Mood:  rushed

The famous Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki was a world class geneticist until he got into the history of his discipline. As he tells it (from memory via ABC radio national in the dim mists of time) he found that the leading scientists of the early 20C were pretty much gungho eugenicists and probably racists. As we understood his reflections it was carthartic and he decided to redirect his enormous talents not least advocacy into ecological sustainability.

So we thought of Suzuki when we saw the above advert (7th Feb 2008 p5 The Australian) which manifests a very serious disagreement even into the agri business and global commerce as explain here in the Big Media:

GM ban bolsters state split | The Australian 9th Feb 2008

and

             SA's GM crop ban divides the State
11 February 2008

The issues are further expounded here:

Media Release from Ian Cohen MLC
Friday 8 February, 2008
 
South Australia – new homeland for NSW canola farming refugees?
 
Mike Rann is to be congratulated for today extending South
Australia’s moratorium against the growing of genetically modified
food crops.
 
“Mike Rann’s decision today in favour of an indefinite extension of
their moratorium cuts straight through the GM industry spin coming from
Ian Macdonald’s office here in NSW,” said Upper House Greens MP Ian
Cohen.
 
“They have extended their moratorium because they are concerned about
the damage to their agricultural sector that GM food crops represent.
 
“They want to maintain their clean green image, which their
Government recognises is critical to the marketing of South
Australia’s food and wine products.
 
“If it’s critical in SA, why isn’t it critical in NSW?
 
“The South Australian Premier’s press release also demolishes an
argument repeatedly put to the Parliament here about price premiums for
GM free crops.
 
“Ian Macdonald told the Upper House on the 28th November last year
that ‘Australia is, in fact, not achieving price premiums for bulk
non-GM canola in the international marketplace’ .
 
“Mike Rann today quotes ABARE as indicating ‘that in some of this
season’s markets there were significant premiums for GM-free
canola’.
 
“Farmers in NSW should pay close attention to what happened today in
SA.
 
“Our farmers have been hung out to dry by the NSW ALP, by the Liberal
Party and worst of all by their own people - the Nationals.
 
“SA’s Agriculture Minister is right to warn that ‘we must be
mindful that there’s simply no turning back once the moratorium has
been lifted’,” said Mr Cohen.
 
Further Information: Ian Cohen: 0409 989 466 or Nic Clyde on 0417 742
754

Nic Clyde
Adviser, Greens MLC Ian Cohen
Macquarie Street, Sydney, 2000
Tel: +61-2-9230 3305, Fax: +61-2-9230 2267
Mobile: 0417 742 754
Web: www.iancohen.org.au

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

Media Release from Ian Cohen MLC
Tuesday 5th February 2008
 
Legal advice torpedoes protection for GM-free farmers
 
New legal advice obtained by Greens MP Ian Cohen warns that biotech
companies will still be able to sue NSW farmers for patent infringement
despite the so-called ‘legal liability’ protections negotiated by
the Coalition at the end of last year.
 
“Our advice is that the Gene Technology (GM Crop Moratorium)
Amendment Act 2007 will not protect NSW farmers against patent
infringement actions that may be pursued by biotech companies.
 
“Whilst the amendments will provide some cover for farmers in NSW
courts, it will provide none against the Patents Act which is
enforceable through the Federal Court.
 
“Farmers were relying on the Opposition to make sure they were
protected by a solid legal liability regime. Instead, they buckled under
the Government’s pressure and now farmers are left with a legal Swiss
cheese standing between them and the biotech multinationals.
 
“The Coalition told the Upper House in November of last year that
their amendment would ‘ensure that if a non-GM grower gets GM material
on his property, he will not be liable to prosecution as a result’.
Clearly this is a promise they were never able to make and cannot keep.
 
“It’s no surprise that a Rural Press survey of farmers in October
of last year found that only 27% want the option of growing GM grain
crops. Farmers tell us this is because farm gate benefits remain
unproven and legal liability issues have not been sorted out. In
addition, the community tell us they don’t want to eat GM foods.
 
“Farmers have been sold a dud with these GM canola amendments. The
crop is famous for the promiscuous pollination that makes segregation
from GM-free product impossible. Unfortunately our major party
politicians are equally infamous for their promiscuous pollination of
bad legislation.
 
“The moral majority are right on this one – the only way to protect
against GM foods is to ‘just say no’,” said Mr Cohen.
 
 
Further Information: Ian Cohen: 0409 989 466 or Nic Clyde on 0417 742
754

Which leaves us to ask - What would David Suzuki think about all this as surely one you might trust on such science and ecological concerns of cane toad like GE super weeds jumping fences, hybridising with wild plants, over leaping species boundaries with unknown ripple effects in the very chemistry of life at protein and amino acid level replicated off the DNA itself, of terminator genes annexing farmers to multinational dependence. Even the CSIRO seems to be embroiled in hosting a debate on this matter.

Next best source would be Bob Phelps of the Gene Ethics Network in this debate for 20 years as per Online Opinion listing:

 

Bob Phelps, Bob Phelps is Director of the GeneEthics Network. Author's website: GenEthics Network

We need to take five and consider the future of our GE-free reputation Environment - 13/08/2003 US genetic engineering on the skids Science & Technology - 15/11/2001 Generically Manipulated Optimism: fast track for GMOs October 2000 Feature - 15/10/2000

We managed to contact Bob Phelps and our interpretation of the situation on the real politik dynamic is:

• There are contrived monopolies being contructed with Big Agri Industry parallel movement of 1. $300M private equity (including names like Cornish in a recent Stock & Land, found in Victoria) are gearing up to go on an acquisition crusade, with 2. vertical integration of farming by such as Dow, Bayer and Monsanto to control seed availability and screw the family farmer that way.
• truth telling scientists like John Williams, as a member of the Wentworth Group, and Maartin Stapper recently sacked from CSIRO allegedly for speaking out on GE, allegedly being suppressed (?). More detail The People versus Victoria | newmatilda.com 13 June 2007 by Katherine Wilson

On the pro-GM side was State Treasurer and Innovations Minister John Brumby, a fierce GM food advocate. Below him was Agriculture Minister Joe Helper, by name and nature. Rubbing shoulders with them were Premier Steve Bracks, CSIRO, the DPI, and most of the media.

A complex of industry lobbyists followed including the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) and their PR arms, like the IPA's Australian Environment Foundation (not to be confused with the citizen-supported Australian Conservation Foundation). Driving these were multinationals Bayer and Monsanto, leading the vastly-funded gene technology industry.

And on it went. A squad of vocal scientists in receipt of GM funds were plotted alongside the panel appointed to review the bans. On the panel: the lovable Sir Gus Nossal, who has spoken cautiously in support of GM food crops, and Merna Curnow, who represents the pro-GM Grains Research Development Corporation. (Not much is known about the third panelist, Christine Forster.)

