tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38727605562600137932024-03-05T16:25:15.954+10:00Australian, State and Local PoliticsPolitical news commentary on national, state and local government across Australia.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1999125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-46831163792414920932015-03-19T13:24:00.002+10:002015-03-19T13:24:14.910+10:00Jacqui Lambie claims victory over defence pay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="150" src="http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2015/03/19/1227269/438166-lambie-claims-victory-on-defence-pay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jacqui Lambie's bill to link defence <br />pay to that of politicians won't <br />lead to a pay increase.</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: JACQUI Lambie's bill to "keep the bastards in the blue ties honest" about defence force pay won't lead to a pay increase for the nation's military.</div>
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BUT the independent senator wants it to serve as a warning to Prime Minister Tony Abbott.Senator Lambie claimed victory on Thursday after winning upper house support for her private bill that links the pay of defence force personnel to that of politicians or inflation, whichever is higher.</div>
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However, it was a pyrrhic victory.</div>
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The bill now has to go to parliament's lower house where it's unlikely to be even debated.</div>
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Senator Lambie doesn't seem phased.</div>
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"This is going to be a very valuable lesson," she told reporters after the Senate vote.</div>
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Mr Abbott retreated from his lower-than-inflation pay rise earlier in March, bumping up an initial offer of 1.5 per cent annually to two per cent.</div>
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That wasn't enough to convince Senator Lambie to withdraw her bill, which won the support of Labor, the Greens and some crossbenchers.</div>
<br />Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/senate-debates-defence-force-pay-hikes/story-fnihsfrf-1227269015470?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/senate-debates-defence-force-pay-hikes/story-fnihsfrf-1227269015470?from=public_rss</a><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-51891146142072132482015-03-14T07:33:00.001+10:002015-03-14T07:33:05.586+10:00QLD government scuttles uranium mining: LNP open-slather policy overturned<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="112" src="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/z/s/s/u/e/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.143pzi.png/1426240567350.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No uranium mining in Queensland.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://brisbanetimes.com.au/">The Brisbane Times</a> reports: "The Department of Natural Resources and Mines has not received one single application for a uranium mining lease." </div>
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Labor plans on scuttling a Queensland industry before it even begins.</div>
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The Newman Government announced it would overturn the long-time ban on uranium mining in 2012 and opened applications in <a href="http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2014/8/1/uranium-mining-to-create-jobs-for-queenslanders">August 2014</a>.</div>
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Queensland's Mary Kathleen Mine, near Mount Isa, closed in 1982, seven years before uranium mining was banned in the state.</div>
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Campbell Newman announced the state would once again open its uranium resources to the world, following then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard setting in motion plans to export Australian uranium to India.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="112" src="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/z/z/9/g/b/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.143pzi.png/1426240567350.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary Kathleen uranium mine.</span></span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> </span></td></tr>
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The Mines Minister, Andrew Cripps, said mining uranium "will help ensure we remain Australia's job powerhouse for the long term".</div>
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"The uranium industry has the potential to generate significant development in North Queensland, as well as royalties to fund school and health services, roads and public infrastructure," he said in August last year.</div>
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"Each new uranium project has the potential to create a large number of construction and operational jobs."</div>
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But while in Opposition, Labor was against overturning the ban, an attitude Mr Cripps had labelled "ideological", but a spokesman for the new government said uranium mining would once again be kiboshed in Queensland.</div>
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Full story: <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/labor-says-no-to-uranium-mining-in-queensland-20150313-143pzi.html">http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/labor-says-no-to-uranium-mining-in-queensland-20150313-143pzi.html</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-75254144890141789892015-03-12T13:06:00.000+10:002015-03-12T13:06:00.580+10:00Vaccinations should be compulsory for all kids at child care centres and school students<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJiTdHRs7G8wI0uZ_0gUA9zAA_ak-lrRo63_LbI04zl30Yq91-IQAE8oqEiyU9eBjuXHlPZzecg3VDkzGMMhXQsoZfrvyUaTv68LkYMPzZTTbwQpcCk4abe9bNPr_GoycjAhzeWe8zKz4/s1600/Vaccination.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJiTdHRs7G8wI0uZ_0gUA9zAA_ak-lrRo63_LbI04zl30Yq91-IQAE8oqEiyU9eBjuXHlPZzecg3VDkzGMMhXQsoZfrvyUaTv68LkYMPzZTTbwQpcCk4abe9bNPr_GoycjAhzeWe8zKz4/s1600/Vaccination.jpg" height="108" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vaccinations should be compulsory.</td></tr>
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<b>The sooner the better vaccinations are compulsory for all children at child care centres in Queensland and for all primary and secondary students.</b></div>
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<b>The benefits of vaccination are so well-proven, it is hard to fathom how anyone could legitimately oppose the health and well-being of our children</b>.</div>
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<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: QUEENSLAND'S premier has indicated she'll introduce vaccination laws to ensure all children are protected, but says she doesn't want to go down the path of banning unvaccinated kids from childcare centres.</div>
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ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk says her government is committed to making sure every child is protected against infectious diseases.But she says unfortunately there are still high rates of unvaccinated children on the Sunshine Coast and northern Queensland.</div>
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Ms Palaszczuk wants to bring in laws around vaccination, but says she doesn't want to ban unvaccinated children from attending childcare centres.</div>
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"I know it's an issue that is out there in the community. It's a public health and safety issue; we will introduce that legislation this year," she said.</div>
<br />Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/qld-to-strengthen-immunisation-laws/story-fnihsfrf-1227259566654?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/qld-to-strengthen-immunisation-laws/story-fnihsfrf-1227259566654?from=public_rss</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-22596011584404136572015-03-12T09:46:00.001+10:002015-03-12T09:46:41.445+10:00Australian Politics: Julie Bishop makes bizarre plea to Indonesia - Pity the AFP didn't cause this mess in the first place<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2015/03/12/1227259/490058-bishop-s-bali-nine-offer-attractive-.jpg" height="150" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Andrew Chan and <br />Myuran Sukumaran.</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop's offer to cover the cost of life imprisonment for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran is part of a package aimed at sparing the pair from the death penalty, the men's Australian lawyer says.</div>
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MS Bishop reportedly made the offer to Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in a letter in which she lists the alleged corruption of trial judges as one of many reasons the two Australians should be saved.The Bali Nine ringleaders are in quarantine conditions on Nusakambangan island off Java awaiting execution, with their lawyers due to return to court on Thursday with their most urgent appeal yet.</div>
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Speaking on Thursday, the men's Australian lawyer, Peter Morrissey, described Ms Bishop's offer as attractive, but doubted Indonesian authorities would take it up.</div>
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"It's attractive in itself. Whether that on its own will do the trick, I doubt. It's part of a package," Mr Morrissey told the Seven Network.</div>
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"I think, Indonesia will consider the whole range of things that Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott have put forward."<br />
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Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/bishops-bali-nine-offer-attractive/story-fnihsfrf-1227259474704?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/bishops-bali-nine-offer-attractive/story-fnihsfrf-1227259474704?from=public_rss</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-78156359440741325232015-03-10T06:48:00.001+10:002015-03-10T17:15:20.439+10:00Australian Politics: Labor still well ahead nationally<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUh2Ltiy0VArMaZV5FEFpauOgRJOtpyK-RX3rzv-SvQ5fsssNIP7aSRiuL6SV8TwUa9PfeYBJflod2hVdrvHwU9kK0wKS3sWWA29UtFWDwhgxw_xjs1F0YQR4iecYg6_-kIlaHlX_qLSS/s1600/FullSizeRender-720147.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUh2Ltiy0VArMaZV5FEFpauOgRJOtpyK-RX3rzv-SvQ5fsssNIP7aSRiuL6SV8TwUa9PfeYBJflod2hVdrvHwU9kK0wKS3sWWA29UtFWDwhgxw_xjs1F0YQR4iecYg6_-kIlaHlX_qLSS/s320/FullSizeRender-720147.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6124340417428619554" /></a></div>
The latest Newspoll published in today's Australian has Labor ahead of the Liberals 55:45.
