Australia's Morrison faces fresh fury for bushfire 'campaign ad'

Yahoo – AFP, January 4, 2020

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison (L) has faced sustained anger for his
handling of the months-long bushfire crisis (AFP Photo/James ROSS)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced renewed criticism Saturday, after sharing bushfire themed party campaign ads that opponents condemned as "disgusting" and a respected defence association said was "milking" the crisis.

Facing sustained anger for his handling of the months-long crisis, Morrison sought to get on the front foot Saturday, announcing increased military assistance to beleaguered volunteer firefighters.

In a string of media appearances, he vowed every resource would be provided to help ease a disaster that has killed 23 people and burned swathes of the country, announcing more funding for water-bombing planes and the call up of 3,000 reservists.

But he found himself in fresh scandal late Saturday after tweeting a video heralding his announcements about the military, and his Liberal Party made a similar post linking to the party website.

Australia's bushfire crisis has killed 23 people and burned swathes of the country 

(AFP Photo/SAEED KHAN)

The non-partisan Australia Defence Association, a public-interest watchdog, said the Liberal Party advert was a "clear breach" of conventions keeping the military out of politics and accused the party of "milking ADF support to civil agencies fighting bushfires".

There was more fervent criticism from Morrison's political opponents for his tweet that promised "more Defence Force boots on the ground, more planes in the sky, more ships to sea, and more trucks to roll in to support the bushfire fighting effort".

It was accompanied by a military-themed video that was "authorised by S. Morrison, Liberal Party, Canberra."

Shadow minister for international development Pat Conroy accused Morrison of trying to "exploit a national tragedy" and described the ad as a "new low".

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison (L) has vowed every resource 

will be provided to help ease the bushfire disaster (AFP Photo/James ROSS)

"To then solicit donations to the Liberal Party while millions of Aussies are giving to fire appeals is beyond belief. Note this disgusting ad was personally authorised by this scum of a PM," he tweeted.

Labor Senator Murray Watt also took to Twitter to demand Morrison "show some respect to fire victims, the fireys (firefighters), the ADF, and the people facing fire fronts right now. Take down this Liberal Party ad. Now".

Morrison was earlier forced to cut short a Hawaii holiday following a barrage of criticism for vacationing while exhausted volunteer firefighters battled blazes across the country and millions of people in Sydney choked on toxic smoke.

Criticism of Morrison's absence was widespread, sparking street protests and a flood of angry social media posts demanding #whereisscomo.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced increased military
assistance to beleaguered volunteer firefighters (AFP Photo/PETER PARKS

He returned and promptly visited bushfire-hit communities where he was heckled by residents and criticised by a party ally.

A tearful pregnant woman and a volunteer firefighter refused to shake his hand and other residents peppered him with verbal abuse and suggested, colourfully, that he leave.

"People in these situations have a mix of emotions," Morrison said playing down the interactions and stressing he had been welcomed elsewhere.

"These arms have given a lot of hugs," he said.

French NGO files suit over Notre-Dame lead risks

Yahoo – AFP, Joseph Schmid, July 29, 2019

Hundreds of tonnes of lead in the roof and steeple at Notre-Dame cathedral in
Paris melted during the devasting fire on April 15 (AFP Photo/Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD)

Paris (AFP) - Pressure rose on French authorities Monday after an environmental group said it had filed a lawsuit accusing officials of failing to quickly contain the risks of lead poisoning after the fire that ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris last April.

Worries about exposure to the toxic metal emerged shortly after the disaster, which saw hundreds of tonnes of lead in the church roof and steeple melt during the blaze.

That dispersed lead particles into the air that later settled on streets and buildings in surrounding neighbourhoods, though officials had insisted there was no danger to residents.

But last Thursday, city officials indefinitely shut two schools near the gothic landmark after tests revealed high levels of lead pollution on a shared playground.

Cleanup work at Notre-Dame was also halted after the top government official in the Paris region acknowledged that anti-contamination measures were insufficient.

The moves came in the wake of a media report alleging that authorities had covered up tests showing high lead pollution levels in nearby schools.

"The relevent authorities, including the diocese... neglected to assist residents, visitors and workers, allowing them to be exposed to the toxic fallout," the Robin des Bois (Robin Hood) NGO said in the lawsuit filed on Friday.

It accuses health agencies, government officials and the city of Paris of "deliberately putting people in danger" by not immediately taking measures to limit exposure to the contamination.

Ingesting lead particles can cause neurological defects as well as nervous system and kidney problems, in particular in children, who are more likely to touch contaminated objects and to put their fingers in their mouths.

Workers cleaning Notre-Dame must wear protective suits 

and masks at the site to limit exposure to lead 

contamination (AFP Photo/Rafael Yaghobzadeh)

Worrying levels

Around 180 children had been attending a summer holiday club at the nursery and primary schools on the Rue Saint-Benoit, before they were shut.

