My email sent to Ian Macfarlane this morning. His reply came 5...

My email sent to Ian Macfarlane this morning. His reply came 5 minutes later:

"Mr Macfarlane

Congratulations on your blunt comments at the APPEA Conference in Brisbane yesterday.

We will know more when Minister Hartcher speaks tomorrow. Alas, perhaps not.

With the greatest respect why do you always emphasise Santos in the Piliga and nobody else? Metgasco has the same amount of gas (2500PJ) as Santos (ESG) in reserves.

In addition to the Piliga–Sydney pipeline a gas pipeline from Newcastle to Queensland should also be on the NSW govt’s agenda to complete the nation’s gas supply network.

If you will forgive my mixing metaphors up here (and down there?) at the grass roots level there are no Bernanke –style ‘green shoots’ to report.

Only a wasteland and wasted opportunities.

If it wasn’t for Mr O’Farrell - still in denial (or oblivious!) of the calamity he is causing - Metgasco would have been in production and supplying local exporting businesses with compressed gas by the end of this year. Metgasco would not have had to retrench 24 staff either. Myriad businesses in Casino (from Rex Airline, the Holden dealership, the motels, down to the small sandwich shop) also now suffer from the drying up of Metgasco $s spent in the town. Even the tourist attracting Casino Beef Week’s viability is in doubt without Metgasco sponsorship.

In addition, Dart Energy had a GSA with a Dutch company resulting in 250 new jobs in job scarce Newcastle. Now - with Dart itself - all gone.

Incitec Pivot? – going as well.

Closer to Turramuura (where BOF lives on the leafy North Shore) where does Mr O’Farrell think the gas will come from to power Sydney’s buses? Or heat the baker’s ovens? Bread and public transport! If these are not “basic essentials” what are?

Meanwhile those parts of the Northern Rivers opposing csg by any means they can have less than 50% of their young children immunised: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-27/vacc-attack/4715426.

So in the inevitable epidemic Lismore and Gold Coast hospitals will be unnecessarily swamped with seriously sick children.

Lismore’s Mayor, Jenny Dowell, proudly boasts that her region is poor but happy: http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/happy-days-are-here-again/1882963/ apparently happy with ‘low school retention rates, high levels of domestic violence, assault, homelessness and a high proportion of non-indigenous people on Centrelink payments’.

She should talk to people afflicted or affected by these problems. Happy they are not!

Thank you for speaking out so strongly and unambiguously."

His reply:

Thanks hs. I'll make sure I mention Metgasco next time

Regards,

Ian Macfarlane
Federal MHR - Groom
Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources