| JUNE 2008 Pages - Page 29 |
| THIS IS PAGE 29 OF JUNE 2008 PAGES - JUNE0829 |
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
It's that time of the year again. Hallelujah !!!
The NSW Parliament breaks for holidays from 27 June 2008 and does not return to work until 23 September,
2008. It's called the "winter break". Well actually it's 2 months of Winter and the first month of Spring - but
there is no need to be pedantic.
Well with all that spare time on one's hands what does one do ?
According to Kerry-Anne Walsh and Lisa Carty at the Sun Herald some MP's have made arrangements to keep them off the streets.
"....Liberal treasury spokesman Greg Pearce is off to Ireland, London and Scotland for riveting meetings and briefings about matters
financial including public-private partnerships... His colleague Judy Hopwood, Liberal member for Hornsby, will travel to the United
States to try to find answers to our burgeoning homelessness problem; Labor's woman in Wollongong Noreen Hay is off to Canada,
Ireland and Britain to discuss health, steel and tourism "
The annual Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference is being held in Malaysia this year (last year it was held at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands)
and so " Speaker Richard Torbay and his trusty sidekick, parliamentary clerk Russell Grove, will attend "
Ah ... the heavy burden of duty with which these people have been ladened.
SOURCE :
Kerry-Anne Walsh & Lisa Carty, Naked Eye, Sun Herald, 22 June 2008, p. 59.
Simon Chamberlain, Politicians toing -and- throwing overseas , Northern Daily Leader, 1 July 2008.
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It's that time of the year again. Hallelujah !!!
The NSW Parliament breaks for holidays from 27 June 2008 and does not return to work until 23 September,
2008. It's called the "winter break". Well actually it's 2 months of Winter and the first month of Spring - but
there is no need to be pedantic.
Well with all that spare time on one's hands what does one do ?
According to Kerry-Anne Walsh and Lisa Carty at the Sun Herald some MP's have made arrangements to keep them off the streets.
"....Liberal treasury spokesman Greg Pearce is off to Ireland, London and Scotland for riveting meetings and briefings about matters
financial including public-private partnerships... His colleague Judy Hopwood, Liberal member for Hornsby, will travel to the United
States to try to find answers to our burgeoning homelessness problem; Labor's woman in Wollongong Noreen Hay is off to Canada,
Ireland and Britain to discuss health, steel and tourism "
The annual Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference is being held in Malaysia this year (last year it was held at Rarotonga in the Cook Islands)
and so " Speaker Richard Torbay and his trusty sidekick, parliamentary clerk Russell Grove, will attend "
Ah ... the heavy burden of duty with which these people have been ladened.
SOURCE :
Kerry-Anne Walsh & Lisa Carty, Naked Eye, Sun Herald, 22 June 2008, p. 59.
Simon Chamberlain, Politicians toing -and- throwing overseas , Northern Daily Leader, 1 July 2008.
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THE HEAVY BURDEN OF DUTY
We are not sure of the reasons why, but it seems Premier Morris Iemma has been ditching the responsibility of the heavy
burden of duty, over board recently.
He seems to have washed his hands of the following areas :
1. It is impossible to keep family friendly hours and do all the work of a Premier as well.
2. He believes in a "power sharing" system of governance.
3. He has been instructed, with a popularity rating of 28% (and falling rapidly), to make himself scarce, and let others take the rap for the
government's stuff-ups.
4. He is slowly easing himself out of the job of Premier.
5. Lack of energy, because of lack of sleep, caused by worrying about the future - especially keeping his own lights shining brightly.
BUT we are in a dither to work out which one is the correct explanation.
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We are not sure of the reasons why, but it seems Premier Morris Iemma has been ditching the responsibility of the heavy
burden of duty, over board recently.
He seems to have washed his hands of the following areas :
- Electricity sell-off - being run by alternate Premier Barry O'Farrell and Treasurer Costa
- Planning laws - in the hands of Fred Nile - in consultation with Frank Sartor.
