Agmates

Thanks to Agmates member Sue for bringing this to our attention. It is a curious Rural Press article and I love the way they describe OUR Agmates Community as a “niche online chat forum“

“Angry comments that were confined to a niche online chat forum less than 10 days ago have now spilled onto the mainstream website, farmonline.com.au, owned by Rural Press.”

You make up your mind who is niche and who is mainstream.

Last Sunday we ran the post: Joyce Fronts Turnbull – I’ll Split The Coalition which attracted 109 comments from 33 members – plus one comment from our Agmate member Barnaby Joyce.

The same time – farm online ran virtually the same article (which was just a reposting of and article out of the The Sydney Morning Herald – farm online and the SMH are both owned by Fairfax) – Titled Coalition split by end of the year with a big photo of Barnaby. The farm online article had 16 comments from 14 people (2 of whom are Agmates members).

Lets look at the two stories and the break up of people and comments.

Agmates – 33 members – 109 comments.
Farm Online – 14 people – 16 comments.

State by Sate – Agamtes – Farm Online
QLD …………………..18……………… 2
NSW ……………………7……………… 8
VIC …………………….7………………. 1
SA ………………………1………………..2
WA ……………………..1……………….1

Total people…………..33……………14 (* 2 of these were Agmates members)
Total Comments……109……………16

Plus every member who commented on Agmates got a personal message of thanks from our fellow member Barnaby (by way of comment). See comment here

The farm online site is the one web site for The Queensland Country Life (QCL), The Land (NSW), The Stock & Land (VIC), The Stock Journal (SA) and the Farm Weekly (WA). They put next to the commenter which state publication they came through.

Obviously Rural press is not proud of the conduct of its online forum. They insinuate that the bile and vehenm that is on their forum came from Agmates – Click here to see the Rural Press forum in question.

“Angry comments that were confined to a niche online chat forum less than 10 days ago have now spilled onto the mainstream website, farmonline.com.au, owned by Rural Press.”

This comment is a joke. Have a look for yourself at the Comments on Agmates Community forum they are referring to. See here.  Every commentator has their real name visible and a photo.

Then go and have a look at the bile and invective that spews out from the faceless nameless crew on the rural press forum. See here

Make up your own mind which one is the trashy niche chat room.

Is it our privately owned – voice of the real people Agmates community or is it the multinational corporate owned media giant Rural Press ?

Word of advice for Rural press. When you try and discredit the Agmates community you are actually trying to discredit hundreds of people who used to be your loyal readers, because Agmates is the sum total of our members. You demean our community , by virtue you demean our members.

Who knows, like me in protest many of those members might just decide not to spend the $3.40 a week on your newspapers anymore. Then try explaining that to your advertisers as your circulation falls.

Oh wait, isn’t that a problem they are having at the minute … hhmmm I wonder why?

Thats not very smart Mr Rural Press.

END

Have Your say.

ABC Four Corners is Australia's premier television current affairs program. Click on Logo to visit their web site

I was contacted by ABC Four Corners researcher Anne Connolly this morning. Four Corners will be attending and filming the Professor Bob Carter Climate Change meeting organized by Agmates in conjunction with Property Rights Australia and The Australian Climate Science Coalition.

The Four Corners crew will be there on the day following Nationals Senate Leader Barnaby Joyce and will be attending the campdraft with him and then the Bob Carter Climate Change talks that night.

All indications are that their will a large roll up to the meeting. If you’d like to ensure that you have seats for the meeting please click here and use the RSVP function to show if you will be attending or not attending. If you are not attending please use comments section at the bottom to leave a message of support or otherwise. Its important if you cannot be there on the night that you have your say.

In the the lead up to the resumption of Parliament and second vote on the Rudd Governments Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme the three meeting at Rockhampton, Roma and Clermont are shaping up as events of national significance. They are the most significant and substantial community insipired Climate Change meeeting in Australia between now and the crucial vote.

So take your place in the historic meetings. Be sure to secure your seat at the closest meeting and bring a friend. You can play your part in spreading the word through the Australian community by emailing this onto each and every person on your email contact list.

END

Steve Truman Agmates Editor.

*****

Featured Members Group Sites. Click on image to visit.

