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

  • Who wants CSG? James – GetUp!

    Click here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail.   Learn more  Hide
    More

    2 of 19

    Who wants CSG?

    Inbox
    		 x

    James – GetUp!
    4:26 PM (9 minutes ago)
    to me

    Dear NEVILLE,

    Dirty coal and Coal Seam Gas. Most of us don’t suport or want either of them, but right now a whopping 90% of us in NSW and 70% of us in Victoria, do business with the big three energy providers who are all heavily invested in dirty power: EnergyAustralia, Origin and AGL.

    Australia’s biggest three energy companies are all dirty power companies, despite their attempts to portray a clean, green image to their customers. Worse still, they’re using that huge market influence to try to weaken Australia’s Renewable Energy Target, the policy that drives investment and jobs in the clean energy we so urgently need. At the same time, they’re pushing for the expansion of Coal Seam Gas (fracking) in the face of strong community opposition.

    Just today, the NSW Environment Minister responded to reports that toxic chemicals contained in wastewater from AGL’s coal seam gas operations near Gloucester were discharged into Hunter Water’s sewage network, by saying: “It sounds like AGL has some very serious questions to answer.” [1]

    Fortunately, we all have a choice about who we buy our power from. Ready to tell the Dirty Three Emergy companies to frack off?

    Click here to join Better Power: a new consumer and citizen power campaign to switch Australia to renewable-backed power.

    To kick off a renewable energy revolution, GetUp has teamed up with Powershop, the company Greenpeace and the Total Environment Centre rate as the ‘greenest electricity retailer in Australia.’ [2] Thousands of GetUp members across Melbourne and regional Victoria have already reported their positive experiences of switching and saving money, and now members in NSW are joining this groundbreaking campaign as Powershop expands to take on the Dirty Three energy providers here too.

    Want in?

    https://www.getup.org.au/nocsg

    We know that Coal Seam Gas threatens community health, our water supply, farmland and our future. Now it’s time to show Australia’s Dirty Three power companies that it’s also bad for business.

    People powered campaigns have already got business and politicians on the ropes. Our state governments are scrambling to appear sensitive to community opposition to CSG, repealing licences and issuing moratoriums.

    Independent reports from Credit Suisse and Citigroup have warned that support for CSG could potentially damage energy company brands and cost them millions in lost customer revenue. [3]

    Now it’s time to drive the message home. Join thousands of GetUp members saying no to dirty coal and CSG by switching to a better power company.

    We don’t have to wait for others to lead. This is something positive and powerful we can do right now, and when we do it together, we change the energy market for the better.

    Election promises come and go, PR disasters eventually fade from the headlines. But target their bottom line and together we can change the way energy companies do business, for good!

    Here’s to standing up,
    James and Michael, for the GetUp team

    PS: Need a few more reasons to vote with your wallet?

    • Better Power. Let’s switch to the greenest retailer in Australia, demonstrating public support for companies that back renewables and don’t support dirty power.
    • Cheaper bills. The Victorian government’s Essential Services Commission found that Powershop is one of the cheapest retailers in Victoria [4]. Powershop’s research shows that the 5,500+ GetUp members who’ve already switched in Victoria are saving more than $500,000 collectively by taking up the 30 percent discount currently available from Powershop, and Powershop aims to be the cheapest provider in NSW as well.
    • Fast and easy. Powershop’s online tool makes it easy to switch in less than 10 minutes. They do all the work and you don’t have to contact your existing provider.
    • No risk. No lock in contracts or exit fees. Powershop doesn’t lock you into a contract. And don’t worry if you’re under contract, Powershop will even cover your exit penalty fee (up to $75) on your behalf.
    • Grassroots renewables revolution. For each person that switches as part of the Better Power campaign, Powershop will make a small contribution to GetUp’s campaign to protect the Renewable Energy Target , support renewables and help stop the roll out of dirty and polluting CSG and coal in our communities.

    Need extra reasons? Look through our FAQ here.

