Proposed NSW Government settlement with Metgasco, page-4

This is Mr Lincoln Augustus, first second cousin of Holymagimon.

Mr Blue Lion, this posting is an extraordinary indictment of the way NSW is being run. It would appear that this Government is ruling NSW with a " we have a big stick and a gun to your head" approach, which does not reflect any of the keystone foundation values of the Liberal Party when it was formed, namely morality, fairness and the promise of freedom of legal businesses.

The family remembers the property tax that the Labor Government brought upon the people of NSW on their own homes, in 2004. That was what Labor did then.

If this present NSW Liberal Government now intends to change laws to suit itself, if it intends to bring in a new Gas Plan which compels Metgasco to have all money upfront for all its proposed developmental works, then we feel that we are truly living in a dictatorship. In our experience, businesses in a democratic country dare never compelled to operate in that way, never have, never will.

If such laws are enacted, if such changes are made that will effectively ruin Metgasco, an honest company conducting an honest business, then what hope is there for other small entities?

Will all applications for any Development Approvals in NSW have to show upfront that they have the money to complete the entire development before they are given approval?

Were big developments like the Barangaroo Development made to show that they had all their finances ready prior to approval with no consideration given for any possible cash flow from sales "off the plan"?

Will all property developers be now made to show that they have full draw-down facilities in place before they are given any approvals for any unit developments?

Will anyone who wants to draw up plans for redevelopment of their house so that they can sell with approved plans be compelled to show that they have all the money to build their proposed development upfront before permission is given?

Or are there different laws that apply to different entities, according to the Government's perception of which way the wind is blowing?

As far as the family is concerned, the renewal of Metgasco's PELs is just like any other development application. If the Liberal Government is going to apply these onerous conditions only to oil and gas development and not to any other industry, then we feel that a great injustice is being done under the Liberal banner.

But then again, as Alvin the Idiot is telling me, perhaps Metgasco did things wrong right from the start.

Alvin feels that Metgasco spent $120 million exploring and proving up gas reserves which would have definitely brought jobs, prosperity and increasing property values to the Northern Rivers if Metgasco had been allowed to proceed unimpeded.

But Alvin the Idiot feels that that was where Metgasco went totally wrong.

Alvin the Idiot feels that Metgasco did not conduct its negotiations in the proper surroundings. He feels that Metgasco should have spent some of that money on hiring pleasure yachts and buying a few cases of the finest, MOST UNFORGETTABLE cases of Grange Hermitage and conducted their negotiations and community consultations with all concerned in these surroundings on a yearly basis.

Then perhaps, in these surroundings, the Board of Metgasco would have been able to more convincingly put forth its proposals to everyone.

Blessing of the Lord
MLA