French investigative website Mediapart reported this month that high levels of lead had been detected in schools and daycare centres surrounding Notre-Dame.

Mediapart said the authorities had waited until a month after the fire before conducting tests in the 10 schools and daycares within 500 metres of the monument on the Ile de la Cite island in central Paris.

One test result, at the private Sainte-Catherine primary school, showed 698 microgrammes of lead per square metre, 10 times higher than the 70-microgramme level considered potentially dangerous, it said.

Prefect Michel Cadot, the government's top official for the Paris region, told reporters last week that strict controls should have been in place in the heavily contaminated interior of the cathedral, as well as in surrounding areas.

Cadot said the square in front of the cathedral, usually bustling with thousands of tourists and pilgrims, would be cleaned with a high-powered system that had been tested on a small area close to church.

The cathedral as well as the square in front and other nearby areas have been off-limits since the fire.

Products believed to contain lead are placed in a bin in the grounds of the Paris 

cathedral during the clean up (AFP Photo/Rafael Yaghobzadeh)

'No visibility'

Parents and local officials have stepped up their criticism of how authorities have addressed the potential risks following the decision to close the schools, more than three months after the disaster.

Paris officials have vowed a "deep clean" of all schools near Notre-Dame, with walls and furniture to be wiped and playgrounds hosed down while most children are away during the summer holidays.

They have also rejected claims of withholding or playing down the test findings, saying the high lead levels detected at nearby schools have been posted on the municipal website.

But outside the two schools closed last Thursday, several parents seethed at the notice informing them of the closures, which made no mention of lead risks.

"She told me, 'We don't have any visibility'," Lamine, the father of two boys, told AFP after he spoke with a city agent posted outside the school.

Florence Berthout, mayor of the city's Fifth Arrondissement, where the schools are located, has urged Mayor Anne Hidalgo to protectively block access to all schools within 500 metres of the site.

Cadot added last week that "all precautions must be taken" at the cathedral itself to protect the workers clearing and shoring up the gutted 850-year-old building, which is still in danger of collapsing.

Christie lambasts House Republicans over Sandy bill: 'Shame on Congress'

Republican New Jersey governor singles out 'failure' of John Boehner after Speaker delays vote on hurricane Sandy aid

guardian.co.uk, Ewen MacAskill in Washington, Wednesday 2 January 2013

New Jersey governor Chris Christie speaks at a news conference at New
 Jersey's State House in Trenton. Photograph: AP Photo/New Jersey
Governor's Office

The plain-speaking governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, embarked on an extended tirade against his own party members in Congress on Wednesday, raging against what he described as the "toxic internal politics" of House Republicans.

Christie, a high-profile Republican who is among the potential candidates for a run at the presidency in 2016, used invective against his own party usually only heard in attacks from Democrats.

Although he was specifically angry over the House's failure to vote on a compensation package for victims of hurricane Sandy, he expanded his rant to criticise House Republicans in general and the House Republican Speaker John Boehner in particular.

In the face of heavy criticism from Christie and other Republicans, Boehner scheduled a vote on the aid package for Friday.

Christie, speaking at a 40-minute long press conference before that announcement, reflected widespread criticism, mainly on the left but also among independents and many Republicans, that the Tea Party-backed Republicans in the House are a disruptive influence, creating chaos in Washington.

"Americans are tired of the palace intrigue and political partisanship of this Congress, which places one-upmanship ahead of the lives of the citizens who sent these people to Washington DC in the first place," Christie said.

He added: "America deserves better than yet another example of a government that has forgotten who they are there to serve and why." Referring specifically to the failure to act on the hurricane Sandy package, he said: "Shame on you. Shame on Congress."

Christie said that, historically, lawmakers in Washington did not play politics with disaster relief, but in the present atmosphere, everything was the subject of gamesmanship. "They are so consumed with their internal politics, they've forgotten they have a job to do," Christie said. "Everything is the subject of one-upmanship. It is why the American people hate Congress."

His anger over hurricane Sandy was echoed by other governors and members of Congress from the north-east.

Even before Christie's remarks, the showdown over the fiscal cliff fully exposed the extent of the divisions within the Republican party. Republicans in the Senate, dominated by moderate members who have held their seats for a long time, voted as a largely cohesive unit on Tuesday in favour of the fiscal cliff deal.

There were only five rebels, two of them senators who are Tea Party favourites: Marco Rubio and Rand Paul.

In contrast with the Senate, the House, whose membership is backed to a greater extent by the Tea Party, was deeply divided. Only 85 Republicans voted for the fiscal cliff deal, with 151 against.

The divide was geographical as well as ideological, with a large bloc of those voting in favour predominantly from the more liberal north-east and those against from the more conservative south.

