Jonah Galtberg posted:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/10/businesses-fear-tourist-drop-off-as-blue-green-algae-clogs-murray-river

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/09/richard-di-natale-floats-idea-of-eventual-liberal-greens-coalition-government

hooman posted:

That's a really misleading headline.

"“I don’t see a time when we can form a coalition with the Liberal party, particularly this Liberal party, because our views are so far apart,” he said."

LibertyCat posted:

Aren't they free to return to their home countries at any time?

LibertyCat posted:

Teachers and nurses aren't in short supply. If they were salaries would rise until the problem corrected itself.

EvilElmo posted:

LibertyCat posted:

Teachers and nurses aren't in short supply. If they were salaries would rise until the problem corrected itself.

Graic Gabtar posted:

Let's see about now.


Methinks that if this was an internal report about our Border Security friends you would be going fifteen types of ape poo poo about now.

Monetizing misery is poo poo no matter which side of the fence you sit on.

I think I mentioned that once, but it ended up about me and something to do with fire.

Zenithe posted:

Some teachers are. Try finding a LOTE teacher outside of State capitols. Know how much more they are paid? between 10-100 a fortnight extra locality allowance

It's been in constant demand for years, teacher availabiility has no effect on the cost, despite some areas being very populated (primary teachers, high school P.E teachers etc.) and some having so much demand that unqualified teachers have to be put in their stead.

Konomex posted:

He's actually kind of right. WA instituted extra funds to find teachers for STEM subjects because of a shortage. They even hired a good thousand teachers or so directly from the UK and the hole still grows. Sometimes you just have to offer more money. A lot more money.

Konomex posted:

He's actually kind of right. WA instituted extra funds to find teachers for STEM subjects because of a shortage. They even hired a good thousand teachers or so directly from the UK and the hole still grows. Sometimes you just have to offer more money. A lot more money.

EvilElmo posted:

Further proof we can't afford to change negative gearing.

freebooter posted:

Actually we can't afford to continue an absurd property bubble which perpetuates a generational shift in wealth, as baby boomers own swathes of real estate and their own children are forced to rent in sharehouses into their 30s.

But you're a troll and you already know that.

quote:

Homeless man's throat slashed while sleeping in Sydney's CBD Updated 24 minutes ago

Police are searching for a suspect who slashed the throat of homeless man while he was sleeping in Sydney's CBD. The victim was sleeping on the footpath with another homeless man when the attacker crouched over him and slit his throat yesterday, police said. Officers said the 37-year-old suffered a "substantial" wound. He was taken to St Vincent's Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. He is currently in a stable condition. The suspect was last seen running east on Wynyard Street towards George Street. He was described as wearing a dark hooded top and jeans. Police have warned the city's homeless community to be vigilant and urged members of the public to look out for suspicious behaviour around people sleeping on the streets.

quote:

Parramatta jail could be reopened to deal with prison overcrowding under NSW Government plans By State Political Reporter Sarah Gerathy Posted yesterday at 7:02pm

The NSW Government is considering reopening the historic Parramatta jail in Sydney's western suburbs to help ease overcrowding in the prison system. The ABC understands that the Government has costed the option of reopening the jail, which has been shut since 2011. In response to the ABC's questions, the Corrections Minister David Elliot provided the following one-line statement. "The Government is considering a number of options to respond to the growth of the prison population." His office did not deny that Parramatta was a strong contender, but said a final decision had not been made. The Government had previously flagged it was considering reopening more prisons to cope with overcrowding in the system, but did not reveal that Parramatta was an option. In November last year, an Auditor General's report found that on average NSW prisons hold more than 11,000 prisoners each day. Official capacity is 9,829. In February, the Government announced 1,600 new prison beds at Parklea and a redeveloped Grafton jail to cope with the record number of prisoners.

