"...unveiled before ten thousand people in 1938, captures horse and rider mid-step. The King has his head bowed and a breeze ruffles the feathers of his ceremonial helmet. When erected, the bronze statue occupied a prime position opposite the City Hall in the centre of Albert Square, which was renamed King George Square and remodelled to accommodate the memorial. ..."

Two major wastewater projects for city’s north

A newly-formed alliance between Gold Coast City Council and private industry will secure the long-term wastewater treatment requirements of the northern end of the Gold Coast. Council Chief Executive Officer Dale Dickson said the WiNA Alliance, a partnership between Council, Abigroup, Kellogg Brown Root (KBR) and Worley Parsons, would design and construct two multi million dollar major wastewater infrastructure projects.

“The first project for the alliance will be the major upgrade of the Coombabah Wastewater Treatment Plant,” Mr Dickson said.

“Work will start in the next couple of months to increase the plant’s treatment capacity by about 21 per cent over the next two years.”

Mr Dickson said a site near the existing Stapylton landfill had been selected as the location for the new Stapylton Wastewater Treatment Plant, which would service the needs of the projected population of the growth corridor north of Ormeau, including the Yatala Enterprise Area.

Mr Dickson said each of the members of the partnership would bring a high level of design, technical and construction expertise to the projects.

“Abigroup is a major Australian engineering, construction and asset development business; KBR is a global engineering, construction and services contractor for the public and private sectors and Worley Parsons is a leading provider of professional engineering services,” he said.

The final documents forming the WiNA Alliance were signed by Mr Dickson on behalf of the Council and representatives of the other members of the partnership at 3pm today (Thursday 24 September 2009) in the Gold Coast City Council Chambers building.

"National Police Remembrance Day on September 29 marks the day the Queensland Police Service stops to honour its 137 officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Arguably one of the most important days on the policing calendar, National Police Remembrance Day is a time for members of the Service and the community to remember, honour and say 'thank you' to the dedicated men and women who have died whilst on duty. ..."

Sometimes The Solution To Your Problems Is Staring You Right In The Face

"In sum, absolutely nothing has been 'solved' in recent months. The components of the debt pyramid have just shifted ledgers. In many real ways we fell off the cliff last fall and a giant airgun (govt intervention not based on real resources) has allowed us to continue the feeling of levitation since.

I would propose that we fell off the cliff in the mid-70s, after Bretton-Woods II met the Texas Railroad Commission in 1971. We've been spinning up growth based on technology and debt ever since Reagan proclaimed that it was a "New Morning in America." And Obama, for all of his talk of change, is still spouting the growth mantra. It makes me cringe every time I hear it.

Jolly's statement: As to the argument that the demise of Bretton Woods has somehow contributed to unsustainable growth...did World GDP growth really accelerate that much with it's demise? That seems like a pretty straightforward way to check the premise. Taking fiat off its partial gold backing was the only way to spin and accelerate GDP growth. We had autocatalytic, accelerated growth occurring, and a currency that did not grow along with it would have restrained the progress of the growth.

1) Can you articulate a concerted policy response that would indeed lead to 'strong', 'sustainable', and 'balanced' growth? Why would you, unless you were a politician or an economist?! And I don't use those two labels here in a very nice sense.

1a) If not, what sort of 'economic triage' policy would you recommend? Think bold. First, fire all the economists, get rid of the Fed, and let the banks that are insolvent fail (that would be most of them). Crank gas prices way up, and use the taxes to build mass a national train system. Pull an FDR and employ the unemployed in this job. I'd say tax imported goods to encourage relocalization, but the dollar is soon to take care of that issue. Put subsidies into population degrowth policies to stop the "Quiverfull" movement. Take all human rights away from corporations. Stop all corporate funding of academic research. Create a longer-term outlook somehow for politics, and make voting one person, one vote. Stop all funding for highways now. Cease the fractional reserve system. Mandate 100% reserve requirements for banking and put us back on some sort of asset-based currency, preferably energy based and local. Limit the range of inequality in incomes to 20:1. Allow more personal leisure; make the work week 25 hours. Disband the IMF and WTO. Put the remaining commons in public trusts that provide dividends to all (much like the Alaskan PFD). Reform medical ethics to allow deaths to occur at a normal age. Reform the definition of GDP a la Henderson, or Bhutan, maybe. Henderson's Quality of Life Indicators: education, employment, energy, health, human rights, infrastructure, income, national security, public safety, recreation, and shelter. ..."

"To the Resident

Downer EDI Works Pty Ltd been contracted to undertake asphalt pavement rejuvenation works on behalf of Gold Coast City Council...."

Blah Blah Blah environmentally friendly... aesthetically pleasing finish...obey our directions and ...

"We will be working in your street on Saturday 26 September."

Dear Minister,

Please find attached a copy of an advertisement for the "Media and You" kit which appeared in today's 'Courier-Mail' [10/8/09].

This advertisement is directed at individual teachers.

Can you please advise:

1. Whether Education Queensland has/will provide any funding in relation to these "kits"?

2. If Education Queensland endorses this program?

3. Whether you have any ex-News Ltd. employees advising/working with you?

Regards,

"... Thank you for your email dated 10 August 2009 regarding an advertisement for the 'Media and You' kit that appeared in The Courier-Mail on 10 August 2009. The Honourable Geoff Wilson MP, Minister for Education and Training has asked me to respond to you on his behalf.

This kit has been developed by Headst@rt, which is The Courier-Mail's student-focused feature published each Tuesday. Headst@rt regularly develops and promotes these kits to teachers and schools for use in Queensland classrooms.

The Department of Education and training has never provided funding for the development of these kits nor has any plans to do so in the future. The kits have been a standard component of the Headst@rt program for a number of years and are the sole responsibility of The Courier-Mail.

In addition, it is not departmental policy to endorse any product or organisation. Individual schools make the decision on which educational resources are best suited to their students' needs, and may consider using these kits if they perceive them to aid student learning. The kits are not co-branded by the department, nor do they contain any departmental messages of endorsement.

With more than 80,000 employees across Queensland, it is possible that some departmental staff may have once been employed by News Limited. To ensure all employees are aware of the Queensland Government's expectations of public servants, all staff are required to complete Code of Conduct training. You can find out more about this online at www.education.qld.gov.au/corporate/codeofconduct/index.html. ..."

In celebration of the World Carfree Day and the European Mobility Week we are today very proud to present our first English report. Travel doesn’t have to cost the earth is a translation of a report we released in Swedish last November. The report presents five concrete steps towards a climate-smart and fair transport sector in Stockholm.

Summary

In 2009 the current Kyoto protocol will be replaced by a new international climate agreement. The Swedish EU presidency means that Sweden will play a key role when the world leaders gather in Copenhagen to sign the new agreement. With this in mind, we in Planka.nu want to turn the focus from abstract percentages and climate targets to concrete political measures. The transport sector is the major climate villain in Sweden, being responsible for more than 40 percent of our environmentally hazardous emissions. The main culprit is road traffic, which since 1990 has increased its emissions with no less than 12 percent. Today it is responsible for approximately 30 percent of all emissions.