Finally, there was Australia's Chief Scientist, the formidable Jim Peacock: friend of John Howard, founder of GM companies, lodger of contentious GM patents, who recently called those opposing GM foods 'self-serving unprincipled minorities.'

If the whiteboard's pro-GM camp reeked of fiscal and political power, the GM-free side had people power. Celebrity chefs Margaret Fulton, Charmaine Solomon, Maggie Beer and Stefano Di Pieri sat alongside nutritionist and biochemist Dr Rosemary Stanton, epidemiologist Dr Judy Carman, medical scientist Professor Stephen Leeder, and erstwhile CSIRO soil scientist Dr Maarten Stapper, who claimed to have been sacked for speaking out about the dangers of GM crops.

Supporting them were health and environment groups and, well, most people. In every poll taken to date, the public is overwhelmingly opposed to GM food. So are an even larger majority of polled farmers, who don't want GM food crops.

Finally, there were allies like celebrated geneticist Dr David Suzuki, who has said: 'Any scientist or politician who tells you [GM] foods are safe is either very stupid or lying.'

• Premier Brumby in Victoria is a crude 'economic development at any cost' dinosaur as per this [PDF] media release Brumby's GM canola: doomed to fail 5th Feb 2008, just like the blind faith in the growth fetish driving highly controversial dredging in Port Phillip Bay for super container ships (echoing Iemma in NSW at Botany Bay).
• Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits by Big Agri against independent farmers in North America who try and buck the stitch up, or unlucky farmers who get contaminated by GE crops, have been rife in the USA with confidentiality settlement agreements. Refer  Monsanto vs Schmeiser, with Percy Schmeiser, a real cropping expert with his own wikipedia entry 

      Monsanto vs Schmeiser
The Classic David vs Goliath Struggle...

• The European Union have maintained a ban on GE foods apparently as per this report in the New York Times late 2006 which closes down our market there if we go GE

Both Sides Cite Science to Address Altered Corn By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL A proposal to ban the planting of a genetically modified corn strain sets up a bitter war within the European Union. December 26, 2007

• Have no doubt about it, big money politics is in play here as per Katherine Wilson referenced above:

So when GeneEthics (a network of farmers, scientists, foodies and concerned citizens) failed to get studies showing negative impacts of GM into media reports, its supporters raised enough money to buy a series of advertisements in the Grains Research and Development Council's magazine, Ground Cover. After publishing one ad, Ground Cover, dependent on big agribusiness dollars, cancelled five subsequent GeneEthics ads. 'The GRDC is funded by farmers and taxpayers, yet we can't even buy space in their journal. This was the only way of reaching an audience of 50,000 graingrowers,' said GeneEthics executive director Bob Phelps. As Jeffrey Smith's Seeds of Deception documents, this is the norm for scientists worldwide who attempt to publish research showing the negative impacts of GM. The free market of ideas, says Phelps, is free not just to those who can afford it, but to those who agree with it.

Posted by editor at 7:17 AM EADT

Updated: Friday, 15 February 2008 5:16 AM EADT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  happy

Dynamo Dave was an enthusiastic supporter of Tradtional Owner Yvonne Margarula in 1998 in the Northern Territory.

Sadly Dave died of cancer in 2006 here in Sydney. Out of his belongings this historic activist flag was rescued and can be flown today to celebrate the national event of sorry day in Federal Parliament.

We noticed all of SBS, ABC2, 7, 9, 10 carried the live feed. How unusual to see the only dedicated community tv channel so badly under resourced on TVS31 being forced to carry nursing home exercise routine - not that there is anything wrong with that.

ABC 702 radio carried the broadcast and unlike the chamber microphones picked up the crowd in the main hall slow hand clap of Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson. Ouch. PM Rudd looked disconcerted, and Nelson himself looked in real pain at the end of his generally sympathetic speech - trapped by dinosaurs in his own ranks. Jon Faine with the narration for the ABC made it clear later what the noise was.

Here's a Big Media sample:

Kevin Rudd says sorry

Prime Minister apologises to stolen generations.

• Annabel Crabb: Ancient tensions fail to mar apology
• Speech gets standing ovation in Redfern
• Britain urged to back Rudd's apology
• Thunderous applause in Sydney for Rudd's speech
• A nation apologises
• 'Sorry speech was magnificent'
• Long queue to witness Rudd speech
• Family saddened by apology that comes too late for some
• A nation shocked by tales of sorrow
• Protest against intervention
• Welcome ritual marks opening of Parliament
• Tears for those who vanished, never to return
• Mother's regret carried to grave
• Bondi BBQ for live apology
• Rudd's apology revealed
• Finally their voices will be heard
• Slideshow: The day we said 'Sorry'
• Video: A historic speech
• Slideshow: Sorry won't ease shock
• In their own words: Why we should be sorry
• Why I need the apology
• Poll: Rate the apology

In all this emotion we notice the astute and jealous politics of the ALP to own the reconciliation agenda. Whether this is all virtue or self interest we are still pondering. ABC's Chris Uhlmann in the Canberra press gallery also noted the role of calculating wedge in his comments to Tony Jones on ABC TV. Seven's Mark Riley and Ch9 nightly news coverage note some Rudd staffers played to the crowd reaction against harsh aspects of Nelson's speech, rather than keep a bipartisan neutrality.

Highlights for SAM micro web news included the pride and enjoyment of academic Jackie Huggins, and the softer side of very tough minded Marcia Langton on 7.30 last night. Fred Chaney, ex Coalition MP was beaut too. The dead straight to camera apology of PM Rudd with not a blink or quaver. The reference to St Paul which we wrote only recently in our traverse of Brideshead Revisted about action with love over loud words otherwise it's merely a 'clanging gong'.  And even the nerves of Opposition leader Nelson showed how very serious this matter was.

Tragically the Coalition party were vulnerable to this wedge for a long term history of lost opportunity to embrace an ancient and impressive culture though obviously people like former MP Fred Chaney, and ex PM Malcolm Fraser, from that side of politics are absolute champions for cross cultural understanding. We get the impression these two at least are regularly welcomed in fellowship by their Indigenous compatriots. It just goes to show it doesn't have to be that way.

We got the feeling Nelson's spirit was willing and humbled by the event but ambition for his side of politics as traditional land barons got the better of him.

Many years ago we had an appointment in Canberra but by night we had no where to go and no budget either. We crept into the Aboriginal Tent Embassy ready to grovel but it was otherwise deserted. Our boldness came from having visited there with Winiata, and Paul Ferguson, Aboriginal blokes at the Croobyar forest protest on the NSW South Coast in '94. Steve Lalor was our Aboriginal Liasion colleague at The Wilderness Society back then. And then there is young Jimari in our guidance for about a year later in the 90ies.

The moving conversations with elder Guboo Ted Thomas of the NSW South Coast. Meeting Yvonne Margarula at Jabiru courthouse, and her stalwart defender Jacqui Katona both in Sydney.

