Law & order

This is why we can’t have nice things! It wasn’t the notorious Dr Seuss character, but two young gentlemen who tipped the town’s Christmas tree in the Murray River last Saturday night. The shiny beacon of Christmas joy had already delighted hundreds of people who stopped for a photo with the tremendous tree.

Making every step count, close to 100 Clarence Valley residents joined members of the Iluka-Woombah Rotary Club on November 29 for a twilight walk to raise awareness of domestic and family violence and the devastating impact it has on communities around Australia. Organised as part of the global campaign 16 Days of Activism, an annual event aimed at eliminating violence against women and young girls while promoting respectful relationships, the initiative received an outpouring of support throughout the coastal village.

The irony is rich: this bill will likely create a generation of kids who are not just social media experts but also adept at cybersecurity and very comfortable breaking the law. Well done, Canberra, for teaching Australia’s youth skills that will take our kids deep into the dark web where everything and anything is available.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific recently visited Lord Howe Island as part of its work to protect the global ocean, where the organisation aims to protect 30 per cent of the world’s ocean by 2030. Greenpeace is seeking to do this by encouraging governments around the world to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty, to which Australia is a signatory.

Peter Hobbs. ... three major issues ... The first is the invasion of arable land which will reduce the capacity to grow the primary products for food production; the second being the thoughtlessness in procuring land that has been with families for generations; and the third and perhaps the most devious is the government’s divide and conquer tactics resulting in friendship and harmonious neighbourhood destruction.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) and Department of Home Affairs have joined forces under the Shadow Economy Taskforce to investigate labour hire providers suspected of unlawful conduct in the agriculture industry through surprise visits in the Gatton region in Southeast Queensland.

The Hon. Paul Papalia. I am writing to thank the Two Rocks Yanchep Residents Association for their August 19 correspondence regarding staffing and operational hours at Yanchep Police Station. The Western Australia Police Force advise that metropolitan police districts provide the community with a 24 hour per day, 365 days per year policing response.

The Albanese Labor Government’s Aged Care Bill has today passed Parliament, ensuring once-in-a-generation reforms to aged care ... Starting from 1 July 2025, the new Act will deliver a range of improvements including a tougher regulatory model, strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards and a Statement of Rights to ensure older people and their needs are at the centre of the new aged care system.

The CLP Government will introduce a comprehensive schedule of legislation for the final parliamentary sitting week of the year, commencing Tuesday. The First Home Owner Grant Amendment Bill 2024 and Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Amendment (Validation) Bill 2024 are two significant legislative priorities to be debated this sitting.

"The Albanese Labor Government has introduced a new Bill to the Federal Parliament that gives the government and its bureaucrats extraordinary powers to regulate speech and decide what is classed as misinformation ... We have seen the Bill opposed by the Victorian Bar Association, the NSW Solicitor-General, Human Rights Commission, and the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties": Member for Page, Kevin Hogan.

After the Albanese Government recently announced a proposal to introduce new laws to prohibit youths aged 16 and under from accessing and using social media, citing the changes are aimed at mitigating the harm social media is inflicting on Australian children, the Clarence Valley Independent decided to conduct a street survey.

Farming families and small business owners across the country have been left speechless by the Agriculture and Small Business Minister Julie Collins’ response in question time ... regarding proposed changes to superannuation. When asked whether the changes would result in a tax bill on unrealised gains even in years with zero or negative income, the Minister confirmed farmers would have to find the cash – potentially forcing the sale of family farms.

Sarah Herrmann. The Federal Government is set to follow the South Australian Government in introducing a bill to ban political donations this week. SA’s legislation was discussed in the Upper House last week, and the government said it had secured support from the Liberal Party, minor parties and other MPs.

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen,” wrote George Orwell in the dystopian classic 1984. We, on the other hand, had a temperate day in November, and the masses appeared more worried about the outcome of the US election than an authoritarian coup by the Albanese Government ... Would you consider it wise to enshrine a profession famous for lying as the sole arbiter of truth?

Michelle Daw. The nurses’ union has called for an urgent review of patient admission criteria and security measures at Yorketown Hospital after a terrifying incident where a patient allegedly threatened two nurses with knives. Union representatives argue the hospital’s current security systems fail to protect staff, prompting calls for stronger safeguards to ensure the safety of healthcare workers and patients alike.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) launched a new proactive initiative in Toowoomba ... aiming to reduce crime and fear of crime across the region. Safer Together Toowoomba, which runs for the next few months until January 2025, aims to enhance community safety through targeted crime prevention and engagement activities.

Labor have introduced a new Bill that gives the government and its bureaucrats extraordinary powers to regulate speech and decide what is classed as misinformation. Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan says he strongly opposes the legislation and has described it as an attack on free speech.