A powerful climate adjustment requires comprehensive infrastructural changes in the transport sector. The key to climate adjustment is to be found in the cities, where most of the emissions are generated. Through simple reforms such as planning our cities for public transport, bicycle and pedestrian transport, we can actively reduce car traffic and cut the emission rates in our cities. This report presents five concrete steps towards a fair and climate-smart reconstruction of the Stockholm transport sector:

Transport-saving social planning
Major investments in rail-carried public transport
Stop on all road expansions
Car-free city-centre
Fare-free public transport

We hope that this report will contribute to a deeper discussion about how we want to shape our city, and put focus on the importance of a fairly conducted climate adjustment.

Planka.nu
Stockholm, Sweden
September 2009

Dear friend,

It is rare to hear the phrase ‘war on terror’ these days – it seems the government is keen to eradicate the words from our national vocabulary. But my Greens Senate colleagues and I have been again confronted by the fact that Australia’s Howard-era terror laws are still alive and well.

A discussion paper on Australia's anti-terrorism laws was introduced to the Parliament last month – a paper that managed to use 448 pages to make no useful recommendations. It is only open for comment until this Friday, so the time is now!

Please make your voice heard on these terrible anti-terror laws.

Under the government’s proposed changes to the anti-terrorism laws, the Australian Federal Police would be permitted to enter premises without a warrant under circumstances that are not clearly defined.

This means you. The AFP could be knocking on your door, invading your civil liberties and treating you as a criminal, all in accordance with these laws.

Now is the time for a thorough and considered debate about methods for dealing with terrorism that are consistent with Australian democratic values and legitimate security needs. Some of the laws are so draconian that it is obvious they ought to be repealed.

You can have your say on the future of Australia's terror laws.

Australia has an important role in reformulating what a legitimate response to terrorism should look like. It is time to get the balance right.

It is Australians like you that will make the government sit up and listen. Now is the time to voice strong opposition to the further erosion of our civil liberties.

There are only a few days to ensure the Government hears what Australia wants to happen with these anti-terror laws. Have your say now.

Sincerely,

Scott Ludlam
Australian Greens Justice spokesperson

"The Gold Coast City Council has received a request to name this pathway in honour of the late Vern Thurecht.

An Alderman of the South Coast Council between 1953 and 1967, Mr Thurecht was instrumental in its renaming to Gold Coast City Council.

Among other achievements he:

* helped secure the Gold Coast's first commercial radio license - 4GG

*participated in forming the Surfers Paradise Rotary Club

* was inaugural President of the Mermaid Beach Surf Life Saving Club

* sat on the Queensland Ambulance and South Coast Fire Brigade Boards

Submissions supporting or objecting to the proposal can be lodged with the Gold Coast City Council until 19/10/09."

"The Southport Heritage Walk [launched on 12 September] will take visitors on a journey back in time to when Southport was Nerang Heads, and the rail line from Brisbane regularly delivered hundreds of visitors to the then isolated coastal village for fun, sun and bathing.

Three, two-metre tall totem guide posts and more than 100 information disks, featuring photos, paintings [by Gladys Fedrick] and text, will help visitors identify events and places of interest, including the site of the original railway station, the former post office, Regent Theatre and former Southport Town Hall.

Divisional Councillor Dawn Crichlow said the project, had been jointly funded by Gold Coast City Council, which contributed over $55,000, and the Queensland Government's Community Renewal program, which contributed more than $81,000."

"Southport was part of the territory of the Indigenous people of the Yugambeh language group. This extended south from Beenleigh along the coast to the Tweed and inland to the mountains. The languarge group was composed of a number of subgroups including the Kombumerri of the Gold Coast.

Abundant fish and shellfish, along with edible plants, provided a good food supply and a swamp near Matron and Sister Higman Park ensured both fresh water and wild duck.

Originally known as Nerang Heads it seems reasonably certain that Southport was named after the town of the same name n Lancashire, England. the first land sales in 1874 were unsuccessful but in the following year land sold in the surveyed area from Queen Street to Loders Creek.

Southport was a popular seaside destination for Brisbane residents in the 1880s with people travelling to and from the village by horse drawn coast and steamer.

Once the railway was extended from Brisbane to Southport in 1889 visitors could easily access the still waters of the Broadwater for bathing. Surfing had not yet become a popular pastime but people still crossed the Nerang River by boat to access the beaches for picnics, beachcombing and paddling."

"Deutsche Bank has erected a giant seven-story carbon counter right near Penn Station that’s supposed to let you know how much Deutsche Bank cares about global warming.

Yet the Post has learned that Deutsche Bank is not only financing airlines, coal mines and oil companies—they’re now buying large quantities of actual coal.

This carbon counter sign above New York’s Penn Station is meant to underline Deutsche Bank’s environmental concerns. But the bank is investing heavily in the CO2-belching coal industry.

The 7th-floor counter shows a number—3.64 trillion and counting—that represents the tons of greenhouse gas currently in our atmosphere. Deutsche Bank means to show that they’re just as worried as we are. Yet critics point out that Deutsche Bank has long been one of the world’s foremost financiers of CO2-heavy industries.

Recent Deutsche Bank coal projects include a major investment in a $1.28 billion coal mines project in China, overseeing the IPO of China’s largest coal producer, running a September 2008 “Deutsche Bank South African Coal Conference,” and helping to finance the purchase of Colombian coal mines by Xstrata—one of the world’s largest coal mining companies.

Deutsche Bank has also moved beyond financing coal, and has hired a staff of full-time “physical coal” traders. Mark Walters is the Global Head of Coal Origination for the bank.

A number of banks have recently moved into directly trading in commodities, rather than merely financing companies. They rent storage facilities, ships, pipelines, power stations, mines, wells, refineries and petrochemicals plants, storing the stuff with the hope that it gets more valuable later.

“Why didn’t they just put up a billboard that says ‘We’re screwed unless we stop burning coal’?” asked Walter Fremont, a New York coal activist. “Because then they might as well have a billboard saying ‘Shut Down Deutsche Bank Now.’”

The Deutsche Bank carbon counter can be found online at Know-the-Number.com"

"Fosters have told us they are not sure if their customers care whether their beer contains genetically engineered (GE) ingredients. Let them know you don't want GE in your beer!

The Truefood campaign launched our Alcoholic drinks edition in July this year. A wide range of Australian and global brewers, distillers and winemakers are responding to consumer concerns about genetic engineering by removing GE-derived ingredients from their products. GE-free beers rated Green in the guide include James Squire, Peroni, Steinlager, Stella Artois, Toohey's, Heineken, Hahn, Carlsberg and Becks. ... "

"Australia’s canola exports are likely to be significantly impacted by the change of government in Japan. The Democratic Party of Japan has pledged to implement stringent GE labelling laws.