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This is sure to put more pressure on nervous Liberals to dump Tony Abbott in favour of Malcolm Turnbull.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-90242160611038764402015-03-09T19:12:00.002+10:002015-03-09T19:14:22.357+10:00QLD Politics: LNP secret donations law to be ditched by Labor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCJqqinf65vDAbHyo_tamxNNWa66zTMCzZ2T-54rMPcNnKFNA1Q8rJyvzQUiKE6ZfZmAJztDVI4O3uS9OZe3zuzxzJEGoZAIVgGOVCWD5ippja57623zynpp4gHZbIlkGKXOq-xrWXb1P/s1600/Jarrod+Bleijie+MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCJqqinf65vDAbHyo_tamxNNWa66zTMCzZ2T-54rMPcNnKFNA1Q8rJyvzQUiKE6ZfZmAJztDVI4O3uS9OZe3zuzxzJEGoZAIVgGOVCWD5ippja57623zynpp4gHZbIlkGKXOq-xrWXb1P/s1600/Jarrod+Bleijie+MP.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">Jarrod Bleijie - his <br />outrageous law is about<br /> to be tossed out by Labor.</span></td></tr>
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<b>It was a disgraceful piece of legislation dreamed up by the LNP, given life by the former Attorney-General Jarrod Blejie and carefully nurtured by Campbell Newman - whose reign as Premier will go down in history as the worst performance of any Premier since Queensland became a separate colony in 1859.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHThDdgLqnsY1b_2GhrvI_ecO4GzHHUplSuXfwh8HdingPTdfxja5l5SxQCUKpTMKGJ86ruBdUlSyc8d2A8yce684iLMrG09F9J8wc7pVO5n5efzt_MDCzw7Y_UfbgwpElfzLySXMrVsXU/s1600/Puggsley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHThDdgLqnsY1b_2GhrvI_ecO4GzHHUplSuXfwh8HdingPTdfxja5l5SxQCUKpTMKGJ86ruBdUlSyc8d2A8yce684iLMrG09F9J8wc7pVO5n5efzt_MDCzw7Y_UfbgwpElfzLySXMrVsXU/s1600/Puggsley.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">Puggsley from the Addams Family <br />bears a striking resemblance to Jarrod <br />Bleijie. One was a pretentious, little <br />upstart - the other of course <br />was a child TV actor.</span></td></tr>
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<b>It was designed for one reason - and one reason only - to hide political donations made to the Liberal National Party in Queensland.</b></div>
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<b>Its justification was impossible to fathom and this law was the beginning of the end of the Campbell Newman LNP government.</b></div>
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<b>The Palaszczuk government had done the right thing with its quick decision to bury this anti-democratic, outrageous law.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9RXVjpE_J2LmvUQEPACdS0Kx-1BqoQ8sBbordBFyDqkzMh66xqjG2heOdUm_JlDkW-aUE8wGldxqzg_ZRjmC3-BrMQtXxxKJzG6lCAhmFDpLjtSvELPBt1ZvoivataDRQs9WsWZ6mgus/s1600/Annastacia+Palaszczuk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9RXVjpE_J2LmvUQEPACdS0Kx-1BqoQ8sBbordBFyDqkzMh66xqjG2heOdUm_JlDkW-aUE8wGldxqzg_ZRjmC3-BrMQtXxxKJzG6lCAhmFDpLjtSvELPBt1ZvoivataDRQs9WsWZ6mgus/s1600/Annastacia+Palaszczuk.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">Premier Palaszczuk set to dump the</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"> LNP's secret donations law.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: Palaszczuk commits to reverse controversial political donations law created by Newman government.</div>
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THE Palaszczuk Government is moving forward with its plan to roll back controversial Newman government reforms to political donation disclosure laws, with Cabinet today formally approving the introduction of legislation.</div>
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As previously promised, the reversal of the donation law changes - which raised the disclosure threshold from $1000 to $12,800 - will be the first piece of legislation introduced into the new Parliament.</div>
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Cabinet has also approved moves to reinstate six-monthly reporting requirements, scrap voter ID requirements and examine the possible introduction of “real-time disclosure” of donations.</div>
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Ms Palaszczuk said the donation law changes would stretch back to November 21, 2013.</div>
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“No more will there be secrecy in political donations,” Ms Palaszczuk said.</div>
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Full story: <span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/palaszczuk-commits-to-reverse-controversial-political-donations-law-created-by-newman-government/story-fnihsrf2-1227255441662?from=public_rss" style="text-align: left;">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/palaszczuk-commits-to-reverse-controversial-political-donations-law-created-by-newman-government/story-fnihsrf2-1227255441662?from=public_rss</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-50722374344441841402015-03-09T11:12:00.004+10:002015-03-09T11:12:52.936+10:00NSW Politics: ALP promises stamp duty payments over 5 years for new home buyers <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwqpJzh2V4rym54GnWBRMHw9eh8x2M51tqBzTLrsLcYoh2PPOJKs2PnzaDVp7ElqqS_YAS16JqXqYdzCgZENry8XO8lrHAikZnTQuI3caNvm35efLVBm0EvEiI_EnnSTIq4OeqQ6QIFNh/s1600/Stamp+Duty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwqpJzh2V4rym54GnWBRMHw9eh8x2M51tqBzTLrsLcYoh2PPOJKs2PnzaDVp7ElqqS_YAS16JqXqYdzCgZENry8XO8lrHAikZnTQuI3caNvm35efLVBm0EvEiI_EnnSTIq4OeqQ6QIFNh/s1600/Stamp+Duty.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NSW Labor to ease first home<br /> buyers' stamp duty burden.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: FIRST home buyers of properties worth up to $750,000 will be able to pay stamp duty in monthly instalments over a five-year period if Labor wins the state election.</div>
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THE option to defer stamp duty would be open to more than 37,000 first home buyers each year."Property across greater Sydney will continue to be in high demand. Labor will act to help hard-working people achieve their dream of home ownership," Opposition Leader Luke Foley said in a statement on Monday.</div>
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Mr Foley, who is launching his Central Coast campaign in Gosford, accused the government of stripping stamp duty exemptions and first home buyer grants, leaving first home buyers up to $25,000 worse off.</div>
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This translates to a 33 per cent slump in the number of first home buyers gaining finance since 2011, he said.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Mike Baird and the Liberals have crushed the dreams of first home buyers," he said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"With no incentive or support, individuals and young couples working hard in Sydney just can't get into the property market and buy their first home."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Foley said Labor's plan would cost $60 million and had been fully costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If Labor wins the March 28 election, it will come into effect on January 1, 2016.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/nsw-stamp-duty-in-five-year-instalments/story-fnihsfrf-1227254769031?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/nsw-stamp-duty-in-five-year-instalments/story-fnihsfrf-1227254769031?from=public_rss</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-54937595236547145152015-03-09T10:55:00.002+10:002015-03-09T10:55:24.419+10:00Labor rules out Hockey's hare-brained super scheme<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iswpr-27vAl7uEfEjzrQBJpbxJiK_lQiMtTaln5MDnz70WGOC1oqfcGuhREUKybwUYkdWJfa3XInzSxLB13aU35VrcKeleHFUImzmpGgxs0qYSrKog6jIlNwKBi-UXl292W-8m9qX-Wf/s1600/Superannuation+retirement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iswpr-27vAl7uEfEjzrQBJpbxJiK_lQiMtTaln5MDnz70WGOC1oqfcGuhREUKybwUYkdWJfa3XInzSxLB13aU35VrcKeleHFUImzmpGgxs0qYSrKog6jIlNwKBi-UXl292W-8m9qX-Wf/s1600/Superannuation+retirement.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Bowen rejects Joe <br />Hockey's "brain wave".</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/">The Courier-Mail </a>reports: ALLOWING young people to dip into their superannuation to buy their first home would only push up house prices and undermine retirement savings, Labor says.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
OVER the weekend Treasurer Joe Hockey said Australia needed to make the super system more flexible, even suggesting it could be used to help first home buyers.Labor's treasury spokesman Chris Bowen has dismissed the idea as a "thought bubble".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"We need superannuation more than ever before because we are living longer," he told ABC radio.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"It could have the perverse impact of making housing affordability worse and undermining retirement incomes for people on lower and middle incomes."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Industry groups have also spoken out against the idea, saying it would erode retirement savings.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Fully story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/super-not-for-first-home-buyers-labor/story-fnihsfrf-1227254549983?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/super-not-for-first-home-buyers-labor/story-fnihsfrf-1227254549983?from=public_rss</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-15777931840326901342015-03-09T08:05:00.001+10:002015-03-09T08:05:18.971+10:00Australian Kids are politically smart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;">
