Mood:  sad

We haven't seen today's press but radio reports brings back both fond and painful memories of one of SAM editor's youthful adventures complete with malaria (Plasmodium vivax)

This is an entry from our biography at the left side link here:

1/1990 – solo trek of Kokoda Track

We had another map, vertical dimensions not plan style as above, but it got too faded over the last many years. We should have got it laminated not just mounted behind glass. After so much angst we promised ourselves to frame it.

Nor did we take a camera prior to our community media lifestyle.

Our main contribution to this unfolding tragedy is to point out you didn't need to fly to Kokoda and head back to Port Moresby to leave PNG: One presumes tour companies prefer this as arrivals into the country must have an "exit ticket from PNG" and Port Moresby is the only practical international airport near the Track about 30 km from the coastal end. The Track itself is about 100km  length roughly from the coastal start to Kokoda over the Owen Stanley ranges. Longer again up and down valleys.

Our plan was different - of course partly due to budget. We planned to walk the Track and then head further north from Kokoda to Lae on the North Coast, and exit by ship or boat via Bougainville. Our "exit ticket" so called was out of Honiara, not PNG at all, capital of Pacific Island state of Solomon Islands via island hopping from PNG.

Only we got malaria half way on our trip after the Kokoda leg up at Lae (north coast PNG) and had to fly by large jet from Lae (international ?) airport to Port Moresby then back to Australia.

On first arrival in PNG and cultural experience for 2 days in the markets and mini buses of  Moresby noting the red juice on the footpath (betel nut) on there on the south coast we took same public transport from this rambling city to a nearby village called Sogeri near the Track. Sogeri  is also close to a national park (home of tree people). It was middle of summer but still deserted. How sad.

We distinctly remember an inflated price demanded by the bus driver presumably because he thought we must be a rich Anglo. But fact is we sold all our spare stuff, books, clothes, to pay for the trip including our old Peugoet 404 sedan, as well as 3 weeks heavy lifting with a removalist firm. We must have raised our voice in protest but keeping in mind the Lonely Planet caution that shouting is a cultural no no in PNG.

The Track was a challenge. We fell on our arse first 10 metres on slick muddy surface which really hurt with a full pack. It was a serious moment. For a minute we believed this would be impossible. We groped around for a walking staff. We took one shaky step. Then two steps. We can do this! Very character building.

At one point on our Track experience we came to a scary river fjord, with single log to cross. We unbuckled in case we fell in to prevent drowning. We grovelled on backside again and continued on. Later we got lost on the track as per the image above. Maybe it was the initial symptoms of malaria? We stumbled into a creek after striking a hugely painful poisonous prickle bush. We howled until the cold water miraculously washed the pain out. On yet another early morning we passed a guy with a double barrel shot gun over his shoulder. There was a night rained in with a shrieking native bird nearby. There was delicious local freeze dried coffee cowboy brew and chewy roasted corn cobbs in the husk.

We ended up in a village off the track which from memory was Efogi (as per regional map name below). There was a plane arriving there at the village same time the villagers came to greet this lone Anglo. They suddenly left me as they changed direction ululating in excitement as the little plane arrived on the grass oval style runway. Supplies! Later they sold me some food and portered me up the highest point Mt Belamy back on the Track. I was proud but just then very grateful for the help and paid them what I could for their support before they turned back at the top.

We have one amusing memory of a missionary surrounded by porters. Mmm.

The people treated me beautifully on the Track while careful to warn me about murderous raskol gangs (at that time at Kokoda, letting me sleep inside away from trouble).

The trip from Kokoda was also very interesting. Not flying. By road transport, like Charlie Boorman perhaps, in the back of a local villager's ute with other locals, to the local Port of Popendetta/Oro Bay. From there by large Lutheran Ferry to Lae. Then as mentioned large jet flight (Air Niugini) back to Moresby - but only after Qantas who claimed to lose my ticket out of Honiara gave me a substitute ticket back home. Perhaps they were worried I would die of malaria on their counter? The only sympathy came from a local PNG worker.

Did my ticket really go missing? Perhaps ASIS had twigged that a wild Canberra law student was tracking over to Bougainville in the middle of a civil war over Rio Tinto's gold and copper mine?

After getting to Lae and following 6 days and 5 nights of no sleep or food from a stomach bug, actually malaria, and then treatment from Lae hospital and I was barely well enough to walk to and from the plane over the tarmac(s) at Lae and Moresby. Sydney never looked so good.

Posted by editor at 9:35 AM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 16 August 2009 2:02 PM NZT

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Mood:  quizzical

Author’s general introductory note  

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. 

For actual transcripts and/or video feeds go to the programme web sites quoted including Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Other sources of pollie talkies on Sunday include SkyNews paytv Sunday Agenda, Radio National Monica Attard Sunday Profile show. And of course Sunday night shows SBS Dateline, Sixty Minutes and now Sunday Tonight on 7.  

Media backgrounders 

2. Telstra price gouging, with interesting response from the ACCC here especially re unconscionable conduct of Telstra. They say not (see bold added below), but we wonder:

From: ecologya
Sent: Thursday, 23 July 2009 3:39 PM
To: Infocentre
Subject: Complaint form submission [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear Mr McLoughlin, Thank you for your email of 23 July 2009 to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) regarding the $2.20 fee Telstra is now imposing if customers choose to pay in cash. 

The ACCC administers the Trade Practices Act 1974 (TPA) for the purposes of protecting consumers and encouraging a fair and competitive business environment. 

From the information you have provided in your email it is unlikely that the conduct by Telstra would raise concerns under the TPA. If Telstra choose to increase their fees for services, they are free to do so. The ACCC is not a price setting body for goods and services at either the retail or wholesale levels. It does not have a direct role in regulating or setting prices except in the case of products or services that are declared under Part IIIA of the TPA. Internet service provision has not been declared under Part IIIA of the TPA. In these circumstances Telstra is free to determine its own pricing policies and provided that it does this independently it is unlikely to raise concerns under the TPA. 

Generally speaking, companies are free to set the terms and conditions of their contracts. The issues you raise are very specific matters of a contractual nature. While it is not the role of this office to provide legal advice, I would suggest you put your complaint in writing directly to Telstra in an endeavour to resolve your concerns. Should you still be dissatisfied, you may wish to seek independent legal advice on whether civil action might be appropriate. It is up to an aggrieved party to bring a private action if they believe they have suffered loss or damages as a result of any breach of the terms or conditions of a contract. 

Please note however,  that Telstra have included a clause in their contracts with consumers that provides for changes to rates and charges provided that they give reasonable notice of the changes. Clauses of this nature are sometimes referred to as unilateral variation clauses and are not, of themselves, prohibited by any provision within the TPA.   

That said, this office accepts that unilateral variation clauses can be a factor that the Courts will take into account in determining whether a corporation has engaged in conduct that might be considered to be ‘unconscionable’. In this regard s.51ABof the TPA includes a non-exhaustive list of factors which may be taken into account by the court. It should be noted that unconscionable conduct goes beyond normal harsh dealings and all of the circumstances need to be examined to establish whether a contravention has occurred. The Courts in applying this provision have often stated that simply establishing one of the factors listed in this provision is insufficient to substantiate a claim of unconscionable conduct. In this instance, this office is of the view that Telstra’s reliance on a unilateral variation clause to impose the price increase you complain of would not, of itself, result in the transaction being unconscionable. 

It may be of interest to you that Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) administers a code of conduct for the telecommunications industry entitled “Consumer Contracts Code”. Held within this code is specific mention about unilateral variation clauses and it outlines the obligations of telecommunication providers when applying such clauses. To find out more information about this code you can contact ACMA on 1300 850 115 or by visiting their website at www.acma.gov.au. 

In addition, if you are seeking to exit your contract without penalty, you may wish to raise your concerns with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO). The TIO is an independent, non-government scheme which has been set up to assist consumers with speedy dispute resolution with their telecommunication service providers. Consumers should only contact the TIO if they have already attempted to resolve the dispute with the trader involved. The TIO can be contacted on 1800 062 058, or at www.tio.com.au.  

