Mood:  not sure

This is a cautionary open letter of advice for green and red baiter Andrew Bolt there at the Herald Sun in Melbourne equivalent of the Sydney Daily Telegraph here:

The Age drowning in hype | Herald Sun Andrew Bolt Blog

Dear Bolter 

I saw you scoffing on Insiders , and the scoffing at your scoffing. You scorned this report carrying the picture above: page 1 The Age 2nd June 07 Landmarks at 'high risk' from rising sea levels - National ...

Here is the bad news: Dr James Hansen of NASA (you know, the guys revered for sending man to the moon) has analysed West Antarctica and Greenland with its above sea level ice volume. His advice is that there is accelerated melting via crevasse cracks. It's 1 mm sea rise per year now but NON LINEAR. 1cm in 10years. Then quite possibly double the RATE every 10 years ie 2cms 20 years, 4cm after 30 years. Do the math, by 2100 its 5.11m sea rise. You will see it's right.

A report is here on USA Grist news site  15 May 2007  An interview with renowned climate scientist James Hansen |  

The report on Grist is right next to their face to face interview with your Big Boss Rupert Murdoch on a similar topic of News Corp embracing greenhouse gas neutrality here: An interview with Rupert Murdoch about News Corp.'s new climate strategy  of 16th May 2007

I understand the IPCC report you quote from early this year was based on year or more old data especially omitting crevasse mechanism of accelerated melting data.

Bolter, you are sounding like Saul on the road to Damascus.

Poscript #1 (as posted on Melbourne Indy Media website)

Do the math, and Mother Jones
by Tom McL Wednesday June 06, 2007 at 10:32 AM

in 10 yrs - 1 cm sea rise - cumulative 1cm
.....20 yrs - 2cm ................- ...............3cm
.....30 yrs - 4cm ................- ...............7cm
......40 yrs - 8cm................- ...............15cm
......50 yrs - 16cm.............- ................31cm
......60 yrs - 32 cm...........-....................63 cm
......70 yrs - 64 cm............-...................1.27 metres

That's 2077, when this writer is well gone (112) and a 20 year old will be 90 years old. On this quite possible scenario under Dr Hansen's advice the ocean has risen 1.27 metres I suppose a bit like the image above.

But then it gets really 'interesting' on the last two doublings ie horrific just at the turn of the century, or maybe a 99 year lease (!?)

.......80 yrs - 128 cm.........-....................2.55 m
.......90 yrs - 256 cm.........-....................5.11 cm

What really worries me is this article by Mother Jones with 250,000 subscribers there in the USA which describes some 12 different climate tipping points from Amazon forest etc clearance, to methane release in the perma frost, to God knows what else.

Here is the article and it really should be PG or MA reading:

"The Thirteenth Tipping Point" dated Nov-Dec 2006.
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/11/13th_tipping_point.html

A useful metaphor for the above would be driving a 4 wheel drive down a steep slope in first gear, and if you haven't done driver training, and foolishly, like fatally, put your left foot on and depress the clutch pedal to change to 2nd gear. At this point if you have enough nouse to realise your danger, you have two choices - die at the bottom of the hill or jump out: The gears will never re engage as you gain acceleration at exponential rate of increase. Nor will the brakes and tyre friction overcome the momentum of the car's weight on the skiding slope. The 4WD will crash - 100% certain. That choice is out of your hands from exponential increase in momentum the moment you put the clutch pedal down in a moment of supreme ignorance.

You have to stay in first gear going quietly until you steer to safety. 

When I did driver training as a zoology student in 1987 our instructor made us fold our left leg under the seat so he was sure we young bloods in training couldn't kill him by accident on a bush trail by depressing the clutch in a reflex action. Do you get it Bolter?

Postsript #2

Apparently influential columnist Andrew Bolt in his column June 6th 2007 

Howard's last gasp 

has called in effect for a 6 week time line on removal of PM John Howard to be replaced by Peter Costello .... who as Treasurer took a grilling from Kerry O'Brien of the 7.30 Report last night

Government welcomes strong economic figures 

on why his Cabinet submission to act on climate change was rejected by PM Howard 4 years ago 2003. Costello was very light hearted and patient saying he had "set his course" sounding very much like "I told you so".