The Government's pledge reflects the overwhelming Japanese distrust of genetically engineered (GE) food. The party has said it will establish a food traceability system and has repeatedly called for more stringent labelling of GE food. Japan already has mandatory labelling of some GE foods and it is expected that new labelling laws will extend to processed foods such as GE canola oil...."

"Works start on Stage 3 Broad Street to Harley Street. Residents, businesses and motorists are advised that early work for the third and final stage of the Gold Coast Highway upgrade will start on Monday 21 September 2009.

What to expect:

. Minimal impact to motorists as works will include relocating fences, letterboxes and advertising signage.

. Driveway accesses will be maintained at all times, and some temporary footpaths will be in place.

A changing landscape:

More than 170 Norfolk Island pine trees were planted three years ago in a vegetation plan jointly undertaken with Gold Coast City Council to help offset vegetation impacts from the upgrade. Early planning identified 16 Norfolk pines in Harley Park that would need to be removed because they were too close to the new road.

. Removal of 16 pine trees will start on Monday 21 September and take about a week to complete.

. Motorists are advised to follow roadside signs and spped limits through the tree removal zone.

. Pedestrians are asked to to take care around the worksite within Harley Park

All tenants and landowners directly impaced by these works have been contacted by the development.

Further work is to start in November to relocate underground services and full road construction will start in mid-2010. For general enquiries, please contact the department's Community Consultation Officer on 5596 9500.

Gateway Upgrade Project

Mr LANGBROEK
(10.30 am): My first question is to the Minister for Main Roads. I refer to the minister's statement in the House on Wednesday, 2 September in which he said that the Gateway Upgrade Project was being delivered ahead of schedule and under budget. I also refer to comments by the Labor leader in the Brisbane City Council and wife of the Premier's deputy chief of staff on Tuesday, 8 September where she said that the Gateway Bridge upgrade project had seen a cost blow-out of 17.5 per cent since tenders closed. Will the minister advise who is telling the truth?

Mr SPEAKER:
Just before I call the minister, yesterday I did ask quite genuinely and sincerely that spouses be left out of the interplay between members. In view of that, I would ask the Leader of the Opposition whether that component of his question is really necessary.

Mr LANGBROEK:
Given that yesterday the rulings were about public servants and the Premier's deputy chief of staff is clearly--

Honourable members interjected.

Mr SPEAKER:
Order! I want to hear the point.

Mr LANGBROEK:
Mr Speaker, I am happy to take that element out of the question if you would like to me to rephrase it.

Mr SPEAKER:
If you would, thank you.

Mr LANGBROEK:
I refer to comments--

Mr Watt:
More bumbling.

Mr SPEAKER:
Order! I respect that the Leader of the Opposition has raised the dignity of the parliament by acceding to that request. I therefore ask the House to hear him in silence.

Mr LANGBROEK:
I refer to the minister's statement in the House on Wednesday, 2 September in which he said that the Gateway Upgrade Project was being delivered ahead of schedule and under budget. I also refer to comments by the Labor leader in the Brisbane City Council on Tuesday, 8 September where she said that the Gateway Bridge upgrade project had seen a cost blow-out of 17.5 per cent since tenders closed. Will the minister advise who is telling the truth?

Mr WALLACE:
The advice from my Main Roads engineers every time I go and look at that site--the people who are building this wonderful structure--is that this particular structure is under time and on budget with a wider scope. It is a great project that involves the construction of not only that second bridge, which is gradually getting closer and closer together--

Mr Lucas:
I drove over it this morning. It's not far.

Mr WALLACE:
I note that the Deputy Premier drove past this morning and he has noticed that it is getting closer and closer, thanks to the wonderful work undertaken by those workers there. That project has sustained 6,000 jobs. The opposition members hate the construction across the state. They hate this bridge and they hate this wonderful piece of infrastructure. This project upgrades 12 kilometres of the Gateway Motorway south of the Brisbane River and sees the construction of seven kilometres of new motorway north of the Gateway Bridge. That project and the progressive opening of those sections has made a real difference to traffic already. Once we complete that second bridge next year--once we complete that wonderful piece of infrastructure next year--and we complete the rehabilitation work on the second bridge, there will be a saving of up to 15 minutes in travel time for people using that piece of road. Already motorists have benefited from early works on the Wynnum Road-Gateway Motorway interchange. That was completed in July 2007. The completion of separable portion A provides additional southbound lanes between Lytton and Wynnum roads, including ramps and improvements. The opening of separable portion B to traffic provides a more direct route north via the seven kilometres of new motorway from the Gateway Bridge to Nudgee Road. This project is under time and under budget with increased scope. It is really a masterpiece of engineering.

Mr Lucas interjected.

Mr WALLACE:
As the Deputy Premier points out, there has been increased scope within that budget. That will really make a difference to the way in which the traffic moves along the Logan and Gateway motorways. That is a real testament to the hard work of the men and women who are building that piece of road. Six thousand jobs are being sustained by this $1.8 billion program, and the opposition members come into this place and try to drag it down. Last night we saw an opposition that did not support this government's building program, that is not supporting our record Capital Works Program across the state--a program that is supporting over 120,000 jobs. They are trying to drag down this particular bridge project. It is a great structure. It is a testament to the engineers who have built it, the workers who have built it and this government that has funded it. Solar Hot-Water Systems

Mr LANGBROEK:
My second question is to the Premier. I refer the Premier to her election-eve commitment to provide 200,000 solar hot-water systems for $500 each, due to be rolled out on 1 July this year. As yet, not one system has been installed and the uncertainty from the delay in rolling out this scheme is crippling the solar power industry. I ask: how long will the Premier allow her government's incompetence to put jobs at risk?

Ms BLIGH:
I thank the honourable member for his question. This is a very important part of the government's program to provide households with an opportunity to reduce their own carbon footprint by swapping from electric hot water to solar hot water and at the same time reduce their household electricity bills. Yes, it is a very big and ambitious program--200,000 new units right across Queensland. It is a program that was always going to be done in partnership with the federal government, because it is the conjunction between the federal government's rebate and the bulk purchasing power of the state that will deliver these units at a cost-effective price, as we committed to. As members may have noticed--and it has been reported widely in the past couple of days--there have been changes to the federal rebate scheme in relation to hot-water pumps. That has required us to have another look at our program. But we already have, I think, 40,000 people registered. So in the vicinity of 40,000 Queenslanders have registered their interest, and that tells us that people want to change. People want to move from electric hot water to solar hot water. Electric hot water accounts, in most average households, for about 30 to 35 per cent of electricity and electricity costs. So if we can roll out 200,000 of these units then we will see a saving of some 30 per cent to 35 per cent of electricity use by these households and a significant saving in their household electricity bills. So it is a terrific program. I thank Queenslanders for their interest. I am very pleased to be working with the federal government to deliver it. But why are we doing it? We want to reduce the carbon footprint, because we believe in climate change. We believe in global warming. What do they believe on the other side? Let us just open up today's Australian and see where the coalition is on an ETS and on a climate change policy. We have not heard a single position from the Leader of the Opposition. Does he believe in climate change? Does he support the government's move to reduce carbon emissions? Or does he have his head in the sand, like the federal National Party leader? We know that whatever position the member for Surfers Paradise has will not be the same position as that of the member for Southern Downs, because we see federally a party divided, a party unable to face the single biggest challenge of our time. They are beholden to climate change deniers. We will act. "

"Ms CROFT:
My question is to the Minister for Sport. Can the minister please update the House on the Carrara Stadium redevelopment?

