The ALP clean-out needs to start today.

The ALP clean-out needs to start today - but it probably will not.

Already the Media is pointing out that John Robertson IS part of the PROBLEM, not part of the SOLUTION. I agree.

What about this comment, from Crikey today?

• "The arrogance of Iguana-gate was far from unusual in NSW Labor, he said -- recalling one senior frontbencher, still in the Legislative Council, who entered a restaurant late at night and ordered staff to re-open the kitchen just so he and his team could have a meal. Senior Labor figures, he added, regularly spoke with utter disdain about the working-class people they were supposed to represent.
• "He had sailed too deep into NSW Labor's heart of darkness. Now he campaigns for the Liberals.
• "Pat's tale is a personal one -- yet it is also the story of the election. Over the past four years, many Labor loyalists in NSW decided the party no longer represented their interests or their values. The ALP was seen not as a light on a hill but as a patronage machine interested above all in perpetuating its own power."

As I have said before, the ALP needs to resurrect Ben Chifley. Trouble is the poor old Labor Train Driver now lies buried in an Alien Territory (Bathurst). The Boys from Sussex Street would need to apply for a Visa to get there.

And their applications would be rejected - stamped "Suspected Terrorist".

Its all too late.

Rooster One Day, Feather Duster The Next.

Matt Brown, Member for Kiama has been sacked (or has resigned) as Police Minister, after the leaking of a story about a party he supposedly held in his Parliament House Office on Budget night. In fact, he was apparently sacked for being less than frank with the Premier, when first questioned about the incident. He supposedly denied the details about inappropriate behaviour, but Mr Rees checked with other sources, then fronted Mr Brown again, who then confessed (supposedly). At that point, he was supposedly sacked by Mr Rees for not coming clean in the first place.
"It appears the leaking of the story was timed to either discredit the Minister who was promoted on Monday to the police portfolio or to destabilise Mr Rees." (Source: Sydney Daily Telegraph website.)

The Age website was more direct - allowing you to join the dots, as it were:

• "Mr Rees .... refused to speculate who may have leaked the story, and rebuffed suggestions it could have been Frank Sartor, whom Mr Rees dumped from the cabinet. "It would disappoint me, but I don't believe that's Frank Sartor's style. He's a more direct person than that."

• "Mr Rees said he was not aware of a meeting yesterday between Mr Sartor and News Ltd journalist Imre Salusinszky, who broke the story. "It would disappoint me [if Mr Sartor had leaked the story], but I have got no idea what Frank was talking about to Imre [Salusinszky]."

Well, Mr Rees, The Body Politic's resident graphic artist can show you his conclusion.

Frank Sartor, a proverbial Feather Duster himself, after being sacked last week, is showing Matt the tricks of the trade.

Aaah, such is the way of NSW Politics.

Fw: Papal visit - outrageous regulations

I decided a long time ago that I would not go to Sydney to see the Pope.
I am over Popes, to be truthful.

However, that was before these outrageous Regulations were promulgated, last week.

It is modelled on the APEC legislation - the laws which brought us the arrest of the Chaser team, and then the subsequent expensive and embarrassing dropping of charges against them.

---

Her Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the Executive Council, has made

the following Regulation under the World Youth Day Act 2006.

World Youth Day Amendment Regulation 2008

under the

World Youth Day Act 2006

JOHN WATKINS, M.P.,

Deputy Premier

25 June 2008

---

World Youth Day Amendment Regulation 2008

Explanatory note

(f) empowers police officers and authorised members of the State Emergency Service and

the Rural Fire Service to direct a person within a World Youth Day declared area to cease engaging in conduct that is a risk to the safety of the person or others, causes annoyance or inconvenience to participants in a World Youth Day event or obstructs

a World Youth Day event (proposed clause 7 (1)), and

(g) makes it an offence (carrying a maximum penalty of 50 penalty units, currently $5,500) to fail, without reasonable excuse, to comply with such a direction (proposed clause 7 (2)), and

---

World Youth Day Amendment Regulation 2008

under the

World Youth Day Act 2006

7 Control of conduct within World Youth Day declared areas

(1) An authorised person may direct a person within a World Youth

Day declared area to cease engaging in conduct that:

(a) is a risk to the safety of the person or others, or

(b) causes annoyance or inconvenience to participants in a

World Youth Day event, or

(c) obstructs a World Youth Day event.

