EcoRadio

Category: General news

Managing director of Ebono Institute and major sponsor of The Generator, Geoff Ebbs, is running against Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith at the next Federal election. By the expression on their faces in this candid shot it looks like a pretty dull campaign. Read on

  • NSW election: it’s a wrap. So what next? Holly, Land Water Future

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    NSW election: it’s a wrap. So what next?

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    Holly, Land Water Future <campaign@landwaterfuture.org.au>
    3:00 PM (4 minutes ago)
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    As we move into a new term of parliament we’d love to hear what’s most important to you. Let us know.

    Neville —

    Something big just happened in NSW. For the first time ever coal seam gas and mining became election-defining issues. From the Northern Rivers to suburban Sydney, the message was loud and clear.

    In at least three electorates where coal or gas is a major issue — Ballina, Wyong and Campbelltown — Liberals and Nationals lost their seats.

    Meanwhile, as the ballots continue to be counted in Lismore, the Nationals have copped a 24% swing away from them with the Greens neck and neck to take the seat. What’s the big deal about that? It’s that Lismore has been a very safe Nationals seat for decades and in recent years when the community put its foot down over coal seam gas, the locals Nationals MP ignored them, until it was too late.

    Elsewhere in the state’s mining affected regions, there were significant swings away from Coalition MPs too. In Barwon, home to the Narrabri Gas Project in the Pilliga Forest, the Nationals MP had a 12% swing away from him, and he was dumped from Cabinet. In the Upper Hunter, where AGL want to put a coal seam gasfield at Gloucester, the local Nats MP copped a massive 21% swing away from him. In the neighbouring electorate of Myall Lakes, the numbers were much the same, a 20% swing away from the Nationals. Coal seam gas is a hot issue in Clarence too and the Nationals MP there was dealt a 21% swing away from him.

    On the Central Coast where the Wallarah 2 coal mine proposal threatens local drinking water, Labor, who oppose the mine, picked up the seat of Wyong while the incumbent Liberal MP in neighbouring seat of Gosford is barely clinging on as votes continue to be counted there.

    It’s a hell of a shake up for the Baird government’s second term. Coal seam gas and mining is the issue no NSW politician can afford to ignore any longer.

    As all of us know, none of this happened by luck — rather this moment is the result of tireless work by thousands of people right across our state.

    So what now? We know many politicians operate on election cycles, but for the rest of us, our work continues until achieve permanent protection for our land, our water and our communities.

    There are pre-election promises we’ll work to turn into policy because we’re here to hold our politicians to their word.

    • There are the leaky coal seam gas wells in south west Sydney that we’ll continue to work with the community to have decommissioned, because no one should have to live near that.
    • There are the farmers of the Liverpool Plains who we’ll continue to champion as they fight off the massive Shenhua Watermark coal mine, because our food producing land is too precious to lose.
    • There is the Pilliga Forest to protect from Santos’ huge gasfield proposal, because forests should be full of trees and animals, not gas wells and pipelines.
    • There’s the idyllic Gloucester Valley to protect from AGL’s fracking and the impending expansion of open-cut coal too, because no one wants to live or holiday in an industrial zone.
    • There’s the work that will continue until the mid north coast and Northern Rivers is permanently protected and gasfield free.
    • There’s the little Hunter Valley town of Bulga whose few hundred residents have called for a helping hand to knock Rio Tinto’s coal mine plans on the head once and for all, because no town should be relocated to make way for a mine.
    • There’s our water catchments, and especially those that provide for Sydney because coal mining companies in the southern coalfields have been allowed to come too close for too long, and the stakes are simply too high to keep giving our waterways over to mining.

    Those are a few of the spots we’ll be focusing our attention on.

    But we’d like to hear from you. What is most important to you as we head into a new term of parliament in NSW? You can let us know by filling out this short question survey.

    There are five questions (three of them are multiple choice) and it should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. Please feel free to share it around your networks, we’re keen to hear from people all over NSW.

