This is one of the star case-studies of the noxious cost of big-government. A pernicious soul-destroying wrecker of livelihoods. This tyranny in action.
Matt and Janet are skeptics who ran a Beef Feedlot from Narrogin, Western Australia (2 hours SE of Perth). When they spoke out against climate change policies, onerous license changes were added that drove them to bankruptcy. Readers here and at Watts Up raised over $30,000 dollars as they faced eviction in Sept 2010. (It was the first time skeptics around the world had been asked to help a cause like this, and the response was so overwhelming that Paypal still can’t list all the donations we received on Sept 18th, 2010. It breaks their site).
The Thompsons write today with an update: they’ve decided it’s unfeasible to try to run their business under these conditions and with the new carbon tax in Australia, and due to family reasons they’ve reluctantly left Australia, moved back to the USA with their four children (bad for Australia, but good for Uncle Sam). They’ve reached a settlement with the bank but fully intend to pursue their legal case against the Department of Environment in West Australia. I’m delighted to say that Matt and Janet’s indomitable spirits survived these last two years, which pushed them to the brink and they are looking forward with great hope.
Their story in brief – a story I initially couldn’t believe would happen in Australia
This all sounds so unlikely: surely good honest businesses couldn’t go broke in a first world country because their owners spoke their minds? I’ve documented every statement below on this site. No one could run a business under these conditions.
Matt and Janet moved from Texas to Australia to set up a new feedlot farm. Their business was so successful in early 2007 they were turning away customers. After Matt spoke out as a climate skeptic at a greenhouse gas reporting meeting in May 2007 the DEC changed their farming license adding 33 new conditions, one or two which were so impossible, that no bank would loan against them. They had already signed contracts based on the previous license, and the newly reduced head-count drove them to the verge of bankruptcy. DEC even admits it broke it’s own rules. Apparently the Thompsons beef-feedlot didn’t smell right, even though Matt and Janet did everything the department suggested (and more), their closest neighbours wrote letters of support (wanting the farm to grow), 900 townfolk signed a petition for them, 6000 odour tests showed there was no problem, and wait for it, their farm was right next to a piggery which had run for 28 years. But 21 verified complaints from people who wanted to subdivide land and a number of other unchecked, not publicly listed, complaints about odours that can’t be measured were enough to close them down. And you thought Rule of Law applied in Australia? Not so, if you don’t butter up, pander, bow and obey the politically correct dictums set by unelected bureaucrats and the covert green-police, you too could be subject to random arbitrary license changes that insist your business must not offend anyone anywhere (and especially not your Green land-developing neighbours).
Donations for the Thompsons children helped to keep the family in their home for another 18 months, and put them in a much stronger position to fight the ongoing legal case. A large part went towards their move to the US, and the last part was sent a month or so ago to help set them up.
From Matt and Janet:
Dear Readers of WUWT and Jo Nova,
We would like to give an update to all of you who have supported us in a variety of ways, including with donations (in-kind and monetary) for our children, writing letters, and contacting politicians and our bank.
For a refresher on the background to our story, please see the original YouTube we produced, including the important second one, Part 1 Part 2: [And/or Anthony and Jo, whatever links to your own blogs on this issue]
We returned to the USA for Christmas in 2011 on frequent flyer tickets given to us by family. Matt’s dad had been having health problems, and had had a major surgery in July. After seeing our parents again, we were moved to reconsider our living situation; namely the fact that since our business was not operating, we could no longer afford to fly our family back to the States should something sudden arise. (Matt’s dad had another surgery in February, and we were thankful to be here for that.)
In addition to the desire to be within driving proximity to our families, we had become acutely concerned over the deterioration in political, legislative and regulatory circumstances in Australia. We worried that even if we were to win our case against the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) (a case that is still in progress), the passage of the Carbon (sic) Tax in 2010 made the possibility of ever operating our feedlot again impossible. It meant that even if we won in court, most of our efforts to profitably operate our business would have gone towards convincing some bureaucrat that we weren’t causing greenhouse gas emissions, when in fact we were. Productive people do.
Finally, while in the US, Matt was offered a job in Texas, and we felt, all things taken together, we should make the heart-wrenching decision to move our family to America. This was not a decision taken lightly. We had lived in Australia for 10 years. Three of our four children had been born in Narrogin, and the first had been only 11 months old when we moved down under. We have many close, stalwart friends, and our lives in Western Australia, despite the obvious problems, had been happy and rich.
After fighting through the court system on three fronts (bank, receivers, and DEC) since mid-2010 to save our business and attempt to pay back our unsecured creditors (who have been unbelievably kind to us throughout the ordeal), we came to an agreement with the NAB and Ferrier Hodgson (the bank-appointed receivers) last month. The details of the agreement are confidential, but we feel that concentrating our legal efforts on the DEC (bringing it down to a one-front war, if you will) is the most prudent thing for us to do.
So our property has been handed over to the bank and receivers.
Very importantly, we continue to pursue the case against the out-of-control, bureaucratic and inept DEC, still hoping to pay back our unsecured creditors. Still hoping that our story will make a difference to society. Still hoping for some semblance of justice for ourselves after losing our lives savings and thriving business due entirely to a government agency’s edict, after being told by that same entity in the beginning that we could proceed.
