote Notice’ and comes with a $57.00 Infringement Notice.

“The circumstances behind each case that has come to my attention appear to be similar in that constituents state that voting papers were returned by mail in the VEC envelope provided, albeit in some cases included in an envelope provided for another member of the same household,” Dr Sykes said. “I have raised the issues identified by my constituents directly with the VEC.

“This raises some doubts about the accuracy of the data upon which the VEC is operating, particularly in view of my own personal experiences with inaccurate information being used by the VEC in relation to whether or not I voted at a State Election and a Melbourne City Council Election,” Dr Sykes continued.

“Within any system, particularly where data entry is computerised, there is always the possibility of error – the VEC should resist having implicit faith in the reliability of its system and therefore assume that the voters are at fault in all cases,” Dr Sykes said. “I call upon the VEC to check their system in light of a number of apparently legitimate concerns raised by voters in the Benalla electorate,” he concluded.

No ‘dam commonsense’

2009-04-30T00:47:00.001+10:00

- source: Wangaratta Chronicle

MP criticises governments, cites ‘major doubts’ over water savings as a reason to enlarge local storages

NATIONALS member Ken Jasper (MLA, Murray Valley) has accused state and federal governments, and water authorities, of lacking ‘practical commonsense’ in their approach to North East water issues.

He yesterday re-itereated calls on the State Government to change its policy and fund the extension of water storages in the North East to underpin supply of water, given ‘major doubts’ now cast on so-called water savings from irrigation infrastructure upgrades in the Goulburn system.

"It is ludicrous the government is spending $8 million to strengthen the wall of Lake William Hovell, but will not extend the storage," he said.

"Lake William Hovell, which holds a mere 14,000 megalitres, must be extended to stage two as was originally proposed.

"This storage is ideally located to capture water when rain falls and it fills rapidly."

He said consideration must also be given to the building of Big Buffalo Dam by investigating the current costings for the project, which would increase storage from the current 24,000 megalitres to over one million megalitres

Despite years of lobbying, governments refuse to extend both existing dams and consider the construction of new dams.

"These could store water when rain falls, to be used when needed, for irrigators, town supplies and the environment," Mr Jasper said.

He said Water Minister, Tim Holding, said the Victorian Government continues to be of the view that increasing the capacity of existing dams in northern Victoria is not the solution to improving the security of supply, with Goulburn Murray Water in agreeance.

"It is interesting that the only people who support this policy are the state and federal governments and the water authorities, the ‘so–called experts’," he said.

"Practical commonsense is what is needed.

"Wherever I go, people recognise the need for new and extended storages and call on me to continue fighting.

"Are we all wrong? I don’t believe we are.

"Why would you continue to oppose the extension of storages, recognising there has been no dams built in Victoria since 1983, the growing demand for water, increased population and climate change.

"Surely it is practical commonsense to extend our water storage capacity.

"Logic tells us that with the current drought conditions, dams must be high on the State Government and water authority agenda to underpin water supplies for the future, together with water conservation measures."

Twittering for Swine Flu - Live Feed

2009-04-29T15:00:00.002+10:00

Less, but good (King Valley Vintage)

2009-04-27T22:00:00.000+10:00

King Valley Wines CEO sees benefits in challenging vintage

Written by STEVE KELLY. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

KING Valley Wines has finished processing a 2009 vintage two-thirds the size of last year’s production.

It processed 4000 tonnes of fruit this season after beginning on February 5, and although down on yield, company chief executive officer and chief winemaker, Garry Wall, believes it will correct an overhang of stock generated out of the 2008 vintage.

"The vineyard yields have been significantly smaller and demand out of the region has been slightly smaller as well this year," Mr Wall said.

"This is driven by bigger industry demand and supply issues after a large production and a significant overhang of stock in the industry.

"My personal belief is that this vintage will correct a lot of that overhang and certainly not add to it.

"In the longer term it will be very good for the industry that yields are up to 25 per cent below normal."

Last year was up to 25 per cent above average production, and Mr Wall said it needed to balance itself out because there were some very low prices being offered to grape growers this year.

He said almost all the grapes have been sold this year because of lower yields, an aspect that will keep the prices buoyant.

"The industry needed to take a pause after good growth over the last 10 to 15 years - it has done that - now it’s going quite well," he said.

Mr Wall said yields were down due to climatic reasons, as it was a very dry spring and there was some minor frost damage.

He said berry size has also been very small and the fruit set was not as good as last year.

"This is all weather related and it has also been very dry during the growing season," he said.

Mr Wall said it has been a reasonably spaced vintage for King Valley Wines, which takes fruit from all over the Ovens and King valleys.

"It has all worked very well this year and we’re very happy with the outcomes and the quality of the wine which has been produced," he said.

"This region is cooler, and although we did get some very high temperatures, we didn’t get the extremes suffered in South Australia or some other parts of Victoria and New South Wales.

Due to phylloxera, a pest which is very destructive to grape crops, the company processes the fruit in the region exactly the way each vigneron wants it made.

King Valley Wines has been in operation since 2000 and can process 300 tonnes of red grapes through the vinematics at a time.

It is able to achieve this production rate, as the company has spent several hundred thousand dollars over the last 12 months to upgrade equipment.

"It has got to a point (with the new equipment) where we have almost doubled the amount of white grape production over a 24 hour period," he said.

"We process for some of Australia’s wine companies and we make the wine the way they would make it in their own winery - we’re simply the arms, legs and equipment to them.

The company employed 170 people this season and it will drop to six in the off season, including a fulltime employee to maintain the equipment.

Bogong High Plains Road open

2009-04-24T18:04:00.000+10:00

source: Sykes Media

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, attended the opening of the newly sealed Bogong High Plains Road on Friday, 24 April and said the magnificent drive is a welcome addition to North East Victoria’s year-round tourism.

The road, which runs 36 kilometres between Falls Creek to the Omeo Highway, was completed one month ahead of schedule and creates a key link between North East Victoria and Gippsland.

“The road is an important tourist loop between Falls Creek and Omeo,” Bill Sykes said. “Visitors now have year round access to the spectacular scenery of the Alpine National Park. The sealing of the road also opens up tourism opportunities to local business operators.”

The project is the culmination of ongoing collaboration and commitment between State and Federal Governments, local government and business organisations.

“The surfacing of the road has not come about by chance,” Bill Sykes said. “It is the result of the persistence and determination of the Alpine Shire, in particular previous Mayor Julie Carroll and CEO Doug Sharp. The Falls Creek Resort Management Board and Falls Creek Ski Lifts Pty Ltd were quick to contribute as was the Shire of East Gippsland.

“AGL’s donation of in excess of $3 million of rock spoil from its Hydro tunnelling project is what made it all possible,” Bill Sykes continued.

In attending the opening Bill Sykes said he was pleased to have been instrumental in the lobbying process which has had such a positive outcome.

Bill Sykes also welcomed the important contribution the new road will make toward tourism in the region.

“The all weather road opens up the area for tourism and provides another foundation for local businesses to grow their tourist based income,” Bill Sykes said. “I met with the Mt Beauty Chamber of Commerce last week who expressed their concerns in relation to ongoing tourism in the area. Something like the Bogong High Plains road should provide year round benefits for the tourism industry.”

“The weather on Friday may have been wet but that not dampen the beauty of this pristine landscape. I encourage everyone in the Benalla electorate to take time out and witness for themselves this impressive region of Victoria,” he concluded.

An audio tour can be downloaded from www.parkweb.vic.gov.au onto a CD or MP3 player and listened to on a car stereo. Audio tours are available in Visitor Centres around the Victorian Alps. The audio tour takes in the Bogong High Plains and Mount Hotham as well as smaller townships.

Ozone hole - is it good or bad?

2009-04-23T11:08:00.001+10:00

Global warming 'slowed by pollution' - Telegraph
- The first study found that the hole in the ozone layer, caused by the use of CFCs, has prevented the melting of Antarctica even as the rest of the world warms.
  - I am confused! I think it might be an assumption that the hole in the ozone layer was caused by the use of CFCs. If it has prevented the melting of Antarctica even as the rest of the world warms, then where is the problem? - post by gnaylor
- The ozone layer absorbs heat in the atmosphere, but the emergence of the hole – almost the size of North America – has cooled temperatures, resulting in more ice.
  
  However following a ban on CFCs the hole in the ozone layer is expected to repair, causing temperatures in the South Pole to rise again.
  - If Antarctica has more ice as a result of all this, surely it is nothing more than nature healing itself. Who are we to try and control nature? - post by gnaylor

Public Land Firewood Strategy must be practical

2009-04-22T23:26:00.001+10:00

Source: Sykes media release

“The proposed new Victorian Firewood Strategy for Public Land must remove impractical and unnecessary restrictions imposed on firewood collection by the Brumby Government in recent years,” Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes said this week.

In a statement issued by the Brumby Government, Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings said the development of a new statewide strategy would;

ensure firewood collection from public land has a sustainable future
that people could conveniently access firewood
ensure an efficient and practical system for the pricing and distribution for commercial and non-commercial firewood sourced from public land
review the firewood sales system and make it easier to purchase licenses and permits
consider better ways to manage the collection of firewood from roadside reserves; and
consider the impacts on the environment, particularly the value fallen trees and branches hold as habitat for native species

The Victorian Firewood Strategy for Public Land is to be developed in collaboration with firewood managers, representatives of interest groups (government and other organisations). Firewood collectors and users and the broader public will be given an opportunity to input and identify issues during the development of the strategy. It is proposed a discussion paper will be released before the end of June for public comment and that the strategy will be completed by the end of 2009.

“I never cease to be amazed by the lack of forward thinking in relation to this issue,” Bill Sykes said. “The State Government proposed a Victorian Firewood Strategy back in 2002 and produced a discussion paper, with regional strategies developed within the North East and Bendigo regions. The outcome has been the implementation of impractical and unnecessary restrictions which should never have been enacted in the first place,” Bill Sykes continued. “Now this new strategy is looking at ways to address shortfalls in the current system.”

“One of the biggest issues raised in the aftermath of Black Saturday is fuel load reduction along roadsides. My office has received copies of a lot of submissions to the Bushfire Royal Commission from many areas of the Benalla Electorate and beyond, including Marysville, Goughs Bay, Mt Beauty, Boho, Tawonga, Lima East, Euroa, Strathbogie (and I could go on) – which identify major concerns with the lack roadside clearing in relation to fire safety,” Bill Sykes said.

“It is vitally important the statewide strategy provides a no-nonsense means of accessing wood from public land including roadsides,” he concluded.

For more information on the Victorian Firewood Strategy for Public Land visit www.dse.vic.gov.au or call 136 186 or email firestrat.publicland@dse.vic.gov.au.

Bill Young working with Michael Leunig

2009-04-22T16:01:00.004+10:00

Written by TRISH GALLAGHER. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

Cartoonist Michael Leunig is just one of many renowned artists who make their way to Bill Young’s King Valley studio to print their works.

Bill, a master printmaker, has worked with Leunig off and on during the past 15 years, and is about to embark on a new collaboration - once Leunig finds the time.

"We had an intensive four-year period a while ago when he made an engraving tool by attaching a nail to a piece of dowel and scratching out marks on cement sheet," Bill said.

