"What Ever it Takes"

The Graham Richardson trained professional political hack, Ex Premier Iemma,has just entered into deep doodoo.

We are all aware that the Labor/Green coalition, by gleefully and arrogantly swapping their preferences, indicates both parties support and advocate, the decrimnalisation of recreational drug use including ICE.
What we didn't realise until today is Mr Iemma supports the immigration to this country of people who are less than desirable as Ausralian citizens.

"From what I have known of Mr Ndaw, I am of the opinion that if he were permitted to remain in Australia, the nation would benefit from his integrity, selflessness and industriousness."

Now read The Daily Telegaphs Luke McIlveen's story and then clickon the URL to read the supporting documentation.

If this does not sink Iemma Labor Green coalition,then this State really does deserve the damnation we will all enter into should this mob prevail on Saturday.

IEMMA - CAN YOU RISK HIM?
By Luke McIlveen
Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 11:34am


Premier Morris Iemma and his faceless party machine men want you to believe that Peter Debnam cant be trusted - but as far as we know at least the Opposition Leader hasnt given character references to men with known links to terrorists.

That is exactly what Iemma did not once but twice - in 1999 and 2000 - when he wrote glowing tributes to a Senagalese man living in Sydney by the name of Mamadouh Ndaw.

Check the letters out by clicking here.

It later emerged that Ndaw was the best mate of Willie Brigitte, jailed in France last week over his plan to blow up strategic targets in Australia and elsewhere.

Ndaw, it turns out, was also the brother in law of Kahled Sharrouf, one of the men arrested on terrorism charges in Sydney in 2005. He was eventually deported back to Senegal for overstaying his visa.

He sounds like the sort of fellow a politician with a shred of judgment might stay away from - but not the Premier.

Heres what he wrote about Ndaw in a letter sent to then Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock on May 31, 2000:

"I have known Mr Ndaw for over two years in my capacity as his local Member of Parliament. Mr Ndaw is a sincere and gentle man who places the needs of others before himself."

"From what I have known of Mr Ndaw, I am of the opinion that if he were permitted to remain in Australia, the nation would benefit from his integrity, selflessness and industriousness."

The Coalition raised the references in Parliament but was promptly accused by Labor of running a smear campaign.

Labor wants you to believe Debnams alleged failure to run a gym and prawn hatchery says far more about his character than Iemmas willingness to lobby on behalf of Willie Brigittes old pal.

Exactly who is the bigger risk here?

Greens Spin Doctor Upset with ICE

Hi SoS Editor,

Your headline about The Greens drugs policy is as misleading as that of The Daily Telegraph, and defamatory of our Greens candidates. I wonder if you have looked at the policy or just taken your story from the Telegraph. "Is that the truth or did you read it in the Telegraph?"

The Greens policy is for the removal of criminal sanctions for personal use of drugs and that criminal penalties are to be retained for the production, importing or commercial supply of drugs. To portray that as a blanket decriminalisation of drugs is not accurate reporting. The Greens do not encourage drug use, we believe that users should be directed to treatment programs and rehabilitation rather than prison for using drugs.

We acknowledge that the war on drugs through prohibition failed long ago and new strategies need to be found to prevent crime and tragedies caused by drugs like ice. The current social tragedies relating to drugs are occurring even though the prohibition philosophy has been implemented for decades. It would be appreciated if your headline could at least be accurate. Greens to decriminalise personal use of drugs is more accurate, and reporting of retention of criminal penalties as outlined would be fair too. The inaccuracy damages the credibility of your website.

Our policy can be found at
http://www.nsw.greens.org.au/policies/drugs-and-harm-minimization


sincerely,

Geoff Ash
Deputy Campaign coordinator
The Greens


Editorial:

Geoff,thank you for your email.

We at SOS-NEWS do not rely on any controlled mainstream media for our news stories and find your inference regarding our publications on Greens drugs policy as insulting as the policy itself.

The decriminalisation for personal use of illegal drugs is not a new vote getting exercise. Various parties have used it in the past to attract disgruntled fringe dwellers.



As Lee Rhiannon (pictured) is number one on the Greens ticket and was the spokeswoman for the Greens on radio talk back. It is fair and reasonable for all NSW citizens who listened to her interviews to understand and believe that what she says is a reflection and explanation of what your Greens policies mean.

Maybe you should listen before you speak on what Rhiannon did say on behalf of the Greens, which most certainly damaged whatever credibility your party was clutching to. Click Here listen to what she said to Ray Hadley on Radio 2GB ....