Also climate change sceptic Cardinal George Pell has been roundly and collectively repudiated by the NSW ALP - ostensibly on stem cell research, but also the subtext of climate change? One wonders. It would be interesting to know if Pell is quoted in the PM Howard's so called Clever Climate PR advertising package.

It would be quite orthodox for Pell to be in Howard's PR as a trenchant critic of the Greens and their alleged rival religious belief in global warming.

The ALP (federal and state) presumably know they have to neutralise Catholic cardinal Pell prior to the next federal election vis a vis Catholic voters on global warming let alone stem cell research for medical benefits.

And to underline how the climate is the main game PM Howard is in the news today prefacing attempts on a post Kyoto international deal at the Sept APEC in Sydney:

Let's replace flawed Kyoto: PM

MARK DAVIS | John Howard will use this year's APEC summit to try to forge an international consensus on climate change.

Just as Glen Milne has written about this recently: Glenn Milne: APEC makes heavy weather for Howard | Opinion | The ...

Our sense of this is that it's all too late for long time, allegedly indispensible PM Howard.

Posted by editor at 8:33 PM NZT

Updated: Thursday, 7 June 2007 8:29 AM NZT

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Mood:  incredulous

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1626498-2,00.html

Posted by editor at 1:33 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 5 June 2007 3:01 PM NZT

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Mood:  d'oh

 

Picture: Fractals 18 by Polish born Autralian artist Barbara Lichi, showing at Brenda May Gallery till June 23rd 2007, 2 Danks St Waterloo Sydney 

From our 15 years in the green ngo sector and obsessive media monitoring we advise the following:

 First:

The world population is levelling out at about 9 billion by around 2050 says legendary Professor of Biology at Harvard University, Edward O Wilson on an ABC radio national show earlier this year on an alliance with theologians to vouchsafe our future:

Big Idea - 4 February 2007 - EO Wilson and Harvey Cox on Saving ...

Even that is surely too many, but at least slowing down.

Second:

The only proven method of reducing population apart from war or cataclysm or pestilence, which even then is usually short term, is to promote educational life opportunities to the women of society. With such life choices expanded the fertility rate decreases markedly. This is the experience apparently in Indonesia, and certainly in most if not all western countries. More here Green Left - Issues: US feminists debate population control

Conclusion:

So....  if the population pressure can be managed and moderated, then the issue of excessive affluent material consumption remains squarely on the table as well. It's a walk and chew gum kind of reality: There is no avoiding the discipline of a less greedy lifestyle here in Australia, in the West and globally.

Stop being so greedy, seek cultural and spiritual rewards on this earthly strut upon the stage rather than shallow, self defeating materialism per se. Really.

Postscript #1

On cue for World Environment Day, 5th June 2007 Mayor and MP Clover Moore says Sydney will exceed NSW's ecological footprint SOS for a city that's eating itself

Posted by editor at 9:33 AM NZT

Updated: Thursday, 7 June 2007 7:41 AM NZT

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Mood:  irritated

These diagrams below first presented in 1995 reveal the process of landscape conversion of native forest from moist old growth fire resistant type, derived from their closed canopy, to dry sclerophyl bushfire prone regrowth type.

As long as a moisture rich closed canopy is in place a high density of ground cover remains of moderate risk and tends to break down quite quickly as well.

The most severe process of logging disruption of the closed forest canopy has been going on since the advent of high intensity 'integrated logging' for timber but also high proportion of woodchips especially since the mid 1970ies. This was around the time of the advent of bulldozers, other big machines and modern chainsaws.

Thus even if a small proportion of a forest of say 2 or 3% suffers high intensity logging per year, after 40 years of pathworking, close to 100% of the moist micro climate will have been destroyed along with the broken canopy.  It will take maybe a century to re establish the moist old growth closed canopy microclimate across broad areas of forest IF devastating fires don't constantly set the clock back to zero again in a cruel ecological game of snakes and ladders.

That's how grim the situation has become in large areas of forested south east Australia as a result of rampaging logging and greed. Even much contemporary national park has been patchwork logged already prior to reservation in the last 40 years and still to regain closed canopy moisture. Depending on the fire patterns in the future they may never regain that closed canopy and moisture level.

There are many other factors contributing to bushfire such as ignition sources like arson or naturally occuring dry lightning. Climate impact of low rainfall also impacts fire intensity and risk. Ground fuel levels are also very significant.

