Latest news with #NCAT
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
This serial pest called a woman a ‘fat dumb blonde'. He says he was being picked on
Andrew Thaler knew he was wrong to call a fellow Snowy Monaro councillor a fat liar, and for publicly arguing that if a non-binary council employee couldn't work out their gender – 'know whether it's a boy or girl', as he put it – they wouldn't be able to do their job, his barrister, the former Labor MP Adam Searle, told a tribunal this week. Thaler himself was less emphatic about his regret. 'It's hard to express remorse for telling the truth,' he said under cross-examination, arguing his 'robust' language was self-defence. He argued he was not speaking as a councillor, but he was merely quoting himself from a pre-election article in this masthead when he described fellow councillor Tanya Higgins as a 'fat dumb blonde, it's physically obvious'. Thaler also doubled down on his view that the staff member was a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) hire, invoking a Trumpian term. He also said his use of the pronoun 'it' did not necessarily dehumanise them, but rather highlighted their internal conflict. In fact, Thaler said, he was the one being picked on. He told the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), as it considered his appeal against a three-month suspension, that some of his fellow councillors had been hostile ever since his election last year, when they tried and failed to uphold a longstanding ban on his presence in council chambers (which arose from the risk council felt his behaviour posed to its staff; his election to the council in September automatically overturned the ban). But he thinks they dislike him 'because I'm a man', he told the tribunal. 'It's because I have five kids. It's because I've been married for 19 years … those are the things that [people are hostile about] at that council.' The drawn-out saga over Thaler's behaviour has gripped the Snowy Monaro region, where he was known as a serial pest before being elected to public office with little more than 100 first preference votes. His behaviour while a councillor has prompted the minister to issue a performance improvement order to the council, that says the drama is interfering with the operations of local government. His comments about the councillor and staffer in March earned him a three-month suspension, the maximum, from the Office of Local Government (OLG). But the Snowy's controversy is the pointy end of a bigger issue. Councillors are behaving badly across the state, yet the NSW system for holding them accountable is broken. This has been openly acknowledged across the sector for at least 10 years, but there has been no reform. A government discussion paper last year laid out the problem. Council debates are 'too often personal slanging matches', it said. Frivolous complaints clog the system, leaving little capacity for it to deal with serious issues. The system for handling misconduct should not be so unwieldy and ineffective that it inhibits 'the operation and function of local democracy'. Councils manage their own complaints (which can lead to politicisation), but can refer them to the OLG if they think it's warranted. In the financial year to June 2024, Bathurst clocked up the most complaints with 38 (none were upheld), followed by Lismore with 24 (none were upheld) and Sutherland with 23 (again, none were upheld). Of a total of 381 complaints, only 45 were found to constitute a breach. They cost almost $1.5 million to investigate. There were also concerns from the sector that penalties for councillor misconduct, when upheld, are too light. The maximum suspension the OLG can hand out is three months, while NCAT can issue a disqualification of up to five years. A 2022 report found the sector was concerned that the sanctions, and the OCG and NCAT's reluctance to invoke strong ones, was an ineffective deterrent to poor conduct. That earlier report, commissioned by the Coalition government, raised myriad problems with the system, ranging from conflicts of interest, partisan behaviour, incompetence, and the lack of appropriate penalties when misconduct was found. 'Key stakeholders in the sector have lost confidence in the current arrangements,' it found, and called for an overhaul. A road map for change went to cabinet in February 2023, just before the election. But when Labor won, the new local government minister, Ron Hoenig, jettisoned that plan and began his own review. Another discussion paper was released in September last year. There's not enough dignity in local government, it said, and proposed letting the OLG issue fines to councillors, suggested a privileges committee of experienced mayors examine allegations of misbehaviour, and said bans should be solely imposed by tribunals such as NCAT (they often end up there on appeal, anyway). It also proposes councillors have to rid themselves of real estate and development business activity and contracts. A spokeswoman for Hoenig said the Labor government felt the Coalition's solution would add more bureaucracy and complexity 'to an already broken system'. A new code of conduct, mechanisms to 'surcharge' councillors for frivolous complaints and a new meeting code would be released 'soon', she said. The behaviour problem is putting people – particularly women – off running for local government. A Victorian survey found 61 per cent of female local councillor respondents had experienced threatening or intimidating behaviour from fellow councillors, while another study found half of women left council after the first term. Women have been among Thaler's most frequent targets; he has called female elected officials dumb, fat, a pig, deliberately childless, a horrendous excuse for a human, and has told a state MP – and, on a separate occasion, this reporter – to go 'suck a dick'. Licia Heath from Women for Election said women were increasingly leaving councils due to bullying and harassment. 