<img src="http://images.dailylife.com.au/2015/03/05/6321742/Article%20Lead%20-%20wide6697867113vletimage.related.articleLeadwide.729x410.13vl2n.png1425509097376.jpg-620x349.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Nine-year-old has perfect response to school quiz asking about the 'three major problems facing Australia'</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The kids are alright.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Kids, as the popular phrase goes, say the darnedest things. But sometimes they're also just, you know, right.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Reddit user <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/australia">JonoUK</a> posted a pic of his friend's 9-year-old son's school homework - a few delightfully spot-on answers to the question, "Select 3 major problems facing Australia today."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His answers? "1. Tony Abbott. 2. War. 3. Cyclones."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Even better, to the follow-up question "What are your solutions?", he replied: "1. Do not vote for Tony Abbott. 2. Say no to war. 3. Do something about climate change."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hope he got a well-deserved early-mark for this.</div>
<div class="articleBody" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', sans-serif; font-size: 1.25em; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-right: 1.333em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;">
<img alt="" src="http://www.smh.com.au/cqstatic/13vkt2/Kid_Reddit.jpg" height="320" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="239" /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because the internet likes to wreck everything, some fellow Redditors got defensive, arguing that the 9-year-old's answers showed a distinct "lack of critical thinking", and he probably just wrote down the radical, cyclone-hating drivel his vegan-anarchist folks hypnotised him into repeating. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Or, you know, maybe he's just a smart kid?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Hey guys I only posted this because I thought it was funny," clarified JonoUK. "Obviously a 9-year-old child is going [to] parrot what he hears his parents saying. I'd be lying if I said he had come to this mindset on his own. Take it from me, his dad's about as far left as you can get. Even so, I'm sure most sane level-headed people would agree with his sentiment."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think the teacher's ticks all over the page back that up, too. Surely that page should be covered in a few more gold stars.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-right: 1.333em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.dailylife.com.au/dl-people/dl-entertainment/nineyearold-has-perfect-response-to-school-quiz-asking-about-the-three-major-problems-facing-australia-20150305-13vl2n.html">http://www.dailylife.com.au/dl-people/dl-entertainment/nineyearold-has-perfect-response-to-school-quiz-asking-about-the-three-major-problems-facing-australia-20150305-13vl2n.html</a></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-49173162508683542502015-03-06T11:29:00.005+10:002015-03-06T11:32:43.948+10:00Logan City: Pam Parker to quit as Mayor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.logan.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0005/314636/council2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pam Parker will not contest the 2016 election.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Logan City Mayor Pam Parker Not To Contest 2016 Election.</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Logan City Mayor Pam Parker has today announced she will not be contesting the 2016 Mayoral election.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Speaking in front of almost 400 guests at an International Women's Day brunch at the Logan Entertainment Centre today, Mayor Pam Parker reflected on her 18 years in Logan City Council, and the trials and triumphs of leading Australia's fifth most populated Local Government Area.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"After consulting my family and close friends, I have decided I will not be contesting the next election as Mayor of Logan", said Mayor Parker.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"This is a decision I have not taken lightly, as there are many who believe in me and know of my genuine love and care for this great city and its people, having served 11 years as a Councillor, and now seven years as Mayor.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7rXZOCYwphYU6HBrkEVwbV55aF8wc6sbkvI9FffPU7DFiB1ymAHAKrZEKwGYgt9WVxaD3Ze1tEvaOX22M6u8Pp3nhFnaS0VJdhOA-Hb4G8WUbcR9s-v7cb2P7otUksvHZ7NJjOXHyJjo/s1600/Pam+Parker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7rXZOCYwphYU6HBrkEVwbV55aF8wc6sbkvI9FffPU7DFiB1ymAHAKrZEKwGYgt9WVxaD3Ze1tEvaOX22M6u8Pp3nhFnaS0VJdhOA-Hb4G8WUbcR9s-v7cb2P7otUksvHZ7NJjOXHyJjo/s1600/Pam+Parker.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mayor Pam Parker</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"I do have remorse in making this announcement, however after the next Local Government elections in March 2016, it will be time for me to recharge, rebuild my health, reconnect with my family and friends and begin the next chapter of life."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mayor Pam Parker was first elected as a Divisional Councillor in 1997, and over 11 years built a strong reputation for working hard and caring for the community.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With the support of family and close friends, Cr Parker contested the 2008 Mayoral election and stormed home with an impressive 72% of the two-candidate preferred vote, defeating a former Mayor and former State Government Minister.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mayor Pam Parker this morning paid tribute to the many people who supported and encouraged her during her time as Mayor.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"I was blessed to be surrounded by such a supportive family and staff who truly sustained me throughout my first term as Mayor given the toxic political environment in Council at that time", said Mayor Parker.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Add to that overseeing Local Government amalgamation, DA reform, and water restructuring, my first term can only be described as gruelling.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Thankfully, my second term has afforded me the opportunity to do more of what I do best – and that is to promote the City of Logan like there is no tomorrow."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With just over one year until the next Local Government elections, Mayor Pam Parker re-affirmed her commitment to fervently serving the people of Logan right through until her very last day as Mayor.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Over the next year I am going to passionately continue letting the world know why Logan is a city of opportunity for investors, business and residents", said Mayor Parker.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"We are a city on the go and we are hungry as a Council team for businesses to invest in Logan to create jobs for today's residents and future generations - our children's future is all consuming for me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"There will be ample opportunity over the next 12 months to say farewell to the thousands of people I have met over the past nearly two decades, but in the meantime, there is still much work to do."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.logan.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-and-publications/media-releases/media-releases/logan-city-mayor-pam-parker-not-to-contest-2016-election/_nocache">http://www.logan.qld.gov.au/about-council/news-and-publications/media-releases/media-releases/logan-city-mayor-pam-parker-not-to-contest-2016-election/_nocache</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-18264191112169226672015-03-06T11:26:00.003+10:002015-03-06T11:27:01.783+10:00Close the Convention Centre down until they get their act together<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPyP7pCwAwgZyEsUq8v4H12A-dZDb3lYxpr2W5OP266RH1q_bo-lGdLXvEEcCcJd_4AMdd6lEoWAjcQ6_pHTN9ZEQCZUsfQM3OWdLnNtlCyZPqrKPDDJGptN5jJ0l8TmQDm_wgg4DEcxU/s1600/Brisbane+Convention+&+Exhibition+Centre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPyP7pCwAwgZyEsUq8v4H12A-dZDb3lYxpr2W5OP266RH1q_bo-lGdLXvEEcCcJd_4AMdd6lEoWAjcQ6_pHTN9ZEQCZUsfQM3OWdLnNtlCyZPqrKPDDJGptN5jJ0l8TmQDm_wgg4DEcxU/s1600/Brisbane+Convention+&+Exhibition+Centre.jpg" height="156" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close the Convention Centre until<br />
the source of the problem is identified.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Public health and proper food sanitation are absolutely essential especially for major establishments which the public should be able have every confidence in. </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>To have one serious large-scale outbreak of food poisoning is bad enough but to have two, beggars belief.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The Health Department should close the food operations at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre until source of the food poisoning is identified at all steps implemented to prevent it from ever happening again.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/" target="_blank">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre has been linked to a second outbreak of salmonella poisoning.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
