Ray Hadley: Having the last laugh on Everest neigh-sayers
From Everest controversies and federal government visas to immigrants to Manly’s future and Alex and Teigan McKinnon’s new arrival, Ray Hadley gives his opinions on his Top 10 topics of the week.
Opinion
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1. What a week for tomorrow’s Everest at Randwick. I’m sure Peter V’landys could have done without the death threats and drama but, on the other hand, is there anyone in the country who doesn’t know about the world’s richest turf race? I said in this column two weeks ago V’landys is the best sporting administrator in Australia. The events of the past week confirmed that.
2. There was much discussion about bullying in connection with the Opera House through the week. It appears there are two sets of rules: one for mainstream media; and another social media warriors.
3. This move by the federal government to issue visas to immigrants to make sure they reside in regional Australia is simply unworkable. You can’t chain people to a fence and stamp their documents not valid outside of Dubbo.
4. This week I heard from the daughter of a murder victim at the hands of a creature named Berwyn Rees. In 1977 and 1980 Rees executed three innocent men. He shot two men in the back of the head at a gun store in Sydney and three years later he gunned down a police sergeant near Newcastle. Rees is now applying for parole and there’s a chance the State Parole Board will grant it. It’s being opposed by Corrective Services. The members of the Parole Board should read the statement of facts from 1980 and forget about any suggestion this bloke has found God. He can maintain his relationship with the Lord from Silverwater jail.
5. Just what does the Environment Protection Authority do? This week I learnt a private developer, Crownland, found trucks dumping illegal waste at Austral. Crownland staff took photos of the trucks and supplied all the information to the EPA. It then cost Crownland $90,000 to get rid of the asbestos-riddled waste. The best the EPA could do was fine the dumpers $4500 for failing to co-operate. Either the EPA is fair dinkum about stopping this sort of stuff or it isn’t.
6. Transurban seems to be a favourite of the NSW government when it comes to running toll roads. Some shareholders seem to be unhappy with CEO Scott Charlton’s $7 million salary package. It’s a lot of money. But so too is the cost of tolls for cars and trucks using the roads run by Transurban. Sydney is the toll road capital of the nation.
7. The Federal Court has done us a huge favour by overturning a decision by the Admin Appeals Tribunal on convicted paedophile priest Finian Egan. The matter now goes back to the tribunal and hopefully for his victims he’ll be sent back to Ireland.
8. I’ve had my doubts on the Return and Earn scheme for some time. Now we find people living on the Victorian and Queensland borders are rorting the system by buying their drinks interstate, avoiding the levy, then bringing the containers into NSW for the refund. Queensland is set to introduce its own Return and Earn shortly. I implore it, do not call Gabrielle Upton for advice. Pick up the phone and ask South Australia how it’s managed to run their scheme competently for more than 20 years.
9. I don’t understand why the owners of Manly don’t realise Geoff Toovey would be the best man to replace Trent Barrett. He’s had success there previously and is a Sea Eagle through and through.
10. Wonderful news for two tremendous young people, Alex and Teigan McKinnon, with the birth of Harriet Anne. Congratulations to all concerned.
Harriet Anne.