Our children were devastated when we broke the news to them in late January that we were not to return to Australia. Matt and I have both struggled with the fact that we were not able to say good-bye to our close friends, and we have been missing them and our life in Narrogin. Adding to the pain, the subtle nuances of our legal situation required us to quietly pursue our course without communicating publicly to the people who directly contributed to keep a roof over the heads of and food on the table for our children. Had it not been for your faithful generosity, our situation would have been impossible.
While that silence was difficult, it was necessary. Walking the fine line of dealing directly with our treacherous situation and communicating openly and often has been tough. We hope you understand. From our direct communications with many of you, we are certain you do. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
On the broader front of the hoax of climate change, we are very proud that we spoke out strongly and publicly — and early on — against the attack on productivity and productive people. We know that it cost us our business, our entire lives savings, and the life of one of our closest friends.
We continue to be concerned in the extreme about the situation and the fundamental factors that led to the birth and unobstructed growth of such an insidious and damaging monster. We continue to be involved with grassroots actions, hoping to make a difference. We believe our four children and their generation deserve better than to inherit the current financial and political mess. These concerns and our actions affect our ability to produce real goods and services as we would like to, but we will survive and do what we must while doing what we can.
Thank you again for your warmth, support, understanding, and patience. Please don’t hesitate to contact us through Jo or Anthony (with “The Thompsons” in the Subject line) if you feel moved to do so. Thanks again and again.
Janet and Matt
The bottom line:
1. Free speech is very much under threat in Australia.
2 .This all would have been so different if the media had done it’s job. Should you ever be unlucky enough to be the small guy standing up to the establishment, don’t expect your tax dollars paid to the ABC will help you highlight the injustice and expose the corruption. It’s their ABC after all. And where is that supposed bastion of news: The West Australian? They don’t seem to be in a hurry to let the citizens of Western Australia know how their Department of Environment play kingmakers either.
Thanks to Anthony Watts for his influential help on Watts Up.
He has just posted an update also.
UPDATED: My comment there (edited):
There is an anti-American element in Australia, not from ordinary Australians but from the green intellectuals, who were the activists against the Thompsons. You can bet that if they were Afghan immigrant farmers they would not have been singled out, and the media would not have ignored them. The combination of skeptic, american, beef feedlot, and free enterprise was a red flag …
What happened was abysmal. We lost upstanding citizens, entrepreneurial business acumen, four promising kids, and two excellent parents.
Most Australians would be appalled but they have not even heard of the Thompsons.
We wish them every success and will follow their progress closely.
I’m so proud of them for fighting on, and not letting the sods get them down.
* * *
My many posts on The Thompsons starting in July 2010 – now
- Tyranny: How to destroy a business with environmental red tape
- Smell that evidence
- 4 days notice! The Thompsons are served notice of eviction.
- Thompsons part 4: Every slope is a watercourse
- Minister of the Environment and Queen of WA?
- Thompsons part 6: Strong Community Support
- Thompsons Part 7: Welcome to Investment Hell
- Thompsons Part 8: Mexican standoff at the Farmgate
- Thompsons Part 9: Senator Cory Bernardi speaks out in Parliament
- Thompsons Part 10: The DEC admits it treated them unfairly
- Dirty tactics? Fences cut at the Thompsons…
- Thompsons update – protest in Perth on Monday
- DEC, deceptive, duplicitous, or just clueless about money?
- Funeral for Property Rights
- Donna Faragher: armed with unpublished complaint-mail and an unbankable license — destroys livelihoods
- An update from the Thompsons down under (Nov 2010)
- Breakthrough: DEC ‘s all-purpose (green) business licence
- Update from the Thompsons: The legal limbo drags on
- Farmers fighting for a fair go. Updates on The Thompsons and Peter Spencer
Those poor, poor children…. Being bought up in such a warped bubble of misinformation. Don’t get me wrong, as a business owner I certainly support an absolute minimal of interference from government’s sticky fingers and unnecessary over-regulation as far as is possible. But to call, for convenience sake, (because it doesn’t suit your business) the rock solid science behind global warming ‘a hoax’ just because you don’t understand it is ludicrous. Really, really poor form, no matter how much public support you think you have behind you. I’d say there’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye – pity it’s all confidential.
——————
Darn. In the rescue mission to get back 100000 lost comments we lost the thumbs down on this post which set a record tally -201 Thumbs down. — Jo
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Yes it did Jo, 201 in fact last time I looked a few days ago.
All nested replies now appear as their own single reply way down the thread.
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Exactly what I was thinking – it will have proven to have been so traumatising for them to have been uprooted from their lives because their parents decided to go off on some misinformed ideological crusade instead of concentrating on earning a living, the worst of it being exposed to people who blame their failure on everybody but themselves.
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I suggest the Thompsons get in touch with Gordon hall and get some legal guidance on how to recover all their money plus damages. holding the Dec and/or individuals personally liable is very possible but not using traditional court methods since the deck is stacked against you when entering court.
legal remedy its available to everyone, and many are waking up to how law can be used correctly. check out talkshoe.com and find contracts in motion. Gordon runs a weekly call with real cases, amazing stuff.