THE Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre was the source of a salmonella outbreak a week before 250 people got food poisoning at a school principals’ conference.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s been revealed about 10 people fell ill after attending the Fundraising Institute of Australia at the centre, a week before the principals’ conference was held late last month.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Five of those 10 people were confirmed to have had salmonella.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/brisbane-fast-first-bcec-linked-to-second-salmonella-poisoning-outbreak-and-the-latest-breaking-news-march-6/story-fnqcjzme-1227228706002?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/brisbane-fast-first-bcec-linked-to-second-salmonella-poisoning-outbreak-and-the-latest-breaking-news-march-6/story-fnqcjzme-1227228706002?from=public_rss</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-35156605973071036992015-03-06T11:11:00.003+10:002015-03-06T11:15:48.631+10:00NSW Politics: The ABC's Antony Green says Mike Baird might still lose<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIowTCZIMjfVrCSFKRLRLHqasqtpsBIBVz0G5usmQ6icM7jlwX0j-Us5mjSzl87HCT0XquLwdQzFs_Ghajo8uZudMHxe-1sNRcGiTp2WxnI3snhnzwlrdfBNcj_zRxtXgBx0kLr9msbYvR/s1600/Mike+Baird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIowTCZIMjfVrCSFKRLRLHqasqtpsBIBVz0G5usmQ6icM7jlwX0j-Us5mjSzl87HCT0XquLwdQzFs_Ghajo8uZudMHxe-1sNRcGiTp2WxnI3snhnzwlrdfBNcj_zRxtXgBx0kLr9msbYvR/s1600/Mike+Baird.jpg" height="133" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can Mike Baird hold on to power in NSW?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The new Liberal Premier of New South Wales Mike Baird may be about to do the impossible - lose government.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Who would have ever thought that three years after winning only 7 of 89 seats in the Queensland Parliament, Labor would win the next election.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>But a similar thing could easily occur in NSW.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Mike Baird carries a litany of corruption, broken promises and corrupt members on the conservative side of the NSW parliament.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>He deserves to lose and may well do so given the current fickle nature of Australian politics.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/" target="_blank">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: NOT so long ago, the 2015 NSW election was shaping up as a drab, dry affair.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
BUT a $3000 bottle of plonk, a foggy memory, a letter written on behalf of Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis and Prime Minister Tony Abbott's unpopularity have livened up proceedings.Barry O'Farrell, who led the coalition to a landslide victory in 2011, fell on his sword last April after giving misleading evidence to ICAC about a bottle of red gifted to him by a Liberal donor.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
His Treasurer Mike Baird, formerly a merchant banker, was anointed premier and set about regaining the public's trust in politics.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But the issue that has come to dominate Mr Baird's premiership, and one that might define his political career is power privatisation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
All the recent opinion polls suggest the coalition will be returned to power with a diminished majority.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Even the worst poll result for the coalition, a Galaxy survey published in February, has the Baird government returning with a comfortable majority despite it suffering an 11 per cent swing against it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That scenario could leave Labor with an extra 16 seats should the swing be applied uniformly across the state.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But the ABC's election analyst Antony Green says the coalition is at risk of losing its majority.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He argues the nature of Labor's defensive 2011 campaign means that many coalition seats are sitting on "vastly inflated" margins and could be under threat.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A number of far north coasts seats held by The Nationals on 20-plus per cent margins are in reality at serious risk of falling to the ALP, Mr Green suggests.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
NSW Liberals are also worried that Mr Abbott's sagging popularity will translate to a sizeable swing against the Baird government.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whatever ends up happening in Canberra, the recent Queensland and Victorian election results exemplified the increasing volatility of voting patterns across Australia.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Baird has been warned.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/nsw-election-closer-than-it-looks/story-fnihsfrf-1227250808104?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/nsw-election-closer-than-it-looks/story-fnihsfrf-1227250808104?from=public_rss</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-27760203430896782062015-03-05T11:54:00.001+10:002015-03-05T11:54:51.656+10:00Queensland MPs base pay jumps to $152,688 per annum<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsbsjhT8bTW-t28ghHCPNLZaJMHZHSJR0WWjpvw6ztsTgsIzM5mUSNt6DYt2M1mUTNrwB9-vfZABFodoxlZw4OF0I8Z5fNF3kGqECYlWz6aCOpwo1ULinN4hQsgzoGEjJHlycN7CJBfOw/s1600/Dollar+bills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsbsjhT8bTW-t28ghHCPNLZaJMHZHSJR0WWjpvw6ztsTgsIzM5mUSNt6DYt2M1mUTNrwB9-vfZABFodoxlZw4OF0I8Z5fNF3kGqECYlWz6aCOpwo1ULinN4hQsgzoGEjJHlycN7CJBfOw/s1600/Dollar+bills.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/" target="_blank">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: QUEENSLAND MPs are in line to receive a 2.58 per cent pay rise, boosting their base salary by $3840.</div>
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The Queensland Independent Remuneration Tribunal today released its latest determination revealing it would raise MPs’ pay from April 6.</div>
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“The Tribunal has determined that the base salary and additional salaries of office holders will increase by 2.58 per cent,” it’s report states.</div>
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“By applying the same percentage increase to the additional salaries of office holders, the relativity in levels of these additional salaries is maintained.</div>
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“This increase moves the base salary from $148,848 to $152,688.”</div>
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But MPs may have to pay back some of that increase if it doesn’t match the pay rises awarded to public servants this year with Ms Palaszczuk revealing she intends to pass new laws retrospectively linking MP pay to that of bureaucrats from this year.</div>
<br />Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-mps-may-have-to-hand-back-latest-pay-rise/story-fnn8dlfs-1227249140813">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-mps-may-have-to-hand-back-latest-pay-rise/story-fnn8dlfs-1227249140813</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-26864697532954497492015-03-05T07:20:00.001+10:002015-03-05T11:38:40.078+10:00Queensland women let down as LNP hosts lunch at sexist male-only club<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td><img src="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/u/y/r/9/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.13ux5s.png/1425459003392.jpg" height="112" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;"><b>PM Tony Abbott defends Australia's most-</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: xx-small;"><b> sexist club - Tattersall's </b></span><b style="color: red; font-size: x-small;">in Brisbane.</b></td></tr>
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<b>The LNP has proven conclusively it is anti-women by holding its International Women's Day lunch as one of the most-sexist clubs in Australia.</b></div>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b></div>
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<b>Tattersall's Club, off the Queen Street Mall in Brisbane, is the last bastion of conservatism in the nation where women are treated as second class citizens and refused membership on the basis of their sex.</b></div>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b></div>
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<b>What's worse - Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised only two weeks ago to reform his biased, conservative ways, yet has now let down the women of Australia with a tirade of abuse justifying and supporting the disgraceful treatment of women by Tattersall's.</b></div>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b></div>
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<b>Tony Abbott wants two Australian nationals on death row in Indonesia to be afforded natural justice and treatment in accordance with Australian law, but when it comes to protecting the rights of Australian women, he has shown he is still living in the Ice Age.</b></div>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b></div>
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<b>Australia's political Neanderthal strikes again!</b></div>
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The <a href="http://brisbanetimes.com.au/" target="_blank">Brisbane Times</a> reports: The Liberal National Party reportedly plans to hold an International Women's Day function at a men-only club - and Tony Abbott says that's a good thing.</div>
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The Liberal National Party will host a celebration of International Women's Day at an exclusive Brisbane club that only allows men to be members.</div>
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The lunch will be held at the Tattersall's Club from 11.45am on Friday, two days before International Women's Day on March 8.</div>
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An LNP spokesman said the lunch had been organised by <a href="http://www.lnpwomen.org.au/">party organisation LNP Women</a>.</div>
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Prime Minister Tony Abbott's said: "Nearly half of the LNP's 14,000 members are women and this event aims to discuss and promote the involvement of more women in politics at all levels," he said.<br />
<br />
"LNP Women appreciate the efforts of Tattersall's Club in accommodating their function at short notice."<br />
<br />
Fiona Simpson will be keynote speaker at the event.<br />
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Tattersall's proudly boasts on its website it is "more than just a club for male members to enjoy", as it also allows their partners and families to accompany them in the plush CBD space.<br />
