Tuesday 20th March 2007
SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION
- 4 DAYS TO GO -
Iemma is the ICE-MAN now he has his cards (well 1 of the 52 deck) on the table he has thrown in with the radical Gang Green who even blind Freddie has seen both parties decimate the state from National Parks to Transport & Health.
To see our slideshow of ICE and it's effect - Click Here
In the past an Independent Candidate was a person generally representing a minority group in society that felt they were not getting a fair deal from parliament and hence courageously put up their own candidate for election.
It is true that the politically apathetic Australian public often perceived that a minority politician in the form of an Independent held the balance of power in the decision-making processes. Alas! The way most of these elected Independents have acted in the past, they did, but no one ever considers that if the Independent actually was the first to cast his, or her vote, then who is actually really holding the balance of power now? The answer of course, is he, or she, who is last to vote and here we see party control as the real villain in the parliamentary process. Cross the floor and you are suspended, or expelled.
Today the societal concern of the wider state electorate has exceeded the minority concern status and with the legacy of the two party system, and of late, the 12 year domination of this State by Bob Carr and Morris Iemma and Co via the incompetent Labor Party, there is now a serious move by Independent Candidates to group together and challenge these dictators.
The Labor/Green coalition - I make no apology for this, as a coalition is exactly what they are - is well aware of the dangers of this Independent push and are covertly fielding a massive Legislative Council (Upper House) challenge in an effort to thwart this threat, for they know, if the public become educated beyond their control, a successful Independent bid for parliamentary seats will see both their position and agendas, demise.
Group "H" and Group "F" definitely fit into this paradigm. There can be no claim to independence what so ever if they clearly can be seen to be aligned with a Party and in this case both these groups appear as stalwart Labor/Green Coalition supporters, if not quasi party members.
Group "A" and "M" and the single Independent candidates certainly appear to be true Independent teams, or individuals, with Group "M" transparently epitomising what we as voters want and expect from such candidates. A team of quality people from all walks of life and life's skills, fed up, not only ready to represent, but are with out doubt, capable of doing so.
Although Group "A" clearly able to be classified as a singular issue Independent Group, their platform being the response to the incredibly pathetic attention Iemma and Co, especially as he was Bob Carr's health minister, has paid to the sad plight of the hundreds of thousands of carers state wide, are certainly a serious consideration for a preference delivery after a primary vote.
As for Group "D" well they are a socialist Party with policies and agendas that have no real place in a state election other than to provide the candidates with a platform to attack Federal Parliament at a later date. An attack I might add that has failed miserably in past elections. This group although democratically entitled, epitomises the bastardisation of our upper house voting system.
As Voltaire said, "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it."
With water being the spin-doctors big issue of this NSW elections to cover the exorbitant failings of the bankrupt Carr/Iemma incumbent government, one would think that Iemma and his team would actually bring forth some serious plan of action.
Considering $1.9 billion tax dollars ($1,900,000,000.00) to be disseminated amongst the corporate pariahs to provide just a 7% increase in the water supply to Sydney, we await the ongoing cost to the taxpayer yet to be defined.
You have got to be joking.
Water usage and availability is a problem that transcends any drought, even this serious one we are climbing out of at present, but the real problem exists and is compounded because of the million down stream users in the cities. Eastern seaboard mass population areas are where there is enough coastal rainfall to supply their entire needs, yet is allowed to flow into the oceans and not harvested.
SOS-NEWS put a plan forward months ago, we note it this is still ignored, but once again needs revisiting just in case the desk mammals in government can be awakened.
The State and Federal Governments need to fund SOS's plan with our tax dollars they're about to give to their corporate masters.
Iemma now happily admits to increasing your water rates tax base so he can both pay his corporate mates for the desalination business he has flicked to them and be assured it is your disposable cash used, not his. Another method to keep us fiscal peasants and further sub-servient to global corporation for essential services.
Simply provide the funds up front - $2 Billion dollars goes along way to achieving this - for Australian built water tanks, installed by Australian businesses, to be available to any legal titled Landowner to the tune of 100% of the cost of providing and installing such infrastructure. Recoup the allocated funds back from the Landowners through a variable amortisation program contained within the annual rates. Back to our tax coffers, not corporate vaults.