The rascally kids out at Mootwingee sharing a kick of the footy. The dignified elders down from Cape York. Monkey Mark local rap artist.

Eddie Mabo in our honours law degree thesis in 1989, who changed our jurisprudence.

This is their day for a fair go in their own country.

Postscript #1 14 February 2008

 We took some time to trawl the active comment threads on crikey.com.au not least the absence from the ritual of John Howard, machine man par excellence whose divisive ways finally exhausted Nov 24 federal election 2007. He still has proxies there in the parliament too.

We came across this major reversal Howard suffered early in his prime ministership which we are proud to have helped in our small way:

While we are in cynical mode another thought about ALP virtue overlap with self interest - the northern and western half of the country needs as many willing workers in the booming resources sector as they can train up and get. And there is good precedent for this in the cotton sector in NSW:

7.30 Report - 08/01/2007: Aboriginal Employment Strategy gives ...

Rudd's wife is a very rich re-employment expert. It all seems to add up economically speaking. It does make us wonder this motive of the Howard 'Intervention' in 2007 ongoing also. That Marcia Langton for one says must remain 'hard edged' (as per 7.30 above).

Only the profound morality of the occasion even managed to overwhelm these grasping realities. As we wrote on crikey.com.au threads paraphrasing the literary giant de Lampedusa in The Leopard  'history is often  lost in the retelling, with all the different perspectives and adaptation to the times'. We feel like this is one of those times so big it's nearly impossible to perceive it all. Maybe like God herself. Very emotional.

Posted by editor at 3:15 PM EADT

Updated: Thursday, 14 February 2008 7:13 AM EADT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  caffeinated

Picture: To fit the scheduled sorry day event this week at the national Parliament, Grass Seed Dreaming - like Van Gogh's Sunflowers (series of paintings)  raft of themed works - based on the artist Barbara Weir's experience of hours spent as a child sent to hide in the long grass from the govt man whose job was to take her from her Indigenous family in Utopia, Northern Territory. These artworks can sell for tens of thousands today. As explained here and here and here, and here:

             

             

Specific introduction for today

There have been some usual sly subtexts and gambits in the weekend and recent press, balanced up with some good old fashioned skeptical bollocking of the 2020 Rudd Summit spin vehicle. In short democracy working sort of:

Well the tv scheduling has changed to a much more contested furious remote control button changing situation, but the same shows are back. We don’t have pay tv so the Sky 9am show today is not covered as usual.

The last Sunday Talkies here on SAM micro news website was literally 2 months ago Dec 2^nd 2007 here

sunday-tv-political-talkies-here-comes-dangerous-climate-change-ready-or-not

and notice this late last year too Nov 25^th 2007:

Sunday TV political talkies: (delay in transmission) it’s a new same ol’, same ol’

Media backgrounder

and in modern times

"Bininj culture really strong. You have to look after country. For your grandfather country, like mother country, take care." Yvonne Margarula, Mirarr Senior Traditional Owner.

- the proposed sale of the profitable $15B public energy assets in NSW took a weird turn in the big business friendly Sunday Telegraph: The editorial blathers on trivialising the huge issues of principle and economic justice as mere personal power games. Indeed the cynicism of Costa jumping from Labor Council (now Unions NSW) to a ministerial career back in 2003 or so, and widely held view he will jump in typical ammoral style to big business asap, is somehow reversed (in typical ALP mind f*ck style) as a smear on Bernie Riordan as prominent opponent of the sale. It's all about sewing dissension and disaggregating solidarity in the union movement.

The stories appear offline including the editorial:

- The power struggle over energy sell-off at p89 10 Feb 08 complete with soft PR pics of otherwise reviled Iemma/Costa, and grey haired Riordan under. There's nothing new in the story by Linds Silmalis suggesting she is on the Premier's office drip. It's woeful coverage with 85% of the public against the sale;

- The lights are on but no one's home at p83 which is little more than a union bash, echoing the same anti union folks at Fairfax we covered here

http://www.sydneyalternativemedia.com/blog/index.blog/1787038/power-sale-debate-heralds-neurotic-growth-fetish/

Contrary to the spin in the Big Media we think removal of Iemma and Costa from NSW politics can only be progress for working people.

Mr Riordan's advocacy was quite convincing and credible on ABC Stateline last Friday and that would have hurt Iemma and Costa's agenda:

08/02/2008 Bring It On! The ALP versus Mr Iemma

 John Kaye MP, another vigorous and effective critic refers to "rumours of dealmaking" here 10 Feb 08 (media release)

"For the Greens, public ownership of the retailers is not negotiable.

"Reflecting widely-held sentiments in the environment movement, the party is deeply concerned that the electricity industry will need to change dramatically to slash emissions.

"Public ownership of the retailers is essential to protect consumers from what will be an increasingly volatile and dangerous wholesale market.

"Retailers driven by profit will not be willing or able to work with households to reduce total demand.

"Retailer privatisation would squander opportunities to create a low carbon industry that also makes sure electricity bills don't skyrocket.

"While there are rumours of a deal being brokered by the Labor leadership, we urge all unions and party members to stay firm on protecting public ownership of the retailers.

"Trading off the sale of the retail arms of Energy Australia, Integral and Country Energy to keep the generators in public hands would be a pyrrhic victory.

"We should see this rumoured deal for what it is: an attempt to divide the opposition to privatisation.

"If it goes ahead, there is no doubt that Treasurer Costa or one of his successors will come back and finish off the job," Dr Kaye said.

And Kaye jumped on this from amongst others News Ltd US abandons joint clean coal experiment | NEWS.com.au and ABC Clean coal loses funding in United States - 06/02/2008,  The World Today - Clean coal research hits tax hurdle: Here is Kaye's take on the situation:

Collapse of US clean coal facility another blow to NSW privatisation
 
Media Release: 5 February 2008
 
The decision by the US government to abandon the FutureGen carbon capture and storage project undermines yet another argument for privatisation of the NSW electricity industry, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
 
Dr Kaye said: "A major component of NSW Treasurer Costa's $15 billion privatisation was a massive private sector investment in carbon reduction technologies, which is increasingly looking like the impossible dream.
 
"The Iemma government justifies the environmental risks of long term leasing of the state-owned generators and the sale of the retailers by arguing that it would encourage investment in clean coal technologies to reduce carbon emissions.
 
"The collapse of the world's largest clean coal project makes a mockery of Treasurer Costa's attempted green washing of privatisation.
 
"The Iemma government's sell-off scheme relied on ensuring that the private sector would invest between $3 to $4 billion in retrofitting the state's existing power stations with carbon capture and storage and would pony up the additional money to build new base load generation with low carbon technologies.
 
"The Bush administration has just delivered a body blow to carbon capture and storage.
 
