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sydney alternative media - non-profit community independent trustworthy
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Canberra leg of giant forest climate billboard on big day for Parliament
Mood:  special
Topic: aust govt

Restful sleep - in the back of the stationwagon in the quiet Canberra burbs. This flyer has been drafted by the wonderful Harriet Swift convenor of Chipstop.

Taking breakfast in Manuka cafe bakery when ALP national executive committee member strolls in for his coffee at 7.20 am. Ain't democracy grand. Swiss neutrality in the bakery as he spies on my laptop images. Tsk tsk.

Hope he doesn't graffiti the billboard outside in front of the church.


Posted by editor at 7:34 AM EADT
Monday, 23 November 2009
Bega Fest #5: Peter Andren's sister endorses forest climate billboard
Mood:  happy
Topic: globalWarming

 

We were honoured to meet Patricia Andren who lives in a retirement home on the South Coast. She is sister to Peter who was independent federal member of parliament for the central west of NSW seat of Calare.  Peter tragically died of cancer and was widely respected and maintained a huge majority in the seat.

She has met local Liberal MP in the state parliament Andrew Constance at her residence and has written to every other state MP about protecting the wild forest landscapes of the south coast.

Go Patricia!


 

Over this last 3 days this writer has enjoyed positive chats with:

- farmer from Bemboka

- retired tree feller

- ex forestry dozer driver, ex mining industry indigenous family man

- self funded retiree

- local science teacher

- assorted local environmentalists

- festival organiser

- tourism hostel manager

- local journalist

- other stall holders

Day 3 was approaching fast with some minor excitement good and bad.


Posted by editor at 8:17 AM EADT
Updated: Monday, 23 November 2009 8:52 AM EADT
Bega Fest #4: Day 2 sees great community participation
Mood:  amorous
Topic: local news

Images of festival here which doesn't do justice to the busy schedule of events in various locations including church hall, community college, outside stalls, council chambers, local library.

Here is the "High Noon" debate notable for its big attendance, ABC presenter Tim Holt as moderator and excellent diagrams presented by local Dr Matthew Nott (medicine) and convenor of local Clean Energy for Everyone group. The critic of Global Warming also had a witty style about him and local property and business identity Rob High.

 

 

We managed to note in the Q & A session the potential role of global dimming (refer abc 4 Corners doco about 5 years ago) re aerosol particulates out of China and India massive industrialisation could be playing a role in dampening temperature rise without altering the underlying forcings from green house gases.

 

 

 

 


 


 

 

 


Posted by editor at 7:55 AM EADT
Updated: Friday, 27 November 2009 2:34 PM EADT
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Bega Fest #3: Set up first day under the heat and dust
Mood:  crushed out
Topic: local news

Some images of first day of 3 day event on the NSW South Coast. Moderate to small turnout Friday 20 Nov 2009 as NSW more broadly suffered a heat wave. However the cooler weather late same evening suggested a great day to follow, which did in fact prove the case.

Some images of our experience follow: Including press catchup in the directors chair next to the billboard display, with a distinctly biblical environmental theme in the Big Media:

 


 

 

 


 


 


 

 


Posted by editor at 12:07 PM EADT
Updated: Friday, 27 November 2009 2:26 PM EADT
Bega Fest #2: Provocative climate forest billboard pitch
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: globalWarming

Picture: From left Cr Keith Hughes, Bega Valley Shire, his partner Harriet Swift convenor of local ChipStop group, John Kaye MP (Greens), Dr Bronte Somerset (Phd in Education) web builder for SERCA, Dr Prue Acton (OBE, hon doctor Arts) also of SERCA. SERCA is South East Region Conservation Alliance.

Hot afternoon had the good array of stalls in the Bega CBD Friday 20th November 2009 sweltering. A big wind change at 3pm had most of us winding down.

There was a moderate turn out of the public on this weekday start of a 3 day event for the inaugural Bega Festival with the theme of community in transition.

The local college band was hip and cool with quality jam, especially keyboard and lead guitar.

Public reception to the billboard message was good with only one silent head shake. Interesting given the hot weather and the diabolical issue of bushfire safety well understood in every rural region. SERCA funded the billboard, this writer and another colleague funded and built the mobile billboard.

 


Posted by editor at 7:41 AM EADT
Bega 'in transition' Festival #1: Price of solar panels have fallen 40% in 2 months
Mood:  special

Interesting to talk with industry veteran Dennis Pont on the BP Solar Panel stall yesterday regarding the point of fact above.