"That way, he was master of the medium and didn’t have to rely on me to do all the work with acid that etching requires."

Leunig is one of 27 artists in a current Albury Art Gallery exhibition called ‘Bill Young: Printer’s Proof’.

The concept came from the gallery, but when staff went to select work in Bill’s studio, he pulled so many prints out of drawers, they were blown away by the volume and left it up to him to chose which work to hang.

"I guess it’s a selection of my favorites because I’ve worked with a lot more than 27 artists," said Bill.

He has printed all 75 limited editions in the exhibition, big and small, during the past 33 years.

One of his heroes was Louis Kahan, who came to him at 72.

Bill continued to etch all his plates until the artist died at 92.

"I’m very much involved with plate making with the artists and have worked in collaboration with many of them," Bill said.

Other artists in the show include Barbie Kjar, John Neeson, Graeme Peebles, Alick Tipoti, Geoff Ricardo, Treahna Hamm, and older work by Bill’s wife, Anita Laurence.

The exhibition remains at the gallery, 546 Dean Street, Albury, until May 17, weekdays 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, and Sunday noon-4pm.

Sykes: on school violence

2009-04-21T03:06:00.001+10:00

Coalition supports school principals to combat school violence

Source: Sykes media release 20 April 2009

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, has welcomed the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition policy to given principals the necessary powers to keep their school safe in the face of rising school yard violence.

Dr Sykes said, “Whilst the vast majority of students are well behaved, regrettably there has been a dramatic increase in violent incidents at schools with many offenders aged between 10 to 14. Victorian principals, teachers, students and parents need support to stem this upsurge in violence.

“On one hand the Premier claims to be tough on violence and on the other hand he is making it much tougher for principals to expel and suspend students. The rights of the offending minority are being put ahead of the best interests of the vast majority of students.

“The Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition will give power back to school principals because schools, teachers and parents need support in stopping violence in schools”, Dr Sykes said.

Dr Sykes said the Coalition’s Safe Schools plan included:

Giving principals the right to suspend or expel students at their own discretion. The Coalition will give principals more flexibility to manage poor discipline by giving principals the right to expel and suspend students for the appropriate length of time at their discretion. Labor is currently seeking to remove principals’ right to expel and suspend students following changes by the Department of Education that will cut the total number of days a Victorian student can be suspended from ten to three. Removing this power creates a bureaucratic barrier to schools enforcing discipline and reducing violence.
Granting principals the right to ban dangerous items from school grounds and introducing legislation to support this right. Knives and other weapons are being used in Victorian schools to bully students and disrupt classes. Principals have a serious lack of clarity in their powers to control the introduction and use of dangerous items on school property. The Coalition will develop legislation confirming the right of principals to ban or confiscate items considered harmful or dangerous.
Increasing punishment for offences such as assault and vandalism committed on school property by students or others. Increasing violence against students and teachers means a stronger approach to school violence is necessary. The Coalition will direct the Sentencing Advisory Council to immediately explore the introduction of stronger punishments for offences that occur on school property, including assault, vandalism and property damage.
Investing in professional development for teachers to help maintain discipline in schools. Victorian teachers need help in dealing with difficult, disruptive and violent students. The Coalition will establish a $2 million professional development program to help train teachers, conducted by local and international experts in non-violent dispute resolution. This world’s-best-practice professional development will give teachers additional training and support to establish and maintain discipline in the classroom.

SCHOOL VIOLENCE: BACKGROUND

There were 1,227 reported assaults in schools between January 2006 and August 2008, an average of more than 12 assaults per week. The number of assaults in and around schools increased by more than 150 per cent between 2000 and 2005. Since 2000, the number of violent offenders aged between 10 and 14 has increased by more than 80 per cent. (Source: Victoria Police crime statistics)

Most available school disruption indicators increased substantially between 2007 and 2008, including aggressive behaviour (up 33 per cent), anti-social behaviour (up 11 per cent), student disappearances (up 46 per cent), school intrusions (up 13 per cent), school lockdowns (52, or an average of one per week) and sexual assault (244 reports).

Making hay while the sun shines

2009-04-20T15:27:00.001+10:00

Valley farmer thankful for a ‘good’ season

Written by STEVE KELLY. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

ALTHOUGH many farmers in the North East have been battling the affects of drought, Whitfield’s Robert Gaspari is thankful he lives in "God’s country".

"We’re always getting a little bit of rain and the season has been quite good to us," he said last week.

"We certainly need the rain for the environment and everything to go right and the recent rainfall has been like ‘waving the carrot’ in front of us all the time."

Mr Gaspari will cut his last crop of lucerne for this season next week at his Whitfield property.

But the agricultural contractor since the mid 1980s has been busy recently ploughing land off Peipers Lane.

Mr Gaspari has 124 acres near Gentle Annie Camping Reserve and makes a living out of growing lucerne and pasture, including triticale, perennial ryes, oats and a variety of clover.

It’s a process which is helped along by making sure the ground is prepared correctly before the first seed is sown.

He specialises in ground preparation, pasture renovation and hay contracting right throughout the region - something which has been made a lot easier with his recent purchase of a multi-disc plough.

He was at a Peipers Lane property last week running the plough through soil, which hadn’t grown a crop before.

The land will be used to sow straight oats, which will supply a Shepparton dairy farmer keen to buy the crop.

Mr Gaspari finds the multi-disc machine to be handy to clean up land so when he does bailing, raking and cutting - the job is made a lot easier.

"We want to get the ground fairly flat so it’s easier to cut and prevents you from going through blades," he said.

"Having level ground also produces a better, more even crop."

Edi Upper Paddy's Market Day

2009-04-17T18:13:00.001+10:00

Edi Upper Paddy's Market

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Non-fiction marketing software

Whitfield hit with stage 4 water ban

2009-04-17T17:53:00.001+10:00

- source: Wangaratta Chronicle - 17 April 2009

WHITFIELD residents were hit with stage four water restrictions on Wednesday.

North East Water executive manager of business services, John Morris, said the bans were triggered by a lack of water flow in Musk Gully Creek.

"Although the town’s water storage (Whitfield Reservoir) is full, without any inflow from the creek, stage four restrictions are necessary," Mr Morris said.

"We are hoping for good rain over winter and we will monitor and judge the situation in Whitfield accordingly."

For Adam Pizzini, chef at Rinaldo’s of King Valley Restaurant in Whitfield, the harsh bans will prematurely end his garden produce.

Mr Pizzini has been maintaining his garden and bringing freshly picked vegetables to diners for years, but his zucchinis, radiccios and capsicums will dry out as a result of the harsh restrictions, which prevent watering at any time.

He makes a flavorsome zucchini chutney out of his home-grown produce, but will again be forced to buy the vegetables to meet customer demand.

"Last time these sort of restrictions were enforced we just let the garden go and bought in fresh vegetables for the restaurant, so it looks like we’ll have to do this again if we don’t get substantial rain," Mr Pizzini said.

"The garden is looking a bit drab as it is, and I’m hoping my father-in-law will be able to spruce it up when he moves to the area."

Elsewhere, Springhurst also went on to stage two water restrictions on Wednesday. For information on water restrictions go to www.nerwa.vic.gov.au.

Moyhu on fire at CFA titles

2009-04-17T17:36:00.001+10:00

Australia needs real infrastructure, not virtual reality

2009-04-17T15:54:00.001+10:00

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release 16^th of April 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

Australia needs real infrastructure, not virtual reality

The $43 billion Kevin Rudd plans to spend on a high-speed broadband network would pay for enough large-scale water infrastructure projects like the Bradfield Scheme, and the Clarence River Scheme, to drought-proof most of Australia and fully replenish the Murray-Darling Basin, CEC leader Craig Isherwood pointed out today.

“Real infrastructure creates real wealth and generates real jobs through real industries,” Mr Isherwood said.

“Australia is in a real economic breakdown crisis, and we desperately needs real infrastructure to fix it: we need visionary, Snowy Mountains Scheme-style water projects; railway projects like a Melbourne to Darwin fast-freight train line, an Australian Ring Railway and a super-fast, magnetically-levitated rail link between our major cities; nuclear power generators taking advantage of our own huge reserves of uranium and thorium, and utilising the modern, meltdown-proof, modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology (MHTGR).

“This kind of infrastructure will enable us to re-industrialise our economy by creating more opportunities for agricultural and manufacturing production.

“Building the projects will create hundreds of thousands of jobs directly, and set up industries that will employ millions.

“Compare this kind of infrastructure, to Rudd’s broadband scheme,” Mr Isherwood continued.

“Broadband has its place, but in the context of the current crisis it is only virtual infrastructure, to speed up virtual communication in our increasingly virtual economy.

“The only people who could compare it to the Snowy Mountains Scheme are the disturbingly growing army of virtual reality zombies, for whom the world is comprised of MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and the financial markets.

“Our Prime Minister is running Australia like a virtual reality zombie.

“This is behavioural economics garbage, and as a nation we must drop it, and retreat back into reality.

Mr Isherwood concluded by calling on Australians to look into the CEC’s plans for 18 major water projects, and other great infrastructure proposals, first published in the 2001 New Citizen special report, “The Infrastructure Road to Recovery”

“This is how we’ll get out of the depression,” he said.

Tatong set a new Good Friday Appal record

2009-04-15T21:19:00.000+10:00

Source: Weekly Times

GOOD causes don't come much better than the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal. And per capita fundraising for the Appeal does not get much better than at the small town of Tatong in north-east Victoria.

With a combined district community of about 200 people, this year Tatong raised $22,000 for the worthy cause. A highlight of the Tatong fundraising effort is the annual Good Friday auction of donated goods held in the grounds of the local pub, the Tatong Tavern.

The Tatong community started officially collecting for the Good Friday Appeal about 28 years ago.

Three years ago it was decided the auction would be moved outside at the Tavern. It proved a successful venture and this year the auction raised $10,865.

Good Friday Appeal area manager for Tatong Jade Kirk said it was a true community effort.

"While the auction held last Friday is the main event, fundraising is a year-round activity and the support of the community is fantastic,'' Ms Kirk said.

"We have regular raffles and the cow poo lotto held at the recreation reserve is also a fun day.

"In fact this year, we passed the $100,000 mark since we started collecting almost 30 years ago,'' Ms Kirk added.

Typical of the community support was the food stall at the auction last Friday. Run by the local Tatong Young Bloods, all produce was donated by district retail businesses. The food stall raised $1100 for the day.

At the auction, the number one member's ticket for the Tatong Football and Netball Club fetched $200 and the top priced lot was eight hours work from a local earthmoving contractor that sold for $500.

"It's all for such a good cause,'' Ms Kirk said.

"Several kids from the local area have needed the services of the Children's Hospital, so it's nice to know we are doing our bit.''

Wangaratta Town Square ready for use

2009-04-10T16:50:00.000+10:00

city square Wangaratta

Publish at Scribd or explore others: School Work Math & Engineering community usa

Let's get some decency back into AFL football

2009-04-08T23:53:00.001+10:00

AFL players Adam Simpson and Daniel Pratt admit role in chook sex film | Herald Sun
- SENIOR North Melbourne players Adam Simpson and Daniel Pratt have admitted their leading role in producing a tasteless video condemned as degrading to women.
  The four-minute video shows a condom-clad rubber chicken performing sex acts on a chicken carcass, which is meant to depict a woman.