The general public (ie: the voters of Australia) are the ones who ultimately make the decision as to their elected representatives on polling day.

We believe people are capable of making informed decisions based on the information available and being neither naive nor ill-informed, are generally not interested with radical reform - and particularly in regard to social issues such as drug abuse, which they see as - - ILLEGAL

Our 2 year credibility rides on an average 450 new subscribers per week, with 3 unsubscribing, over 41,000 computers on the mailing list who forward on SOS-NEWS to 3.86 other people from a conducted poll - not counting the website news archive, we service some 340,000 readers, I feel we can substantiate credibility

GREEN - ICE the drug You will Vote For

Bev Smiles

Standing for the Upper Hunter, this radical needs to be placed LAST on your ballot paper.

Radical Greens policy states they are for the decriminalisation of drugs and that terrible street drug ICE where the mental stability of a person on ICE can move to massive violence. It could explain the false science we hear everyday from the Greenies to guide their Labor coalition who have agreed to make deals with taxpayer dollars

We must remember the effort they have put in to get more and more National Parks so the DSE can lock them up and allow the fuel loads to increase to massive danger levels, then when the lighting strike hits we have not a bushfire but a bloody inferno.

The logging industry was pushed by the Gang Greens to near extinction by Carr an Iemma ably assisted by Radical Green people like Bev Smiles.

This radical is behind many timber and coal mining protest, costing the income of many families from the timber industry.

Her push to remove logging from the Pilliga to locked up saw her interviewed by Quentin Depster on the ABC "Stateline" in 2005 where she stated
"We believe that a national park is the only way that the animals and plants in this area will have a future"

It is now a waste land, she was not there to hear the koala's screaming as they were consumed in a raging inferno that destroyed the very animals and trees the farmers and timber people had nurtured for decades while sitting at her miniscule so called farm located at Merriwa Road, Wollar, on the Goulbourn River in the upper Hunter catchment.

She is an active member of the Wollar and Mudgee communities where she chairs the Wollar District Landcare Group, the Wollar Progress Association and the Mudgee District Environment Group, and is involved in nine other local community greenie gatherings.

This person represents the reason our heritage and the environment have been devestated by implimented legislation that is not only false, but unworkable and the "Lock It Up" policy that allowed our magnificent trees, flora and fauna to be incinerated into oblivion .... HEY ! it's your voice.

Iemmas Gulag Business

And we wonder why there are no Hospital beds or Police on the highways. The new corporate business of prison management is reaping the rewards of a Iemma tap flowing supply of your tax dollars.

The Australian
NSW already has one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world. More people are in jail there per head of population than in New Zealand, England, Canada, Victoria or South Australia.
According to a report last month by the state Judicial Commission, 8925 people are in NSW prisons. The same report says that the daily cost of maintaining each of those prisoners is $186.80.
That means NSW taxpayers are spending $1,667,190 every day maintaining the state's prison population. Over a year, that works out at $608,524,350.

No wonder the head of the DPP Mr Cowdry is speaking his mind on the pathetic results of the current Iemma governments judicial fiasco with out going head Bob Debus as commadant, a throw back from Bob Carrs reign of destruction.

If a competent government was able to effectively manage crime and halve this figure, what would 300 million dollars do for our essential services like education, health and carers plights.

I Promise You More of the Same "Iemma"

Iemma may move the deck chairs, but the Titanic still heads for the ice-berg.

An exerpt from the story by Linda Silmalis reveals that Iemma and his party are in total dissaray and although those Labor Stalwarts that may vote for the present team to continue, god forbid Iemma is returned, even his sycophantic followers will be disregarded after the 24th and a new team of incompetents will rule.

12 years of State destruction and now Iemma flags he is going to fire the perpetrators. He left the most important villian off his list, "Himself."

NEWS.com.au

Labor Ministers face the axe
By Linda Silmalis

March 18, 2007 12:00

PREMIER Morris Iemma is set to take the axe to his Cabinet, with Roads Minister Joe Tripodi among a raft of front-benchers facing the boot in the event of a Labor election victory. Desperate to inject new blood into the front bench, Mr Iemma plans to take a broom to his team if returned next weekend.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that Mr Tripodi is among five ministers facing the chop. Although Mr Tripodi was instrumental in helping Mr Iemma secure the numbers for the leaders job, senior Labor sources say there is a feeling within the party that the Fairfield MP has become a liability.
Other ministers on the hit list include Fair Trading Minister Diane Beamer, who has kept a low profile since she became embroiled in the Orange Grove scandal.

