StagmanI left that role with Gemco with the contact details you...

Stagman

I left that role with Gemco with the contact details you posted (when in fact I was a Charles Darwin University Lecturer working with them under an MOU with Gemco) in 2003. But given some of the crap I cop here I'll probably have to get a stat dec from BHP and CDU to "prove it".

I don't work for Gemco. We deliver Cross Cultural Courses as employees of the Land Council's business arm, Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island Enterprises. We, my missus and I, deliver Courses to Gemco personel along with delivery to just about all non Locals who come here to work or visit. Under the Lease Agreement all Gemco personnel must undertake the courses and regular "refresher's" too, and the ALC must provide the trainers . All fees are paid to the business arm (GEBIE). Cross Cultural Courses account for about one day in ten of our workload.

Stagman the argument from some posters here is that I downramp GOT stock as an agent provocateur paid by Gemco so that BHP will buy that mob out at a bargain basement price. It's plain wrong, and plain stupid in my opinion too.

Mate I understand the inclination to scapegoat somebody or something when things go apex up in life...done it myself in dopey self pitying moments. And some people here have been severely burnt by the SP.

The other argument I guess is that because I "indirectly benefit" from Gemco that I shouldn't be critical of "the hand that feeds me" i.e. mining. I'm consructively critical of Gemco and a discerning admirer of some of their practices. But this GOT mob leave me cold as a coporate entity for lots of reasons and I personally oppose their seabed mining aspirations on cultural and environmental grounds.

I'm also the Coordinator of the TO's anti seabed mining campaign...and that'll include targeting Gemco if they make a move on their sea based tenements, which they haven't done to date. Funny thing though is that Gemco, even though they pay GEBIE for the cross cultural training never complain that that's a conflict of interest. The problem some posters have is that we (I) have to date kicked the beJesus out of GOT but not Gemco...but they haven't made any moves on their tenements. If they do we (I) will.

I must say I was surprised at Fluffynymph's assertion/assumption that Gemco directly finance the Land Council (but its pretty typical of the misinformation and assumptions some SH's appear to have and make). The ALC is completely autonomous and takes directions from the TO's, and both it and GEmco have to abide by the Lease Agreement and the Mine Management Plan. And sometimes initiatives are made by either side outside of those legally binding arrangements. As the ALC Sea Ranger Coordinator so beautifully articulated to me when we discussed a few posts on here about an hour ago the relationship between the ALC and Gemco is "abrasively professional".

Stagman I see a huge problem arising out of this mining boom and as the industry gets more powerful, and it's that just because an initiative is in fact mining , be blowed any other considerations (such as the environment and cultural issues), that it must be OK.

Note that line from JB. And if I could figure out how to draw that line at the end of a post I'd throw in something from Georgie Best, the great and crazy Man Utd football legend..."I spent millions on booze, fast cars, fast women and drugs- the rest I wasted." Not that I do that stuff myself (anymore) I'm too "tortured" by matters of great import.

Thanks for your posts.