Today, AFL players are professional athletes and are paid accordingly. As part of their contracts, they should be held accountable for professional misconduct both on and off the field.

So, they are young men who get up to the stupid things that young men get up to ... but that is no excuse. They should have their contracts revoked immediately

Wangaratta Greyhound track to close

2009-04-03T01:00:00.002+11:00

April 2, 2009 (read original here at Millers Guide)

PROHIBITIVE re-building costs have been cited as the main reason behind the intended permanent closure of the Wangaratta greyhound track in less than two months time.

A Greyhound Racing Victoria board meeting on Monday was shown a report that detailed upgrades needed to the infrastructure at Avian Park would cost in the vicinity of a staggering $6,300,000.
The GRV also took into account statistical information on participant and patron figures at Wangaratta meetings.

After studying the information and the costs involved the GRV elected to cease racing operations at Wangaratta as from June 26, 2009.

The track will be maintained as a trial track only until at least December 29, 2009.
After June 26, the meetings that had been scheduled for Wangaratta will now be transferred to the Shepparton track.

GRV chairman Jan Wilson said: “The GRV Board fully understands the disappointment that such decisions may bring. However, it is our sincere hope that the WGRC and its local participants can take a whole of industry perspective when considering the Board’s overall need to provide for industry sustainability and participant returns.”
Comment:

See "Wangaratta Greyhounds Finished" for a critique of Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) Chairman Jan Wilson and some pointed questions such as:

Why did the GRV commit to a large spend at Avian Park as recently as 2002, with out tying the development partner Harness Racing Victoria to a binding agreement? Harness Racing Victoria walked away from Wangaratta as a harness racing venue in 2005. Just 3 years later.

I suspect we well hear more about this one in The Chronicle

The “Golden Rule”

2009-04-03T00:56:00.001+11:00

Media Release 2^nd of April 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

The “Golden Rule”—whoever owns the gold (or iron-ore, coal, aluminium etc) makes the rules

“Australia must reject all foreign ownership of raw materials companies, and complete Gough Whitlam’s and Rex Connor’s mission to ‘buy back the farm’ by nationalising our raw materials,” Craig Isherwood, leader of the Citizens Electoral Council said today.

Mr Isherwood responded to the political drama surrounding the attempt by Chinalco, the Chinese government-owned mining company, to buy a $28 billion slab of the Queen’s own mining company, Rio Tinto, by renewing his July 22, 2008 call for Australia to “Nationalise our oil & gas, raw materials.”

He explained: “Since the great mineral booms in the 1960s we have allowed our country’s mineral wealth to be squandered at the behest of a few large, foreign-owned, multi-national companies like Rio Tinto. We have failed to develop the value-adding processing industries that we could have.

“Whilst we don’t support everything the Whitlam government did in the 1970s, his government’s attempt to wrest control of our raw materials wealth from foreign interests was spot on the mark.

Mr Isherwood cited a 1966 address to the University of New South Wales by then Deputy Opposition Leader Gough Whitlam, who said, “The government is condoning and encouraging the sale of our richest resources to overseas interests. Some of the most amazing mineral discoveries in our history are now in foreign hands. Foreigners do Australians the honour of employing them to dig up their own wealth, to be exported overseas… the whole of our production potential in aluminium is controlled by overseas interests. Almost all the new and rich iron ore discoveries, particularly in Western Australia, have been taken out of our hands... The new coal deposits in Queensland are controlled by overseas interests. Three quarters of the mining and treatment of copper is controlled by overseas interests. Already 70 percent of the mining of zinc is outside our control.”

(No company more represented the foreign control of Australia’s resources than Rio Tinto, then Conzinc RioTinto Australia [CRA], in which the Queen of England herself was “the largest non-institutional shareholder”, as reported in The Bulletin of October 19, 1999, “Diamonds are for ER”; it was the Queen’s toady, Governor-General Sir John Kerr, who sacked Whitlam for his “buy back the farm” assault on her own company’s control of Australia’s resources.)

Isherwood said, “Nothing has changed after 42 years, except we now have permanently exported huge volumes of valuable minerals. The so-called wealth the mining industry has brought to Australia over these years, is nothing in comparison to what we have given away to foreign owned corporations.”

“Will we go another 40 years, before actually taking control and responsibility for our God-given resources?”

Mr Isherwood called on the Government to resolve the Chinalco/Rio Tinto issue once and for all by:

Adopting the CEC’s policy of nationalising Australia’s entire resource sector;
Reassuring China, and our other trading partners of our intentions by negotiating long-term supply contracts that are fair to both nations, but which remove the price extortioning of the Rio Tinto/BHP cartel, and guarantee supply;
Expanding resources processing in Australia, to increasingly export only value-added products, as well as supply growing domestic requirements of steel etc. for nation-building infrastructure projects.

What's on around Wangaratta - 28 Mar 2009

2009-03-28T14:14:00.007+11:00

Probing King River health

2009-03-28T02:45:00.000+11:00

Action plan to protect valley’s natural asset - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

RIVER health, water quality and exotic infestations will be probed as part of an action plan for the Upper King River.

North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA) has commissioned Water Technology Consulting to prepare the waterway action plan for 24kms of the river.

The project area runs from Lake William Hovell downstream to Gentle Annie Lane at Whitfield, with major tributaries of the King River West Branch at Cheshunt South, Stony Creek at Cheshunt and Station Creek at Whitfield.

NECMA waterway project officer, Rebecca Damm, said there is a focus on threats and actions impacting on the river’s health.

"From a physical perspective, this includes the land directly influenced by the river within the channel, the near bank riparian zone and the floodplain," she said.

Ms Damm said the impact infestations of exotic flora, including willows, and the affect of the 2006/07 bushfires, has had on the river will be investigated.

"We will also look at the potential for future channel avulsions and scour of the floodplain, as a result of current land use and management of the floodplain, and water quality concerns raised by the local community," she said.

A community reference group has been established and member, Thomas Moritz, representing the King Basin Landcare and King Valley Tourist Association, said the river was of paramount importance to the region.

"From our Landcare perspective, we’re interested in the water quality, and its impact on the biodiversity and ecosystem," Mr Moritz said.

"We’ve been doing a Waterwatch program, testing samples from the river over the past 10 months, and we have seen, from time to time, some higher phosphate, nitrate and ecoli levels than we want.

"Obviously we want to maintain the river ‘clean and green’, as it plays a big part in tourism too."

Whitfield Primary School is also on the community reference group, with other stakeholders, including the DSE and Parks Victoria which manage the adjoining National Parks and State Forests, to have input.

Ms Damm said public and stakeholder meetings are planned to inform of project developments.

High cattleman honor for Frank

2009-03-28T02:42:00.001+11:00

Plaque at ‘Bennies’ a fitting, historic tribute - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

RESPECTED mountain cattleman, the late Frank Ryan, was remembered and honored last week at a special event by his relatives, friends and the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association of Victoria.

A ceremony was held on the upper Rose River at the historic ‘Bennies’ near Frank Ryan’s former cattle lease.

On the Saturday, a group of people on horseback rode into the lease at the head of the Dandongadale River along the original bridle track, revisiting the lease and remembering Frank and his good mate, the late Don Kneebone.

The ride was led by Frank’s nephew, Chris Ryan, and friend Roger Smitheron.

A plaque on a rock at Bennies was unveiled on Sunday by members of Frank’s family.

It is situated beside a plaque remembering Don, so the mates are still together.

The ceremony was chaired by local bushman, Neville Wright, and tributes were paid to Frank by speakers including MCAV president, Christa Treasure, Ron Briggs, Graeme Hughes and Graeme Stoney.

A poem written by Don’s daughter Christine was read to the audience by Wendy Jubb Stoney.

Neville presented a roast dinner, hearty breakfast and lunch to the good crowd who attended.

Speaking later, Ms Treasure said mountain cattlemen would continue to push for grazing to be used widely as a management tool in both state forest and national parks.

She also announced the MCAV intended to sponsor similar heritage rides to different leases around the High Country in forthcoming years.

"We must retain for posterity the special knowledge the cattlemen have about their leases, even after cattle have been removed, and one way to do that is to have a ride into the lease and have someone connected to the country tell our riders and especially our young people all about the history," Ms Treasure said.

"At the same time we will also remember the stories of the particular cattlemen’s families who ran cattle on the country for up to 150 years."

Buffalo secret agenda

2009-03-26T17:25:00.001+11:00

MP claims state wants to ‘lock away’ mountain to commercial activities
- source: Wangaratta Chronicle

THE State Government has a secret agenda for Mt Buffalo which involves the removal of all commercial activities, including the permanent closure of the iconic chalet.

That is the view of Ken Jasper (MLA, Murray Valley), who said this week that he has a real concern that the government plans to "lock away" the mountain as a national park.

"If this happens, it would be an absolute disaster for this 150 year old national park and the 99 year old chalet, as well as the region generally," Mr Jasper said.

"The continued procrastination by the State Government could result in the permanent closure of facilities."

Mr Jasper’s comments came despite the latest response from the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Gavin Jennings, confirming that Mt Buffalo was a high priority for the State Government.

"The government’s recent actions don’t support, or even reflect, the minister’s latest comments," Mr Jasper said.

He said Mt Buffalo Community Reference Group, which was formed to assist with the redevelopment, was disbanded, almost 12 months ago.

"In September, the minister advised that the lessees, the Burbank Group, had been given until December 15, 2008, to reopen the chalet, but three months later, there has been no action, although Mr Jennings informs me that Parks Victoria has begun investigating all options to resume the lease.

"Just how long do lease negotiations drag on?"

Mr Jasper said that in a Parks Victoria media release dated February 26, 2008, chief executive Mark Stone announced that ‘having considered the findings of two recently completed reports on the needs and viability of the Mt Buffalo Chalet, Parks Victoria had entered into negotiations to try to secure a redevelopment of the chalet with the Burbank Group’.

"The chalet has been closed for more than two years and locked away behind a chain wire fence since August 2008, with disastrous consequences, both for the building which is continuing to deteriorate, and as an extremely popular long term attraction for tourists and locals in North East Victoria," Mr Jasper said.

"The government received some $6.5m in an insurance payout following the loss of Cresta Lodge in the 2006/07 bushfires and the question must be asked, what has happened to that money?"

"Another winter season is fast approaching and again there is no accommodation open on the mountain and no adequate visitor facilities."

Future water hope buoyed

2009-03-26T17:20:00.000+11:00

Probe into underground supplies looks good for Wangaratta security

Written by Philip Nolan. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

THE on-going concern about Wangaratta’s long term water security could soon be over.

This follows very positive early findings from a major study being conducted on the giant Murmungee aquifer, which runs through the Ovens Valley.

The first two stages of a major $350,000 study into the aquifer have produced results which have delighted Rural City of Wangaratta chief executive officer, Doug Sharp.

"It really has been very exciting," Mr Sharp said.

"There is still a lot more work to be done, but from what we are seeing so far, it would appear that the aquifer could provide us with the opportunity to secure the city’s water supply well into the future."

The study, which has received substantial funding support from both the state and federal governments, is being done in four stages.