Stop the theft of people's disposable funds by charging them a rateable fee whether they use, or not, water at an address and make all water used payable from the very first litre drawn through the reticulation system and thereby the potential savings would encourage all those with tanks to use the water they catch way in advance of any reticulated supply usage.
If this plan causes private sector water corporations to divest, or fold, so be it, for the governments can reclaim the infrastructure at fire sale prices. Infrastructure that once belonged to the State, and still should, whilst replacing water ownership back into the citizen's hands instead of global corporate dictator's.
As for the possible losses of the investors who gambled on their own fellow citizens miseries, it was exactly that a gamble, just like the poker machines that strip the wealth of the lower socio-economic in our society, or those that insidiously gamble on our State and Federal election results.
SOS-NEWS research shows that as long as citizens are obligated to pay for water whether it is used or not, such as we are now conditioned to do, there is absolutely no incentive to use tank water until such time as excess water rates start to take effect.
This makes a mockery of tank installation and requires sound legislation to cap reticulated water prices from the first reticulated litre drawn and would not only incite all to install tanks, but also use the tank water first and foremost.
As the program rolled out and the funds were recouped, everybody becomes a winner from the environment to our water supplies, with the current corporate water barons raking in million dollar profits, being flushed into the sea.
It's simple, swift, effective, practical, and environmentally sound, most of all, bloody near free long term and is applicable to industrial premises as it is to the private residence.
We might add, that this is the only plan as yet publicly espoused that actually delivers an actual increased water supply, even in the current drought climate, with that increase growing with every tank that is commissioned and additionally adds incentive to use both install a tank and use the harvested water.
Two Million rooves, (commercial and residential) averaged at 5,000lt per roof for every rain storm in Sydney alone, equates to an increase of 10 (US) Billion Litres of extra water. This is 10 Gigalitres of extra water after every reasonable rainstorm, which happens frequently in 90% of coastal Australia.
One Gigalitre (GL) = 1000 Megalitres, with one Million Litres (ML) NB: English Billion = 1,000,000,000,000.
Brumbyy (with2Y's)
Media Release
Acacia Rose
Independent Candidate Federal Eden-Monaro
20 March 2007
Candidates for the NSW State Election must make clear their commitment to protect public ownership and management of Snowy Hydro. Promoting 'growth' or 'diversification' of the Snowy portfolio is simply privatisation by stealth.
Federal Independent Candidate for Eden-Monaro Acacia Rose said it is clear that some candidates and their parties do not understand the need for continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro as a key piece of the national water infrastructure jigsaw.
'Growing Snowy through diversification of its portfolio is tantamount to privatisation by stealth.'
'Clearly, ambitions to privatise Snowy Hydro to maximise its dollar earner capacity for "shareholder Governments" is upmost in the minds of decision makers.'
'My concern is that the people of Australia have already indicated that they want to retain public ownership of Snowy Hydro.
'Behind the scenes powerbrokers are moving towards privatisation of Snowy Hydro using terminology such as "diversification" and "growing" the asset.'
Ms Rose said "I want the NSW State Election candidates to commit to retaining this key asset in public ownership and control including potential for de-corporatisation of Snowy Hydro.'
'There is a growing and disturbing trend towards privatisation of Australia's water and water infrastructure.'
'Governments clearly have little respect for the wishes and will of the people and will negotiate their own terms irrespective of the extensive campaign to protect Snowy Hydro.'
'Already, the incumbent Federal Liberal Party member for Eden-Monaro has derailed plans for a regional water summit to discuss the need for sharing of water in the Snowy Scheme.'
'Politicisation of water issues is inappropriate and reflects government-corporate partnerships behind closed doors protected by commercial in confidence clauses.'
'Representatives in parliament whether at the local, state or federal level are charged to represent their constituents not private ambitions or party political interests.'
'The potential retained earnings from Snowy Hydro can pay for education on catchment management and education on water conservation.'
Ms Rose said 'I am sad that the powerbrokers have closed ranks and shut the doors on consultation with the community over the future of Snowy Hydro.'
From The Editor:
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Mal Davies (Editor)
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