I have recorded the details of your complaint in order to determine whether there is a pattern of behaviour by this particular trader or the telecommunications industry which may raise any broader concerns. Thank you for contacting the ACCC. I trust the above information is of assistance. Yours Sincerely,   FraserACCC InfocentrePh: 1300 302 502 

---

From: ecologya@
Sent: Thursday, 23 July 2009 3:39 PM
To: Infocentre
Subject: Complaint form submission [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

Complainant details

Mr Tom McLoughlin
NSW 2756
AustraliaAge: 45-54
Gender: male

Contact details

Date received: 23^rd July 2009

Product provider: Telstra
Product description: mobile, wireless broadband package

Complaint

I was a commercial litigation lawyer at Baker McKenzie in another life 1990-91. As per my phone message and email to Choice/policy officer Michael Fromme (spelling?) earlier today, Telstra changing their cash payment system adding a fee for EXISTING (therefore no notice) customers [reported on abc Richard Glover radio earlier this week] looks to me like deceptive conduct (breach s.52 Trade Practices Act). How? Because EVEN IF their contracts have fine print to alter these payment systems adding a $2.20 fee for processing casj (I don't know), it's been no fee FOR TIME IMMEMORIAL. It is totally reasonable for people to assume there will ALWAYS be no processing fee for cash. So they should ONLY be allowed to change the payment system for those who enter A NEW contract of service with NOTICE of potential change in payment system and fee. Otherwise the new fee is a deceptive omission to their original contract, and harsh and unconscionable too. For instance I recently took a mobile/wireless internet package, and I like to pay by cash not by the web because I don't trust it's security with account details and want to minimise that exposure as much as possible. If I had known they would change their account payment system with $2.20 fee when I took the contract/s in March 2009 I may well have decided to go with another provider. At least I would have wanted to know their extra fee per month

Additional information

---
IMPORTANT: This email from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), and any attachments to it, contains information that is confidential and may also be the subject of legal, professional or other privilege.  If you are not the intended recipient, you must not review, copy, disseminate, disclose to others or take action in reliance of, any material contained within this email.  If you have received this email in error, please let the ACCC know by reply email to the sender informing them of the mistake and delete all copies from your computer system. For the purposes of the Spam Act 2003, this email is authorised by the ACCC www.accc.gov.au

..............................  

3. Rachel Kohn religious show radio national this morning has farmers suffering ‘climatic but not climate change’. Go figure.

10 Meet the Press:  8- 8-30 am 

Bonge back in the chair. Press roundup conservative manual Sunday Telegraph says spill on Turnbull on  this Tues  

‘Talent’ is Senator Joyce. Runs debt line, won’t afford to pay interest soon (?). ays Turnbull bad 2 innings but won’t condemn. Employment Terminator Scheme, Extra Tax System. Says Penny Wong at her word won’t change. Calls ETS a “political fascinator” [and appears to be ranting] [no reference to science] 

First break is nurses association advert. Panel John Stanely 2UE, Michelle Grattan Age Fairfax – heavy talent. Tackle Joyce on Nats leadership – confirms in spades but leaves timing up in air. Praises current leader. Calms down when black sheep question comes up. Refuses to bag wild Wilson Tuckey.  

2^nd ad break has McDonalds little athletics advert [Sydney Fun Run day, but still not a health food chain]. 

2^nd guest is Senator Christine Milne looking sparkly, advert lead in of senator Brown. Refers to science. Need to avoid catastrophic climate change and ALP want to ‘lock in failure’. 25% cut by 2020 offer. Grattan tests re supporters want compromise, Milne quotes poll majority want Senate to toughen it up. Milne broadens our to forests, energy and more. Says vote winner for Greens. Glacier retreat in South America and Himalaya.  Scenario in double dissolution – how vote? Election will be post Copenhagen and make clear tougher measures needed. Better to strengthen now. How respond to skeptics re big changes here little or no effect globally. Refers to coal exports missing transformational economy (looking a little prozac about it too).

Grattan looks intrigued in the out take, perhaps impressed by Milne too? 

Meet The Press - Watch Political Video Online - Channel TEN.

Riley Diary 7, from 8.40am (clash with Laurie Oakes segment). 

Master Chef Julia Gillard theme. Gist is Gillard is defacto replacement for Rudd and rival. Riley convinced Turnbull will survive, utegate is over in public mind.  http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend   

9 Sunday newshour Laurie Oakes interview 8.40 am 

Christopher Pyne shadow manager of business, refers to parlour game of leadership issues. First 5 minutes about leadership. Ouch. Make that 7 minutes. At 7 minutes moves to ETS due for vote this week.

Pyne manfully plays dead bat in favour of Turnbull and it’s pretty grim stuff grinding it out.

Economy based on RBA latest is doing better than most countries. Claims economic spin by ALP.

Compere(s) sound unconvinced in out take.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/oakes

Insiders 2: 9- 10am

Lead in and package on Turnbull crash out on Godwin Grech false email.

Panel is Middleton sbs, Coorey Fairfax, Milne News corp.

Press round up double dissolution hangs on regulations. Grabs from MTP above. To answer is Penny Wong, price of having a voice globally is legislation at home. [Talks big but comes across as cynical and arrogant as usual about failed green policies to date.]

Wong hangs tough on any discussion with disorganized Coalition awaiting next Tuesday party room meeting.

Attacks Greens on interest of a double dissolution election as political. Assuming high moral ground (as if). Cassidy notes renewable energy tied to ETS should be decoupled. [Brute politics and cynical.]

Take environmental refugees from Pacific? Wong applies mogadon with no decent answer, panders to concerns. [She is like a Chinese panda – all symbolism no action.]

Looking and talking like she is quite cocky and full of herself at Turnbull’s expense.

Vox pop – WA in Perth economy, sledging Coalition, utegate is tedious.

Panel on privileges committee – Milne refers to Gretch evidence of email on 20 Feb, claims it would be on PMO server, but deleted from Treasury. Unless it was sent by Charlton from within Treasury? Or else Grech chose a day that couldn’t be cross checked because of IT crash that day?

Costello lauding over Turnbull on Lateline.

[small interruption here]

Paul Kelly soliloquy – Grech evidence could be a trap for Rudd as well as Turnbull. Leadership is a real issue now. Lists Opposition leaders hitting the wall, Howard, Downer, Costello, Nelson, others.

Panel agrees Joyce appears as Nats leader and no pretense at Coalition unity.

NT ructions, NSW ructions also. Federal redistribution favours ALP in NSW, noted Rudd mild support for Rees recently.

Warren on talking pics great combo – prefer to trek across Antarctica with a backpack of funnel web spiders, than hang with Malcolm.

http://www.abc.net.au/insiders

Inside Business with Alan Kohler 

Refer http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/

Posted by editor at 12:10 PM NZT

Updated: Wednesday, 12 August 2009 9:07 AM NZT

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Mood:  hug me

  Author’s general introductory note  

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. 

For actual transcripts and/or video feeds go to the programme web sites quoted including Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Other sources of pollie talkies on Sunday include SkyNews paytv Sunday Agenda, Radio National Monica Attard Sunday Profile show. And of course Sunday night shows SBS Dateline, Sixty Minutes and now Sunday Tonight on 7.  

  Media backgrounders 

1. Peter Woof (school teacher, Northern Suburbs boy) assaulted by Tony Abbott swinging punch as Sydney Uni Student, for real back in the 1970ies, Glebe Magistrates Court, forced to withdraw charge due to heavy lawyer costs threat. Privilege and aggression all in one incident as the mark of the man, muscular arrogant conservative. Feel free to sue Tony Abbott! Make me rich. 
2. Sleaze jobs for boys(girls) in the long time ALP state governments echoed by Albanese’s seat of Grayndler with no advertisement of general manager ‘s job at Addison Rd Community Centre for some 2 years. A rolled gold scandal, jobs for the sisters Yvette Andrews co author with Meredith Burgmann. Extensively reported here on SAM over 12 months 2007-2008. 
3. Biosecurity Australia on Macca Australia All Over hosing down super flu fear, in wake of swine flu in pigs W shape pandemic, in out, in out potentially worse. But source tells us last week quarantine at Sydney Airport has changed recently, collected boxes from airport, took them to Alexandria, then took them back to KSA to be processed. Completely breaching “bio security” one assumes, all authorized and directed by same customs. What a joke. Source was also alarmed as well as time delays. 
4. Turnbull to respond to elitist gibes with Australian Story tomorrow night. Who knows if it will work.  
5. SAM’s gluten free diet is going quite well. ColesWorth gluten free choc biscuits are choice, as are berry frozen yoghurt and or Weiss ice cream, Dorito regular corn chips, fetta cheese etc. It’s a hard life.  Energy levels and humour are both on the up. Just as well helping run two pro bono legal matters, one social justice for disabled colleague, another to protect section of Blue Mtns World Heritage Area. The former as next friend as they say in the trade, and latter as legal agent as allowed under by L&E Court Act 1979 for a lawyer without a principal. But can’t help thinking we continue to suffer a restraint of trade given qualification back in 1990 and over 2 years real legal work over the years. Regularly have to reject requests for legal help. 
6. ALP conference life time membership to “Yellow Cake Bob” Hawke as per collector’s piece 1980ies lapel buttons produced by Friends of the Earth green group. Hawke for last 10 years has been courting an international nuke waste dump for Australia called Pangea. For real. 
7. Noel Pearson never mentions Howard breach of election promise 1996 for $40M to implement the broadly based consensus of Cape York Land Use Agreement in 1997. This silence was arguably the price of direct Howard/Brough grants to Pearson’s CY Foundation for 5 years??. Very messy indeed, and not so clear where the sleaze ends. Looking as fat as ever too. and such as Noel protege Tania Major on Q &A last week??.True however that the Blackfellas were promised by TWS in Cape York that their ownership would be recognized, from their Land & Rights Indigenous policy of 1993/4 national conference after Mabo (out of Sydney office of TWS and directly supported by this writer at the time – copy around somewhere in due course. Note however this always left open conceivable possibility of campaigning against Black developer owners. The obverse being Yvonne Margarula alliance with TWS, FoE etc say at Jabiluka against U mining there.
8. Ben Sandilands on crikey.com.au says it's Richmond or the bush for 2nd Sydney airport with Albanese in infrastructure, Faulkner in Defence with RAAF base out there near Richmond and note this back in Dec 2007 just after ALP election:

Bonge away, bill in the chair.