The first stage of conceptual modelling was to map the aquifer and also to study its relationship to the Ovens River and other water courses.

This revealed that the aquifer was very large in size and had a high interaction with river levels, Mr Sharp said.

"In other words, it rises and falls at very much the same levels as the river," he said.

"There is a strong connection, and it is good news in that it is not just like a well, being continually drained."

The next stage of the study was focussed on water quality, and again the outcome was positive.

"The water quality if excellent, making it ideal for a verity of purposes, including food production," Mr Sharp said.

"The next two stages will include numerical modelling and scenario modelling, and then the whole project will be checked against climate change levels of high, moderate and low.

"It is hoped to have the complete study wrapped up by August this year, and I have to say that at this stage, it looks very promising.

"It is potentially another source of water available to Wangaratta and the region, providing us with the water security we need.

"It would prove very valuable in promoting the food bowl concept we are putting forward, as you do not have the evaporation, seepage and contamination that is part of a river system.

"It would enable us to make very efficient use of the water that is available.

"We originally looked at this as an alternative to Big Buffalo.

"It could well be that we have the solution to our water security concerns right underneath us."

Government goes to Church

2009-03-25T15:56:00.001+11:00

Churches should be used as post offices to benefit community, says Government - Telegraph
- St. Bega's Church of England (pictured above) instigated the use of the building to maintain the post office which would otherwise be closed, Lake District Photo: RII SCHROER
- A guide published by the Government and the Church of England tells clergy how they can navigate the maze of public funding, and so obtain grants to make better use of their buildings.
  
  It claims that this not only helps local people but ensures that historic churches, many of which need repairs, will be preserved for the future.
  - This sounds like a great idea to better utilise existing resources. However, bringing the Church and the Government together begs some obvious questions: - Will the Churches become dependent on conditional funding from the state? - Is there a danger of religious fanatacism - or relgious terrorism - becoming entrenched in our Churches? - post by gnaylor

Big Brother out of control in England

2009-03-25T15:12:00.001+11:00

Anglers arrested after shining laser beams at ducks - Telegraph

tags: no_tag
- Three anglers were arrested after using laser pens to frighten ducks away from their hooks.
- Police have defended the action, saying weeks before laser beams had been shone at aircraft from the area.
  - That's akin to arresting somebody walking down the street because, a few weeks before, there was a mugging in the area. - post by gnaylor
- He said of the £20 green light laser pens: "Quite a few people have them around here and use them for fishing. We are adults and only loons would shine them at planes. I don't know why they picked on us. The whole thing was a ridiculous waste of manpower and time."
  
  Mick Radomski, Mr Kailus's friend, said the lasers were useful for scaring off ducks which dived in after the bait and got hooks stuck in their beaks.
  - We repeatedly read of common sense being replaced with bureaucratic regulation designed for totally different circumstances. Why to we tolerate that? - post by gnaylor

Would you buy a Nano?

2009-03-25T14:39:00.001+11:00

MOTORING experts in India have given a rousing reception to the Tata Nano, hailing the world's cheapest car as "one of the greatest bargains of all time" and "a triumph of Indian ingenuity".
The tiny car, which costs just 100,000 rupees ($A2809) for the basic model, was unveiled to great fanfare yesterday, with Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata saying it would revolutionise travel for millions of Indians.

India's trade press agreed that the sporty, jellybean-shaped Nano passed the test as a bona fide vehicle, earning comparisons to the European Smart car and classic "People's Car" - the Volkswagen Beetle.

In a world wide recession and with the unpredictability of oil/petrol prices, it may be time for every car owner to re-evaluate their transport needs.

If the Nano ever comes to Australia, will you check it out or simply dismiss it as a gimmic? By the way, It actually reaches 105 kph.

Rudd goes bananas

2009-03-21T15:45:00.000+11:00

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release 20^th of March 2009
Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

Rudd goes bananas

Responding to the recent decision to allow banana imports from the Philippines, Citizens Electoral Council leader Craig Isherwood exclaimed, “Kevin Rudd has gone bananas!

“We are in a global economic collapse, Australia is facing a wave of unemployment, and our domestic banana industry is more than adequate to supply the Australian markets, yet the Rudd government is happy to wipe out banana growers and workers through imports—this is insane,” he said.

“Australia’s $350 million banana industry, which employs 5,000 people, will go the way of the pig industry and citrus industry, both of which were virtually annihilated by cheap imports.

“And, if you import the fruit you import the diseases—Australian agriculture will suffer long-term damage from these imports.”

Mr Isherwood accused Prime Minister Rudd of sacrificing Australian industry and jobs, to the global agenda being run by the British Government through the G-20, to stop nations from resorting to protectionism in the face of the global economic collapse.

“Rudd has demonstrated repeatedly—with car industry tariffs, clothing tariffs, and now banana imports—what he’s committed to, and it’s not Australia’s economic well-being, it’s British free trade.

“Free trade is a fraud,” Mr Isherwood continued. “The imports are cheap, only until the local producers are wiped out, and then we are at their mercy.

“We are in a global economic collapse, because free trade has bankrupted the world. Formerly great industrial economies like Australia have been turned into debt-laden consumer economies, and are now vulnerable and exposed to the global economic crisis.”

Mr Isherwood pointed to the plunge in Chinese exports, of 2 per cent in December, 17 per cent in January, and 26 per cent in February, which threatens the world’s supply of essential goods:

“The crazy thing is, we could and should be producing these things ourselves,” he pointed out.

Mr Isherwood called on the Australian Government to dump free trade, and instead support the international campaign by the American physical economist Lyndon LaRouche, for a New Bretton Woods system of
financial re-regulation, industry protection, and infrastructure
development.

Greg's Comment:

Since Australia began signing Free Trade Agreements, I cannot see any benefit to Australia through these agreements. All we ever see is encroachment on our own industries.
The banana imports is a real danger because I reckon the imported bananas I have eaten in New Zealand tasted better than our Australian grown bananas. If I am right, then the Australian population will demand imported bananas because they taste better ... and that would see the end of our industry.
To protect Australian industry, we need protectionism in the form of preventing imported products from being sold at a lower price than the Australian made alternative

Sophie Mirabella: on Social Security

2009-03-19T15:08:00.001+11:00

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to join my colleagues in speaking against the Social Security and Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Commonwealth Seniors Health Card) Bill 2009. This bill, if passed, will have an extraordinarily detrimental impact on self-funded retirees, particularly those living in rural and regional Australia, including in my electorate in north-east Victoria. It will change the rules governing income assessments on self-funded retirees to determine their eligibility for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

The Labor government is asking parliament to support them in introducing a new clause in the income test on seniors to allow for the inclusion of income from superannuation—an income that is salary-sacrificed to superannuation—to a retired person’s adjusted taxable income for the purpose of assessing their eligibility for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. This is a direct attack on self-funded retirees. You would think, at a time when many of them have suffered because their assets and their finances have been frozen, that this government would think about the hardship they are facing. But, no, these people are under attack. These are the people who have worked hard to build their savings, to build their superannuation and who have continued to manage their superannuation into retirement. They will definitely suffer if this bill is allowed to pass and changes are made to the income test to include superannuation.

There are more than 19,000 people aged over 65 in my electorate. This figure is predicted to grow to almost 29,000 people by 2020 and to over 41,000 people in 2035. A very significant proportion of the population in my electorate are retired, and many of them are self-funded retirees. Many of them, in their retirement, do come from other parts of Australia—for good reason—to retire in the north-east.

So, despite what the Labor government would have people think, the majority of self-funded retirees are not wealthy individuals squandering their super during retirement years. It is no wonder that those on the other side show no interest and total disregard for the plight that will face our seniors in retirement who have changed their arrangements after the previous government changed the income test to allow them to include superannuation income.

Many of the self-funded retirees in north-east Victoria do live on a restricted pension-style income, just as those who live on a government-funded age pension do. The difference is that self-funded retirees have earned and saved their retirement income during their working lives. This bill and this government directly want to punish them. I suppose it is part of the class war of envy that is becoming more and more apparent from the government during these difficult times—when they panic and have a knee-jerk reaction in responding to the economic situation confronting us. If this bill is passed and the government is allowed to include superannuation income in the income test for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, it will jeopardise the eligibility of many who have come to rely on it.

Sophie Mirabella: on Defence Capability

2009-03-19T15:02:00.001+11:00

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to talk about a very important matter that goes to the core of government’s role, and that is Australia’s defence capability. Defence needs to be deployable, equipped and supplied to do its job. In order to be deployable, equipped and supplied to do its job, Defence needs some sort of indigenous capacity for local manufacture—it just makes sense. Defence is not like any other arm of government or any other government department—the member for Charlton sitting at the table opposite knows something about defence procurement. If our forces are to have certainty and the quality needed to do their job then we need to ensure that our government takes specific steps to ensure that we retain some sort of indigenous capacity. If we do not, and we outsource everything overseas, then we may as well give the game away.

We cannot rely on some bean counter in Canberra to say, ‘It is cheaper in China; let’s go offshore.’ For Defence, this is too simplistic and it is far too dangerous. Take, for example, the product that I am very proud to say is manufactured in my electorate by Bruck Textiles. They are in Wangaratta and they are not going offshore—one of the few textile manufacturers who have consolidated their position over the last few years in difficult circumstances that have seen other textile companies go by the wayside. They produce the camouflage material that is used by our forces. It is a chemically treated fabric and it has certain spectral qualities.

Imagine if this sort of product were produced overseas. The spectral qualities in the fabric give security to our men and women, who give of themselves and put themselves in danger overseas. How could we be certain that an overseas supplier would never use the information contained in that technologically advanced fabric against our men and women? To a soldier, certainty in the quality of the equipment they use—from the electronics to the uniform—is very important. And it is very important for them to know that our enemies and potential enemies do not have that information.

We would be absolutely foolish to allow the exportation of entire industries overseas. I am on the record on this. Even before I was elected, I campaigned very heavily and argued quite strongly on such an issue. I was pleased to be supported by and to work together with the then candidate for Farrer, Sussan Ley, and Sharman Stone to fight to retain an indigenous capacity to produce propellant in Australia. That has indeed come to pass and the plant at Mulwala is being built.

But we need to know what the government’s position is on Australian workers supplying Australian diggers and emergency services with fabric made in Australia. Do the government agree with their ACTU mates that they do not want to wear foreign made uniforms? I have to tell you this: any soldier fighting for their country would expect to wear a uniform of that country, not one made in Communist China.

I am very proud that we have a textile company like Bruck textiles. They are innovative. They have acquired other businesses whose capacity has disappeared, who have fallen by the wayside. Bruck are prepared to take up some of the slack in other businesses that are currently in trouble and I am very proud that they have made the hard decisions over the years to do that.

