Contra Duck posted:

Think of it as an article about Australia's future prime ministers.

(yeah it was real boring)

quote:

Mr Scales found the ACCC "overstepped its authority" when it advised Labor that connecting the broadband fibre through street terminals, or nodes, was not a stepping-stone policy towards linking fibre directly to homes.

"What is extraordinary is that the ACCC, which is not an engineering consulting firm or expert in this regard at all, gave that advice and what is even more remarkable, frankly, is the Government took it," Mr Turnbull said.

Murodese posted:

It is extraordinary that a government agency would provide advice that is the truth, and it's even more amazing that the ALP would follow that advice (that is the truth)!!

quote:

Two former students of a Jewish school in Melbourne have been wounded while fighting for the Israeli army in Gaza.

Sam Gosling and Daniel Wein, both 22, are recovering from recent injuries sustained during the conflict between Israel and Hamas that has lasted almost four weeks.

The combat soldiers are former students of Leibler Yavneh College in Elsternwick, and are believed to have been a year level apart. Both are reportedly expected to recover.

Mr Gosling, who left Caulfield for Israel last year, was hit by shrapnel from a missile in late July.

A close friend, Toby Azoulay, said it was extremely distressing to see a photo surface on social media showing Mr Gosling in a hospital bed. "It was very upsetting ... very confronting," he said.

Mr Gosling was born in New Zealand, but his family moved to Melbourne in 2008.

He was involved in the Zionist youth movement, Bnei Akiva, where he became a leader for younger students at weekly meetings.

"He moved mid-last year to join the army," Bnei Akiva Melbourne president Romy Spicer said.

"But it really hits home when you see a photo of your friend who has been injured. It throws you about."

Earlier in July, Mr Wein, who grew up in Melbourne but moved to Israel before graduating from Yavneh College, was reportedly shot in the thigh.

Ms Spicer said that out of the 365 students and leaders in Melbourne's Bnei Akiva program, as many as 10 had joined the Israeli army in the past two years.

"What drives them is a love and passion for Zionism," she said.

There are about 2500 foreign citizens from more than 60 countries enlisted in the Israeli Defence Forces. The US provides the greatest contingent, but there are also large numbers of Russian, Ukrainian and French soldiers.

Sixty-four Israeli army soldiers and three Israeli citizens have died in the conflict. The Palestinian death toll has reached 1822.

Mr Azoulay, whose 20-year-old brother also left Melbourne to fight in Gaza, said soldiers in the army were often under heavy fire and went days without being able to contact family.

"I didn't speak to my brother once for five or six days ... it is nerve-wracking," he said.

"We don't want there to be a war, but unfortunately the circumstances force it."

The Israeli embassy in Canberra refused to comment on the number of Australians fighting for the IDF, but it is believed there are in excess of 100 enlisted.

The Department of Foreign Affairs does not keep figures on how many Australian citizens have gone to Israel to fight for its army.

Halo14 posted:

Halo14 posted:

Halo14 posted:

Gough Suppressant posted:

Presumably the government will come out condemning Leibler Yavneh College as a breeding ground for violent religious extremists who leave Australia to fight in foreign wars. I am also assuming that the two Australian citizens injured while assisting in the murder of children will be denied re-entry to the country and have their citizenship stripped.

Quantum Mechanic posted:

Our local Stop CSG group was livid when we found out Abbott had been in the area with absolutely no notice or ability to organise a meeting.

Also that part where they're turning over the soil? They cut down a bunch of native gums to do that. Absolutely spewing.

Anidav posted:

So I sent out a TTCC application on the 20th of June and it's now the 5th of August and it still has not arrived. I called up Translink and they gave me a number to the so called "card manufacturer" who can give me the exact status of my card. I call the number and get an answering machine telling me to call Translink.

What the actual gently caress?

Splode posted:

No concession opal cards, sirens that flash to let security know someone has the balls to use a concession ticket, half of the paper tickets cancelled (namely the ones that save you money).

Gee, you don't think there's some sort of pattern here, do you?

Splode posted:

No concession opal cards, sirens that flash to let security know someone has the balls to use a concession ticket, half of the paper tickets cancelled (namely the ones that save you money).

Gee, you don't think there's some sort of pattern here, do you?

Amethyst posted:

Nah they're just incompetent.

webmeister posted:

You can't even buy an opal card at a train station

webmeister posted:

This happened at Town Hall at about 8:45am last week

Amethyst posted:

Yep.





Total nightmare.

Ragingsheep posted:

Tbh, that's how Town Hall looks every time more than one train arrives at the same time during peak.

Gough Suppressant posted:

gaza aint got nothin on this

Amethyst posted:

Yep.





Total nightmare.

Quantum Mechanic posted:

At this point are they really going to stop you if you hop the gate?

Quantum Mechanic posted:

At this point are they really going to stop you if you hop the gate?

Amethyst posted:

That isn't true at all.

Small Keating posted:

Looks like Abbott's killed the changes to 18C.

quote:

The Abbott government has backed down on plans to water down the Racial Discrimination Act.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said it was a ‘‘leadership call’’ to bin the proposed changes to Section 18C of the act which had been roundly criticised by ethnic community leaders and was unpopular with the wider public
"Leadership is about preserving national identity and the essentials and that is why I have taken this position," Mr Abbott said.

Last week, Fairfax media revealed the Coalition's plan to water down race hate laws has been rejected by a marked majority of respondents to a government review.

More than 76 per cent of 4100 submissions to Attorney-General George Brandis' draft changes to the Racial Discrimination Act were opposed to the proposal - known as the ''Bolt law'' after conservative columnist Andrew Bolt.

The government has proposed to wind back section 18C, which makes it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate someone based on their race or ethnicity.

But just 20.5 per cent of submissions were in favour of the changes, according to documents obtained under freedom of information laws by Simon Rice of the Australian National University. Three per cent called for a complete repeal of all racial discrimination protections.

Cassa posted:

Why didn't they just take Brisbane's Go Card system?

quote:

"Leadership is about preserving national identity and the essentials and that is why I have taken this position," Mr Abbott said.

Cassa posted:

Unrelatedly, a friend has a Cert IV in admin, but wants to get into warehousing and thinks a cert in that would be more beneficial. They're with a JSA so they should fork out some dosh for training, right? Or will they have to pay for it all out of pocket.

Les Affaires posted:

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...0805-3d65l.html