However reopening Parramatta jail could be complicated by the fact that a local Aboriginal Land Council was given ownership of the site in February last year.

quote:

Abbott, Credlin and the abuse of power OPINION By Barrie Cassidy Updated 39 minutes ago

To dismiss Niki Savva's book, The Road to Ruin, as scuttlebutt or to just focus on rumours that Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin had an affair is an insult to all those involved who spoke up about the real issue - the abuse of power. Barrie Cassidy writes.

The two elected prime ministers who fell the fastest were Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott. Neither survived a first term, cut down by their own. Why do you think that happened? What was the common thread? The answer is straightforward. They gave extraordinary and dangerous authority to their staff. On top of that, in the case of Abbott - as forensically and convincingly told by Niki Savva in her book, The Road to Ruin - the key staffer, the chief of staff, Peta Credlin, used that "outsourced power" ruthlessly and indiscriminately, subjecting ministers and staff "to regular tirades, replete with vile language". In Rudd's case, he took care of the abuse himself. The great pity with the release of The Road to Ruin is that the distraction around rumours that Abbott and Credlin were having an affair, robbed the more essential debate - around abuse of power - of the oxygen it deserved.

Neither did it get enough attention when Rudd transgressed. As I argued in my 2010 book, The Party Thieves, the more Rudd's popularity soared, the more he ruled alone, taking only sycophantic advice and being answerable to no one - not the party, the executive, the Cabinet or the caucus. MPs complained they were either ignored or abused. Abbott and Credlin though turned that into an art form. The media has focused largely on the visit Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells made to both Abbott and Credlin raising concerns that many people inside the Government believed they were having an affair. The minister worried that the complex relationship between the two was having a detrimental impact on their lives, on their ability to do their jobs, and on the standing of the Government, and that's why she told Credlin she should go. That's an important conversation, confirmed by the minister. It's not rumour or innuendo. It happened. To suggest that it should not have been in the book is ridiculous. But the telling of that conversation has distracted from so many other well informed anecdotes and experiences that go to the heart of why Abbott failed. That is, Credlin's abuse of both power and people. Here are some examples.

Fiona Telford: Previously, a Victorian-based press secretary who joined the office of Helen Coonan in 2007.

She says the belittling, the intimidation by Credlin, began early, with name calling and finger pointing in front of colleagues. It built to intolerable levels. She was eventually given a dressing down by Credlin who called her "a loving useless bitch". She went home in tears, and says in the book that she fell into a state of anxiety and depression that lasted for more than three years.

Suzanne Kasprzak: An executive assistant. She had handled John Howard's diary for five years and built a reputation as a stalwart and an absolute professional.

For whatever reason Credlin turned on her. According to Kasprzak, Credlin "would go into her office, close the door and start yelling at her. It happened time and again, with Credlin shouting at her that she was moody, she was inefficient, people were complaining about her. On it went." Eventually Abbott called her into his office, told her he had never been better served by anybody, but because of a restructure, she had to go. He gave her a bunch of flowers which she threw in the bin.

Murray Cranston: A devoted long time staffer.

Towards the end of 2012 he told Credlin in front of a full staff meeting that she was the problem; that her mood swings and treatment of junior staff had a dramatic effect on morale. They were tired of being yelled at or sworn at. Credlin fled the room in tears, closely followed by Abbott. The advance man in the office, Richard Dowdy, told staffers he saw the prime minister-in-waiting sitting outside on the kerb of a busy Sydney street, trying to calm down his inconsolable chief of staff. Rather than take Cranston's judgment on board, Abbott counselled him and insisted he buy Credlin a bunch of flowers as an apology. When he presented them, Credlin tossed them aside.

Another staffer, Claire Kimball, had the courage to tell Abbott as she left that he would end up "friendless, policy-less, a national joke, with Peta Credlin still hanging off you".

Senator Fierravanti-Wells told Credlin: "One day Tony will be sitting on a park bench in Manly feeding the pigeons, and he will blame you."