The diagrams above are based on the following scientific papers:

Cornish PM (1982) The variation of dissolved ion concentration with discharge in some NSW streams, Forest Hydrologist, Forestry Commission of NSW, The First National Symposium on Forest Hydrology, eds. EM  O'Loughlin & L J Bren, May 1982,

Rieger W A, Olive L J and Burgess J S (1982) Behaviour of sediment concentrations and solute concentrations in small forested catchments, University of NSW, Department of Geography, FAculty of Military Studies, The First National Symposium on Forest Hydrology, eds. E M O'Loughlin & L J Bren, May 1982

Stokes R A and Loh I C (1982) 'Sustaining Sensitive Wildlife Within Temperate Forest Landscapes: Regional Systems of Retained Habitat as a Planning Framework', pages 85-106 in Ecology and Sustainability of Southern Temperate Ecosystems, eds. Norton T W & Dovers S R, CSIRO 1994.

Wronski E (1993) Tantawangalo research catchments, Change in water yield after logging, Report to the Forestry Commission of NSW, 1st July 1993

Declaration: The editor/author was called as witness to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry, and briefly to the Coronial Inquiry after the summer 1993-4 bushfires, as a representative of the Wilderness Society in NSW.

..........................

Postscript #1 to and fro with pro logger Mr Chipman in crikey ezine this last week

Posted by editor at 9:07 PM NZT

Updated: Wednesday, 6 June 2007 9:07 AM NZT

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Mood:  d'oh

 Apologies to Spike Milligan for a crib there in the headline turned to a happier subject matter. We had a busy day yesterday

- opening of the chess set at Addison Rd Centre here

  Mayor Hanna to officially open the chess board 11am 3rd June 2007

and on YouTube here Independence Square

- trying to catch up on the press and losing

And why Rudd's Chinese language skills are so critical.

So the USA and Australia (read Howard) have been literally sabotaging the ghg reforms in China by confusing our western markets bargaining position to condition India and China's sales into our market. Shameful stuff.

We made this same point in summary on the Adam Spencer abc radio talkback show earlier this morning too.

.....................

Yes it was bald, yes it was possibly rude, but it was also damn timely and we can't help suspecting the Big Laurie might just have reflected and taken the personal sustainability challenge. Great effort. He said at the time "Another 25 years." with a twinkle and now it looks credible.

As to PM Howard at his Party Council yesterday and fiesty Costello flourishing his fists as if to box on to the election as reported on the ABC vision last night (a nice touch in the coverage): 

If the political community want to crank up the heat in this federal political contest, we submit refer to

- Howard's self description as in effect 'indispensible' which is such an annoying posture to society and real life workplaces. 

- Second Howard's hubris in lecturing even hectoring comment to Australians in effect we "never need a change" presumably until his Coaliton overlords tells us "it is for the better". As the old saying goes PM, we'll be the judge of that.

PS It's not a Garrett recession that we need to worry about. It's nuke apocalypse via sleep walk into a new nuke weapons arms race, resultant nuke detterence on our soil via so called missile defence. That's real, not rodent. Notice Russian, and China here in the news only today 4th June 2007

China's missile warning | The Nation | The Australian

Posted by editor at 10:22 AM NZT

Updated: Thursday, 7 June 2007 10:46 AM NZT

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Mood:  caffeinated

Picture: Today's Murdoch press in Sydney - speaks to Labour tough guys in unions, and to women who want a latter day sensitive new age strong Bruce Willis in their lives. And fair enough too.

This is not a well packaged story. It’s a contemporaneous traverse of the Sunday television free to air political talkies indicating the agenda of Establishment interests: Better to know ones rivals and allies  in Big Politics and Big Media.

Indeed it’s the tv version monitoring task similar to what Nelson Mandela refers to here in his book Long Walk to Freedom (1994, Abacus) written in Robben Island prison (where he was meant to die like other African resister chiefs of history in the 19C), at page 208

For actual transcripts go to web sites quoted below except with Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Media backgrounder:

37 minutes (ie 60 Minutes) is doing a feminism story tonight with Prue Goward MP in the story. She is not promoting environmental side of the portfolio: It’s to amplify the NSW women’s vote against the ALP federally which is a Rudd strength leveraging as best she can through the NSW Parliament which ironically has far more ALP women MPs.