Mr REEVES:
I thank the member for Broadwater for her question. We all know her strong backing of sport and tourism, and what that does for the Gold Coast economy. The member for Surfers Paradise should take some hints from the member for Broadwater on that. It is my pleasure to inform the House that the work on the redevelopment of the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast is about to move into full swing. The Bligh government has committed $60 million to this $126 million redevelopment.

Mr Dempsey:
How much this year?

Mr REEVES:
I take the interjection from the member for Bundaberg. What is it about the Gold Coast that you do not like? It is a really nice place to visit and live. You just do not like the Gold Coast. This is another example of the Bligh government's commitment to job-generating projects. The redevelopment will deliver a massive boost to the local economy, generating more than 350 jobs during construction. Once completed, it is estimated that the stadium will contribute $340 million to the Queensland economy over the next 10 years. In the longer term, the project will be a general boost to the city, with ongoing employment generated through the stadium's operation and the impact of the AFL team playing on the coast.

The redeveloped stadium will have a capacity of 25,000, comprising an AFL oval with potential to be adapted for international cricket, athletics or other football if required. This is a fantastic facility for sporting events as well as being an important job creation project. This job-generating project would not have been built under the LNP. As we all read in yesterday's Gold Coast Bulletin, the LNP has very little, if anything, to offer for the Gold Coast. The leader of the LNP is making a habit of destroying anything to do with sport on the Gold Coast. Why does he, and his LNP team, hate the Gold Coast? Some in the opposition party support this stadium. The LNP member for Mermaid Beach I know supports the stadium.

This government has a track record of investing in real infrastructure for the Gold Coast as part of our record $18 billion building program. They do not want to hear the good news. The Bligh government is investing more than $1.9 billion in the Gold Coast region.

Mrs Stuckey:
More infrastructure. Just like the desal plant.

Mr REEVES:
I take that interjection from the member for Currumbin. She does not support it either. That is around $3,710 for every man, woman and child who call the Gold Coast home compared to just $2,760 nationally. In tough times the building program is protecting 127,000 Queensland jobs. The building program is protecting Queensland's jobs and putting food on our tables and keeping families strong. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Titans and wish them all the best against the Eels this weekend. Like the Premier, I look forward to seeing for the first time an all Queensland NRL grand final. I am sure those opposite will bag that too.

Beaudesert Hospital, Maternity Services

Mr McLINDON:
My question without notice is to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Health. Does the Deputy Premier stand by this government's policy to send more than 800 expectant mothers away from the Beaudesert Hospital every year since the Beattie government closed the maternity ward in 2001?

Mr LUCAS:
I thank the honourable member for his question. What this government stands for is safe and appropriate medical facilities and birthing facilities for people throughout Queensland no matter where they live. I indicate to the honourable member that surely he would have observed in the media on a number of occasions in the past where in hospitals people have performed duties outside their area of competency and the problems that have resulted. There is one of those cases before the courts at the present time. It is something that we cannot comment on.

We know that one of the things that population growth does for us--for example, the significant population growth in the Logan-Beaudesert area--is it allows us to significantly increase the services that operate in that area. One of the things that the Logan Hospital does with its increasing growth is provide services for the entire community that it covers, including the area of Beaudesert.

We have had problems in the past. The insurance claims against general practitioners and those who practise obstetrics on a part-time basis have resulted in the withdrawal of many from practising obstetrics like this. They were, in very many instances, the cornerstone of obstetric service delivery in non-major metropolitan hospitals. That has been a cause of concern for people throughout Australia. Regrettably, though, it is not possible for the government to get obstetricians to perform an ongoing service. The important thing to remember is that when we have a fully operating obstetric service it is not a question of actually having it operating with only a small number of people. It needs to be operating notwithstanding the fact that people might be ill or that people might go off on leave. That is why we cannot do these things with limited resources and when people are not available to fill these positions.

One of the things that the government is continuing to roll out--and I am more than happy to examine this in the context of what is happening in Beaudesert--is a midwife based model of care. We can see examples of that in Townsville where it is operating in a major hospital context and the midwives are doing a wonderful job. In that hospital we can offer individual services to expectant mothers which are provide by midwives. We are now rolling that out further to Toowoomba.

I understand that what we do in Beaudesert is provide an ongoing support service for the care of these mothers. I would be as keen as anyone to see how we can increase that in the future. The midwife based model of care may be a way to do that. However, it always needs to be remembered that the most important thing when you are having your most important asset, which is your child, is access to high-quality and continued obstetric treatment. That is something that the government and indeed the rest of this House should be committed to."

"This park was dedicated in memory of Jack Philip McKinney 1891 - 1966. Mr McKinney was the first resident of Cambridge Road, Surfers Paradise. A journalist, miner, drover, soldier, author, philosopher and family man. He was the first Surfers Paradise author to have major works published internationally. A leading citizen of Surfers Paradise from 1932-45 he wrote novels, radio plays, short stories and a profoundly original philosphical study of the course and problems of western thought. Much of his writing took place at his home near to this park. His books and this park stand as his monument. Remember him here under the trees he knew."

"...From the outbreak of World War II, McKinney reflected on the question of why advances in Western thought failed to prevent further and more deadly wars. Untrained, he read philosophy, beginning with the ancient Greeks and devoting the rest of his life to the task. He contributed articles to major journals, published a preliminary book, The Challenge of Reason (Brisbane, 1950), and completed a more substantial work, The Structure of Modern Thought (London, 1971). Professor J. J. C. Smart praised the latter book for its 'fresh and original' presentation of the 'striking and important idea that knowledge is an interpersonal thing'.

McKinney was helped by his second wife Judith Arundell Wright McKinney whom he married on 13 June 1962 at the general register office, Brisbane. Survived by his wife and their daughter, and by the two sons and two daughters of his first marriage, he died on 6 December 1966 at Greenslopes, Brisbane, and was cremated with Presbyterian forms."

An Unfortunate Past/ Reuben Metcalfe

An unfortunate past,
Drafted to war and then caught in the blast.
Divorced from a cautionless path,
forced him abroad and then tore him apart.
What happens to a poor mother's heart
when she finds out her boy has been quartered and halved
in a park and is plastered with corpses and carcasses?
Bastards who started to talk it up large.