See the pattern? So many people prepared to put their names to these events. Yet the book is being dismissed as scuttlebutt. What an insult to all those involved. And to argue, as some have, that Credlin is being unfairly singled out because she is a woman, is an insult as well; to all those women who have been the victim of sexism. The behaviour so graphically described by staff would be intolerable coming from anybody, male or female. There is no gender issue here. It is nonsense too for Credlin to write that she hopes "this doesn't put off smart women from joining the political fray". Smart women should have no such fears, provided they don't behave as she did. And provided some prime minister into the future does not do what both Rudd and Abbott did: give staffers the authority and clout of the most senior ministers.

Some have argued - and they did in support of Rudd - that those around politicians should toughen up. Abuse comes with the territory. I despair that some journalists coming into the political system in the last 10 years might feel that this kind of behaviour has always been the norm. It never was, not until Rudd came onto the scene, and then Abbott after him. Consider the two most successful long term governments since Bob Menzies - those of Bob Hawke and John Howard. Both administrations were characterised by civility and order within their office structures. It's helpful to look back at key people in Hawke's office, people I worked closely with; the policy advisers. Ross Garnaut (now professor of economics at ANU), Peter Harris (now Chairman of the Productivity Commission), Rod Sims (now Chairman of the ACCC), Sandy Hollway (CEO of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games), Dennis Richardson (Ambassador to the US and now head of the Department of Defence), John Bowan (who became Ambassador to Germany), Craig Emerson (who became Minister for Trade) and Stephen Sedgwick (who became Secretary of the Department of Finance). All of them operated with freedom and autonomy, and they did their jobs superbly. None of them would have tolerated a single individual wielding the power that Credlin did; they would not have stood back and allowed the abuse and the intimidation to go on. And neither should they have. By contrast, what will become of those who lived the Abbott experience under Credlin's control?

That's the real lesson of Savva's amazing book. And it was the real lesson of the Rudd downfall as well. How power and authority was used and abused. Absolute power, in Credlin's case, did not corrupt, but it did lead to a deeply flawed system. Absolute power flawed the system absolutely. Rudd and Abbott fell so rapidly. Hawke and Howard prospered for years. What a pity it will be for future governments if the earlier experiences are forgotten; and the more recent lessons are lost as well in a narrow partisan and bitter row over a rumoured affair.

quote:

Pro-gun US woman shot in back by 4yo son after she boasted about his marksmanship Updated yesterday at 12:02pm

A four-year-old boy has accidentally shot his mother in the back, leaving the passionately pro-gun woman seriously wounded and facing possible charges, Florida officials said. Staunch gun advocate Jamie Gilt, 31, who just a day earlier had boasted online about her toddler's shooting prowess, was cruising down a highway with her son in the back when he shot her. The bullet went through the seat cushion. "Our investigation has revealed that the firearm was legally owned by the victim and the child came to possess the firearm without the victim's knowledge," Putnam County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Ms Gilt, who is in a stable condition, was so badly wounded that police have been unable to talk to her from her hospital bed.

But they warned that she could face police action after they work out exactly how the boy — who was unharmed and is now with relatives — got his hands on the gun. "Florida statute makes it a misdemeanour for a person to store or leave, on a premise under his or her control, a loaded firearm in such a manner that it is likely a child can gain access to the firearm," said the statement. "Due to her medical condition, detectives have not been able to interview the victim and any decision on the filing of criminal charges will not come until after we speak with the victim." What appears to be Ms Gilt's Facebook page suggests she is a passionate supporter of the right to bear arms, including pictures of her with weapons. On Monday she concluded a discussion on Facebook about possessing weapons for self-defence by boasting: "Even my 4-year-old gets jacked up to target shoot the .22."

EvilElmo posted:

Just when they replace retiring females with males.. oh.. wait..

When they sell out their core vales.. oh wait..

When they forget their roots in environmentalism unionism in the pursuit of wider electoral engagement.. oh wait..

Good to see you're becoming the party you hate.

quote:

Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull has offered the Senate crossbench a stay of execution by promising not to hold a double dissolution election if they pass two bills cracking down on unions. 

