Cartoon posted:

IWC is David Leyonhjelm? It checks out!

hooman posted:

For someone who thinks the government shouldn't interfere with our glorious right to do whatever, how exactly does he propose we in Australia fix FGM?

Doctor Spaceman posted:

Funnily enough I can't find any record of him talking about FGM previously.

open24hours posted:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-06/hoverboard-safety-blitz-as-victoria-floats-possible-ban/7069944

I'm struggling to think of a more predictable, and more Australian, reaction. And people say we don't have a culture.

Birb Katter posted:

To be fair, repeatedly bursting into flames doesn't exactly scream consumer safe.

quote:

Onions Australia investigates reports farmers are supplying imported onions to supermarkets, claiming they grew them locally
ABC Rural
By Danielle Grindlay

Updated Mon at 12:48pm
Onions from the United States arriving in Australia.
Photo: Onions Australia is investigating reports local farmers are repackaging imported onions, as depicted, as their own and supplying major supermarkets. (Supplied)
Map: Mount Gambier 5290

The peak industry body for Australian onion farmers is investigating reports some growers are supplying imported onions to supermarkets, claiming they grew them locally.

Onions Australia said it had received information about farmers buying imported onions, re-packaging them and selling them to Coles and Woolworths.

Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.
Audio: Onions Australia chair Kees Versteeg describes reports of farmers repackaging imported onions and supplying them to supermarkets, claiming they grew them locally. Coles manager Brad Gorman says there is no plan to investigate suppliers. (ABC Rural)

In 2012 the two major supermarkets made commitments to only stock Australian onions, which meant growers had to ensure year-round supply.

Historically the industry has struggled to meet demand, but Onions Australia chair Kees Versteeg said growers were now on top of it and any fraudulent activity was an opportunistic way of making extra money.

Mr Versteeg said it was almost impossible to prove growers, or other players in the onion supply chain, were cheating consumers.

"I think it's about making the industry and Australia aware that the potential is there these things can happen," he said.

"The fact is, you can get away with it because no one is policing it. I even find it difficult to prove."

The reports of alleged farmer fraud follow revelations some retailers also have been selling imported onions with false 'Australian grown' signage.
Passing imported onions off as local 'very easy'

Onion industry representatives have repeated Mr Verteeg's concerns to ABC Rural, including another grower who said he knew of two peers mixing imported onions with their own produce.

Mr Versteeg, who runs an onion farm and packing company, said the practice would be "very easy".

"There's no one dropping into our packing facility and investigating those things," he said.

In having the direct-supply relationships that we have with our growers, you absolutely have that trust in place.
Brad Gorman, Coles fresh produce manager

"And that's the problem — onions that are not being traced back to some certain extent as to where they come from, they could be coming from anywhere ... they could be from China."

So who is responsible for ensuring consumers are getting what they pay for, when a sign says 'Australian grown'?

Mr Versteeg said it was "a tough question" but placed responsibility on retailers.

"I've got to be 100 per cent sure as a retailer, being a major retailer or an independent retailer, that the product indeed is coming from the country I put on the shelf," he said.

"It's one thing to say, in the media and out there, 'Our products are grown in Australia and are coming from Australian growers'.

"How can you back that up?"
Coles trusts growers, has no plans to investigate reports

Coles was the first supermarket to announce it would only stock Australian onions on its shelves.

Fresh produce manager Brad Gorman said the commitment was of "significant value" to the onion industry.

"I would hate to put a dollar figure on it but we sell more than 30,000 tonnes of brown, white, red and pink onions across the country all year," he said.

When that happens we don't go and import them, we just give consumers another offer and work with our growers to get supply back online.
Brad Gorman, Coles fresh produce manager

"It gives our growers surety of supply. They know that there's a customer there for their product all year round."

Mr Gorman said the decision to stock Australian onions came down to consumer demand.

"Australian customers prefer local product," he said.

"We decided to listen to them, work with our growers, and ensure we were all Australian-grown."

Despite the onion industry's concerns such a promise could not be ensured, and that fraudulent activity was underway, Mr Gorman said Coles had no plans to investigate its suppliers.

"Absolutely not, we have great faith installed in our growers," he said.

"They grow with integrity, they support Australian jobs and there's absolutely no reason for us to investigate them."
Growers are not under too much pressure, Coles says

Mr Gorman said Coles' direct-supply relationships were the "best way" of regulating traceability, but conceded it was a system of trust.

"A lot of the industry's onions are sold through central markets," he said. "When that happens you tend to lose the traceability of it.

"In having the direct-supply relationships that we have with our growers, you absolutely have that trust in place."

Mr Gorman rejected suggestions growers were under too much pressure to meet demand, saying if there was a shortage of onions, that message would be conveyed to consumers.

"We've had challenges in white onion supply for a couple of weeks," he said.

"When that happens we don't go and import them, we just give consumers another offer and work with our growers to get supply back online."

QUACKTASTIC posted:

Did Abbott eat a foreign onion??

Birb Katter posted:

Zenithe posted:

This is the Onion right? Please?

Orkin Mang posted:

(.)(.)

Zenithe posted:

This is the Onion right? Please?

Birb Katter posted:

Came by boat no less

Unrelated:

Freudian Slip posted:

That's a terrible headline and doesn't actually reflect what's in the article.

Stay classy NEWS CORP.

quote:

Thank you, finally Rachel, for confirming there's absolutely nothing to get angry and upset about with the occasional grab on the bum for girls in the office. Being a modern sort of guy, I think empowerment of women is good, and if a bit of a touch up now and then can achieve it without any big deal being made of it and without being dobbed in, that's all the better. More girls should be like you!

WhiskeyWhiskers posted:

Still a lovely article regardless.

Laserface posted:

Basically never ever approach a woman ever. Especially if you're a male.

~Equality~

Laserface posted:

Basically never ever approach a woman ever. Especially if you're a male.

~Equality~

Laserface posted:

Basically never ever approach a woman ever. Especially if you're a male.

~Equality~

quote:

I never compliment or proposition women as it seems like every guy who does is treated like a creep. I been single for 10 years. Funny though if all guys behaved like me, women would be complaining of not getting enough attention.

Laserface posted:

I dont approach women because Im in a relationship.

Theres numerous examples of the roles being reversed and no one batting an eye.

hooman posted:

"Women are people and should be treated as such" isn't that really hard of a concept.

ABC posted:

A two-month-old baby girl has died and three others have been seriously injured in a stabbing incident at Parkinson on Brisbane's southside, police say.

Key points:

Two-month-old baby girl dies after stabbing attack
Baby's mother, grandmother and grandfather also injured
Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident
At 2:30pm, officers were called to two homes in Watheroo Place and Mapleton Circuit at Parkinson after reports of a loud domestic disturbance.

When officers arrived, they found the infant, her 20-year-old mother, grandmother and grandfather with serious injuries.

The baby girl was taken to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in a critical condition, while the adults were taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital, also in critical conditions.

The baby later died of her injuries, police said.

Acting Police Inspector Sean Mackay said it appeared one of the women ran to a neighbour's house for help.

"One of the victims went to the secondary crime scene and that's where police were notified from there," he said.

Two crime scenes have been established, with both Watheroo Place and Mapleton Circuit closed.

Dozens of police are investigating the circumstances and door knocking homes in the area.

Police are not saying if anyone is considered a suspect, but they have confirmed they are not looking for anyone else.

Laserface posted:

Basically never ever approach a woman ever. Especially if you're a male.

~Equality~

Laserface posted:

if his comments were off camera, would this still be the same problem?

Laserface posted:

Theres numerous examples of the roles being reversed and no one batting an eye.