Senator Barnaby Joyce	Senator Fiona Nash	Senator Christine Milne	Walton Family Farms	Daily Motivational
The Water Guard	KLR Livestock Marketing	Stock Agents & Clients	Climate Sceptics	R & L Moore Pastoral
Australian Weather	Donate to Agmates	National Rugby League	AFL News	Rugby News

Visit Agmates Community Network

Canberra Morning Barnaby Joyce Click on image to see over 400 members photos

*****

Agmates in Conjunction with Property Rights Australia and The Australian Climate Science Coalition is bringing Professor Bob Carter to three regional Queensland centres to explain why he believes the Rudd Governments carbon Pollution reduction Scheme is the “Worst Act of Parliament Since Federation”.

The evenings with Professor Carter are at:

Tuesday 6th October – Rockhampton Leagues Club Corner of Cambridge & George Street Rockhampton – 7pm to 9.30pm.

Friday 9th October – Jubilee Hall,TAFE College, 2-28 Timbury Street, Roma – 7.30 – 9.30pm. * Senator Barnaby Joyce will there and will address this meeting.

Saturday 10th October - Clermont Blair Athol Community Hall, Collins Street off Ruby Vale Road, Clermont – 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

In an email to all members of his Group site Senator Barnaby Joyce said:

“Hi Agmates you might have seen a note from Cate Stuart about the series of meetings being planned for Rockhampton, Roma and Clermont with Professor BobCarter from James Cook University. Professor Carter will be addressing the Climate Change Debate and I would urge you all to try and get along to one of the meetings.

I can’t stress enough just how important this is. I will be attending the meeting at Roma and would love to see you all there, it’s alsoa chance for me to catch up with you personally to discuss any other pressing issues as we continue to take the fight up to the Rudd Governmentprior to the next election.”

If you live near one of those centres, not only make an effort to get to the meeting but ring your neighbours and friends and get them to come along with you.

See here for more details about meetings

About Bob Carter:

Bob Carter pictured during a recent presentation to MP's ans Senators in Canberra. Professor Carter was there at the request of Independent Senator Steve Fielding.

Professor Bob Carter’s talk will explain the basic elements of the science behind the hypothesis of dangerous global warming caused by human carbon dioxide emissions, address the causes of the political socio-pathology represented by the CPRS bill, and suggest a cost-effective, hazard-reduction way forward.

Bob Carter has acted as an expert witness on climate change before the U.S. Senate Committee of Environment & Public Works, the Australian and N.Z. parliamentary Select Committees into emissions trading and in a meeting in parliament house, Stockholm. He was also a primary science witness in the U.K. High Court case of Dimmock v. H.M.’s Secretary of State for Education, the 2007 judgement from which identified nine major scientific errors in Mr Al Gore’s film “An Inconvenient Truth”.

His talk will provide a balanced summary of the current state of knowledge regarding whether dangerous global warming is being caused by human carbon dioxide emissions. All persons who are concerned about the need for implementation of aggressive emissions trading measures, such as have already been passed in European countries and are currently being contemplated in USA, New Zealand and Australia, will benefit from attending his lecture. There will be ample opportunities to ask questions and engage in discussion.

Public discussion of whether emissions trading will have any effect on future climate, the impact that it will have on living costs for the average Australian, and how damaging it will be to the national economy is dominated by propaganda from extremely vociferous, well funded and self-interested organisations.

For a carbon dioxide tax level of $20/tonne of carbon dioxide emitted, the average Australian family will have direct extra costs of ~$2000/year levied against them, plus an unknowable sum of extra indirect costs. In return, computer modelling suggests that there might be a reduction in global temperature by the year 2100 of one-ten thousandth of a degree Celsius; in other words, no measurable effect upon climate will result.

If you’d like more information or volunteer you help on the night or to secure your seats call me on 0428 966819 .

END

Agmates editor – Steve Truman

Have Your Say!

*****

The transformation of the National Party into a powerful stand alone political party was completed over the weekend at it’s peak federal council meeting in Canberra.

The party’s federal director Brad Henderson declared the re birthing of the party when he stated:

“The nub of the changes that we are making is about more assertively advocating the interests of regional Australia.”