Tony Abbott re Battlines book, claims not a job application despite timing of leader Turnbull (very) low in the polls. Grab of Turbull saying did a charity launch ‘clash’ with book launch.

TA says  Footage of celibacy adviser section of book launch speech, first out take.  Panel is Mark Kenny Adeliades News Corp and Toohey AFR/Fairfax. Both fair/good value. Runs local control agenda in health reform.

Toohey tackles finances, response that local funded donations ripped off at present elsewhere, [so clearly about leveraging existing privilege in Liberal local areas]. Toohey tackles financing of superannuants to 70 years – Abbott defends [straight out of West Wing episode Josh Lyman adverts against Republicans working till your 90, but policy is probably valid still re demographics]. Classic people skills (irony) Abbott re ALP conference ALP has no life, with “mogadon” control of PM, “buying popularity with borrowed money”.

Abbott reveals “dubious on climate  change science” but sop to sh*t browns in party in context of agreeing to ETS as can’t win the argument. Out take is Wilcox re PM Rudd cartoon no real action on Health, just cheap talk image true enough. 

Bruce Hawker looking well fed and contented lobbyist is 2^nd guest. ALP conference an “elaborate fundraiser” question ouch, BH argues “presenting a united front [so political presentation to offside Coalition]. Argues ALP united on ETS, how many coalition to make an ETS, no one knows, either do they (cheap laugh?). Addresses [not] sleaze of lobbying in the ALP, rests his defence on non existing transparency.   

Meet The Press - Watch Political Video Online - Channel TEN.

Riley Diary 7, from 8.30am  

ALP protest re Gunns pulp mill, and marine King Neptune etc, then slumber party of the ALP conference, footage of Alan Griffin.  Hawke footage swear over mining Antarctica [to cover his pro nuke, uranium, international waste dump Yellowcake Bob real history. Hawke did help save Franklin River but very mixed bag now.] Direct clash with Laurie Oakes who goes by the wayside by 8.46 am. Not a bad outcome framing united front but boring for the media. http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend   

Only from 8.47 am clash with Riley Diary.

Mostly boiler plate but will have to re watch on web if possible.

Swan comments on fake email affair, and declines to answer but implies seen Auditor General report already.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/oakes

Insiders 2: 9- 10am

Riley Diary style disco beat on ALP Conference, lots of grabs offset with Abbott book launch ‘never said an interesting thing in his life’, not under or overestimate PM Rudd.

Utegate fake email in Australian Story.

Uhlmann report natural evolution of Australian Politics re “dull report”. Notes Arbib vapour trail of a policy.  Technical problems: Return segment: “reversed the polarity” ! Argues Rudd is from but not of the ALP. Says Rudd rejects 108 history of the ALP in power only 13 years (or times? Have to check.).

Go to press round up, press reporting Turnbull met Grech. Weak commentary about Turnbulls on Austalian Story.  Anna Bligh in big trouble re perceptions of ALP cronyism.

Gillard is guest with boilerplate. Rolls out division in Coalition and conspicuous display of ‘unity’ at national conference. Talking about conspicuous cronyism in state ALP governments particularly Qld.

Vox pop with laughter club with pollies as the butt, then into serious Q & A, says will extend lives by 2 years, compared to Govt (in)action on national health reforms.

Arbib debacle in front of SkyNews in speak to set piece Rudd announcement re 50K new green jobs. Noted that he is national convenor of the Right of ALP. Bolt argues Rudd is making Arbib the fall guy for a deceitful policy [as per Greens critique where referred to as a cruel deceit in a ‘coal economy’].

Beattie $500K job in USA argues no cronyism in ALP, payment for access, including business disturbed also. Bolt argues unionist control of green energy assets is sleazy.

Noel Pearson on Qld – outside lobby groups installed in bureaucratic apparatus – Adrian on wild rivers previously Wildlife Preservation Society, Chalco mine lobbyists also. [Noel Pearson never mentions Howard breach of election promise 1996 for $40M to implement the broadly based consensus of Cape York Land Use Agreement 1997. This silence arguably is the price of direct Howard grants to Pearson’s CY Foundation and such as Noel protege Tania Major on Q &A last week??. Very messy indeed, and not so clear. Looking as fat as ever too.]

Talking Pics, pushed back to end of the show now. Health theme Rudd no action [as per Clarke & Dawe].  

Humour takeout UK MP David Cameron too many twits make a twat.

http://www.abc.net.au/insiders

  Inside Business with Alan Kohler 

Uranium coverage.Rod Atkinson with Scottish accent like Dirt Game exec, but exec for ERA in Darwin for real, intro says ERA tripled its profit to $100M plus first exports to China also, [with no guarantee it will go into their nuke weapons or shift along their supplies for same effect].

Note successful Black Green campaign at Jabiluka against expansion of Ranger at Jabiru, including this writer confidential legal report and protester support in Jabiru court [this bit interrupted by 43 bikers shiny machines, not bikies per se]. Cross refers to massive increase at Olympic Dam by BHP there.

Refer http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/

………………………..

Posted by editor at 12:01 PM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 2 August 2009 12:26 PM NZT

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Mood:  rushed

Author’s general introductory note  

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. 

For actual transcripts and/or video feeds go to the programme web sites quoted including Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Other sources of pollie talkies on Sunday include SkyNews paytv Sunday Agenda, Radio National Monica Attard Sunday Profile show. And of course Sunday night shows SBS Dateline, Sixty Minutes and now Sunday Tonight on 7.  

Posted by editor at 12:54 PM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 26 July 2009 1:05 PM NZT

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Mood:  sharp

We have been following the Redgum conservation campaign for some months now: Here are images from our story:

Wednesday, 31 December 2008

Redgum forest decision in Victoria: Time for complementary NSW protection by Minister Ian Macdonald
Topic: nsw govt

Now we look at the record of past forest decisions to get a grasp of what we can expect from the brown ALP in NSW

Picture explanation: What's in a map? This is a secret map the Carr Govt didn't mean to release back in 1999, quite tatttered now after various relocations by the SAM editor. It was obtained from a friendly NSW Resource and Conservation Assessment Council (RACAC) staffer in early 1999 who quickly sought it back but we refused. Viewed with an informed eye it reveals just how hyperbolic Carr's oft boasted 'big national park decisions' actually is.

The final maps publicly released for the Upper, Lower and Eden forest regions don't have this colour detail as above. In the public version they merge the new reserves with the old park reservations to make them look bigger (see for example Upper NE map immediately below). 

Note in the map above carefully the purple/maroon area which shows the actual new national parks by Bob Carr in 1998-9. They are minimal compared to the light green logging areas effectively privatised for 20 years out of public land.

Don't be misled by the dark green areas above. These were parks created by other governments - decades and decades earlier in recognition of the 80 million hectare area of NSW majority cleared and degraded. 

The question has to be asked "Did Carr release more forest for destruction (private logging areas out of public forest) than he saved (new national park)?" The answer must be yes. Current premier Nathan Rees has a very low standard to improve on the record of  Bob Carr in his recent exhortations to save the redgum forests of the Murray Darling River.

Significantly Rees' current chief of staff GraemeWedderburn was also in that role for Bob Carr in 1998-99 and presumably in on the political deceit on the public interest back then.

Simon Santow ran some stories in the ABC radio news yesterday and on flagship World Today as here:

The World Today - Push to save river red gum forests 24/07/2009

The story was spinning off the article about, and opinion piece by, ex NSW premier Bob "akimbo" Carr in the Sydney Morning Herald both front page and opinion piece column:

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/logging-river-red-gums-is-environmental-vandalism-not-job-creation-20090723-duum.html

 and front page here:

A word of advice: Carr tells Rees to save Riverina red gums

And the story is evolving already suggesting an ALP set piece choreography with advance notice to the ALP Govt of the SMH profile pieces:

Rees bows to pressure to stop logging 24 Jul 2009

It's sound politics for the NSW ALP no doubt given Verity Firth MP (ALP) is looking very shaky in her inner west seat of Balmain from so called 'blue' Green Mayor Jamie Parker: A description of Parker by News Corp's Imre Salusinszky, not understanding that Parker (marketing student and promoter of Horny Goatweed in your local ColesWorth supermarket) has always been an adoptee or at the least close ally of 'red Green' Lee Rhiannon MP since his Macquarie University student politician days.

(We well remember meeting Jamie in Rhiannon's parliamentary office foyer years ago and noting a precocious, impertinent, brash and talented individual. We decided to quit the party soon after.)

But News Corp know how to kick the ALP. As the Chinese say, everyone likes to push a falling wall.

 

Being such an accomplished spruiker Carr's Herald foray almost had this writer forgetting the ex premier's real record on forests in 1998 and 1999. How Carr protected:

'only 1/4 of the scientifically assessed areas deserving protection and under threat' according to Dailan Pugh of North East Forest Alliance (see Pugh's report of his below in late 1998).

Here is a sample of green NGO reactions we collected at the time knowing the historical accuracy and significance in the face of a tax payer funded PR machine:

Pugh was also recently quoted in the Australian Weekend colour magazine profile of current federal Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, then a policy adviser on forests to Carr Govt in NSW. He repeated the lowly 1/4  protection figure of true area demanded by the science in NSW. Wong then bailed out to become a South Australian senator, perhaps also knowing the truth would eventually come out in NSW about the forest fraud?

Indeed Carr has always been a dodgy and unreliable voice on the so callled 'programmatic specificity' of government policy. Not just integrity of forest conservation decisions. Famously he banned web archiving of his government press releases.

With a web archive people soon realise how maps of forests conflate publicly owned native forests into "Native forest and hardwood plantation" as per Upper North East publicly released RFA map (above): In other words conversion of public estate to agri industry corporate profit. All in a days work for the now Macquarie Bank consultant ex premier Bob Carr: He may well be a keen bushwalker but at some point like his political recruit Peter Garrett now minister at federal level he not only sold out the green agenda but started to believe his own bullsh*t too.

This is the first time these secretly obtained maps from the government's own RACAC have been (web) published. Also note RACAC itself is a rip off of the earlier Coaliton/Fahey Govt NRAC - Natural Resource Audit Council  of 1993-4. This gives you the clue of the brown ALP agenda from the beginning.

The secret maps show, particularly via the maroon colour new conservation areas versus light green logging areas, Carr simply foreclosed on any future protections with 20 year logging guarantees. And he has the chutzpah to call that being green. Certainly his strategy harvested green votes via cunning tax payer funded advertising but it wasn't a real green policy outcome, and the maps and credible commentary prove it.

Let the reader judge just how hyperbolic those '300 new national parks I created ... no one could have done more' claims by Bob Carr on radio yesterday 24 July 2009 actually amount to. Such statistical games are only really of any sense taken in context of nationally and statewide only 20% forest landcover in 1788, down to 10% land cover now, with barely 1/10 of that which actually remains intact mature forest critical to wildlife. The highly mechanised logging and agricultural industries have been taken their toll. 

Tragically Carr only manages to parade his 300 national parks by airbrushing from history the far greater area of forest he effectively privatised. That's just another reason why he was embraced by Macquarie Bank as a consultant within months of being forced from office under pressure of devastating polls in 2005.

Ironically now the caravan has moved to west of the Great Divide Carr's and the Sydney Morning Herald's postures on saving redgum forests are indeed valid and important. The two main NGO groups associated - The Wilderness Society and NSW National Parks Association - are quite justified in leveraging the exhortations of Carr as a loyal ALP public figure.

But those of us with longer experience and more probing analysis of green and national politics well understand Carr's posture has more to do with:

• Carr papering over his own dodgy environmental record, and perhaps desire for redemption at various times;
• the flurry of attacks this last week on federal brand ALP minister Peter Garrett and his shredded green credentials - recruited by Bob Carr in the first place after green group scathing repudiations of Carr in 1998-99;
• the electoral bleeding of inner west ALP MP's like Verity Firth, and also to some degree Carmel Tebbutt.

Now this writer has the web publishing capacity much of this pre google material can now by made accessible.

Here is the remainder of the maps available at that time, indicating the relatively minor additions by Carr in maroon colour, the much more extensive dedicated logging areas in light green with repeal of iconic environmental legislation, and below that the scathing reportage of Dailan Pugh in 1998-9, important as Pugh was embraced by the Carr Govt and a green NGO appointee on RACAC itself. Groups with far more democratic base like The Wilderness Society were simply frozen out. Note too how a scathing statement of Carr as "sell out" reference by Pugh below becomes a lesser rhetorical question in lobbying document to the NSW Teachers Federation.

Picture (above): Notably absent from the line up at this icon event was one Peter Garrett because it would involve criticising ALP premier Bob Carr

In conclusion, one can safely assume that the rate of native forest destruction in NSW, including high conservation value forest has not reduced at all since Bob Carr's 'big national parks decision of 1998-99. And the additions to his national parks since - for example 65,000 ha in the 2003 election campaign - do not alter the general position. Increased intensity of logging in State Forests, and on private land, has resulted in the destruction of millions of individual rare and endangered wildlife.  When you deconstruct the spin current premier Nathan Rees could hardly do worse than Premier Bob Carr when it comes to ecologically sustainable logging policies or conservation as in the case of the redgum forests and may God have mercy on them now.

Famously politicians like Bob Carr in 1994 find it easy to be green in Opposition but can't be trusted. Notice similarly with these ALP politicians pre 2007 federal election namely Garrett and Albanese, later in lock step to support a Gunns plan for a massive pulp mill of Old Growth forests in Tasmania.

Nathan Rees though premier of NSW is in effect an ALP politician in Opposition posturing on green policy too, but the implementation will need extreme levels of scrutiny.

Posted by editor at 12:51 PM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 26 July 2009 12:08 PM NZT

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Mood:  sad

We had cause to respond to a recent abc radio interview with police calling for any points of information 'no matter how trivial' on this horrific family murder in North Epping.

Previously we speculated quietly on a crikey.com.au string regarding street violence on whether there was a racial motive. Next day we rang crimestoppers with a speculation about this relating to an ethnic run business in the Hills district about an hour's drive away, and the unsolved fire disaster at a Glebe Budhist temple inner Sydney in early 2008.

Another variation on that might be a ruthless protection racket perhaps by Triad organised crime (?).

First the Glebe temple here:

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

This image from the Sydney Morning Herald was lifted in our piece back in early 2008:

"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) in

Wednesday, 6 February 2008

Chicken shop explosion calls up range of possible motives
Mood:  quizzical
Topic: local news

We notice today a Budhist ceremony for the dead family in North Epping as reported in the Sydney Daily Telegraph today 25 July 2009. We draw no conclusions from that religous link either way. We just don't know.

Later that day senior police on ABC tv prime time news stated there is no evidence of racial motivations for this horrific murders.

Now we come to this other unsolved crime, self explanatory public poster here at an ethnic business perhaps an hour's drive from North Epping:

Posted by editor at 11:53 AM NZT

Updated: Saturday, 25 July 2009 11:59 AM NZT

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Mood:  party time!

 

 

No horizon - no borderline

Too far away to know or define

Sweet wonderland.

Empty playground - drenched in sorrow

The forest weeps last harvest tomorrow

Sweet wonderland.

 

Made in Japan

The pleasure boats are leaving

But there's nowhere to go

Into time-on, only minutes left

Hear the whistle blow

Sweet wonderland.

 

Dream of the future - forget about the past

I'll sell you something - you think it's gonna last

Sweet wonderland

Give away your riches - give away your gold

Ghost nation's soul can never be sold.

 Ghost nation by Hunters and Collectors

Author’s general introductory note  

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. 

For actual transcripts and/or video feeds go to the programme web sites quoted including Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Other sources of pollie talkies on Sunday include SkyNews paytv Sunday Agenda, Radio National Monica Attard Sunday Profile show. And of course Sunday night shows SBS Dateline, Sixty Minutes and now Sunday Tonight on 7.  

Picture: The headlines regarding PM's spouse Therese Rein stories are the 'tell' so to speak. Can you spot them? Notice the Peter Garrett song title "power and the passion" in one, and the even more blatant reference to "burn the midnight oil" referring indirectly to Garrett's rock band Midnight Oil. Yet they are stories about Rein are they not? Or rather a banal distraction from the real topic of news being Peter Garrett's hypocrisy on uranium mining which otherwise would dominate. We here at SAM recall hearing on radio of Garrett driving a Peugeot 504 model back in the early 70ies as a surfer dude. At that time a late model European car: A man grows accustomed to a certain standard of living at an early age, even a minister's wage especially with daughters to support.