Just as Iemma is going hard against nuke energy in state parliament here in NSW against the Howard policy agenda to harvest votes as well [which we strongly approve of re nuke energy madness]

But women being natural nurturers generally speaking surely have their eye on climate change with revered scientists like NASA’s Dr James Hansen saying its quite possible a 5 metre sea rise in 90 years. We know they took man to the moon, I think we can trust them on the weather.

Additionally, Singapore govt reacting to an emerging new cold war arms race over missile defence with dual use nuke energy a precursor for nuke detterent on Australian soil in 5 to 10 years at this rate of hawkish foreign affairs. Leading to human error and potential apocalypse.

Labour movement folks like the chubby twins in the building union in WA are similarly exposed for allegedy rough behaviour, but it's a joke to think the developers and Howard govt's BACC quasi police body are healthy for democracy with $20K individual fines for going on strike. That's fascism.

-         amusing road runner metaphor by Mike Carlton in Herald rings true on the polls but caution steel of Howard on tv vision Saturday night abc. Never time for change unless its for the better. Elegant riposte

- Stephen Bartholomeusz, Herald business section, column supports go slow and steady on carbon emissions – worthy writer but too narrow like a younger Gittins - who better  realizes the value not just the economic price. That is: no economy on a dead planet, China/India can only sell responsible manufactureds/services into a strong unified regulated market position on carbon by the West. That is we conditionalise what they sell to us, but only once the USA stops sabotaging the rigor of that conditionality.

- beware, beware, beware sleep walking into a nuclear arms race via 'missile defence' with dual use nuke energy then nuke weapon silos here in Australia eg China's missile warning | The Nation | The Australian but also Russia Missile test response to US moves: Putin - Breaking News - World ... and fascinating talk of sleep walk into the same stand off in the 50ies and 60ies Shute's sands of time | The Daily Telegraph

10 Meet the Press 8-8.30 am

McFarlane looking like the dinosaur that he is on climate change. Footage of Howard in penguin suit – nice for the female voters? Or old fashioned?

Mutual sledges Swan and Tuckey.

1st ad break – public education 2nd school visuals Teachers Fed

Panel is Maria Hawthorne AAP (suitably Italian looking, on Italian national day),  Mal Farr Murdoch press.

Farr tackles pro nukes approach as prefaced above – McFarlane hedges, which is sleazy. Clear pro nukes [and will go to weapons too on our soil].

McF plays nuke waste card, alleges shipping container in a general hospital somewhere. Farr tackles him but again hedges – sleazy.

Ignores drawing international waste dump future of MH of AAP.

Sept to Cabinet timeline to repeal laws for a site for waste.

MH strong q re legal advice onto C’th land at say Jervis Bay. Implies public will say yes based on big information campaign.

Nicholson rubbery figures excellent grasp of the politics. That uranium business could get ugly re Singapore and safety South East Asia and USA China emerging cold war over missile defence arms race.

Talent is Will Hutton author re China with good access to Oz media this last week – emphasizes Rudd language skills is the right man at this time at economic expansion of that future super power. Says economic model in China is limited must change.

Big risks – two 1 conservatives reject further engagement of China society to market economy western democracy  2. China buying foreign reserves unsustainable.

What value our example on anything like climate change carbon emissions? Thinks our democracy has made an impression in South East Asia from Japan to South Korea to Indonesia to Thailand. And will affect China.

[Farr question ignores market impact of Montreal protocol of Western market to China’s manufacturing. That’s the real influence.]

Transcript in due course www.ten.com.au/meetthepress

7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary  - Come on 7 time to start streaming this on your website???!!!!

Andrew shows his class noting Mabo 15 years now. Happy Days theme allusion to Howard leather jacket is fair. Union culture re Dean Mighal.

[note Gittins profound column this weekend re less share of profit to workers and trending down – that’s the Howard rodent effect, why Therese Rein is rich (at least in part),  and why Mighal is right to support the Greens financially and politically, bad language or not. What the unions need to remember it's about the women’s vote and fear of crudity in male culture, a very fair concern.]

Q and A: Discussion of Mighel. Note concern about taping of private conversations - I know from 2 years at Media Monitors that they are increasingly an unofficial arm of Big Brother Govt - based in the federal police building Cleveland St Surry Hills.

Increased advertising on national security, lead up to APEC. German extremist protester violence plays directly into this and will run on tv vision tonight as night follows day. Quite foreign to Australia – we hope and trust. [sure enough runs ABC TV prime time, and twice at least 9 Sunday show].