    That’s it from us for now, we hope you’ll be enjoying some well-earned rest over the coming long weekend,

    Holly and the Land, Water, Future team

    —
    1. Sydney Morning Herald story on shifting votes across NSW

  • It’s crunch time. The super trawler is here… Stop The Trawler Crew
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    It’s crunch time. The super trawler is here…

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    Stop The Trawler Crew <stopthetrawler@et.org.au>
    12:23 PM (2 hours ago)
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    stopthetrawler.net
    Dear Neville
    We don’t usually email this often but we thought you would want to know. The Dirk Dirk (aka Geelong Star) has arrived in Albany Western Australia and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority is already saying it is good to go fishing.

    Have they not been listening?

    75,000 petitioners names
    7,000 emails to local MPs and Senators
    Letters and meetings from the Stop the Trawler Alliance
    Expert Panel reports
    Unanswered questions on science and management
    Door stop protests to Prime Minister Abbott
    Convictions for illegal fishing activities overseas

    If this vessel is allowed to stay here and fish the Small Pelagic Fishery it could open the flood gates to more super trawlers and a path of ocean destruction.

    We can still stop this huge factory trawler but we need to show the Government we are not giving up.

    Please, take a few minutes to call your local politician and tell them how outraged you are.

    We have made it easy for you – just click on the link above, put in your post code, and follow the directions.

    Your local MPs and Senators are meant to represent you. Why are they welcoming freezer factory trawlers run by foreign companies who break laws?

    In 2012 we stopped the super trawler Margiris with help from people like you. We got a result from Parliamentarians who simply could not ignore you. Let’s do it again, and keep Australia’s oceans, fisheries and marine life healthy for the next generation!

    Just 1 phone call is worth about 1,000 petition signatures when it comes to getting a message across.

    Click here and call your local politicians today!

    The Australian Fisheries Management Authority is nervous, the Coalition Government is nervous, because they understand that this is one issue that people from all walks of life across the country have come together on. We do not want this industrialisation of our fisheries or the threats it poses to our local fishing and beautiful marine life. Don’t let them get away with it.

    Thanks so much for your ongoing help.
    It’s crunch time.
    Bec, Erika and the Stop the Trawler crew

    p.s. Calling your politicians is not as hard as you might think. Simply follow our directions, speak from your heart, and remember your local politician is meant to represent YOU in Government! Ask them why they aren’t? Call them here

  • [New post] NSW 2015 – projecting the Legislative Council

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    [New post] NSW 2015 – projecting the Legislative Council

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    The Tally Room <donotreply@wordpress.com> Unsubscribe
    9:16 AM (10 minutes ago)
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    New post on The Tally Room

    NSW 2015 – projecting the Legislative Council

    by Ben Raue

    There’s a lot of outstanding questions in the Legislative Council count. We know that the current vote shares will shift, and as they shift, these could have a significant impact on the chances of any party to win a seat.

    Using estimates of how many votes are outstanding, and looking at how parties performed in those vote types at the last election, it’s possible to make a projection of how the vote percentages for each party will shift, with the addition of absentee, postal and below-the-line votes over the next few weeks.

    There are two main affects that will change the votes for each of the candidates:

    • Proportion of the vote received in the ‘special votes’ – mostly postal and absentee votes.
    • Proportion of the ‘below-the-line’ vote received for each party.

    It is reasonably clear who will win the first twenty seats: nine Coalition, seven Labor, two Greens, one Shooter, and Fred Nile of the CDP.

    When factoring in current trends, I can make the following projection for where each party will stand at the end of the count.

    Party Current votes Current % Current quotas Projected % Projected quotas
    Liberal/National 1,633,722 43.42% 9.5431 42.81% 9.4092
    Labor 1,185,060 31.50% 6.9223 31.17% 6.8499
    Greens 357,345 9.50% 2.0874 10.15% 2.2310
    Shooters 143,300 3.81% 0.8371 3.77% 0.8289
    Christian Dem. 103,653 2.75% 0.6055 2.74% 0.6022
    No Land Tax 66,054 1.76% 0.3858 1.76% 0.3870
    Animal Justice 63,060 1.68% 0.3684 1.66% 0.3657
    Others 210,307 5.59% 5.93%

    On current figures, it seems like #10 Coalition candidate Hollie Hughes (a Liberal) is well in front of her main rivals, Peter Jones of No Land Tax and Mark Pearson of Animal Justice.

