Dubs posted:

Has Jeff McCloy resigned yet? (phone posring) still saying he won't?

Quantum Mechanic posted:

McCloy is still Mayor.

Mithranderp posted:

Job oppourtunity for you Anidav

https://smartjobs.qld.gov.au/jobtoo...=scoring%20desc

Anidav posted:

Holy poo poo that yearly salary

Newcastle Herald posted:

NEWCASTLE has been identified as a prime candidate for an overhaul of voting laws that the independent Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper has labelled "frightening" in the wake of revelations coming out of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

A bill set to be introduced in Parliament today will, if passed, amend existing laws so that businesses are forced to vote in City of Sydney elections.

The proposed law has been widely interpreted as an attempt to push out Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore but Local Government Minister Paul Toole has identified Newcastle as another prime candidate for the reform.

"Well, what we're going to see is that this will be introduced for the 2016 local government elections here for the City of Sydney," he said.

"[However] the regulations would allow it to be rolled out to other areas.

"That could include places like Parramatta, Newcastle, Wollongong and other places."

The law would be modelled on the City of Melbourne, where landlords, business owners, corporations and other non-residents must vote in council elections. A business owner is entitled to two votes and the landlord of their building also has two votes.

It follows the recommendations of a parliamentary committee that the change be considered for other economic activity centres.

But the independent member for Lake Macquarie, Greg Piper, says the timing of the law is "extraordinary".

"It is frightening and ironic that the timing of this comes when we're seeing the influence peddling and corruption already on display in Newcastle," he said.

Mr Piper is not alone in his concern. Yesterday Newcastle City Green councillor Michael Osborne said the policy would fuel existing concerns that the council "has become a plaything for business interests" because it would give those sectors of the community more say in elections.

The government has argued the policy is fair because business contributes a high ratio of rates - in Sydney it's 78.5 per cent.

Premier Mike Baird said current laws "effectively disenfranchise a large proportion of those who pay the rates . . . and are most directly impacted by the council's decisions".

But Labor councillor Nuatali Nelmes questioned that logic because, she said, the changes would give more influence to those with more wealth.

"The rate system is imperfect but it's supposed to be progressive, if you earn more you pay more," she said.

"What they're basically saying is OK we're wealthy, we deserve more of a say than you."

Daniel Wallace, the secretary of the Newcastle Trades Hall Council, remarked that as with most electoral policies, "the devil is in the detail".

"It doesn't cost me much to register a business. What's stopping me registering 100 businesses in a local government area and stacking a local government election," he said.

But the Property Council has welcomed the changes and the government's plans to extend them beyond Sydney.

The council's man in the Hunter, Andrew Fletcher, believes the change would "fulfil a basic democratic principle".

"This is not a debate about personalities or party politics but a basic democratic principle - that if you contribute substantial rates and taxes, you earn the right to vote."

quote:

a basic democratic principle - that if you contribute substantial rates and taxes, you earn the right to vote.

Quantum Mechanic posted:

Let me play that again

Anidav posted:

Holy poo poo that yearly salary

Dubs posted:

I think jeff mccloy owns half of the newcastle CBD..

The 1000 reign begins

quote:

Mr McCloy’s family company is a major property developer in the Hunter region, but he maintained that he personally was not a developer because he did not personally regularly apply for development approvals and could therefore legally give political donations.

Mr McCloy claimed that he was not a property developer for the purposes of the Electoral Funding and Disclosures Act, even though his family company was developing more than 4,000 residential lots and had massive commercial property holdings.

Amoeba102 posted:

"Australia is always willing to help those in need (unless they come here by boat)"

Murodese posted:

Who was the head that fell at the ICAC today? Can't find anything on it.

Anidav posted:

Shared unironically on my facebook wall as

"This may be satire now, Anidav but in 20 years time..."

Anidav posted:

Shared unironically on my facebook wall as

"This may be satire now, Anidav but in 20 years time..."

Murodese posted:

"The Smrat State"

Yeah Bro posted:

Get better friends.

adamantium|wang posted:

Anidav posted:

"This may be satire now, Anidav but in 20 years time..."

Anidav posted:

I do have good friends, I just keep the crazies so I can watch.

Doctor Spaceman posted:

On my way to my first actual Greens meeting

Anidav posted:

Anidav posted:

Shared unironically on my facebook wall as

"This may be satire now, Anidav but in 20 years time..."

xutech posted:

As a "Poly" I will say that the main problems with Jonah from Tonga is that he's from Tonga.

If it was never clear where he was from it would be fine, but as soon as you impugn the pride of one particular group (i.e Tongans) it's a massively big deal.

Gough Suppressant posted:

or idk maybe don't make a character whose major defining characteristic is his race and then brownface yourself to play him