Just as there was increased superannuation advertising all Saturday last night. That’s a lot of money.

Sunday 9

Laurie Oaks looking fitter, well done old man.  Interview with Bob Brown early in show missed the start, 3 seats affected by green preference flows. No threats to Rudd, wants a change of govt. Warns about Steve Feilding types going to Howard.

Fundamentalist party like Family First true based on Assembly of God like Exclusive Brethren nutters.

Greens will take ETU support. Strong on IR - view by Gittins. Bob Brown doesn't swear! Far worse than Dean Mighel.

Summary - don't take us for granted. Interesting choice of talent there by LO.

Feature story on sleep apnea? No actually Big Pharma scandal of safety profile of a sleep drug differential regulatory consumer info in USA and here. Serious gotcha story.

Poll on Therese 84% said yes should sell her business [ which she did "for the country". Bravo Ms Rein. You are a champ.]

tune out for 20 minutes

Important interview with Ray Martin re Middle East China, Iran, Iraq, oil etc Gwynne Dwyer "The Mess they made"

Story on Congo looks good, have to push on though.

http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp

Run G8 protester footage, doesn't have to be APEC sydney. Time for ngo to start a pledge movement for peaceful democracy.

Insiders 2

Talent is Mal Turnbull who constructs a fantasy based on ignoring the lesson of Montreal Protocol - clean up our market destination for Chinese Indian product manufacturers etc leveraging our advanced economy and affluence that they want to sell into, that we can condition, just like CFC, HCFC in the Ozone protecting Montreal Protocol. That's the global template to quote Turnbull back at him. Revealing why he is a late comer to environmental policy development (!).

But he like whales so that counts for something too, tiping that kids hat on the vision last week. (Port Stephens crew in Alaska, bravo)

Turnbull namedrops talent Jon Thwaites Vict Govt Env spokes.

Missed alot of Everyperson segment but green metaphor of golf course background.

Panel says Mal Turnbull mixed message re going global, versus PM going it alone. [ Calls up false premise above of MT on Montreal Protocol economic mechanism discipline on China and India, IF west gets its own policy unified, not least USA post Bush probably.]

Paul Kelly soliliquy: Notes "huge" policy reversal [as per Rudd thesis] re carbon trading. Kelly praises Rudd 60% target. [Kelly has shifted immensely to pro ALP future in his analysis and rhetoric. This trend in place for about 4 weeks now.]

Footage of discipline on Dean Mighel - Kelly likely to be approving - sure enough likes [as per DLP history?]. Comes back to IR policy, and what do?

Panel is Lenore Taylor AFR (still?!), Meglogenis Murdoch press, Bolter Murdoch press.

Panel moves onto reality of increased energy price - moderate increase unlike Bolt argument but will be increase, [so people will start turning off their standby's and use their intellect]. Vigorous discussion, healthy.

LT shows her very appealing side smile for an Irish pudding face, has read House of Lords report mid 2006 [relied on by dinosaur Hugh Morgan, nuke booster] "is not credible".

Rudd footage shows him finding his voice and tone powered up, Howard notices and goes extremely personal, alleged glass jaw, claims lecturing etc. Howard felt and reacted to Rudd sounding ...prime ministerial. [refer West Wing stand in President episode]

Bolt significantly concedes and makes a speech which boosts Rudd - in effect that he is prime ministerial. Congratulations Kevin, you are arriving as per the Sunday Telegraph gist above in the world of the Murdoch Press.

Is he tough enough says Bolt, question has been answered posiitively, a reality Big Kev might not have known himself till now tested, but does his strong nuggety Father proud from all those years ago on the share farm grind. Gotta love that.

Every party has their black sheep grab by Swan again as per 10 above re Tuckey and bumps in rugs (mmm bit close to home here)

Talking pictures on demand video stream usually, very amusing especially Primeval Howard image.

Great footage of Julia Gillard not so much the answer re mind your own business about my personal life, but the fact she looks happy, and can't hide that. This guy Tim is doing wonders for her hair style too, changes and very very telegenic. Applause shows she has moved beyond this focus on her marital status.

Ouch footage of dinosaur McFarlane mucking up his language on currency, echoes the perception of isolationist attitude to energy policy and amateurishness at that international level of cooperation. [compare Rudd expertise, what about other ALP folks, got a second language?]