'We will shortly have a crisis of representation in local government,' she said. That will affect other levels, as state and federal MPs often cut their teeth in council. 'I'm getting increasingly concerned that there will be a pipeline issue of talented women in our state and federal parliaments, unless relevant ministers insist now on a similar review as the Kate Jenkins Set the Standard to be conducted at the local government level,' Heath said referring to a report by the former sex discrimination commissioner. Thaler is right that there are people in the area who don't like him. Before he was elected, he'd been banned from council chambers because his behaviour was considered a workplace health and safety risk. He'd also been banned from a few businesses. He was the subject of 19 complaints over a two-month period last year, the performance improvement order said; complainants alleged his behaviour left staff and fellow councillors feeling unsafe, anxious and in one case, physically sick (Thaler said he was never given a chance to respond, and those complaints have not been investigated). Loading He told the tribunal that the council had sought legal advice about what to do with him, which said it could not ban him but they could 'discipline me out of council'. In his appeal against his suspension on Tuesday, Thaler's barrister, Searle, argued the decision made by the Planning Department deputy secretary responsible for local government was invalid because he had not conducted a proper investigation first. He also said a three-month suspension was too harsh. 'We would say the applicant would say not much weight should be given to those incidences, they occur in the context of Councillor Thaler raising significant matters of public interest,' he said. Thaler insisted he was telling the truth when he used the word liar, despite not being able to produce evidence, but admitted he should not have referred to the councillor's size. However, the barrister for the Department of Planning, Matthew McAuliffe, said the penalty would be a deterrent to both Thaler and councillors statewide. 'He was barely able to accept that what he had done amounted to misconduct,' McAuliffe said. 'Each time I asked him whether he was remorseful it was heavily qualified, if at all. Any offer to apologise was only forthcoming if there was an order to do so. It's clear that despite the passage of time, he continues to believe that his conduct was justified.' The tribunal is considering its decision.
The Age
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
This serial pest called a woman a ‘fat dumb blonde'. He says he was being picked on
Andrew Thaler knew he was wrong to call a fellow Snowy Monaro councillor a fat liar, and for publicly arguing that if a non-binary council employee couldn't work out their gender – 'know whether it's a boy or girl', as he put it – they wouldn't be able to do their job, his barrister, the former Labor MP Adam Searle, told a tribunal this week. Thaler himself was less emphatic about his regret. 'It's hard to express remorse for telling the truth,' he said under cross-examination, arguing his 'robust' language was self-defence. He argued he was not speaking as a councillor, but he was merely quoting himself from a pre-election article in this masthead when he described fellow councillor Tanya Higgins as a 'fat dumb blonde, it's physically obvious'. Thaler also doubled down on his view that the staff member was a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) hire, invoking a Trumpian term. He also said his use of the pronoun 'it' did not necessarily dehumanise them, but rather highlighted their internal conflict. In fact, Thaler said, he was the one being picked on. He told the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), as it considered his appeal against a three-month suspension, that some of his fellow councillors had been hostile ever since his election last year, when they tried and failed to uphold a longstanding ban on his presence in council chambers (which arose from the risk council felt his behaviour posed to its staff; his election to the council in September automatically overturned the ban). But he thinks they dislike him 'because I'm a man', he told the tribunal. 'It's because I have five kids. It's because I've been married for 19 years … those are the things that [people are hostile about] at that council.' The drawn-out saga over Thaler's behaviour has gripped the Snowy Monaro region, where he was known as a serial pest before being elected to public office with little more than 100 first preference votes. His behaviour while a councillor has prompted the minister to issue a performance improvement order to the council, that says the drama is interfering with the operations of local government. His comments about the councillor and staffer in March earned him a three-month suspension, the maximum, from the Office of Local Government (OLG). But the Snowy's controversy is the pointy end of a bigger issue. Councillors are behaving badly across the state, yet the NSW system for holding them accountable is broken. This has been openly acknowledged across the sector for at least 10 years, but there has been no reform. A government discussion paper last year laid out the problem. Council debates are 'too often personal