It seems the near parity of the Australian dollar greater buying power and the slashing of the Federal Govt subsidy to consumers have both acted to slash prices. Solar panels are now 40% cheaper. Incredible.

Perhaps this helps explain the decisiveness of NSW Premier Rees in agreeing to a gross feed in tariff effectively promoting power stations on peoples rooves. We can predict a new real estate boom in north facing roof space as in the German scenario.


Posted by editor at 7:04 AM EADT
Updated: Saturday, 21 November 2009 7:09 AM EADT
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Free speech for tree chippers but not green activists in South East NSW?
Mood:  hug me
Topic: independent media

Quite a disjunction in these two stories over the cultural values around democratic free speech in lead up to inaugural Bega Festival:

#1 of 2 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/16/2744117.htm

Back flip on wood chip festival ban

Posted Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:05pm AEDT

A festival committee on the New South Wales far south coast has backed down over a decision to ban the region's big timber processing company from attending a Clean Energy Expo.

Last week, the Bega Festival Committee barred Eden's South East Fibre Exports company from distributing information about its proposed biomass electricity generator that will use wood waste as fuel.

The decision brought a community backlash, including the Bega Chamber of Commerce and the anti-logging group Chip-Stop, saying the move was stifling free speech.

But the Founder of the Clean Energy for Eternity movement, Matthew Nott, says the chip mill has taken up a new invitation to be part of the community celebration.

"I am quite keen to get South East Fire Exports to the Clean Energy Expo," he said.

"I have had a couple of chats with Vince Phillips from South East Fibre Exports over the weekend.

"He and I are both happy to get South East Fibre Exports to the Clean Energy Expo.

"I think it is a good opportunity for Fibre Exports to present their case."

 

#2 of 2


 


Anti-woodchip signs go
 
Conservationists are annoyed that the Bega Valley Shire Council has used ratepayer funded resources to remove anti-woodchipping signs from the Bermagui Tathra road at Wapengo.
The signs have hung for over a year from trees high above the approaches to each side of the Wapengo Bridge.
They highlighted the threat of logging koala habitat in Mumbulla forest, part of the Wapengo catchment.
Greens Councillor, Keith Hughes is seeking details of the costs born by ratepayers from the Council.
“These signs were securely and safely erected and carried an important message for visitors,” he said.
Chipstop convener, Ms Harriett Swift, who raised the matter of the signs at a public forum of Council this afternoon (Tuesday), said that censorship is no way to win an argument.
“Residents and visitors to the area have a right to know what is going on in the region’s forests,” she said.
Forests NSW have indicated that logging of Mumbulla Forest is likely to start early in the New Year.

Photo caption: one of the signs from Wapengo bridge removed by Council

Contact:
Keith Hughes, Harriett Swift 0414908997, 64923267
 
19 November 2009

SAY "NO" TO WOODCHIP POWER. Sign the on line petition at: http://www.gopetition.com.au/petitions/say-no-to-woodchip-power.html

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

abc reportage here

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/19/2747149.htm?site=southeastnsw

The Bega Valley Shire Council on the New South Wales far south coast has removed illegal anti-logging signs near Bermagui, prompting a back-lash from conservationists.

Two signs placed by anti-chip campaigners in trees a year ago on the Bermagui to Tathra Road, at Wapengo, were designed to draw the attention of tourists to logging in native forests and its effects on the region's bio-diversity.

Greens Councillor Keith Hughes concedes the signs were erected without a development application but says other groups have been allowed to keep their signs.

"Some forests have prescriptions where they try and make the logging less visible from the road but apart from that narrow visual protection strip, people aren't aware of the intensity of the logging that's just out of sight," he said.

"People drive along that road and it's a beautiful stretch of road.

"It's good to inform them about what's happening out of site but not far away."


Posted by editor at 10:48 AM EADT
Bushfire science
Mood:  blue
Topic: wildfires


 

We noticed an abc Sydney radio report this morning on the Australian fire fighters union lobbying the Senate on climate change action. Here is a similar report from Feb 2009:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/12/2489847.htm 
At risk' firies want urgent global warming action

By ABC News Online's Cassie White

Posted Thu Feb 12, 2009 3:46pm AEDT
Updated Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:48pm AEDT

Risk ... firefighters have been told to prepare for many more extreme fire danger days.

