Tasmanian Greens Senators Nick McKim and Peter Whish-Wilson have tabled the Senate’s largest ever petition, calling for takayna/Tarkine to be protected as a World Heritage Area.
“takayna/Tarkine is a precious part of Tasmania that should be looked after on behalf of the entire world,” Senator McKim said.
“Some 270,000 people have signed this petition, which just shows the depth of feeling about takayna across Tasmania, Australia and the world.”
“We invite Prime Minister Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to visit takayna/Tarkine and see for themselves why this area is worthy of World Heritage protection.”
Senator Whish-Wilson said:
“takayna is a place of incredible natural and Aboriginal heritage value.”
“It is one of the last strongholds for the Tasmanian devil and contains one of Australia’s largest temperate rainforests.”
“It’s time for the Labor and Liberal parties to step up.”
“We thank the Bob Brown Foundation and Patagonia for their ongoing campaign to protect takayna.”
Author: admin
Major parties ignore climate change impacts on the Murray
The Labor and Liberal parties have refused to support including the impacts of climate change in the flawed Murray Darling Basin Plan in the Senate today.
“Labor says they’re taking climate change seriously, but they refuse to acknowledge it affects the Murray Darling Basin,” Greens water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“A party that takes climate change seriously does not side with an anti-science, climate denying Government to sell out the Murray.
“The Murray Darling Basin Plan is in tatters. It has been rife with corruption, water theft, and the simple fact it does not account for climate change proves it was set up to fail.
“South Australians know too well how important the Murray is to our state; to our drinking water, our environments, and our communities.
“We are experiencing climate change right here, right now. Our country is becoming drier and hotter and our river needs protecting. The major parties continue to turn their backs on South Australians who want a strong, healthy river.”
Labor voted with the Morrison Government against Senator Hanson-Young’s below motion:
That the Senate— notes that
- The Murray-Darling Basin Plan (The Plan) has come under serious scrutiny from both the South Australian Royal Commission and the recent inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport.
- The Plan has no provisions to address the impacts of climate change on the Murray-Darling Basin.
Calls on the government to take the threat of climate change seriously and include the impacts of climate change within The Plan.
Charges over Hamilton assault
A man has been charged over an alleged assault at Newcastle at the weekend.
Police have been told two men – aged 22 and 28 – were involved in an altercation outside licensed premises on Tudor Street, Hamilton, just before 2.30am Sunday (2 December 2018).
The younger man suffered a serious leg injury and was taken to John Hunter Hospital.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District were notified on Monday (3 December 2018), and commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, a 28-year-old Adamstown man attended Newcastle Police Station about 4.45pm yesterday (Wednesday 5 December 2018), where he was arrested and charged with reckless grievous bodily harm.
He has been granted conditional bail to appear in Newcastle Local Court on Thursday 10 January 2019.
The injured man remains in John Hunter Hospital after undergoing surgery.
Library shines light on State's old-time crooks
![Newcastle pickpocket Sarah Clifford Sarah-Clifford-1901-FRONT_web.jpg](http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/getattachment/Council/News/Latest-News/Library-shines-light-on-State-s-old-time-crooks/Sarah-Clifford-1901-FRONT_web.jpg.aspx)
Among those was Sarah Clifford, a former convict and known pickpocket in both Tasmania and NSW, whose early convictions took place in Newcastle.
Twelve years after arriving in Hobart from Ireland in 1852, Clifford, her husband and kids were living here when she was caught pickpocketing.
But Sarah was discharged on the presumption of law ‘where a woman committed a felony in the presence of her husband that she was acting under coercion’.
Clifford’s crimes continued for the next four decades until her last conviction in 1910 at the age of 76. By this time she had spent more than 36 years in gaol.
Suzie Gately, City of Newcastle’s Manager Libraries and Learning, said the exhibition tells extraordinary stories of ordinary people.
“Captured highlights the untold stories of individuals in the historic NSW justice system,” Ms Gately said.
“It also sheds light on the practice of photographing prisoners, which was introduced in NSW in 1871, and about two decades earlier in France and Britain. These photographic portraits give us a glimpse into the lives of criminals in Australia that we would not otherwise have.”
Developed by NSW State Archives, the exhibition features a wide selection of records and images sourced from 46,000 inmate records contained in 199 gaol photographic-description books.
NSW State Archives undertook a project in 2016 to digitise items in the Collection of Gaol Photographic Description Books, many of which were at risk of being lost to physical deterioration or because they were kept on obsolete technology.
During the process of digitising the records, staff also combed the histories for the most interesting stories for the exhibition and catalogue, said exhibition curator Dr Penny Stannard.
“Our expert staff and research archivists have peeled back the layers of these historical records and illuminated the events that led these people to commit a crime,” she said.
“We looked at the offence type, gender, age and location of crimes to piece together a collection of compelling stories.”
Visit Captured: Portraits of Crime at Newcastle Library, Laman Street, Newcastle in the Local Studies Lounge until Saturday 16 February.
For more information visit the NSW State Archives website or view the exhibition catalogue.
Curator’s Talk
Captured: Portraits of Crime 1870-1930
Dr Penny Stannard with NSW State Archives will bring the stories from the exhibition to life.
Penny will unravel the compelling case studies of individuals captured in the criminal justice system and their contribution to the history of NSW.
WHEN: Thursday 6 December, 12.30pm
WHERE: Newcastle Library, Local Studies Lounge
COST: Free
Greens say Major parties ignore climate change impacts on the Murray
The Labor and Liberal parties have refused to support including the impacts of climate change in the flawed Murray Darling Basin Plan in the Senate today.