slanging matches', it said. Frivolous complaints clog the system, leaving little capacity for it to deal with serious issues. The system for handling misconduct should not be so unwieldy and ineffective that it inhibits 'the operation and function of local democracy'. Councils manage their own complaints (which can lead to politicisation), but can refer them to the OLG if they think it's warranted. In the financial year to June 2024, Bathurst clocked up the most complaints with 38 (none were upheld), followed by Lismore with 24 (none were upheld) and Sutherland with 23 (again, none were upheld). Of a total of 381 complaints, only 45 were found to constitute a breach. They cost almost $1.5 million to investigate. There were also concerns from the sector that penalties for councillor misconduct, when upheld, are too light. The maximum suspension the OLG can hand out is three months, while NCAT can issue a disqualification of up to five years. A 2022 report found the sector was concerned that the sanctions, and the OCG and NCAT's reluctance to invoke strong ones, was an ineffective deterrent to poor conduct. That earlier report, commissioned by the Coalition government, raised myriad problems with the system, ranging from conflicts of interest, partisan behaviour, incompetence, and the lack of appropriate penalties when misconduct was found. 'Key stakeholders in the sector have lost confidence in the current arrangements,' it found, and called for an overhaul. A road map for change went to cabinet in February 2023, just before the election. But when Labor won, the new local government minister, Ron Hoenig, jettisoned that plan and began his own review. Another discussion paper was released in September last year. There's not enough dignity in local government, it said, and proposed letting the OLG issue fines to councillors, suggested a privileges committee of experienced mayors examine allegations of misbehaviour, and said bans should be solely imposed by tribunals such as NCAT (they often end up there on appeal, anyway). It also proposes councillors have to rid themselves of real estate and development business activity and contracts. A spokeswoman for Hoenig said the Labor government felt the Coalition's solution would add more bureaucracy and complexity 'to an already broken system'. A new code of conduct, mechanisms to 'surcharge' councillors for frivolous complaints and a new meeting code would be released 'soon', she said. The behaviour problem is putting people – particularly women – off running for local government. A Victorian survey found 61 per cent of female local councillor respondents had experienced threatening or intimidating behaviour from fellow councillors, while another study found half of women left council after the first term. Women have been among Thaler's most frequent targets; he has called female elected officials dumb, fat, a pig, deliberately childless, a horrendous excuse for a human, and has told a state MP – and, on a separate occasion, this reporter – to go 'suck a dick'. Licia Heath from Women for Election said women were increasingly leaving councils due to bullying and harassment. 'We will shortly have a crisis of representation in local government,' she said. That will affect other levels, as state and federal MPs often cut their teeth in council. 'I'm getting increasingly concerned that there will be a pipeline issue of talented women in our state and federal parliaments, unless relevant ministers insist now on a similar review as the Kate Jenkins Set the Standard to be conducted at the local government level,' Heath said referring to a report by the former sex discrimination commissioner. Thaler is right that there are people in the area who don't like him. Before he was elected, he'd been banned from council chambers because his behaviour was considered a workplace health and safety risk. He'd also been banned from a few businesses. He was the subject of 19 complaints over a two-month period last year, the performance improvement order said; complainants alleged his behaviour left staff and fellow councillors feeling unsafe, anxious and in one case, physically sick (Thaler said he was never given a chance to respond, and those complaints have not been investigated). Loading He told the tribunal that the council had sought legal advice about what to do with him, which said it could not ban him but they could 'discipline me out of council'. In his appeal against his suspension on Tuesday, Thaler's barrister, Searle, argued the decision made by the Planning Department deputy secretary responsible for local government was invalid because he had not conducted a proper investigation first. He also said a three-month suspension was too harsh. 'We would say the applicant would say not much weight should be given to those incidences, they occur in the context of Councillor Thaler raising significant matters of public interest,' he said. Thaler insisted he was telling the truth when he used the word liar, despite not being able to produce evidence, but admitted he should not have referred to the councillor's size. However, the barrister for the Department of Planning, Matthew McAuliffe, said the penalty would be a deterrent to both Thaler and councillors statewide. 'He was barely able to accept that what he had done amounted to misconduct,' McAuliffe said. 'Each time I asked him whether he was remorseful it was heavily qualified, if at all. Any offer to apologise was only forthcoming if there was an order to do so. It's clear that despite the passage of time, he continues to believe that his conduct was justified.' The tribunal is considering its decision.
