Monday, 17 May 2010
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Dysfunctional...
From today's editorial in The Herald...
Councillors losing focus
06 May, 2010 01:17 PM
NEWCASTLE City Council runs the risk of repeating the mistakes of its dysfunctional past.
Scarcely a year after this newspaper congratulated a new-look council on its seemingly down-to-business approach the city's elected panel of leaders has disintegrated, once again, into bickering and petty politics.
Just over a month ago Greens councillor Michael Osborne became the subject of a code of conduct investigation over his involvement in a community protest against the coal industry. An anonymous complaint forced the council to hire an expensive consultant to investigate the matter. The consultant recommended that Cr Osborne be censured by fellow councillors on the basis of a court conviction - since overturned - over the protest.
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Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Lord Mayor John Tate's conduct
Newcastle Greens
MEDIA RELEASE
5 May 2010
5 May 2010
Newcastle Greens Councillor Michael Osborne today called on other Newcastle councillors to use the current deferral of the Code of Conduct report concerning Lord Mayor John Tate to come to a properly measured response to the matter.
Councillor Osborne said that he agreed with the finding of the conduct review report on the Lord Mayor that he had breached the council’s Code of Conduct, and with its recommended censure against him.
“I would have supported this outcome if the General Manager had not circulated a memo (based on legal advice) just before the council meeting, recommending that the matter be deferred pending clarification of some aspects of the conduct reviewer’s report,” Councillor Osborne said.
“As things currently stand, I don’t accept the Lord Mayor’s argument in defence of his actions, in terms of his failure to disclose relevant details of his conflicts of interests and to properly manage these conflicts, and I would urge Councillor Tate to accept the conclusions of the report and to take steps to ensure that this doesn’t happen in the future.
"It’s a serious matter, and a council censure – which is the most serious sanction a council can apply in such matters – is an appropriately weighted response in the circumstances.
“However, I think it’s also crucially important that councillors don’t turn Code of Conduct findings and sanctions into an excuse for a political lynch-mob, or as a form of political payback for perceived wrongs that have nothing to do with the conduct that is the subject of the report.
“Whilst the report’s censure recommendation is appropriate, the Labor/Buman push to strip the Lord Mayor of his delegations, and to refer the matter to the Director-General of the Division of Local Government go way beyond the conduct reviewer’s recommendations, and may end up bringing the council and the Code of Conduct processes into further disrepute.
“None of the advocates of these extra punitive measures were able to explain or justify them at last night’s council meeting.
“The current facts of the case do not fit the grounds outlined in the Local Government Act (section 440I) for referral to the Director-General to initiate suspension proceedings, and there is no apparent link between Councillor Tate’s actions in this matter and his exercise of council delegations.
“Much of Councillor Buman’s contribution to last night’s debate was based on personal gripes he has with the Lord Mayor that have nothing to do with this Code of Conduct matter.
“Basing a detrimental decision and imposing extra punitive action on the Lord Mayor on such irrelevant grounds might actually expose such a decision to the risk of legal challenge.
“All Newcastle councillors should now use the deferral period to consider this matter carefully, and come to a properly measured response that would stand up to both public and legal scrutiny,” Councillor Osborne said.
Monday, 3 May 2010
Greens will move in Senate for sensible sovereign fund to invest in our future
The Greens will move in the Senate for a sensible sovereign fund from the resource tax to invest in Australia's people and environment.
The Greens are examining a raft of sidelined recommendations from the Henry Review to pursue in the Senate, including increasing income support for students and the unemployed, removing the Fringe Benefit Tax concession which currently encourages company car use, and introducing road congestion taxes to fund public transport.
"The Greens have long advocated a resource tax, and we will work in the Senate to make sure it is invested in Australia's future, not our past," said Australian Greens Acting Leader, Senator Christine Milne.
"The sensible thing to do would be to invest the revenue in training and education for jobs of the future, in income support for students and the unemployed, in building the public transport and renewable energy infrastructure we need to wean ourselves off our fossil fuel addiction.
"We will be looking in particular for increases in income support for students and the unemployed in next week's Budget.
"The government's approach would lock in a 19th century focus on digging up and exporting as much coal as we possibly can. That is no plan for the 21st century.
"I look forward to working with the government to turn this into a real plan for the future, investing in our people and our sun, wave, wind and soil."
The Greens already have legislation before the Senate to implement one of Ken Henry's recommendations - removing the incentive to drive more through the Fringe Benefits Tax concession for company cars.
"We will be raising this very sensible policy again with the government, as well as pursuing other Henry recommendations for reducing our reliance on petrol in an age of climate change and peak oil.
"This review was an opportunity to re-design our cities for people rather than cars, investing funds from a congestion tax in fast, convenient and safe public transport.
"This would also have been a perfect opportunity to remove the billions of dollars of subsidies that go to fossil fuel companies every year through fuel tax credits.
"The huge trucks that operate in open cut mines pay virtually no tax on the fuel they use to dig up more polluting fuels, while ordinary Australians pay tax on the fuel they use to get to work, to get the groceries and to take the kids to school because there are few decent alternatives.
"We need to move our tax system over to taxing bads and rewarding goods, taxing waste and pollution and investing in our people and our environment.
"That would be real reform and the Greens will pursue it in the Senate and in the community."
The Greens are examining a raft of sidelined recommendations from the Henry Review to pursue in the Senate, including increasing income support for students and the unemployed, removing the Fringe Benefit Tax concession which currently encourages company car use, and introducing road congestion taxes to fund public transport.