- Ministerial standards - left to John Della Bosca to overseer
- World Youth Day - in the hands of No 1 Pope fan Kristina Keneally MP (Heffron)
- Discipline for Ministerial staffers - left in the hands of Josh Murray who has sent out a memo stating that if a Della's Downfall type video
is produced in the future, disciplinary action will be taken against the production team. - Corruption control - left in the hands of the alternate government. Whenever allegations arise, the Premier doesn't investigate but
suggests the alternate government refer it to ICAC/Police. Acting in the role assigned to him by the Premier, Barry O'Farrell referred the
Iguana Joes affair to Police.
1. It is impossible to keep family friendly hours and do all the work of a Premier as well.
2. He believes in a "power sharing" system of governance.
3. He has been instructed, with a popularity rating of 28% (and falling rapidly), to make himself scarce, and let others take the rap for the
government's stuff-ups.
4. He is slowly easing himself out of the job of Premier.
5. Lack of energy, because of lack of sleep, caused by worrying about the future - especially keeping his own lights shining brightly.
BUT we are in a dither to work out which one is the correct explanation.
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MORE ON IGUANA JOES AFFAIR
***Andrew Clennell, Dylan Welch & Jonathan Pearlman , Neal faces Iguanas charge, SMH, 23 June 2008.
***Brooke Newstead , Belinda Neal swaps Iguanas drama for Socceroos, Daily Telegraph, 23 June 2008
***Brad Norington , Rudd steps up the pressure on Neal, The Australian, 2 June 2008.
***ABC News, Rudd repeats warning to Neal, amid new allegations , 22 June 2008.
***Jeffrey Francis, Demonic behaviour at Iguana Club , star-online , 22 June 2008.
***Andrew Fraser, No winners in hardball , Canberra Times, 20 June 2008.
*** ABC News, Neal staffer 'won't be stopped from talking' , 23 June 2008
***Andrew Clennell, Dylan Welch & Jonathan Pearlman , Neal faces Iguanas charge, SMH, 23 June 2008.
***Brooke Newstead , Belinda Neal swaps Iguanas drama for Socceroos, Daily Telegraph, 23 June 2008
***Brad Norington , Rudd steps up the pressure on Neal, The Australian, 2 June 2008.
***ABC News, Rudd repeats warning to Neal, amid new allegations , 22 June 2008.
***Jeffrey Francis, Demonic behaviour at Iguana Club , star-online , 22 June 2008.
***Andrew Fraser, No winners in hardball , Canberra Times, 20 June 2008.
*** ABC News, Neal staffer 'won't be stopped from talking' , 23 June 2008
IEMMA'S DILEMMA - THE MOVIE TO GO TO CANNES IN 2009 ?
If the ever-popular movie Iemma's Dilemma (2008) gets the rights
to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival next year, 2009,
then we reckon the $35,000 spent by Linda Burney MP to
attend this year's festival will have been money well spent - a sound
investment in the future for a film industry for NSW.
SOURCE :
Joe Hildebrand and Kelvin Bissett ,
Acting Arts Minister Linda Burney's film frolic costs you $35,000,
Daily Telegraph, 23 June 2008.
If the ever-popular movie Iemma's Dilemma (2008) gets the rights
to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival next year, 2009,
then we reckon the $35,000 spent by Linda Burney MP to
attend this year's festival will have been money well spent - a sound
investment in the future for a film industry for NSW.
SOURCE :
Joe Hildebrand and Kelvin Bissett ,
Acting Arts Minister Linda Burney's film frolic costs you $35,000,
Daily Telegraph, 23 June 2008.
SELLING OFF THE FARM FOR A BETTER FUTURE
Some people say that Morris Iemma's sell-off of NSW electricity is as silly as selling off the family farm.
One Tamworth couple sold off their farm.
