Archive for July 2007
Haneef guilt or innocence still in question
If we accept Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews explanation for revoking Dr Haneef’s work visa, we have to agree he had every right to do so.
However, at the time, the minister said that upon his bail release, Haneef would be held indefinitely at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre and deported whether found guilty or not.
Then the evidence fell apart and the charges were dropped against Dr Haneef. That did not mean that he was innocent. It was simply an admission that the investigation had been stuffed up.
Both Minister Andrews and Prime Minister John Howard obviously still felt Australia was under terrorist threat from Dr Haneef as they both said that the doctor’s visa would not be reinstated under any circumstances.
Why then, was Dr Haneef not taken to Villawood Detention Centre and deported “whether found guilty or not” as had been promised by the minister?
If there was any chance that Dr Haneef may be guilty of a terrorist crime, he should have been detained pending exhaustive investigation.
Instead, he was placed in community custody and allowed to return to India at the Australian taxpayers expense. That makes a mockery of the implementation of our anti-terrorism laws by the minister, the government and the Australian Federal police.
The current anti-terrorist laws are clearly not acceptable to the Australian public. They must be altered to ensure transparency so that justice can be seen to be done and political manipulation cannot be leveled against the government.
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King Valley Watchdog readership soars
Thanks for dropping by …
to all the visitors from
Crikey.com.au
and
Guidomedia.com
Today, the King Valley Watchdog site statistics reached record highs due to the Crikey reference to the John Brumby article, A Premier with first hand knowledge of country Victoria. Similarly, King Valley Online has been added to Guidomedia’s reference list as a regional resource.
We welcome the visitors from these prestigious sites and hope you come back from time to time. To make it easier, you can click here to add our RSS feed to your list
The King Valley Watchdog appreciates the notoriety and the emails of encouragement that came with the extra visits
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Annual Sophie Mirabella electotate tour
9.00AM: MOYHU
TIME: 9.00am – 9.45am
LOCATION: Outside General Store
ADDRESS: 7 Byrne St, Moyhu10.00AM: WHITFIELD
TIME: 10.00am – 11.00am
LOCATION: Outside Whitfield Hotel
ADDRESS: Cheshunt Rd, Whitfield11.30AM: CHESHUNT
TIME: 11.30am – 12.30pm
LOCATION: Outside General Store
ADDRESS: Whitfield-Mansfield Rd, Cheshunt2.00PM: YARRUNGA
TIME: 2.00pm – 4.30pm
LOCATION: Sausage sizzle at Yarrunga Park
ADDRESS: Burke St, Yarrunga
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Lake Mokoan – Government contemp continues
Bill Sykes, Nationals Member for Benalla said that GMW & GBCMA’s response to Benalla Rural City Council’s request for flood risk information associated with Government plans to decommission Lake Mokoan is both contemptuous and deceitful.
According to Dr Sykes, Russell Cooper, CEO of GMW refused to release flood risk information to Benalla Rural City Council on the grounds that the relevant “report is the subject of an application made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. Under that process, GMW has refused access to the document and the matter is presently before VCAT for determination; in the circumstances I regret that I am unable to release the GHD report or parts thereof.”
Dr Sykes said, “This is yet another pathetic attempt to deny public access to important information using processes which are supposed to make Government Departments more open and accountable. It is a disgrace.”
Dr Sykes continued, “It gets worse. Mr Bill O’Kane, CEO of GBCMA refused to answer Benalla Rural City’s questions relating to the retention of air space in Lake Nillahcootie (in order to absorb flood water surges).
“Mr O’Kane dismissed the questions as “academic” but said, “However, Council (at their cost) could request Cardno Willing to re-run the hydrologic (RAFTS) model to determine the relative change in flow rates at Benalla. In this regard, Guy Tierney is happy to assist Council to prepare a brief for this work”.”
Dr Sykes said, “In effect, Mr O’Kane is saying either GBCMA didn’t do the basic work to check the impact of a part empty (rather than Full) Lake Nillahcootie on flood levels in Benalla or they did the work but they are not prepared to make it available and be subjected to public scrutiny.
“This is outrageously arrogant on the part of Mr O’Kane.
“It also is a continuation of attempted deceit. What people are seeking is a comparison of flood risks now and in the future with when Lake Nillahcootie was managed to have air space as claimed by Mr Frank Rankin, Weir Keeper 1967-1989. Mr O’Kane is simply comparing risks with more recent operating rules which apparently do not provide for air space.
Dr Sykes concluded, “GMW’s refusal of an earlier request for flood risk information was to go to VCAT a week ago but proceedings have been postponed for several weeks.”
“I along with the Benalla & District Flood Awareness Group will continue to pursue the matter. Whether it is via VCAT or other means will depend on the current case before VCAT.
“But be assured, when this is all over there will be a day of reckoning and those who have withheld the truth and peddled half truths and lies will be brought to account.”
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Senator O’Brien (ALP) to visit farmers
The Federal Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries & Forestry will visit Indi Tuesday 31st July to talk with local farmers about their concerns.