Pacific Brands have taken $17 million of government handouts and are now going overseas. The question for the government and for other companies like Pacific Brands is: are Pacific Brands true to their word that they will engage with any genuine buyer of the business divisions with manufacturing sites that are earmarked to close? If they are, they should stick to their word, and the government has a responsibility to ensure that the assurances Pacific Brands have given are genuine. The government needs to give assurances and to make it a high priority to recognise the strategic importance of defence and emergency services textile manufacturing. This government needs to support Australian businesses within our nation which want to grow our jobs, and not reward companies like Pacific Brands who take jobs offshore. (Time expired)

CEC: Why are Australians in Afghanistan

2009-03-19T02:09:00.001+11:00

Media Release 18^th of March 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

Isherwood: Prosecute a real war on drugs, or get out of Afghanistan

On news of the death of another Australian soldier in Afghanistan today, Citizens Electoral Council leader Craig Isherwood asked, “What are our Aussie troops even doing in Afghanistan, given its rapidly growing drug production, and associated organised crime drug-lord rings?”

Mr Isherwood said, “In 2001, the year that the US invaded Afghanistan to oust the ultra orthodox Islamic Taliban which harboured the infamous terrorist group al-Qaeda, Afghanistan produced less than 100 tons of opium. In 2007, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Afghanistan’s opium production was 8,240 tons! US official agencies report an equivalent of 8,000 tons. This is an increase of 80 times the opium production.

“This opium, converted to heroin, generates about US$4 billion to those Afghans who control the drug business and related crime, while the street value in Europe of that heroin is US$132 billion.”

Mr Isherwood said, that the five southern provinces of Afghanistan; Helmand, Nimroz, Farah, Uruzgan and Kandahar produce 80% of the country’s opium, but are patrolled by more than 8,300 British troops in collaboration with a few thousand Canadian and Australian troops.

“What is going on that since 2001 the opium production has skyrocketed, particularly in these British, Australian and Canadian areas?”

Mr Isherwood said, that on 27^th January this year, UNODC director Antonio Costa reported that the world drug trade is so big that it could be considered the most important of all world agricultural markets worth over US$320 billion, and a large proportion of this money is being channelled into the banking systems of Europe.

Lyndon LaRouche’s publication Executive Intelligence Review, which published a best-selling book in 1978 called Dope, Inc. reported in its 27^th February edition, that the flow of drug money into the banking system could be as high as US$1 trillion annually.

Mr Isherwood asked, “Are our troops, with British and Canadian troops, being misused, in effect, to protect the drug lords, and consequently the huge amount of drug money now flowing into the disintegrating, crisis-hit Western banks? If we were to significantly increase our troop numbers in Afghanistan, what’s going to be done to stop opium production from increasing as it has done in the last eight years?

“As we now know, the so-called war on terror was a Bush-Cheney fantasy; what we need is what LaRouche has fought for since the early 1980s—a real war on drugs, using modern technology to wipe out the drug crops, the locations of which are well known, like the opium fields of Afghanistan, or can be easily identified using satellite technology.”

Mr Isherwood concluded, “Unless our soldiers in Afghanistan are going to be deployed for such a mission, they should be brought home, instead of being exposed to danger for no good reason.”

Sophie Mirabella: on Microbrewers

2009-03-18T20:39:00.001+11:00

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the efforts and campaigns of microbrewers right across the country for tax reform. Coming from a small business background myself, I know only too well not only the burden that unnecessary government regulation places on small businesses and how that impacts on their bottom line but also how unfair taxation can be. Isn’t it strange that often it is the smallest businesses that are affected by taxation?

The microbrewers industry has developed significantly. My electorate has seven microbreweries—arguably the largest concentration of any electorate in the country. I will list them, for the information of the House. There is the Sweetwater Brewing Company in Mount Beauty, the Jamieson Brewery in Jamieson, the Buffalo Brewery in Boorhaman, the Bright Brewery in Bright, Bridge Road Brewers in Beechworth, Boyntons Feathertop Winery at Porepunkah and Bintara brewery in Rutherglen.

I would like to inform the House that these breweries have added value in a very real way to the tourist product in the north-east. They have employed people. They have developed the tourist product. They have given visitors yet another reason to come to the north-east. We are blessed with some of the best wineries and wine regions in the country. I know my friend from Mayo would disagree and say that there are significant wineries and wine regions in South Australia, but anyone who has visited the north-east will know that we are blessed with a clean, green environment and we produce terrific wines. Now we produce wonderful beers as well.

The current tax system is a burden on local microbrewers. I support the campaign for change and would like to see a system akin to the WET scheme. Having campaigned for changes to the excise on wine for boutique wineries even before I was elected, I can empathise with microbrewers. They are in the same position as those small wineries were. We had to fight for several years but we were successful in the end, under the previous government. I would hope that, with the efforts of members on both sides of the House who have an interest in rural and regional development and who have a knowledge of the economic advantages that microbreweries are providing not only in their own electorates but around Australia, we can achieve this.

The current definition of ‘microbrewer’ is far too small. It is capped at 30,000 litres. That needs to be removed. The excise tax refund of 60 per cent of excise duty on beer needs to be increased from the current maximum of $10,000 to the same maximum amount as the wine industry producer rebate under the WET, which is $500,000 per annum. That would go a significant way to removing the current restrictions on expansion for microbrewers. It is not going to have a significant impact on government revenue. It is estimated that the proposed changes are going to cost $5 million annually, but that is a very small loss to the revenue compared to the jobs and economic activity that will be generated and the tax revenue that that activity will create.

In the current environment, where jobs are being lost left, right and centre—thousands of jobs—week after week after week, it is encumbent on us to do all we can to remove the impediments of unfair laws, particularly unfair taxation laws, on an industry that has shown that it does have growth. We have seen in recent times that, at a time when there is a decrease of two per cent in employment in larger breweries and the brewery industry generally, there has been more than a 10 per cent increase per annum in employment in the microbrewing sector. That shows a trend and tells us what Australian consumers are wanting to see.

In the remaining time that is left to me, I would like to thank those entrepreneurs—those young people, middle-aged people and the broad cross-section of individuals—who have taken the risk to establish microbreweries in my electorate of Indi. I do enjoy your product, as do many of our visitors, and I will fight with you and on your behalf to get a fairer tax system for you.

City’s plan to buffer ‘crisis’

2009-03-18T17:55:00.001+11:00

Fast-track projects, support local businesses

Written by STEVEN BURKE. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

WORK has begun on a four-pronged strategy designed to help Wangaratta businesses fight their way through the global economic crisis.

Endorsed by Rural City of Wangaratta councillors last night, the strategy has been devised by the board of Wangaratta Unlimited, and is structured around the catchcry "Now is not the time to be timid".

The strategy focuses on the areas of: direct economic stimulation; innovation and entrepreneurship; leadership; and business support.

As part of the strategy, council will attempt to capitalise on government funding to fast-track local projects, including the Ovens Riverside Project, Wangaratta Showgrounds redevelopment and the Centre for Medical Excellence.

A delegation from Wangaratta Unlimited, as well as council chief executive Doug Sharp and mayor Ron Webb, are in Canberra today to lobby the government for support of its projects.

"We are in a position where we can go to them and present these projects that are ready to go," said Wangaratta Unlimited’s Graham Nickless.

"The areas of the economy that are really susceptible would be retail, and certainly the trades areas, particularly around housing construction, which we’re hearing has tapered off a bit."

The board is also approaching the crisis at the ground level, with a mail out in Wangaratta this week designed to give all 1100 locally registered businesses a checklist of the best ways to run their businesses.

Mr Nickless said board members will also participate in a mentoring program with local business owners.

"We’re mindful we’ve got some highly credentialled and experienced business leaders within our board," he said.

"Tapping into that, that skill base and expertise, is invaluable."

Mr Nickless said the strategy was designed to build confidence in local businesses.

"We’ve been a bit heartened that Wangaratta has been cushioned to date," he said.

"We haven’t had the big closures of Albury/Wodonga.

"There’s no question this is a challenging time.

"But this is also a time of opportunity.

"Interest rates have not been at this level in my working life, so there are opportunities for acquisitions."

The strategy also involves a plan to help local retailers attract customers to Wangaratta.

"We are trying to enhance marketing of our retail offer so we try and stop more of our expenditure leakage from our catchment," Mr Nickless said.

"We need to work collaboratively to do this," he said.

In endorsing the plan, councillor Lisa McInerney said local businesses needed to embrace Wangaratta Unlimited’s help.

Cr Rozi Parisotto said she was confident the plan would have an impact.

"This is about us not burying our heads in the sand," she said.

It is understood Wangaratta is one of the first councils in Australia to devise its own strategy to deal with the global economic crisis, and the strategy will form council’s submission to the Federal Government’s inquiry into the impact of the global financial crisis on regional Australia.

Regional plan stirs emotion

2009-03-18T17:51:00.000+11:00

Development shake-up welcomed, attacked

Written by Philip Nolan. - source: Wangaratta Chronicle

A JOINT government plan to re-shape regional development services has come under fire politically but been welcomed at a local level.

The state and federal governments have agreed to close Victoria’s 12 Area Consultative Committee offices by June 30 and move their responsibilities under the Regional Development Australia banner.

The North East Area Consultative Committee has been run out of Shepparton for the past 13 years, with the current chairman being a former principal of Goulburn Ovens TAFE at Wangaratta, Eric Lund.

The Rural City of Wangaratta has also had two representatives on the board, with council’s economic development manager Graeme Nickless having been a member for 13 years, and Wangaratta Unlimited’s Jock Vance also being a member.

Area consultative committees have been the key link between local and state government and the Federal Government in assessing and then obtaining funding for major community projects around the region.

The North East group, headed up by Shepparton’s Shane O’Brien, has been very active in recent years, and has attracted the second highest level of government funding of all ACCs around Australia.

Sophie Mirabella (MHR, Indi) said that doing away with the ACCs meant that the Federal Government was thowing away ties with rural regions.

"What is alarming is that under this plan, the replacement bodies will now be controlled by state government agencies. Federal Labor is just giving their state Labor mates more power to neglect the bush," she said.

Victorian National Party leader, Peter Ryan, said he was concerned that existing ACC staff would lose their jobs and that regional Victoria would lose "a wealth of corporate knowledge on regional development issues".

"For the past 12 years, ACCs have provided a valuable link between government agencies, businesses and the community, helping to stimulate growth and economic activity," he said.

However, Wangaratta’s long-serving ACC member, Graeme Nickless, said that there were many benefits in aligning the regions with existing Regional Development Victoria regions.

"Wangaratta will be part of the Hume region, and with RDV already operating from Wangaratta, this could bring a positive result for the city," he said.

"While the existing NEACC did a wonderful job, there were issues with the crossover of regions and things like border anomalies.

"The fact that the NEACC was very successful in attracting a high level of funding is a measure of its effectiveness, but the new model has a lot of benefits going for it.

"The outcome is pretty much what the Rural City of Wangaratta put forward in its submission to the regional development inquiry last year. We think it will be a good model and hopefully see all three levels of government working together."

Local farmers push for more dam water

2009-03-18T17:39:00.000+11:00

source: Wangaratta Chronicle

20,000 megalitres plea to Minister Holding

UPPER catchment farmers who believe 20,000 megalitres of water should be allocated for farm dams ‘as of right’ have finally put their case to Water Minister Tim Holding.

Minister Holding promised their concerns would be considered in formulating the final report of the Northern Victorian 50-Year Water Strategy, said Upper Catchment Water Committee chairman David Evans.

"It is the first opportunity we’ve had in 10 years to discuss our proposals at the highest decision-making level," Mr Evans said.