Risk ... firefighters have been told to prepare for many more extreme fire danger days. (Getty: Scott Barbour)

Australia is at risk of more tragedies such as the Victorian bushfires if the Federal Government does not reassess its approach to global warming, says the peak firefighters union.

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

A timely backgrounder also from our Ecology Action resources on an additional factor on how we got to this extreme wildfire scenario involving extreme dryness across NSW from local or global climate effects: There is a long run land use legacy of converting large areas of wet forest types into dry schlerophyll which burns fiercely. Refer this background paper:

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

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

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

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

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

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

But what is apparent in the current anxious reflections and research into how best to deal with the impending catastrophic fires of the futre is that the modern logging industry have been getting away with environmental murder that promotes mega bushfires. It all follows from breaching the natural water cycle under a closed canopy:

 

 

The diagrams above are based on the following scientific papers:

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

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

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

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

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

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

More background

The public are noticing the intensity of forest fires seem to be greater and to have more devastating effects. Certainly there are many factors involved:

1.climate eg drought, very low humidity, hot winds etc.

2. ground fuel load is significant but notice

(a) closed canopy wet 'old growth' or rainforest is far more fire resistant than a dry sclerophyl eucalypt forest regardless of leaf litter, and dry sclerophyl is being spread like a curse by the woodchipping sector. The wet fire resistant nature of old closed canopy is not our invention: An excellent scientifically referenced booklet called 'Old Growth Forests and their High Conservation Values' was published in Feb 1995 by Taylor, Woof, Thomson with relevant diagrams. We submit this process has contributed disastrously to fire intensity over the last 35 years and could literally take centuries to reverse, short of concreting the lot. No one wants that.

(b) that the high ground vegetation grazing pressure by ground dwelling native herbivores has been greatly reduced as a result of feral predators killing these critters off.

3. arson: A recent Institute of Criminology report late 2004 found up to 9 out of 10 fires are started by arsonists and in NSW the government have taken action to address this. This was the concern of green groups from at least 1993 but largely ignored by authorities until now.

4. escaped logging fires. These are less arson, as negligent land practices. Evidence of these are listed further below.

In the area of fire management the politics of the Carr NSW government are on track compared with so many other land use policy areas ...if one ignores the underlying landscape transforming impact of woodchipping Carr has so far failled to ban: We submit that closed canopy forests have been systematically wiped out in Australia especially in the last 40 years, which has destroyed the natural water cycle and humidity in forest understorey and more generally.

In the environment movement we still hear, not so much in NSW, but from colleagues in Victoria and elsewhere cheap shots at greenies not pulling their weight in rural fire brigades etc. When we last investigated this point in 1994 during during the Black Friday bushfire crisis we learned that 20 or 30 places across regional NSW had greenies in their local brigade ... that rural people invariably pull together whatever their politics.

One fellow in the north east angrily commented he was the driver of the local fire truck and it was in his driveway. The letter I wrote rebutting such nasty cheap political shots was printed in virtually every local newspaper in NSW including letter of the week in The Land newspaper. People were in no mood for cheap smears during such a serious bushfire event. We have no reason to doubt that reality in 2005 and beyond.

Source documents can be found in the following links: 

13 Dec 2006 ...Howard’s divisive politics: bushfire green baiting today, dog whistle white supremacism yesterday

April/May 2003...El Grande, Tasmania: fire vandalism by govt logger/regulator exposed by expert botanist

4/2/03... loggers cause fire in Tasmania says Wilderness Society

2/2/03...How the Regional Forest logging 'Agreeements' omitted bushfire effect on volumes

22/1/03... intensity: role of logging old, closed canopy forest over past 50 years

13/5/02...Clearfell logging is making the wet forests of the Otways drier and more fire prone

1/1/02...Koperberg dismisses burn-off, Sydney Morning Herald

1/1/2002... Fire reduction burn offs useless: Daily Telegraph

Jan/Feb 2000...Serious forest fires in the Otways are started by careless logging practices

patchy, rare fire occurrence in wet forests of Otways, Vic

1997....scientific refutation of the 'burn lots and burn often' simplistic approach allegedly used by pre European Aboriginal society


Posted by editor at 8:35 AM EADT
Updated: Thursday, 19 November 2009 10:06 AM EADT
Monday, 16 November 2009
Did SAM micro news blog save premier Rees' neck?
Mood:  lyrical
Topic: nsw govt