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So glad to hear some news. So sad to hear Australia has lost such a wonderful and enterprising family. You have touched a lot of people, not just with your personal story, but also with your amazing contribution to our society in so many areas. The whole family should be proud of your legacy.
I will look forward to any news regarding the case against DEC and will continue to take any opportunity to raise questions about DEC’s role in Western Australia.
I wish you and you family well and the success you so richly deserve.
Perhaps when this madness of the Carbon Tax, Clean Energy fund and various other disasters this current Government is visiting upon us has been removed, Jo can organise a reunion celebration.
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Sounds like they need to be hit with a $1.1 million fine for blaming the carbon tax. That will teach them for speaking their mind!
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“Those poor, poor children…. Being bought up in such a warped bubble of misinformation.” Matt Bennett #1 in your god damn dreams buddy in the context you wrote it.
However “Those poor, poor children…. Being bought up in such a warped bubble of misinformation.” yep, deliberatly deceitful people have impacted on those childrens lives, and the ability of their loving, caring protective parents to protect them from human beings need to be all knowing and powerful, crushing people like the Thompson’s financially, emotionally, and physically like their employees too…rip..
Janet and Matt – you know you are loved and cared for by many many people – you give strength to others in your leadership, and by your example.
Another step for us all to stand together – Thanks Jo for the update
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Green and red tape have destroyed many Australians over the past 20 years. The big question still remains, will Conservative State Governments and their councils who were relected on the back of the communities disgust with Green Labor’s fraudulent policies recognise this corruption and repair trust or just go on with the same take.
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Well I am another farmer ( a Biodynamic one at that) ruined by the corrupt Australian Government and Big Business who have sold the soul of Australia to the worse on this planet, who control Monsanto, who own the Carbon Tax & who have orchestrated the collapse of the financial systems worldwide to name a few.
I know for a fact I am, as the Thompsons are, one of 1000’s of farmers taken out,in Australia alone, through treacherous means with no due process , through a court system which is also in the pockets of the ones doing all of this.
Funny I owed not a penny to anyone, not a bank no one. Yet due to also being quite vocal about a few issues one in regards to Monsanto and the truth about the Carbon lie, was attacked also on three fronts at once.
I went to court after they decided to try to take everything, my property my livlehood and charge me for being a farmer on drought relief, which I was entitled too, seeing we were in drought for 10 years , although I only received the bare minimum of help for two years.
Well they got tired of due process, so they just went for the juggler. Whilst I am still in process in court they removed my name from the title of my land put it on the market & sold it, way below market value. Without my knowledge.
Then gave me 1 hour to leave after invading my home with 15 agents, who destroyed my business, stole my passport took my bank cards and left me with not a penny.
They then took me to a Kangaroo Court where I was not entitled to a lawyer, judge refused evidence, and then threw me in jail for 6 month.
Refused my right of appeal and still no justice.
The whole system is corrupt to its core & I now know who is really behind it. With the stupid minions who carry out these dastardly deeds totally unaware that it will be them next.
This is happening on a frightening scale in this country and worldwide. Quietly one my one taken out, no media , no so called recourse as the system and those in it are all corrupted.
I have been in the Organic Industry since its inception in this country 50 years ago.
I do know what is going on, I do know that all true environmental work has been taken over by these people with the government aiding and profiteering from it.
They will stop at nothing, to take all and destroy all in its path. Even to the point of murder.
For those who have been duped by the system and believe their lies, I ask that you really have a closer look to see the truth, for do not believe you are immune from it you are not.
I give my sympathy and understanding to the Thompsons & those who have all been put through something similar. That goes out to millions of innocent people on this planet.
—————————————————
Leslie, as I have said to others — information is our friend –– I can’t help everyone, but you can do a lot yourself to make it easier for commentators to cover your story. WordPress.com and others offer free sites. Commentators don’t need fancy writing or long stories, (we need the opposite – the short brutal facts) but what is really valuable are photos (farms, documents, people). The better organised your documentation, the easier it is for people to draw attention to the story. Figure that any commentator needs enough documents to know the story is credible. The faster you can get information from screen to person the better (ie make it methodical, organized, concise) — Jo
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Jo,
“The details of the agreement are confidential, but we feel that concentrating our legal efforts on the DEC….” so yes, much of the case IS confidential.
Your ‘public support’ comment makes no sense to me whatsoever? I wasn’t talking about science, I was referring to the amount of letters, emails, financial and moral support the Thompsons have apparently received and how that doesn’t make their position any more tenable.
And no, I’m not having a cheap shot via the kids (thanks for your ridiculous pot shot MadJak, as if you can EVER know my thoughts or motives), I deal with kids all the time as part of my business and their wellbeing is always at the forefront of my mind. It reminds me of those terribly ill-served children you see being ‘home-schooled’ in US bible belt states that have no chance of contact with the realities of the scientific method and therefore grow up schooled in the erroneous beliefs of their parents. Despite all the nonsense that flies around on sites like this, global warming, caused by our fossil fuel emissions, is a major reality to be dealt with largely during the lifetimes of these children. I does make it hard when they start out on the wrong foot.