<br />
Ms Simpson appeared unperturbed by the symbolism.<br />
<br />
"I'm less troubled by openly 'male only' clubs or openly 'women only' gyms than I am by areas of society that have a veneer of equality but which hide structural impediments or unconscious bias that block women from opportunities," she said.<br />
<br />
The issue spread to Canberra on Wednesday afternoon, when Opposition Leader Bill Shorten asked Prime Minister Tony Abbott to respond to the controversy.<br />
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Mr Abbott, also the federal Minister for Women, trumpeted the event as a triumph for feminism.<br />
<br />
"This is just how wonderful this broad church that I lead is … obviously they've just broken down the last barrier and they've made the men-only club admit women," he said in a spirited response during question time.<br />
<br />
"Admit women! Isn't that fantastic? At last, this bastion of chauvinism has admitted women and they've done it on International Women's Day because of the Liberal National Party.<br />
<br />
"Good on the Liberal National Party, smashing the glass ceiling yet again. I say congratulations and thank God that bastion of old-fashioned chauvinism has finally collapsed like the walls of Jericho at the trumpet cry of the Liberal National Party."<br />
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Mr Abbott may have overstated the significance of the lunch, as its speakers remained ineligible for Tatts membership.<br />
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Queensland Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman appeared surprised at the move.<br />
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"Seriously? You can't make this stuff up," she said.<br />
<br />
"It shows how out-of-touch the LNP are and their excuse of organising the event at short notice just doesn't stack up, because International Women's Day is held on the eighth of March every year.<br />
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<div>
Full story: <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/lnp-hosts-international-womens-day-lunch-at-menonly-club-20150304-13ux5s.html">http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/lnp-hosts-international-womens-day-lunch-at-menonly-club-20150304-13ux5s.html</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-10239005322845677692015-03-04T07:19:00.001+10:002015-03-05T11:40:44.463+10:00Malcolm Turnbull says Abbott best for PM - except for himself of course!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">Loyal until the next battle. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Beware the Ides of March.</span></b></td></tr>
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<b>Malcolm Turnbull can huff and puff all he likes about loyalty to his leader but when the final showdown begins, he will be there with all his might, ready to become Australia's next Prime Minister.</b></div>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b></div>
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<b>There's not a bone in Malcolm Turnbull's body which is not rattling with excitement about the imminent prospect of becoming Prime Minister.</b></div>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b></div>
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<b>Malcolm would make the best poker player in Australia with his sombre and almost contrite appearance. </b></div>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b></div>
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<b>He must be busting to say: "Give me the job, NOW!!".</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/" target="_blank">The Courier-Mail </a>reports: MALCOLM Turnbull insists Tony Abbott is the best person to be prime minister.</div>
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THAT'S because he has the confidence of the party room.</div>
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"To be the leader of a political party you only need one attribute and that is to have the confidence of the party room," he told ABC TV.<br />
<br />
Mr Turnbull has been billed as the likely challenger in any spill of the Liberal leadership.<br />
<br />
"You can have all the attributes in the world, perceived, real, unreal, imagined - the only attribute that matters is ... whether the majority of the party room support you," he said.<br />
<br />
Asked if he had the ticker to challenge Mr Abbott, he replied: "My ticker is in very good shape."<br />
<br />
"We support Tony Abbott as our leader. He has the support of the party room. Yes, there was a spill motion, but it was not carried and we are all behind the leader, every single one of us," he said.<br />
<br />
On the contentious issue of gay marriage, Mr Turnbull said there was really little difference between his position and Mr Abbott - as they both supported a conscience vote, even though he supported same-sex marriage and the prime minister opposed it.<br />
<br />
Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/turnbull-says-abbott-best-for-pm/story-fnihsfrf-1227246897956?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/turnbull-says-abbott-best-for-pm/story-fnihsfrf-1227246897956?from=public_rss</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-38062670314200710332015-03-03T19:00:00.001+10:002015-03-03T19:21:33.455+10:00Poms to update Queen's coin portrait: Australia should go it alone and dump her off our coins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem80ctkKHCnrDjQ5TEXh_s7xoBBNnryJJ4ekv5nBttKfmOZJrGJOf1YYbLiXE-0VAqcowPxxiJeJg2h3qojBamsALdpTCZ8BG6KxlarIXNe2oYQWpFDJB4LojcI94kkntqch7UotzwfNe/s1600/Lawson+Blaxland+Wentworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem80ctkKHCnrDjQ5TEXh_s7xoBBNnryJJ4ekv5nBttKfmOZJrGJOf1YYbLiXE-0VAqcowPxxiJeJg2h3qojBamsALdpTCZ8BG6KxlarIXNe2oYQWpFDJB4LojcI94kkntqch7UotzwfNe/s1600/Lawson+Blaxland+Wentworth.jpg" height="200" width="152" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawson, Blaxland and <br />
Wentworth: A perfect triple<br />
portrait for Australia's coins.</td></tr>
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<b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><b>As the UK moves to update the official portrait of the Queen on their coins, there is now a real opportunity for Australia to dump the Queen off our coins in favour of something uniquely Australian.</b></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>This is a chance for a genuine "mea culpa" by the Prime Minister Tony Abbott after his disastrous PR stunt in making Prince Philip a Knight of the Realm on Australia Day.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>There are many great Australians who could be a permanent part of our coinage.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>For example, we could recognise our greatest explorers Lawson, Blaxland and Wentworth who crossed the Blue Mountains in an epic feat in 1813 to open up the western plains.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Australia could have unique coinage with a "Triple Head" on our coins.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Australian coins would become distinctive across the world and would be genuine collectors' items.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>If we don't do anything, sooner or later we will see King Charles on our coins.</b></div>
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<b>And that would be a total embarrassment, even for arch-conservatives and monarchists like Tony Abbott.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-02/new-coinage-portrait-of-her-majesty-queen-elizabeth/6275742" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/6275732-3x2-340x227.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British coin with the<br />
Queen's new portrait.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news" target="_blank">ABC News</a> reports: A new portrait of Queen Elizabeth which will feature on the United Kingdom's coins has been unveiled.</div>
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The portrait is the fifth of the 88-year-old queen, who will overtake Queen Victoria as Britain's longest-reigning monarch in September, to appear on coins since she came to the throne in 1952, and the first since 1998.</div>
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The new portrayal, showing Queen Elizabeth wearing the royal diamond diadem crown worn for her coronation, was created by 33-year-old Royal Mint engraver Jody Clark, whose design was selected from a number of anonymous submissions.</div>
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The last Royal Mint engraver to be commissioned to undertake a royal portrait was George William de Saulles, who engraved the portrait of Edward VII which first appeared on coins in 1902.</div>
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Coins featuring the new effigy will go into production immediately, and are set to go into circulation later this year.</div>
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Just when Australians can expect to pocket the new portrait of Queen Elizabeth remains unclear.</div>
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A spokeswoman for the Royal Australian Mint said there were no plans to use the latest effigy on Australian coins at this stage.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-02/new-coin-portrait-of-britain-queen-elizabeth-unveiled/6275740">http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-02/new-coin-portrait-of-britain-queen-elizabeth-unveiled/6275740</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-15104518191414688652015-03-03T18:37:00.002+10:002015-03-03T18:37:20.455+10:00Aussie Post Joke: Stamps to jump from 70c to $1 - a 42% increase<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-03/several-australia-post-seventy-cent-stamps/6276792" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="133" src="http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/6276786-3x2-340x227.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australia Post plans massive<br /> Aussie ripoff.</td></tr>