    Yet when you look at the prediction, the Liberal vote drops from 54% of a quota to 41% of a quota, only 0.0222 quota ahead of Jones and 0.0435 quota ahead of Animal Justice.

    While the Greens vote picks up substantially, #3 Greens candidate Justin Field would be well behind the leading candidates in this scenario, which already assumes a significant increase in the Greens vote on late counting.

    If this projection proved true, the best-case scenario for the left would be that Greens preferences would flow to Animal Justice (as indicated on their how-to-vote) and elected Mark Pearson ahead of Hollie Hughes or Peter Jones.

    Of course, if Animal Justice falls just short of winning, it’s possible there could be a legal challenge to the result, because of the 19,000 iVotes which didn’t have an ‘above-the-line’ box for Animal Justice or Outdoor Recreation.

    As the count proceeds, most of the above-the-line votes will be counted and the NSWEC will begin conducting their data entry of below-the-line votes, and we will be able to make more precise projections over the coming weeks.

    Hopefully it will also be possible, through scrutineers, to get a sense of how preferences are flowing, to determine whether the primary vote figures could be overturned by preferences, in particular whether Animal Justice can win on Greens preferences.

    Below the fold, I will run through a bunch of stats I’ve been able to pull together, and explain how I have used these figures to produce my projection.

    Read more of this post

    Ben Raue | April 2, 2015 at 8:15 am | Tags: New South Wales 2015 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/ppI95-6O2

  • Guardian’s Keep it in the ground campaign

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    Big news

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    Alan Rusbridger <info@mail.theguardian.com> Unsubscribe
    12:52 AM (7 hours ago)
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    Dear Neville,

    Thank you again for your support for the Guardian’s Keep it in the ground campaign. I am writing to you with big news.

    Today, the Guardian Media Group will begin the process of divesting its more than £800m investment portfolio from fossil fuels. It is the largest fund globally to make such a commitment.

    You might think that when the Guardian started our climate change campaign I, as editor-in-chief, could just get on the phone to our investment managers and order this to happen. But it doesn’t work like that. Just as the Guardian’s editorial coverage is independent from commercial interference, the separation works in the other direction too. I made the divestment case to them and asked them to respond. You can hear some of the early discussions with the Scott Trust that owns the Guardian in this podcast – episode three of a series which is documenting the campaign. You can also read about the Board’s decision on the Guardian here and here.

    The huge response from Guardian readers and supporters around the world played an important part in the GMG board’s decision to take this bold step. We are deeply appreciative of your ongoing support for the Guardian’s Keep it in the ground campaign, and this move on our part is in no small thanks to you.

    What happens next? We hope that by making this move the Guardian can act as a beacon for other organisations who are thinking of doing likewise. And of course, we hope that it will add further encouragement to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust to take the step of moving their own endowments away from companies that are using shareholder cash to fund the hunt for yet more fossil fuels we cannot safely burn.

    You can help us show that change is possible. By joining our campaign you are saying that this matters and you want your voice to be heard. Launched in partnership with 350.org, our petition asking the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust to move their money out of fossil fuels is nearing 150,000 signers. Please once again urge your friends, family and colleagues to sign the petition by posting it to Facebook and Twitter (using the hashtag #keepitintheground)

    In the coming weeks and months we will work with 350.org to provide events, resources and support for those who would like to pursue divestment further. As a supporter of the Keep it in the ground campaign, you will receive that information directly and will be invited to events to learn more. Should you have any questions or requests, please send them to the Keep it in the ground team at keep.it@theguardian.com.

    Yours Sincerely
    Alan Rusbridger, Editor in chief of the Guardian

  • There’s a super trawler arriving next week Stop The Trawler Crew

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    There’s a super trawler arriving next week

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    Stop The Trawler Crew <stopthetrawler@et.org.au>
    6:01 AM (2 hours ago)

  • Hockey shirt-fronted by his own report Evan – GetUp

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    Hockey shirt-fronted by his own report

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    Evan – GetUp!
    8:03 PM (1 hour ago)
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    Dear NEVILLE,

    Yesterday, Treasurer Joe Hockey was shirtfronted by his own Tax Paper.