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Well Matt Bennett,if it is caused by ‘our fossil fuel emissions’ then it isn’t caused by grass powered cow farts is it?
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Bennett:
You clearly have no idea what you’re talking about. If you think it’s home schooling that keeps kids from being exposed to the scientific method, think again. Most public education here in the U.S. is garbage. Don’t believe me? Look at the international competitiveness of U.S. students, particularly in science and math. Then look at the amount of money spent per pupil. Public education in the U.S. may be bad, but gee, it sure is expensive.
What I will say is that you’ve been well-indoctrinated about the “US bible belt”. If you actually took the time to find out the facts rather than outsourcing your thinking to feeble-minded bigots, you would see that your opinion of people who “rage against the machine” by refusing to have their children indoctrinated with the kind of politically-correct claptrap that many teachers push is a cartoonish and preposterous point of view that betrays a distinct lack of analytical ability and a prejudice of which a “scientific” person with the slightest amount of self-awareness would be ashamed. One need look no further than your “rock solid science” statement to get a feel for the quality of your scientific thinking.
Other than that, good post, except for your obvious “projection” about the kids being brought up in a bubble of misinformation, and your clear misapprehension of the facts of the matter. Nice work, champ!
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You say this Mr. Matt Bennett:
All parents are erroneous in your belief! Amazing statement!
.
Let’s look at a personnel attack on you –
Matt Bennett buys the Beef Feedlot at Narrogin cheaply from the banks and starts up a CATTLE CREDIT Feedlot.
The more cattle you don’t feed – the more money you earn?
The Thompsons tried to feed more cattle and got paid less!
MORAL: Do nothing and earn money in this new GREEN society – Try to do something and be penalised?
Sounds like a windmill arguement to me Mr. Matt Bennett!
What message does this send to your own children??? 🙁
Is this really about odour and methane Mr. Matt Bennett???
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Great to get an update on Matt and Janet, i think Peter SPENCER case was also in NSW court today no follow up as yet.
Many are belatetly taking note of who is behind buying up farms and for what purpose, much the same as urban rural land and it has nothing to do with the environment.
Also noted from United Nations , they now want to include a clause to include PROPERTY RIGHTS, or land rights at the rio summit.
http://insights.wri.org/news/2012/05/why-land-rights-should-be-rio20-agenda
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I know exactly how people feel who voice their sceptisim in the public domain seeking to have an honest debate but instead are being viciously attacked in the name of “children” or “future generations”.
These are some comments I received on Facebook just yesterday by people who should know better.
“If only climate change deniers had their own planet they were free to stuff up and leave the rest of us to fix this one”
Joel Zyngier, lawyer who actred pro bono against Andrew Bolt and lists one of his areas as “environmental justice”
“It personally infuriates me that people like [Sonny] go around spreading misinformation and attacking good science. It’s my future and the future of my
Family and friends he is helping to stuff up. We should all take it personally that fossil fuel funded messaging is helping delay action on climate which worsens the consequences for all of us.”
Pablo Brait, Beyond Zero Emissions.
It is so obvious how individuals with financial, career or ideological bias towards environmentalist alarmism depend on these kinds of superficial emotional appeals.
The data is against them. All they have is propoganda.
Thankfully out children and out childrens children will not suffer global warming and nor will they have to suffer all the alarmist bullshit that comes along with it.
Pablo Brait, Beyond Zero Emissions
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linda,
Been checking land purchases in QLD and also stock movements – huge amount going on – will try to get details of the high profile parasites (mainly Greens & CAGW fanatics) on this con trick.
10,000 head moved to one property (only small) in NQ that never had stock prior – stands to gain $420,000 in Cattle (methane) credits if they claim July 1st!!
It’s criminal – the ACCC is too busy investigating the corner store for raising the price of a block of cheese by 8 cents!!!
And Mr. Matt Bennett feels sorry for the children!!! GRRRRRRR!!!
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I believe that the Thompson’s case goes a lot deeper than Australia’s Department of Environment and Conservation. Have a Google look at the US: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association – (search: NCBA Op-Ed: Cattlemen defining sustainability.)
They are fighting the good fight to protect their industry from ‘Sustainability’. They say: “…we risk facing unrealistic sustainability standards.”
Sustainable is a very treacherous word and refers to Agenda 21; creating a pristine world and removing contaminants – such as cow dung. The ‘Sustainability’ term is an invention of one world government. (To create a pristine world you would move pollutants – like cow dung – to other countries that have low pollution, like Africa.)
The United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT 1) was held in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1976 and establishes the United Nations Policy on private property rights. It produced a document that became the blueprint for comprehensive land use planning. The preamble to the report declared that:
“Land…cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market. Private land ownership is also a principal instrument of accumulation and concentration of wealth and therefore contributes to social injustice….Public control of land use is therefore indispensable….”
Just a WA issue?
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Great GDP and jobs figures this week, eh? Result of a lot of hard work by Swan. We are well placed for the Carbon Price that comes in the first of next month—and that by itself will boost activity and jobs as the compensation gets spent,as the tax free threshold gets tripled to $18K and so on.