    References

    [1]”AGL mum over toxic CSG chemicals discharged into Hunter Water sewers”, The Sydney Morning Herald, March 14th, 2015
    [2] Greenpeace Green Electricity Guide 2014
    [3] Credit Suisse July 2014 analysis found that, in reference to AGL’s CSG operations: “A coordinated campaign targeting AGL’s electricity and gas customers and prospective customers could result in customer loss and costs to AGL.” Citi reseach stated in Feburary 2014: “we think there are early warning signs of negative connotations around Gloucester (CSG) impacting AGL in some retail customer segments. If these negative associations become more mainstream, walking away from/disposing of Gloucester may become the right option to protect the larger retail brand and earnings.” Citi Research.18 February 2015.
    [4] Victorian government’s Essential Services Commission Energy Retailers’ Comparative Performance Report – Pricing, October 2014

  • The John James Newsletter 50 Inbox x

    Click here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail.   Learn more  Hide

    1 of 55

     

    Web Clip

    CNN.com Recently Published/Updated – Tough task ahead for Ferguson’s next police chief – 4 hours ago

    The John James Newsletter 50

    Inbox x

    John James
    		7:05 AM (2 hours ago)

    The John James Newsletter 50
    14 March 2015

    YOU MAY NEED TO CUT AND PASTE THESE LINKS

    Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect
    Mark Twain

    The Arctic Ocean is coming close to complete summer meltdown
    The apparent ‘pause’ in global warming has been no such thing. Instead the surplus heat – two Hiroshima bombs-worth a second – has been ‘buried’ deep in the Pacific Ocean. That’s because of two important climate cycles, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, has masked the warming. But soon they will tip the other way and the ‘Big Heat’ is set to begin – a five to ten year burst of rapid warming that will be most severe in the Arctic. “Nothing has been said by the IPCC. Nothing has been said in the mainstream media. Nothing has been said by the scientific community. This is a terrible omission.”
    arctic-news.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/save-the-arctic-sea-ice-while-we-still-can.html

    March 4 Arctic Sea Ice Extent Hits Record Low
    There is little scope for Arctic sea ice extent to grow over the next few weeks, since the only areas where it could possibly expand would be the Pacific and the North Atlantic, the very areas that are under pressure from ocean heat and high surface temperatures. In other words, the situation looks set to deteriorate further.
    arctic-news.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/march-4-2015-arctic-sea-ice-extent-hits-record-low.html

    How is it happening?
    What is the mechanism behind accelerated warming of the Arctic Ocean, huge abrupt methane eruptions from the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean and skyrocketing temperatures?
    http://news.euoa.net/category/natalia-shakhova

    Naomi Klein: This changes everything
    I denied climate change for longer than I care to admit. I knew it was happening, but stayed pretty hazy on the details and only skimmed most of the news stories, especially the really scary ones. I told myself the science was too complicated and that the environmentalists were dealing with it. And I continued to behave as if there was nothing wrong with the shiny card in my wallet attesting to my “elite” frequent flyer status.
    www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/06/dont-look-away-now-the-climate-crisis-needs-you?CMP=ema_565

    Byron shire aims to lead Australia on zero emissions plan
    “All revolutions start from the bottom up, and what is required is a revolution. Politicians will follow what action happens in the communities.” This had been the case in Europe, particularly Germany and Denmark, where “people power” had driven the major uptake of renewable energy. The plan is to incorporate land use, retrofitting of buildings, waste and transport – including electric vehicles – into the plan.
    reneweconomy.com.au/2015/byron-shire-aims-to-lead-australia-on-zero-emissions-community-plan-90958

    Nuclear arsenals of the world – the GOOD NEWS
    Rising, then pulling back from a Peak in the late 1980s, the number of nuclear warheads has dropped significantly, though more countries now possess them.
    thebulletin.org/nuclear-notebook-multimedia

    UN: Impact on Africa if we keep to 2 degrees
    The latest science suggests climate change adaptation measures could cost Africa $50 billion per year by the mid-century, and put up to 50 per cent of the continent’s population is at risk of undernourishment, even if efforts to prevent a 2°C temperature increase are successful. African nations do not have the domestic resources to head off this crippling economic cost.
    https://newmatilda.com/2015/03/08/un-report-predicts-african-disaster-even-if-we-keep-global-warming-2-degrees

    Aleppo: Notes from the Dark
    With bombs exploding and under sniper fire, this film shows the life of Aleppo from the perspective of seven of its residents, struggling with the hardships of war: A social journalist, a street vendor, a cleric, an entrepreneur, a doctor from a field hospital, a shopkeeper – ordinary people with hopes and dreams.
    http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2014/08/aleppo-notes-from-dark-20148412419590705.html