The visit will focus on threats to the local honey industry, concerns about the importation of apples from New Zealand and issues to do with the closure of the tobacco industry.
“Local honey growers are concerned about a number of issues, particularly the threats to the viability of the industry with the importation of honey from Chile and fears raised by world wide bee die offs,” Zuvele Leschen, the ALP candidate for Indi said.
“If bee die off spreads to Australia, we could lose all of our fruit crops, as these need bees as pollinators.”
“Apple and pear growers have further concerns. Currently we’re fire blight free, but the importation of apples from New Zealand may change this.”
“A Rudd Labor Government will review Australia’s biosecurity arrangements to ensure the risk of introduced pests and diseases is minimized, protecting the fruit industry from the impacts of bee die off and fire blight.”
Senator O’Brien will also meet with members of the community who have been affected by the closure of the tobacco industry at the Savoy Club at 1 pm.
“The Senator is interested to hearing from tobacco farmers about their future prospects, as well as talking to others in the community, particularly those who provided services to the tobacco industry, about the support they need to go forward.”
Anyone who is interested in meeting with the Senator should contact Zuvele on 0448 613 638.
Running sheet for visit of Senator Kerry O’Brien, Shadow Minister for Primary Industry, Fisheries & Forestry, 31/07/2007
9.20 am – doorstop outside Albury Airport terminal
10.15 am – Niklaus family, honey makers, Diffey Rd Beechworth
11.15 am – Hilton family, SnoLine fruits, apple growers, Main Rd, Stanley
12.30 pm – Bonacci’s tobacco farm, Great Alpine Rd, Myrtleford (opp Myrtleford Savoy Club)
1 pm – meeting with Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce & tobacco growers at the Myrtleford Savoy Club
2.15 pm – Brian & Jane Casey, chestnut growers, Great Alpine Rd, Eurobin
4.15 pm – interview with Di Thomas ‘The Border Mail” – TBC
5.30 pm – depart Albury airport
The sins of the Australian Ministry for Immigration
What is it with the power of the Ministry for Immigration?
First there was Minister Philip Ruddock, then Minister Amanada Vandstone, and finally Minister Kevin Andrews. Successive ministers have all got it wrong otherwise they would still be in the job.
Over the same period we have only needed one Treasurer. He must have done something right.
Under the stewardship of Philip Rudduck, the Human Rights Commission Report into children in detention centres exposed a regime of institutionalised child abuse, presided over by Mr Ruddock whilst he was Immigration Minister. As Attorney General, he believed. “The US decision to ban torture may hinder the fight against terrorism and the use of sleep deprivation should not be considered torture”.
Amanda Vandstone became involved in three major controversies, two of them involving the treatment of asylum-seekers by her department – the Cornelia Rau and Vivian Alvarez Solon cases – and a third involving a defecting Chinese diplomat, Chen Yonglin. An inquiry by the former Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Palmer was severely critical of the Immigration Department’s treatment of Cornelia Rau.
And now it is the turn of Kevin Andrews and the Federal Police themselves with the Dr Haneef case. Although the case against the doctor has been dropped, the minister refuses to reinstate his work visa and then claims that there is something suspicious in the fact that he was so keen to return to India.
Over those eleven years, these three ministers have also presided over the Tampa incident, the closure of our borders to refugees, sending refugees back to their country of origin to face dire consequences, as well as the establishment of offshore detention centres outside the jurisdiction of Australian law.
The political interference of cancelling Haneef’s work visa after he was granted bail and the consequent threat by Minister Andrews that the doctor would be detaines at Villawood Detention Centre and eventually deported whether found innocent or not has proved to be more than the Australian public was prepared to accept.
This latest case has prompted the Prime Minister to suggest we need to strengthen further our anti-terrorism laws. I suggest that rather than making it more difficult for the judicial system to work with these cases and for the Australian public to be given the details, the government needs to recognise that the culture of the ministry is misguided and must get their own house in order first.
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No Tolmie phone tower confirms government neglect
Telstra’s refusal to install a mobile phone tower at Tolmie on economic grounds shows that the future of telecommunications is bleak for the hill country. Before Telstra was privatised, we were guaranteed that rural services would be upgraded to provide similar services to urban areas. We have been betrayed by the Federal Government in their rush to privatise the telephone network.
But it is not only telephones. During the bushfires, there was no direct CFA radio contact with Tolmie. Recently, the Whitfield CFA tried to install an emergency radio at Tolmie but a repeater station needs to be installed to get over the mountain.
The fact is that there are not enough residential users to make a profit for Telstra … never mind that tourists also have mobile phones. This problem extends to land line phones, access to broadband as well as digital television reception.
Around 1960 when telephones and electricity were first installed through the King Valley region, governments were more concerned about infrastructure development for the people than profitability.
Now that the infrastructure has worn out, the privatised Telstra has no responsibility to replace it. The copper cables laid over fifty years ago have worn out and are incapable of providing broadband. Being one of the least populated districts in Victoria, these copper lines will never be replaced under the user pays system of government and business and we will have to rely on the more expensive Next G mobile service. But, without a Tolmie tower, that cannot be used either.