Nice big solar power generation facility going up in NSW, first of many, helping drop electricity prices, creating jobs and so on.
Instead of stuffing around with silly conspiracy theories why not enjoy all these good things?
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Maxine
“Nice big solar power generation facility going up in NSW, first of many, helping drop electricity prices, creating jobs and so on”.
Where is the help coming from to drop electricity prices?
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I just don’t know what is happening in Australia these last few years, one night I went to sleep in a state called Queensland and woke up in one called Nanny. Fortunately we got rid of Anna’s Hard Labor and now we seemingly have a few state pollies who are prepared to question CAGW publicly, so at least we might be on our way back, I just hope it’s not too late. Also o/t but did you see the two Olympic Swimmers who can’t be pictured with guns, this beautiful, wonderful Country, which i love with all my heart, is dying from inept and simply bloody stupid Politicians who are happy to exploit the politics of envy and hate for their own selfish reasons I just hope we can get back to where we should be before we reach the majestic heights of Greece or Spain.
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My very best wishes to the Thompsons for their future.
I just hope the gutless banks take a real bath on this.
I’m absolutely amazed by the comments on the upcoming cattle rort when the carbon tax comes in. How come this is not making major headlines in the MSM?
It makes you wonder if the rort that took place in the EU when their ETS was introduced will happen in Australia. What happened there was in the years before the system started many companies inflated their reported emmissions figures above what was actually happening so they got given “extra” credits for the introductory period. So when the system started they flogged off the credits they did not need and started reporting actual emmissions –they made a huge profit and looked like great corporate citizens for reducing their emmission so well.
I understand there has been a similar voluntary reporting system operating in Austraia for the last few years. Watch this space !!!
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The great global warming hoax as it is now called is riddled with sinister elements mainly political.Supporters of AGW rely solely on computer models as there has never been any research that has directly linked dangerous global warming with cO2. Where you are not responsible for earning your income but benefit solely from state activities it ill behoves you to question what the state proclaims. Only private people can live the truth – and suffer the truth. As a Britisher I am ashamed of Julia Gillard who left these lands to torment Australia.
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This is indeed a tragic story and through it all the family have remained outwardly at least courageous and good humoured for which I applaud them.
The DEC have behaved deplorably. I urge readers to read Jo’s post at http://joannenova.com.au/2010/09/thompsons-part-10-the-dec-admits-it-treated-them-unfairly/
and particularly the minutes of December 2009 which Jo has linked there
Jo also has in that post a statement from the relevant Minister
The DEC never followed that procedure in this case. As a result the Thompsons lost their considerable input capital, I suspect they incurred considerable debts and they lost their livelihood. When you’re in that situation it’s very difficult to get sustained legal assistance of the type that’s needed.
Pro productivity – what’s it mean?
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Australia loss is our gain. Here in the US and Texas we welcome them home.
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This is what Mitt Romney has to say about the ever extending reach of the arm of Government:
read more at http://catallaxyfiles.com/2012/06/08/the-liberating-power-of-the-free-enterprise-system/
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Why glorify people like Matt Bennett with a reply to his stupidy ??
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It’s the UN’s plan to remove private ownership of land from the populace. Personally, I wait for the day when all those rotten filthy politicians hang from that 6 million dollar flag pole at parliament house. If karma exists, then I can’t wait until the bastards get theirs.
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Slightly off-topic, but picking up on Tim’s comment above:
“Sustainable is a very treacherous word and refers to Agenda 21; creating a pristine world and removing contaminants – such as cow dung. The ‘Sustainability’ term is an invention of one world government.”
I think we need some sort of support group or Watch Site for areas of expertise that are in danger of attack from AGWers. I’m willing to help.
1. AGW re-badged as “Climate Change”.
Sneaky. As if any of us actually involved thinks that climate is static?
2. Next – re-badging “Extreme Weather”.
We have the likes of Matthew England cracking on as if he has just discovered it, when many of us have been working on building resilience to extreme events for decades, events that have happened in the past and will happen in the future.
3. Next – re-badging to “Sustainability”.
Ok – the point about Agenda 21 is valid. With the benefit of hindsight, this was a lot more insidious than it appeared to be.
So far, I have been unable to find a replacement term when (not if) sustainability becomes a dirty word.
What is next on the hit-list?
I notice the effect of all this muddying of the waters in my relatively humble daily work, designing buildings that suit people’s needs, are adaptable to change over time, but not cost-prohibitive at the outset.
I often say things like “ok the C2 wind speed classification is a bit marginal, but the difference amounts to perhaps $xxx in extra plates, cyclone rods are less than $xx each…”
” … minimum floor level might be +450 AHD, but going to +750 AHD is only $xx on the length of the posts, two more steps…”
Thing is – clients are showing a tendency to “switch off” because of this barrage of alarmism. They know they can’t meet the (apparent) demands, so they feel that there is no point bothering.
Regards
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I am sorry to hear that the Thompsons have left Australia. Unfortunately the bureaucracy moves excruciatingly slowly , and business destronyingly, when it seeks to. Intransience of the regulators will beat enterprising business people most times and it is a loss to the economy as a whole. I, like many others here, look forward to positive (hopefully) updates from the court actions, but I imagine that will also move at a glacial pace.
