Date: 15/4/2010
Venue: Epping Boys High School, Sydney
Locals were interested in a variety of issues, not high oil prices
“Some of the 400 locals who crammed into the Epping Boys’ High School gymnasium called for a federal takeover of disability services, while others raised concerns about housing affordability, the treatment of Tamil asylum seekers and stimulus spending on public housing.
Mr Rudd and Penny Wong were forced to defend the Government’s actions on climate change since the failed Copenhagen talks in December [2009], and one mother even asked why high school students were not forced to wear hats for sun protection, like primary pupils.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-04-15/rudd-does-his-best-to-keep-focus-on-health/397746
After Q&A Kevin signed some books and I put myself in the queue, again handing over a paper I had prepared for the Major Cities unit and the question I had prepared. I said it was my 2nd attempt (after which he faintly remembered the 1st one at the Ultimo studios) and I showed him the Sadad-al-Husseini graph with those 300 Gb OPEC paper barrels.
I said this problem requires his immediate, undivided attention. The paper landed on the heap of other stuff carried by his secretary. I think he is overloaded with work.
I then had a 10 minute meeting with Martin Ferguson and Tania was there, too. I handed over this paper (which he did not want to look at)
http://www.crudeoilpeak.com/downloads/Cabinet_Meeting.pdf
He is not convinced that peak oil happened. He also does not understand the geopolitics in the Middle East and thinks that money will always buy oil.
Right at the beginning he asked for solutions and I offered this:
1) cancel Hunter Freeway and for the $1.5 bn (after which he laughed, making a funny remark I didn’t understand)
2) build up Strategic oil reserve
3) build condensate splitter in government ownership
4) build factory to produce electric trolley buses, trams and light trail cars
Then he came with his green cars and I handed over my modeling that a maximum of 20% of cars can be green cars by 2020.
He also said there is emergency legislation.
On the more positive side he said that they are reading my emails and that they consider some of the proposals.
I passed by the table of Lindsay Tanner who waited there for someone else. He agreed with some of my stuff, not all.
Then I got hold of the Agriculture Minister Tony Burke who rushed to his car and I told him diesel shortages mean food shortages. “Yes, I will look at the paper.”
Came along former NSW Transport Minister Watkins (no idea why?) who also got a flyer in passing, just like ex Minister Craig Knowles the evening before at Sydney Uni. They are hanging around.
That completes the latest round of PO activism