Sophie tells us that a radio broadband tower will be installed at Cheshunt to service the upper King Valley. However, I suspect that they will make the same mistake as they did with the CDMA tower installed at King Valley by putting it alongside the telephone exchange on the floor of the valley instead of on top of one of the surrounding mountains to gain extra coverage.
Who knows, if they had done this, Tolmie may not be in the telecommunications vacuum they find themselves in today.
Analog television reception is also very limited through this district with most people not being able to receive all channels. But this too is coming to an end to be replaced with digital transmission. Like the mobile phone system, this is also a line of sight system and the King Valley area is not included in the Shepparton or Albury reception areas. Set top boxes do not work for many people and enquiries tell us that there is nothing that can be done about it.
A future without modern telecommunications can only lead to the depopulation of areas such as this.
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A Premier with first hand knowledge of country Victoria
The most positive thing for rural Victoria to come out of the resignation of Premier Bracks and Minister Thwaites is the likely accession to power of John Brumby.
As the Minister for Regional Development, John Brumby has roamed rural Victoria for over eight years and is probably the most country savvy politician to take on the role of Premier. As Treasurer, he no doubt would have costed many of the alternatives he has been exposed to and would have formed independent opinions on many of them.
It is as if we had elected a new government. We can only hope that everything that is not signed and sealed may well be put back on the table including the great divide pipeline, Lake Mokoan, the high country grazing and all those other issues that affect country Victorians.
Then, of course, there is the ‘Provincial Victoria Campaign’ that John Brumby launched in September 2003 which may get a shot in the arm.
We will soon learn where his priorities lay but, in the meantime, we need to give him all the support we can to change the city centric nature of the Victorian Government we have seen for a very long time.
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Tourism & pipeline hot topics in Mansfield
The Nationals were “in town” as part of their on going program of hearing first hand locally important issues.
Michael Watson of the Mansfield Shire Tourism Advisory Committee spoke of the importance of attracting international tourists, highlighting the need to substantially upgrade public transport to North East Victoria in order to attract international tourists.
Sandra Duell of the Howqua Valley Caravan Park pointed out that local tourist operators had toughed out a decade of poor seasons, low water levels in Eildon, poor snow seasons and of course the drought and bush fires.
Rebecca Douglas-Rhoderick from the Collopy Street Café emphasised the need for improved coordination of tourism related activities in the area.
Nationals Upper House MP Damian Drum, who is chair of the Parliamentary Committee inquiring into Regional Tourism, listened attentively to these issues.
Mr Drum encouraged Michael, Sandra & Rebecca to make submissions to the Inquiry when it meets in Mansfield late in August.
Nationals Leader, Peter Ryan, raised the issue of the North-South Pipeline, highlighting concerns about the possibility of Melbourne grabbing its water first and “doing a runner” without water saving projects being completed.
Of course, the local implication if this was to occur is less water in Eildon, especially in dry years!
Bill Sykes said that The Nationals will continue to fight for funding for water savings but vigorously oppose the pipeline to Melbourne.
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Indi needs an independent National candidate
As the Federal Government election approaches we should remember the quality of democratic government is the responsibility of the electors in selecting the members to represent them in parliament.
In the last state election National Party representatives were elected from rural electorates. Now after months of discussion, consultation and research they have moved in the upper house, Legislative Council, for an Inquiry into Rural Education and Training in Victoria. The Parliamentary Education and Training Committee is to report no later than 30th June 2009. The Victorian parliamentary debate highlighted the financial difficulty for rural students to move to post compulsory higher education.
At the same time the coalition Federal Government Department of Education, Science and Training is using financial control to drive the introduction of Local Community Partnerships.
LCP will implement three career and transition programs.
1-Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) Program
2-Career and Transition Support (CTS) Program
3-Adopt a School (ASP) Program
across all Government, Catholic and non Government schooling sectors for the benefit of all young people (aged 13 -19) within their contracted LCP Service Regions.
The maps are published and guidelines written. We wait to see what happens after the federal election and the ability at state government level of the National Party to represent rural areas.
Because of a coalition agreement I am told the National Party is unable to endorse a candidate for the large electorate of Indi.
Is it possible to find a person with experience of rural schools, knowledge of how the rivers run, fire control, and rural industries?
Is it possible to encourage such a person to seek nomination for the coming Indi election as an Independent National candidate who cares about rural Australia?
CEO John Halsey M Ed, FACE of Rural Education Forum Australia (based at Flinders University, SA) spoke in April 2007 at a National Forum on Remote, Rural and Regional Education at Albury. Based on his experience in rural and urban schools and a 2006 published paper “Rural-Urban School Partnerships and Australia’s sustainability” he emphasized “vibrant and productive rural communities are integral to the long term sustainability of any nation”. The local school is central to rural towns and should be nutured. John Halsey discussed review of school bus routes away from regional centres to smaller towns to increase the number of students and create more rational use of facilities.
Yours Sincerely, Alison G Walpole.
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