The Sunday Telegraph understands Local Government Minister Kerry Hickey, Gaming and Racing Minister Grant McBride and Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald also have their necks on the line. Housing Minister Cherie Burton has been named as another possible candidate on the list.
The removal of those ministers would bring the number of Cabinet vacancies to nine. Attorney-General Bob Debus, former police minister Carl Scully, Tourism Minister Sandra Nori and alleged child sex offender Milton Orkopoulos have already gone.

Among the new blood to be brought on to the front bench in the event of a Labor victory are former Rural Fire Service chief Phil Koperberg (pictured), who is expected to retain the seat of Blue Mountains for Labor. Mr Koperberg, a member of the party's hard Left faction, is widely tipped to be handed the emergency services portfolio.

What are Independent Candidates & Groups?

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 lifes skills, fed up, not only ready to represent, but are with out doubt, capable of doing so.

Group "A" although 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 Carrs 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."

Millions of Tax Dollars for Green Votes

As reported in The Land newspaper by Amy Lawson and Alan Dick, this is one of the plethora of reasons why there will be no more hospitals and police upgrades in NSW if Iemma and his Cabal are re-elected.

• $3.5 million spent on satellite spying of farmers.
• $24 million spent on manufacturing more National Parks to burn.
• $58 million in grants to Councils and thereby radical Green Movements to shut down water ways and coast lines.

All part of a billion dollar plan to ensure our Fishing, Recreational, Rural and yes, City folk, are contained to their residential housing plot and given Group "H", the Shed a Tier Group, who are Iemmas compatriots in political servitude, even your front and back lawn are soon to be targeted for removal.

Guess what Group "F" have in store. Coalition for Climate Change.

The Colong Foundation, Wilderness Society and all others of the same Green radical ilk are running this State to the tune of both their Masters, the corporate barons like the Macquarie Bank, that is not only aiding big time investment at the top end of town with its finacial merchant powers, but is buying up large tracts of NSW farming land to actually enter the rural sector as producers. And yes, this bank and others actually have members on radical green organisations boards. What scrutiny is being given to the funding such banks provide these parasitic organisations.

Mr Debnam, what are your responses to the destruction of our environment and rural sectors if you are elected? For the Independents Day Group "M" and others, intend to be representing the citizens of NSW after the 24th and all voters would like your clear answers before that day.

VOTE GREEN to De-Criminalise the drug ------ ICE !

Maurice Iemma's Labor party is in bed with the GREENS who have a policy of De-Criminalise the deadly drug - ICE, along with others.

A powerpoint slideshow we have tells the story of how ICE effects people and is compelling viewing.

Every parent needs to view this presentation on the Drug - - ICE


_{click here to view or download story}

Michael Kaiser- Election Fraudster - Iemma's Main Man

With the NSW state election only days away it's important that voters have an understanding of the people behind the Premier particularly the background of Mike Kaiser, Morris Iemma's Chief of Staff. Specifically Kaiser was caught up in the Queensland Vote scandal of 2000 admitting to electoral fraud to the Shepherdson Inquiry. He was forced to resign in disgrace from his state seat of Woodridge His profile makes for interesting reading.

We thank 2GB's radio personality Jim Ball, for this research he conducted exposing this person SOS-NEWS were investigating - Thank you Jim.


_{click here to view the story}

Who is Group "H"? Upper House

Independents are most prominent in the Legislative Council [Upper House] at these elections and hence every citizen should have some knowledge and understanding, along with the ability to research whom and what they these groups represent. Due to the disallowance by the Electoral Commission to have a name against an Independent Group listing for the Upper House, this is very difficult in the first instance and the average person will be almost voting blind where these un-named groups are concerned.

Group "H"

Group H led by KERRY McNALLY as number one [1] on the ticket, is an above the line listing that has the name of "Shed a Tier" associated with it and by their own press release pamphlets, we note that their preferences are directed, you guessed it, to the NSW GREENS.

Reading their blurb of two pages foisted upon one of SOS-NEWS people, the main platform depicted in large bold print, bigger than all else, is the following;

"The SHED A TIER! Group declares: The time has come to bring about the beginning of the end of domestic lawns."

The pledge to support the Government of the days water and energy initiatives.

What is most interesting is that with a little research, this group appears to have another real agenda and that is the very thing this nation unequivocally by referendum voted against and that is for the nation to become a Republic. Well it appears that this group have no respect for the clear majority of the citizens wishes and desires. This Green Preferencing group clearly have intentions of gaining entry to the NSW Parliament and from that platform are going to go against the popular results of a National referendum and use much needed public services tax dollars and parliamentary time, in an attempt to cause NSW to become a State Republic.