At the 45-minute meeting, Mr Evans, Towong mayor Mary Fraser and Victorian Farmers Federation North East chairman James Neary put their case in three parts:

• the economic and environmental advantages of using the available limited water on the originating farm;

• the current disincentives to development of high value irrigated agriculture east of the Hume Freeway; and

• the solution - "as of right" allocation from “new” water, as a result of water savings, for water that has never left the farm, similar to NSW.

Minister Holding questioned the committee’s economic analysis, and discussed the tension between gravity irrigators and upper catchment farmers’ rights to store water that never left their farms.

"We pointed out that in the case of conflict between competing interests, it was the minister’s responsibility to act as arbiter to achieve a fair balance," Mr Evans said.

"We will continue to follow this issue through with the final report and the government’s reaction."

River building isn’t too high

2009-03-16T21:41:00.001+11:00

Development set to get approval, with $565,000 parking payout to council

Written by STEVEN BURKE.

A FIVE storey office tower overlooking the Ovens River will be built in Faithfull Street, if Rural City of Wangaratta councillors follow the recommendations of council officers at a meeting in Wangaratta council chambers tomorrow night.

Council officers have recommended the Mick Lloyd development, to include four storeys of office space and a fifth floor restaurant, be approved, on the provision the developer meets 37 conditions.

An objection to the development was received by council, with Helen Curtis, Hannelore and Anthony Sheehan complaining the height of the building would not be in harmony with the landscape and surrounding buildings.

But council officers have dismissed the objection, after a conciliation meeting was held between council, the objectors, Mr Lloyd and the architect, Jeff Speiring.

The recommendation states the objection is not supported as, at 18 metres, the building will not be the tallest in Wangaratta, with the Wangaratta Government Centre topping the skyline at 21 metres.

"In a streetscape context, it can be viewed as complementing the existing structures," the report states.

"The proposed building stands at 18 metres, however, the fifth storey is set well back with the bulk of the building at four storeys (and a height of) 14.4 metres."

But while recommending an approval, the report pays particular attention to car parking spaces.

The current plan only includes provision for 25 parking spaces, leaving a discrepancy of 65 spaces below what council planning permits require for the site.

In lieu of these spaces, the developer will be required to pay council $8700 per space, for a total of $565,000.

Wangaratta - Consider 7am closing

2009-03-16T21:37:00.001+11:00

Taxi drivers say later, not earlier weekend pub trading, will reduce bad behavior

Written by JEFF ZEUSCHNER. - Wangaratta Chronicle

WANGARATTA Taxis believes expanding, rather than reducing hotel trading hours, could rid the city further of lawless behavior.

Taxis spokesman, Rick Thewlis, said the city’s taxi drivers believe 5am closure is working well, and they don’t favor any push to revert to earlier closure times.

In fact, Mr Thewlis suggested any change should instead be towards 7am closure.

"It’s done elsewhere and it works…it could further help reduce behavioral problems and we would be in a better position to service patrons," he said.

"People are like possums…they see daylight and they’ll go home, without the vandalism."

Rural City of Wangaratta councillors are re-examining 5am trade in light of recent early morning vandalism, and calls by councillor Doug McPhie, himself a former police superintendent, that businesses have "had a gutful" of it.

But Mr Thewlis, who is also a former policeman, said fellow taxi drivers feared a return to 3am trade would create more problems.

"Drivers say it was a nightmare with 3am closure…some 600 people coming out at once from the hotels, screaming for a taxi, getting cranky and then the trouble starts," he said.

"The State Government limits us to running nine taxis and two maxi-cabs, and that isn’t enough to deal with that sort of crowd, particularly when you’ve got a couple that have passengers wanting to go to Benalla or Myrtleford, which is common.

"But with 5am, you have people leaving gradually throughout the night and we’re able to handle the numbers, reducing the prospects of people walking home and causing any issues."

Wangaratta police last week told Wangaratta Chronicle that they had not seen any marked increase in violence since 5am trade was introduced.

"Catch 22" on overseas outsourcing

2009-03-14T15:24:00.001+11:00

Rees pulled into line over outsourcing > LIVENEWS.com.au

NSW Labor has ordered Premier Nathan Rees to stop outsourcing government work overseas.

The NSW ALP administrative committee unanimously passed a motion on the issue on March 6, The Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday. The premier has a week to reply to the motion.
...
Mr Rees, following revelations almost all emergency services personnel uniforms were being made in China, said he feared China would retaliate if NSW stopped the contracts.

"We don't want to get in a tit-for-tat situation in which for example China stopped buying coal from NSW which would mean that a region like the Hunter would be decimated," he said.

Now, there's a "Catch 22" for you.

If our governments are afraid of upsetting our trading partners and consequently our national economy, how can we expect them to stop the banks and big business from doing the same thing

Schools Bullied into merger talks

2009-03-13T16:47:00.001+11:00

Rural schools told to consider option in wake of federal funding

Written by JEFF ZEUSCHNER.- Source: Wangaratta Chronicle

LOCAL rural primary schools are being bullied into considering mergers, Wangaratta’s federal member claimed yesterday.

Sophie Mirabella (MHR, Indi) accused the State Government of using an imminent windfall of federal funding "as a cover to force schools to amalgamate".

The Wangaratta Chronicle has confirmed that Oxley, Milawa, Everton and Whorouly primary school principals were summoned to a meeting earlier this week and asked to discuss the option of all four schools merging into one new school at Milawa.

The merger was prefaced on the basis the Federal Government’s stimulus package could deliver up to $850,000 per school, and a merger could be a good way to maximise educational benefits.

Mrs Mirabella said schools had been given the impression "that discussion of amalgamation is a requirement before federal funds are handed over".

She accused Victorian Minister of Education, Bronwyn Pike, of using the department, through regional directors and regional network leaders, to do the "government’s dirty work".

But Ms Pike, in a statement to Wangaratta Chronicle yesterday, refuted Mrs Mirabella’s allegations and said all schools have access and are entitled to federal and state capital funding.

"There will never be a policy in this government, nor will there be pressure from this government to force school closures or mergers," she said.

"Because of a huge investment in capital funding from both us and the Federal Government we have a huge work program of projects we need to get up and running to deliver new school buildings and jobs in Victoria.

"Labor MPs are out there talking to schools about how they can best use the money, unlike the Federal Opposition members who tried to vote this package down."

Oxley Primary School council met last night and unanimously voted against any merger.

Council president, Dianne Newton, said Oxley was a strong school with 67 students that delivered quality education and remained a valuable asset to the local community.

"Our school is continually ranked well above the state (academic) average and parental surveys indicate a strong level of satisfaction with the school," Mrs Newton said.

"We can’t see any real reason for a merger," she said, acknowledging the four schools do already work together within the cluster group.

Mrs Newton said her school had good facilities with a large multi-purpose shed currently being built, and a bike path now linking the school with the Oxley township.

She said the school would be getting in touch with the other three schools to convey its stance.

• Edi Upper, Myrrhee, Greta, Whitfield and Moyhu primary schools were summoned to a meeting with education departmernt regional office staff yesterday.

Motivation is to help others

2009-03-13T16:34:00.001+11:00

Cr Parisotto included on Victorian Women’s Honor Roll

Written by HARVEY DIKE. - Source: Wangaratta Chronicle

AS a child she would listen to her widowed mother bemoan the lack of assistance and support for Italian migrants.

But as an adult, and mother herself, Rozi Parisotto has spent the past decade making a difference to migrants, and the wider community, to the extent she was this month included in the Victorian Honor Roll of Women in 2009.

Only 20 women from across Victoria were added this year, with the Wangaratta resident’s entry acknowledging her commitment to women in local government and multiculturalism in the region.

She has been a Rural City of Wangaratta councillor since 2000, and is a founder and remains president of the North East Multicultural Association (NEMA).

The association, which has more than 500 members, acts as the ‘voice of multiculturalism’ in the North East, and in 2007, she received the Victorian Government’s Excellence in Multicultural Affairs - Meritorious Service Award.

In addition to lobbying for more female representation on council, Cr Parisotto was the first female president of the Wangaratta Soccer Club, and a regional representative of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria.

"I stood for council, believing in the saying ‘Don’t get angry, get elected’, and because my passion is for people, I work closely with volunteers, and am an outspoken advocate for equality, respecting the rights of people regardless of race, culture and religion," she said.

"NEMA is very proactive in accepting and celebrating this diversity, and has been successful in winning funding to support an ageing migrant community.

"I’m also very passionate about getting women into local government, and was delighted when, in the latest elections, four women were nominated and three were successful.

"I have been involved in a program delivered by GOTAFE facilitating and encouraging a wider participation in local government."

Cr Parisotto is philosophical about her own so far unsuccessful attempts to become Wangaratta’s mayor, and doesn’t believe she’s hitting the glass ceiling that many women encounter in business and government.

"There’s a new way of doing things in council, and that means getting support and running a ticket," she said.

"It’s a challenge, but challenges provide opportunities, and I’ve always enjoyed a challenge."

Ride for true bush man

2009-03-13T16:28:00.001+11:00

Saddle up to honor Frank Ryan: nature’s gentleman

Written by JACQUIE SCHWIND.

A HORSE ride this month will remember one of the district’s last true bush men.

The memory of Frank Ryan, who passed away in July 2007, will be honored by a trail ride, led by nephew Chris Ryan, from Bennies in the Upper Rose River to Frank’s Dandongadale lease on Saturday, March 21.

The ride and unveiling of a plaque the following day has been organised by the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association of Victoria, developed from the thoughts of local farrier, former Rural City of Wangaratta councillor and MCAV member, Neville Wright.

"It was my idea to keep some of our heritage alive," Mr Wright said.

"I really believe Frank’s was the only funeral I’ve been to where the man never had an enemy.

"He was one of nature’s gentlemen.

"He was always well-liked and he would do anything for you."

MCAV’s official journal, Voice of the Mountains (No 31, 2008), speaks of Frank’s cattleman days:

"As a young man, Frank had joined with Alan Bennie and Ian McKay in running cattle in the bush in the Dandongadale River/Little Dandongadale River area as well as holding a lease between the Rose River and the Wabonga Plateau in the Stockyard Creek area," the journal says.

"This latter area complemented the former Soldier Settlement block on Wabonga Plateau that Frank had purchased in 1957.

"Along with clearing the one square mile block, Frank also completed the construction of the partly built double storey log hut.

"Cattle grazing was an integral part of Frank’s life and for many years Frank enjoyed helping his friends the late Don Kneebone and Max Blair move their mobs to and from the Black Range and Bogong High Plains respectively."

Mr Wright, who described Don as "one of our great bush poets", said a tribute plaque to Don, located at Wabonga which is on the market, would be moved to Bennies.

There it will rest on a rock along with a new plaque unveiled in Frank’s memory.

For more details call Mr Wright on 0428 500 398.

Sophie Mirabella: on Regional Telecommunications

2009-03-13T13:09:00.001+11:00

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this morning to comment on a very important aspect of government failure and policy, particularly as it relates to rural and regional Australia. Some on the other side may laugh and mock at the lack of resources. The rhetoric is great: ad nauseam, they seem to get the lines and trot them out like wound-up robots. But people on the ground who live in real towns and cities, not in the make-believe pretend world of spin doctors but in the real world in rural and regional Australia, know some things for certain. One of those things is that this government’s approach to regional telecommunications is an absolute joke. Whether it is through sheer malice that they make the assumption there are swathes of rural and regional Australia who did not vote for them at the last election, therefore why bother, or whether it is through sheer incompetence, it is inexcusable, nonetheless.

