MANDY NOLAN’S
SOAPBOX S E E M O R E O F M A N DY O N E C H O N E T DA I LY W W W. E C H O. N E T. A U /S OA P - B OX
Last week the NSW government, led by Mike Baird, passed new anti-protest legislation increasing penalties for protesters at mining and coal seam gas sites, and awarding police greater discretionary powers to use their ‘move on’ orders to disperse and disband protest groups. As a citizen of NSW I’d say it’s about the clearest indication we’ve been given to date about just whose rights our ‘democratically elected’ government chooses to protect. It’s certainly not ours. As far as they’re concerned we can all return to our poisoned waterholes and shut the F up. And thanks to the provision of electricity from aforementioned sites, our lights will be on, so while we might be contaminated with heavy metals, at least we’ll be able to see our children bleeding from the ears and nose in full fluorescent glory.
Thanks to Baird’s new legislation, it’s clear that in NSW it’s corporations before citizens. Particularly if those same unvalued citizens appear to be questioning the integrity of a corporation, and impeding its ability to turn a profit. Last time I queued for the polling booth, corporations didn’t vote. They can’t hold a pencil. Our elected government were voted by the people. And not just rich people. Poor people. Smart people. Dumb people. Happy people. Angry people. I may be an idealist, but as far as I understood it, one vote equals one vote as we are supposed to be shareholders in a shared outcome.
THE LADY DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH a government by the people, where the supreme power is vested in the people and then exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation, then in keeping with that I would expect the government to serve the interests of the people above the interests of big business. Isn’t that the point of having a democratically elected government?
Big business are not ‘the people’. But no, protesters continue to be vilified as social harm. Even the peaceful ones. Are the Knitting Nannas really that scary? Could they send a Knitting Nanna to jail for seven years because she’d purled the police force into a So why then are the shareholders corner? The police, as public servants, are paid by the tax of multinational corporations dollar and in my opinion they enjoying the privilege of are there to protect the interests legislation to protect their of the people. People like the interests? If democracy means
Live Music
Nannas. Not the corporations. Corporations can afford to protect themselves.
Why do the police end up working for them? I mean, in Queensland the police have used a Santos logo on their uniform! What’s next – an entire force sponsored by McDonald’s? And before you start bellowing ‘corporations pay tax’, at least one-third of them don’t. According to figures released by the ATO we lose in excess of $8.4 billion a year in corporate tax. Maybe we should start jailing them for seven years instead? Mr Baird defends his position by saying ‘peaceful protests are fine’. But what does he define as a peaceful protest? A toddler in a Sea Shepherd shirt? A person clicking YES on an online petition? However, a peaceful person blocking an access gate, well, that’s trespass. That’s were
the police will now come in.
mining companies?
Interestingly the point being hammered home for the state government’s PR agenda is ‘risk’. Mike ‘I love gas’ Baird says the laws are meant to target ‘those who decide to protest and put not only their lives at risk, but workers’ lives at risk and interrupt businesses that are going about their dayto-day life’. Since you brought up ‘risk’, Mr Baird, I’d wonder how you’d care to define it?
When Santos failed to report a spill in the Pilliga State Forest, the Land and Environment Court awarded a $52,000 fine. The maximum penalty is $1 million. Since then $17 million has been spent on rehabilitation in the Pilliga and it’s not working. Trees are still dying.
What if your inability to protect your citizens from the significant harms caused by activities such as CSG caused severe health problems for communities in their wake, who then went on to experience personal harm, loss of business and loss of natural amenity and resource? Isn’t killing off communities for gas a ‘risk’ as well? If you fine and incarcerate Nannas shouldn’t you also be fining and incarcerating
Isn’t that a significant long-term harm to the people of NSW? I guess not. Perhaps it’s an Orwellian future we face where ‘all risks are equal, but some are more equal than others’. Especially when those risks affect profit. Why don’t we just give up on this facade of democratically elected representation, and accept we’re voting for corporations. Instead of voting Liberal or Labor, maybe we should choose between Santos or Metgasco, Coke or Pepsi, Coles or Woolies.
BLUESFEST BUSKING COMPETITION WINNER CLAIRE ANNE TAYLOR PLAYS CLUB MULLUM ON SUNDAY 3 APRIL
THE LONG LAUNCH
Polka Dot Productions welcome the remarkably talented Claire Anne Taylor with local hotshot rhythm section Matt Bone (Starboard Cannons), double bass, and Grant Gerathy (John Butler Trio, Angus Stone) drums, to Club Mullum. Claire Anne Taylor is a rare kind of singer. Her extraordinary voice comes from some deep elemental place and audiences can’t help but be touched by it. Winning the Bluesfest Busking Competition prompted Taylor to move to Byron Bay to record her debut album Elemental. The infectious first single Judge is receiving rave reviews and airplay on Triple J from Sarah Howells, RN’s The Inside Sleeve with Paul Gough, Lucky Oceans’ Daily Planet and community radio all over Australia. Taylor crafts soulful folk songs that take audiences on a journey of raw honesty. Her music ranges from warm, mesmerising ballads to epic anthems. Taylor’s stage presence is powerfully captivating and her live shows leave the audience in no doubt that they have just witnessed something very special. Club Mullum – The Ex-Services Club, Mullumbimby, on Sunday 3 April at 3pm. Tix at the door $15.
SPIRITSONG
St Andrew’s Choir, Lismore, is the longest continuously running SATB church choir in the northern rivers. Warren Whitney directs the choir and has been organist (this
month) at St Andrew’s for the last 50 years. As has been happening for the last 15 years in the northern rivers, Lismore will resound with beautiful choral and organ music presented by Warren Whitney and St Andrew’s Choir. The music is meditative and reflective as befits the season leading up to Good Friday and Easter. Good Friday, at 5.30pm, St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Lismore.
BROADFOOT IN THE BREWERY
Broadfoot are playing at the Byron Bay Brewery this Saturday from 7pm. Broadfoot is a Byron Shire threepiece who combine electric funky blues with rock and jazz elements. Broadfoot’s music has been rapturously received over the north coast and beyond since the band’s formation in 2007. The music is up tempo, up in mood, and this usually results in getting the dancers up too.
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North Coast news daily: www.echonetdaily.net.au
BROADFOOT AT THE BYRON BREWERY ON SATURDAY
Coming Soon to Club Mullum
CLAIRE ANNE TAYLOR
Sunday 3 April at 3pm
Coming Event GALAPAGOS DUCK
Sunday 29 May at 3pm
UKE NIGHT - Intimate Requests Thursday, 31 March at 6.30pm Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club |
Club_Mullum
58 Dalley Street, Mullumbimby | 6684 2533 Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club practices Responsible Service. If Gambling is a problem for you or someone you know, call the G-line toll-free on 1800 633 635. NSW Permit numbers - All Lotteries - LTPM/13/00601, Wed Draw - 14/08984, Super 10 - 14/00478
The Byron Shire Echo March 23, 2016 71