"By pulling their $2 billion investment out of the FutureGen project in Illinois, the US administration has delivered a massive vote of no confidence in clean coal and consequently in Michael Costa's electricity privatisation deal.
 
"The electricity industry in NSW is responsible for 57 million tonnes of CO2 each year.
 
"It makes no sense to hand over 35% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions to private owners when carbon reduction technologies are increasingly looking farcical," Dr Kaye said. 
 For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Minister Macdonald in the NSW Govt has rejected the interpretation but they do sound worried in this undated statement presumably on or about 5th Feb 08.

- big advert from anti Genetic Engineering food campaigners at p5, The Australian 7th Feb 2008. We will write on this in a new article having interviewed Bob Phelps by phone last Friday but more background is here:

GM ban bolsters state split | The Australian

- As explained in greater depth in the segments below the ALP have moved into spin mode defending their "talkfest" 2020 Rudd ideas summit: Queue forms for Ruddfest | The Daily Telegraph. At Insiders segment below:

Discussion of the 2020 summit at some stage: Correctly notes as we did on SAM the 7.30 Report riposte 'conflict of interest' of the media getting involved. Cassidy refers to 'skepticism around' about this talkfest (see media backgrounder above in due course like Nelson to replay public questions as rival claim on public opinion/participation.) Bolt gets in a second fix over what sounded like a revelation that his boss John Hartigan will be participating in the summit, but went on to say it's a conflict of interest being there and criticising later.

And notice our coverage back here:

http://www.sydneyalternativemedia.com/blog/index.blog/1785954/the-trouble-with-mr-rudds-summit/

Certainly is a level of scepticism (with thanks to SMH, link to one of their product adverts):

 

- We did write to Blair along greenie lines re cancer operation pending despite pointed colour coding of the tumour he had removed from his plumbing as green gremlin. We suggested that it would be hypocritical to offer false sympathy but still we offered the Maker might have a Saul/Paul Damascene conversion in store for him if he got through because the green sector does a good line in "redemption". He's running pictures of presumably himself post operation at his personal blog:

It's a matter of record he didn't but this headline does indeed suggest he's been thinking about it. And he does keep refering to correspondence from a greenie hater called Global Warming. Methinks the mountain is moving a bit despite this bravado, and no we don't approve of hate mail even to Tim Blair:

How I survived to fight the Greens another day

 - speaking of News Limited journos spinning off into Weird Joe Hilderbrand appears to be experiencing some existential angst with this dangerously risky flirtation with domestic violence as a suitable topic of satire. 'Things that batter' faux par by Alexander Downer comes to mind. Some things are just not funny: Domestic violence is one of them.

Which is sort of what his side column indulges in too. Attacking Deborah Cameron at the ABC, but why bother? Is Joe getting envious of thethe ABC gig of Telegraph cartoonist Warren, or what? Otherwise we can't explain it except to say Joe is a b*tch. Here he is:

Women aren't funny - am I right? | The Daily Telegraph with side bar offline Ode to the glorious delights of Deborah p87 Feb 9 2008.

To which we just now submit this:

Joe, Joe, Joe.

You seem to be losing your way a bit mate. Very talented writer but why the implied misogyny even under cover of satire? Take a breath mate and step back from yourself a bit. How many female comics literally have careers being funny? Your premise is indeed whacky.

And the flirting with domestic violence - which is oh so real and contemptible in our society - as a suitable topic for satire. I don't get it. You are so not that guy.

Is that writing on the public energy asset sales, a $15B gambit, making you question your place in this institutional world?

And why go at Deborah Cameron who is doing fine. Are you secretly envious of such as Warren with his own gig on ABC? Do you in fact need a change my friend?

- If you ever had any doubt about the broad social support for reaching out to Aboriginal Australians this week it's the matriarch of famous son Rupert Murdoch who controls the News Corp global media behemoth in surely an authorised picture. Any News Ltd journo who doesn't take the hint doesn't want to keep their job, run in rival Fairfax too:

 

- A variant on the 2020 ALP PR gambit to mind f*ck the public intellectual life of the nation via vain flattery, rather than focus on heavy issues like intractable economic troubles (inflation, skills deficit, reliance on hyper immigration to crank retail and building sectors): It's a "We feel your pain" puff piece on Tanya Plybersek's life work balance feature p78 9 Feb 2008 Saturday Daily Telegraph called Having it all comes at a price (offline)

- Those cynical "fresh food people". Macca ABC radion Sunday morning had a cracking talk back caller who said, dripping with cynicism, that 'the peanuts sold by the fresh food people are from China, not Kingaroy' and  'the oranges sold by the fresh food people are from California not Mildura'. Ouch. Now we see this rather brazen PR sticker inserted in to the Sunday press. It's another weird mind f*ck and cynics might say its easy to show solidarity after it rains:

- In the cynicism stakes what about this deal by western corporations who donate hand over fist to political parties who support bombing Iraq to bits and occupying forever, then offer to be paid in oil to help Iraq pump more oil:

Payment in kind suits oil giants fine, p12 Resources section in Careers of Weekend Australian 9-10 Feb 08.

 

- Meanwhile Glen Milne praises California's Republican Governor Schwarzenegger for his economic clout behind climate friendly economics, back on Jan 21 2008. This is the direct opposite of the oil sands in Canada which is hitting climate policy turbulence: Climate change, economic reality hit oil sands Wall Street Journal via The Australian p27 Thurs 7 Feb 08 (offline).

- That wacky environmentalist James Woodford, down on his south coast hobby farm with gaggle of children, has figured out in his inimitable way that kangaroo meat is better than domesticated bovines or sheep, not realising perhaps that mass production of meat without systemic parasite controls made possible by that very domestication could lead to a further escalation in hydatid to rural communities:

Landline - 23/10/2005: Tapeworm continues to thrive in wild dog ...

Hydatid can be lethal, especially to children and is found in the offal of kangaroos of interest to dogs then to you, and given millions of kangaroos are being gutted each year one does wonder the risk factor.

The wild animal hunting industry don't like to talk about the natural evolutionary pressure always present from parasites (as we wrote here and here) which cannot be nearly as easily managed in a domestic situation. It's all under control they say, but being financially conflicted, they would wouldn't they?

- How green indeed: How green was my campus | The Australian of 30 January 08. A good question for anti green Fred Hilmer busy ruining the green credentials of the UNSW as all bean counters tend to do:

Monday, 19 March 2007

Minister Tebbutt, UN$W under Hilmer $ellout the sustainability business
Mood:  irritated
Topic: globalWarming

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

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

Posted by editor at 8:59 AM EADT

Updated: Monday, 11 February 2008 10:07 AM EADT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  lyrical

For those skeptics of the Heath Ledger career check out his pivotal role in this movie available at most DVD shops. As one wit on YouTube has pointed out, the whole movie was underpinned by his character role as Skip the flawed brilliant haughty entrepeneur of Zephyr skateboards 'based on a true story'. The first image below is a stand alone clip here.