Long time Agmates readers will know that this is dream come true for me and the Agmates community. Over the last 3 years on these Agmates pages I have been the loudest and longest advocate for the party to take exactly that stance.

I could not be a happier or a prouder person today. Our very own party unashamedly championing the causes of the seven million people who live in rural and regional Australia is a dream come true for me.

Until now to their great disadvantage seven million regional Australians have been at the mercy of the Urban centric Labor and Liberal political party’s. Now at last we have representation. Now at last we have a voice and are no longer the forgotten Australians.

After the rebirth over the weekend I’m beaming like a proud new parent.

Here is a small selection of over 300 posts on Federal politics over the last 2 years.

[11/05/09] Senator Barnaby Joyce – The National Party Manifesto

[15/01/09] National Party Ploy To Get Rid Of Barnaby Joyce

[24/06/08] Nationals Cosy Relationship with the liberals is Killing it

[22/06/08] Liberals Betray Nationals & Rural Australia

[02/02/08] Who can save the Nationals from themselves?

[02/02/08] Nationals Must face their Irrelevance

[11/12/07] Farmer and Life-time Nationals Voter – No More

[02/12/07] National Party Ignore Vail’s Call for Gen Change

[23/11/07] National party’s Sorry record of Battling the bush

*****

END

Have Your Say.

A protest rally by ordinary Australians against the passing of the Emissions Trading Scheme will be held in Canberra this Thursday to coincide with the Senate vote on the legislation.

The protest rally will commence from 9.30 am (assembly time) behind Old Parliament House, then marching to the precinct in front of Parliament house to hear speeches, poems & songs from 10 am.

Schedule of Protest in Canberra – Aug13th

• Everyone who is against the ETS for whatever reason is being urged to attend the protest / rally.

• Various speakers will outline the reasons they are against an emissions trading scheme

• Barnaby Joyce, and Wilson Tuckey will be two of the speakers at the event.

• Placards, balloons and speakers are being finalised.

• Many people will stay for the vote in the senate to hopefully see it being voted against.

• Please bring a placard with a fun or serious comment on it.

• About 15 large helium filled balloons will be released as part of the event – each with a different reason why the ETS should be rejected written on each one.

The program will be

• 9.30am assemble at the point designated in the attached photo.

• 9.45am march 400 metres to precinct in front of Parliament house.

• 10 am speeches , songs and poems

• at the end of speeches (11am?) balloons released

• 11.30 am lunch & socialising in the parliament house cafeteria

• after lunch – sitting in the senate chamber watching the debate & the vote process.

• 6 pm meet at Canberra Yacht club (Marina Place 500 metres NW of Parliament House near waters edge) to watch various evening news services to see how the ETS vote gets reported.

From more information about the protest rally, Contact the Coordinator:

Leon Ashby
President The Climate Sceptics
PO, Box 721, Mt Gambier SA 5290
Ph 0887259561 or 0887235550
http://agmates.ning.com/group/climatscepticsparty
info@climatesceptics.com.au
http://www.climatesceptics.com.au/

Open letter to Leaders of the State Based Farming Organizations.

*****

I’m writing to you as President’s, Chairperson’s, executives and members  of commodity councils and Farming organizations, about a matter of the gravest importance and Urgency.

In just 16 days time the Federal Parliament with sit again. The Rudd Government will be presenting it’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme legislation for passage through the Senate into Law.

The very survival of the Australian farm industry and our rural communities depends on the Senate blocking this legislation in its current form.

Two very important and significant things have happened over the past 48 hours.

1. The Climate Sceptics Party have announced that they are Coordinating a rally of Australians against the governments Emissions Trading Scheme to be held on the front lawn at Parliament House Canberra on the 13th of August . This is the first day back from the Parliaments 6 week winter recess and is the day that the ETS will be introduced into the Senate.

2. Yesterday Senator Barnaby Joyce launched his Agmates Group site. He has published an excellent post in his groups topics showing among other things that this legislation will wipe out Australian farmers and massively increase the cost of food to every Australian consumer. Click on linked headline below to read it.

GET TO KNOW YOUR ETS, TAKE IT OUT TO DINNER

Senator Joyce is urging every farmer in Australia to be at the rally at which he is a speaker.