Mr & Mrs Donald Barwick reckon it's the best thing they ever did. Now they have a life !!!
SOURCE :
Clementine Cuneo , Farmer Donald Barwick sells 1600ha to get his life back, Daily Telegraph, 23 June 2008.
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Some people say that Morris Iemma's sell-off of NSW electricity is as silly as selling off the family farm.
One Tamworth couple sold off their farm.
Mr & Mrs Donald Barwick reckon it's the best thing they ever did. Now they have a life !!!
SOURCE :
Clementine Cuneo , Farmer Donald Barwick sells 1600ha to get his life back, Daily Telegraph, 23 June 2008.
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GREAT IDEA FOR BETFAIR
Betfair is an English based company (although in Australia, Betfair Australia has a different ownership)
and therefore has a huge number of customers. However, Racing Minister Graham West has said
there are a significant number of customers in NSW.
Betfair conducts markets on the British political scene.
One of the markets it has running at the moment is :
When will Alistair Darling officially cease to be Chancellor of the Exchequer?
Prices are available on a range of dates - from April-June 2008 ($1.10), through to
July-September 2008 ($1.04) in stages up to January 2011 or afterwards ($3.05).
I am going to send them a message to consider putting up a market for NSW -
When will Morris Iemma officially cease to be Premier of NSW ?
Maybe a range of dates in 6 months intervals would be suitable :
*Up to midnight 31 December 2008.
*1 January 2009-30 June 2009
*1 July 2009-31 December 2009
*1 January 2010- 30 June 2010
* 1 July 2010 - 31 December 2010
* 1 January 2011 - 31 March 2011
*1 April 2011 - 30 June 2011
* 1 July 2011 or afterwards.
With 8 different options - it would provide scope for a range of spirited opinions. It would cost Betfair little to administer and earn them a 5%
commission on winning wagers. All too easy. We will see what happens.
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Betfair is an English based company (although in Australia, Betfair Australia has a different ownership)
and therefore has a huge number of customers. However, Racing Minister Graham West has said
there are a significant number of customers in NSW.
Betfair conducts markets on the British political scene.
One of the markets it has running at the moment is :
When will Alistair Darling officially cease to be Chancellor of the Exchequer?
Prices are available on a range of dates - from April-June 2008 ($1.10), through to
July-September 2008 ($1.04) in stages up to January 2011 or afterwards ($3.05).
I am going to send them a message to consider putting up a market for NSW -
When will Morris Iemma officially cease to be Premier of NSW ?
Maybe a range of dates in 6 months intervals would be suitable :
*Up to midnight 31 December 2008.
*1 January 2009-30 June 2009
*1 July 2009-31 December 2009
*1 January 2010- 30 June 2010
* 1 July 2010 - 31 December 2010
* 1 January 2011 - 31 March 2011
*1 April 2011 - 30 June 2011
* 1 July 2011 or afterwards.
With 8 different options - it would provide scope for a range of spirited opinions. It would cost Betfair little to administer and earn them a 5%
commission on winning wagers. All too easy. We will see what happens.
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THRILLS FOR TENNIS TRAGICS
Our tennis hero (since he, as a teenager, first won the Adidas International - formerly the NSW Open,
at the historic White City courts years ago) Lleyton Hewitt is competing at Wimbledon 2008,
the 131st tournament. Our hopes are not high.
The Betfair market has him at $300 to win the event.
The favourites, as at 23 June 2008, are Roger Federer ($2.28) , Rafael Nadal ($3.65) ,
Novak Djokovic ($6.40) and Andy Roddick ($26.00)
The finals are on Sunday 6 July 2008.
The tournament will be televised on Channel 9 .
The official Wimbledon website is [ ONLINE ]
ABC Grandstand should have coverage on the ABC Tennis website [ ONLINE ]
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Our tennis hero (since he, as a teenager, first won the Adidas International - formerly the NSW Open,
at the historic White City courts years ago) Lleyton Hewitt is competing at Wimbledon 2008,
the 131st tournament. Our hopes are not high.
