hooman posted:

It is you, you're fatter than you thought.

Lid posted:

In a cafe

They have an OZ burger

Egg

Pineapple

Beetroot

I hate everything.

Birb Katter posted:

I'm not fatsick enough to go to QLD, it's not me.

Birb Katter posted:

Has anyone found a way to kill Australia because it deserves to die

quote:

Immigration department delivers three boxes of mail to barrister Julian Burnside – six months after he was assured it was being distributed to detainees

[...]

By November last year the matter had moved to the department’s acting assistant secretary, Kylie Scholten, who emailed Burnside advising him that if he wanted to follow this up with the relevant postal services, “I recommend you search online.”

She added: “In future if you have any feedback about offshore processing, please contact the department’s global feedback unit” and provided a web address.

quote:

No more than $100 million of the $900 million budget backdown in car industry support will actually flow through to the sector - and the Government is aware of the discrepancy.

Government sources have told the ABC that, based on business decisions and reduced production volumes in the car industry, the Abbott Government expects to save $800 million of the $900 million it has planned to cut from the Automotive Transformation Scheme.

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane announced the switch in policy this morning in Adelaide, where thousands of car industry jobs are slated to disappear.

However, his own press release states that: "Most of the savings from the program will still be realised, based on production volumes as Ford, Holden and Toyota wind down production based on their independent decisions to end domestic car manufacturing."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the scheme would be "winding down as the car industry shrinks".

"The scheme will continue to operate as legislated and how much is spent under the scheme will depend entirely upon applications that are made to the scheme and the ordinary operation of the scheme," he said.

The Government had tried to wind up the scheme by legislation but it had no hope of clearing the Senate.

However, in reviewing the future of the scheme, the Government became aware of the fact that most of the savings would be realised as car production in Australia slowed.

Those savings will be booked to the budget and not set aside for car industry assistance.

This is completely at odds with a story briefed to the Adelaide Advertiser this morning and confirmed by the Government to the ABC which heralded that $900 million in car industry assistance was being saved.

Mr Macfarlane said the Government wanted to "create certainty" for the sector.

It is the latest move to cast aside several contentious policies — dubbed "barnacles" by Mr Abbott.

Mr Abbott indicated the decision to knock off this barnacle was not taken to Cabinet.

"It went to the ERC [Cabinet's Expenditure Review Committee] originally and the decision not to proceed with the legislation is the sort of decision which does not necessarily go to Cabinet," he said.

Mr Macfarlane told 891 ABC Adelaide he had been working on the backdown since August.

"A decision has been made, primarily to ensure that the industry goes the full distance in terms of it's already slated closure at the end of 2017," he said.

"Whilst the decision of people like Holden to cease manufacture was a decision they made separate to anything the Government did — and they are their words not ours — we don't want anything to jeopardise the survival of the industry until Holden finally closes."

Xenophon, Labor criticise Government's funding move

However, the move has also been criticised as a "pea and thimble trick" that may result in very little money flowing through to the sector.

Independent South Australian senator Nick Xenophon said the Government needed to bring forward $400 million in funding for the components sector slated to be spent after 2017 on work for car companies in Australia "otherwise we're still staring at over 100,000 jobs being lost in the next three years".

"Under the current rules of the ATS, the Government will never have to spend that $400 million, because Ford, GM Holden, and Toyota will have ceased car manufacturing by then," he said in a statement.

Holden, Ford and Toyota will wind up car manufacturing in Australia in the next few years, blaming the then-high Australian dollar, high costs of manufacturing and low economies of scale for their decision.

It is estimated tens of thousands of people will lose their jobs as the impact of the closures also hits the component sector.

The Government slashed the funding in last year's budget, in accordance with an election commitment, saying the savings would go towards the budget bottom line and "policy priorities".

But the cut prompted fears — including among the Government backbench — that the car makers would bring forward their closure.

Mr Macfarlane said he wants to ensure support for those companies.

"The scheme basically there is to support production. Now there have been differences in opinion in terms of whether or not the auto industry needs that," he said.

"I guess that's all history."

Federation of Automotive Products chief executive Richard Reilly said the decision will keep research and development alive and potentially boost exports.

"If that money was going to go it was going to have an enormous and potentially dramatic impact on the industry and potentially early closure," he told ABC Radio in Melbourne.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the decision was "very late in the piece".

"Very belatedly we're seeing the Liberal National Government in Canberra junk some of their unfair, crazy policies, but I do not believe for one minute that the Liberal National Government in Canberra has changed its mind," he said.

"They're just changing their tactics."

After Holden's announcement in December 2013, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced $60 million in federal funding for job creation in the states most affected — South Australia and Victoria.