"The Greens have long advocated a resource tax, and we will work in the Senate to make sure it is invested in Australia's future, not our past," said Australian Greens Acting Leader, Senator Christine Milne.
"The sensible thing to do would be to invest the revenue in training and education for jobs of the future, in income support for students and the unemployed, in building the public transport and renewable energy infrastructure we need to wean ourselves off our fossil fuel addiction.
"We will be looking in particular for increases in income support for students and the unemployed in next week's Budget.
"The government's approach would lock in a 19th century focus on digging up and exporting as much coal as we possibly can. That is no plan for the 21st century.
"I look forward to working with the government to turn this into a real plan for the future, investing in our people and our sun, wave, wind and soil."
The Greens already have legislation before the Senate to implement one of Ken Henry's recommendations - removing the incentive to drive more through the Fringe Benefits Tax concession for company cars.
"We will be raising this very sensible policy again with the government, as well as pursuing other Henry recommendations for reducing our reliance on petrol in an age of climate change and peak oil.
"This review was an opportunity to re-design our cities for people rather than cars, investing funds from a congestion tax in fast, convenient and safe public transport.
"This would also have been a perfect opportunity to remove the billions of dollars of subsidies that go to fossil fuel companies every year through fuel tax credits.
"The huge trucks that operate in open cut mines pay virtually no tax on the fuel they use to dig up more polluting fuels, while ordinary Australians pay tax on the fuel they use to get to work, to get the groceries and to take the kids to school because there are few decent alternatives.
"We need to move our tax system over to taxing bads and rewarding goods, taxing waste and pollution and investing in our people and our environment.
"That would be real reform and the Greens will pursue it in the Senate and in the community."
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Greens will pursue Henry recommendations in the Senate
The government's response to the Henry tax review is a missed opportunity to really transform Australia's tax system to deliver for the community and the environment now and in the future, the Greens said today.
The Greens will move in Parliament to pursue key Henry recommendations to which the Government had failed to respond, including increasing income support for students and the unemployed, removing the Fringe Benefit Tax concession that currently encourages company car use, and introducing road congestion taxes to fund public transport.
Acting Leader, Senator Christine Milne said the Government's response to the Henry Review had missed the opportunity for ‘root and branch' renewal by moving the tax burden away from labour and productivity and onto waste, inefficiency and unsustainable resource use, in favour of bigger tax breaks for big business.
"The Greens will act to ensure the community gets a better deal following from the Henry Review. In particular we will pursue Henry's recommendation that the base income rate for students and job seekers is increased," Australian Greens Acting Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.
"How is the whole-of-government approach to climate change and peak oil served by providing billions for new coal ports and coal railways?
"This tax review was the opportunity to re-design our cities for people rather than cars and to remove the billions of dollars of subsidies to fossil fuel industries through fuel tax credits."
The Greens welcome Ken Henry's call for a serious review of the level of compensation provided to emission intensive industries if a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme was passed.
"Ken Henry's support for a carbon tax also puts added pressure on the Government to negotiate with the Greens on our proposal."
Senator Milne welcomed the announcement of the Resource Super Profits Tax, but flagged improvements the Greens would seek to make on its structure.
"There is no evidence that revenue generated the Government's new Resource Super Profits Tax will be linked to an ongoing, long-term fund to provide for Australia's future."
"They have not planned for what happens when the boom busts.
"The Greens proposal for a National Resource Fund from the resource tax would establish a mechanism to put away benefits of the resource boom now for the future.
"The Greens also oppose the Government's reduction of company tax rates. A far better approach would be to take up Henry's recommendation to eventually replace payroll taxes which discourage employment with more efficient broad based taxes.
"It's is disappointing that the Henry Review did not go further in making specific announcements on tax arrangements for energy efficiency or renewable energy."
The Greens will move in Parliament to pursue key Henry recommendations to which the Government had failed to respond, including increasing income support for students and the unemployed, removing the Fringe Benefit Tax concession that currently encourages company car use, and introducing road congestion taxes to fund public transport.
Acting Leader, Senator Christine Milne said the Government's response to the Henry Review had missed the opportunity for ‘root and branch' renewal by moving the tax burden away from labour and productivity and onto waste, inefficiency and unsustainable resource use, in favour of bigger tax breaks for big business.
"The Greens will act to ensure the community gets a better deal following from the Henry Review. In particular we will pursue Henry's recommendation that the base income rate for students and job seekers is increased," Australian Greens Acting Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.
"How is the whole-of-government approach to climate change and peak oil served by providing billions for new coal ports and coal railways?
"This tax review was the opportunity to re-design our cities for people rather than cars and to remove the billions of dollars of subsidies to fossil fuel industries through fuel tax credits."
The Greens welcome Ken Henry's call for a serious review of the level of compensation provided to emission intensive industries if a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme was passed.
"Ken Henry's support for a carbon tax also puts added pressure on the Government to negotiate with the Greens on our proposal."
Senator Milne welcomed the announcement of the Resource Super Profits Tax, but flagged improvements the Greens would seek to make on its structure.
"There is no evidence that revenue generated the Government's new Resource Super Profits Tax will be linked to an ongoing, long-term fund to provide for Australia's future."
"They have not planned for what happens when the boom busts.
"The Greens proposal for a National Resource Fund from the resource tax would establish a mechanism to put away benefits of the resource boom now for the future.
"The Greens also oppose the Government's reduction of company tax rates. A far better approach would be to take up Henry's recommendation to eventually replace payroll taxes which discourage employment with more efficient broad based taxes.
"It's is disappointing that the Henry Review did not go further in making specific announcements on tax arrangements for energy efficiency or renewable energy."
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