Supersize me - but do it where I live

Miss Eagle seldom is on message with Paul Kelly of The Government Gazette. However, his analysis yesterday of what Howard is up to at the moment - and it is a moment by moment policy roller-coaster ride - is sound. Governance, not only under Howard but under any future Federal Government, is the issue.

Australia has a three tier system of governance: Local, State, Federal. Governance is on a declining scale of parochialism from Local up to Federal. Until now, when a Prime Minister who has been able to gain neither traction nor momentum against Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd is becoming desperate. Howard has long demonstrated a bottomless capacity for buying votes but this attribute has now reached proportions which are both grandiose and parochial.

The Shock and Awe intervention appears to have some sort of policy identification and the place, the Northern Territory, seems to have been merely the place over which the Commonwealth had power to intervene easily.

John Howard, with Member for Braddon Mark Baker, make the most of a celebrity welcome at Mersey Hospital, Devonport as part of their Stick it to the States Campaign

The Shock and Awe modus operandi has continued week by week. Last week, it was the intervention in Tasmania singling out one hospital in one small community (the 70,000 population figure by Abbot is a blatant lie and does not describe the population of the community serviced by the Mersey hospital). This week it is offering disaffected local councils in Queensland funding for plebiscites in their municipalities on amalgamations proposed by Peter Beattie's Labor Government after long consultation with local government.

The ACT is the latest government in Howard's "Embarrass a Government To-day" program. This time he is offering to fund timber mill employees' entitlements to the tune of $5 million on the condition that the NSW Government issues the mill with a long-term licence. Now, there appear to be a number of interests coalescing here.

1. Most of the employees are resident in the electorate of Eden-Monaro. Eden-Monaro is known as a bellwether seat. Eden-Monaro, since 1972, has been held by whichever party forms government.
2. The purpose of the proposed funding and the request for a long-term licence is that the mill can be sold as a going concern. So, while employees may benefit and continuing employment in a marginal electorate are supported, the main beneficiary could well be the employer/company. Another case of business welfare?
3. The relevant union is the CFMEU. This union is a blessing and a curse to the constituency of the Federal Government. Its members employed in the timber and forest products industry cost Labor two Tasmanian seats at the Federal Election of 2004 and have forced the ALP this time into a me-too Howard-image policy which dares not deviate in any environmentally responsible way or it will pay dearly in Tasmania. On the other hand, Howard and Co loathe the CFMEU's members employed in building and construction and have done everything they can to legislate against and prosecute the CFMEU's officials and members in this industry. But...timber and forest products industry union members appear to be a well-beloved species!

So since the Shock and Awe Campaign, Howard has struck at two states and two territories. Three states if one considers the position of the NSW Government in relation to a long-term licence for the ACT timber mill. So WA, SA, and Victoria are still to come. WA is open to vilification because they were the one stand-out state against Howard's armed intervention in Aboriginal affairs. Victoria has been a stand-out on the Howard Government attempt to nationalise water policy with all its private sector market-driven consequences. So there is room for Howard nastiness and meanness to operate against WA and Victoria.

So what will happen in SA? Undoubtedly, somewhere along the line will be incursion into Pitjantjatjara lands. And, just as certainly, the excuse will that Pitlands cross the border of South Australia and the Northern Territory.

So Back to Reality.Yesterday, the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007 [NTMERB] passed through the House of Representatives in spite of Labor attempts to amend the legislation and in spite of the difficulties faced by Warren Snowdon and Senator Trish Crossin.

CEO of NITV, Pat Turner AM, at the Indigenous leaders press conference in Canberra yesterday.
Valda Shannon, a significant Aboriginal woman from Tennant Creek, at the press conference
Bill Heffernan, Homo Horribilis, puts in an appearance and an interruption at the Indigenous leaders press conference in Canberra yesterday

And who should raise his head above the parapet but that shameless and nasty old homo, Bill Heffernan. Homo, you ask? Homo Horribilis, don't you think Dear Reader? Aboriginal leaders came to Canberra yesterday to discuss the NTNERB and held a press conference. Bill the Buzzard came along, clearly seeing fresh meat to pick over, more dreadful people to put on his hit and smear list. He had the hide to interrupt. But good manners have never been the hallmark of of our hero, Homo Horribilis.

But perhaps I sell him short. Perhaps he only wanted to see what Aboriginal people look like. Maybe there haven't been many around his property in Junee lately. Maybe Bill just wanted to get to know some Aboriginal people before he sunk his ploughshares into their land as he farms Northern Australia!

Anyway, they told Bill where to go. Miss Eagle loves the photograph of Jack Ah Kit eyeballing him.

So, if Bill Heffernan was shameless yesterday, another Senator, Stephen Parry of Tasmania, found himself feeling shameful. Stephen, it is now believed, has learned not to open his mouth in lifts when uncertain of the discretion of all present. Parry has thought about this. So have the clinicians who have resigned from Mersey at the prospect of a Howard take-over. And then there is the Tasmanian Labor Government and its view.

So John Howard has let it be known that, if anyone anywhere in the nation has a proposal which is believed to have been neglected by a State Government, get in touch and they will put it on the list. Word has it that people are queuing up.

Parochialism across the nation is standing up and demanding to be supersized by superhero government. Damned is good governance.

Thoughtful policy is for the birds when making it up on the run and trying to shaft Labor is much more fun.

And Mal Brough is expressing concern about whether his legislation can survive a Federal Labor government. Well, Mal, when you carry on like this why would you expect the legislation produced to stand the test of time? When you expect everyone to toe the line when you say the magic words "child abuse" because they fear being labelled as unsupportive of efforts to combat it, why should you be surprised when more considered opinion will want to override your legislation? And when people realise that you have lead them up the garden path by failure to implement the recommendations of the very report you have used to force action after a decade of neglect, you still expect them to say you did the right thing?

Miss Eagle wonders what the so-called committee hearing will produce on Friday. What can it produce that will be meaningful? Some sound grabs?

And, dear Reader, if you are still not clear about what good and sound governance in this nation might look like, you can get an idea of it here. Whatever happened to this process, Miss Eagle wants to know? Buried between the manila folders and red tape of bureaucracy or withering for lack of funding by a grandstanding Prime Minister and his political, advisory, and bureaucratic lackeys?

Agriculture going North?

Will a shift of agribusiness to Northern Australia mean that the picture of the flooded Durack River in Western Australia will become a scene similar to the picture on the left of salinated soil?

Let's listen to Tim Flannery and the voices of knowledgable people before replicating in Northern Australia what Australians of European descent have done to Southern Australia.

Back in January 2007, John Howard did a not very good job of the old soft shoe shuffle with his ministerial arrangements. The Prime Minister appointed his vile-hearted attack-dog friend and close Liberal ally, Senator Bill Heffernan, to lead a taskforce that will consider ways to encourage farmers to move north.

Miss Eagle was so gob-smacked by this horrific appointment and its antecedents, implications, and portents for the future that it has taken this long for her to try to achieve some coherence in commenting on this mind-boggling scenario.

Miss E will start with some bullet points (and a warning, dear Reader: this post is almost certain to descend into incoherence, frothing at the mouth, tearing out of hair and similar lunacies. Please be patient. Northern Australia is Miss Eagle's very lifeblood. It is her very being even though she has been transplanted to the Land of the Eagle, Creator Spirit in this part of the world.)

1. The Howard Government has never given a damn (or a dam) about Northern Australia. "One of the first acts of this coalition government was to cut $250 million in regional projects as well as cutting general purpose funding to the Northern Territory by $12 million. In the Territory we have experienced massive cuts to the Public Service, which means not only jobs are taken out of the region but also vital services are removed. Offices that have closed in the Northern Territory include Darwin's office of the Department of Transport and Regional Development, AusAID--the Australian Agency for International Development--Radio Australia, the Office of Northern Development, and the Department of Finance's regional office. " From the maiden speech in the Australian Senate by NT Senator Trish Crossin.