At the press conference, Christie said Republicans had failed in their duty by not passing the hurricane Sandy package. Republicans, conscious of keeping down federal spending, have questioned measures in the package that they regard as wasteful.

"Last night, the House of Representatives failed that most basic test of public service and they did so with callous indifference to the suffering of the people of my state," he said.

"There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House majority and their Speaker John Boehner," he added. He described Boehner's decision to cancel the vote on the aid package as disappointing and "disgusting".

Christie is a popular figure and his reputation grew over his handling of hurricane Sandy, in particular his bipartisan posture and his willingness to put aside politics to work with president Barack Obama, even though the White House election was looming.

He could struggle to win support among fellow Republicans in mid-west states such as Iowa, where the first of the caucuses are held, because his views on abortion, gun control and immigration are regarded as too liberal.

Rubio, who voted against the fiscal cliff deal, is among the present favourites.

US President Barack Obama (R) is greeted by New Jersey

 Governor Chris Christie (AFP, Jewel Samad)

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"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

Occupy Sandy: Onetime protesters find new cause

Chron, Meghan Barr, Associated Press, November 10, 2012

With their mother nearby, Mario Pineda, 12, pushes his brother Walter Rivera, 5,
 along a dark street full of debris after picking up some food at an Occupy Sandy
outreach center in the Rockaway Park neighborhood in the Queens borough of
New York, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Photo:
Craig Ruttle / AP

NEW YORK (AP) — The social media savvy that helped Occupy Wall Street protesters create a grass-roots global movement last year is proving to be a strength in the wake of Superstorm Sandy as members and organizers of the group fan out across New York to deliver aid including hot meals, medicine and blankets.

They're the ones who took food and water to Glenn Nisall, a 53-year-old resident of Queens' hard-hit and isolated Rockaway section who lost power and lives alone, with no family nearby.

"I said: 'Occupy? You mean Occupy Wall Street?'" he said. "I said: 'Awesome, man. I'm one of the 99 percent, you know?'"

Occupy Wall Street was born in late 2011 in a lower Manhattan plaza called Zuccotti Park, with a handful of protesters pitching tents and vowing to stay put until world leaders offered a fair share to the "99 percent" who don't control the globe's wealth.

The world heard the cry as that camp grew and inspired other ones around the globe. Ultimately, though, the movement collapsed under its leaderless format, and Occupy became largely forgotten. But core members, and a spirit, have persisted and found a new cause in Occupy Sandy.

It started at St. Jacobi Church in Brooklyn the day after the storm, where Occupiers set up a base of operations and used social media like Twitter and Facebook to spread the word.

There is a sense of camaraderie reminiscent of Zuccotti, as young people with scruffy beards and walkie-talkies plan the day's activities. Donations come in by the truckload and are sorted in the basement, which looks like a clearinghouse for every household product imaginable, from canned soup and dog food to duvet covers.

"This is young people making history," said Mark Naison, a professor at Fordham University who has been studying Occupy Wall Street. "Young people who are refusing to let people suffer without putting themselves on the line to do something about it."

Now the group has dozens of relief centers across the city and a stream of volunteers who are shuttled out to the most desperate areas. It is partnering with local community and volunteer organizations.

A recent post on Occupy Sandy's Facebook page announced: "Attention! If anyone in Rockaway needs to have their basement pumped, please contact Suzanne Hamalak at suzybklyn(at)aol.com. Her family wants to help and have industrial pumps...they will do it for free....."

In Rockaway Park, Occupier Diego Ibanez, 24, has been sleeping on the freezing floor of a community center down the street from a row of charred buildings destroyed by a fire.

"You see a need and you fulfill it," he explained. "There's not a boss to tell you that you can't do this or you can't do that. Zuccotti was one of the best trainings in how to mobilize so quickly."

There is little public transportation in the neighborhood, where most people still don't have power and many homes were wrecked. Occupy has supplied residents with hot meals, batteries and blankets. Medics and nurses knock on doors to check on the elderly.

At one Occupy outpost in Rockaway, residents wandered in recently off the garbage-strewn streets looking for medicine.

They lined up in an ice-cold abandoned store that had been hastily transformed into a makeshift pharmacy. Gauze bandages and bottles of disinfectant were piled on tables behind a tattered curtain.

"I think we wouldn't be able to survive without them," said Kathleen Ryan, who was waiting for volunteers to retrieve her diabetes medication, stamping her feet on the plywood floor to keep warm. "This place is phenomenal. This community. They've helped a great deal."

Is this Occupy Wall Street's finest hour? In the church basement, Carrie Morris paused from folding blankets into garbage bags and smiled at the idea.

"We always had mutual aid going on," she said. "It's a big part of what we do. That's the idea, to help each other. And we want to serve as a model for the larger society that, you know, everybody should be doing this."

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