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Stats, facts and data exposes government
We live in a digital era where vast amounts of information are collected by government. It is easy to store and retrieve so why is access to this information stuck in the Dark Ages? What we need is for government departments' data to be made far more accessible. We need them to post all the most obvious metrics that we, as taxpayers and consumers of government services, need to hold them to account.
101 homes unaccounted for
How much does it cost to build a three-bedroom home ... That makes it $214,500 per house, around $1500 a square meter. So, when the NT Government forks out $30m of taxpayer’s money, awarding a three year period contract to a local company (Pedersen NT, in this case) then we can expect to get 139 homes, with a bit left over, right? Wrong.
Where self-help is a way of life
Trevor Shiell ... The community approached the [Fijian] government and got a negative response because the government had no money. Dreketi was a subsistence area of the country, so they decided to build a junior secondary school themselves ... Within a year they had a junior secondary school for 320 kids. No help from government, thank you, and they took pride and ownership of it.
How long is your hose?
The Naked Farmer (18-year CFA volunteer). Have you ever been a volunteer? It feels great, doesn’t it? Imagine if you were responsible for putting those volunteers’ life at added risk? For an organisation like the CFA which relies predominantly on volunteers, why wouldn’t it stop and ask the question, "Why are we allowing the added risk of Transmission Lines to our volunteers and those we serve to protect?"
Events in Ukraine: The first “Agricultural War” has begun
The population of planet Earth is increasing. But the area of the planet is not growing. Sooner or later, this will make famine a mortal threat to the population of many countries. Scientific and technological progress will not save everyone. After all, increasing the efficiency of agricultural labour can solve the problem only when the area of agricultural land is sufficient for this. Therefore, food wars will become part of the future of humanity. The first such war is already underway. This is the war in Ukraine!
A Basin con
Who would have thought that politics would breed dishonesty and half-truths? The latest push by Federal Labor water minister, Tanya Plibersek, is a perfect example ... Plibersek’s Bill passed the Lower House last week, with a potential vote in the Senate on November 9 ... no appetite to wait for the outcome of the Productivity Commission’s Interim Report due in December, shock horror.
Statement from Robbie Katter MP – Mount Isa
The Palaszczuk Labor Government, and in particular Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick, have in recent days been complicit with Glencore in the signing of an entirely unnecessary “death warrant” for the city of Mount Isa. On behalf of the community of Mount Isa, and the 1,200 jobs that hang in the balance, this needs to be called out.
The Buloke Times editorial: The new state government
It is symptomatic of the state government’s treatment of rural Victoria that there have been five Ministers for Agriculture since Dan Andrews took over. With the swearing in of Ros Spence, the member for Kalkallo, she is the fifth with that portfolio, having taken over from Gayle Tierney ... the fact that she represents an electorate which covers Melbourne’s northern suburban fringe (including Craigieburn and Mickleham) does not augur well.
No Voice, no Treaty: McArthur
Mrs McArthur said, “it seems the starkest dividing line in Australia is not between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people but between the inner-city elites of the eastern states and the rest of the country ... The no vote was not a vote for the status quo or against any action; in fact it has highlighted the failures of the status quo. I hope it will prove the catalyst for a full audit of the expenditure directed to Aboriginal issues across Australia so that taxpayer money can be effectively spent to close the gap without permanently constitutionally entrenching new experimental, ineffective and unnecessary division.”
New fees could force YP fishers to bail out
Michelle Daw. Yorke Peninsula commercial fishers are furious, as they say a new licence structure will increase their fees by more than 400 per cent and could force them out of business.
Call for accountability after Voice fails could snare the Opposition
The Voice to Parliament referendum has failed with voters in Pearce and Durack following the state and national trend of voting No ... Senator Cash did not say if the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) established by the Morrison government in 2019 should be part of that accountability.
Australia must restore the Federation and devolve power to the States and to Local Government
The resounding defeat of the Voice referendum demonstrates, once again, that far too much of day-to-day life in Australia is being dictated by remote and disconnected from the population elites ... The big lesson from the recent referendum is that people want to make their own decisions. They do not need ‘help’ from the elites, who know nothing about how life actually transpires in most of Australia.
Voice – yes or no? Two days to go.
... by head of population, we have about 10 times the nation’s Indigenous population, several Indigenous languages are alive and well, and Aboriginal people have freehold possession of half the “state’s” land. Our two Senators are Aboriginal but on opposite sides. The NT was the birthplace of the Uluru Statement from the Heart ... the Alice Springs News major pieces on the Voice collected here reflect the passions and conflicts of this controversial period in our public life.
Power play, VNI West debate rages
Just as Transgrid has announced an expansion of the preferred corridor, an ‘Explosive’ energy report exposes serious flaws in the $20 billion Rewiring the Nation plan. Australia is on the verge of an energy crisis as politicians continue to close down traditional baseline power sources for the green dream.
Govt official says Voice will improve services, cut costs
Patricia Gill. Public servant of 30-plus years, Albany Noongar man Ken Kelly, says a Voice to Parliament will improve social outcomes and reduce future costs. Speaking at the Yes Campaign Walk on September 30, Mr Kelly sees a Voice as a way of keeping the Government of the day on track.
Farmers in Labor’s new superannuation firing line
Labor's superannuation changes are set to disproportionately impact family farms held in self-managed super funds (SMSF) if they exceed new thresholds. Leader of The Nationals, and Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said family farms, particularly where their properties are in a SMSF, would be hit the hardest by Labor's superannuation tax grab.
Tyrrell says private members bill will protect prime agricultural land in Northern Victoria Region
Member for Northern Victoria Region Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell has introduced her first bill of the parliamentary year, aimed at protecting Victoria’s prime agricultural land from large-scale solar farm development. Mrs Tyrrell introduced The Planning and Environment Amendment (Soil Protection) (Solar Power Generation Facilities) Bill 2023 in State Parliament last week to protect precious agricultural land and water catchment areas from large scale solar farms.
Australia’s preparation for major bushfires: John O’Donnell
It is the author’s belief that Australia is not adequately prepared for upcoming bushfires. To be frank, we as a society have learnt very little following 2019/20, especially in regards to bushfire mitigation. Communities, firefighters and the ecosystems are highly exposed over the coming El Nino period and a lot of bushfire skills have been lost. Disaster and insurance costs are going up every year and will continue to go up with current adapted approaches.
The Buloke Times editorial: Qatar block and farm exports
There is no doubt that Australian airline Qantas has lost some of its shine recently. Events in the recent past include the departure of CEO Alan Joyce, pocketing a "golden handshake" which is said to total $14 million; the new CEO apologising for the poorer performance of her airline; and the scandal of selling tickets for flights that Qantas knew had been cancelled.
Divisive referendum
The debate on the upcoming vote for the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum has become “divisive” in the region, says Member of Barker Tony Pasin ... “Differences of opinion and robust debate in an MP’s office are to be expected and indeed encouraged, but the tirade of abuse directed at my staff (I was interstate) was totally unacceptable ... Ordinarily, a constitutional convention is held prior to a referendum to seek consensus."
Wake up Australia – Renewable energy won’t save the planet if it costs the earth: Robert Onfray
Robert Onfray. I am not sure many people are fully aware of the massive engineering changes currently underway in our rural landscape. The changes are on a scale never attempted in this country before, and it is swallowing obscene amounts of money for minimal benefit and, indeed, no proof it will improve the climate ... Australian Rural & Regional News will open a page for discussion on this comprehensive and provocative article on the renewable energy transition.
Weir voting ‘no’
Local state Member for Condamine Pat Weir has revealed he will be voting no at the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum. In the past, when asked how he will vote Mr Weir has said he would take time to look at both sides of the debate before making an informed decision. Among his concerns was if the issue warrants amending the Constitution.