Good luck to all y’all back in the USA. Hopefully you can keep the carbon cowboys at bay there.
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Slightly off topic but somewhat on topic, it seems Greenpeace GetUp and a few others also want to stifle business in Australia by running negative advertising campaigns against Australian investments:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/wayne-swan-slams-greenpeace-advertisement-about-coal-ships-on-great-barrier-reef/story-fn59niix-1226389109780
To his credit, even Swannie thought this was a step too far. I suspect that Labor is gradually trying to distance itself from the Greens now that an election is fast approaching.
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The Thompsons have suffered terribly at the hands of the eco-fascists who control the WA bureaucracy.
Now for a bite of the bitter pill.
This all started when the DEC cut the Thompson’s carrying quota from 10,000 to 6,000 at the beginning of 2008.
Colin Barnett’s LIBERAL government was elected in September 2008, and has been in power ever since.
In other words, to all intent and purpose, this disgusting affair mostly happened under a LIBERAL government.
I just thought I’d point that out for those starry-eyed folk who continue to think things are going to change very much after the next federal election.
And just in case anybody thinks it’s an outlier: in the last two weeks a senior minister in the Victorian LIBERAL government, a senior minister in the NSW LIBERAL government, and a senior minister in the QLD LNP government, have all confirmed their unswerving belief in Mann-Made Global Warming.
Let us not forget that, unlike JuLIAR and the Greens, the federal LIBS will be given an overwhelming mandate to introduce THEIR “climate change” policies, which are just as ill-conceived and spendthrift as Labor’s, and based on the same cultist pseudo-religious, unscientific beliefs.
Meanwhile, the eco-fascists will be left firmly in control of our bureaucracies, including the CSIRO, the BoM, the ABC, and our education system, JUST like they have in the states.
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Jo, thank you for the update on the Thompsons.
Matt and Janet, I am so sorry that you’ve had to leave Australia. Keep fighting as we are behind you 100%.
Wendy & Kneel
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Just in case anyone out there thinks Clive Palmer is a nutter because of his CIA conspiracy theories you had better think again. US interference is a problem through out the world!!
The CIA recently interfered with a UK company, with the full knowledge of a British council, and bankrupted them.
Saw this report on website of Daily Mail UK
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Memoryvault, yes, the so called conservatives are in power and there has been no change to Green Labor’s polices or their Liberals for trees policies which denigrate private enterprises loses to improve productivity , So therefore the ignorance within the so called elected representatives lives on in the knowledge that a large downturn is inevitable and these fools will only take notice once they have no options left but to listen to those who create something tangible of value.
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Prior to 2008 election WA Liberals released a draft policy on property rights, maybe NOW would be a good time to justify the use of tax payers funds on the 7 reports over many years, and with the latest news from farm weekly, and the court case of Peter Spencer updates on JUST GROUNDS site .
47% off national revenue is from private property, so where is the voice for property owners.
http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/pga-calls-for-environmental-law-review/2583569.aspx
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Jo it would be great if the Thompsons kept in touch sometimes – maybe ‘letter from Texas’ once or twice a year
I’d love to get updates on their new life and I’m sure many others would as well
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Meanwhile,
Union Members in NSW paid $350,000 to bail out an MP accused of spending almost half a million dollars of Health Services union funds on prostitutes and getting himself re-elected.
I count my lucky stars that no one has ever bullied me into paying Union fees.
I genuinely feel sorry for members of unions with this sort of thing being done with their hard earnt cash.
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http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=thinning-arctic-ice-allows-plankton-bloom&page=2
Of course, spring arrives earlier in Arctic (and in the UK and no doubt everywhere else) so a lot migratory species miss out on this bounty.
So, please, no more nonsense about arctic ice not thinning.
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Jo the main story is that the Gergis paper has been withdrawn/on hold CA jean S discovereed a major fault
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That gurgling sound you just heard is the sound of Gergis et al swirling down the dunny.
http://climateaudit.org/2012/06/08/gergis-et-al-put-on-hold/
Another “hockey stick” bites the ****.
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Maxine, If you continue to deliver this rubbish to support the public services demand to control with more funding money coming from this man made global warning CO2 tax scam, your position and that of the lefts in the public service is unsustainable. Your numbers will be cut until you and your fellows in fiction get the message, the public have woken up to the bullshit. See NSW Governments latest 10,000 public servants to get axing to get the picture Maxine.
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It sometimes must be nice to be a pro-CAGW blog, where all unfavourable comments to the Cause are automatically censored out.
In this blog, all too often there is some smug naive youngster or self-opinionated old fart spouting one, two, or three line comments and thinking themselves very clever.
Jo, can I suggest you don’t censor these largely pointless comments, but put them somewhere below in a section entitled: “For smug naive youngsters and self-opinionated old farts only”.
[And where would you put the self-opinionated old farts who just happen to be moderators?] Fly
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Maxinie, really, I think you should stop digging now, the hole is deep enough. You have proven, beyond doubt, that you know nothing about what you talk about and yet still claim to have a B.Sc. That’s a laugh right off the bat!