    After spending the last 12 months arguing for ideological spending cuts like the GP co-payment, which would have saved only $1 billion over four years, Mr Hockey’s Tax Discussion Paper pointed to a poorly designed tax break that’s costing taxpayers a whopping $32 billion a year: Superannuation Tax Concessions.1

    Not only are the potential savings on Super Tax Concessions powerful enough to sweep away the bulk of Mr Hockey’s austerity cuts, they were singled out in the Tax Paper as a fundamental fairness issue – paid out disproportionately to higher income earners, while those who need them most miss out.

    Yesterday’s report has led to an improbable media storm on tax policy: everyone, from social service organisations and the Greens, to business groups and shock jock Alan Jones is calling for reform. But Mr Hockey has said he won’t move unless Australians stand up and demand it.2

    So, ask yourself: would you rather powerful revenue-raising reform that makes our tax system fairer, or austerity cuts to essential services? We think it’s a no-brainer.

    Click here to join the calls for sensible Super Tax reform to stand up for fairness and save the Budget billions.

    Politicians count on the complexity of tax policy to send us to sleep to avoid scrutiny. So here’s a quick breakdown of the top five things you need to know about Super Tax Concessions:

    • Super Tax Concessions. Superannuation helps Australians retire with dignity and reduces reliance on the Age Pension. The Government gives out tax breaks for Super to boost contributions, savings and investments.
    • Tax breaks for the wealthy. Super Tax Concessions are poorly targeted: the more you earn, the greater the tax break you receive. This means that half of all concessions go to the wealthiest 20%.3
    • Low-income earners miss out. Lower-income Australians, who need support in their savings now to avoid reliance on the age pension later, get little to no concessions.
    • This makes no sense. The way Super Tax Breaks are currently structured is not only unfair, it defeats their whole purpose. The people who actually need a boost in their retirement savings miss out.
    • How much does this cost? Super Tax Concessions cost the Budget an enormous $32 billion per year – and this figure is rising. Over the next few years, they’re forecast to cost taxpayers more than the Age Pension itself.4

    Reforming super tax concessions would help more Australians retire with dignity, see fewer Australians on the Age Pension and save the budget bottom line billions, now and into the future.

    Click here to stand up for a Brighter Budget where everyone pays their fair share by calling on Mr Hockey to tackle Super Tax Reform.

    Last year’s unfair budget lies in tatters after a year of incredible campaigning from GetUp members, alongside community and industry groups. Mr Hockey has an opportunity to pull himself out of the fire by listening to the recommendations of the Murray Financial System Inquiry, the Henry Tax Review, the last three Treasury Secretaries – and now, his very own Tax White Paper.

    Let’s drive the message home,
    Evan, Mark, Nat, Lily and Georgina, for the GetUp team

    PS – Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen made it clear yesterday that the Labor Party are ready to tackle Super Tax Reform.5 Even superannuation groups have conceded, “There shouldn’t be tax concessions going to wealthy people“.6 With momentum building, this is the opportune moment to launch a public campaign for common sense superannuation reform. For a fairer tax system and a Brighter Budget: https://www.getup.org.au/super-tax-reform

    References
    [1] “Billions lost in tax concessions exposes hypocrisy over federal aid”, The Guardian, 3 February 2014.
    [2] “To maintain status quo we have to change: Joe Hockey says we need tax reform”, ABC AM, 30 March 2015.
    [3] “Time to close the largest hole in the tax system”, The Australian Financial Review, 26 May 2014.
    [4] “It’s super tax concessions, not pensions that are killing the budget”, The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 April 2014.
    [5] “Tax Reform: Super concessions for the wealthy in the firing line”, The Sydney Morning Herald, 31 March 2015.
    [6] “Financial system inquiry: David Murray calls for scrutiny on housing, super tax breaks”, The Australian Financial Review, 7 December 2014.