(2) A person must not, without reasonable excuse, fail to comply

with a direction given to the person under subclause (1).

Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.

(3) A person is not guilty of an offence under this clause unless it is

established that the authorised person warned the person that a

failure to comply with the direction is an offence.

WORLD YOUTH DAY ACT 2006

Order under Section 3A

(World Youth Day declared areas)

I, ROY WAKELIN-KING, Chief Executive Officer of the World Youth Day Co-ordination Authority, in accordance with

the functions under section 3A of the World Youth Day Act 2006 ("the WYD Act") that the Deputy Premier and Minister

administering the WYD Act has delegated to me under section 51A of the WYD Act by Instrument of Delegation dated 29 May 2008, and having determined that certain areas are required for hosting a World Youth Day event, or for the provision

of services in relation to a World Youth Day event, hereby DESIGNATE each area specified in Schedule A hereunder to be

a "World Youth Day declared area".

WORLD YOUTH DAY ACT 2006

Order under Section 46

(Control of sale and distribution of articles in certain public places)

I, ROY WAKELIN-KING, Chief Executive Officer of the World Youth Day Co-ordination Authority ("the Authority"),

in accordance with the functions under section 46 of the World Youth Day Act 2006 ("the WYD Act") that the Deputy

Premier and Minister administering the WYD Act has delegated to me under section 51A of the WYD Act by Instrument of Delegation dated 29 May 2008 and having consulted with the Council of the City of Sydney in respect of land within the City of Sydney to which this order applies hereby SPECIFY:

1. each area described in Part 1 of Schedule A hereunder, excluding any part of the area described in Part 3 of Schedule A hereunder, to be "an Authority controlled area" for the purposes of section 46 of the WYD Act; and

2. each public place, or any part of a public place, that is within 500 metres of a transport facility or interchange or a World Youth Day venue or facility, being a public place, or part of a public place, that is shown on a map referred to in Part 2 of Schedule A hereunder, excluding any part of the public place described in Part 3 of Schedule A

hereunder, to be an "Authority controlled area" for the purposes of section 46 of the WYD Act.

---

If I go I will wear a T-shirt with the following logo (on the front)

and photo (on the rear).

Surely a defence of truthfulness would get me over the narrow definition of "causing annoyance to participants in a World Youth Day event".

If not, I would love the opportunity to defend myself in court.

The photo is real, not faked up. Taken at Castel Gandolfo (Pope's Summer Residence) outside Rome, 8 September 1968.

It is a photo of me being introduced to Pope Paul VI, and about to kiss his ring.

---

Something to think about, eh?

Not many people could wear this T-shirt with it being "offensive", gratuitous or annoying to Pilgrims. It is almost too good an opportunity to resist.

Mr Alby Schultz replies re The Apology

Mr Alby Schulz, MHR, Member for Hume (and hence, my Local Member) has responded to my urgent correspondence of 13 February - when he failed to appear in the House of Representatives, during the Apology to the Stolen Generations.

Dear Mr Wilson
Thank you for your email in which you express your support for the National Apology to the Stolen Generation and concerns regarding my absence from the Prime Ministers Sorry speech.

I apologise for the long delay of my response to you on this important matter and also advise the following regarding my absence from the Prime Ministers Sorry speech as I feel it important the reason for my absence is clarified.

During and following the Tuesday 12th February 2008 opening and long sitting of parliament which concluded at 2am on Wednesday 13th February 2008, I experienced ongoing severe pain in my left eye socket which holds a prosthetic eye due to an accident in 2003.