Senator Joyce  says that we must put 1,000’s of people on the lawn to show the politicians, and mainstream media that we will not accept this new tax that will bring no benefit to the environment, but put 100,000’s out of work and cripple our farm industry.

I’ve spoken to the President of the Climate Sceptics Leon Ashby and he has agreed that we can invite farm organizations to march in the Rally under their own banner. The rally is for all Australians, be they from  mining, industry, farming , workers and everybody adversely affected by this flawed legislation.

We are urging the leaders all  the commodity councils and farming organizations to rally their members and March on Canberra. We expect you to lead your members to Canberra.

So now your challenge.

We are calling on each organization to hit the phones, email whatever and firstly explain that this is the most important issue to farmers (them) in our lifetime. We want you to rally as many members  as you possibly can to attend and get them to rally their friends.

No time to lose. We have just 16 days to save our industry. Once the legislation is passed its to late.

Yours in anticipation

Steve Truman

Agmates Founder

Agmates member JeffT writes:

.

You may remember the frightening pictures (recycled from previous year) of the Wilkins Ice Shelf breaking away earlier this year, as portrayed by the media (from the Australian)

A SPLIT over global warming has emerged in Kevin Rudd’s cabinet after it was revealed that a 13-month-old photograph was published this month to support the view that a catastrophic melting of Antarctic ice was imminent.

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong was disappointed with the way her ministerial colleague, Peter Garrett, weighed into the debate about global warming, claiming sea levels could rise by 6m as a result of melting in Antarctica.

The pictures below show what is happening on the West Antarctic Peninsula, in this case over a short period from 10th June to 16th June 2009. The yellow arrow is pointing at the area of the Wilkins Ice Shelf, a sea ice bridge between Charcot Island and Latady Island, shown as two little blue bumps, just below were arrow is pointing.

Antarctic Peninsular 16/06/09

Antarctic Peninsular 10/06/09

As today is 6 days away from the Winter Solstice(the Sun’s up North) , this ice should continue to increase considerably until at least late July.

So the disastrous Antarctic melting scenario of 20′ sea level rise from Wong/Garrett, with it’s Climate Change/ETS reasoning is again proven wrong.

From Todays  Australian: “Ice Shelves Stable over Six Years”

ANTARCTIC ice shelves are showing no sign of climate change, six years of unique research have shown.

“More than six years of observation has not revealed any significant climatic trends,” CUT associate professor Alexander Gavrilov said yesterday.

So at every chance, we should support Senator’s Steve Fielding and Barnaby Joyce – and any other politician who believes that the current push for an ETS under the guise of “Saving Our Planet” – or from Senator Wong – “for our children and their children’s children” (emotional blackmail) is a scam.

*****

END

First published here.

Have Your Say!

Freelance Journalist and Agmates member John Mikkelsen writes:

.

John Mikkelsen

A fog of uncertainty still surrounds Gladstone’s Rio Tinto workers after the company last week finally rejected the Chinese bid to acquire a $27 billion slice of the action.

On face value, it seems the best solution to Rio’s financial woes. The formation of an iron ore production joint venture with old rival BHP Billiton, combined with a rights issue to shareholders, should raise enough to meet Rio’s scheduled repayments on its $57 billion debt following its costly merger with Alcan in 2007.

There had been widespread opposition to the Chinalco offer, which would have delivered the Chinese Government – owned company 18 percent of Rio.

More significantly, it stood to gain 50 percent of the Yarwun alunina refinery plus significant stakes in Boyne Smelters Ltd, Queensland Alumina Ltd and the Gladstone Power Station, which collectively employ more than 3000. It would also have gained control of the company’s bauxite leases in northern Australia.

Chinalco was also scheduled to decide whether it would finance the $2 billion Stage 2 expansion at Yarwun by June 15, also the date the Foreign Investment Review Board was expected to reach a decision on the Chinalco offer.

If all that sounds confusing, that’s because it is. And unfortunately at this stage, the Gladstone workers seem to be the meat in the sandwich in what otherwise could be seen as a good deal.

When Rio was actively promoting the Chinalco offer only a few months ago, it warned there could be up to 3000 job losses if it did not proceed. Gladstone had seemed largely immune up until mid- April, when the axe suddenly fell on 600 Rio workers and contractors.

