An absolute disgrace

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soakes
soakes's picture
An absolute disgrace

Hmmm, if we ever get that new forum I suggest we need some sort of political area.

This is the way Ted Baillieu thinks you should run a state:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/new-state-law-in-the-pipeline-to-aid-loggers-20111102-1mvlm.html

He has become known as the "do-nothing premier", but he is actually far far worse than that, propping up environmentally destructive industries.

I thought the previous government was bad - and they were. This one is much worse. What hope is there?

- soakes

timmo
timmo's picture

Yes, soakes, I agree - that is totally dodgy.
It really makes a mockery of the "Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act". It's more like the "Guarantee-as-long-as-it-doesn't-get-in-the-way-of-big-business" act.
.
The same things are happening here in Qld in relation to mining, like the recent issue with the BimbleBox Nature Refuge which will be totally lost for Clive Palmer's new multi-billion dollar "China First" open cut mine. Their protection "in perpetuity" is again "in-perpetuity-or-until-someone-wants-to-mine-it". Once again the environment comes, second, or third, or fourth...

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Angry? My word, I'm angry? Just one remark, unless there is a new generation of young people who care and are prepared to stand up and take action, nothing is going to change! All the good work we did,(at least I did) will have been vasted. Unfortunately in a democratic state, the majority determins what gets done, or does it? Here is a problem, "the majority isn't always right". Unless people are prepared to take risks and speak up or protest, there will be no change. I will give you an example, 20 years ago, I was part of some friends and I started to care about "battery hens" we did actions in the middle of the night to free hens. We were laughed about,attacked by media and governments, even arrested. We were the radical lefties or hippies, not to be taken seriously. Well look at your eggs now! Do I have to say more? Free range!! I used to protest when the ships came in with rainforrest timber, and, and and... Unless we speak up, nothing is going to change, we have to make it happen!!

M-L

soakes
soakes's picture

Yep, we have to make it happen because we simply can't trust politicians to do what is right. Big business has too many and too powerful lobby groups that get in and either "persuade" (bribe) the politicians or at least blind them to other courses of action and opportunities.

Simply put, with the major party system, democracy is failing.

- soakes

soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia

Woko
Woko's picture

Rest easy on the Baillieu front, folks. I've emailed him twice about cattle grazing in Alpine areas. So all's well.
Like hell! He assured me cattle grazing is only being considered as a means of reducing the fire hazard. However, the Wilderness Society tells me that the cattle are already grazing. So someone's wrong & one of them is a politician.
The other point is that, while I know little about Alpine ecological systems, cattle grazing is a great way of degrading natural systems & making way for exotic annual grasses which are a severe fire hazard. As they say in the US: Go figure.
I heard a political commentator say that the reason the cattle are grazing is because Baillieu is making good a promise he made to the cattle cartel to shore up marginal seats in the election.
I fear that democracy & the environment don't mix too well although the alternative hasn't proved itself a protector of the environment either. It really is, as Araminta says, up to us. Keep hammering them with emails & phone calls expressing our concerns & anger about their environmental destruction. Take direction action. Model environmental protection. At least we can do that in a democracy - so far & to some extent.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

mtck
mtck's picture

There is only one way to get your opinions heard and dealt with. Become a politician!

Araminta
Araminta's picture

Hi mtck,what a statement!? Politicians do and say anything, none of it will have anything to do with their opinions .It mostly is about staying in their job, climbing up to the top of the heap, and voice the opinions of who ever pays for their retirement. (no joke, trust me, like I would trust a politician.LOL) M-L

Politicians only work well, if YOU step on their toes, and they might be in danger of loosing what ever it may be.

M-L

Woko
Woko's picture

Sadly, I think you're spot on, Araminta. The name of the game is power. Any service provided or environment protected is incidental to the game of acquiring & maintaining power. And that's not cynical. It's reality - as I've experienced it, anyway.

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