The other images are a full trailer at the link to the collage. Not surprising his friends went to the ocean for his wake - which surely is a metaphor in our dreams and our life for the emotional journey we are all on in some way. We Australians blend in with the ocean, as one, knowing its huge and overwhelming, teaching respect. We have no doubt Heath Ledger was emblematic of coastal and therefore most Australians of his generation.

Posted by editor at 8:14 AM EADT

Updated: Sunday, 10 February 2008 8:56 AM EADT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  a-ok

Recently arisen, how brightly you shine

Addison Road Centre

Senior Management

Position

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Addison Road Centre (ARC) is an equal opportunity employer and values the diversity of its workforce. This means that the person most capable of doing the job will be chosen, without discrimation based on age, sex, pregnancy, disability, race, colour, ethnic or ethno religious background, descent or nationality, marital status, homosexuality, transgender identity, or carer’s responsibility.

The ARC is an independent organisation pursuing the goal of providing a site where organisations and individual practitioners in the arts, culture, community and the environment can work together in a community-owned asset. The ARC aims to be a showcase of how diversity of communities defined either by locality, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, age, ability or interest can operate together to achieve social and environmental outcomes in a context of economic self-sufficiency.

MAIN OFFICE

ADDISON ROAD CENTRE, MARRICKVILLE

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, people with disabilities and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

General Manager – Salary $65K per annum

Job Ref No: GM08/01

Are you an energetic and experienced manager with excellent interpersonal skills and management experience willing to be a central part of a team committed to servicing the infrastructure and administrative needs of clients?

An opportunity is available to join the team of the Addison Road Centre, Marrickville as it moves forward with a vital program of community service.

The General Manager will be a key role in the provision of best practice administrative services for over 40 tenants and 5 staff. You will need to be committed to protecting the interests and dignity of people in a wide range of community activities. The organisation is experiencing strong growth in the demand for its services and is undergoing organisational change. You will be working with the Board of elected representatives to achieve long term change.

Selection criteria:  We are seeking a senior manager with extensive experience in a client service organisation who can demonstrate outstanding leadership and management capabilities. The successful candidate will have experience in significant and successful organisational change and process strategic planning and financial management skills. A sound knowledge of the issues facing community centres on community land are contained in the information package available.

The operations of Addison Rd Centre are located on 3.4 hectares at 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville in the Inner West of Sydney.

The position has a remuneration package of $65,000 per annum.

Inquiries: Yvette Andrews (02) 9569 7633

Information Packages:  Terry Cutcliffe 9518 3709, 0412 590 779

Applications Marked “Confidential” To: Applicants can apply by email to mainoffice@addisonrdcentre.com.au

Closing date: April 1^st 2008

Posted by editor at 6:52 PM EADT

Updated: Saturday, 9 February 2008 8:02 PM EADT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  quizzical

Better late than never!

Alternative Media Group which is a struggling for profit independent press business in Sydney has made it's first tentative steps into the web sphere.

The decidely pinkish AMG notwithstanding the green coloured get up above, and no relation to this SAM website Sydney Alternative Media though our editor did work for AMG 2002-early 2007, has always "wanted to build up their web presence" according to "group manager Chris Peken. In fact this writer urged this approach a few months before the quite mutual fork in the road Feb last year.

So now it is so.

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

On another Sydney front re community media capacity building, the decidedly non profit Sydney Independent Media Centre, highly interactive self publishing website with somewhat national and globalised linkages has announced an open meeting for later in February 2008.

Again no relation to SAM here though we have been a dedicated contributor there too over say 10 years.

Additionally we here at SAM reported recently our webpage view figures up to 19-20K per month up from a previous 11K in December. Time will tell the significance of this jump in readership stats.

Meanwhile, over at the Big Indy taxpayer funded ABC media, somewhat hobbled by balance obligations as opposed to 'truth' obligations, we notice the last Sunday Telegraph was gracious enough to carry a letter from a 20 year ABC veteran senior executive, one Peter Wall of Lindfield. He praised mid morning jockey Deborah Cameron pictured with said letter, and the thrust was similar to our own observation here on SAM 2 weeks back that DC has the capacity and quality professional and personal in terms of standards which is not always the same as ratings. This remains our view as long as she gets the sleep to perform this demanding daily gig.

We presume this is the News Ltd Sunday Tele's way of saying their negative coverage the week before was a mere tickle up care of the brutish commercial sector. As said 2 weeks back "all things being fair which they are not" DC ought to do fine in that tough gig. And cannabilistic reptiles have plenty to move on with too given the general coverage today of Ray Martin embracing freedom from the private equity barbarians at Ch9:

News results for ray martin

NEWS.com.au

Ray Martin quits Nine Network - 3 hours ago RAY Martin last night quit Channel 9 after 30 years as one of the network's biggest stars. Sources said a simmering feud with management led to a final ... Melbourne Herald Sun - 35 related articles » Not the retiring type: Martin quits Nine - Sydney Morning Herald - 24 related articles » Ray Martin resigns from Nine Network - NEWS.com.au - 30 related articles »

Posted by editor at 11:52 AM EADT

Updated: Friday, 8 February 2008 4:35 PM EADT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  sad

www.smh.com.au - Costa's critics short-circuited

Quit now, Labor chief tells Costa - National - smh.com.au

This is the kind of democratic movement on industrial relations in 2006-7 that the big knobs at the SMH would be none too comfortable with - it's economic justice that comes off their shareholders' dividends and senior executive bonuses. And one presumes that's the case with a $15B power sale too - less income for the corporate owners of Fairfax.

There is one line in the Herald editorial that reflects at the core their narrow neurotic capitalist approach to the political economy:

"New capacity is vital if the state economy is to continue to grow; NSW cannot continue to defer its long-term energy future."

This beauty of a sentence captures so many things:

- the sincere, genuine confusion manifested by the non sequitor of long term energy future in the 2nd leg as if it can be guarranteed by "new capacity/economic growth". One only needs to read the most grim foretelling (below) about dangerous climate change to show that this old style growth festish political economics is suicidal.

- For all the populist Eco pages and general environmental news, the Herald is essentially a growth capitalist institutional pillar with overpaid staff and owners, that doesn't get ecological sustainability because otherwise it would be talking about conserving capacity and reducing demand, not feeding the monster;

- the subtext of endless immigration even up to 150 million, as provocation, which just adds to individual consumption problems, underpinning demand which most thinking people have long realised causes a false housing shortage for greater corporate market and profit. Far better to increase our aid and support - like Cuba's medical diplomacy - to other countries than flog to ecological death our own land. Record levels of immigration are in fact out of control, and that's from someone who believes in a coffee coloured multicultural future, higher refugee intake, with all the curiousity, inspiration and hybrid vigour that brings a country (indeed underwrites) economic success. The 'wide wide open door' is a big business racket for such as Westfield retailers and Meriton high rise.

- it echoes the defiant ecological denialism of Costa, a proud 'brown MP' himself degrading the norms of behaviour in the NSW Legislative Council with his boorish rhetoric that the coal industry must expand and that the Green Party have no merit raising their generic concerns in general and on climate specifically. In short the swaggering Costa is a dinosaur on questions of environment and sustainable planning (eg Stateline April 2005) and this is well know: Attack of the Spivs | newmatilda.com

The combined union movement whose business is social capital, who deal in management, control, guidance, service to working people are not so arrogant as to rule out of real politik consideration the warnings of the ecological scientists and green movement especially on climate: Because dangerous climate is the biggest humans rights and security issue going around this 21C (only now being taken seriously by security experts as per ABC's Leigh Sales in her reportage yesterday) along with nuclear weapons proliferation.

Our politicians, captured by big corporate donations (read orthodox market capitalism), are not serving the working people of Australia sufficiently in relation to this climate threat, just as the ultra hierarchical 'corporate' communist party of China is not either with their endless growth projections affecting even their so called Green Olympics.

Deadly Tornadoes Sweep the South

More than 60 tornadoes were reported in the Southern states on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds.

» LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

And don't think we won't see cyclonic impacts on Sydney in our lifetime to compare with Cyclone Tracy. We at SAM believe we will within decades. Imagine what that will do to the power industry and working people. It's the biggest human rights issue of our lifetime but the neurotic Herald hasn't resolved that reality within its own editorial writer's clique.

Take a look at this article that ran in 'The Crimes' ie The Canberra Times earlier this Febuary 2008. It's a very grim foretelling. The ferocity of the lethal twisters pictured above this last few days in the USA just seems to reinforce the point.  

........

To: Subject: [NCEC] Fwd: Climate Code Red Released 4 Jan 2008

recommended reading....

George

Adrian Whitehead <zeroemissionsnow...> wrote:

Hi all,

One of the most important documents to be written for the global
climate campaign has been released on the web.

The document makes the case that the science is being misread and
miscommunicated and that the situation is far worse than most climate
commentators choose to explain, it then looks at appropriate goals and
solutions and argues for rapid reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gas
concentrations now.

Written by David Sprat and Philip Sutton the document is a must read
for any serious campaigner.

Down load the pdf from http://climatecodered.net/

The authors have asked that people do not email the PDF directly but
instead direct others to the website.

Also see article published in Canberra Times below signature block.

Best wishes

Adrian

--
Adrian Whitehead
Coordinator
Zero Emission Network
Level 2, 140 Bourke Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3000
Australia

0403 735 118
www.zeroemissionnetwork.org.au



Canberra Times Article  02 February 2008 - 10:05AM


Report attacks climate policy

Rosslyn Beeby

The Rudd Government's climate change policy has already been overtaken
by new science and will impose a "death sentence" on Australia unless
urgently updated, say the authors of a new report.
Former Victorian government adviser Phillip Sutton and David Spratt,
founder of climate change group CarbonEquity, say the Government's
policy lacks scientific depth and has been cobbled together from
reports now surpassed by new data on the rate and scale of global
warming.
In a hard-hitting report for Friends of the Earth Australia, they
claim the Government's commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions by 60
per cent by 2050 locks Australia into supporting a dangerous 3 degree
rise in global temperature and is based on a United Nations report 12
years out of date.
The Melbourne-based policy analysts also cast doubt on the scope and
relevance of the climate change review being conducted for the Federal
Government by Australian National University economist Professor Ross
Garnaut.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said the review's findings will guide
future policies on climate, but Mr Spratt claims its terms of
reference pre-date the groundbreaking climate change report by British
economist Sir Nicholas Stern.
"The Rudd Government urgently needs to review and update its terms of
reference if the inquiry is to remain relevant, otherwise it's like
batting information back and forth like a tennis match, so the
Government can keep avoiding responsibility," he said.
The report, Climate Code Red: The Case for a Sustainable Emergency,
accuses the Rudd Government of adopting a timid "culture of
compromise" and low expectations in mapping a national response to
climate change.
"We contend that current proposals to establish caps of 2 degrees or 3
degrees as reasonable for avoiding climate change are not being
informed by the likely impacts and expert elicitations, but have been
shaped by the world of diplomacy, political tradeoffs and compromises
driven by narrow, short-term and national aspirations," the report
says.
It urges the Rudd Government to treat global warming as a national
emergency requiring lower temperature targets, tougher emission
reduction targets and innovative energy strategies. The authors say
the greatest reduction in Australia's greenhouse emissions, and the
most economically efficient, can be made by comprehensive energy
efficiency programs and technologies that reduce per capita
electricity consumption.
"The scandal is that sometimes the most energy-efficient domestic
technologies and appliances aren't even on the market, or businesses
and consumers are not aware of the choice."
The report is endorsed by Ian Dunlop, former chief executive of the
Australian Institute of Company Directors, Opposition environment
spokesman Greg Hunt, Australian Greens climate change spokeswoman
Senator Christine Milne and United States policy expert Professor
Dennis Meadows.
Federal climate change minister Penny Wong is attending a climate
change conference in Hawaii and was unavailable for comment.
Mr Dunlop said the report offered a balanced analysis of the
challenges of climate change, "unadorned by political spin" and
proposed a realistic framework to tackle the emergency.
"The stark fact is that we face a global sustainability emergency. But
it is impossible to design realistic solutions unless we first
understand and accept the size of the problem. We know those
solutions, but what is lacking is the political will, firstly to
honestly articulate the problem and secondly to implement those
solutions," he said.
Senator Milne said global warming was now accelerating faster than
scientists had predicted, "leaving policy so far behind it is outdated
as it is released." She said the Greens pre-election climate change
policies, previously viewed as ambitious, were now conservative in the
light of new findings.
"Where then does that leave our new Federal Government, elected on a
platform of climate action far weaker than the Greens?"
Senator Milne said although the Spratt and Sutton report called for
policy makers to set aside politics, she feared "none of the people
now charged with setting Australia's emissions target ... have grasped
that this is a state of emergency ..."

End Article

--
Adrian Whitehead
Coordinator
Zero Emission Network
Level 2, 140 Bourke Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3000
Australia

0403 735 118
www.zeroemissionnetwork.org.au

We are faced with social and environmental collapse within this century due to climate change and global warming. Given what is at stake, to do anything but advocate for the best and strongest chance avoiding this outcome is an act of an immoral and criminal nature.

What we must do is to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions as fast possible by implementing a goal of zero emissions across all sectors combined with undertaking human assisted sequestration options such as re-vegetation and bio char, while supporting natural sequestration. This is the goal of the Zero Emission Network.