Perth Now
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Latham's failed attempt in vilification case
Former NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham has lost an attempt to recuse a barrister presiding over a harassment and vilification case against him, after arguing her views on transgender people could affect her ability to be neutral. Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has launched proceedings against Mr Latham in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal over allegations of homosexual vilification and sexual harassment. At the centre of a case is a homophobic tweet made by Mr Latham, as well as further comments he allegedly made in interviews for a newspaper, radio, and on Twitter (now known as X). Mark Latham is the former NSW One Nation leader. NewsWire / Christian Gilles Credit: News Corp Australia Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich launched proceedings against Mr Latham over allegations of homosexual vilification and sexual harassment. NewsWire / Christian Gilles Credit: News Corp Australia The proceedings in the NCAT come just months after the Federal Court in defamation proceedings ordered Mr Latham to pay $140,000 to Mr Greenwich over the homophobic tweet in question, as well as further defamatory comments made in publications. Mr Greenwich's lawyers had argued in the Federal Court that the tweet could be understood to mean the MP 'engages in disgusting sexual activities' and that he 'is not a fit and proper person to be a member of the NSW parliament because he engages in disgusting sexual activities'. The Federal Court found the first point was conveyed and defamatory, but not the second, and dismissed defences of honest opinion and common law qualified privilege by Mr Latham's lawyers. Mr Latham was ordered to pay Mr Greenwich $100,000 for non-economic loss, and a further $40,000 for aggravated damages. Appearing at NCAT on Monday, Mr Latham pushed for one of the two senior legal members presiding over the case, Mandy Tibbey, be recused from the case over concerns her views on transgender people could affect her impartiality. Taking the stand, he pointed to an academic lecture by Ms Tibbey, which examined issues of the acceptance of transgender people in the Anglican Church, and the potential role of anti-discrimination laws in church laws surrounding sex, gender and sexuality. In the academic piece published online, Ms Tibbey called suggestions that being a transgender person, or having treatment or gender reassignment surgery is 'not the Christian way' are 'misguided', among other statements and analysis. Mr Latham argued the NCAT case involved 'identity politics', a topic which he claimed both Mr Greenwich and Ms Tibbey were advocates for, but that stands against and claims is 'divisive'. Mark Latham pictured entering the John Maddison Tower with his lawyer Zali Burrows for the NCAT hearing. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Latham asked how Ms Tibbey could 'possibly be neutral on this matter', and said he was in a state of 'disbelief' that she had been allocated the case. 'I would've thought it's not so hard for NCAT to ensure … those hearing the matter are absolutely neutral,' Mr Latham said. 'Beggars belief.' His impassioned submission was interrupted at one stage, where Ms Tibbey reminded the court this was 'not an opportunity for Mr Latham to grandstand and foreshadow his argument'. Mr Latham's lawyer Zali Burrows further argued documents tendered about Mr Latham opposing Mr Greenwich's equality bill – which was referred to as the transgender bill in court – could lead Ms Tibbey to have a negative view of her client. 'The main concern is that your views are potentially going to be perceived by the fair minded person more in line with the applicant … as opposed to the respondent,' Ms Burrows said. Ms Tibbey told the court the case had 'nothing to do with transgender people', and later determined it wasn't appropriate for her to recuse herself. Mr Greenwich's lawyers commenced opening submissions on Monday afternoon.