    Boko Haram Turns Robin Hood’s Strategy on Its Head
    Boko Haram is now raising money by ignoring the rich and targeting the poor, an unusually cruel tactic that takes struggling innocents and pushes them over the financial cliff.
    foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/05/boko-haram-turns-robin-hoods-strategy-on-its-head-nigeria-niger/
    Health costs of hormone disrupting chemicals
    Lower IQ, adult obesity and 5% of autism cases are all linked to exposure to endocrine disruptors found in food containers, plastics, furniture, toys, carpeting and cosmetics. “The shocking thing is that the major component of that cost is related to the loss of brain function in the next generation,”
    www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/06/health-costs-hormone-disrupting-chemicals-150bn-a-year-europe-says-study?CMP=EMCENVEML1631

    Business Is Booming at Abu Dhabi’s Great Arms Bazaar
    With conflicts raging from Ukraine to Syria to Yemen, there’s something for everyone at the world’s most important gun show. Business is booming. Defence spending grew 12.1 percent in the Middle East last year.
    http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/06/the-death-merchants-do-abu-dhabi/

    Under the Dome: Trying To Save This Whole System We Call Home
    My son lives in Shanghai and has an apartment on the 37th floor that should have a wonderful view over the city and far beyond. Unfortunately, you can barely see a couple of hundred meters and even that is murky. Some days you can barely make out buildings over the river. Whenever I visit I’m given a face-mask. Once in the car, I’m forbidden to open the windows. Every couple of hours we check the weather apps on our phone what is the pollution like and if it’s bad we get inside.
    http://www.commondreams.org/further/2015/03/05/under-dome-trying-save-whole-system-we-call-home and
    Only 1% of China’s 560 million urban residents breathe air that is safe by EU standards
    www.china-mike.com/facts-about-china/facts-pollution-environment-energy/
    The Staggering Cost of Israel to Americans
    It seems that the US is paying Israel to buy its own Congress- some deal ??
    Israel is among the world’s most affluent nations, with a per capita income similar to that of the European Union. Israel’s unemployment rate of 5.8% is better than America’s 7.3%, and Israel’s net trade, earnings, and payments is ranked 30th in the world while the US sits in last place at a dismal 193rd. Yet, Israel receives more aid  than all the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean combined—which have a total population of over a billion people. And foreign aid is just one component of the staggering cost of US alliance with Israel.
    www.ifamericansknew.org/stat/cost.html

    Four charts about mental illness
    For years doctors have complained about the serious underfunding of mental health services. Most people think performing more surgeries and cutting waiting times in emergency departments wins elections, while making sure someone with schizophrenia is properly supported and medicated doesn’t.
    www.smh.com.au/nsw/the-four-charts-that-will-terrify-you-if-you-or-anyone-you-love-has-a-mental-illness-20150309-13yswk.html

    to John

  • [New post] NSW 2015 – gender breakdown of candidates

    3 of 55
    Web Clip

    [New post] NSW 2015 – gender breakdown of candidates

    Inbox
    		 x

    The Tally Room <donotreply@wordpress.com>
    9:48 AM (16 minutes ago)
    to me

    New post on The Tally Room

    NSW 2015 – gender breakdown of candidates

    by Ben Raue

    Last night I summarised the numbers of candidates nominated by party in the upcoming NSW election after nominations closed yesterday.

    Following up on that post, I’ve analysed the number of men and women running for each party, and what impact the election may have on gender balance in the next Parliament.

    There are four parties running candidates in all 93 seats. In addition, the Liberal Party and the Nationals are running a candidate in every seat (and are not running against each other anywhere) – so there is a Labor, Greens, CDP, No Land Tax, and Coalition candidate in all 93 seats. These parties make up over 86% of the total number of candidates nominated.

    http://cf.datawrapper.de/RWiut/1/

    The Greens have done best in terms of number of women nominated, with 41 women out of 93 candidates, or 44.1%. Labor is running 34 women out of 93, or 36.6%.

    There are a small number of Christian Democratic Party or No Land Tax (NLT) candidates for whom I haven’t been able to identify their gender. There are many CDP candidates without a photograph or biography available online, and the same is true for basically every NLT candidate. But overall these parties are close to Labor in terms of gender representation. The CDP is running at least 33 women and at least 58 men, with two unclear. NLT is running 34 women, 56 men, and three unclear.