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<b>In a once in 200 years outrageous move, the cost of basic postage in Australia is likely to jump by a staggering 42.8 percent.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>And the mastermind behind this anti-consumer move is the man who wants us to believe he could be a breath of fresh air as the next Prime Minister of Australia.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Yes, it's Malcolm Turnbull who wants to slug ordinary Australians a king's ransom to send a letter across town.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Malcolm Turnbull is really no different from Tony Abbott - just a slightly classier, anti-worker, anti-Australian, conservative millionaire politician who wouldn't know what Struggle Street is or what a Bundy clock looks like.</b></div>
<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news" target="_blank">ABC News </a>reports: Malcolm Turnbull confirms plans for two-tier mail service, wants postage stamp cost to rise from 70c to $1</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The price of a standard postage stamp could rise from 70 cents to $1 and mail will take longer to arrive, under a plan announced by the Government today.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australia Post would introduce a two-speed mail service, with a regular service operating two days slower than the current delivery speed, and a premium-rate priority service.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At a meeting of Coalition MPs this morning, Mr Turnbull explained the plan, saying there needed to be greater transparency from Australia Post - what he called an "open kimono" approach.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Turnbull said the two-tier system would not be introduced until September at the earliest.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Australia Post is also set to lodge an application with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to increase the price of a stamp from 70 cents to $1.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The ACCC could knock back the application.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A 60 cent stamp price will remain in place for pensioners and Commonwealth concession card holders, and Christmas cards will still cost 65 cents to send.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Australia Post is facing significant structural decline as people choose to communicate over the internet," Mr Turnbull said in a statement.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Australians are now sending 1 billion fewer letters a year than they were in 2008, with letters losses rising to more than $300 million a year.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"While Australia Post has been able to offset these losses by growing its parcels business, losses in letters are now so large that they are overwhelming all profitable areas of the business.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Without reform total projected company losses could reach $6.6 billion over the next 10 years, with letters losses of $12.1 billion."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said that despite the decrease, the postal service was still required to provide a Monday to Friday delivery service to most homes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Turnbull also flagged that the changes could mean job cuts.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Obviously there are implications for jobs in these changes," he told Parliament.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He added that Australia Post has a policy of trying to redeploy staff and views redundancy as a "last resort".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last week Australia Post<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-23/australia-post-forecasts-loss-as-profit-drops-56pc/6215334"> announced a 56 per cent dive in its first half profits</a>, with losses due to letters delivery doubling to more than $150 million.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The company did not publish a full breakdown of its accounts, but it said revenue from its parcel service was up 4 per cent, and revenue for its business parcels service it was up 5 per cent.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-03/70c-stamps-could-cost-1-under-plan-for-australia-post/6276704">http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-03/70c-stamps-could-cost-1-under-plan-for-australia-post/6276704</a><br /><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-57442587045922108372015-03-03T10:35:00.002+10:002015-03-03T10:35:55.227+10:00The government needs to step in over out-of-control power companies as Origin slugs Camira resident $3884<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdR9h-MnKkzCuSqkkoddh05SpMYq_TuKj2XCGpE9qOZLb-Rn5dSWT3gXLREpEK006afzjMqJtn8QXEF_mVZk7cFB4I1B3iQjam2rj1PuxrPnYInzbRA8POpGWmewjZ0koy4UvlY4i1h5I-/s1600/Origin+energy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdR9h-MnKkzCuSqkkoddh05SpMYq_TuKj2XCGpE9qOZLb-Rn5dSWT3gXLREpEK006afzjMqJtn8QXEF_mVZk7cFB4I1B3iQjam2rj1PuxrPnYInzbRA8POpGWmewjZ0koy4UvlY4i1h5I-/s1600/Origin+energy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">Origin Energy:<br />Making huge<br />demands on<br />householders.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Despite promises from former Premiers Peter Beattie and Campbell Newman to reduce electricity costs, prices are continuing to skyrocket for average Queensland householders.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>A circuit breaker needs to be found for struggling families who cannot afford escalating electricity charges.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>And if you dare to question sky-high bills, Origin has introduced a new level of corporate bastardry by accusing residents of tampering with their electricity meters.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Electricity companies are fast becoming like our banks - without a spark of decency and revolting business practices.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="112" src="http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2015/03/02/1227245/052781-90c52cdc-ba5a-11e4-9d8f-fbb6e12d9f5c.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sam Andary and wife Julie <br />received a bill backdated<br /> to December 23, 2011. </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/" target="_blank">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: A CAMIRA man has been accused of tampering with his power meter and slapped with a $3884 power bill.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sam Andary, 58, and wife Julie, 56, have always been cautious with their energy consumption, so it came as a shock when they received a bill backdated to December 23, 2011.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“They rang me a few months ago and said they’d send out a technician to check the meter to see if everything is working fine and they changed it to digital,” Mr Andary said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“That’s all I heard from them until I got this bill.”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Following lengthy conversations with Origin and Energex, Mr Andary has lodged the matter with the Energy and Water Ombudsman of Queensland (EWOQ).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Energex alleges Mr Andary’s meter was tampered with and provided Origin with estimates for how much energy was shaved off the initial readings.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“An inspection by Energex metering staff in December identified a meter at the property had been tampered with, which slowed the meter disc, impacting the accurate reading of energy used at the property,” an Energex spokesman said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Andary denies having any knowledge of the device being tampered with. Origin Energy said it was liaising with Energex and the EWOQ to try resolve the issue. The ombudsman declined to comment</div>
<br /><div>
Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/origin-hands-camira-man-with-3884-power-bill-then-say-pay-up-or-talk-to-the-hand/story-fnn8dlfs-1227245892379?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/origin-hands-camira-man-with-3884-power-bill-then-say-pay-up-or-talk-to-the-hand/story-fnn8dlfs-1227245892379?from=public_rss</a></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-58227401749008061242015-03-02T15:08:00.000+10:002015-03-02T15:08:40.200+10:00What is the Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan raving on about? - Kate Jones says no specific terror threat to Queensland schools<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSXXE5_Fd12kwr-FgmmrMXFrxXP6KDPWyRriNQ3uOwrvYS4X634lL97_VqgF03eQdPdATGwJkyRf9Lveb6JkyFsIotGV5XSPZkoVfdme9j7Z2sDzjmcqYPjvZwqhiwFnp0Jwu8-n768U8/s1600/Michael+Keenan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSXXE5_Fd12kwr-FgmmrMXFrxXP6KDPWyRriNQ3uOwrvYS4X634lL97_VqgF03eQdPdATGwJkyRf9Lveb6JkyFsIotGV5XSPZkoVfdme9j7Z2sDzjmcqYPjvZwqhiwFnp0Jwu8-n768U8/s1600/Michael+Keenan.jpeg" height="155" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Keenan raving on about<br />schools but fails to speak to the<br />Queensland Education Minister.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan is unnecessarily scaring Queensland school authorities, parents and students with today's embellished announcement about unspecified terror threats to Queensland schools.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>He should have spoken to the State Education Minister Kate Jones before making today's announcement.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://brisbanetimes.com.au/" target="_blank">The Brisbane Times</a> reports: reports: There is no specific terrorism threat to Queensland schools, even though two schools will receive additional funding for security guards, Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan says.