2. What does Bill Heffernan, farmer from southern New South Wales, know about Northern Australia? Someone correct me please with some good solid facts, but Miss Eagle thinks Bill knows sweet you know what. Bill was born in Junee and has not moved far. He was educated at St Joey's at Hunters Hill. For my North Australian friends, Miss Eagle wishes to advise that when she went to live in Sydney, on her first day there she went to hear Richard Rohr speak at Joey's. Miss Eagle knows of no school as posh as this in Northern Australia. In fact, Bill, most of your generation and mine who grew up in Northern Australia - and of a number of generations since - had no educational opportunities such as you had. So, Bill, the Liberal Party under Menzies, Holt and McMahon and the Liberal-National Party Coalition under Bjelke-Petersen have much to answer for.


3. Farmers following European and North American farming practices have wrecked the soil and water of this nation, none more so than those practising farming in the older settled areas of southern Australia - where Bill has his farm.


4. Agriculture, in some areas of the north, has not been successful. One of the major reasons is insect attack. Again, correct Miss Eagle if she is wrong by producing some facts, but Miss Eagle believes that if widespread agriculture is to succeed north of the Tropic of Capricorn heavy use of pesticides will be required. There is an exception. Genetic modification of crops is being given or will be given the green light to avoid pesticide use. This will be of great benefit to cotton which has GM crops ready to go.


5. The cane growing industry, because of its chemical run-off, in North Queensland has been detrimental to the Great Barrier Reef and contributes to its almost certain demise. The industry organisation has been antedeluvian in its denialist attitudes. If these attitudes have changed, please give Miss Eagle the evidence. Miss Eagle is targetting the industry as a whole in these comments and the industry organisation in particular. Miss Eagle is aware of some of the insightful, innovative techniques undertaken by individual growers to prevent run-off from their farms.


6. The grazing industry now sends more live cattle overseas than it does to meatworks. There are few meatworks in the north these days. The live cattle - and sheep - trade is severely detrimental to animal health and welfare. In fact, it is downright cruel.

So, dear Reader, are you now ready for a reality check after that tirade (minimalist, BTW. More could be said.)? Pop across to these statements by Tim Flannery.

Howard put the fear of Hell Fire into Bill?

Miss Eagle was not clear on the role of John Howard in the Bill Heffernan's Julia Gillard comments. Here is an article from The Age printed in full because it clarifies Howard's role - and Miss Eagle loves Kate Lundy's remarks. Please note Heffernan's vile remarks on the celibacy of Catholic priests. Now many people take issue with the celibate priesthood of the Catholic Church, but to make your point like this? Vile Bill Heffernan Vile (punctuate according to taste)! More evidence of his character.

Howard forces Senator's apology
Brendan Nicholson, Ben Doherty and Andrew Darby - May 3, 2007

BLUNTLY spoken Liberal MP Bill Heffernan has apologised to deputy ALP leader Julia Gillard for suggesting that she was not suited to be deputy prime minister because she chose not to have children.
The man dubbed John Howard's "boundary rider" got a blast from the Prime Minister after he insisted on standing by a comment he made last year that Ms Gillard had no idea what life was about because she was "deliberately barren".
"I won't walk away from that," Senator Heffernan told The Bulletin.
"One of the great understandings in a community is family, and the relationship between mum, dads and a bucket of nappies."
The comment about Ms Gillard drew a barrage of flak from Labor's ranks, and strong criticism from Mr Howard and ministers clearly annoyed about the extent to whichit drew attention from their attack on Labor's industrial relations policy.
The question of whether people married and had children was entirely a matter for them, Mr Howard said. "I don't approve of those sort of remarks, and I made that very clear.
"Julia Gillard's life is her business, and she has a right to live it according to what she thinks is appropriate."
Labor MP Kate Lundy said that if controversial Muslim cleric Sheikh Taj al-Din al-Hilali had made such a remark, the Prime Minister would have been the first to criticise him.
Treasurer Peter Costello said it was wrong to comment on a person's decision to have children or not.
Labor leader Kevin Rudd said he believed Mr Howard was a decent man and he must pull Senator Heffernan into line over the outlandish comment.
Senator Heffernan had also repeated his observation that priests should be allowed to marry because they, "like the rest of us, wake up with a horn at four in the morning".
Mr Howard called the senator to tell him his Gillard remark was out of order and that he should apologise immediately.
Mr Heffernan's written apology was prompt.
"I apologise to Julia Gillard and anyone else who was offended for my completely inappropriate and insensitive remarks," he said.
Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella said there was no outrage from Labor women when an ALP candidate made a similar suggestion about her fitness for Parliament during the 2004 campaign.