    The Coalition has the lowest proportion of women amongst their candidates. The Liberal Party is running 19 women and 55 men, or 25.7%. The Nationals are running four women and 19 men, or 21%. Overall, 24.7% of Coalition candidates in the lower house are women.

    Smaller parties are running six women and ten men, while 15 women and 44 men are running as independents.

    It’s possible to use this data to make some estimates about the gender balance in the new Parliament.

    There was substantial progress in terms of gender balance from 1995 until 2003, with the number of women increasing from 15 to 23 and the number of men declining from 84 to 70.

    The 2007 election resulted in a Legislative Assembly that included 26 women and 67 men. During that term, the number of women dropped to 24 women, due to the Cabramatta and Penrith by-elections being won by men after those seats were vacated by women.

    At the 2011 election, the number of women in the Parliament dropped to 21, alongside 72 men. This partly reflected a shift in power from Labor to the Coalition, who usually have a more male-dominated party room.

    Since the 2011 election, the gender balance has gotten slightly worse. Kristina Keneally was replaced by Ron Hoenig at the 2012 Heffron by-election, and Clover Moore was replaced by Alex Greenwich at the 2012 Sydney by-election. Labor’s Jodie Harrison won the 2014 Charlestown by-election, reversing part of that trend. There are now 20 women and 73 men in the Legislative Assembly.

    http://cf.datawrapper.de/fuxuJ/2/

    The trend for this election suggests that the number of women is likely to increase. To make this prediction, I made predictions about which party would win each seat. I predicted that Labor would retain all of their seats, and gain all Coalition seats on margins of less than 5%, as well as Charlestown which was won at last year’s by-election. I then classified as “in play” all Coalition seats of margins between 5% and 20%, as well as Balmain, Newtown, Sydney, Wollongong and Tamworth.

    With these assumptions, I can predict that there will be at least 23 women in the next Legislative Assembly, and at least 60 men, with another ten seats where a man and a woman both have a chance of winning: Balmain, Bega, Gosford, Heathcote, Londonderry, Mulgoa, Penrith, Port Stephens, Strathfield and Sydney. The female candidate is the Labor candidate in most of these seats – except in Mulgoa, which is being contested by a Labor man and a Liberal woman, and Sydney, being contested by a Liberal woman and an independent man. This means that there are likely to be more women in the Assembly if Labor is more successful. If women win four of these ten seats, there will be a record number of women in the lower house.

    So what about the Legislative Council? There are currently 13 women and 29 men in the upper house, which is the same as it was immediately after the 2011 election. The group facing election in 2015 (who were either elected in 2007 or filled a vacancy) includes eight women and thirteen men, while those whose terms don’t end until 2019 include five women and sixteen men.

    It’s possible to take current polling to make estimates about the new Legislative Council. On current polling, the Coalition should win 8-9 seats, Labor should win 7-8 and the Greens should win 2-3. Polling isn’t detailed enough to tell us how the Christian Democrats and Shooters are performing, so I’ll assume that they’ll each win one seat, as they have at every election since 2003.

    The Coalition ticket is dominated by men. The first nine candidates on the ticket include only one woman – the Nationals’ Bronnie Taylor, in fifth place. The highest ranked Liberal woman is Hollie Hughes, who is in tenth place and is unlikely to win a seat.

    The Labor ticket includes three women in their top seven, along with a man in eight. The Greens will elect one woman and one man, and possibly a second man. Since all of the candidates in the undecided positions are men, it’s possible to make a prediction, on current polling, that the next Legislative Council will include 10 women and 42 men.

    (It’s also worth noting that there are two MLCs whose terms don’t finish until 2019 who have resigned to run for the Legislative Assembly: Labor’s Penny Sharpe and Steve Whan. It’s unclear who will fill their seats – possibly someone who misses out on another seat in the upper or lower house, and it’s possible the vacating MLC could return if they are unsuccessful in their electorate. For this purpose I have assumed that seat is filled by someone of the same gender).

  • What you don’t know will hurt you GET UP

    Click here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail.   Learn more  Hide
    Something’s not right.
    We’re having trouble connecting to Google. We’ll keep trying…
    Errors: 101
    2 of 12
    Web Clip
    CNN.com Recently Published/Updated – Witness: Older brother admitted to Boston bombing – 2 hours ago

    What you don’t know will hurt you

    Inbox
    		 x

    Erin – GetUp!
    8:48 PM (12 hours ago)
    to me

    NEVILLE,

    We’re running out of time.