Copy to SAM web micro news:

#1 of 2

Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 6:40 AM
Subject: civil society briefing note on $35B sale proposal breaks Rees critics on Right? Re: [chipstop] goodbye macca

This is a big break for the redgum forests I imagine.
I'm going to post a self referential (!) story this morning, something about 'Did SAM save premier Rees?'
Which of course is tendentious/speculative. But it goes like this and it's an intriguing scenario: The 1997 failed energy privatisation has been driving alot of the angst in state politics. Keating reckons it was worth $35B, if only really $25B, and privatisation mark 2 in 2007 also failed at $10 to 15B (different asset range, different market). So Right and Left in ALP Govt and big media were at each other's throats, not least over investor fees to be gotten (in the $150M range in 2007).
The Greens were in alliance with the unions against the sale(s).
Into this poisonous soup of political ambitions and fear and loathing about 2 months back we posted this story:
Briefing note from civil society group on 1997 NSW power sale
Mood:  sharp
Topic: nsw govt
Since about that time, the ructions over the power sale political dynamics have evaporated from big media. More light than heat to help the bruvvers understand what really happened back in the day, pre google? Could be.
Regards, Tom
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 5:36 PM
Subject: [chipstop] goodbye macca

He's gone. Whacko!
HS

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/state-politics/nsw-premier-nathan-rees-forces-joe-tripodi-and-ian-macdonald-out-of-cabinet/story-e6frgczx-1225797909889

NSW Premier Nathan Rees forces Joe Tripodi and Ian Macdonald out of cabinet

  • Imre Salusinszky, NSW political reporter
  • From: The Australian
  • November 15, 2009 4:35PM

NSW Premier Nathan Rees has sacked two of his most controversial ministers in a desperate attempt to gain a lift for his Labor government in the polls.
Ports Minister Joe Tripodi and Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald tendered their resignations to Mr Rees today after the Premier called them last night and said he wanted them out of cabinet.
They will be replaced by Heathcote MP Paul Macleay and upper house President Peter Primrose, with an announcement of portfolio changes expected tomorrow.
Mr Tripodi has been a constant source of controversy to the Government due to suggestions he and his fellow Right faction warlord, Eddie Obeid, maintain close relationship with property developers who, in exchange for generous political donations, expect high-level access to government figures.
Mr Macdonald has been at the centre of numerous allegations of excessive use of ministerial expense accounts and, unlike Mr Tripodi, has aligned himself with recent moves to challenge Mr Rees's leadership.
Mr Tripodi said this afternoon: “I have been nothing other than loyal to Nathan Rees.”
But he insisted he accepted the Premier's decision and would not be moving for a leadership spill.
The sacking of Mr Tripodi and Mr Macdonald follows rapidly upon the heels of Saturday's decision by NSW Labor's annual conference to grant the party leader unfettered power to sack and appoint ministers.

..........................................
# 2 of 2
 
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 6:43 AM
Subject: transport Re: civil society briefing note on $35B sale proposal breaks Rees critics on Right?

Not to forget this one also, posted the same day, getting into the head of big media, big politics at the time:

Posted by editor at 6:51 AM EADT
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Sunday tv talkies: NSW integrity gestures as feds obsess on boats borders and agri climate emissions
Mood:  down
Topic: aust govt

 

 

Picture: Wong's history is the proof - 1/4 of forest at risk traded for 3/4 also at risk gifted to logging industry in NSW in the late 90ies. Hence the huge ALP Carr Govt tv advertising spend in the 1999 state election 'Saving trees and job' to achieve a very big lie in recent political history. A grave precedent for the bogus ETS currently before federal Parliament.

 

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. Perhaps the greatest utility is the headline synthesis above of the 3 or 4 shows followed in this session.

   

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. Retired legislative lion John Hatton challenge to NSW ICAC as a “dud” (on nsw stateline 2 weeks back) resonating with premier Rees policy at ALP conference to ban developer donations in press today? We think so, as well as smh front pager smear on Tripodi yesterday leveraging arguably valid policy on competition initiative of some kind - which shows how easy it is to smear the bloke even when he has a case.

2. MTP 10 compere Paul Bongiorno AWOL. Rimington in the chair.

3. Rees got his nsw stateline interview in just in time 2 weeks back ‘lowest mainlaind unemployment’ assertion made only to jump to highest mainland unemployment at 6.1% official data one week later. That’s the ALP machine doing it’s choreography. Probably only innovate sunrise green industry is going to change this employment descent in NSW.

4. Public transport union chief Nick Lewocki bails out of the ALP Admin Committee, again on Stateline last Friday. Lewocki pictured with Della Bosca in the press, with DL since sidelined badly by ruthless central coast internal polling. Lewocki says in effect going to war on public transport until the election in 2011. Magically Rees announces return of south west heavy rail at ALP conference yesterday but not NW rail in Sydney Liberal electorates.

5. Labor ex premiers around their own ‘table of knowledge’ in an echo of the symbolism of the Wollongong developer scandal, plastic table for developers? Carr at Macquarie Bank, Iemma similar, both slashed Env Planning Act via Part 3A repeals, Wran a diverse business operator today but quite green back in the 80ies, one presumes Unsworth similar. As Keating always says – self interest is always trying?

Picture: The summary of ALP premier 'achievements' is a bit weird in these captions. Wran introduced the 1979 Planning Act which Carr and Iemma later trashed. Unsworth gun control laws lost a 1988 election but was the right thing to do not least after Port Authur massacre.  As regards Carr's national parks, see Wong above re woodchippers gifted 3/4 of forest at risk for 1/4 protected. That's not green hence the huge PR tv spend in 1999 by the NSW ALP to sell that particular big lie.

5A. Carefully note, the left sidebar story re ICAC access to McGurk tapes. Is this the real driver of internal ministerial reshuffles and disinfecting sunlight on developer donations and ministers "the public can have confidence in"?  That the factional bosses and backroom boys know of scandals to come and moving the furniture before the sheriff arrives - so to speak?

6. PM Rudd similar solidarity imagery with Rees. What does tribe Labor know about evidence to ICAC in the McGurk tapes, Della Bosca etc?

7. First Tuesday in November is ‘take out the trash day’ for Defence re incompetence and lack of leadership were key factors in the death in action of an Aussie Digger in Afghanistan, to paraphrase Sydney Daily Telegraph.

8. Cynical bushfire rhetoric on Sixty Minutes last Sunday totally misconceives the role of moisture/lack thereof in forest landscapes. More here Bushfire science. Logging industry gets free pass again on massive transformation of moist forest types to dry schlerophyll mega fire fuel. This process has gone on for 50 years and now the logger-woodchippers like David Packham and allies trashing wet areas of East Gippsland (with 800 year old trees) dare to claim the high moral ground on hazard reduction HR burns. Grotesque hypocrisy. Hopeless big media bias exploiting country people's genuine fears. And yes we are in a bushfire zone, and built a bunker last winter for a handicapped tenant.

9. The Oz glossy earlier 2009 (shown above) re Minister Wong trashed ¾ of unprotected forest in NSW with sellout to logger corporates and industry in the 90ies. So what else is new in the ETS negotations 10 years later? Absolutely nothing. The public interest is being trashed only mitigated with such as NSW decision for a 7 year gross feed in tariff to promote roof top power stations.

10. Clark & Dawe do the job for the otherwise respected ABC news machine, as the only section of the national broadcaster with the guts to report albeit by satire the actual 4,500,000 litre oil spill in the Timor Sea north west Australia. Interestingly Paul Bongiorno of MTP 10 was the only outlet in SE Australia carrying the right metric last Sunday.

11. The Senate estimates economics committee 21 Oct 2009 heard

12. Strong string on corporate welfare of carbon capture sequestration CCS on New Matilda by Ben Eltham. See our link added there to Norway Petroleum Saftey Authority.

13. Riley Diary and Oakes interview increasingly head on clash scheduling these day. Inconvenient really without taping one or other.14. On a personal note a buzz cut never worked so well in this hot weather, the ¼ may become a 1/8 soon.  

10 Meet the Press:  8- 8-30 am 

Hugh Rimington in the chair [ex squeeze of Stot back years ago], package preface is refugee with MT sledging govt, Minchin denialism on anthropogenic global warming AGW.Tanner soporific guest. Breaking news of two refugees shot by Indonesian authorities etc. Walsh [redneck] sledge of PM, Ray re Rudd Nelson column aspect. Brittle loyalty to Rudd? Tanner sophistry about how govt has evolved [actually major party corporatism as Greens genuine grassroots democracy hunts their corruption].  