We have perhaps 5-10 years to implement these goals or we will face unacceptable impacts and a risk of runaway climate change, hence goals set later than 2020 are meaningless.

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

This ran in Crikey.com.au yesterday:

Electricity services in NSW:

Jenny Haines writes: Re. "Why have Iemma and Costa woken the privatisation gorilla?" (Yesterday, item 10). Iemma and Costa have created this situation, and they can undo it by pulling back from the decision to privatise and giving the whole planning for future electricity services in NSW some more thought. Mark Byrne of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre recently recommended in New Matilda that if NSW wants access to more electricity at peak times, we could build a new power station Iemma and Costa's favoured option); we could source more power from interstate or we could encourage greater energy efficiency. The Owen Report only looked at the need for more baseload generation. Even if we do need more electricity, it does not mean we need another baseload power station. The company responsible for running the $7 billion dollar electricity market in Australia, NEMMCO, recommends using a peaking or intermediate plant. It also suggests paying end users to reduce their demand in peak times. Mark Byrne says that without the need for a new baseload plant, there is no need to privatise electricity in NSW. None of these ideas have been seriously addressed by Iemma or Costa and I suspect that the Unsworth Committee will not address them either. There is a way out for Iemma and Costa and they should take it. Drop the proposals to privatise and consider more options for the future of our electricity system in NSW.

Posted by editor at 9:21 AM EADT

Updated: Friday, 8 February 2008 3:18 PM EADT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  quizzical

We know this area quite well from our years of street press delivery and most recently leafleting for a public meeting at nearby UTS regarding the huge desalination debacle.

In particular we were interested in several coincidences: One is this ugly fire attack in neighbouring Glebe of a Chinese Temple which actually is only about 1 km away and only a week before hand, as per Sydney Morning Herald Jan. 31st reportage (we know this Temple too which is a very nice serene place): 

Burnt out ... fire has damaged Sydney's oldest Chinese temple.
Photo: Andrew Meares

Including:

"Leichhardt police crime manager Peter Bailey said there was evidence of a forced entry but it was too early to say who might be behind the fire that badly damaged an office." 

No wonder the police are all over the firing of Nandos. We saw Police Rescue and Forensics removing some window frames yesterday maybe for tests, as pictured below.

Ultimo is known as a high Chinese Australian area too.

A completely different angle which might not involve ethnic issues at all in this latest destruction is that the shop was robbed earlier that Sunday night according to Edmund Tadros in this report in the Herald:

Blast shop victim critical - National - smh.com.au

In all the stress of that robbery could someone have forgotten to turn off the gas? That would be a very natural error to make, especially if the robbery involved weapons.

Another curious aspect of the Nandos fire and blast is that only 50 metres away opposite is this scene of destruction from the firing of St Barnabas in May 2006 as reported by the Herald again here:

St Barnabas Church in flames in the early hours. Photo: Sky News

We made our own artful photo collage in mid 2007 of 'St Burnabas' (self described):

St Barnabas one year after the big fire
Mood:  spacey
Topic: local news

And yet another curious aspect totally and quite possibly irresponsible speculation is this coincidental (?) state of affairs:

- the Mountain St Quadrangle residential complex over the Nandos is only about 6 or 12 months completed with those 1000 or so resident consumers.

- These 1,000 plus locals would be an important customer base for the fast food chicken retail sector. Nandos intersected the previous pathway of Quadrangle residents to the rival busy Oporto one block closer to Broadway mall complex, which it might be said is looking a little tired. Certainly they will be the retial outlet of choice again now.

We don't say there is any connection at all. But in our cynical mind we do notice the circumstances. We recall a hair dressing competitor who got in the habit of arson attacks by fire on his competitiors:

'Shampoo arsonist' jailed - National - smh.com.au 21 Sept 2007

And yet another potential angle is that chicken shops are fairly notorious for causing smoky fatty emissions (called pyrolysis) onto their closest neighbours - we know this from an Oporto shop dispute, in that case, at North Bondi going some 20 years in our local government days. Here is a sample from SSROC of how neighbours slowly can build up quite a head of steam unless they have really good carbon filtered air scrubbers etc (which cost comes straight off the profit - such that some shops prefer to mostly cook off site and transport in):

[PDF]  Goal To have a healthy community free from the effects of air ...

We took these photographs ourselves yesterday 2 days after the big blast with the acrid smell of fire still quite strong. Windows in the street frontage and Telstra pay phone opposite had already been fixed. Tiny glass fragments still littered the path opposite too:

Posted by editor at 8:07 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 6 February 2008 8:02 PM EADT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  lazy

1. Imre and the Sunday press cover the $15B NSW power privatisation genuinely hanging in the balance. We think the sale is motivated by the wrong reasons - avoid the legacies of bad governance by pump priming cash injection into the political economy via asset sales, leaving the same bad governance when the money is gone. Stories here:

Power privatisation stand-off down to the wire | The Australian

Sparks fly in struggle over private power

We remain suspicious this impending spectacle of an internal ALP meltdown over wanton public asset fire sale was the PR imperative of a national summit diversion yesterday by PM Rudd. Because the sale income will crank the $5B truck tunnel etc in Sydney and allow Rudd to claim action on holy "infrastructure" even if it destroys city wide amenity and health.

1.A Riley Diary on 7 last Sunday back ahead of the other Sunday Talkie shows with summary here:

Amusing mobile phone stuff up by now ex-Speaker Hawker at new federal MP orientation.

 

Satire on Rudd highly repetitive “core” political business promises, re inflation, industrial relations?, infrastructure, climate barely sneaked in, whales no mention

 

Twee Mr Smith goes to Washington

 

 

compared to ALP Stephen Smith foreign Affairs:

 

 [Noteworthy that Cond Rice has balance of power advantage versus neo con hawks re invasion of Iran. Watched the Pentagon Papers with James Spader 2003 and it’s a doozy complete with Life of Gandhi book image.]

 

[Compare Tim Robbins far more cutting view of US politics in  Bob Roberts than Frank Capra's approach - gets a sledge from Gore Vidal in DVD special feature.]

 

.

 

Cute use of black and white footage past to present.

 

Q&A refers to Treasurers Red Book very important information.

 

Sorry to Indigenous People big symbolism first actions tend to define govt. ‘Good moment for the country’, ‘long overdue’.

 

2. Mick Keelty, Australian Federal Police chief gets a bollocking all over the place in the wake of barrister Keim for Mr Haneef being cleared of professional misconduct. Only conservative stalwart Gerard Henderson has a kind and predictably selective word to say. Keelty's bad press seems mainly to have turned on history of political leaking allegedly by, or for, the AFP in the past including the Haneef case. The press see this as a matter of standing up to such bullying tactics to provide political space for a valid defence case: Here's one only broadsheet coverage

Out in the open | The Australian 

We do wonder to what extent the AFP are being smeared for the actions of sections of the Qld police leaking to their journo contacts at Brisbane based Courier Mail as allies of the then Howard Govt. Regardless, Keelty is still wearing it. We do have sympathy for the view based on legal theory that neither side of a big serious terrorism ie criminal law, case should indulge in deceptive narrow leaking which could well contaminate the jury/judicial process. This is distinct from fair neutral reportage keeping the legal system open, justice seen to be done, quite separate one hopes from sly spin and shouting headlines as happened with Haneef.