The Age front pager runs with potential 5 metre sea rise as per Jim Hansen NASA guy best scientific advice.

Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/

Posted by editor at 10:48 AM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 5 June 2007 11:15 AM NZT

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Mood:  sharp

We first appeared in a Commission of Inquiry for the Total Environment Centre in 1992 under the 1979 Planning legislation before Kevin Cleland.

The same Commissioner Cleland in the Visy Pulp Mill Inquiry in   March 1998 as an ngo green party for Friends of the Earth.

In this century we supported the 30 groups of Botany Bay Catchment Alliance such as NOPE and Gary Blashke on ABC radio just now including BBACA participation in the Planning Inquiry by Commissioner Kevin Cleland in 2005.

Trouble is the Cleland report didn't give the pro ALP developers a blank cheque which is what they wanted at Port Botany centralising container freight to the Eastern side of Sydney, ignoring economics of Port Kembla and Newcastle with even more access to greater Sydney.

So the Iemma Govt set up a parallel corrupt planning process with selective pro industry submissions headed up by retired federal MP Laurie Brereton called the Freight Infrastructure Advisory Board. This has been nothing more than a bald attempt to destroy the Planning Commission process. And so far it has been working. It was an industry apologist for this Big Govt/Big Business FIAB we heard on the Trioli Show abc radio show after 10.30 am yesterday, as per the front page Financial Review story May 31 2007 (offline).

It's a corrupt decision to dump transport congestion including noisy sooty diesel locomotives on the inner city 24 hours a day from a corrupt process by a corrupt government effectively repealing the checks and balances in the 1979 Environmental Planning & Assessment Act.

Some strong background on this disgraceful compounding of Sydney congestion is here:

Posted by editor at 11:23 AM NZT

Updated: Friday, 1 June 2007 12:07 PM NZT

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Mood:  incredulous

If ever one needed proof the NSW Parliament is descending into farce it's this picture above. It has a heading which is a take off of our satirical culture jam here of May 28th:

Oh dear, blogster Tim Blair implies climate change worrier Rupert Murdoch is in terrorism denial 

Which in turn was about a satire of the green movement by News Ltd. And on the ripples go. Thus the Telegraph's editor got a bit personal with this yesterday asking what goes on the wall of the Greens?:

And the answer of course is not a stuffed capsicum but beautiful landscapes reflecting the true spirit of this country as with our wall at the SAM office:

Prue Goward MP shadow minister for environment and women has been ticked off apparently for criticising her workplace too much, as if we should all be careful what we wish for now she is actually elected:

Outspoken Goward ticked off Daily Telegraph p2 31 May 2007.

The spin doctors on Trioli show 702 this morning recommend she get focused on the issue de jour namely climate change and it's hard to argue with that even if a speech on women’s concerns is squarely in here job description. It’s just that she jumped the gun and it seemed to many miscued with her characterisation of the parliamnet workplace as sexist.

But we have reasons to add moral support to an otherwise ideological opponent in Ms Goward. For one it's damn good for democracy to have a well functioning Opposition let alone Shadow Environment Minister.

Second if Goward can hit her stride yet she has undoubted depth of intellect, experience and guts. Let’s hope she can get there. In fact we strongly suspect the attacks on Goward, via favoured cipher Simon Benson  here

 Gender imbalance hurts Libs | The Daily Telegraph

 and similarly Greg Smith MP for Epping here

Accusations fly as Power row goes on

are motivated by that understanding, and in fact a back handed compliment. The ALP  wouldn’t be taking the trouble with their psychological violence stock in trade if either Goward or Smith were lightweights. They undoubtedly are not.

We saw Smith in particular on Tuesday at question time in the House and he did well under duress. Not quite as focussed as he might be on the strongest political ammunition but showing a real capacity to speak and think on his feet under sustained pressure.

All the while the real dead cat in the house was the memory of Milton Orkopoulos alleged pedophile and former loyal torch bearer for the ALP, and everyone knows it, which is why the Big press ran the attacks on Smith much lighter than you would expect.

Thirdly Goward is onto something profound about the poorly functioning culture of the NSW parliament. We carefully observed the scene in the Upper and Lower House question time 2.15 and 4 pm respectively last Tuesday first day back in session. In Paul Simon’s words it just isn’t “amusing anymore”. In columnist Matt Price’s words it’s “sad” for democracy in NSW.