  Media backgrounders 

* Minister Garrett the rock dinosaur hits the wall over his ALP sellout on green issues revealed by general cartoon coverage more in sadness than anger. And despite such as Annabel Crabb prime Saturday Fairfax acreage trying to portray him as an endangered whale. Au contraire – dinosaur not whale, and indeed predator dinosaur as per 2006 electioneering smear on The Greens in Melbourne. Too easy to the poor guy attack she implies. No, quite painful to attack given he’s effectively rolled back the 1996 consensus of the national green movement that the ALP are bankrupt on the environment - then under Keating - and to invest in an independent Green Party.  

Garrett has in reality been sabotaging the green movement for 13 years and deserves no sympathy for his vanity. And Crabb noticeably omits the reality from her own high paid perch that the millionaire rockstar gets well paid to take ‘the knocks’. And all that access and flattery and ministerial trappings. Front man ego regardless of the facts. And Big Media allies can’t spin that. 

*  It’s not just Garrett’s uranium mining backflip. His own Sydney ACF branch activists through the 1990ies never trusted him on woodchipping of forests here in NSW or Tasmania  etc. People like life long campaigners Noel Plumb, Margaret Barnes, Bruce Dover (RIP) to name only a few. Garrett refused to attend a Big Forest Meeting attended by Senator Bob Brown at Sydney Town Hall along the theme of ‘resurgence’ (crowd of 1,500). What an insult. Fact is Garrett was an apologist for the Carr ALP and nationally over 10 years ago. All this was airbrushed by Garrett’s self serving ngo Mittagong Forums of selective naive green group invites over several years no doubt picking their brains for the harvest by the ALP mates. 

* Laurie Oakes by coincidence in Saturday column refers to the Mal Meninga option of being too honest to work for an anti green ALP. We made a similar "Mal Meninga" comment of a personal heartfelt note below (see Bernard Keane crikey backgrounder): 

* In another ripple/echo effect of blogger SAM to big media or possibly back (?), we ran a 1998 picture of Garrett talking to a man in a dress from scrurrilous NT News . Then we saw superlative David Rowe putting Rudd in dress in his AFR cartoon. Our post was on Wednesday last, here http://www.sydneyalternativemedia.com/blog/index.blog/1926532/confused-minister-garrett-captured-by-nt-news-back-in-1998/ 

Not sure which came first in the cross dressing confusion theme. Both images are as they say "highly disturbing". 

* Garrett was not the only rock star surfing the protest movement in the 1990ies and arguably not the best – see Hunters & Collectors song above transparently about the Eden chipmill 100% Japanese owned for customers in that country for their cartoon book paper industry.

Similarly Sting attended the South East Forest protests (most arrests in Australian history) from famous band The Police in the early 1990ies. We may even have a picture of that too somewhere. 

* As if the underline the insincere ALP choreography on green issues Nathan Rees gets a platform at the (Climate Institute sponsored) Youth Climate summit held at the UTS. CI itself was seed funded by ex ALP premier Bob Carr, with the Youth Summit holding a video link cross to famous Al Gore, who next day in a news conference is chaperoned by Don Henry leader of Australian Conservation Foundation, with ACF the incubator for … Peter Garrett profile build and Mittagong Forums of greenies up to a federal seat and ministerial perch in this ALP Govt. Nice work if you can get it.

Fact is the Green Party, Greenpeace, The Wilderness Society and some grassroots groups (like say Chipstop at Bega) or Botany Bay & Catchment Alliance are the only independent green groups in the south east of the country in the sense that they are unaligned to either major brown party – Liberal-National Coalition or Labor Party in Government.  

* Curiously Crikey.com.au’s Bernard Keane has a story defending Garrett http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/16/leave-peter-garrett-alone but what was most worring was undeclared ex PM Keating ALP staffer Simon Baulderstone on the comment string stridently trying to defend Garrett. Tsk tsk. Fact is Baulderstone worked for Keating 95-96 on environment policy when the green groups abaondoned the ALP over destruction of the best forests in the country. It takes three attempts to expose Baulderstone’s provenance on the string and only then by quoting a crikey 2004 story.

Keane responds that moderation has nothing to do with him and we of course accept him at his word. Why did it take three tries I wonder and who prevented those earlier posts?  Baulderstone replies with supreme chutzpah that so what if he didn't declare his ALP connections at the highest level, including former staffer for Garrett himself.

One only of our comments there re Garrett: 

I’ve been mulling over what’s different between crome dome and myself after all we both went to Ursula College at ANU, though I doubt he’s on a gluten free diet.I’ve thought a bit about this recently: It was 1997 or 98 in the teeth of the first Howard Govt. I still had leverage with the peak green groups in NSW after the close election victory back in 1995. I drafted a statement attacking Howard’s woodchipping policies for the state greens network NEFA, SEFA, all the peak groups including [TWS] TEC, NPA, NSW NCC, FOE, ACF etc. I still have a copy somewhere.

[here it is

 

It was delivered in front of Howard’s electorate office, when Gunns was not even a glint in Paul Lennon’s eye, with a briefcase of woodchips for the occasion. The assembled media pack was quite big, press, electronic, some tv too. And it struck me in front of that crowd like a blinding light - that the only benefactors of this stunt was the ALP with an equally open slather pro woodchipping policy courtesy of Paul Keating (verus Deferred Forest Areas debacle 1995-96 monstering Minister John Faulkner).

I chucked it right there in front of the Big Media. Cleaned up the woodchips and walked away - the plan was an ostentatious arrest in front of the media throng with senior coppers on hand. No problem arrested many times before. Matthew Moore current FoI editor at Fairfax wrote back then an icily contemptuous comment piece about pity the trees for such ineffectual protest action. But he didn’t understand in his reptilian way that like Mal Meninga I just couldn’t do it - that is effectively be a political sl*t for the ALP.

Too good a memory of Paul Keating killing forests and too many principles.That’s the difference.  

* As if fully aware of Garrett’s credibility gap, as a figleaf for an anti green government as they expand coal mining nationally, the ALP Machine seemingly rolls out Therese Rein choreography as distraction. Trouble is PM Rudd/spouse Rein only have one roll of that spin dice and its expended, and the story isn't very interesting or appealing. Comes across more like her ruthless political husband than not. References to her family culture of a Forgettery are profound given prissy Christians ability to be selective. Like the eye of the needle/camel instruction of Jesus Christ. How to be a Christian and forget you are a multi millionaire. Oh please.

Also reveals Rudd only sleeps 3 or 4 hours a night and has always been like that. Which suggests the guy is a psychological timebomb and no wonder he had heart problems at only mid 30ies. 

* As written several times now recently, the only mitigation in the Garrett green movement sabotage story is that ex PM Howard was very likely to pursue dual use nuke power and weaponry either indirectly via US base say at Christmas Island (after Garcia Del Fuego handback?) or directly (eg report of navy lobby want nuke subs here now).  Also that the ALP were the only likely removal mechanism of Howard. On the other hand if Garrett was a NSW Greens senator today he would have balance of power in place of redneck Steve Fielding of the creationist Assembly of God demographics. 

* Bob Carr opinion piece against writers cultural/copyright protections in News Corp The Australian – with no declaration that he represents big corporate Dymock booksellers. That’s corrupt news presentation and dishonesty (again?) of Carr too not to declare?? 

* Dual broadsheet coverage and glossy mag coverage of millionaire spouse to PM Rudd Therese Rein. Preferred access to Annabel Crabb Fairfax, and Kate Legge News Corporation. She appears as just another ALP gap filler in the 24 hour news cycle. Which itself has been made redundant by the bombing in Jakarta on Friday and blown her (bad pun) off the news cycle anyway. Squandered political capital.  

* Environmental politics has always had a sleazy underbelly in NSW. At one point Ian Cohen MLC (Green Party) said to this writer about 7 years back along the lines of 'What's going on at NCC? [NSW Nature Conservation Council umbrella body for their registered green groups about 140 or so, not Greenpeace and some others though]. I just won't work with them anymore. That's it.'

On another occasion a former Herald journalist mid 90ies said the NCC 'has always been corrupt'.

Our first real wake up call about that body - which to be fair has new personnel and probably values today - was a breakfast meeting with Premier John Fahey and Cabinet colleagues prefacing an announcement weeks later of a measly 113K out of possible 750K endangered wilderness (in context of 80M ha statewide) in 1994. We represented The Wilderness Society. There was NCC leadership at the breakfast too who had not raised a finger on wilderness protection unlike The Wilderness Society, or Keith Muir at Colong Foundation. We had no notice they would be there. Even National Parks Association had done very little. After 3 years on the job I was asking myself who are these people [from NCC]?