A war against lies. In such a case, do ethics apply?
A world where the guilty continue to thrive;
if it's tragic to live, is it tragic to die?
To give up the sunlight, the moonlight, the rain,
to lay down and know that you won't rise again?
A slip and I'm slain
Listen again as I whisper my name.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Damned if you try to do neither or both.
Bleed in the throat when you squeeze it and choke
and you plead and you hope that the rope doesn't broke
and it does and you fall. Shit what a mess.
Who would've thought you could fuck up your death?
Might as well, you fucked up the rest.
Fucked it with smoking and drinking and sex,
but some of those bad times are sometimes the best.
So God bless this whisky, and these cigarettes.

I know you understand, though I can't explain
the lengths I could go to finish the game.
Still, it's the same, a sinister stain,
twist of the veins with a trickle of pain.
A slip and I'm slain. Listen again as I whisper my name.
A slip and I'm slain.
Listen again as I whisper my name.

"Senator FAULKNER-I thank Senator Brown for his question. I have said before in the chamber that the government is very concerned about the allegations of fraud in the conduct of the Afghan elections. It is important to remember that these were the first Afghan run elections in 30 years. They took place in difficult circumstances. I suspect it is fair to say that they were never going to be a clean run or perfect, but I would suggest it is important that the constitutionally mandated processes for dealing with the electoral complaints are followed. For its part, Australia has welcomed the decision by the Electoral Complaints Commission to order an audit and recounting of votes at a number of polling stations where fraud is suspected. The commission has indicated that the recount would cover more than 10 per cent of the polling stations. I can say, as I suspect Senator Brown is aware, the commission has already invalidated some of the results. I would stress, as I have before, that these processes need to run their course. A final outcome may not be known until later this month. I can say that Australia supports the call made by the United Nations for these processes to be respected, and people have been requested to be patient while awaiting the final results. It is proper that the Australian government and the international community do that, as well as the Afghans themselves.

(Time expired)

Senator BOB BROWN-Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I ask the minister: is it true that the Prime Minister of Canada has, in the last two days, reiterated Canada's determination to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by 2011? Can the Australian government say what the exit timetable is for Australia's defence forces?

Senator FAULKNER-I can say to Senator Brown that I have not seen a formal comment from the Prime Minister of Canada in relation to the exit time of Canadian forces. I can certainly say to Senator Brown that I am aware of previous statements that have been made by the Canadian Prime Minister and the Canadian government in relation to the exit of Canadian forces which certainly conform with the date he has outlined in his supplementary question. In relation to Australia, I would say to Senator Brown that the fundamental interests of Australia, and I believe the international community, remain to prevent Afghanistan from being a training ground for terrorists and to support the international community and our alliance partner, the US.

(Time expired)

Senator BOB BROWN-Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. In view of the increasing pressure on President Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan, can the minister say whether there have been any approaches, direct or indirect, from the US or anywhere else, to increase Australia's troop commitment to Afghanistan? Can the minister give the Senate an assurance that there will not be an increase in the deployment of troops to Afghanistan or that the government is considering increasing civil aid to Afghanistan rather than maintaining our troop presence in that country?

Senator FAULKNER-Senator Brown, it is very difficult to give you a substantive answer to all those very important questions that you have asked. I would ask you to examine some of the public statements I have made, including a very substantive statement on Afghanistan in relation to this matter. It is not true to suggest that the government of the United States of America has specifically requested that the Australian government increase its troop commitment to Afghanistan. I think I have made that very clear to the parliament in the past. I think it is important that I stress that Afghanistan has been a training ground for terrorists, including those who have perpetrated attacks on Australia.

(Time expired)"

"... At this point we find ourselves confronted by a very disquieting question: Do we really wish to act upon our knowledge? Does a majority of the population think it worth while to take a good deal of trouble, in order to halt and, if possible, reverse the current drift toward totalitarian control of everything? In the United States and America is the prophetic image of the rest of the urban-industrial world as it will be a few years from now -- recent public opinion polls have revealed that an actual majority of young people in their teens, the voters of tomorrow, have no faith in democratic institutions, see no objection to the censor­ship of unpopular ideas, do not believe that govern­ment of the people by the people is possible and would be perfectly content, if they can continue to live in the style to which the boom has accustomed them, to be ruled, from above, by an oligarchy of assorted experts. That so many of the well-fed young television-watchers in the world's most powerful democracy should be so completely indifferent to the idea of self-government, so blankly uninterested in freedom of thought and the right to dissent, is distressing, but not too surprising. "Free as a bird," we say, and envy the winged creatures for their power of unrestricted movement in all the three dimensions. But, alas, we forget the dodo. Any bird that has learned how to grub up a good living without being compelled to use its wings will soon renounce the privilege of flight and remain forever grounded. Something analogous is true of human beings. If the bread is supplied regularly and copiously three times a day, many of them will be perfectly content to live by bread alone -- or at least by bread and circuses alone. "In the end," says the Grand Inquisitor in Dostoevsky's parable, "in the end they will lay their freedom at our feet and say to us, 'make us your slaves, but feed us.' " And when Alyosha Karamazov asks his brother, the teller of the story, if the Grand Inquisitor is speaking ironically, Ivan answers, "Not a bit of it! He claims it as a merit for himself and his Church that they have vanquished freedom and done so to make men happy." Yes, to make men happy; "for nothing," the Inquisitor insists, "has ever been more insupportable for a man or a human society than freedom." Nothing, except the absence of free­dom; for when things go badly, and the rations are reduced, the grounded dodos will clamor again for their wings -- only to renounce them, yet once more, when times grow better and the dodo-farmers become more lenient and generous. The young people who now think so poorly of democracy may grow up to become fighters for freedom. The cry of "Give me television and hamburgers, but don't bother me with the re­sponsibilities of liberty," may give place, under altered circumstances, to the cry of "Give me liberty or give me death." If such a revolution takes place, it will be due in part to the operation of forces over which even the most powerful rulers have very little control, in part to the incompetence of those rulers, their inability to make effective use of the mind-manipulating instru­ments with which science and technology have sup­plied, and will go on supplying, the would-be tyrant. Considering how little they knew and how poorly they were equipped, the Grand Inquisitors of earlier times did remarkably well. But their successors, the well-in­formed, thoroughly scientific dictators of the future will undoubtedly be able to do a great deal better. The Grand Inquisitor reproaches Christ with having called upon men to be free and tells Him that "we have cor­rected Thy work and founded it upon miracle, mystery and authority." But miracle, mystery and authority are not enough to guarantee the indefinite survival of a dictatorship. In my fable of Brave New World, the dictators had added science to the list and thus were able to enforce their authority by manipulating the bodies of embryos, the reflexes of infants and the minds of children and adults. And, instead of merely talking about miracles and hinting symbolically at mysteries, they were able, by means of drugs, to give their subjects the direct experience of mysteries and miracles -- to transform mere faith into ecstatic knowl­edge. The older dictators fell because they could never supply their subjects with enough bread, enough cir­cuses, enough miracles and mysteries. Nor did they possess a really effective system of mind-manipulation. In the past, free-thinkers and revolutionaries were often the products of the most piously orthodox educa­tion. This is not surprising. The methods employed by orthodox educators were and still are extremely inefficient. Under a scientific dictator education will really work -- with the result that most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution. There seems to be no good reason why a thoroughly scientific dictatorship should ever be overthrown.