In a letter to shareholders last week, Rio chairman Jan Du Plessis said the expansion would proceed under the proposed new arrangements, but

“at a slower pace than previously announced”.

Who knows what that means? In the wake of the last job cuts, the company had already announced the expansion would be delayed by two years, rather than dropped. Last weekend a company spokeswoman told the Observer the Gladstone operations were not in the clear yet.

“We are facing challenging economic times and keeping a close eye on the market.” she said.

Back on April 25, I wrote,

“Naturally there is a concern there could be further cuts if the Chinalco bid is rejected.

However, Rio recently hinted of a Plan B …..This could involve selling shares, bonds, assets and rescheduling debt repayments; and BHP Billiton is watching…”

Obviously, they were watching very closely and the rising markets seem to have played into their hands, with Rio shares now about twice their value when the Chinalco offer was first raised. This would have made the offer less attractive and less likely to receive a final nod of approval from shareholders even if it had been passed by the foreign investment watchdog and Treasurer Wayne Swan.

The Federal Government has also dodged a political bullet by not having to reach a decision on the controversial Chinese bid. There are still some review processes in relation to the proposed BHP – Rio joint venture, but it seems likely to be a done deal.

As a Rio contact told me this week,

“What’s not to like; it’s a win/ win situation for the company and shareholders”.

(He was rubbing his hands in anticipation of what is basically a one for two share offer at the heavily discounted price of $28.29 per share.)

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull, Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce, Greens leader Bob Brown and Independent Senator Nick Xenophon will also applaud the move to keep ownership of Australian resources out of Chinese hands.

But the Chinese Government is not happy. It claims the new iron ore joint venture by the two former rivals will create a monopoly, which will drive up prices and may force it to look elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Queensland Government has copped some flak for awarding a $45 million contract to a Chinese company to supply glass for its new Supreme and District Courts building in Brisbane, rather than struggling local company G. James Glass.

“Sources said the windows job on the $600 million Supreme and District courts building would have been a lifeline for G. James, which sacked about 100 staff in March because of a downturn in orders.”

Interesting times, Grasshopper.

*****

END

Have Your Say!

Northern NSW Farmer and Australian Beef Association, Chairman, Brad Bellinger writes:

.

Our members are yet again disgusted with the National Farmers Federation (NFF) and Cattle Council of Australia (CCA). This time it is their support for the Rudd Government’s insane Emissions Trading Scheme.

NFF & CCA addressing a conference of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) in Denmark this week, illustrates their compliance.

They are once again “selling out” Australia’s producers to the hand that feeds their personal agro-political ambitions. They should be saying “No’, ‘No’, ‘No’, to a Trading Scheme instead of having their hands out to funding from the Government to peddle this flawed nonsense.

The Copenhagen Talkfest is the regurgitating of seriously defective concerns addressed by equally flawed and questionable motions.

Senators Joyce, Boswell, Williams and Nash are the only Federal politicians showing any commonsense. An Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) or as Barnaby Joyce calls it (Employment Termination Scheme) is a means of transferring money from the public to the Corporate end of town. If the ETS is brought in, it will be the final nail in the coffin for Australia’s struggling rural sector.

It was appropriate that the talkfest was held in Copenhagen – home of Hans Christian Andersen and his classic story “The Emperor’s New Clothes‘.

Thinking Australians would like to have insisted that Professor Ian Plimer have been invited to have addressed the gathering and explain why their deliberations are naked on historic and scientific facts that record the World’s ever changing climate.

*****

END

Have Your Say!

"I bet you wonder how I knew.."

Hardly a week ever goes past that I don’t get a phone call or an email tip off about something that has happened, is happening or is about to happen. Most of it never makes it into the mainstream media and some of it is just rumours.

If you’ve got something for the grapevine either email me at steve(at)agmates.com (the at is a @) or if you want to post it anonymously just do it through the comments section below.

.

Are the four National Party Senators in a separate party? National Party Senators Barnaby Joyce, Fiona Nash, John Williams and Ron Boswell were left scratching their heads when they saw Federal National Party Leader Warren Truss standing next to Coalition leader Malcolm Turnbull at a press conference earlier this week announcing that the Liberal & National party’s were offering bipartisan support to Kevin Rudd’s Emission trading target cuts of 5-25%.