During this period it seemed quite simple to campaign against the redneck Lib-Nat Coalition and in effect give defacto support to the Carr ALP Opposition.

However the late 90ies just how sleazy the ALP could be became apparent. The Carr Govt instituted a 400K grant scheme to winnow out the friendlies from the independent minded critics in the green movement. What Milo Dunphy called duchessing. This writer decidedly in the latter critical camp. All our grim policy predictions came true but NCC were happy to take the $50K cheque every 6 months regardless. There just was no political penalty to Carr for bad policy.

In the beginning late 80ies it was all so idealistic and probably quite honest:

Some pressers later on in the 90ies showed Carr claiming in effect Mission Accomplished on forests but this was woefully premature. We were one of the first to predict the failings and insincerity of the ALP as forests were attacked in 1995 and 1996. And the alarm of scolded green groups were heard more generally by 1998 realising how their ship was about to go down - too late, too late (and no wonder Carr didn't want to have his policy decisions recorded and cross referenced on web archives):

As the truth of this period of environmental decade became more apparent the ALP has been in desperate need in NSW of a green champion for Australia's high population centres. Enter Peter Garrett - aging, fading rock star well past his prime. The role of the NCC earlier should have been the warning to the public. The process of duchessing meant all kinds of dirty policy would go forward duly greenwashed or sanitised by some green figleaf type figure or organisation.

As we deconstructed the detail of policy we too came under severe personal and professional attack: Here is a rebuttal of a sleazy complaint from Dr Judy Messer head of the NCC to Friends of the Earth national (a group in itself way too close to the logging union in Melbourne):

Looks bad doesn't it? If you can be bothered taking the time to read the tripe.

Have a look at the rebuttal when we finally got a copy of the covert complaint, with witness backup and by the way the said public servant Rex Bowen 'retired' soon after presumably (?) under pressure from the FoI application we made to expose financial duress by the Carr Govt to manipulate appointees to a committee using grant money to NCC as the leverage. A scandal that has never been properly reported in NSW:

What has all this got to do with Peter Garrett's recently condemned policy backflip?

Only that it's part of a more general paradigm of NSW ALP management of environmental policy applying all kinds of sleazy influence. By contrast remember the Lib-Nat breakfast meeting back in 1994 - they just shafted us without any tricks or dishonesty. We opposed them and beat them at the March 1995 election. That was flower show compared to the smell these days.

10 Meet the Press:  8- 8-30 am 

Lead in is fanatic murders of rich westerners including Australians in Jakarta. [In a country of tens of millions of impoverished, as Hillary Clinton symbolically stays at similar target in Mumbai. Suggestions punishment of voters for SBY re-election, and resultant urban gridlock for big popular soccer game Man United.???] 

Talent is Opp shadow foreign minister Julie Bishop.  

Humour out take Peter Garrett over ‘Fresh Thinking’ slogan ALP national conference “proud” of anti uranium mining principles. [More than that, built his whole careeer and social reach on that via songwriters and band behind him, now joins the enemy. Totally untenable. All the major press as pictured here don’t buy his excuses.] 

Panel is Milne News Corp, Hewitt News Corp. Stern Hu et al scandal. Bishop runs her lines. Bishop looks confident about Govt dithering and lack of top leadership contact to China. Various analyses with Bishop in the groove, enjoying herself and even sparkling. That’s a worry for the Govt. 

Get Up runs anti web censorship advert. It’s very interesting and professional actors and sets. Footage of Rudd travel warning.  Professor Clive Williams. Speculation Nordin Top behind this attack. Marriot twice, last one vehicle this one personal. Top almost caught twice in the last 12 months. “Is that right” Milne asks gormlessly. 

Meet The Press - Watch Political Video Online - Channel TEN.

Riley Diary 7, from 8.30am

 No show – perhaps due to the gravity of Jakarta murders a flippant package might be inappropriate. Sadly missed. Garrett’s hypocrisy was fertile material.  http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend   

9 Sunday newshour Laurie Oakes interview 8.40 am 

Nicola Roxon Health Minister, somewhat out of sync with the news. Not the right person but LO has to make do. Get’s to emergency attack scenario capacity.  Says well prepared but unpredictable, investing in the system. Gets onto Swine Flu capacity in the system. Elective surgery disrupted badly? Denies this.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/oakes

Insiders 2: 9- 10am

Panel news round up Fran Kelly, Piers Akerman re business meeting aspect.

Stephen Smith Foreign Minister on Jakarta murders/bombing. Moves on eventually to Stern Hu et al arbitrary detention.

Roller skates vox pop on Garrett hypocrisy. Stay with singing complete backflip says youth versus older guy.

News conference cross re death of Australian soldier in Afghanistan . Panel discusses.

Stern Hu et al re China panel discussion. Fran Kelly nails it – GFC economic disruptions mean China re asserting centralized economic controls and rollbacking western market style checks and balances, “end of story”

‘Prof’ Paul Kelly echoes our analysis (SAM editor contributions on crikey strings) – Hu matter echoes “our future”, “naïve” polity here, “not our values”. China want 40% cut in iron ore prices, assertion of Chinese authority. Good news is separate from bilateral relation, bad news ongoing “saw”. Prof has been reading SAM contributions methinks. And tending to agree with same. Gratifying.

Peter Garrett slick apologia for ALP footage. Panel debates, Akerman says he’s a jerk and in effect dishonest, Kelly says should be in different portfolio and Rudd as PM is a sadist to keep him there, Farr says evolved his beliefs not hypocritical.

Antony Green says Greens Party will get balance of power in a half or double dissolution in the Senate.

Panel predicts election sooner rather than later. Therese Rein articles – read through them, Akerman and Farr says coverage has been banal. Didn’t convey any real life. Kelly very impressive person in her own right.  Too much choreography. Conduct an interview without any stuff ups.

Akerman says its ALP Rudd asset. Agrees lack of sleep is a problem for most psychologists (Alan Jones only 4 it is said).

Talking pictures theme of Peter Garrett. Note also of David Rowe cartoon as per backgrounders above.

Note Get Up censorship of web advert and show it in full. As per Meet The Press adbreak.

Panel says exaggerating given real problem of internet porn especially for children.

Kelly predicts ALP talking to coal industry on CPRS again. Farr not one top rank academic will attack China due to duchessing [except Paul Monk]. Akerman says wehere is the utegate email??? [good question]

http://www.abc.net.au/insiders

Inside Business with Alan Kohler 

Lead in on Stern Hu scandal of arbitrary arrest. Interviews says China shooting selves in foot given economic expansion ramping up imports. Anger over prices.  Risky, damage relationship and prices in agenda to get steel industry under control.

Rio Tinto lead negotiating team now in jail. A lot of confusion, commercial terms and supply and demand, but Govt as political issue and that works against their negotiating position. Economic growth in China at 8% [but ignores rubbery June quarter figures for country of 1 billion in only 2 weeks mid July as per Stephen Long abc chief economic reporter]

Refer http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/

Posted by editor at 12:59 PM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 19 July 2009 5:58 PM NZT

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Mood:  incredulous

And while we are being gratuitous some other sledges of environmental opportunist Peter Garrett from our file first from Crikey.com.au and Fairfax Sydney Morning Herald respectively.

Posted by editor at 9:40 PM NZT

Updated: Wednesday, 15 July 2009 10:42 PM NZT

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Mood:  sharp

Picture: Lifted from thinly veiled anti GW Bush political movie Silver City (2005) about let 'em rip resource developer ideology, with gifted actor Chris Cooper as stumbling honky flattening all civil society democratic norms via PR and big money. Oh how the pendulum has swung post GFC, or has it? Certainly US President Obama is an opposite man on the world stage. Locally in Australia arguably different names (Rudd for Howard) same vested corporate (eg coal) interests.

Author’s general introductory note

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. 

For actual transcripts and/or video feeds go to the programme web sites quoted including Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Other sources of pollie talkies on Sunday include SkyNews paytv Sunday Agenda, Radio National Monica Attard Sunday Profile show. And of course Sunday night shows SBS Dateline, Sixty Minutes and now Sunday Tonight on 7.  