    Right now government officials from around the world are meeting in Hawai’i, in what could be the last round of negotiations of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

    The leaked sections we’ve seen already have millions of citizens around the world worried, and the vast majority of it is still secret; not just to the public, but even to our own Parliamentarians. How’s this for starters: if Australia signs up for the TPP, it will give foreign corporations the power to sue the Australian Government for decisions they claim might impact their future investments in Australia.

    We’ve already seen the dangerous implications of these powers play out right here in Australia. Similar provisions in an Australian-Hong Kong treaty are being used by US global cigarette and tobacco company, Phillip Morris, to sue the Australian Government over the introduction of plain-packaging laws. Imagine this sort of multinational interference scaled up involving 12 countries, instead of one?

    Forces all around the world are banding together to stop this deal from going ahead. Watch the video that explains why this deal will be bad for all Australians, then sign the petition to sound the alarm:


    http://www.getup.org.au/tpp-hawaii

    If foreign corporations are given the power to sue national governments when changes to domestic laws affect their profit margins, it will inevitably restrict our government’s ability to make laws to protect our environment and our health. What’s worse, these lawsuits would be played out in secret international courts, which only corporations have access to, with no rights of appeal.

    It’s hard to believe this could happen in Australia, but there are already cases around the world of companies using what’s known as Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions to sue governments:

    • A foreign-owned energy company filed a $250 million lawsuit against the Canadian government, when Quebec placed a ban on dangerous fracking processes in a local river.
    • In El Salvador, a Canadian company is suing the government for $315 million in “loss of future profits” because local citizens won a hard-fought campaign against a gold mine that threatened to contaminate their water supplies.
    • An international utilities company sued the Argentinian Government, for imposing a freeze on water and energy bills during the global financial crisis.
    • And in Canada, US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is suing the government for $500 million in compensation, because the courts revoked two of the company’s patents citing lack of evidence around the drugs’ supposed benefits.

    Do we want to live in a country where foreign-owned companies have the right to sue our government for introducing laws to protect our farms, land, water or even our health?

    Worryingly, Trade Minister Andrew Robb has indicated that a deal is close and he’s eager to sign Australia up, which is why we need to act quickly. As a testament to just how urgent our voices are needed and how hard the government has tried to keep this deal hush hush, here in Australia, a poll last year found that only one in ten voters had even heard about the TPP.1

    If this deal goes ahead, all of us stand to lose – so it’s time we spoke up. We need as many Australians as possible to hear about the dangers of the TPP.

    Can you watch and share the video, which explains why this deal will be so dangerous? Click here: http://www.getup.org.au/tpp-hawaii

    The deal is still being negotiated, but right now negotiators are meetings in Hawai’i in what could be the last of these meetings – so we need to act fast. The fight to stop the TPP is a huge, coordinated, international resistance and the more people who join the fight, the better our chances will be.

    Can you help sound the alarm, before it’s too late?

    Erin, Kelsey, Alycia, Leah, Sally and the GetUp team

    PS. An opportunity to directly target the negotiators during what could potentially be the last time they all meet has come up. A small team of creatives worked overnight to create an ad to run in Hawai’i’s largest newspaper, just in time for this gathering. Already, more than 1400 GetUp members have chipped in to raise the funds to run this ad. We’re exactly halfway to our target, and need to raise $21,000 before the paper’s deadline tomorrow. Click here to see the ad, and help get us over the line: http://www.getup.org.au/tpp-hawaii

    ~ References ~
    [1] Trans-Pacific Partnership is a big deal, but hardly anyone knows, SMH, 17 February 2014_

  • Mega coal mines & ports are sustainable? 350 org
    Click here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail.   Learn more  Hide
    1 of 50
    Web Clip

    Mega coal mines & ports are sustainable?

    Inbox
    		 x

    Josh Creaser – 350.org Australia josh.creaser@350.org.au via list.350.org 
    9:38 PM (4 minutes ago)
    to me

    Dear friend,

    Have you heard? According to the newly elected Queensland Government, they can open up the Galilee Basin Mega Mines and expand the Abbot Point coal port in a way that is “environmentally sustainable.”

    If you agree that’s nonsense, click here to tell the QLD Government to reject Abbot Point and the Galilee Basin mines!

    Yesterday, Premier Anastasia Paluszczuk announced that dredge spoil from the Abbot Point expansion will be dumped at an industrial site, rather than on the Reef or Caley wetlands. The Premier and coal miner Adani trumpeted this as a “sustainability” victory.

    A what?

    In only a matter of weeks since the election, the ALP have worked hard with Adani to come up with this new dredging proposal and remove a major road block for the construction of Abbot Point.

    This brings them one step closer to opening up nine mega coal mines in the Galilee Basin, turning the Marine Park in to a coal shipping highway and unleashing even greater climate impacts on our precious Reef.

    If that doesn’t sound sustainable to you, make your voice heard by telling Premier Paluszczuk Government that Australians don’t want Abbot Point and the Galilee Basin Mines, not now and not ever.

    Now don’t get us wrong, some things are being sustained by this plan — close ties between Government and coalminers, a readiness to endanger the world’s largest reef ecosystem and preparedness to dig up vast quantities of coal to blow the global carbon budget.

    So that’s why, over the coming weeks and months, we’ll be calling for your help as we fight back this nightmare of a project. We’ll be building pressure on financiers, flexing our community power and working with our friends in the movement to do everything possible to stop this carbon bomb from going ahead.

    In the meantime, we hope you’ll help us in sending a strong message to the QLD Government that there’s simply no way to get Galilee coal out of the ground and across the Reef that is even remotely sustainable.

    For the climate and the Reef,

    Josh, Moira and Janelle for the 350 Australia team

    PS: Want to do more? Click here to call Premier Paluszczuk’s office via our friends at the AYCC.

  • [New post] NSW 2015 – nominations close Inbox x

    k here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail.   Learn more  Hide
    1 of 49
    Web Clip

    [New post] NSW 2015 – nominations close

    Inbox
    		 x

    The Tally Room <donotreply@wordpress.com>
    8:52 PM (21 minutes ago)
    to me

    New post on The Tally Room

    NSW 2015 – nominations close

    by Ben Raue

    Nominations closed earlier today, with a record number of candidates nominating for the Legislative Council, and the largest number of candidates running for the Legislative Assembly since 2003.

    Four parties nominated in all ninety-three lower house seats: Labor, the Greens, the Christian Democratic Party and the newly-registered No Land Tax party. In addition, the Liberal Party and the Nationals are running in all 93 seats – 74 Liberals and 19 Nationals. These six parties nominated 465 out of 540 candidates.

    Fifty-nine candidates are running as independents, and another sixteen have been nominated by five small parties: five for the Animal Justice Party, six for the Australian Cyclists Party, two for the Outdoor Recreation Party, two for Socialist Alliance and one for Unity.

    Because there are effectively five parties (including the Coalition collectively) who are running in every seat, every seat has at least five candidates, and no seat has more than eight candidates. 46 seats have five candidates, 25 have six, 16 have seven, and six have eight.

    Antony Green posted his nomination summary blog post earlier this evening, which included information on numbers of candidates who have nominated at previous elections. In the Legislative Assembly, there are 42 more candidates than in 2011, but only three more than 2007, and less than the number of candidates at the 2003 and 1999 elections. At the 1999 election, 732 candidates were nominated, and in one seat there were thirteen candidates.

    Twenty-four groups have nominated for the Legislative Council, including sixteen party groups and eight independent groups. The ‘No Land Tax’ party drew the first column on the ballot.

    No Land Tax is a new party that has registered in the last term, and has surprised everyone by nominating candidates in every seat. It’s been nearly impossible to find out any information about any of these candidates, who were not announced before they nominated in the last few days. The No Land Tax party has four testimonials on its website from people, but the NSW Tenants Union discovered that the photographs used for these people are actually stock images.

    After eighty groups nominated for the 1999 election and New South Wales laws were changed to make it harder to register parties and nominate for the upper house, as well as abolishing the ticket voting system. This is the most groups to nominate since that election.

    NSW law now requires groups to nominate 15 candidates to get a box above the line, which has results in a significant increase in the number of candidates, despite a smaller number of groups nominating. The previous record number of candidates was 333 in 2007 – this year 394 candidates have nominated.

    I’ve also completed an analysis of the number of men and women running for each party, but due to the length of this post I will publish that tomorrow morning.