Labor’s cancellation of the Howard government’s OPEL contract was an absolute act of political opportunism. It was one of the worst decisions they could have made for people living in rural and regional Australia. And it is not just businesses that need access to the latest in telecommunications—it is schools; it is households; it is emerging online businesses as well, many of which have been successful and are developing in rural and regional parts of the country. But it is very interesting to note that very little has been promised and, in fact, even less can be delivered by this government when it comes to telecommunications in rural and regional Australia.

I would like to read a paragraph from Optus’s submission to the Senate inquiry into the Labor government’s proposed National Broadband Network. They have quite correctly slammed the Rudd government. This is what they said:

The cancellation of OPEL was a lost opportunity for Australian business and consumers, particularly in the bush. Almost 900,000 premises across rural and remote Australia were to have been delivered metro-equivalent services at metro-comparable prices. Many of those premises would have been receiving services now.

Optus’s submission does expose the Labor government’s indifference and inability to actually deliver for country Australia. Kevin Rudd’s approach and that of his minister is shameful. (Time expired)

Country Racing: the last horse home?

2009-03-13T00:32:00.001+11:00

Source: (State MP for Benalla) Bill Sykes Media Release

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes told Parliament this week proposed changes to the Gambling Regulation Amendment (Licensing) Bill are set to have a long term negative impact on country racing now that Gambling Legislation will result in less money going from poker machine revenue to the Victorian Racing industry.

“It is important that we continue to support country racing, and this legislation as it stands at the moment will continue to put pressure on country racing, which puts pressure on country communities, which in turn puts pressure on our trainers, schools and all of those who see country racing as a provider of places to go,” Bill Sykes said.

In spite of assurances by the Brumby Government that the proposed changes would not affect country racing, an independent assessment by Ernst and Young has shown racing to be $600 million worse off, which will have a flow on effect on race clubs throughout regional Victoria. Linked with this is a rationalisation (ie cost cutting) of country racing.

If proposals by Racing Victoria Ltd (RVL) and Country Racing Victoria (CRV) come into effect the consequences for country racing clubs such as Mansfield, Merton and Benalla would impact both socially and economically on those communities.

The Mansfield Shire Council’s written submission to RVL in relation to the proposed changes predicted a loss of 34 jobs and $2.1 million in the Mansfield community.

“That is significant at any time,” Bill Sykes said, “but at a time when our country communities are seeking to cope with the impact of 12 tough years, bushfires and a global recession, it is an appalling state of affairs that further pain is going to be inflicted upon that community for the sake of, in the case of Mansfield, a lousy $30,000 to $40,000 a year.

RVL’s rationalisation process includes the centralisation of horse training to Seymour, thus potentially ending the careers of horse trainers in the Mansfield district.

“I note the success of apprentice jockey Billy Egan at Melbourne race tracks and that on the cover of the Mansfield Shire Council’s submission is a photo of Luke Nolan riding to victory in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield only a couple of weeks ago. That is a product of the training that is available at Mansfield for young riders, indicating that we have something which must be protected at Mansfield,” Bill Sykes said.

The stringent proposed viability measures for picnic race meetings threaten the future of Merton Race Club which has successfully run meetings for over 100 years.

Bill Sykes told Parliament: “The Mansfield and District Equestrian Club stress the importance of the picnic race meeting at Merton to the whole community and to fundraising groups such as it…even the Landcare group at Merton has supplied a letter of support emphasising the importance of that meeting locally.”

The Benalla Racing Club is under pressure from the threat of removal of $120,000 worth of funding, placing its 11 meetings per year at risk.

“I should say that the Benalla Racing Club has a fantastic set-up and that as a sponsor of racing events I look forward to getting into the spirit of racing and to see the benefits of events like the Benalla St Patrick’s Day race meeting for the whole community,” Bill Sykes said.

Bill Sykes concluded by urging the Brumby Government to do more, to make sure they get the legislation right to ensure country racing is not scratched from the field.

EDITORS NOTE: To view the complete Hansard go to: http://tex.parliament.vic.gov.au/bin/texhtmlt?form=VicHansard.adv
SEARCH: Current Member: Sykes Date: 2009 March 10

Bill Sykes MP, State Member for Benalla
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture & Water
Ph: 03 5762 2100 Fx: 03 5762 4478 Mobile: 0427 624 989
Email: bill.sykes@parliament.vic.gov.au

Isherwood: Royal Commission or Royal Cover-up?

2009-03-13T00:24:00.001+11:00

Citizens Electoral Council of Australia

Media Release 12^th of March 2009

Craig Isherwood‚ National Secretary
PO Box 376‚ COBURG‚ VIC 3058
Phone: 03 9354 0544 Fax: 03 9354 0166
Email: cec@cecaust.com.au
Website: http://www.cecaust.com.au

Isherwood: Do not turn bushfire inquiry into Royal Cover-up

The plan to hold the hearings of the Royal Commission into the Black Saturday bushfires behind closed doors smacks of a possible cover-up, to get the Government off the hook, Citizens Electoral Council leader Craig Isherwood said today.

“Royal Commissions have a track record of turning into Royal Cover-ups, by their terms of reference and the way they are conducted,” Mr Isherwood charged.

“Royal Commissions, by their nature only make recommendations, and it is usually only through public embarrassment that governments are forced to act on these commissions findings.

“More than 200 people perished on Black Saturday, and it would be the height of injustice if the Government used its usual PR tricks and bureaucratic processes to minimise public scrutiny of the raw and unadulterated accounts of the fires from affected victims, and the associated causes of the tragedy.”

Mr Isherwood alleged the Government has something to hide:

“It is an undeniable fact that this Government was repeatedly and tirelessly warned, by real bushfire experts, over many years, that a disaster was brewing, because of the political changes to vegetation management.

“It seems that the policy of the Government was to ignore those warnings, because of their ideological commitment to ‘green’ policies.

“Similarly, local government councils, which operate under State Government authority, enforced green policies on the population in the disaster area, which directly increased the risk exposure of the victims.

“Some residents who resisted the green regulations, and through their better judgement took measures to reduce their risk to bushfire, were heavily fined—a measure calculated to keep the rest of the population ‘in line’.

“This is not a scandal, this is a crime. There is no softening of the reality for the victims,” Mr Isherwood declared.

Mr Isherwood announced the CEC was calling for:

A fully-public inquiry, open to all interested parties;
The broadest terms of reference, which include changes to state government policies and practices related to fuel-reduction burns over the past two decades, and how changes to local government council regulations came about, and under whose influence;
Total accountability from anybody, including public servants and elected officials whose decisions are identified as responsible for damage to property or loss of life;
Long-overdue changes to vegetation management, to a safety-first policy, where the populations’ right to protect their persons and property is restored.

MP says 5am trade too late

2009-03-12T17:46:00.002+11:00

Vandalism, excessive alcohol must be addressed by more ‘manageable hours’

Written by Philip Nolan.- Source: Wangaratta Chronicle

ONGOING concerns over Wangaratta’s controversial 5am trading have been raised on the floor of State Parliament.

Ken Jasper (MLA, Murray Valley) has cited problems of excessive alcohol consumption and vandalism by the city’s young people as a reason for need to review state liquor laws.

Mr Jasper was pushing the case to have liquor licensing enforcement controlled by police, rather than the government’s preferred concept of civilian compliance inspectors.

"I believe it is critical that we look at controls in the industry and look to the police to enforce regulations," he said.

Mr Jasper noted that in Wangaratta, at least one venue stays open until 5am.

"In my view there is no need for excessive trading hours within a rural city like Wangaratta or indeed across Victoria," he said.

"We have a former superintendent of police, Doug McPhie, now a councillor with the Rural City of Wangaratta, who is extremely concerned at the extended trading hours in the city.

"Police in Wangaratta tell me some people leave a hotel or alcohol outlet when it closes at 2am and then move from one licensed outlet to another as they progressively close up until 5am.

"The excessive trading hours lead to excessive alcohol consumption, particularly by young people but also by others.

"Recent instances of vandalism within the city, including two instances of damage to fences at St Catherine’s Nursing Home, are of real concern.

"I believe we need to look at restricting the liquor service hours within this municipality, go back to manageable hours and make sure all licensed outlets close at the same time."

Mr Jasper yesterday confirmed that there was a groundswell of opposition in the Wangaratta community to the extended hours.

Related article - Lockout move sparks debate - Border Mail

Print your way out of debt - Zimbabwe style

2009-03-12T01:35:00.004+11:00

Bank to use 'newly created' money

The Bank of England is launching its latest attempt to boost the supply of credit and stimulate the UK economy, using £75bn it has, in effect, created.
It has begun offering to buy £2bn of government bonds from investment institutions and individuals, in the first of a series of auctions.
The aim is to get the Bank's newly created cash out into the wider economy and encourage greater lending.
The Bank said last week it would pump £75bn into the economy, having cut interest rates to an all-time low of 0.5%. It has government permission to inject a further £75bn into the economy if it wishes.

COMMENT: England has gone ahead and printed £75bn of 'counterfeit' currency to pay off their debt - just like Zimbabwe has been doing for years. Every time they release some of that newly minted currency, it surely deflates the value of the existing British Pound (£). BTW in Zimbabwe, Approx 75 per cent of population requires food aid right now

Used in isolation, that might improve Emgland's finances at the global level but it must also weaken the buying power of their own currency. If it does indeed work for the British, it follows that every other country will do the same thing and devalue their own currencies negating the idea in the first place.

Sophie Mirabella: Area Consultative Committees

2009-03-11T22:24:00.001+11:00

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to talk about something that is very distressing to rural and regional Australia and, I know from direct experience, to my part of the world—north-east Victoria and the border with Albury-Wodonga. That is the demise of area consultative committees. The Rudd government’s decision to shut down the network of regional development agencies by June this year will have major consequences, and it has hit our regions and it has hit those who have served on these committees in volunteer capacities very hard. I think one of the harshest things of all is the personal effect it will have.

There are individuals who have volunteered of their time for many years. In fact, some of them have served on these area consultative committees for longer than some people’s marriages survive. Not only have they been told, ‘No thanks; we don’t need you any more,’ they have not even been thanked for the job they have done over these many years. Let us remember that these are volunteers. They include people like Eric Lund, who chaired the North East Victoria Area Consultative Committee, and Shane O’Brien and Joan Ross, also from NVACC. They include Bert Eastoe, who chaired the Albury Wodonga Area Consultative Committee, Ray Hortle—also from AWACC—and all the committee members who have served on both these area consultative committees.

I want to go on the record today and say: thank you. Thank you for going through those mounds of paper and selecting the best local projects. Thank you for helping our councils, other community organisations and individuals develop their applications so they could be the best applications possible—not only to get funding through the Regional Partnerships program but through other government programs. I know that the small-business officers who worked in area consultative committees have gone well beyond their duty in assisting locals, individuals, organisations and local government in putting together applications—for state funding as well. They have been an invaluable resource and they have not been given a ‘thanks’ from the government; they have just been told very hastily that they are no longer needed. This was after they were told there would be transitional arrangements.