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The schools - which may be Islamic or Jewish schools - are among 54 that received at total of $18 million for security guards, closed-circuit television and fences.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"There is no specific information we have that makes us worried about these two schools in Queensland," Mr Keenan told Fairfax Radio 4BC on Monday morning.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Two Queensland schools are among 54 around the country to get security upgrades.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"And there is no specific information we have that makes us worried about any of the 54 schools that have been identified."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Keenan said the program had been running since 2007, however before the September 2013 federal election, the Coalition promised to widen the parameters for how the security money could be used to let schools employ security guards.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He declined to say which two Queensland schools had received the security funding because they had a "slightly higher risk profile".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Not all of the school community are comfortable talking about it," he said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Keenan said applications for schools to seek additional funding for terrorism security began well before the terrorism attacks in Paris (January 2015) or at Sydney's Lindt Cafe (December 2014).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"This is not in response to incidents we have seen overseas or here," he said.</div>
<br />Full story: <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/no-terror-threat-to-queensland-schools-kate-jones-20150302-13shgi.html">http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/no-terror-threat-to-queensland-schools-kate-jones-20150302-13shgi.html</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-59334076165815017902015-03-02T11:52:00.006+10:002015-03-02T11:52:54.688+10:00Australian Politics: This is a joke! Another VOLUNTARY code of conduct for big business. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiO8HoiNXRpuJbJpNm56dEgtJ9bw-rqWzHoIqanITCRrbjNLFPFdFK6tbU26rvQCxZ7wFHVEqykO2EzsHdj03mYQW_WJNUvT1JALAmh0IAeYfJtQqw59VCunmV0uvHwUJLHF6XUfku6b1p/s1600/Code+of+Conduct.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiO8HoiNXRpuJbJpNm56dEgtJ9bw-rqWzHoIqanITCRrbjNLFPFdFK6tbU26rvQCxZ7wFHVEqykO2EzsHdj03mYQW_WJNUvT1JALAmh0IAeYfJtQqw59VCunmV0uvHwUJLHF6XUfku6b1p/s1600/Code+of+Conduct.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Response from Woolworths and <br />Coles over another voluntary code:<br />"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ...."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Whenever the Federal Government announces another purely voluntary code of conduct for big business, you can be sure big business is laughing all the way to the bank.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Even the Minister Bruce Billson is pre-empting the voluntary code will fail because he says after three years there will be a review and according to the Minister they would then "look at ways it could enforce it".</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>This is utterly hopeless, pro-business, anti-consumer clap-trap.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The Small Business Minister is doing nothing to protect either small business or the ultimate day-to-day consumers across Australia, preferring to concentrate on helping the daddy long legs of Australian commerce, Woolworths and Coles, who have treated farmers and growers across the nation with absolute disdain for far too long.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/" target="_blank">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: Food and grocery code of conduct to prevent supermarkets ripping off farmers</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
SHOPPERS could look forward to cheaper groceries at the checkout as a result of a new food and grocery code of conduct to be in place from tomorrow.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Small Business Minister Bruce Billson today announced the government’s planned code, but said the major supermarkets would have to agree to voluntarily adopt the standards.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruNsmCgOiMCbkYGc7mJ00zUsFOqqm9OMPg7kXWDHuiyyz4TXL2rSftot_SBOKVdbJfK9s24yvdAS1AS9anzftssRe7N1rofYHGLuCqx17ngK4RCnVkc1mHXXGJUDe-xW2w131QBsH4Q4D/s1600/Bruce+Billson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruNsmCgOiMCbkYGc7mJ00zUsFOqqm9OMPg7kXWDHuiyyz4TXL2rSftot_SBOKVdbJfK9s24yvdAS1AS9anzftssRe7N1rofYHGLuCqx17ngK4RCnVkc1mHXXGJUDe-xW2w131QBsH4Q4D/s1600/Bruce+Billson.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And get ripped off!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The new measures include an obligation to enter into grocery supply agreements in writing, minimum standards of behaviour in dealings with suppliers and dispute resolution mechanisms to assist suppliers in resolving stoushes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Billson said the code was “pro-competition” which could lead to better deals for consumers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Billson said the code would be reviewed in three years.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He said if supermarkets rallied against the code, the government would look at ways it could enforce it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div>
Full story:<br /><a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/companies/food-and-grocery-code-of-conduct-to-prevent-supermarkets-ripping-off-farmers/story-fnkjkokp-1227244221800?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/companies/food-and-grocery-code-of-conduct-to-prevent-supermarkets-ripping-off-farmers/story-fnkjkokp-1227244221800?from=public_rss</a><br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-31852562593424427922015-03-02T10:03:00.003+10:002015-03-02T10:04:42.145+10:00Australian Politics: ALP moves censure motion against Attorney-General George Brandis over Gillian Triggs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LBAdsFY-_Si1-GkpCbCh8PdBqXLbVYQ__mPBiy8wLZi9JIytR9FZMjnM4kwSYA0pCQLYX5T4nikS9wmIe9FBuVAis1kakLLEnqK4pLB5e0P0XlbxHND_VHbOehdqB4yG27DSe5ruX5Rk/s1600/George+Brandis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LBAdsFY-_Si1-GkpCbCh8PdBqXLbVYQ__mPBiy8wLZi9JIytR9FZMjnM4kwSYA0pCQLYX5T4nikS9wmIe9FBuVAis1kakLLEnqK4pLB5e0P0XlbxHND_VHbOehdqB4yG27DSe5ruX5Rk/s1600/George+Brandis.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sentaor George Brandis: Will he do<br />
the honourable thing and resign if<br />
censured by the Senate?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>The ALP has quite properly moved to censure the Attorney-General George Brandis over his appalling treatment of the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission Gillian Triggs.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>If the motion is carried, Senator Brandis should show some modicum of respect for the Senate and resign his portfolio immediately.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>After all, he is always preaching to the people of Australia about the rule of law, respect for the law and decency in politics.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/" target="_blank">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: LABOR has tried to censure Attorney-General George Brandis over his "deplorable" treatment of the Australian Human Rights Commission.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Opposition Senate leader Penny Wong moved the censure motion as the upper house began sitting on Monday, claiming Senator Brandis was unfit to hold the office of attorney-general.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It censures the minister for failing to defend the commission's president Gillian Triggs from "malicious attacks", trying to seek her resignation and refusing to own up to his conduct during last week's Senate estimate hearings.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/labor-tries-to-censure-brandis-over-triggs/story-fnihsfrf-1227244347221?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/labor-tries-to-censure-brandis-over-triggs/story-fnihsfrf-1227244347221?from=public_rss</a></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-60148345480011758402015-03-02T07:54:00.000+10:002015-03-02T07:54:10.726+10:00Australian Politics: Federal Liberal MP Andrew Robb has delusions of Tony Abbott's future as Prime Minister<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLPtmkc5uAXOSPTwnUVINOEMNl4l0jvNCFwV8oKLFxcz27IW3MSs0QRybeFXgsCSpFFo7nDKdwY7shSYZv1uKdNe-Gy3nL9P0mZk07RGdb40YlNtuCZvwsgoEjqEHsDtYW9jBpnm09plB/s1600/Andrew+Robb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLPtmkc5uAXOSPTwnUVINOEMNl4l0jvNCFwV8oKLFxcz27IW3MSs0QRybeFXgsCSpFFo7nDKdwY7shSYZv1uKdNe-Gy3nL9P0mZk07RGdb40YlNtuCZvwsgoEjqEHsDtYW9jBpnm09plB/s1600/Andrew+Robb.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Robb has perfected that<br />sinking feeling - without even<br />realising it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Federal Liberal MP, who fancies himself as Australia's next Prime Minister, must be suffering severe political delusions if he thinks Tony Abbott is on the comeback trail.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Andrew Robb has always been an inward looking, navel-gazing, right-wing Australian politician.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #134f5c;">If he had been on board the Titanic's maiden voyage, he would have shunned the lifeboats - proclaiming help was on its way!</span></b></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://couriermail.com.au/" target="_blank">The Courier-Mail</a> reports: Campaign against PM dying, says Robb.</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