  Media backgrounders  

* ABC’s Ann Barker spat on by ‘rain of spittle’ by Orthodox Jew fanatics in Israel for ‘working as a journalist’ on a Saturday in Jerusalem. Runs AM flagship programme but no images or coverage on prime time tv news story that night. Why not? One assumes the Jewish lobby will have to 'pay' with access or other quid pro quo media currency for this, as they should:

“As a journalist I've covered more than my share of protests. Political protests in Canberra. Unions protesting for better conditions. Angry, loud protests against governments, or against perceived abuses of human rights.I've been at violent rallies in East Timor. I've had rocks and metal darts thrown my way. I've come up against riot police.But I have to admit no protest - indeed no story in my career - has distressed me in the way I was distressed at a protest in Jerusalem on Saturday involving several hundred ultra-Orthodox Jews. ……

Spit like rain

I found myself herded against a brick wall as they kept on spitting - on my face, my hair, my clothes, my arms. It was like rain, coming at me from all directions - hitting my recorder, my bag, my shoes, even my glasses. Big gobs of spit landed on me like heavy raindrops. I could even smell it as it fell on my face.Somewhere behind me - I didn't see him - a man on a stairway either kicked me in the head or knocked something heavy against me. I wasn't even sure why the mob was angry with me. Was it because I was a journalist? Or a woman? Because I wasn't Jewish in an Orthodox area? Was I not dressed conservatively enough? In fact, I was later told, it was because using a tape-recorder is itself a desecration of the Shabbat even though I'm not Jewish and don't observe the Sabbath.It was lucky that I don't speak Yiddish. At least I was spared the knowledge of whatever filth they were screaming at me. As I tried to get away I found myself up against the line of riot police blocking the crowd from going any further.

Reassurance

Israeli police in their flak jackets and helmets, with rifles and shields, were yelling just as loudly back at the protesting crowd. I found them something of a reassurance against the angry, spitting mob. …..”

 in Reporter feels mob's hate in the Holy City - ABC News (Australian ... 6 Jul 2009 And here at AM show 08:15 06/07/2009 Israelis divided over work on the Sabbath

 * Just as this happens New Matilda ezine 7 July 2009 calls time out on directing traffic on it’s comment strings on the Israel Middle East saga and tragedy with a rare editorial rejecting “holocaust deniers” etc. She is bound to be reflecting an organizational concern: 

  “Regular readers will notice that we have turned off all comments on articles about Israel/Palestine. This is not a permanent state of affairs but a stopgap while we develop the technical ability to pre-moderate comments on the site. We do this reluctantly, and in response to a handful of comment "trolls" who continue to abuse our open comments facility.”

In ·  Editorial: This Debate Needs To Take A Look In The Mirror 7 July 2009.  

* Lee Rhiannon MP in recent Salusinzsky profile variously described as a “steamroller” and “harmlessly daffy”. Wins preselection for next federal NSW senate election. The revealing profile combined with SAM editor’s knowledge of her ngo history (Aidwatch) indicates she is a catspaw for the socialist left union movement within the Green Party. Whether this leads to better environmental outcomes is arguable. For instance at a recent rally against the Eden Chipmill Rhiannon ran on the platform of wasted public finances that is corporate welfare.

Fair enough, only a few weeks earlier 600 year old tree(s) were logged by her union mates at Brown Mountain East Gippsland for the same chipper. Not a word of criticism about that. LR has a degree in botany apparently so for her information the species was Eucalyptus fastigata. 600 years old. True enough the Greens have a very catholic 4 fold guiding principle – ecology, peace, social/economic justice, grassroots democracy. Rhiannon’s character calls up which grassroots?: which principle? And how much apologia for parental sympathy for murderous Stalinism is she “proud” of, to quote the Salusinsky profile?  

* As if to underline the battle of values post GFC Crabb and Hartcher in same Saturday Sydney Morning Herald run stories on the value set of federal political leaders – the old conviction politician debate. Crabb has the edge if not the premium press acreage with marks for “Babelfish” references you would never see from old boy Alan Ramsey. Hartcher misconception about comparing apples of incumbent PM Rudd with unlike oranges of Turnbull in terms of ‘both lacking conviction scoring zero’ was a bit lame. An incumbent by definition has already made the sale to the electorate and has the option of (risky) renegotiation while Opposition leader doesn't have quite that luxury.

 * Joe Trippi in ABC RN Future Tense ½ hour was prime value listening on role of internet - more like the printing press than radio to tv - for political campaigning with a shift in power, but cautions force for good or evil like every tool depending on who holds it.  

* Doogue guest abc RN Saturday extra says green shoots will be burned off by rate of SME insolvencies to hit with a vengeance. Echoes with prominent economists calling for new people’s bank as big 4 banks post year after year obscene profits.  

* SMH sufficiently emboldened by ascendancy of coffee coloured President Obama runs multiple reports of the far right white supremacist fringe promising to electioneer like the devastating One Nation previously.   

* Joe Hildebrand finds his natural level in News Corps Sydney Daily Telegraph – political gossip column “Confidential” running shallow gibes. While colleague TB (an illness) runs interference on any action on global warming. A bit like the denial in Singapore WW2 that the war would ever arrive in the form of the Japanese invasion and massive loss of life in prisoner of war camps. In this case read 100M refugees on the march from Bangladesh to Shanghai.  

* Peter Andrews natural sequence farming about controlling water flows in “grass dams” on Australian Story x 2. Very interesting. Almost of as if Big Agri meets permaculture regarding swales and other local hydrology. As founder Bill Mollison says – water limits everything.   

* Noticed a new (?) website (actually 2006) cross referencing a story by Tim Blair about this SAM editor. Site is called Sydney Conservative with similar livery of orange and white background. http://conservativeweasel.blogspot.com/ The story we noticed was cross referencing Tim Blair (or TB – an illness) on our eviction in April 2009 from our home office 60 days notice, no grounds. Blair delights in our speculation of foul play political victimization. Certainly the new owner went around the real estate agent, advertised for a contractor who almost threw out shed stuff and cut down 95% of every tree and shrub on the site.  

10 Meet the Press:  8- 8-30 am 

No Bonge compere, Bill is the man. Lead in footage of Obama re climate threat, contrasted Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) headline ‘Rudd roadblock’ on same topic.  

Talent is Minister Chris Bowen. Stern Hu case features re Chinese dictatorship sour grapes on iron ore negotiations. 

Get Up in first adbreack on internet censorship in the first adbreak. Very slick [and appealing echo with the Youth Climate Conference crowd this weekend (ALP hidden funding via Climate Institute)] potentially though they are possibly in transit and not watching. Panel is John Stanley 2UE, Jessica Irvine SMH. Bowen is slick talker, too slick for a failed minister. [Grocery Watch, Fuel Watch, etc – talk about lack of conviction being rewarded]. 

Humour out take is Kudelka on Rudd PM as ‘holier than (thou) Pope’ fat head.  

Meet The Press - Watch Political Video Online - Channel TEN.

Riley Diary 7, from 8.30am

 PM Rudd globe trotting theme. Blue collar language descends to Ruddish bureaucratise. “Detailed programmatic specificity”. Bruno sneaks in re language. “Big on photo opportunities” sharing stage with President Obama with UK PM and others “back up” says Riley Diary. Notes Rudd admission re Copenhagen failing us all ‘local national global’ [my words paraphrasing a Rudd grab]. Does show Obama has annexed Rudd in global politics. 

http://www.seven.com.au/sunrise/weekend 

9 Sunday newshour Laurie Oakes interview 8.40 am 

Senator/Minister Arbib is the talent – looking like a teenager and walking skull at the same time. Pleads methodical consular agreement to manage Rio Tinto’s Stern Hu case [‘thrown to the wolves’ of Chinese legal thuggery alleged in press here].  LO sounds unconvinced because it is totally unconvincing re junior level of contact over head of multinational arrested. Australian citizenship worth? Arbib runs stimulus mantra but GFC “not over”. Runs youth compassion rhetoric re unemployed [while a cynic would say Govt is more concerned about social disruption of angry youth in crime, bad PR for govt etc] Arbib blathers on in a twee and shallow way. 

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/oakes

Insiders 2: 9- 10am

Stern Hu case lead in, with footage of Turnbull and Joyce “opportunistic point scorers”, then compromises that spin by stated it’s a “major” feature of the show today.

Press roundup Panel is Michael Stutchbury News Corp national, Milne News corp Sydney and national, KAWalsh Fairfax national/Sydney (obviously not sacked or redundant as expected).

Microphone stuff up for Julie Bishop Shadow Foreign Minister, go to Your shout segement agri industry cattleyards on economics of country.

Bishop on Stern Hu ‘taken by Chinese secret police’. Austalian Ministers not picked up the phone to their ministerial counterparts. [which sort of misconceives a 20M and a 1.1 billion size country]. Argues profile ie “sunlight” is crucial [contrary to Govt line of “methodical” consular matter.

Why is it different to tourist?  Escalated due to high level business between countries, secret police. Took her own initiative and spoke to deputy ambassador to China. Argues a range of issues for Beijing including visit to Tibetans in India enclave.

Panel discusses. Milne notes it’s a [fascist] dictatorship. Notes Defence White Paper also aggravates the situation.

Paul Kelly – vagued out on him.

Obama image of ‘the perv’ is given the benefit of the doubt with footage on American big media tv actually watching his step and helping another woman. Deceptive sleazy  picture.