The Betfair market has him at $300 to win the event.
The favourites, as at 23 June 2008, are Roger Federer ($2.28) , Rafael Nadal ($3.65) ,
Novak Djokovic ($6.40) and Andy Roddick ($26.00)
The finals are on Sunday 6 July 2008.
The tournament will be televised on Channel 9 .
The official Wimbledon website is [ ONLINE ]
ABC Grandstand should have coverage on the ABC Tennis website [ ONLINE ]
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BITS & PIECES
*** Water worries in Bathurst -- Brian Wood, Water Worry, Western Advocate, 23 June 2008.
*** Frog sanctuary ? -- Jodie Minus, More frogs? Here's hopping ., Illawarra Mercury, 23 June 2008...
*** Orange Greens assault on Council -- Bevan Shields , Greens launch local bid , Central Western Daily, 23 June 2008.
*** Copper Chopper Charge -- Ex-copper on chopper charge , Port Macquarie News, 20 June 2008.
*** Accountant fined but not liquidated -- Ian Kirkwood, $20,000 fine for business liquidator , Newcastle Herald, 23 June 2008.
*** Baby koala at Blackbutt -- Jacqui Jones, Blackbutt baby's first foray into the big world , Newcastle Herald, 24 June 2008.
*** Penguin in Port --- Penelope takes the plunge , Port Macquarie News, 23 June 2008.
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*** Water worries in Bathurst -- Brian Wood, Water Worry, Western Advocate, 23 June 2008.
*** Frog sanctuary ? -- Jodie Minus, More frogs? Here's hopping ., Illawarra Mercury, 23 June 2008...
*** Orange Greens assault on Council -- Bevan Shields , Greens launch local bid , Central Western Daily, 23 June 2008.
*** Copper Chopper Charge -- Ex-copper on chopper charge , Port Macquarie News, 20 June 2008.
*** Accountant fined but not liquidated -- Ian Kirkwood, $20,000 fine for business liquidator , Newcastle Herald, 23 June 2008.
*** Baby koala at Blackbutt -- Jacqui Jones, Blackbutt baby's first foray into the big world , Newcastle Herald, 24 June 2008.
*** Penguin in Port --- Penelope takes the plunge , Port Macquarie News, 23 June 2008.
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TAMWORTH COMMUNITY MEMBER WANTS ANSWERS
A member of the Tamworth community, Mark Rodda, wrote to the Northern Daily Leader in response
to the funding query regarding the Tamworth Hospital which is a issue attracting much media attention
in the town. The letter was given the title :
Hospital buck stops with Peter Draper .
Mr Rodda makes the following points -
IT would seem to me, in order to stop the division widening between Mr Draper and the Tamworth community, he get Mr Iemma to write an open
letter to the people of Tamworth stating :
*** Exactly how the government has planned for the construction of the new hospital and where the funds are coming from.
*** Re-iterating his promise that work will be substantially started on site (with the complete blue-print plans in the foreman's on site office) before
March 2011.
*** Personally guaranteeing the truth of his statements and giving his bond that he will resign as Premier/Minster should the promise not be
fulfilled.
*** Declaring that the promise is not a "Spit-Bridge" promise.
Interestingly, a letter written by former Premier Bob Carr is causing some angst for the Iemma government.. The letter was to the Most Reverend
Stanislaw Rylko, the President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity at the Vatican and written 3 years ago. It related to the staging of WYD in
Sydney in 2008.
The letter expressed the government's "enthusiastic and wholehearted support of Sydney's candidature", a promise "that the highest levels of co-
operation will be extended … to make this event an outstanding success" and gave an undertaking "to make available at nil or nominal charge a
wide range of government amenities and services including security, protocol, medical services, transport and public buildings".