"We don't want to see corporate welfare, what we want to see is a country which has got the economic fundamentals right," he said.

The policy switch is the latest in a series of changes by the Government, including a decision to boost the pay rates of defence personnel and to dump the idea of a Medicare co-payment.

They have come after Mr Abbott survived a move to spill the leadership in a partyroom meeting in early February.

Mr Macfarlane said it was "pretty cynical" to conclude the decision was also about the survival of Mr Abbott.

SynthOrange posted:

Meanwhile Australians have reacted to the greyhound live baiting scandal by adopting more ex-track dogs, giving them loving homes for the rest of their livesshunning them as violent and bloodthirsty, with adoptions down 40%

quote:

The man who would be Brisbane's lord mayor under Labor has officially been preselected by the party.

Rod Harding, 45, was formally endorsed as the man who will take on Graham Quirk at next year's election.

Mr Harding is set to launch his campaign on Tuesday morning.

The former senior Macquarie Bank manager, lawyer and keen triathlete was flagged as a likely candidate for Labor on March 1 when the party revealed he had the backing of left- and right-leaning factions and the seven sitting councillors.

Only one other person formally nominated to the Labor party to enter the lord mayoral race, however it is understood environmentalist Peter Casey's bid could not proceed because he did not have the backing of two or more Labor councillors.

That result meant Labor rank and file members did not need to vote to elect the candidate.

Mr Harding told Fairfax Media last month that his top priorities would be improving the city's finances, delivering better basic services and boosting public transport.

Mr Harding was once touted as a possible challenger to Campbell Newman for the seat of Ashgrove, however only Kate Jones formally nominated.

"I love this city, I live here with my family but I think it could be better. I think there's some fundamental issues," he said.

"I don't have any political experience but I've got vast business experience. I think the skills that I've learnt and acquired during my business career will serve me very well in this role."

Mr Harding's first day as Labor's candidate has included numerous media interviews and a press conference to launch his campaign in front of a giant moving billboard at Greenslopes.

He is expected to attend his first council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday afternoon.

Kommando posted:

SynthOrange posted:

Meanwhile Australians have reacted to the greyhound live baiting scandal by adopting more ex-track dogs, giving them loving homes for the rest of their livesshunning them as violent and bloodthirsty, with adoptions down 40%

Kommando posted:

Matthew Beet posted:

I see you removed the independent australia watermark.

Kommando posted:

I just stole it from facebook.

Matthew Beet posted:

no it was a joke.

SynthOrange posted:

Meanwhile Australians have reacted to the greyhound live baiting scandal by adopting more ex-track dogs, giving them loving homes for the rest of their livesshunning them as violent and bloodthirsty, with adoptions down 40%

Kommando posted:

MARCH BRISGOON AUSPOL MEET

Where are we eating, when are we eating?

Do we want to return to Sukachi now its reopened and spend $400 on chicken and beer, or go to Mu'ooz like we keep intending to, or shall we pick a new indian place?

Cartoon wants to come and meet early april so im fine with any time/place

quote:

No figures on car industry spend: Abbott
1 HOUR AGO MARCH 10, 2015 2:05PM
TONY Abbott can't put a final figure on how much public money will be restored to the car industry following a government backdown.

duck monster posted:

A friend of mine is a greyhound rescuer (She's always got 3 or 4 in foster along with her two she owns, all ex racetrack) and they are really quite lovely dogs. As for dangerous, her ,admitedly large, cat regularly beats the poo poo out of the dogs. Sure they can be a bit snappy if mistreated (By human, or antisocial cat), but these are not rottweilers or even bulllies we're talking about

Kommando posted:

kingcom posted:

I loving hate this country.

thatbastardken posted:

your opinion is poo poo and kill your self

thatfatkid posted:

Australia is a pretty cool country imo.

thatfatkid posted:

Sorry i don't bemoan the fact that I live in a country that is stable, holds regular and fair elections, has strong trade unions, workers rights, decent healthcare, public education etc etc.

Kommando posted:

MARCH BRISGOON AUSPOL MEET

Anidav posted:

I think I'm starting to see a fatal flaw with rank and file voting reform. They'll just do the backroom deals BEFORE the candidates are made public, denying rank and file voting for as long as possible!

Stupid fuckers.

EvilElmo posted:

Hah.

Neckbeards.

thatbastardken posted:

wait, 400 each? cause that's a bit exxy.

cpaf posted:

Very sorry front left Goon I am sure you are a very beautiful person and poster but in the spirit of WAYWT those glasses make you look like George Christiensen

Kommando posted:

Paging CraziTolradi. Also pictured, Anidav, Shadeoses, Bifauxnen, Urcher, and less frequent posters.