The actual ultimate goal of this group is to remove your State Government along with all others nationally. Any individual, group, or party that enters the Upper House of Parliament of NSW and does so with an agenda of self-serving desires and not that of representing the States people as their representative, has to be looked at very carefully indeed. Click for proof.

With the Greens already having stolen, by political pressure and Labor acquiescence, all land that is named and legislated as a National Park and squandered your tax dollars in the process, the NSW Coast as a Marine Park and Debus attempting to make the entire eastern seaboard of Australia a quasi citizens funded and managed national Park, leaves only your childrens lawn, for even farmers today are only called Landholders, not Landowners. This Group "H" are the quasi Greens, that are going to attempt to steal this last bastion of private land ownership for them. That is, only if you go if you go to the polls blind.

In Shed a Tier speak" we will champion one of our own initiatives; GARDENISING!

It is your vote on the 24th March, use it wisely, very, very wisely.

Vote for Me, Vote for Me, Vote for Me, IN YOUR DREAMS

35,000 Sydney-siders had their trip on the Iemma fiasco of a state rail system brought to a 3 hour halt last night and, as one has come to expect from this inept government, the actual handling of this break down across the rail system almost had the travellers driven to riot.

What this does, is give the city rail travellers a mere taste of the Iemma governments out of control ministries of what their country cousins have had to live with every day of their lives.

It should also make the city folk aware that this essential infrastructure failure is not some isolated incident that can just be shrugged off, but is in fact a very clear view of the future for this state should they be re-elected.

It is a sad day indeed in this States history when it takes calamity after calamity to be foisted upon city dwellers, before they come to realise something is wrong in paradise.

How much more must we all endure from a government, that if it were in the private sector, they would have been before the corporate watchdog courts long before Bob Carr was allowed to skulk away to his mates in the Merchant Banking sector.

So just what is their Labor Green coalitions legacy?

No mental health care beds, no water schemes that make sense, no police on the streets and a judiciary that lets the crims free and jails those of a misdemeanour transgression, no ability to enter the state into legal contracts with competence, or worse, intentionally allowing the citizens of NSW to be legally bound, stealing of individuals property rights, no respite for our thousands of carers, legislation specifically designed to drive farmers to the wall and commit suicide, tunnels that collapse and suck in multi-storey residential buildings, hide cyanide poisoning of our harbour until after the elections, jail women for years upon corrupt police coerced evidence leaving honest citizens fearing for their and their childrens life, close down Liverpool shopping complex for bigger business virtues, manufacture marine national parks to hide the effects of past dumping of toxic wastes in our oceans that makes Sydney Harbour cyanide poisoning look like taking a Panadol. Click here to read sosnews article.

White-washing state coronial inquiries into the biggest bushfires in NSW history to protect their own failings, ignore NPWS dams bursting on the south coast and destroying water ways yet crucify Snowy Hydro for a little inevitable silt from competent works on a dam wall, allow our National Parks to be manufactured by the hundreds of millions of dollars and hectares and then lock them up to burn and kill off all within, along with their neighbours for green votes and corporate carbon credits, support their own ministers that have yet to answer to serious criminal charges right up until the eleventh hour, allow people like Minister Frank Sartor to rip apart the little persons life and property rights in favour of big city developers, close city streets and kill small business to satisfy their corporate masters profit margins, allow bureaucracy to become so top heavy that half of all NSW state tax earnings are spent on administration staff denying urgently needed front line service people such as counsellors, nurses and doctors, police and ambulance drivers, transit police, school security, firemen and women and dentists, all the while ensuring Westpac and the NRMA rescue helicopter services are taken from them and sub-contracted to a Canadian firm for exponentially more government funding.
and on top of all this;

Iemmas cabal supports the Greens Policy of decriminalisation of all recreational drugs, which in reality is morally legalising drug induced death of our young, let alone the cost to society in crime and health cost, by still determinedly going ahead with a preference swap with Lee Rhiannon and her bunch of radical green misfits, even though he is aware of her and their policy to support suicide by recreational drug taking.

The choice is this, do you want Iemma to keep collecting his hundreds of thousands of dollar salary and multi-million dollar super scheme, or do you want to save the life and futures of your children.

