At least the Tibetans come out on top….hang on did I get that right????

Your best so far Karl.

Deja Vu?
No another album ..
“When will they ever learn…”
No - not PP&M;‘Some time ago a crazy dream came to me
I dreamt I was walkin’
Into World War Three
I went to the doctor the very next day
To see what kinda words he could say
He said it was a bad dream
I wouldn’t worry ‘bout it none, though
They were my own dreams
And they’re only in my head

I said “Hold it, Doc
A World War passed through my brain.”
He said “Nurse, get your pad
The boy’s insane”
He grabbed my arm, I said “Ouch!”
As I landed on the psychiatric couch
He said, “Tell me about it.”.....’

Talkin World War II Blues
The Free-Wheelin’ Bob Dylan Released May 27, 1963
(sigh!)

Labor has recently been accused of doing special deals for special mates at the highest level. At the time of writing the Auditor General’s report on the probity of the Treasurer in this matter is yet to be delivered.

As this ‘utegate’ affair ran its course through the Australian Parliament, Tasmanians were faced with confusing announcements on the proposed Tamar Valley Gunns Ltd pulpmill.

The EMRS opinion poll released on the 29th of June showed 65% opposed to the pulpmill as proposed by Gunns.

Tony Burke, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing announced in the week before his desire to favor one sector of his portfolio and in particular one company.

Was this a one off called in by the CFMEU, its members receiving the crumbs from Gunns boardroom table, or was it to boost the chances of their man, Scott McLean, on his path to being another representative of the Tasmanian Gunnerment and its Federal Branch.

Just prior to this pro pulpmill propaganda piece for the special economic interst of Gunns Ltd, Kim Carr, Minister for Industry announces a review into the timber industry to resolve issues between the economy and the environment.

Carr put no representatives of the environment on the review panel but ensuring Gay from Gunns sits on the board when he has a conflict of interest in awaiting a decision from Garrett, Minister of the Environment.

Conflict, what conflict? Gay is awaiting a decision on his supposed expertise in pulp and paper, to wit the effluent disposal from the proposed pulpmill, and yet he is recognized as an expert in resolving conflict between pulpmill economics and the environment.

An expert would be recognized for across the board expertise that included, in the 15th largest economy in the world, its effluent treatment. An expert would not need the reviews and parliamentary tricks that have taken this dumb and dirty outdated idea to the point that it is at.   

This may seem a strange position for Labor to take, especially at the national level, having consulted with the environment movement on a number of issues over the years.

When both sides are involved in a consultation, neither side gets all it wants during the review. This way Industry Minister Carr has pinned his flag to one mast and created an opposition to whatever is proposed by his review, by denying input on behalf of the public interest, to wit the independent environment movement.

There is a trend by government in this direction. The Pulpmill Assessment [Approval] Act and its associated governmental decisions is an outstanding example of special interests, special deals and special mates.

Modern government had learnt to deal with dissent by involving the dissenters in negotiating a solution. However, many decisions are returning to a process that excludes the public interest, claiming government can assess that, and community, claiming some greater good overrides concerns of a particular regions community.

Carr appears to have been trapped by latter day Pinchot’s and Greeley’s into a belief that special interests in the forest based industries should be served above public and community interest.

No one disputes biosequestration as an early low cost means of sinking and storing carbon as a global low carbon economy is developed. Indeed, the US legislation passing through the congress now recognized a range of biosequestration methods that can be used on and off farm. Further, it is the release of biosequestered [hydro]carbon that is the cause of the climate problem.   

So why is it such a problem to recognize the importance of natural vegetation systems as carbon sinks and stores and change management systems, the resuse of paper packaging and printing product to maximize recycling and biosequestration.

It is no longer acceptable to take the simplistic view of managing the impacts of industries in silos. Support for the car manufacturing industry by Industry Minister Carr’s own government has seen better mileage and lower emissions come as a concomitant part of industry funding support.

It is well beyond time that any support for forestry and forest based industries had similar requirements in relation to levels of recycling, to reduced pollution and waste of water, to ensuring biosequestration in natural forest is maximized by a rapid transition to plantation pulpwood and a move away from paper product where alternative exist.

 
The cartoon is very good.