News Brief

O’Farrell launches Lib campaign

An audacious Barry O’Farrell launched the Liberal party’s election campaign on Sunday with “It’s time”, the Labor slogan that famously propelled Gough Whitlam to The Lodge in 1972.

The man many consider to be the Premier-in-waiting opened with a film clip detailing the failings of Labor’s past three premiers – Keneally, Iemma and Rees – all installed by back-room power brokers and all apologising for the mess they had made of things.

It included newspaper headlines outlining a long litany of Labor disgraces, from paedophilia to porn on parliamentary PCs and concluded with the observation: “After 16 years it’s too late to apologise.”

Cockatoo cull canned

Greens Councillor Irene Doutney has confirmed there will be no more shooting of cockatoos in Broadway in the foreseeable future.

“Yesterday I received this letter from the Deputy Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service in response to the petition signed by over 300 concerned individuals protesting against this heinous act,” an email from the Cr states.

“The letter says that no further culling licences will be issued until a range of additional non-lethal measures have been undertaken to dissuade the birds from damaging the building.”

More than 100 arrested in south-western Sydney crackdown

Police have arrested more than 100 people in Sydney’s south-west as part of a major operation targeting repeat offenders.

The operation commenced at 6am on Friday and concluded at 3am Sunday with an extra 300 police on the streets targeting repeat offenders for drug, property and stealing offences.

During the operation police conducted 511 persons searches, 142 drug dog searches, 1409 random breath tests and 181 licensed business inspections.

Police also issued 173 move-on directions, 148 traffic infringement notices and conducted 154 bail compliance checks. 18 people were also issued Cannabis Caution notices.

Those arrested have been charged with more than 108 offences.

Protesters storm Clover’s funraiser

Protesters have again picketed a fund raising dinner for incumbent Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

The protesters were angered at what they called the Lord Mayor’s “complete failure to consider the voices of the community” and her “abuse of power”.

This is the second time a fund raiser for the Lord Mayor has been picketed.