SENIOR Liberal frontbencher Andrew Robb has told colleagues agitating for a leadership change to pull their heads in, saying a positive poll for the prime minister shows their campaign is "dying".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A FAIRFAX-IPSOS poll puts the coalition almost neck-and-neck with Labor in two-party terms at 49-51, a significant improvement on the 54-46 result in January.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Robb has hit out at those pushing for a change, saying the poll shows voters think the prime minister should be given some clear air.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"They've been putting out continued spurious leaks and other things to try and keep some momentum, but I think it's dying because the voters have spoken," he told ABC radio.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"These elusive unnamed colleagues have got a clear responsibility to the rest of the team and the country to pull their heads in."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr Robb never thought a leadership vote was likely this week after the "solid dismissal" of the spill motion last month.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Full story: <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/campaign-against-pm-dying-says-robb/story-fnihsfrf-1227244068046?from=public_rss">http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/campaign-against-pm-dying-says-robb/story-fnihsfrf-1227244068046?from=public_rss</a></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-83555458988289285352015-03-02T07:29:00.000+10:002015-03-02T10:12:24.239+10:00Local Government: Former MP Sean Choat wants to swap jobs with his political nemesis Jim Madden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">The defeated Member for Ipswich West Sean Choat wants the Somerset Council seat vacated by the new Member for Ipswich West Jim Madden.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">It's a game of political musical chairs fit for an entry into the Guinness Book of Records.</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">And if Sean Choat snares the vacant position on the Somerset Regional Council, he will be receiving close to $150,000 less on the public purse per year than he pocketed during the past three years.</span></b></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF13moxbA7SjNFm6SckB-z0v8V-wQglNxdQzLH2Vtl3bHYB5GdoOCtQTOm6MSlcJKlLya97xXTuYWpXgKhEV7RXs3px2nZkLDY5QjIsN_W_tyszMsUPTR51IvGmBBtNHH5mpsx7slBRmdi/s1600/Sean+Choat.jpg"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF13moxbA7SjNFm6SckB-z0v8V-wQglNxdQzLH2Vtl3bHYB5GdoOCtQTOm6MSlcJKlLya97xXTuYWpXgKhEV7RXs3px2nZkLDY5QjIsN_W_tyszMsUPTR51IvGmBBtNHH5mpsx7slBRmdi/s1600/Sean+Choat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Former MP for Ipswich West Sean </span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Choat stays "mum" on his chances </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="text-align: start;">of resurrecting a </span></b></span><b style="color: red;"><span style="text-align: start;">new career</span></b></span><br />
<b style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"> in local government.</span></b></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.qt.com.au/" target="_blank">The Queensland Times</a> reports: Former Ipswich West MP throws hat in the ring for Somerset role.</div>
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The Bill Lawry of Ipswich politics is set to fly again.</div>
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Sean Choat, a pigeon enthusiast just like the legendary former Australian Test cricketer, has applied for the Somerset council position vacated by the man who took his former seat of Ipswich West at the state election.</div>
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Mr Choat lost the seat to Labor's Jim Madden but that has not dimmed his interest in continuing in public life.</div>
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Applications to fill the councillor position left vacant by Mr Madden close on Friday, March 6 and the Somerset Regional Council will collate all entries and appoint a new councillor.</div>
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Speculation Mr Choat would nominate was rife in the district and the QT had to drag it out of him that he had applied.</div>
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But the former LNP MP wants to make a contribution to the local community that is dear to his heart.</div>
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"The people in the community, and God bless them, are getting excited about it as though it is a fait accompli and that if I put an application in I will be selected," Mr Choat said.</div>
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"But that is not the situation at all.</div>
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"I certainly don't want to be seen as some sort of schmuck who assumes he will go from the state position to the council."</div>
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Full story: <a href="http://www.qt.com.au/news/the-bill-lawry-of-ipswich-politics-is-set-to-fly-a/2559527/#email">http://www.qt.com.au/news/the-bill-lawry-of-ipswich-politics-is-set-to-fly-a/2559527/#email</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBl8V3UhwY4zTJ3eCjKmeEJAmV_8yKZ6mQnBrKN3fM6-ytQIwd8sGmil-xfYOu9vfJjGZuWUV4TTweKUpDB6j8vr7b9m4uOPqzCWv4AxZTwnTF6wnBAAQVC1mjk6gim9wR-3Gr1-gY-GD/s1600/Uber.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBl8V3UhwY4zTJ3eCjKmeEJAmV_8yKZ6mQnBrKN3fM6-ytQIwd8sGmil-xfYOu9vfJjGZuWUV4TTweKUpDB6j8vr7b9m4uOPqzCWv4AxZTwnTF6wnBAAQVC1mjk6gim9wR-3Gr1-gY-GD/s1600/Uber.png" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UBER - The illegal ride sharing app.</td></tr>
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The illegal share riding app UBER is riding high in Australia with little effective law enforcement.</div>
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If the eight state and territorial governments are fair dinkum in getting this menace off Australian roads, there is one simple solution.</div>
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All they have to do is change the laws to allow the seizure of any vehicle illegally being used as a UBER hire vehicle.</div>
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The vehicle would be towed away and impounded for a minimum of 7 days for a first offence, one month for a second offence and then forfeited for a third or subsequent offence.</div>
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This approach works with the impoundment of louts' vehicles under anti-hooning legislation across the nation.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_5BBLypabdgGQPaj7diPsp5hTkt-aMDWYnYuc3ARFMYbKr5GvNXffLlEfHSCaIgjrvKuqKcikT9Nn2myXddNAhiyLVwGxePCbaA2saTnN4-PdsHTNFPjy9raZRhyphenhypheni1Zp7t36USYdAv1z/s1600/Uber+driver+arrested.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_5BBLypabdgGQPaj7diPsp5hTkt-aMDWYnYuc3ARFMYbKr5GvNXffLlEfHSCaIgjrvKuqKcikT9Nn2myXddNAhiyLVwGxePCbaA2saTnN4-PdsHTNFPjy9raZRhyphenhypheni1Zp7t36USYdAv1z/s1600/Uber+driver+arrested.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UBER drivers are under no serious <br />
legal controls, unlike licensed<br />
taxi drivers.</td></tr>
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It would be very simple and effective and would put a serious financial dent in the hip pockets of UBER drivers who are thumbing their noses at the law.</div>
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UBET it would work against UBER law breakers.</div>
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There are no tough Australian legislative controls over UBER drivers and it is only a matter of time before a serious incident occurs in Australia which will see the various governments jump to attention quicker than they could say: "Let's get rid of UBER".</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3872760556260013793.post-8463526376896779082015-03-01T16:55:00.001+10:002015-03-01T18:36:20.247+10:00Tony Abbott cleans up for Clean-up Australia Day but he's about to be cleaned up himself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAedu2aBYhSVpiMKxvAFh2bI69PvbyKm7Jmg4LsOGz3nvaMFLd4vWA_PZGkbmtk2FOrqc0cLJPU2zkAly7e1K1aQM5357YpuoOxHRW_1JM-N4BEGAjHM69BUu7Q8l73YOSG_-6p0zknWqc/s1600/image1-753800.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAedu2aBYhSVpiMKxvAFh2bI69PvbyKm7Jmg4LsOGz3nvaMFLd4vWA_PZGkbmtk2FOrqc0cLJPU2zkAly7e1K1aQM5357YpuoOxHRW_1JM-N4BEGAjHM69BUu7Q8l73YOSG_-6p0zknWqc/s320/image1-753800.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">To the dump, to the dump,</span><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="text-align: left;">to the dump, dump, dump!!</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/">www.TheAustralian.com.au</a> reports: TONY Abbott has made light of the latest round of leadership speculation as recycled rubbish.</div>
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Mr Abbott is facing reports that a majority of Liberal MPs and senators now want to dump him, with Julie Bishop and Malcolm Turnbull touted as challengers.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But, speaking to reporters at a Clean Up Australia Day event on NSW's south coast, the prime minister played down reports he could face another leadership spill this week.</span></div>
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"This is Clean Up Australia Day, and I'm just not going to do anything but recycle the rubbish," he joked.<br />
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"And that's what's happening, we're just recycling rubbish today."<br />
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"Frankly, I think the people of Australia are sick of the insider obsessions of people in Canberra," he said.<br />
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Full story: <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/politics-news/abbott-leadership-crisis-dissident-liberals-will-never-be-satisfied/story-fn59nqld-1227243358657">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/politics-news/abbott-leadership-crisis-dissident-liberals-will-never-be-satisfied/story-fn59nqld-1227243358657</a></div>
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