The pain became so intense I sought emergency medical advice on Wednesday morning. After receiving medication and resting under advice, I resumed my duties in the Parliament. On Thursday the 14th February 2008 I saw my specialist at an appointment for which I had received approval for leave. The specialist believes he has found a long term solution to this intermittent painful condition. The problem has been attended to and I am not experiencing any further problems.

The Prime Minister’s speech appealed to some and raised concern for others. It seems that nothing is assured with regard to the government not becoming liable for compensation and Mr Rudd didn't mention addressing the current problems in some indigenous communities like the sexual abuse of children. I feel the sentiment now needs to be followed up with concrete action. Proof of real commitment will be in the outcomes of the government’s so-called promise to fix the real problems within the indigenous communities. I believe that a solution to the problems facing Aboriginals is overdue although the Howard Government had begun the process in 2007 with the Northern Territory Interventions.

It should be noted that the snubbing of opposition leader Brendan Nelson at the National Apology by indigenous members of the audience would not help their cause.

The turning of backs and booing of Dr Nelson is indicative of how 'fair dinkum' some sections of the indigenous community are about their commitment to building harmonious relationships with fellow Australians. To be successful it needs to be a two-way street. Any solutions offered to solve the problems facing aboriginal communities need to be embraced and supported by those communities and their elders if there is ever to be any positive changes seen in the future.

Yours sincerely
ALBY SCHULTZ MP
Member for Hume
Deputy Chair, Standing Committee on Primary Industries and Resources
Member of the House of Representatives Speakers Panel
Electorate Office
Ph: 02 4822 2277 or 1 300 301 826
Fax: 02 4822 1029
Parliament House
Ph: 02 6277 4386
Fax: 6277 8482
Website http://www.albyschultz.com.au
Email alby.schultz.mp@aph.gov.au

AJS/DS/fb

----Original Message-----

From: Denis Wilson [mailto:peonyden@bigpond.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 5:12 PM

DJW Comment.

Don't you love the way that Mr Schultz still manages to see the real problem with the Apology being the behaviour of the Aboriginal people, during the event (at which he was not present).

What about the facts of the Stolen Generation, Mr Schultz? Have you heard of the "Bringing them Home" report?

And what about the invasion of Australia by the British, from 1770 onwards.

• In 1770, Englishman Lieutenant James Cook charted the Australian east coast in his ship HM Barque Endeavour. Cook claimed the east coast under instruction from King George III of England on 22 August 1770 at Possession Island, naming eastern Australia 'New South Wales'.
• The arrival of the First Fleet in January 1788, under the control of Captain Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of the Colony of New South Wales.
  

Mr Schultz - how do you think the Aboriginal people are entitled to feel about the history of this continent since those events?

By the way, I am glad your medical treatment for your one eye is working.

It is by being quiet and polite we allow ourselves to be ignored

Dear oh dear.

Gone is the famous: "Love to Grow: Grow to Love" motto I used have as my signature block.

It might return one day.

However, we face Council selling off bits of Public Parks all around the Wingecarribee Shire. The NSW Government is destroying our Rivers and Aquifers either through their own work (SCA) or by allowing the Coal Miners to do it, while accepting huge Part 3A payments. Wollongong Council is revealed to be as corrupt as we always felt it was. Shellharbour Council is even less amenable to environmental concerns than Wollongong (and that is saying something). NSW Labor Party politicians in the Illawarra region are said to have accepted "campaign donations" from developers (Can that be true, Matt?, David?, Noreen?)

So I have changed my signature block.

THE NSW GOVERNMENT AND THE WINGECARRIBEE SHIRE COUNCIL
ARE SCREWING US OVER..........REMEMBER THIS:
"BY BEING QUIET AND POLITE WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE IGNORED"

Democracy is dying in Kiama Electorate.

Kindly read my posting over at The Nature of Robertson about how our political freedoms in Kiama are being restricted.

Some body (or some people) have been pulling down signs opposing the pumping of the Kangaloon Aquifer.

These signs are comments on a particular engineering project which is being implemented by the Sydney Catchment Authority.

They in no way say who to vote for in the next election.
They do not contravene any provisions of the Electoral Act (we have checked).
The Council is not likely to have paid overtime to their employees, to pull down signs about a project which the Council itself opposes, over a weekend.

Some of them are made by kids, for goodness sake!
Not all of these signs have yet been removed (as far as I know). Let us hope this outrage stops RIGHT NOW!


Freedom of expression is being repressed in the Kiama Electorate. Strangely, further east from Sheepwash Road (in the Goulburn Electorate) our signs have not been touched.

When considering such an action, ask yourself: Who stands to benefit?
Well, it ain't Rocket Science.

There is only one political party which supports the pumping of water from the Kangaloon Aquifer. It does this, regardless of risks to the environment, and risks to the livelihood of local farmers.

That is the ALP.

Their representative in Kiama is Mr Matt Brown.

Kindly draw your own conclusions.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Where do I start?

1. Kelvin Thompson's stupid lapse?
2. Kevin Rudd's appointment of Young Ludwig as Shadow Attorney General? (a "courageous decision" in the terms of "Yes, Minister" methinks).
3. Shelley Archer, in WA, getting caught up in the CCC investigations over there - lets blame everyone else but ourselves, eh, Shelley?
4. Dr Heather Beattie, (Peter's wife, apparently an academic specialist in Nursing issues) about to be drafted for Lord Mayor of Brisbane. What? I can just hear the screams of anguish over that one. It didn't help Nick Greiner's Premiership, having his wife on the Sydney Council. Heather may well be a thoroughly well qualified candidate, but...
   
5. Morrie Iemma's announcement of a pipeline from the Wingecarribee Reservoir (between Robertson and Moss Vale) to Goulburn. This idea was kicked around back in 2005, but nothing has happened since. Great - a mere $40 million, for a pipeline, which is supposed to be able to be constructed in 12 months. What a joke! Try 3 years, if it would take a day. The people of Sutton Forest, etc will resist this pipeline going through their Horse Studs and vineyards. But, hey, Morrie don't care about them, as there's not a single Labor Vote to be lost from there. I am not against giving the people of Goulburn a helping hand, but what happened to John Howard's announcement of a pipeline from the Googong Reservoir to Goulburn? That idea was floated just a few weeks ago. This Canberra Times report of November 2006, says coyly that Mr Iemma was "unaware" of the proposal. Cute. That's Morrie, at his best.
6. Of course, the water from the Wingecarribee Reservoir is primarily Shoalhaven Water transferred (stolen) by the SCA, anyway. So, having been stolen by Sydney, what's to prevent Morrie giving it away to Goulburn. After all they have an independent candidate there, who was Mayor of Goulburn until a week ago. Not that I am suggesting there is any political component to this idea!
7. And today we learnt of rumours that two coal mining groups are seriously investigating extending coal mining under the Southern Highlands. One from Sutton Forest through Moss Vale towards the catchment area. That might take them under the Wingecarribee Reservoir, and would definitely require it going under the Wingecarribee River. This is a longwall mining proposal. Subsidence issues abound. The second one is of an Indian Mining company talking about mining under the kanaloon Aquifer area itself. Terrific. There's every likelihood that subsidence will destroy the Nepean and Avon Rivers, if that goes ahead.
   

What a day of bad news!

NSW has a weird view of land rights.

The Sydney Morning Herald has a poorly written piece today. Are all SMH journalists as uncritical as Andrew Clennell? His piece was entitled "Native title deal after 11 years". Look at the whole article before proceeding.

*****

Here is an annotated version of this article - which I was sent by a friend. I think it warrants being published in its own right. (The comments in red are not from the original published article - but that will be self-evident.)

*****

Native title deal after 11 years

TWO native title deals - including the biggest ever settled in NSW - are to be announced by the State Government before the election in March.

Depending on your point of view:- this is an announcement so you will be ready and waiting when we do make an announcement, or - the more likely reason - we want two bites at the PR cherry, the now and the photo opportunity later when everyone is back from the beach/Thailand/Bali/New York

The Government confirmed yesterday that it would approve the biggest native title claim, with the Githabul people in an area north of Tenterfield, next month.

We want every blackfella in NSW and all members of ANTAR to recognise what we are doing for Aboriginal people

It is also about to settle a claim with the Arakwal people, near Byron Bay.

Ditto

The native title claimants gave up the fight for freehold title to make the deals possible.

We didn't teach the A Team to negotiate like Keating did, so if they don't like the deal they only have themselves to blame.

The Premier, Morris Iemma, is expected to attend a ceremony at Toonumbar dam in the state's north-east on February 28 to settle the Githabul people's 11-year-old claim.

We have looked up the SOI and consulted Phil Koperberg and decided that there will be neither rain nor bushfire in the vicinity so have decided that this will be the best day and the best light for the aforesaid photo opportunity. The date is probably as close as we can get to Election Day and still allow time for the good news of our good deed to sink in and to allow the voting public to study Morrie's picture so they can identify him.

Settling the claim will give the local Aboriginal corporation about 120 hectares of land, allow Aborigines to hunt for turtles and give them a say over the handling of national parks and state forests. It should also provide job opportunities for Aboriginal people with the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Read aforesaid comments on negotiating skills and techniques. Haven't checked to see if there are turtles there. EPA keeping its fingers crossed that turtles do better in the vicinity of Toonumbar dam than Sydney Rock Oyster farms have done. And, yeah, the blackfellas will get a say over how to open the gates to the national parks and state forests but we'll decide how much money and to whom the money flows from aforesaid national parks and state forests. For job opportunities for Aboriginal people with the National Parks and Wildlife Service see aforesaid sentence.

The deal is largely restricted to 70,000 hectares of national park and state forest land and will not affect farmland.

We are not putting up with the aggravation from all those rural whingers in the Western Division like the Feds did with Mabo. And of course, we - the government, ahem, the people of NSW actually control the national parks and the state forests so no one will notice anything different. All photo opps and no aggravation.

The director-general of the NSW Department of Lands, Warwick Watkins, said yesterday a final settlement was also expected before March with the Arakwal people. In 2001, the Government announced that it would negotiate with them about how the national park there would be used, but there has been a further claim, which is about to be settled.

Ditto. Ditto. Ditto.

Trevor Close, the native title claimant for the Githabul land, which extends from Tenterfield to Kyogle, said Aboriginal people got "very little" out of the deal other than the right to hunt turtles and a say in how the national parks were run.

Please note above.

However, he was happy to see it resolved after 11 years of negotiations.

Wasn't getting anywhere anyway, so we are trying to walk away from the lack of negotiating table with some dignity still intact.

"A lot of people think it's a great deal," he said, "but they don't actually see how much the Githabul gave up - we moved a hell of a lot to get this deal."

Some of us thought some sort of deal signed, sealed and delivered to-day would be better than nothing and might let us have an opportunity to try again another day.

Mr Watkins agreed the deal was largely symbolic, but said it was important spiritually to Aboriginal people and similar to a native title agreement reached over Crown land covering Perth several years ago.

See above and ditto. We don't really believe in this spiritual stuff but they reckon they do so there's nothing in it for us and doesn't cost us much so we're letting 'em, have a bit of a dreamtime.

The National Party leader, Andrew Stoner, said that the native title agreement was an "obvious vote-buying exercise in the lead-up to the March state election".

How dare they pinch our template for doing deals with blackfellas if and when we get to government.

He said greater involvement of Aboriginal people in the management of the areas was "likely to result in a more commonsense approach than the extreme green approach taken by the NSW Labor Government".

And you say I'm colour blind if I think Morrie Iemma and the socialists are extreme green. I'll have you know that green is my favourite colour but only the green on the National Party website and election posters and advertising - and, of course, when we are wearing it with our Irish Catholic neighbours at the various St Pat's Day races around country NSW.

PS: Just remember this is democracy in action - there are plenty of dictatorships and one party governments that you can live under where this doesn't happen at all, and some of them are at war or killing their own!