SOURCE :
Letters, Mark Rodda, Hospital buck stops with Peter Draper , Northern Daily Leader, 23 June 2008.
Matthew Moore , So many people, so little detail , Sydney Moring Herald, 21 June 2008. p. 40.
s Iemma F***ing Draper Too ?, JUNE 2008 PAGES page 24, www.independent-nsw.com
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A member of the Tamworth community, Mark Rodda, wrote to the Northern Daily Leader in response
to the funding query regarding the Tamworth Hospital which is a issue attracting much media attention
in the town. The letter was given the title :
Hospital buck stops with Peter Draper .
Mr Rodda makes the following points -
- The question that begs to be asked is just how flimsy were the new Tamworth hospital plans if comments from a few locals critical of the
local member “destabilise” them? - I still have a recording of Mr Draper announcing days out from the 2007 NSW State election that he was very proud that he had delivered a
new Tamworth hospital where local nurse and doctor students could work and meet their life partners. Very romantic! Mr Draper took full
electoral advantage of the joint Morris Iemma/Peter Draper new hospital for Tamworth announcement. Would it have translated into votes?
You bet it did, Mr Draper won by 3969 votes on the back of promises such as the hospital and the forecasted Iemma ALP win. - It is quite pathetic that Mr Draper would now shirk his responsibility for the new Tamworth hospital promise by claiming that we won’t get it if
questions are asked. Mr Draper is accountable to the people of Tamworth, as is any member of parliament, and as such the people of
Tamworth are entitled to be critical and cynical when he fails to meet his promises.
IT would seem to me, in order to stop the division widening between Mr Draper and the Tamworth community, he get Mr Iemma to write an open
letter to the people of Tamworth stating :
*** Exactly how the government has planned for the construction of the new hospital and where the funds are coming from.
*** Re-iterating his promise that work will be substantially started on site (with the complete blue-print plans in the foreman's on site office) before
March 2011.
*** Personally guaranteeing the truth of his statements and giving his bond that he will resign as Premier/Minster should the promise not be
fulfilled.
*** Declaring that the promise is not a "Spit-Bridge" promise.
Interestingly, a letter written by former Premier Bob Carr is causing some angst for the Iemma government.. The letter was to the Most Reverend
Stanislaw Rylko, the President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity at the Vatican and written 3 years ago. It related to the staging of WYD in
Sydney in 2008.
The letter expressed the government's "enthusiastic and wholehearted support of Sydney's candidature", a promise "that the highest levels of co-
operation will be extended … to make this event an outstanding success" and gave an undertaking "to make available at nil or nominal charge a
wide range of government amenities and services including security, protocol, medical services, transport and public buildings".
SOURCE :
Letters, Mark Rodda, Hospital buck stops with Peter Draper , Northern Daily Leader, 23 June 2008.
Matthew Moore , So many people, so little detail , Sydney Moring Herald, 21 June 2008. p. 40.
s Iemma F***ing Draper Too ?, JUNE 2008 PAGES page 24, www.independent-nsw.com
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A CULTURE OF FEAR ABC's Stateline did a segment about the tribulations of Dr Michael Booth on Friday 20 June 2008, titled Extreme Dissatisfaction. The full transcript of the programme is available on Stateline's website [ ONLINE ]. The programme raised a myriad of issues, but the one which we want to look at is: " a culture of fear ". The foundation of the story is the Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey.(SPANS) and it's subsequent report, funded primarily by the NSW government. In a foreword to the report, the then NSW Health Minister John Hatzisteros wrote : In 2003, the NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity was established at the University of Sydney. Its first task was to conduct a survey of physical activity and nutrition in school students (SPANS). Almost 5500 school-aged children in NSW participated in the survey, one of the most comprehensive ever conducted in Australia. This report provides the NSW Government with the information needed for it to further develop its policies and programs in the area, and also for it to assess progress against the Prevention of Obesity in Children and Young People: NSW Government Action Plan 2003– 2007. The acknowledgments section of the report states : The survey was funded primarily by NSW Health.In addition, the NSW Department of Education and Training funded several members of the field team. Stateline says the academics handed their report to the government, and 8 months later : NICK GRIMM: And in April 2006, Michael Booth was asked to discuss these findings at the NSW diabetes summit. He showed Stateline a series of emails illustrating that he first requested and received permission to do so from NSW Health. MICHAEL BOOTH: Two or three days later, I have approval in writing from NSW Health to go ahead and give the presentation. NICK GRIMM: Health Department bureaucrats also accompanied him at the summit. And did anyone say, "Michael Booth, what on earth are you doing? You're speaking out of line here. This stuff is not meant to be talked about to the media?" MICHAEL BOOTH: No. It was all business as usual. On 22 April 2006 the Sydney Morning Herald had a front page story : Shocking truth of childhood obesity; EXERCISE MYTH EXPLODED - (1) the opening paragraph of which was : A GROUNDBREAKING study produces the first conclusive evidence that excessive eating - not lack of exercise - is behind spiralling childhood obesity, challenging the Federal Government's refusal to restrict food advertising aimed at children. and inside the paper a more detailed story : Overweight boys at greater risk than girls .(2). Two days later there was a follow up story : Childhood obesity: a disaster in plastic wrappers (3). The Stateline programme continues : MICHAEL BOOTH: I had heard through NSW Health just before the article came out in the Herald that the Minister was angry. NICK GRIMM: According to Michael Booth, that message was then confirmed by the Minister's office. MICHAEL BOOTH: The adviser Simon Lee said, "Look, the Minister is very angry. It's better if you just stay out of the way." NICK GRIMM: Then, strangely, Michael Booth was copied in on emails that give an insight to what was occurring behind the scenes. "The Minister's office has expressed its extreme dissatisfaction at the early release of this information without its consent." AND LATER the programme says : WAYNE SMITH: I think that there's a general fear among academics these days that if they speak out that they may be targeted in terms of decreased access to various possible sources of funding. NICK GRIMM: Stateline isn't suggesting that the Minister directed the actions that led to Michael Booth's dismissal, but it does appear that his anger may have been instrumental in what some might argue has been the university's overreaction to his alleged misdemeanours. STUART ROSEWARNE: I think it's fairly reflective of the pressures that university managements are coming under to try and appease potential donors to the university and also government. NICK GRIMM: In what way? STUART ROSEWARNE: In so far as the university's not wanting to put Governments off side for fear that that will compromise Future Funding. THE SPANS report was finally published on 29 May 2006. NOW what is perplexing is why the Minister was angry ? Was it because the government had funded the survey and therefore claimed some proprietary right in the information which Dr Booth had released ? BUT on examination this does not appear logical. The Health Department had given permission for Dr Booth to attend the conference and some staff had gone with him to the conference. Secondly, academics generally love to share knowledge and generally have a desire that knowledge base be increased. All that they generally seek is attribution. Was it because the Minister had sat on the report for 8 months and was awaiting the ideal "photo-opportunity" to release it, but had been gazumped by Dr Booth? ANYWAY what is particularly disturbing is the perception held by academics :
IT's not so much whether their fears reflect reality - but that by having such fears the academics are already compromised. FURTHER, the question is : ARE government ministers aware of the academics fears (whether real or imagined) and use the knowledge of the fear, to bully academics into submission ? SOURCES : (1) Julie Robotham & Julian Lee,.Shocking truth of childhood obesity:EXERCISE MYTH EXPLODED, Sydney Morning Herald, 22: April, 2006. p. 1 (2) Julie Robotham Medical Editor, Overweight boys at greater risk than girls, Sydney Morning Herald, 22 April, 2006. p. 8 (3) Childhood obesity: a disaster in plastic wrappers, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 April, 2006. p. 10. The SPANS report is available at the Health Department website [ ONLINE ] |