Meanwhile there is still some freedom left in the world. Many young people, it is true, do not seem to value freedom. But some of us still believe that, with­out freedom, human beings cannot become fully hu­man and that freedom is therefore supremely valuable. Perhaps the forces that now menace freedom are too strong to be resisted for very long. It is still our duty to do whatever we can to resist them."

"This woodland park (pronounced 'bunna bunoo' - an Aboriginal term for 'big rocks') has spectacular river and gorge scenery, and plenty of historic interest as well. ... In the south west of the park, historic Morgan's Gully is where an alluvial goldfield attracted hundreds of miners in the 1890s."

"Tank traps which were erected during the war. (These are to the left of the cement wall, in the form of posts standing upright.) This is the area of the Brisbane Line which was to be the second line of defence if the northern part of Australia fell into enemy hands. During the war up to 10,000 troops were camped in the Tenterfield district."

"WARD, FREDERICK (1835-1870), bushranger, alias 'CAPTAIN THUNDERBOLT', was born at Windsor, New South Wales. He was working as a drover and horse-breaker at Tocal station on the Paterson River when arrested with James Garbutt for receiving seventy-five stolen horses at Maitland on 21 April 1856; they were sentenced to ten years hard labour on 13 August...."

Frederick Wordsworth Ward (aka Captain Thunderbolt)

"The Tragedy of the Commons" was an influential article written by Garrett Hardin and first published in the journal Science in 1968. The article describes a dilemma in which multiple individuals acting independently and solely and rationally consulting their own self-interest will ultimately destroy a shared limited resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long term interest for this to happen.

More usually, the phrase does not refer to the article per se, but to the dilemma itself, typically in application to some circumstance to which it is thought to apply. Many, perhaps most, who use it are not aware of, nor have read, Hardin's essay, but are looking at conceptually parallel situations.

Central to Hardin's article is an example, a hypothetical and simplified situation from medieval land tenure in Europe, of herders sharing a common parcel of land (the commons), on which they are each entitled to let their cows graze. In Hardin's example, it is in each herder's interest to put the next (and succeeding) cows he acquires onto the land, even if the carrying capacity of the commons is exceeded and it is damaged for all as a result. The herder receives all of the benefits from an additional cow, while the damage to the commons is shared by the entire group. If all herders make this individually rational economic decision, the commons will be destroyed to the detriment of all.

A similar dilemma of the commons had previously been discussed by agrarian reformers since the 18th century. Hardin's predecessors used the alleged tragedy, as well as a variety of examples from the Greek Classics, to justify the Enclosure movement. Radkau sees Garrett Hardin's writings as having a different aim in that Hardin asks for a strict management of common goods via increased government involvement or/and international regulation bodies...."

" …These wonderful people who come into this place - in one speech they will tell us about justice and in the next speech they will tell us about markets. You know, they will tell us about how our free markets are going to save and rescue us all. Have a look at Woolworths and Coles and then tell me about free markets. Have a look at the transport industry in Australia and then tell me about free markets. Have a look at the mass media in Australia and its ownership and then tell me about free markets.

As I have said on many occasions in this place, their problem is: their mummies and daddies did not get them to play Monopoly when they were young. If their mummies and daddies had got them to play Monopoly, they would know that when you own all of the utilities you have got six times the income!

Mr Windsor - They were playing Snakes and Ladders!

Mr KATTER - I think there were other things that were played, but I will not go into that. We are in an invidious situation in non-big-city Australia. I am not saying rural Australia, because I represent the environs of Cairns, which is a big city of 250,000 people. I represent the environs, and they are going to be treated very, very shabbily, I can tell you. Because of their problem - with high mountains that just rise off the coastal plains straight into the clouds - we cannot get the sort of service delivery that can be easy in certain other situations. And we are not Robinson Crusoe in this. There are areas outside of Melbourne that are exactly the same, and there are most certainly areas surrounding Sydney that are in exactly the same situation as we are. When we get breakdowns in broadband, they will not be fixed. When there is a change in technology, Treasury will not give us the money to upgrade our technology. Whilst we applaud the government, as with many socialist endeavours in this place they are very long on aspiration and very low on delivery and on turning those aspirations into reality. We hope that we are proved wrong in this case.

I started this speech by making reference to the senator from Queensland who took a very courageous stand in opposing the sale of Telstra. I said to him, 'If you continue with your opposition then we will applaud you, and you will be a great hero throughout Queensland.' That would have been something he could have used in his speeches forever - that I said he would be a great hero if he opposed this legislation. I said, 'If you don't, you have raised our expectations and you will break our hearts.'

He broke our hearts.

I do not give this speech to condemn him; at least he put up some sort of a fight, which is more than I can say for the other representatives of rural Australia in this place. In endorsing the legislation, all we can say is: we applaud you for your aspirations but the reality for us is that those sorts of aspirations have never been realised for us. We would plead with the government to, just for once, deliver upon their promises."

The long-awaited "referral" of the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam to Peter Garrett is more an act of desperation than careful planning say those opposed to the project.

What has actually occurred IS NOT a state or federal approval of the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam, but the decision of the Coordinator General to send a draft of proposed approval conditions for the project to the federal government for consideration and feedback, PRIOR to the Coordinator General producing his assessment report on the proposal.

The Save the Mary River Coordinating Group President, Glenda Pickersgill, said the decision to send the draft conditions placed by the state's Coordinator General has "everything to do with events unfolding in the Federal Court case over the failure to comply with conditions on Paradise Dam."

"This next step in the process has been in the wings for more than 12 months but the timing is surely no coincidence given the events of the last week."

In the Federal Court last week, the State Solicitor General revealed there had been a request by Sunwater, the state government owned company to Minister Peter Garrett to alter the original conditions placed on the building of Paradise Dam and, as a result, the case has been adjourned until early November.

Now, the State Government has just released the draft Coordinator General's report with draft conditions on the proposed Traveston crossing Dam to the Federal Environment Minister. Although the Premier is claiming a "green light", it is far from it with the Coordinator General's draft report not being available for any critic of the detail.

Ms Pickersgill said "The government is promising something that it cannot deliver. In order to get the 70,000 ML / year the Premier claims would be available, the governement's own modelling shows that the river downstream of the dam could be run dry for up to 6 months at a time. This would bad news for the river, the Wetlands of the Great Sandy Straits, Hervey Bay, and World Heritage Fraser Island. How environmentally friendly is that?"