The main charge against the AFP chief by such as leading Victorian defence lawyer Rob Stary is one of hypocrisy and it does resonate for reasons that will follow:

In other words, the case against Haneef was already being spun against him off the record by government officials. Only then did Keim decide to respond with counter-leaks.

Melbourne lawyer Robert Stary, who has represented a range of terrorism suspects, says Keelty's comments were "breathtakingly hypocritical".

"The usual practice of the AFP in the arrest of any terror suspect in this country is to firstly issue a press release sprinkled with allegations that are either embellished, exaggerated or distorted," Stary wrote in a letter to The Age newspaper. "Often the charges and evidence presented before the court do not reflect those details distributed through the media."

Keelty's criticism of Keim's ethics rings hollow when he has remained silent about those government-sourced leaks that are aimed at working to the AFP's advantage.

Beyond this, Keelty is also media savvy and not shy about engaging in his own modes of spin. He speaks regularly off the record to editors and to certain senior journalists to promote his point of view.

So Keim is justified in saving his client. Editor of legal mag Justinian, Richard Ackland would likely agree as per this disapproving tone:

Look out, reptiles, here come Keelty's size 12s - Opinion - smh.com.au

But we also say our legal system is left quite tatty for open slather leaks which is surely the Big Media self interested agenda. To this narrow extent we agree with Keelty - trial by media by untrained journalistic goof balls is not a safe way forward, Ackland etc excepted.

That being said we add our experience: At a Supreme Court matter over APEC freedom to protest we happened to chat to a barrister bystander. He attended a conference with Keelty as speaker and reported to me comments attributed to Keelty something like: 'I've had discussions with judges

'You don't know what these people [terrorists] are like, what they are capable of. We've not seen anything like this before. We have to change our usual legal approach to meet the threat.'

We wrote about this fairly contemporaneous back in Sept 07:

Big Mick Kelty lobbying the judges out of court 2 years back?

You will notice the reference to passing the card of our barrister source to David Marr (see further below)

If truly out of Keelty's own mouth, on one view it suggests he's been seeking special treatment from the judges outside what's allowed by the legal norms of evidence or parliament. This might play under Howard PM never one much for the rule of law hobbling govt but many including in the ALP Govt probably have a higher opinion of the separation of powers and independence of the judiciary.

We have relayed this experience direct to prominent solicitor Adam Houda based on the concern for integrity of our legal system and his part in that process.

On another view Keelty was simply advocating his cause in open conference mode. But in private conversations away from the public eye? Did it happen? Over to you Mr Keelty.

On another tack top quality writer David Marr submits this last weekend "Top cop, bad time" in Sydney Morning Herald p23. It's offline which is a bit startling in itself. Of significance is:

"High ranking officers talk of colleagues too eager to agree with Keelty, too keen to tell him what he wants to hear".

We call this the daisy cutter hierarchical model of doing things under such as PM Howard.

3. The 'Part 3A Planning Act etc' institutionalised dictatorship of 'Mussolini Sartor' seeking to pump prime any form of ecoomic activity to similarly cover up poor governance of the NSW ALP is gathering a real head of steam. We have a good traverse of this generally unsatisfactory system in the initial sections of our submission to government recently on a very specific developement:

Thursday, 31 January 2008

Saving Maroota environment from open slather sand mining?

Not surprisingly People quite like the amenity of their neighbourhoods and their democracy including at Local Govt level and the backlash is on with the assembled mayors here:

Mayors launch $500m revolt against Sheriff Sartor - National - smh ...

and

Councils are nearing melting point - Opinion - smh.com.au (go Genia!) 1 Feb 2008

and

State tried to pass on contamination costs - National - smh.com.au 2 Feb 08

with another echo in the burb press here (a clownish NSW governance?):

and here targetting MP for Balmain Verity Firth, no slouch in the PR spin game herself (front page of card at top above, overleaf below):

and the govt backlash on the backlash

Sartor threatens to name council hoarders in infrastructure funds ... 2-3 Feb 2008

4. The old dirty game of the ALP patronage machine discipline and support in equal measures depending on green lighting of the destruction of the environment, by the very environmentalists entrusted to protect same, is exemplified here with the rehabilitation of Peter Garrett's ministerial career: It's no accident this has happened in the wake of rubber stamping the dredging of Port Phillip Bay subject of major legal challenge, silence on dredging damage to come at Botany Bay in his own electorate and this:

Garrett gives go-ahead to Gunns to clear land for mill

AM - Garrett back in court over Port Phillip dredging

and SAM report here:

Saturday, 26 January 2008

Peter Garrett PR for Australia Day mixes substance and expedience at Bondi

The career reward is here for these displays of loyalty to the ALP gangsters:

Garrett powers back to climate change action

Don't think we don't know Peter Garrett selling out our environment for your own career advancement. We have exposed Jeff Angel as an ALP trusty in NSW and you won't get anything less. Your choice and your betrayal. You could have joined the Green Party and made a real difference along the party political spectrum. But your ego was too great.

It would be too much to expect Garrett taking any stand against this threat to Blue Whales, the holy grail of conservation of species:

Oil survey explosions a threat to sick whales - Whale watch - Specials

Just as the ALP are ineffective on this:

Sea Shepherd ship out of fuel in whaling chase - ABC News ... 

Japan vows to continue whaling, despite Greenpeace chase - ABC ...

Garrett is a PR champion no doubt as per a a little grab in the Strewth column 31 Jan 2008 about UNESCO listing of convict sites. But the question is whether he is a moral and real politik weakling wholly owned subsidiary of the ALP. There is little doubt in this writer's mind he's in a gilded cage, and must be read down accordingly.

5. Last and definitely not least, in fact probably presaging the end of the world as we know it either ecologically, and or culturally:

 By 2015, China will need half world's resources The Australian 2 Feb 08 p9 inside the careers section

The article quotes Rio Tinto , which is quite revealing given the Stephen Mayne soliliquy this morning just now on 702 radio with jockey Cameron re Rio Tinto 10% shareholding annexed by Chinese giant ChinAlco covertly through the London Stock Exchange. This puts rather a whole new perspective on some sad and ugly local happenings in inner Sydney, just when police and us here at SAM were congratulating ourselves how calm the Australia Day weekend was:

PM - 'Sacrilegious' temple fire rocks Chinese New Year celebrations

Posted by editor at 7:27 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 6 February 2008 8:02 AM EADT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink