health &
THE BYRON SHIRE
beauty page16
Volume 27 #17 Tuesday, October 2, 2012 Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
Inside this week
MEDIA FOR THE MESS AGE
CAB AUDIT
Barbé Graces NORPA’s World Stage – p20
Councillors’ first day report – p7
Letters to the Ed – p11
Sample North coast’s food fest best gig guide – p18–19 – p26
Byron Shire Council Notices Page 43
Beachside bargains Alan Jones barred from CSG rally Luis Feliu
Shock-jock Alan Jones, who sparked a storm of backlash for his offensive comments about prime minister Julia Gillard’s late father, has been removed as headline speaker for the upcoming Rock the Gate anti-coal-seam gas (CSG) rally in Murwillumbah. Rally organiser Michael McNamara, spokesman for the Lock the Gate Northern Rivers, said the rally on Saturday October 13 would still go ahead but without the controversial broadcaster. The backlash has spilled over to the anti-CSG campaign, with people emailing and posting comments on social media threatening to boycott the rally if Jones was speaking. In a press release explaining the decision, Mr McNamara said the organisation had decided yesterday to withdraw the invitation to Jones ‘following derogatory comments made on Saturday by Mr Jones’ to a Young Liberals dinner.
Jones told a receptive dinner audience that Ms Gillard’s recently-deceased father John had ‘died of shame’ over his daughter. The comments and fallout, with several of Jones’s radio station advertisers boycotting him, were recorded by a journalist at the dinner and splashed over media across the nation at the weekend. Mr McNamara said the organisation had considered its options before making the decision ‘as to whether Jones will be welcomed to speak at what could be the biggest stand made against coal-seam gas mining to date’. ‘To see a womans’ efforts in any sphere of endeavour pilloried simply because she is a woman is despicable. To denigrate women’s capacity to fill any role in public life goes against everything I have worked for both in my professional and personal lives,’ Mr McNamara said. ‘In terms of our personal integrity, we believe that we had to make a strong statement that reflected our
abhorrence of his comments. We had to decide whether, in all conscience and with our personal integrity intact, we could welcome him to the stage in Murwillumbah,’ he said. ‘What it came down to was a decision about whether we could, based on Alan Jones’s comments, the overall campaign against coal and coal- seam gas and our personal sense of integrity, continue to have Alan Jones involved. Mr McNamara said it ‘has also been suggested to us that to withdraw the invitation to Alan Jones would in some way deny him “freedom of speech”. ‘Alan Jones expresses his opinions on a multitude of issues every morning on the radio, so not being able to speak at this event would hardly curtail his opportunity to make his views known,’ he said. ‘To those who said they would not come if Alan Jones is speaking, we say leave the personality politics out of the campaign. Stooping to personality politics is exactly what you are accusing Alan Jones of doing.’ ■ Editorial page 10
The world’s a stage for Ego and Sal Photo & story Eve Jeffery Mignon Frances had a busy day at her recycled fashion stall at Saturday’s Beachside Market in Byron’s Apex Park. Photo Jeff ‘Recycled Since 1986’ Dawson A one-day celebration of cultural di-
Mullum hospital decision Nov 28 ‘A decision over the trial of replacing Mullumbimby Hospital’s on-site night doctor with telehealth doctor support from The Tweed Hospital (TTH) will be made at a meeting of the Board on November 28, says Frank Lynch from Save Mullumbimby Hospital Steering Committee. ‘From the August 29 meeting, the Local Health Board authorised chief executive Chris Crawford to continue the process of determining whether the replacement of the night doctor by the telehealth link was feasible,’ he says.
‘If the Board’s decision is “No” then an announcement will be made immediately. If the Board’s decision is that the trial of the TTH doctor utilising the telehealth system replacing the onsite doctor during the 11pm to 7am shift will proceed then that decision will also be announced immediately along with the start date, which is likely to be sometime in the first quarter of 2013. ‘The trial will only occur if it is agreed to by the Mullumbimby Hospital nursing staff.’
versity through music and food will be presented by NORPA at the Lismore City Hall this Saturday . World Stages features Creole afrofunk queen Grace Barbé with her band from the Seychelles, along with six other world-class music acts to get you dancing, including Latin, reggae, hip-hop, Italian 30s/40s swing, funk and folk. With plenty of kids’ activities and roaming performances, the event will start with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony at 1pm and stalls with African, Indian and Brazilian feasts will be available East Timorese musician Ego Lemo and local percussionist/festival co-organiser throughout the day. For more visit www.norpa.org.au. Salvador Castro are just two performers at the upcoming World Stages festival.
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