“Labor says they’re taking climate change seriously, but they refuse to acknowledge it affects the Murray Darling Basin,” Greens water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“A party that takes climate change seriously does not side with an anti-science, climate denying Government to sell out the Murray.
“The Murray Darling Basin Plan is in tatters. It has been rife with corruption, water theft, and the simple fact it does not account for climate change proves it was set up to fail.
“South Australians know too well how important the Murray is to our state; to our drinking water, our environments, and our communities.
“We are experiencing climate change right here, right now. Our country is becoming drier and hotter and our river needs protecting. The major parties continue to turn their backs on South Australians who want a strong, healthy river.”
Labor voted with the Morrison Government against Senator Hanson-Young’s below motion:
That the Senate— notes that
- The Murray-Darling Basin Plan (The Plan) has come under serious scrutiny from both the South Australian Royal Commission and the recent inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport.
- The Plan has no provisions to address the impacts of climate change on the Murray-Darling Basin.
Calls on the government to take the threat of climate change seriously and include the impacts of climate change within The Plan.
Senate calls on Government to admit Paris failings
The Senate has backed the Australian Greens’ motion calling on the Government to make a clear statement about its inaction on climate change.
“It is time for this anti-science Government to front up to the fact they are failing the nation and the planet,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Enough is enough. Scientists have made it very clear that we must reduce pollution and transition out of fossil fuels. If not, we will sink further and further into dangerous climate crisis. Australia has a responsibility to act for its citizens, environment and the planet. The Morrison Government is in denial and the Senate has called it out.
“On the day that New Zealand has announced a $100 million fund to reduce emissions, the Morrison Government continues to ignore our Paris Agreement responsibilities. It is a disgrace.
“Sir David Attenborough’s incredible, and important speech from COP24, sent shockwaves around the world. The climate denialists in the Morrison Government must wake up and admit business as usual does not allow us to even get close to reaching our Paris Commitments.”
The below motion was agreed to in the Senate today:
That the Senate— notes that
1. National emissions levels for the June quarter 2018 increased 1.3 per cent relative to the previous quarter on a seasonally adjusted and weather normalised basis.
2. With emissions continuing to rise, and no clear plan to reduce them, we are set to miss our Paris targets.
3. Minister for the Environment, Melissa Price will represent Australia at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24).
Calls on the government to make the following short statement to the COP24:
Australia has not taken seriously its responsibilities to meeting its Paris Commitments and will dramatically lift its ambitions to play its part in averting the climate crisis.
PM’s bill a Trojan horse that will expand discrimination, not remove it: Greens
Scott Morrison’s bill does not remove discrimination against LGBTQ+ kids, it opens the door to even more discrimination, say the Australian Greens.
“This bill is a Trojan horse that will expand discrimination against LGBTQ+ students, not remove it,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens LGBTIQ+ spokesperson.
“This bill allows schools to bully, exclude or even refuse to teach LGBTQ+ students. It is unacceptable.”
“Discrimination against LGBTIQ+ young people is dangerous. We know that LGBTIQ+ young people experience far worse mental health than their peers, and it’s often because of discrimination.”
“Discrimination has no place in schools. Full stop. No ifs. No buts.”
“The Prime Minister is out of touch with Australians, three quarters of whom want our schools to be discrimination-free zones.”
“It’s a complete backflip from the Prime Minister who promised in October to remove discrimination in schools. Now he is entrenching and expanding it.”
NSW Police Force Attestation Parade
The NSW Police Force will welcome 257 new probationary constables to its ranks at the Police Academy in Goulburn on Friday (7 December 2018).
‘Class 335’ includes 168 policemen and 89 policewomen who will complete 12 months on-the-job training and study of the Associate Degree in Policing Practice by distance education with Charles Sturt University before being confirmed to the rank of constable.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller APM will be joined by the Governor of NSW, His Excellency General, The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d) and Minister for Police and Emergency Services, The Honourable Troy Grant MP, to inspect the new recruits on the parade ground. Member for Goulburn, The Honourable Pru Goward MP, and will also be in attendance.
The ceremony will also see retiring officers Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis APM, Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Hoffman, Chief Inspector Trent Le-Merton and Detective Senior Sergeant Stephen Horn, farewelled after 161 years combined service with the NSW Police Force.
Senator Holds Up Gruesome Live Export Photos in Senate and Reacts to Proposed Voluntary Live Export Suspension in Northern Summer
Australian Greens Senator for NSW and Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has held up pictures of the sheep killed on the Awasi Express in the Senate today to highlight the continued cruelty in the live export trade. While holding it, she said “This is what you are allowing. This is the animal cruelty that you aid and abet. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
This comes after the Federal Governmnet failed to table draft versions of the Moss Review into Live Exports on Monday night, as was ordered by the Senate when it passed Senator Faruqi’s motion last week.
Proposed Voluntary Live Export Suspension in Northern Summer Too Little, Too Late
Australian Greens Senator for NSW and Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Dr Mehreen Faruqi has called the announcement from live exporters that they will a impose three-month ban on sheep trade to the Middle East during northern summer as too little, too late.
In reaction to the voluntary suspension, Senator Faruqi said:
“While welcome, to be frank this is too little, too late. We know that this is the last ditch attempt for the live export to save itself before it is consigned to the history books forever.
“A voluntary and self imposed suspension over the Northern Summer is wholly inadequate and can be overturned at any time. History has shown we cannot let the industry regulate itself. The only option we have is to phase out the industry and transition to a chilled meat industry.
“My bill to ban the live export of has passed the Senate. The Government can stonewall and run protection for only so long. It’s time they allowed a free vote so we can end this cruel trade once and for all,” she concluded.