The Devil Himself Would be Proud

SOS-NEWS makes no apology for our stance against a government that has had 12 years to deliver this State into servitude and bankruptcy, but even we as the politically incorrect internet news of society stand open mouthed and flummoxed when the radical Greens espouse decriminalisation of ALL recreational drugs , from marijuana to ICE.

Now, from the Greens that have caused to come about the total destruction of our National Parks and the fauna and flora therein through flawed policies and scientific claptrap forced upon politically weak bellied agenda driven politicians, we expect no less, but Iemma and Co, this brings into focus a whole new ball game.

Lee Rhiannon and her drug policies is one thing, but Iemma and his cabal to swap preferences under such knowledge and thereby knowingly assign our young and weak to hypodermic and pill popping oblivion in the name of election day vote swapping, is the last straw.

This Iemma, an off shoot of the Bob Carr fiasco of incompetent political management, in accepting any link of any sort what so ever of a policy ranting group such as Lee baby leads, is indicative of a person that is not a fit and proper person to aspire to such high office, let alone hold it. Even the mafia have scruples.

It is clearly obvious that political survival for both the Greens and the incumbent Labor Cabal is an ideal that they are prepared to achieve regardless of the young funerals they indirectly cause to bring about. Votes for death is not and can never be part of the Australian Westminster style of Government and this alliance is a pact made from hell. Is your vote going to allow this?

Green Chamelion running Scared

The below story is all the proof that we the electors require to understand just how out of touch the NSW Green movement is. This story of a Green candidate in an absolute quandry, so much so, that she is prepared to go against all she and they stand for, in an effort to attain electable status pre-election, she has attempted to distance herself from both Labor and more importantly, her radical green boss Lee Rhiannon. Do not for a moment believe that the moment the elections are over, this Greenie will not bounce back in line as the green flubber they all are and toe the green anti-Australian line they ultimately intend for you all.


ABC Online

Sunday, March 11, 2007. 1:03pm (AEDT)
Monaro candidate stands firm against giving preference to Labor
The Greens candidate for Monaro, in southern New South Wales, is refusing to join her colleagues in other seats and will not direct preferences to Labor in the state election.

Greens candidates in 24 electorates have agreed to preference Labor candidates, including those running in very marginal Liberal-held seats.

This has angered the deputy Opposition leader, Barry O Farrell, while Labors Environment Minister, Bob Debus is demanding the preference deal extend to all seats.

The Greens candidate for Monaro, Catherine Moore, says she will run an open ticket because Labor has not acted on issues such as banning woodchipping.

"I don't feel under any more pressure than I felt before I made the decision," she said.

"I knew that the Labor Party probably wouldnt be happy about it.

"But the Labor Party has to perform better on issues that are important to the Greens if they want to get our preferences."

Ministry of Bushfires Fears

IBN News online

Wednesday, 14 March 2007

NSW has case to answer over 2003 fires: Madew

The New South Wales government failed the firefighters who tried to combat the bushfires which destroyed homes and killed four people when it spread to the ACT, the Nationals candidate for Monaro David Madew has declared.

"Serious questions have been raised by the ABCs Four Corners program about how the NSW Labor Government handled the beginning of the fire at MacIntyre Hut," he said.

"The program highlighted the failure of the NSW Labor government to review its fire management and land management to ensure the 2003 bushfire disaster does not occur again."

"Labors policy of locking up National Parks has allowed leaf litter, fuels and other energies to increase since 2003. [and] Labor refuses to increase its fire hazard reduction, essential to stop fires from getting out of control and reducing the risk of mega bushfires."

Mr Madew said the New South Wales inquiry into the 2003 bushfires was generally regarded as a whitewash.

"Whilst the blame-game now needs to be put to one side, firefighters and residents still deserve answers from the NSW government," he said.

"The NSW Rural Fire Services Commissioner, Phil Koperberg, is now a Labor candidate for this election. We need an independent inquiry to get real answers so we can look forward


COMMENT

So is this an indication that should both the Iemma Cabal, with the addition of MR Philip Koperberg as a new member of this team if elected, god forbid, be returned to their self constructed dictatorial positions of ruling the people of NSW on the 24th, that the new touted ministry position of "Bushfires" will ensure there will be no official indepth look at the NSW response to the 2003 holocaust.