In the lower house Iemma was the chief zoo keeper of a fairly mediocre bunch, flourishing as Carr would answering questions with cutting political analysis that Nats State leader Stoner was after Vaile’s federal seat. That Debnam was already counting his leader O Farrel’s numbers. Etc. There is no doubt this is where money and power grinds away but also no doubt most members are vain, adolescent, shallow, ignorant, and sleazy. We were treated to time wasting mundane speeches on otherwise worthy social services and disability topics running the clock down on questions, like a feature film that missed the cutting room.

There was Shoquette Moselmane (ex ALP mayor of Rockdale) too in the public gallery shepherding the visiting dignatories through an otherwise faction ridden closed shop of nepotism. No wonder Premier Morris Iemma sought Independent Torbay MP as speaker to try if he might to improve the process of question time at least. We didn’t notice much improvement.

Iemma provided an example of the sleaze culture himself during the election campaign. Leveraging the photogenic female "yuppie" MPs on his side Kristine Keneally, candidate Jody McKay, Angela D’Amore, Virginnia Judge a tactic care of ex ABC tv reporter Ben Wilson of parading these camera fodder for Premier press conferences. But it was easy for this blogger to tag them as policy bimbos who were not allowed to make a verbal squeak, just stare or smile inanely. That was demonstrated patriarchy. And as soon as we made the point on our blog site the wheels started falling off with Jody Mackay in particular fluffing her lines, as a political yuppie.:

Simon Benson running the female proportionate numbers should be read down for this reason until we see serious policy performance by the ALP sisters.

The cover ups of ALP culture continued too with recently demoted (?) Cherie Burton MP noticeably chatty with Paul Gibson MP as if to prove see he is not a woman beater after all. Then the censure motion of Greg Smith MP former deputy crown prosecutor came up and it was a grim skirmish over who hated pedophilia the most, Smith or the ALP.

When we went over to the Upper House at 4 pm we noticed Marrickville based MLC for the ALP Penny Sharpe enjoying the high dudgeon with the best of the brothers. And they were quite self aware. When an immaculately dressed delegation from the Vietnamese legislature took their seat the decibels dropped 90% and it was all decorum. Up until then increasingly fat hobbling Treasurer Michael Costa was disdainfully and haughtily speaking out loud as speeches proceeded at the microphone.

Much hilarity and play acting over traffic fines through a city motorway tunnel. It was all superannuated charades much worse than the Lower House. If I wasn’t mistaken the only focused individual was Attorney General John Hatzistergos busy with paper work who looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else. The Greens were subdued in the face of all this duopoly gerrymander hidden behind the gallery wall.

And the meaning of all this WW2 Singapore style hilarity just before the Japanese invasion, convincing only to themselves? It’s clearly the lack of real moral purpose of the NSW legislature under the duopoly major party scrapping over an increasingly ecologically unsustainable economy. If it’s not land clearing at Gwydir enraging all thinking people:

Bulldozed: a vital wetland - National - smh.com.au. on 21^st May 2007,

it’s the tragedy of intensified logging on the NSW South Coast running in all the press there:

Bid to overturn nuclear ban - National - smh.com.au

The only person who seemed to exude dignity was the Leo McGarry type figure on the paliarmentary staff at reception of similar age to the West Wing character sorting everyone with that face like a map of the world. We cursed the lack of battery charge in our camera.

And no one asked the question we were interested in regarding affidavit of Treasurer Costa seemingly in breach of his duty to protect the public revenue in the Tim Priest affair:

Costa's affidavit help for Priest - National - smh.com.au

Costa's whistleblower mate wins damages

Let me tell you about the copper deal - Opinion - brisbanetimes.com.au

Ms Goward the Shadow Minister is copping it bad now but NSW is copping it alot worse as regards good governance so we hope she has more success as soon as possible. 

In the longer term the unhealthy two party gerrymander will have to be reformed to get more talented alternative competition into the place.

Postscript #1 June 5th 2007

This story ran on June 3rd 07, 2007 in the Sydney Daily Telegraph causing suitably appalled and incredulous reactions, not realising perhaps that the Iemma ALP Govt have been working to appease and pander to the sporting lobby for most of 2006 and 2007. This is a belated slap down by Big Media with the ALP govt guiltily sitting on their hands. Pathetic really:

Posted by editor at 5:32 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 5 June 2007 4:07 PM NZT

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