I can see three possible reasons why the government continues to promote CSG in its export brochures and regional planning documents.
The first possible explanation is that the no CSG for northern rivers policy is just one big lie. This is hard to believe.
Every poll tells you that if CSG in the northern rivers is in fact the government policy they are destined to be in opposition for a very long time. And that would make them very sad. I think we can dismiss this one.
The second possible reason is that they are in total denial. They are having a hard time mentally adjusting to the fact that those hippies have had a win and are convinced that finally we will all see some common sense and CSG will be back.
‘So lets leave it in the brochures and eventually we will be right’. This fits nicely with the observation that so many coalition ministers have a born to rule attitude emanating from their landed gentry background and/or their private school educations.
The third possibility is that it was gross incompetence. That the departments left it in the plan and the export brochures and neither minister read them. Surely they would have been across their desks for approval. They are important documents.
In many ways this third and most likely possibility is the most chilling. It shows just how little the mining and panning ministers are in control of their portfolios.
And how the departments rule just like Yes Minister. That is why we get so many poor decisions from them especially in rural areas. They are out of touch.
No doubt faceless and nameless bureaucrats will be blamed and multiple arses will be kicked in Macquarie Street, but we can be absolutely sure that no minister will lose their job despite delivering this crushing blow to the National Party just eight weeks out from an election.
After all they are born to rule.
Tony Gilding, Knockrow
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
