12 October 9, 2012 Te Byron Shire Echo www.echo.net.

au
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Letters
yellow making a visual state-
ment. Starting at 10am it is
organised by Lock the Gate
Tweed, and a Rock the Gate
concert starts 1pm at the Show-
grounds. Contact gasfeldfree-
bfn@gmail.com to share a bus
ride, giving preferred pick-up.
The CSG-Free movement is
both non-violent and non-
negotiable. Our common hu-
manity is more important than
all the things that divide us:
Mairead Corrigan.
Deborah Lilly
Mullumbimby
GM risks
As a result of the recent French
university study showing that
generically modified (GM)
corn causes cancer, kidney
and liver damage in animals,
Russia has announced a total
and immediate ban on the im-
portation of all GM corn, while
Food Standards Australia and
New Zealand (whose duty it is
to protect all Australians from
threats like this) said there
was no evidence of any safety
risk from GM food and their
chief scientist Paul Brent said
organic food and GM food are
almost exactly the same.
Peter Olson
Goonengerry
Where respect is due
In response to Susan McKen-
zie (Letters, October 2) Its all
about respect, Jim, I would say
respect where respect is due.
Respect to you for looking afer
your old mum and I will admit
to faws in my thinking but I
dont think you have pointed
them out. However, I am won-
dering how you and your mum
got to the most public of public
spaces in Te Bay, on wheels
perhaps? Or did you walk from
the nearest camping ground?
I am not talking about Wag-
ner afer midnight in a camp-
ground or, quelle horreur, Hare
Krishnas singing at Christmas
in praise of their god. (Is there
more than one god? Like theirs
and ours?)
The fact that your mother
grew up in Te Bay gives her
(and you) no special right to
determine who may do what
when. I have watched Te Bay
(albeit at a safe distance) for
over 40 years. It is what it is.
Te economy of Te Bay is de-
pendent, to a great degree, on its
international reputations. And
its perceived attractions.
With respect to the drum-
ming it is an opportunity to
take part in a communal ex-
perience. When you dance
you dont need a certifcate of
expertise. When you drum in
a drumming circle there is no-
one to inspect your qualifca-
tions. It is a joyous experience.
It is a democracy. You may par-
ticipate.
From the critics point of view
it may well be a cacophony but
the critic does not have the right
to demand its cessation. If you
have wheels, drive of.
Also, there is a possibility
(a probability even) that I am
older than your mum and not
without the odd twinge myself.
If I could get myself to the ca-
cophony I could as well get my-
self out of earshot. Dig it. Solip-
sism leads to disappointment.
Jim Nutter
Main Arm
Fix the road
Fixing the road may be still
a while off , Wilsons Creek.
First there has to be an assess-
ment committee and then a
committee which assesses the
assessment of the assessment
committee. Te council can in-
vite the 400 people who live up
the road for a cup of tea, since
they do not have any water, to
discuss the assessment of the
committee which assessed the
assessment of the assessment
committee.
It can also be explained that
a disaster zone is a matter of
the state government which in-
formed us that it is a matter for
the federal government whose
lawyers concluded that it is a
state government matter which
now realises that it really is a
council matter. Come on, mate,
get some blokes and picks and
shovels and fx the bloody road
and leave the bullshit for some
other time.
Navhal Pols
Byron Bay
Te Jones boy
Like many Australians, I was
outraged at the vitriolic com-
ments by Alan Jones regarding
the passing of Julia Gillards
father. His subsequent convo-
luted and insincere apology,
as well as the defence of all his
actions, was just as lamentable.
But then it dawned on me.
Could Alan Jones actually be
unaware of the harm he does to
people through his broadcasts
and his words in general? And
even more poignant, could
he actually be unaware of the
harm he consequently does to
himself? Te answer to these
questions is clearly yes. Alan
Jones is, therefore, to be pitied,
not reviled. I hope his conduct
does not become a rallying call
for others, of any persuasion,
wanting to spew forth their
own venomous sentiments.
Eddie Blatt
Pottsville
Q Lets be clear about the direct
links between Joness latest for-
ay into defamation, vilifcation
and contempt and Tony Ab-
botts Liberal Party: 1. Te of-
fensive speech was delivered at
a Liberal Party event for those
who aspire to represent that
party and lead Australia un-
der its banner. Current federal
Liberal parliamentarians were
in attendence 2. Jones is a long
standing Liberal luminary. A
former speechwriter to a Lib-
eral PM and reputed current
party member. He routinely
props up Abbott and attacks
Gillard 3. Joness speech was
intended to provide leadership
and in it he was exhorting his
listeners to follow his lead in
abusing the PM. Leadership of
the Liberals is Abbotts job and
if he is worthy of it he should
not be tolerating being sup-
planted by the likes of Jones. 4.
In his speech, aside from vilify-
ing a dead man, Jones lauded
Tony Abbott to the heavens. As
is so ofen the case Abbott was
a benefciary of Joness attack-
dog antics
If Phoney Tony wants to pro-
tect himself from the fallout
from Joness disgusting behav-
iour, then he has to show that
he is not willing to accept any
favours from Jones and that
he condemns Joness long-
standing pattern of disgraceful
public comments. Otherwise
he should expect to be treated
like the clown that he is.