KAW predicts ALP will push for double dissolution on climate threat to avoid economics of 2010.

Inside Business with Alan Kohler

Feature interview on CCS via True Energy bloke Richard MacIndoe, 10% Australian energy, ¼ of Victoria at Yallourn in Latrobe Valley. Concern to manner of transition to 80% reduction by 2050.  Says CCS important in medium to long term. But no proven technology to 2020 or really 2025.

Has to be gas fired technology and companies with financial strength to do that. Joint Venture with Ignite [oil from brown coal]. Quotes California as "very instructive" under investment causing bankruptcy. [Totally airbrushes politics of Enron corruption destroying political economy of energy in California under GW Bush.]

Says CPRS will cause underinvestment which leads to outages. [The voice of the forces of darkness on global warming, literally and several senses.]

Refer http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/

Posted by editor at 12:21 PM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 12 July 2009 12:37 PM NZT

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Mood:  d'oh

Author’s general introductory note

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. 

For actual transcripts and/or video feeds go to the programme web sites quoted including Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Other sources of pollie talkies on Sunday include SkyNews paytv Sunday Agenda, Radio National Monica Attard Sunday Profile show. And of course Sunday night shows SBS Dateline, Sixty Minutes and now Sunday Tonight on 7.  

  Media backgrounders  

* Centrist icon Grattan backs Steve Lewis (News Corp) central to 'fake Treasury email' affair on abc RN with Doogue stand in for Fran Kelly. Lewis runs staunch largish article in prime Saturday SD Telegraph; in the protective wake of staunch editorial same pape, same day, probably written by John Hartigan who also ran his tough guy stance last Tuesday Press Club.

* Take note Australian Federal Police investigators.

What is the Karl Rove reverse smear? It involves a deliberately clumsy fake smear of a friendly/allied candidate/figure (who presumably is in on the gambit, but may not be too to preserve plausible deniability).  Think say ALP clumsy smear on Kevin Rudd, or vice versa Liberals on Malcolm Turnbull.

So already from the outset it is counter intuitive - but stay with us, this was Karl Rove's brilliance. Why would you put out a smear document on your own side? Here’s how it works …..

Intrinsic to the tactic is that the smear is fairly easily rebutted by allied candidate, after initial minor damage. It's all about harvesting the public's outrage at a demonstrably and well understood political dirty trick (often referred to by wonks as “rat f*cking” and see below at ***) as this 'expose' of  the fake or fraud or smear spreads exponentially through the electorate and beyond the beltway itself. People don’t like other people being smeared in a demonstrably unfair way. And they take revenge by punishing the side most identified with the 'fault' either in terms of votes or polling.

So the public turn on the most obvious or logical perpetrator of the smear being the direct rival of the target of the now flimsy discredited smear. Even it wasn't their fault as such, because that subtle nuance is too complex over a short time period.

Apparently Rove did this to gather centre swinging voters to the conservative GW Bush side by harvesting a backlash of anger from centre, and centre left voters over flimsy smears he himself put out against his own side. But it can be done by Left on Right which arguably appears to be happening in Australia with Rudd (nominally Left) harvesting voters against Turnbull (nominally Right) in the recent polls, and against Hamilton Smith.

And we hasten to add, this is the effect even if the Labor or ALP have no official or unofficial role in the recent 'fake Treasury email' (we decline to call it 'the Grech email')

A template in Australia was indirectly via the Lindsay electorate fake Muslim Extremist leaflet affair at the final week of the federal election in Nov 2007 (see picture above). In that case the Coalition activist (Right) were definitely promoting a false smear, and the backlash after it was demonstrated as false by Labour (Left) activists in quick time, front pager in News Corp tabloid, caused a crushing backlash against the Howard Govt.

All of the above whether intended or accidental is standard Karl Rove dirty tricks and rat f*cking. And time enough for the Labor activists to learn the method well. Take note AFP investigators.

*** About 6 months ago Fairfax Naked Eye recounted how PM Rudd was overhead referring to “rat f*ckers” in private conversation. Rudd and his team know all about Karl Rove and rat f*cking. As do their mates in the Democrats in the USA who were the prime victims at first, as of course do Rove’s home party the US Republicans.

* Crikey direct readership and circulation rival old media The Australian in tit for tat attacks on eachother’s credibility all week. Story is old versus new. More similar than different market and role? True enough that upon death of dame Elizabeth Murdoch that The Australian will go the way of the dodo, and Crikey ‘with added source’ time will come. True enough that hyperbole of The Oz exaggerates

* ex PM Keating runs open door policy for China engagement. Trouble is Keating almost certainly has business interests there? Undeclared business interests? Conflict of interest issues? Another complaint to the ACCC for breach of s.52 of the Trade Practices Act?

* Gillard’s prime ministerial grooming to the Jewish lobby, industry re Fair Work and standing up to violent unionism continues apace. A few weeks back our colleague Carol with the chronic disability had a chat to La Gilliotine at Prince of Wales Hospital apparently assuming Carol was on the level (?) – what the hell was that all about?

* SAM gets a 3 m USB extension doing wonders for our web connectivity. Woohoo. Gluten free diet seems to be doing us a lot of good too after barely 3 days. Next challenge to bake our own bread. Woolworths has bought out Macro Wholefoods, - note their gluten free and health food section, compared to Coles which has kids trolleys instead.

* Re big tax on cigarettes: At recent small social event of various Vietnam vets, and their family/friends – not one smoker. Wood heater seemed to suffice.

Stand in for compere Bonge, workmanlike talent too. Dep PM Gillard looking radiant and super groomed, how expensive are those clothes [Sarah Pallin?] after (serious) Middle East tour.

Sexism/misconduct comment re front pager Sydney SunHerald story Navy.

Utegate re AFP footage Mick Keelty re Turnbull is a witness and otherwise his role over.

Gillard runs Turnbull damned credibility. Humour out take of PM Rudd at school event singing Treasuere Swan happy birthday.

Panel is talent – Peter Hartcher, Michelle Grattan both serious people and worthy match. Gillard attacks reporter ‘errors’ in Education stimulus sloppy spends as per press today Sunday Telegraph.

Hartcher re ‘rediculous’ law in NSW re illegal to publish school league tables. [big debate about apples with apples comparisons re similar socio economic demographics].

2^nd guest is youngish wonk Van Onselen for the Liberal side of things. Wonks interviewing eachother. Shocking week, not dead, looked dead previously in Wentworth electoral fights but this is much bigger scale. ‘Twin Tonys’ idea more about machinations of shadow cabinet reshuffle. References A Crabb class 1996 reaching their end, lack ideological/intellectual capital. MT faced with dilemma of essential moderate going disingenuously more conservative or … something.

Meet The Press - Watch Political Video Online - Channel TEN.

Riley Diary 7, from 8.30am

Utegate seens as traincrash for Malcolm Turnbull. MASH parallels. Awful pollie singing. Rudd sings Seekers ‘KTel’ Special.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/oakes

Insiders 2: 9- 10am

Chris Uhlmann for Barry Cassidy (or replacing?) runs his intellectual style intro, with footage of Gillard on Fair Work,

Panel is A Crabb Fairfax, Meglo News Corp national, Bolt News Corp Melbourne.

Two Tony’s (Abbott, Smith) as conservative aspiring leadership.

Big cigarette’s tax.

Arbib palaver about ‘nit picking’ over education stimulus rollout involving a million here and there. [Like West Wing a billion here and there, what does it matter?].

Bolt lays out why we have a Govt we didn’t elect but ignores we did get a ‘mummy party’, but true not Howard Lite, and the reason is the GFC game changer no one predicted, so stupid to hypothecate 2007 and 2009, a grand non sequitur.

Unionism on the march again. Bolt talks up Gillard performance cut through in parliament etc [seems to be pushing a Melbourne torch?]. ACrabb similar wax soliloquy.

Panel talk over health issue. Pledge being made of federal takeover [ pre GFC] was driven by Howard opportunism politics, ACrabb/Bolt. Journalists were suckered. Bolt says same re climate change. “Never going to happen.”

‘Prof Paul Kelly, News Corp soliloquy on the Rudd Machine Success, Opposition only three problems Unity, Leadership and Belief. Only? Major blunder if Coalition treats climate as an ideology not a policy, if does then “finished”.

Big poll disasters history, Aug 93 Keating 20 points down, Downer late 1994, Latham April 04 31 points, the all time record down Turnbull 40 points June 2009. Discussing whether leadership is finished. ACrabb says Party is built like a Howard body suit. Lacks ideological heft says Bolt and could/should be grassroots.

Bill Leak getting up to speed in Talking Pictures.

Inside Business with Alan Kohler

Refer http://www.abc.net.au/insidebusiness/

Posted by editor at 12:16 PM NZT

Updated: Sunday, 5 July 2009 12:28 PM NZT

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