Otago Daily Times
06-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
To infinity and beyond with a possum and sweet chilli sauce
One of the things MPs like most about the Budget debate — the freewheeling discussion of the Finance Minister's hard work — is that it enables them to speak about almost anything so long as it can (sometimes very loosely) be linked back to the Budget. Hence this week our southern MPs have been talking about possums, utes, outer space, Barker's sweet chilli sauce ... and every so often about something of vital importance. On Tuesday Taieri Labour MP Ingrid Leary fell into the latter camp with an impassioned speech about the state of the nation's mental health system. "The Budget would have been the perfect opportunity to [workforce gaps], including the 1594 full-time equivalents that the NCAT — which is the National Committee for Addiction Treatment—has identified as missing from the NGO frontline," Ms Leary said. "But no, they did not. Instead, they threw a paltry bit of money to help the transition at emergency departments for the withdrawal of police. That was far too little, far too late." It was Ms Leary's Labour Dunedin colleague Rachel Brooking who brought possums and utes to the debate soon after — which was fairly funny, albeit with a serious purpose. The Budget had been good for possums, Ms Brooking said, because of cuts to pest management initiatives. And it had been good for utes because of subsidies being afforded to companies. But most of all, Ms Brooking said scornfully, the Budget had been bad for women. "Anyone listening closely to the House when the Budget dropped will have heard me give an audible gasp when I read ... that $12 billion was looking to be saved from pay equity. "Yet the Prime Minister had the gall to say to us just the week before, 'No, no, no. This has nothing to do with pay equity'. It is astounding." And she did not mean that in a good way. Up soon after, Taieri Green list MP Scott Willis warmed up on the topic of people feeling the cold as winter bit hard — although he might have sparked debate on his own side by talking about getting nice and cosy in front of a fire rather than being warmed up by an electric fire powered by solar or wind energy. "What really would have helped people and helped landlords, even, would have been support for warm, dry, energy-efficient homes," Mr Willis said. "But this government, over the last two Budgets, has cut over $230m from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority ... crippling the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. Why has this government decided that ordinary Kiwis should be left out in the cold?" The next day the South's government MPs got to give an alternative, all together more enthusiastic appraisal of the Budget. Rather than wreaking havoc on all and sundry, Southland National MP Joseph Mooney extolled it for "balancing the New Zealand taxpayers' funds in a very considered and careful way in a challenging domestic and geopolitical environment." Funding such as new daytime urgent care services in places like Invercargill, Gore, and Alexandra found favour with Mr Mooney, as did the potential expansion of the service to Balclutha, Lumsden, Roxburgh and all places in between in the future. It was Mr Mooney who donned his space suit, noting Southlander Sir Peter Beck had made New Zealand the third-largest launcher of satellites into infinity and beyond. "He had a wild dream and made it happen in a country that did not have a space sector. I think that's an opportunity for all of us to lift our sights high, aim for the stars, and we can make it happen," he said, leaving unspoken but fairly obvious the assertion that the government was helping such firms to focus on the target. Leaving Waitaki MP Miles Anderson — no doubt well aware that many residents in Geraldine would like their town to instead be in the Rangitata electorate — to praise the fine products of Barker's of Geraldine. "I spoke this morning to the team at Barker's of Geraldine — and those of you who have had the opportunity to try some of their goods, I highly recommend them." "Great little place. Sweet chilli sauce," Otaki MP Tim Costley chimed in, a sentiment echoed from across the House. "They supply jams, preserves, and pickles to supermarkets across the country," Mr Anderson added, in his best infomercial manner. There was actually a point to all this spruiking: Mr Anderson wanted to use his time to boast about Investment Boost, the Budget's central policy for business growth. Enabling firms to immediately write off some of the cost of new equipment was a boon for an expanding business like Barker's, he said ... and that was not all for the great electorate of Waitaki. "Other local businesses are also having an increase in asset investment," Mr Anderson said. "Te Pari Industries tell me that they have seen an increase in interest for their products, and that farmers are making decisions much more quickly with both sheep and dairy systems. Drummond & Etheridge in Oamaru, local farm machinery retailers, saw an immediate increase in sales and a significant increase in buyer inquiry." And with a shout out to Five Forks School — pupils from which had visited the House the previous day and been acknowledged from the chamber — that was it for the Budget debate for another year. Half time, change sides Act New Zealand Southland list MP Todd Stephenson is poised to become the most recognisable backbencher in the country following the grand rearrangement of the House this week. With the coalition swapping deputy prime ministers, New Zealand First's MPs have moved to where Act once sat, and vice versa. As Act's whip, Mr Stephenson is now sitting in the second row alongside National chief whip Stuart Smith. That means that during Question Time — the only bit of Parliament that most New Zealanders catch a glimpse of — that Mr Stephenson is sitting right behind Christopher Luxon and David Seymour when the cameras roll.