Sean OShannessy
Goonengerry
Q While not a personal attack
on the prime minister, the
remarks by Alan Jones were
provocatively and gratuitously
cruel and, therefore, utterly in-
defensible.
The anti-CSG people, ably
spoken for by Michael McNa-
mara, have banned Jones from
a demonstration because, as
Mr McNamara says, of our
personal integrity. Obviously
then, he is an honourable man;
indeed, they are all, all hon-
ourable men and women.
continued from page 11
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BRENNAN
Has anything changed in the blame game?
QHas anything changed? asks
Ross Tucker in the current is-
sue of the Saturday Star. Hes
talking about the new line-up
of councillors and their ideo-
logical make-up being very
similar to the previous lot.
One change Ive noticed is
that without Rosss presence
the mood is a lot lighter and
optimistic. I had hoped that
Ross would go of and enjoy
his millions as I would at our
age if I had his kind of assets,
but it appears that the Saturday
Star will continue its mission.
I imagine that Simon Richard-
son, poor bastard, will be the
next target for ridicule and de-
moralisation.
Certainly Rosss trademark
We need to reduce our legal
costs was repeated by every
right-of-centre councillor at
the frst meeting. Nothing new
there. I suppose, like Ross, the
new right-wingers will nev-
ertheless be quite content to
spend ratepayers money on
legal costs when it comes to
compliance issues, ie hassling
hippies in the hills. Tey will
also, no doubt, try to make up
for this loss by saving on pros-
ecuting holiday letters; their
immunity will provide defnite
continuity with the past, wont
it. (Some legal costs are more
equal than others, it seems.)
Another thing that is most
unlikely to change is Te Echos
habit of junking my letters or
butchering them. Editor Hans
Lovejoy will go on doing his
bit for continuity by picking
his subject matter capriciously,
as long as it flls the paper with
something mildly interesting
to the reader and doesnt in-
volve too many nitty-gritties.
Meanwhile, a letter I spent
hours putting together, raising
serious doubts about a council
stafers credibility, ends up in
the rubbish bin. Too hard, ap-
parently. Anyway I should be
happy just getting my name in
the paper, right?
Fast Buck$
Coorabell
Q Your last letter was
defamatory. This letter, now
butchered, was 700 words
long. Ed
Q Tina Petroff s letter (Echo,
October 2) accusing Tom
Tabart of being responsible
for constant negativity is re-
ally drawing a long bow. Tom
Tabart, as an elected councillor,
because of his concerns asked
for the organisation to be re-
structured.
The lack of performance
of BSC as an organisation
screamed for an outside con-
sultant to be brought in to re-
turn the structure to one that
its rate base and community
could aford.
Te facts speak for them-
selves. Pamela Westing, pre-
vious BSC general manager,
stated that she was leaving
BSC in a strong fnancial po-
sition. Graeme Faulkner, the
next GM, reported that if BSC
were a private company their
fnancial situation was so bad
they would be put into the
hands of a receiver.
Under both GMs there was
an alleged culture of bullying
and harassment of staf. More
executive positions were creat-
ed. More middle-management
positions were created.
G Faulkner, because of his
concerns with the internal
workings of the organisation,
asked the ICAC to investigate.
G Faulkner also commis-
sioned an independent report
on the organisations structure.
Tis was done by the Univer-
sity of Technology, Sydney. It
identified and recommended
areas within the organisation
that needed restructuring. G
Faulkner left without imple-
menting any recommendations.
Tese are the symptoms of
a dysfunctional organisation
that any diligent elected coun-
cillor should pursue.
So, Tina, the facts strongly
suggest that Terrible Tom
is really Terrifc Tom for be-
ing forthright and fearless in
pursuing these organisational
problems. I would hardly call
this negativity. It now falls to
the newly elected councillors
to address them.
Alan Dickens
Brunswick Heads
QVoltaire said that if god did
not exist it would be necessary
to invent her. I feel the same
way about Tina Petrof and in
her case the reality is far more
substantial.
In her missive of adoration on
Terrible Tom I cannot but ad-
mire the exhaustive research of
council records she must have
endured to discover that Tom
still cant point to any (personal)
achievements in his last term on
council. As I was unaware that I
was in the business of extolling
my virtues in this regard, this is
unsurprising.
Mention was made of elec-
tion funding and the belated
requirement for disclosure.
Unlike others the Greens have
already detailed where their
money came from but dont
hold your breath for much
enlightenment in the Woods
list. My bet is that the donation
fow will have been structured
to multiple amounts below the
naming requirement. Afer the
2008 election we found out that
the $50K, BU-get-the-Greens
slush fund came from Belongil
interests only when their own
membership demanded an ex-
planation at the AGM.
I do not claim Tinas assur-
ance on what people are sick
of in council jousting but afer
observing the ignorant arro-
gance of some new council-
lors in their wot I will achieve
homily at the frst meeting, my
hopes are not high for sweet-
ness and light prevailing for
long.
I was disappointed that Tina
did not run this time. Her par-
ticipation always adds a degree
of innocent merriment and she
does quite well. Perhaps she
can again secure the assistance
of BU-poster-boy Rene and
give it another go in four years?
Tom Tabart
Bangalow
continued on page 15