I think you need to look up the term for used for the effect heat has on gases. Then look up atmospheric scintillation (AS). You will see that for there to be an increase in AS there has to be an effect on gases. The term used to decribe how heat effects gases is called MOTION. So for the AGW THEORY to be true there would have to be an EFFECT. More heat = more motion = more motion = more AS. If this were the case then ALL ground based optical devices would need to be adjusted to compensate for this increased AS. This is NOT happening. Therefore, no ajustments = no change in AS = no increase in heat. The AGW theory fails right there. And lets not talk about IR astromony, you will fail to understand that too. Ad can you tell me, where is Trenberths missing heat? Should have popped up now…according to the models at least.
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Maxine
June 9, 2012 , Quote:
Unlike our highly informed and, obviously superiorly intelligent climate scientist Maxine, Bsc, this peon has only google:
Forgive this lowly peon for asking, but can Maxine provide the evidence that has ‘validated’ this ‘weeks old’ hypothesis to a point where Maxine ‘knows‘ this ‘one trick’ spells the ‘doom of mankind’?
Here is a hint: Explain the PETM.
Turn all those ‘thumbs down’ around!
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Hi Jo,
OT: My posts (and possibly others) are inheriting the up arrow values from the post that sits directly above them. Looks like a bug in the site code.
(There I was, wondering why people were able to like my posts so quickly…)
I would also check the code around the down arrow as well.
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Jo, thanks again and again for your site and your tireless work to advance truth. We appreciate you documenting everything about our story for all the world to see…if only they choose to.
I learned this last week that the EPA here in the USA is using drones to “inspect” ranch land for enforcement purposes. Incredible, eh, that they are spending resources keeping an eye on “criminals” who produce and pay tax. 1984. 1984. 1984.
God help us all when the consequences of all this idiocy come home to roost. People will go hungry in large numbers. I just don’t see any way around it.
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I hate to comment when I don’t have all the information, but a cattle feed lot can generate overwhelming, nauseating stink. Used to be (haven’t driven through El Paso in years) that if the wind was from the right direction, driving west out of El Paso was right in the path of the stink from a cattle feeding operation. Man! I mean STINK! So perhaps the neighbors had a legitimate complaint.
OTOH, I am sorry to see the Thompsons lose all that investment, in time,effort and money.
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In the mean time, we will focus on raising children who know how to produce so that when the time comes, they will be able to do their part in rebuilding. Just like each of your stalwart readers does and will do.
All our warmest regards,
Janet and Family
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Strange that the Thompsons think that the US is safe from governmental malice and terrible red tape- its worse more laws and regulations than anyone could possibly follow- they keep adding without taking away. The US is on track to not have any legal small business. Currently being trashed is the last bastion of independant taxi drivers- Washington DC with million dollar badges being required to be bought.
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Well what an opportunity. So how does a carbon tax that doesn’t impact agricultural emissions affect the Thompsons?
And if Matt spoke out at some rally – why is there necessarily a connection between that and their run-in with DEC?
If he got a flat tyre on the way home would that have also been “proof”. What bulldust. It’s just a pile of excuses as the community that didn’t want a stinking feedlot. And they stink to high heaven.
Sounds like Nova pumpin’ up the volume to me.
—————-
Mr Fish, read the links – Matt has the email records pre May 2007 and post May 2007. DEC took a special interest in the Thompsons from that point. Sure, correlation is not causation. 6000 odor tests from Narrogin prove the feedlot could barely be detected in the town most days of the month. Sounds like an anonymous troll, astroturf anyone? — Jo
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Call me Stinky like dead fish. Jo – it’s very simple – this is just grandstanding. So the Thompsons had a major run in with a govt dept – gee like that never happens.
And bastards being bastards (DEC and govt in general) probably dig in if you touch them up.
So how does a carbon tax, not to be on agricultural emissions, and not yet implemented affect them? – no answer
Would proof do you have apart from spruiking that Matt’s opinions on AGW have anything to do with DEC’s actions. no answer – as you say “correlation does not equal causation” – you can’t selectively use this line on AGW matters and waive it here (well you can but that wouldn’t be consistent)
Sounds to me like the locals (and you’d probably have to have grannie in the cemetery to be a local in these places) didn’t like stinky business. “Barely detected on most days of the month”. What apart from the days that did stink?
Sounds like yanks go home and supported by the locals (who wouldn’t tell you to your face), and leaning on DEC to me.
It’s emotional – who can be objective when they’re your mates – a difference of opinion = “you’re a troll”. Fair enough.
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Never really liked how you latched onto this story to buttress your own viewpopint. It isn’t, in my opinion, quality journalism to emotionally laden your objectives by appealing to people’s misfortunes. My imperceptive critics will no doubt utilise the argumentum ad misericordiam against me, or your ridiculous ratings system will dispense with my comment but it’s one of the reasons why I go somewhere like Climate Audit for balanced information. The polemicists just pick up scraps and spin a political narrative out of it.
Humorously, most right commentators who claim to be against centralisation are all for ‘big government’ when it suits them.
