Barnaby, water, fish and motor neurone disease

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Matt Flynn
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Barnaby, water, fish and motor neurone disease

Post by Matt Flynn »

Lot of stuff in the news lately about Barnaby Joyce's love life. Here is the real Barnaby story, an ABC report on the Murray water scheme ... http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/pumped/8727826

When Barnaby took the water portfolio he was recorded saying he "didn't want the Greens running the show re water".

While he holds power the Murray River is unlikely to improve.


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Re: Barnaby, water, fish and motor neurone disease

Post by Matt Flynn »

Possibly one of the biggest public health issues in Australia could be centred around the poor state of the Murray/Darling river system.

A paper about toxic water was published this year that flew under the radar ... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29724339

The paper simply confirms what scientists already suspected, that two dangerous amino acids, BMAA and 2,4-DAB, are found in Australian waterways.

A bit of detail on it here ... https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/discove ... -australia

These are natural amino acids found in water subject to algal blooms.

The Murray/Darling recorded one of the worst known algal blooms not so long ago. Its continuing poor condition is well known.

BMAA and 2,4-DAB will be in the Murray/Darling, and everywhere else there are blooms, even - importantly - in farm dams. BMAA is found in some marine algal blooms.

The problem is that BMAA - now more abundant because of over-fertilised waters, warmth and lack of water flow - is implicated in the worst neurodegenerative diseases.

A link to a disease like ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease/Motor Neurone Disease) was first noticed in Guam where locals had a high BMAA diet.

It has since been noticed that people who live near some lakes in the USA are more likely to get motor neurone disease ... http://www.unhmagazine.unh.edu/sp09/dan ... aters.html

It has also been noticed that people in Australia's Riverland have a high prevalence of motor neurone disease.

Scientists say BMAA is also likely tied to Parkinsons and Alzheimers diseases.

The great problem is that water drawn from BMAA sources can contaminate food, including livestock that drinks the water, and crops. And who ends up eating it? Punters everywhere.

BMAA implications are discussed in this story ... http://discovermagazine.com/2011/may/22 ... parkinsons

So, Australia's food bowl, the Riverland, with its world-class algal blooms, might be a significant source of BMAA.

Fishermen should care more because they are already exposed to BMAA. Marine algal blooms can contain it, so can fish, and especially some types of crabs.

BMAA bioaccumulates bit by bit.

Australia and the world may need new water standards for watering livestock and crops.

What a surprise to hear that we need clean flowing water to thrive eh!

Four Corners, where are ya? There is still debate about this issue but it sure looks the smoking gun is there.
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Re: Barnaby, water, fish and motor neurone disease

Post by Matt Flynn »

Good story on Barnaby, said he knew he'd lose his job as deputy PM but still ran up the public purse by running for by-election ... https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/t ... 12c178376d

Not to mention the creation of the new job position etc etc.

Worst of all they get paid $150k to sit there and be filmed fluffing on about it.

What a joke.
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Re: Barnaby, water, fish and motor neurone disease

Post by ronje »

Been hearing a lot about Barnaby (and others) in respect of being citizens of another country.

Doesn't matter how much they wriggle around, the constitution is very straightforward about it.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION ACT - SECT 44 Disqualification

Any person who is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights or privileges of a subject or a citizen of a foreign power shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a senator or a member of the House of Representatives.



What you haven't been told about is the penalty if somebody does indeed sit in House of Reps and/or Senate when they aren't qualified to do so.


COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION ACT - SECT 46


Penalty for sitting when disqualified

Until the Parliament otherwise provides, any person declared by this Constitution to be incapable of sitting as a senator or as a member of the House of Representatives shall, for every day on which he so sits, be liable to pay the sum of one hundred pounds to any person who sues for it in any court of competent jurisdiction.

When the constitution was enacted in 1901, the salary was 400 pounds per year. 100 pounds was a quarter of the annual salary.

I can't find anywhere to support any suggestion that the parliament has indeed provided otherwise.

These days 1 quarter of the annual salary would be about $50,000 PER DAY penalty.

Who wants to sue each and every one of these people (about 12 I think) for $50,000 per day for each and every day that they've sat in parliament when they had no right to? Some sitting for a few years.

These greedy buggers have been careful not to let on about the penalty that's provided haven't they?

Reach a settlement out of court with each one with the settlements donated to a charity.

Maybe a class action?

THEN they'd sit up and take notice of what the constitution says. Not simply suggesting that the constitution be changed to suit the pollies.
Regards
Ronje
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