"The last dam this government built, Paradise Dam on the Burnett River, is currently in the federal courts over not meeting the environment conditions for its constuction, and hasn't delivered on the economic promises either. Sunwater, a government owned company, have completely ignored the federal condition to provide a fishway suitable for lungfish and that it was to commence when the dam became operational," she said.

"How can anyone have faith in applying conditions when they include totally untested and unproven methods? How can you interpret the request to change the conditions as anything other than an admission of failure to meet them?"

"Similarly the Queensland government's track record for delivering water projects on time and on budget is appalling. For example the Western Corridor and Tugan desalination projects have not produced the water that was promised, nor met the timelines or stayed within the budget."

"The original $1.59 Billion project doesn't include the associated pipelines, or the blowouts of $100M on land purchasing already. The proposed Traveston Crossing dam is not a reliable water supply for a drought strategy and it more expensive than catching water where it falls, implementing water efficiencies in the household or even desalination."

"Because of it's small volume, location, shallowness and associated high evaporation and seepage losses, it would empty very quickly in a drought - providing about 18 months of drought storage at best.. Like a shallow saucer left out in the backyard it would fill very easily when it rains, but provide no useful water storage at all when things get dry."

Ms Pickersgill said big dams not only seriously reduce viable lungfish spawning areas and suitable cover for juveniles but they cause many deaths in the event of overtopping, such as recently shown at North Pine Dam and Somerset Dam.

"Paradise is on trial because of the failings of its unproven fishway system. The proposed Traveston Dam would boast a "world-first" (ie untested) turtle ramp as well."

The Premier should also be reminded that "green" is not a good colour for a dam . The poor water quality and heavy weed infestations anticipated in this storage would make it one of the most destructive impacts that could be imagined for the threatened species of the Mary River which the secret approval conditions are intended to protect.

"For some months now we've been calling on the government to send the information off to the federal minister for a decision. Several independent reports commissioned by the minister concurred with many of our concerns that there are no proven mitigation measures so we should feel pretty confident."

"There's no doubt that we've won this on science and that's what the Minister's decision has to be based on. We've won it on poll-demonstrated opposition, even in Brisbane, but the Premier, despite her election night promise to listen, only seems to listen to the government's spin department."

"No public consultation has been entered into on these proposed mitigation measures throughout the state EIS process to date and we are calling for the full extent of these proposals be made available for public comment as part of the Federal approval process in the hands of the federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett."

Frequently asked Questions:

Hasn't the government purchased much of the land already?

Any prudent planner would've got the approvals first and then purchased the land. Having a good amount of the land first was a key strategy of the government to effectively "twist Peter Garrett's arm behind his back" into giving approval.

The Senate Enquiry back in 2007 found that the land acquisitions, while supposedly "voluntary", were coercive in almost every instance. The 'Courier Mail' has recently revealed some of the extent of the enticements to sell but they failed to deal with the pressure applied to many.

Over 14,000 ha of land has been purchased in the Mary Valley by Queensland Water Infrastructure (QWI), a $1 government owned Pty Ltd company, whose operation is outside the oversight of both the Public Service Commission and the Attorney Generals department.

Won't the Coordinator General's conditions mitigate against environmental impacts?

The experience of Paradise Dam make reliance on conditions almost laughable were it not so serious. We have the ridiculous situation where the Paradise dam's operator has now applied after some five years operation, and in the face of impending court action, to change the original conditions under which approval was granteed. It's hard to have any confidence in conditions which use totally untried methods like turtle sand beaches and ramps, or ones shown to have failed, like the Paradise fishway.

What are some other examples of poor water planning projects?

Western Corridor Recycled Water Project : The commission's report indicates that that project cost Queenslanders $2.5 billion (budgeted cost $1.5 billion...overbudget by $1 billion). It is a hopeless failure in terms of any sort of return on investment. It was sup-posed to provide 230 megalitres of recycled water a day. It is providing 40 megalitres at a cost of $2½ billion.

Gold Coast Desalination Project.: At the end of March the de-salination project had cost $1.122 billion. It was producing no water. The commission says that it had been tested to capacity and then shut down for more testing.

Southern regional water pipe-line which cost $833 million. That is almost another billion dollars. It was supposed to transport 130 megalitres of water a day to Brisbane. At the end of March its peak performance was 70 megalitres a day. It had achieved just over half of its design capacity.

www.savethemaryriver.com

"You've got to take it, make it, shake it by the tail,
Run with it, have fun with it, Go right beyond the pail.
You have to smack it, thwack it, Whack it till its dry.
Have you got it? … Good, ya got it!
Live the bugger till you die!
You've go to nab it, stab it, Grab it by the scruff
Be tought wiv it, play rough wiv it And never say "Enough"
You have to pluck it .. FLUCK IT! Suck it till its dry
Have you got it? Yes you've got it!
LIVE THE BUGGER! LIVE THE BUGGER
LIVE THE BUGGER TIL YOU DIE!"

"Thank you for your email of 28 August in which you express your strong concerns about the Rudd Government's plans to introduce a mandatory internet filtering system.

The Coalition does not support a mandatory internet filter. We do believe that our children should be guarded from being exposed to inappropriate internet content, however we are of the firm belief that appropriate adult supervision and guidance should be paramount in all online safety efforts.

The Coalition, whilst in government, provided free content filters to Australian families for installation on their personal computers which would allow parents to supplement their online safety arrangements with software that would be tailored to each individual household's needs.

Last December the Rudd Government cancelled this practical program. Serious questions also have to be asked about how genuine the Government is when it comes to improving online safety.

Almost two years after coming to office with a plan to censor the Internet, the Rudd Government has not even managed to release results for long overdue filtering trials, let alone come close to actually implementing its policy.

The trials were supposed to start last December and take a minimum six weeks, but these were delayed by several months because of a lack of support from major Internet Service Providers. Results were then expected sometime in July, but were then further delayed until August or September.

The Coalition has said from the beginning it was prepared to assess any credible trial results, but almost two years after coming to office the Government has failed to produce them, let alone put forward any formal proposal for consideration.

The Coalition continues to have huge doubts about the type of content Labor wants to filter an how it will compile a black-list of 'unwanted sites' which would form the basis of its filtering regime.

Thank you again for taking the time to write to me on this matter."

The AEC has examined the signs for the “Nation Building – Economic Stimulus Plan” and formed the view that they are in breach of the requirements of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act).

As was indicated in the media release issued by the Special Minister of State on 3 September 2009, the AEC has advised the Government that it is of the view that the present signs include “electoral matter” and the absence of the authorisation details on the signs gives rise to the breach of section 328 of the Electoral Act. Section 328 of the Electoral Act depends on the particular facts to determine whether an advertisement contains “electoral matter”. This is not a simple issue to resolve, as the scope of “electoral matter” can change over time.

The AEC is also of the view that there is no current breach of paragraph 340(1)(e) of the Electoral Act in relation to election signs appearing within “6 metres of the entrance to a polling booth”. This is because the prohibition only applies on the actual day of polling in a federal election and that placing the signs on school fences does not result in those signs being within 6 metres of the entrance to a polling booth.

The AEC will be reviewing two of its “Electoral Backgrounder” publications to provide more detailed guidance on this matter and is providing input into the review of the Commonwealth’s authorisation policy that the Department of Finance and Deregulation is now undertaking.

The AEC considers that the measures announced by the Special Minister of State will address the issues raised about the signs and remove the risk of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

The AEC notes that there is a lack of full clarity in relation to the operation of electoral advertising laws and this has been previously raised in its submissions to the federal parliamentary Joint Standing Committee into Electoral Matters.

"... over the last few days, the Lord Mayor has asked for feedback on an appropriate venue for a Brisbane Multicultural and Indigenous History Museum. It is intended that "this Museum would include a vivid history of Brisbane's indigenous history and its post-settlement immigration and become a walk-in resource kit for Brisbane school children and to visitors to the city."

This museum concept is exactly what the supporters of Yungaba Action Group have been proposing that Yungaba could deliver!!!! And, what is more, we have heard that Yungaba, at this time, is still in public hands and still hasn't been given to the developers. And, that this time of economic constraint is not a good time for developers to be constructing luxury upmarket units.

The Lord Mayor has asked people to contact him on lordmayor@brisbane.qld.gov.au with their suggestions for a venue for this museum.

Yungaba Action Group encourages our supporters to contact the Lord Mayor - proposing Yungaba as the ideal venue for this museum. Even if you just email him and say "Yungaba for the Multicultural and Indigenous History Museum" it will be enough to let him know your opinion.

Perhaps those of you who have written your migrant story or what Yungaba means to you on the YAG website would share your story with the Lord Mayor? We must do all we can before we let this historically significant building pass from public hands. No other Australian State built a dedicated and magnificent Immigration Office and Depot. This is the site our ancestors chose to be the Front Door to Queensland for hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter with their dreams of a new life. Let us open that door again and let the light of Queensland shine for all to see - both for visitors and for future generations. We made our voices heard for Yungaba on the Q150 Poll and we won - can we do it again with the Lord Mayor? Yes, we can."

"Public Works Minister Robert Schwarten said repairs to the 'Temple of Peace Monument' and the 'A Battery Memorial' at Toowong Cemetery were supported by the Queensland Government's Community Memorials Restoration Program.

"The Bligh Government was pleased to contribute $18,500 towards the $37,000 restoration of these two memorials, with Brisbane City Council matching our contribution," Mr Schwarten said. "

"Local artist Hazel Cope has been nursing for nearly 40 years, 28 of which have been on the Gold Coast. She has also been studying and practising art for the last 10 years, winning no less than 85 awards around the country. This year she completed her Master of Visual Arts (Hons) from Griffith University's Queensland College of Art.

Hazel says,"Drawing on my experience as a registered nurse allows a strong element of social history to contribute to the work. Using the old nurses' coif, hand studies and surgical equipment, I explore empathy and being present as characteristics of caring. I want above all to paint with authenticity, which is why I use Potassium Permanganate, Gentian Violet and Mercurochrome - all discontinued antiseptics - to paint with."

... "With a worldwide shortage of nurses and ongoing debate into nurses' education, it's the right time to bring this topic into the arena of the visual arts. I think its also important to record nursing history from local hospitals - especially that once glorious tradition of the nurses' uniform which has sadly disappeared."

"Now in it's ninth year, the Border Art Prize Competition is an extraordinary demonstration of the creative exploits of artists from this region...."

To:

Ros Bates MP
Tracey Davis MP
Rosemary Menkens MP
Fiona Simpson MP
Jann Stuckey MP

Dear LNP MPs,

It is a disgrace that women MPs in the Queensland Labor Party are not acting in the interests of Queensland women by decriminalising abortion.

The past few weeks have seen the most outrageous spin, weasel words and complete disregard of what the majority of Queensland women want - which is freedom to deal with their own issues without being criminalised.

I don't know whose interests they are representing, but it doesn't feel like mine.

Now we have a situation where women are confused by what they are legally allowed to do, and I suspect GPs and other health professionals will now be operating in a climate of fear.

This is a despicable state of affairs and I am despondent that a female Labor Premier could be so backward.

Just letting you know.

Regards,

Keep The Broadwater Parklands Public Space

Dear Councillor Grew,

The Gold Coast News Ltd. press have today [2/9/09] reported you as saying that whether or not commercial ventures would be able to pay a fee to operate on public land (i.e. Southport-Broadwater Parklands) would "rely on the response of the community".

As a citizen of the Gold Coast, I'm just letting you know that I think the parklands should remain free of commercial ventures because there are plenty of other places in the area that cater to any retail/coffee/dining needs. As you well know, these are across the road in and around the Southport Mall. Many locals go to the Southport CBD to conduct their business, shop and work. It is in the community's interest to have a public space in the area that is free of commercial intrusion.

By the way. I'm not sure why the pedestrian underpass between the parklands and the Southport Mall was inexplicably filled in as part of the parklands redevelopment. It was incredibly treacherous to cross the Gold Coast Highway while the the parklands was being "developed" - and it still is. Is there any possiblility a few of those walkover/pedestrian overpasses that they use during the Indy could be set up permanently along that stretch of the highway?

Regards,

"... At first, Victor says, the big-firm interviewers loved him, laughed at his jokes, nodded when he compared Harvard Law School to ancient Greece. Many had attended NYU as undergrads and were happy to be with one of their kind. But during each interview, they would ask him, Don't you love this trendy cafe in the Village, or that chic French restaurant in SoHo? This, Victor thought, was the critical "one of us" question, the only thing a firm really wonders about a Harvard grad: Can we hang with this guy? Every HLS class, it seems, has the few oddballs who do the impossible and convince interviewers to run like hell. In the class of 1990, it was the Orthodox Jewish woman who, as per her religion, wore wigs and wouldn't shake a man's hand, the hippie with the butt-length ponytail, and Victor; the big firms judged them to be social retards. These firms look past many flaws, but they don't abide retards.

And it's impossible to say exactly what does it. Maybe Victor should have pretended he'd been to those fancy restaurants. Instead, he told his interviewers that he'd grown up on welfare and had never had the money to go anywhere nice. Hmmm. Partners don't want associates talking like that around clients. Then the interviewers would review Victor's summer law experience--all random, quixotic even--and see that it didn't really indicate a man on the move, no rainmaker here. And the interviewer's face would change. Soon, he would ask to see Victor's Law School Admissions Test score, big-firm code for "No, thanks." ..."