Labor Arrogance with Greens Preferences

The Australian

MPs vie for seats on new front bench
Brad Norington
March 13, 2007

LABOR MPs in NSW have begun manoeuvring for ministries on a revamped front bench, despite official warnings from Premier Morris Iemma against over-confidence about next weeks state election result.
With Newspoll continuing to show Labor in a commanding position, discussions are under way behind the scenes about making room for star recruit Phil Koperberg and others, including prominent Aboriginal MP Linda Burney. Several ministers face demotion or removal, allowing Mr Iemma to reshape his ministry differently to the one he inherited from predecessor Bob Carr.
Among those said to be struggling to remain on the frontbench are Kerry Hickey, Grant McBride and Diane Beamer.

Over the past week the view has taken hold inside Labor that NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam has effectively given up hope, with his plea that voters should "send a message" to the Government and not allow an easy win. The partys mood has prompted Mr Iemma and NSW ALP head office chief Mark Arbib to reinforce warnings that MPs must keep fixed on the election campaign and not the likely front bench after the March 24 election.

"If anyone is counting numbers now they will find that Morris will veto them later," said one senior source. But the threat has not deterred widespread positioning.

Officials said Mr Koperberg, the high-profile NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner, was believed to be "on a promise" to join the ministry.

Mr Koperberg, who will replace retiring attorney-general Bob Debus in the seat of Blue Mountains, is set to be a Left faction ministerial candidate.

Ms Burney, the first Aboriginal woman elected to the NSW parliament, is also expected to join the ministry, with a Left faction vacancy created by the resignation of Milton Orkopoulos, who faces sex offence charges.

Another ALP left-winger up for promotion is Paul Lynch, the long-serving Liverpool MP who could score a ministerial berth but otherwise could contest the position of parliamentary speaker.

Sources said yesterday that the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, right-winger and former minister John Aquilina, was under threat from Mr Lynch.

In negotiations already under way, ALP right-wingers Eddie Obeid and Amanda Fazio have been tussling to succeed retiring left-winger Meredith Burgmann as president of the NSW upper house.

Deputy president Ms Fazio is believed to have ALP head office blessing, prompting Mr Obeid to retreat from the contest.

With the upper house presidency returning to control of the NSW Right faction, a cross-factional deal could see Mr Aquilinas speakership in the lower house switch to the Left with Mr Lynch.

Labor sources said yesterday that the position of Mr Hickey, Minister for Local Government, was in jeopardy after he had attracted bad publicity over a series of speeding fines.

Neither Mr McBride, the Minister for Gaming, nor Ms Beamer, the Fair Trading Minister, is considered to have blundered, but Mr Iemma is said to want them out for "a new generation".


COMMENT
What more evidence do we need that Independents HAVE to be elected to the Legislative Council in order for there to be any style of democracy within our State Parliamentary processes. As long as the major parties control both houses of parliament by majority, there can be no expectations of sanity what so ever. Vote Independents en-mass into the Upper House and make our Lower House Politicians accountable to the people. YOU! There are many fine Independents campaigning, but beware of the Greens posing as Independents for they are Labor in disguise.

Soviet-style culture runs state

Sydney Morning Herald

Soviet-style culture runs state: official
Andrew Clennell
March 10, 2007

A CULTURE of retribution exists for any public servant who speaks out against the State Government, the former TransGrid chairman Philip Higginson says.

Mr Higginson - axed by the Treasurer, Michael Costa, last year - likened the situation to the "USSR of the 1960s".

His comments follow criticism this week by the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery, of what he said was the Governments bullying of senior public servants out of offering frank and fearless advice.

Mr Higginson said he was sacked by Mr Costa for not reappointing to a superannuation board a candidate favoured by the Treasurer and the ALP state president, Bernie Riordan.

"There is no public servant willing to speak up, and there is no member of the management, nor any member of the board of any state-owned business that would dare stick his or her head above the trench to speak freely," he said yesterday.

Mr Higginson said a former senior bureaucrat had told him he believed "99 per cent of all employees and board members" were "under control". "It's a big number, but I believe it. I have seen it happening quietly and surreptitiously for several years now, but its accelerated after Bob Carr left office. It actually looks to me like the USSR in the 60s."

Mr Higginson's comments were backed by David Field, the former Sydney Ports corporation chairman. "I have both witnessed [bullying] and had it reported to me by others."

The Attorney-General, Bob Debus, called Mr Cowderys comments ill-considered. A spokesman for Mr Costa declined to comment on Mr Higginsons and Mr Field's comments.

A spokesman for the Premier, Morris Iemma, declined to comment because Mr Higginson's case was before the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

COMMENT

And they need your vote with the Greens preferences to establish the gulags for those that do not comply with their ORDERS. Vote for anything but the Green Labor Coalition, for they have nothing but their own agenda in mind and does not include you. You have gotta be joking.