With the Government, the Greens and Nick Xenophon to pass laws next week reforming the Senate voting system, it will be impossible for microparties to game the preference system and win a Senate spot with a tiny primary vote.

If Mr Turnbull then calls a double dissolution election for July 2, which is a full Senate election, all the crossbenchers, except Nick Xenophon and possibly Jacqui Lambie will be wiped out.

If the crossbench passes the trade union bills and Mr Turnbull then goes full term or a half-Senate election in spring, only John Madigan, who was elected in 2010, would disappear.

quote:

Instead, “21-year-old pimply theorists from the IPA [Institute of Public Affairs] and the Australia Institute” with little real-world experience have been running the show, Textor said.

katlington posted:

If Mr Turnbull then calls a double dissolution election for July 2, which is a full Senate election, all the crossbenchers, except Nick Xenophon

katlington posted:

and possibly Jacqui Lambie will be wiped out.

quote:

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/fed...310-gnfy0q.html
"You've got a doctor [Di Natale] who owns a farm who doesn't come from this mad environmental background. He's helped the government get legislation through the Federal Parliament. So you look at the Greens through a slightly different lens these days because they're not the nutters they used to be."

quote:

Donald Trump North Carolina rally: Black protester punched in face by attendee, video shows
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-11/black-protester-punched-in-the-face-by-white-man-at-trump-rally/7239008

Negligent posted:

There won't be a double dissolution because then a different bunch of nutters will get in and better the devil you know?

Ket posted:

I dunno, nobody new Ricky Muir and he's done a fucktonne better than any Labor or Liberal lackey

Les Affaires posted:

Yes, but jackie lambie, and-

quote:

The big and sudden switch of mortgages being reclassified away from investment to owner-occupier loans has drawn the ire of the banking regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

APRA has written to the banks noting that data had to be consistently and accurately reported.

"A number of ADIs (Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions) have recently reported significant changes in housing loan purpose between investment and owner-occupied," APRA's head of data collection Barton Ashcroft observed.

"Where the change in loan purpose is not reported correctly, APRA, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics are impeded in accurately ascertaining the underlying movements in housing loans.

"Reporting of fixed-term housing loans must reflect the current purpose of the loan because the split by housing loan purpose is important for monetary policy and financial stability considerations."

The growing aggravation by regulators over the quality of banks' home loan data was first highlighted in a terse speech from RBA deputy governor Philip Lowe in November last year, when he said banks had understated the value of investor loans by 10 per cent or $50 billion.

Responding to APRA and the RBA's less-than-subtle prompting to rein-in property speculation, the banks have raised the cost of investor loans relative to owner-occupier loans and tightened overall lending criteria.

Additionally, in the past six months more than $35 billion worth of investor loans have been reclassified to owner-occupier, including another $1.4 billion in January.

In a recent research note, UBS bank analyst Jonathan Mott said there was growing scepticism about banks giving the "real story" about housing credit.

"While it is understandable some existing customers are reclassifying themselves to avoid higher interest charges as their circumstances have changed, there is increasing evidence new customers may be stating their loan is for an owner-occupied property to circumvent the additional imposts on investor borrowing," Mr Mott said.

Mr Ashcroft reminded the banks that accurate data was needed to assess the effectiveness of monetary policy and assess potential risks to financial stability.

The data is also needed to meet international statistical standards and reporting obligations, as well as assisting the Australian Bureau of Statistics calculate Gross Domestic Product, of which ADIs are a major component, Mr Ashcroft said.

Graic Gabtar posted:

The ABC now reporting race of victims of crime as the headline?

BBJoey posted:

why would the race of someone assaulted at a borderline fascist political rally be important. hmm

Kat Delacour posted:

John Howard confirms he advised Tony Abbott to sack Peta Credlin

Bronwyn Bishop endorses account that Abbott office overruled 'Choppergate' apology

I am filled with so much glee that everyone is coming out to railroad Abbott.

bowmore posted:

Do you guys think fair go still exists in Australia?