The find the flaw project

Senator Bill Heffernan - with horns

Bill Heffernan's serial vile offences demonstrate a flawed character. Now, one feature of flawed character of the serial offence kind is repetition. In other words, an offence is not a once-only. It keeps coming out time and again. As Miss Eagle has pointed out in this post.

Now the offences mentioned are the ones regarded by the media as newsworthy. Miss E reckons that there are probably lots of other incidents which have not been regarded as worth the effort by the metro media.

Dear Reader, if you have knowledge of other incidents of Heffernan's vile and peculiar manifestation of foot-in-mouth disease or his vile and peculiar investigatory digging-the-dirt crusades, could you please email Miss Eagle off the sidebar: after all neither of us want to be enjoined in legal proceedings by the nasty Senator.

No real contrition, no real job - resign Bill

Senator Bill Heffernan - with horns

Bill Heffernan has apologised. This morning Miss Eagle heard his apology on radio. His voice sounded off-hand as he said "I apologise to all the people that's offended, so there you go." Gee, Bill. That sounded really sincere and contrite - NOT.

Now Miss E, dear Reader, is all for forgiveness in public life. Miss E has, on occasions, mused on this topic here on this blog. But, dear Reader, there are two types of contrition - perfect and imperfect.

As a practising Catholic, Bill Heffernan would be aware of this.

If these theological niceties escape you, dear Reader, Miss E will come to your rescue.

Perfect Contrition is where the offender is sincerely sorry, remorseful and repentant. The offender sincerely seeks forgiveness, wishes to reform, and seeks to make amends for his or her actions.

Imperfect Contrition is when the reason for the offender's sorrow is fear of Hell Fire.

Bill Heffernan is a serial offender.

And, as Bill Heffernan knows, a priest in the confessional is quite justified in refusing absolution to an offender who continues in his or her way without any attempt at reform.

The words, Bill, are too little too late. Have you called on Julia Gillard in person, cap in hand to apologise and make amends to her? How do you suggest we re-assure ourselves of your sincerity, Bill, when so many people have been on the receiving end of your offensive tongue and vile actions?

And, Bill, just why did you apologise? Did John Howard chastise you and that was as the Fires of Hell? If John Howard did not chastise you, Bill, why would that have been? Yes, John, if you did not chastise Heffernan, why would that have been?

Senator Heffernan must resign. He is a serial offensive offender. He has brought shame to the public life of Australia. He is a waste of space in the Senate.

Time to go, Bill Heffernan...we don't need to hear from you ever again

Well, dear Reader, do you think the above touched-up photograph is fair political comment?

You see, he's at it again.

Yes, Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan is once again reminding us of his infinite capacity to breach one of the two commandments enjoined upon all Christians and Heffernan is reputed to be a faithful Catholic.

The Second Commandment is commonly known as The Golden Rule. It is "loving your neighbour as yourself".

Bill can't keep his mouth shut. In fact, it appears that he may never have heard of that wise saying which states that if you can't say something good about someone then don't say anything at all.

Now, ordinarily, someone like Bill probably wouldn't get airplay. Bill would never pass as an intellectual. His resources aren't such that they would be a source of power. And it is doubtful whether he could lead legions of followers across a desert. In fact, his comments would probably die for want of oxygen except for one crucial fact. You see, dear Reader, Bill is a good mate of John Howard's and a sort of attack-dog-come-dirt-digger for him.

But Bill is not infallible - and definitely not reliable.

This became clear when he tried single handedly to destroy one of Australia's finest jurists, Michael Kirby. He failed in a major, major way.

You see, Bill has a tendency to unapologetically shoot his mouth off and doesn't give a fig even if it is someone on his own side of politics.

But headlines and attitudes which say that "Bill is just being Bill" won't cut the mustard anymore. Bill's mouth and mind are too despicable for that.

Apologists for Bill from the PM down only show their own lack of ethics, show their own bigotry and bias, and shame Australia and Australians.