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Sam, “buttressed my viewpoint”?
I’m not a lawyer, I waited 6 months to write anything because it was a big undertaking. I wanted a legal blog to take this up – it’s a property rights issue, not science communication. In the end, when no one else would do it, I saw a travesty and felt obliged do what I could.
I see you haven’t read the 20,000 words I’ve written documenting their case?
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Jo – yes I have read the previous accounts, but you’ve just ducked the questions:
How has a yet to be implemented carbon tax, that won’t account for agricultural emissions impact this issue – it doesn’t.
Where is there any evidence that Matt’s views on AGW influenced DEC in any way.
Should be easy to answer. Without answers it’s poor reporting.
You may have your suspicions but that’s both opportunistic and indulgent without evidence.
My suspicion is that Narrogin is a world away from the AGW debate ground zero. How indulgent of me.
And I am not saying the Thompsons haven’t had a rough time nor am I unsympathetic to their misfortune, but things happen to many businesses every day. Why just pick this one? Tacking AGW and carbon tax onto the story with DEC is tacky regardless of the merits of those issues. It’s creating mythology on some very loose correlations. Which surely you’re against.
Anyway enough said or I’ll be trolling.
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Another view on the Carbon Tax take: Or man made Global Warming, and its brain dead child Climate Change. Please be not be disturbed to the fact that all of this science is a shroud to implement a new taxation revenue stream to replace the now discredited crumbling edifice know as the current set of currencies, who’s values are suspect and have been worked to death. which need to be replace, hence the inflation of oil and gold and all manner of derivatives.
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Sounds Fishy
You say –
It is reported above –
Logic,facts and analysis would lead a rational person to the conclusion that it was Matt and Janets voicing of their viewpoints on climate change that brought about the DEC’s vindictive actions – what else would have caused the DEC to act in such an immoral manner?
Your underlying problem I would think is that your education has brainwashed you to the extent that whenever the term skeptic appears it triggers in you a hate filled emotional response making you irrational and thus causing you to abandon facts and logic in any arguement that you may make.
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Unfortunately Jo, it’s beginning to look entirely possible to make that same statement about this country.
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This statement “the passage of the Carbon (sic) Tax in 2010 made the possibility of ever operating our feedlot again impossible. It meant that even if we won in court, most of our efforts to profitably operate our business would have gone towards convincing some bureaucrat that we weren’t causing greenhouse gas emissions, when in fact we were”
is simply rubbish. There is no Australian carbon tax on agricultural emissions. Fabricated nonsense. If Nova couldn’t jam AGW or carbon tax into the discussion she wouldn’t be on the case. How can she let the above sentence stand when it’s WRONG!
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If all of this is true then why hasn’t the Liberal Barnett government done something about it? Is it yet another example of Liberal Premier not having the guts to confront the Left and undo their institutional apparatuses.
Free speech is not under threat, because we have never had it. Only the Left have free speech in this country. Alan Jones is being pursued by ACMA on several fronts. Andrew Bolt has already been punished, but he doesn’t seem to understand that free speech should apply to the whole community and not just to him. The government has legislated of persecute people who ‘falsely’ claim that a price increase results from the carbon tax: result – no-one would dare state it even if it were true. But more to the point. Why have none of the Liberal Premiers abolished their anti-free-speech laws and tribunals? Why have they not used their positions to criticise the Gillard government for ruining our society? Howard had control of the Senate and did NOTHING to roll back Labor’s oppressive laws. Howard could have abolished 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. Was he too scared to do it, or just incompetent? Instead, he treated workers like any other commodity and introduced legislation that will harm the Liberals’ election chances for years to come.
This country is finished.
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But the real irony about the whole reason for the carbon [sick, that’s what is] tax is that it’s got absolutely nothing to do with controlling the climate: it’s all about, and has always been so, a nefarious way for the govmint to filch our wealth under a pseudonym for pol-loo-shone. They think we’re all imbeciles who won’t know differently, least of being told the truth; the govmint needs more of our dough to keep themselves in power.
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Lets Cut to the Chase here.
First what is behind this story and millions like it.
Yes in Australia too.
Which has nothing to do with which country you were born in.
Which is not the left right paradigm.
Which has absolutely nothing to do with helping the environment.
But a mere front to take control of every persons sovereignty and every countries sovereignty.
Which every side of government has bowed too in this Country and many others.
The Courts are also a mere front to further their purpose, bar a very few near extinct honest ethical people.
Agenda 21.
Here are a few links to begin your research if you are unaware of what really is going on.
http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/
http://www.green-agenda.com/agenda21.html
http://www.topix.com/forum/world/australia/T8DGPKFP333V912OH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTG9d2K1xVQ
http://www.actforaustralia.com/articles/threats-freedom-agenda-21
Best to fight this, then each other in the forum.
Also to support those who have already experienced the brunt of this.
Thanks Jo for your comment. I do understand. But one is met with tyranny on one side & ignorance on the other.
With no system in place to protect you.
So I rebuild again.
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[…] or individuals they don’t like. An appalling example of that is the treatment of the Thompson family, whose successful business was forced to close by DEC, the Australian equivalent of the EPA, […]
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