Associated Press
04-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Verde and Ergon Sign MOU to Advance Commercialization of Low-Carbon Road Materials
ST. LOUIS, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Verde Resources Inc. (OTCQB: VRDR), a leader in sustainable road construction technologies, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Verde Renewables Inc., has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc., a trusted industry pioneer in asphalt innovation and supply. This marks a major milestone in their growing strategic alliance. The MOU builds on the companies' February 2025 announcement detailing their collaboration to produce a specialized emulsion used in the cold mix biochar-asphalt surface material deployed at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) test track. That groundbreaking achievement was made possible by Verde's proprietary emulsifying agent, specifically engineered to enable low-temperature emulsion production with at least 20% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional binders. This innovation also allows for the seamless integration of biochar, a carbon-sequestering material, and facilitates a bonding mechanism with aggregates, resulting in a high-performance Biochar-Asphalt surface course that sets a new benchmark for both durability and environmental impact. In April, this formulation enabled Verde to make history by generating the world's first Carbon Removal Credits from asphalt production and installation, based on the NCAT proof-of-concept project. With this MOU, Verde and Ergon are advancing their partnership to the next level. The companies are now working toward finalizing the commercial terms of an exclusive agreement for the U.S. market while simultaneously initiating a rapid validation of Verde's technology at Paragon, Ergon's state-of-the-art asphalt and materials testing lab. 'When you think of the best and most respected name in asphalt, you think of Ergon,' said Eric Bava, Chief Operating Officer of Verde Resources. 'This partnership is about more than innovation. It's about equipping Ergon, along with its partners, contractors, customers, and broader ecosystem, with practical tools to reduce Scope emissions and further solidify their leadership in sustainable infrastructure.' This partnership will be a key step in Verde's mission to turn sustainability into a competitive advantage, while delivering practical, profitable, and environmentally responsible solutions without compromising performance. 'We want to be on the leading edge of sustainable road materials, and the technologies Verde is bringing to the table make that possible,' said Larry Tomkins, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions. 'This next phase is about accelerating adoption and delivering meaningful change in how roads are built—without sacrificing quality or reliability. We're excited to build on the strong relationship we've developed and look forward to what's ahead with Verde.' With shared momentum and a clear path forward, Verde and Ergon are poised to usher in a new era of modern, low-carbon infrastructure by commercializing a validated technology that aligns sound economics with environmental responsibility at scale. About Verde Resources Inc.: Verde Resources Inc. (OTCQB: VRDR) is a leader in sustainable infrastructure, specializing in innovative and cost-effective solutions to help the industry seamlessly #TransitionToZero™. By integrating proprietary technologies with sustainable practices, Verde is at the forefront of creating low-carbon materials for infrastructure worldwide. About Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc.: Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Inc., a subsidiary of Ergon, Inc., is a leading provider of high-performance asphalt products and technologies. With decades of experience, Ergon specializes in delivering advanced emulsions, polymer modified asphalts, and other solutions that enhance pavement performance and sustainability. Through its state-of-the-art facilities and dedicated technical expertise, Ergon is committed to driving innovation in the asphalt industry. This press release includes forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. While Verde believes these statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they rely on current information and inherently uncertain future projections. Additional risks and uncertainties are outlined in Verde's SEC filings, which may further impact actual outcomes in this press release. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Verde Resources Inc.