Imagine: you have all these volunteers and you have a smaller group of paid staff, who have this extraordinary experience not only with the funding programs previously available but also knowing what projects and needs exist within the regions that they have operated in—and their expertise is not even being utilised in this transitional process. I call on the government to have some sort of small ceremony to acknowledge those who have worked as staff and those who have worked as volunteers—to acknowledge their efforts. It is a small thing to do in return for the efforts that they have put in over many years. It is not just good manners; it is the right thing to do. Quite rightly, some of these people have taken the sudden shutting of these area consultative committees as a bit of a personal slight. The government has not even thanked them, and they have put in so much.

I know many of them will continue to put a lot into their communities in other ways, but I think the government should follow the lead elsewhere and actually provide some sort of job security for local ACC staff. It is interesting that, at a time when the government attacks private enterprise for its lack of job security and its callousness, the government has shown that exact same—worse—callousness in first promising transitional arrangements and then dumping on the staff, at very short notice, saying: ‘No thanks, you’re not even needed for transitional arrangements.’

Thank you very much to the area consultative committees for the money you have helped bring to our region—whether it was for libraries, whether it was to help with telecommunications, whether it was to help with community halls, whether it was to help with the sheds, whether is was to help with childcare centres, whether it was to help with maintaining and learning about our heritage through Ned Kelly restoration works at Glenrowan or myriad other projects. Thank you very much for what you have done. Our communities have been enriched, and we have had the services that otherwise would not be there. I want to put that on the record and I call on the government to follow my lead. (Time expired)

Sophie Mirabella: International Women’s Day

2009-03-11T22:20:00.002+11:00

Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth) Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to respond to the statement by the Minister for the Status of Women on International Women’s Day. I am delighted to have the opportunity to join with the minister in acknowledging International Women’s Day, which of course was last Sunday, 8 March. Australian women do indeed have much of which they can be proud. They have certainly come a long way in the last 100 years. I take this opportunity to applaud the women who are still struggling today in various parts of our nation, within various communities, whether it be in Indigenous communities or in the workforce or in a multitude of other forums in which they are struggling to improve the lot of women generally. Often they are silent volunteers, working hard because of a passion that drives them.

We are all beneficiaries of the efforts of many women who have gone before us. At the same time, however, we should acknowledge that there are many women around the world who do not enjoy the same freedoms that we do. They are denied a proper education, they are not free to make their own decisions, and the laws in their countries do not protect them from violence and abuse. Their position is quite literally worse than that of women in this country more than 100 years ago.

I do not doubt that the minister’s interest and passion in the area of gender equality are genuine, and I thank her for representing the interests of Australian women in such an august forum as the United Nations. But I think it would be a pretty safe bet that last Sunday most Australian women were too busy with their regular weekend activities, preparing for the working week ahead and/or spending time with family and friends to remember that it was International Women’s Day. It is likely an even safer bet that the last thing on their minds as they sat down to Sunday brunch was Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s statements and his crew in Canberra. But it is instructive on this occasion, when women’s issues are highlighted and women’s achievement celebrated, to take stock of exactly how the Rudd government has fared when it comes to delivering on their pre-election commitments to Australian women.

Looking at the big issues that have been nominated by the government, like paid maternity leave, prevention of violence against women and child care, it is safe to say that Labor’s record on these is a microcosm of their approach to government over the last 16 months. It is best summed up as committees, reports, task forces, delays, indecision and, unfortunately, disappointment. I would like to look more closely at some of the issues that the minister addressed at the UN in her speech in March and which she has again reiterated today in the parliament. She stated that Australia is pursuing three key priority areas for advancing gender equality. They are: improving women’s outcomes and financial independence; ensuring women’s voices are heard at all levels of decision making; and reducing violence against women. These three areas are of importance to women in their quest to close the gender gap, but, unfortunately, on closer examination it is quite clear that this Labor government does not leave much to cheer about.

Improving women’s economic outcomes and financial independence is in fact a critical and important objective, but economic outcomes and financial independence often start with the security of a job—whether it is that of the woman herself, her partner or the family on which she relies. The day the current government comes into this chamber and says that they have a real plan for jobs is the day they will have done something to assist women in their advancement to obtaining economic security and relieving them of some of those economic concerns.

The minister highlighted in her speech to the UN that Australia’s maternity payment is equivalent to about nine weeks of the minimum wage and assists with the extra costs incurred at the time of birth or adoption of a child. She spoke of it in glowing terms. I am disappointed, however, that she failed to acknowledge that this enlightened initiative was introduced by the Howard government, albeit under a different name. She also failed to acknowledge that some of her colleagues were not so supportive of such a scheme at the time. In fact, the member for Rankin said in the House on 23 May 2007 in relation to the baby bonus:

I cannot for the life of me understand how any government could come up with such a scheme.

I am pleased, however, that the minister herself can and has publicly acknowledged the Howard government’s initiative in this area.

As to the government’s action on paid maternity leave, I am afraid that the news is not so good. The minister informed the UN of the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into a paid maternity leave scheme but failed to inform UN members that, as reported in the Courier Mail on 23 February 2009:

Senior Ministers have been privately warning interest groups the $40 billion hole in the Government’s budget will make it too difficult to fund the proposed $450 million scheme in this May’s budget.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was talking tough in September last year when he said that it was time to ‘bite the bullet’ on paid maternity leave. At the same time, the Treasurer also said:

We’ve had 12 years of neglect on this, it’s time Australia bit the bullet on paid maternity leave.

They seem to biting bullets all the time but achieving nothing. Even Sharan Burrows said on the ACTU website last November:

The ACTU, unions and thousands of Australian families call on the Rudd Government to include the Productivity Commission’s proposed scheme in the 2009 Federal Budget as a matter of urgency.

Now it is a very different story from this self-styled champion of women. Just last week, as she sniffed the wind and saw that her Labor colleagues were furiously back-pedalling, the ACTU President was quoted in the media as saying:

If it needs to be phased in over a couple of years, that’s a discussion that can be had, but don’t make women wait.

So there is a bit of back-pedalling to support the changed federal Labor policy. Four months ago it was a matter of urgency and now it is fine for us to have a bit of a discussion.

But even Sharan Burrows would probably acknowledge—if only privately—that neither Kevin Rudd or Wayne Swan has made a tough decision since coming to office, and they are quick to blame others when it comes to failing to meet their election promises. Given December’s $10 billion cash splash and the $42 billion spending package announced last month, the coalition has every right to be sceptical of the Rudd government’s ability to deliver on its election commitment of paid maternity leave. With such poor economic management and the racking up of $200 billion debt, it does look increasingly likely that the Rudd government will walk away from its commitment to support families and blame everyone else but themselves. In fact, the Rudd government is so sensitive on this issue that it has gone into hiding and refused to publicly release the final report of the Productivity Commission, which was given to it last week. But did Minister Plibersek include these details in her address? No, she did not.

The minister also told the UN that the government was improving the quality, cost and availability of child care. But did she inform them of the current problems in the childcare industry? No, she did not. Did she inform them that while in opposition she and her colleagues screamed for vacancy data to be released so that those involved in the industry could strategically plan where centres are in critical shortage and where there is an oversupply? I very much doubt it, as the last time such information was released was in April 2007 under the previous government. It is now almost 16 months since the Rudd government came to office and it refuses to release such figures. And where do I even begin to start when it comes to the collapse of ABC Learning? Labor’s incompetence in handling this issue is legendary throughout the industry. People will tell you privately that they are too afraid to name themselves in the media and discuss it because they are afraid of the retribution that will inevitably follow. This has only added to the stress of families and working mothers and fathers around the nation.

Then there was Labor’s election promise to ‘end the dreaded double drop-off’ by building 260 new childcare centres in schools and on public land across the country. What has happened so far? It has taken 16 months, but plans are now underway to build six of these centres. The federal government has budgeted $114 million to build a total of 38 centres over the next four years. The fate of the remaining 222 centres that Kevin Rudd firmly promised apparently rests with the states and territories in COAG, and we all know what a parlous position state Labor’s economic mismanagement has left the states in. Now federal Labor is passing the buck to the states.

Labor’s big promise of universal access to preschool for all four-year-olds has similarly been sent to COAG to be discussed by yet another task force and to be eventually implemented over four years. In the meantime, New South Wales parents are still paying exorbitant fees and the community preschool sector faces collapse due to funding pressures. But at least Labor has a task force in place!

A very interesting article in the Courier-Mail reports that the Rudd government is giving $252 million to the Bligh Queensland government, in the middle of an election campaign, to help fund the building of 240 new kindergartens around that state by 2014. Firstly, I make it clear that the coalition welcomes any initiative that genuinely benefits Australian children, particularly in the area of early childhood development and education. But we should be highly sceptical about an announcement in the middle of a state election campaign, to the tune of $252 million, when the Labor Party cannot come up with any funding for a paid parental leave scheme about which it has built such high expectations. Given that the federal government has, to date, been unable to get no more than six of its 260 childcare centres which it promised off the ground, my hopes for the Queensland government building 240 kindergartens by 2014 are virtually non-existent.

I welcome the government’s promise of a national action plan to reduce violence against women and children, which was sent to a newly formed council. The council has been working hard, going around the country, consulting and genuinely working on what is hoped will be a practical national plan. It recently asked the government for an extension of the December 2008 deadline and it is due to report this month. That is fair enough.

But let us look at what Labor did in the meantime. They callously cancelled the highly effective ‘Violence against women—Australia says no’ public education campaign and they have put nothing in its place. So we have, effectively, had a 16-month vacuum when it comes to public education on violence against women. That is not good enough. I am sure that it is not something that the Minister for Housing included in her address to the UN and, given the collective $52 billion Labor have spent in recent months—(Time expired)

The Kelly Gang is coming to town

2009-03-10T22:28:00.001+11:00

The “Kelly Gang” will come to Melbourne

on Wednesday 11 March 2009

...to push for the re opening of the Glenrowan Railway Station as part of the $500 million upgrade of the North East Victoria Railway from Seymour to Wodonga.

The Kelly Gang (Glenrowan residents) are extremely disappointed that the Department of Transport (DOT) failed to consider the re opening of Glenrowan Railway Station in the original proposal.

Further, when requested to do so DOT failed to consider the impact of a re opened Glenrowan Railway Station on tourism.

Concurrently Tourism Victoria have a multimillion dollar Ned Kelly Interpretative Centre at Glenrowan high on their priority project list and they expect tourism numbers to grow from the current 250,000 per year up to 500,000 to 750,000 per year.

The Kelly Gang will be at the City Square, Melbourne from 10.30am to 12 noon gathering support from people who may visit Glenrowan if a train service direct to Glenrowan was available.

Then the Kelly Gang will proceed to Parliament House, arriving at about 12.30pm to 1pm where they will be met by local MP Bill Sykes and Shadow Minister for Transport Terry Mulder and fellow Liberal-National Coalition MPs.

Later the Kelly Gang will meet staff from the Minister for Public Transport’s Office and senior DOT staff.

Contact:
Paddy Milne 0407 311 899 or Bill Sykes 0427 624 989

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