T argues ETS postpone agriculture for 5 years, hedges on done deal [in press today]. Humour out take Gillard can’t cook.

Panel is Hewitt and Lewis both of News Corp. ETS deal making discussed. Tanner runs web pressure on books as real competitive pressure. Walsh attack on Rudd raised again. Humour out take at expense of Rudd hairdryer man ‘lest we forget’.

 

Adbreak Pages River Stop Bichham Coal Mine advert. Grab from PM Rudd, Graeme Bradley Business Council of Australia – looks like a mild mannered character, on ETS topic. More compensation. BCA on electricity, coal, trade exposed sectors [the whole point of the ETS].

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

 

Riley Diary 7, from 8.40am 

Albanese car door mishap, foreign affairs alphabet soup, Rudd wank in Afghanistan inclusive of shaggy dog story. Fairly negative package for the Govt.

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

 

9 Sunday newshour Laurie Oakes interview 8.44 am 

Missed first quip/barb. ETS main topic re agri ‘indefinite suspension’ from ETS [which is about as solid as a rubber shovel] get out for Turnbull and Govt vis-à-vis country Australia. Move on finally to “border protection” policy [meaning refugee policy]. Minchin on 4 Corners re denialism of climate change. Says shadow cabinet discipline. Great riposte re Minchin sees CC as global leftist conspiracy.

 

Fearmongering re “open borders”. Argues Rudd (red) carpet for “people smugglers”. Oakes says going for redneck/Rudd vote?

 

[All a distraction from huge immigration levels which Turnbull supports, unqualified. Won’t cut that to allow for more refugees. Pathetic fearmongering and dishonesty. At least Rudd and Tanner say they support 35M population which is deeply unpopular too.]

 

Dissension in Liberal Party re cruelty to genuine refugees (Troeth, Georgiou), and didn’t take to party room. Says he knows and supported by party room.

 

Interview runs right to 9 am boundary. Turnbull trivializing Oakes as “affable pussycat” meant lightly but jarrs. Political killing season says Oakes?

  

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

 

  

Insiders 2: 9- 10am

 

News update re Rudd in Asia with Mark Simpkin who is competent. Package on ‘Goodbye Bligh’ on ‘travesty Traveston Dam’. Footage of Garrett bolstering tarnished reputation. Jarring segue to book pricing issue. Allan Fels argues little people case when it’s really the big book retail chains who wanted it. Fels [gets his retail pricing wrong ] re Dan Brown The last symbol, [wrong as per SMH letters page].

 

Media round up: Fran Kelly re ETS agri exemption, agrees personally, turning on hard to measure. A lot of pressure on Nats, make money from offsets. Meglo on auditor critique re advertising for stimulus. Good kicking for unclear. Stuchberry emboldened with powers to select their own ministers unlike Wran or Carr. Grabbed the power ‘do or die’. Argues Tripodi may be dumped – FK says would be amazed if that happens (despite polling).

 

Grab re Rees public have “full confidence” in their ministers. [Is this the Orkopolous scandal/outrage catch up finally by the ALP?]

 

Book policy re vested interests versus broader interest?  

 

Guest is Minister Wong re ETS looking very haughty and satisfied. Concession made by govt important to the Opposition [bone to Turnbull keep him propped up versus Minchin/Joyce et al]. Challenged on Mary River Dam decision, Wong backs Garrett decision. [Ironic as each speaks on other’s portfolio). Refugee issue, begs off not her portfolio and talks out boilerplate. “Good to speak with you” which is a mindless Ruddism on her part.

 

Vox pop re books at sculpture by sea. Most people agree online is the cheaper method. Lose identity without local support.

 

Books, dams discussed. Qld electoral dynamics analysed by Meglo. Defends ‘rogue’ poll. Pat Oliphant guest on cartooning with Fiona Katsoukis. Final comments FK and Meglo re Copenhagen trumps Australia ETS big time. Stutch on stimulus, school halls. “Penny is wrong” re ETS significance says FK [ouch].

 

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

  

Inside Business with Alan Kohler 

Alan on an overdue diet perhaps? Mostly about nbn, ie national broadband network postures.

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

 

Posted by editor at 10:35 AM EADT
Updated: Sunday, 15 November 2009 11:03 AM EADT

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