The National Senators have been very clear that they would not support any such targets as they will cripple the economies of rural & regional people they represent. The National Senators were left bewildered that they had been completely left out in the dark on on the Truss and Turnbull decision. They found out about it at the same time as the rest of Australia, when they saw it on Sky news. Now the question remains, are there actually two National Partys or maybe three if you count the LNP in Queensland. What a mess the party is in.

*****

Beef 2009 Executives try to muzzle Barnaby Joyce. Did you happen to notice that Senator Barnaby Joyce was not one of the keynote speakers at this years Beef 2009 event? The organizers of Beef 2009 did send Senator  Joyce an invitation which was duly accepted. However just weeks before the event the organizers asked the good Senator what he planned to speak on. Senator Joyce informed them that he’d speak on the negative impact on Rural Australia of the Federal Governments Emissions Trading Scheme the QLD Bligh governments Moritorium on regrowth clearing.

The organizers told Senator Joyce that they would appreciate it if he did not speak on either of those issues. Not wanting to be gagged Senator Joyce withdrew. The organizers were desperate not to upset the events major sponsors, The Federal and QLD Labor governments.

*****

Our Bad tempered Prime Minister. It has been well documented how a dinner served with meat on a government plane  or the absence of a a hair dryer on the battle field can send our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd off in a hissy fit. Journalist around Canberra are digging about frantically trying to find a PM female staffer who was reportedly on the wrong end of a book pegged at her in a fit of rage by our PM. The story goes that the book struck the female staffer in the head drawing blood. Apparently after wanting to report it to police the lady in question was placated and the whole incident smoothed over. You have not seen the story in the media because the jouno’s can’t get anyone in the PM’s department to talk. The only thing we can confirm is that the media is frantically chasing the story.

*****

AWB Landmark pressuring farmers on the South Australian Eyre Peninsular – Its been a few tough years over in the cropping country of South Australia’s West Coast. AWB Landmark has a huge presence on the Eyre Peninsular through it’s network of Branches and franchises. We are told that AWB Landmark is turning the screws on farmers in what is usually considered very safe winter cropping country.

*****

Ruralco Managing Director and CEO John Maher buying up shares. Ruralco CEO John Maher must think that the companies shares have hit rock bottom. Its not been a great 12 months for Ruralco’s share holders, if you’d invested $1,000 in Ruralco shares last year they would be now worth about half. John bought 10,350 shares for $19,665 on Wednesday. He holds 19,150 shares. Ruralco owned companies include some of Australia’s most iconic private agencies and rural businesses:

Combined Rural Traders (CRT), Grant Daniel & Long (GDL), Brady & Runciman, Davidson Cameron & Co, Grow Force, Queensland Rural, Savage Barker & Backhouse (SBB), Rawlinson & Brown, Roberts limited (TAS), Rodwells & Co, South Australian Livestock, Territory Rural, Town & Country, Water Net ….

*****

Correction –

From Geoff Magoffin Head of Suncorp Agribusiness – Queensland

Suncorp Agribusiness is growing

I refer to your column ‘Heard it through the Grapevine’ which appeared yesterday, where you said there was a rumour Suncorp was ‘paying their loans staff to offload rural borrowers’.

There is no truth to this rumour. Agribusiness remains a core business for Suncorp and we are committed to supporting and aiding the growth of this sector.

Certainly no staff member has been offered a financial incentive to move our agribusiness clients to another lender.

Regards,

Geoff Magoffin

Head of Agribusiness – Queensland

Suncorp Agribusiness

.

“Good to hear Geoff. In fact the farmers who contacted us to report Suncorps activity are very pleased to hear it and have reported that Suncorp is now being very reasonable in their dealings with them.

We’d still like to hear from you in regards to our invitation to become an Agmates Community Business supporter.”

Agmates Editor and Founder – Steve Truman.

*****

END

If you have a tip off for us please email us at steve(at)agmates.com or post it anonymously in the comments section below. Remember you heard it through the grapevine.

Have Your Say!