Auspol January 2017: relentless incoherence and incompetence.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol January 2017: relentless incoherence and incompetence.

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Redcordial: Nov 7, 2009; TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP

lol the country is fed up with your safe spaces and trigger warnings you useless special snowflakes, send the sjws to mexico

ABC is reporting that Ley will be paying back the costs of four trips to the Gold Coast. I'm assuming that since the pressure is being maintained if not increased, with this being in the spotlight people should start asking "But what about the other loving trips she took???"

I'm very much in anticipation of this costing her, and hopefully other's jobs down the line.

E: Societal Snipe on Ley's credibility.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 07:14

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# ? May 23, 2024 17:04

gay picnic defence: Oct 5, 2009; I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS

Nothing like getting the new year off to a solid start with an expenses scandal

Hopefully Ley is the vindictive type who will stab Turnbull in the back Bronwyn Bishop-style if she's dumped from cabinet over this

# ? Jan 8, 2017 07:21

Starshark: Dec 22, 2005; Doctor Rope

All in all, a good week for the LNP. Lots of good optics.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 07:51

Capt.Whorebags: Jan 10, 2005

When do the Christmas Cabinet reshuffles normally occur? I seem to recall end December being the usual time.

Still, plenty of room to announce some coincidental "generational change" to make way for "rising stars" and "up and coming talent". Expect Barnaby to push for extra Nationals on the adults table.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 07:55

norp: Jan 20, 2004; TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP

let's invade New Zealand, they have oil

open24hours posted:

If you look at the other MPs who went on that trip they all spent a lot on ground transport.

I'm guessing they must have had a staff with them?

http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/files/P38_LEY_Sussan.pdf

http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/files/P38_ROBB_Andrew.pdf

http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/files/P38_COLBECK_Richard.pdf

http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/files/P38_FRYDENBERG_Josh.pdf

http://www.finance.gov.au/sites/default/files/P38_ROY_Wyatt.pdf

Why are her costs double that of the next highest contender? And the per day costs are waaaay higher

# ? Jan 8, 2017 07:58

I would blow Dane Cook: Dec 26, 2008

norp posted:

Why are her costs double that of the next highest contender? And the per day costs are waaaay higher

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 08:08

Futuresight: Oct 11, 2012; IT'S ALL TURNED TO SHIT!

If Australia was a heist movie and the LNP was the bankrobbing outfit this would be the moment Turnbull angrily shout-whispers at Ley that they're there for the vault so stop stealing the customer's wallets and do her job.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 10:19

mitra: Sep 27, 2012; between subtle shading, and the absence of light, lies the nuance of iqlusion

Recoome posted:

The UPF/TBC haven't been able to pull big numbers like they used to like in the heady days of Reclaim Australia ...

lol what. all 2 of those days when people might have taken them seriously?

# ? Jan 8, 2017 10:20

I would blow Dane Cook: Dec 26, 2008

https://twitter.com/chriskkenny/status/818002420932321280

# ? Jan 8, 2017 10:37

ewe2: Jul 1, 2009

Higsian posted:

If Australia was a heist movie and the LNP was the bankrobbing outfit this would be the moment Turnbull angrily shout-whispers at Ley that they're there for the vault so stop stealing the customer's wallets and do her job.

You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!

# ? Jan 8, 2017 10:48

CATTASTIC: Mar 31, 2010; ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

https://twitter.com/chriskkenny/status/818002420932321280

dooo iiit

# ? Jan 8, 2017 10:59

The Peccadillo: Mar 4, 2013; We Have Important Work To Do

Lid posted:

Assange is still Australian so

https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/817322050297745408

Lets laugh at how wikileaks are now anti leak.

Someone's leaking boring nonsense no one gives a poo poo about into the ether for ghoulish reasons? WHAT KIND OF A

# ? Jan 8, 2017 11:17

I would blow Dane Cook: Dec 26, 2008

quote:

Embattled Health Minister Sussan Ley apologises for apartment splurge

EMBATTLED Health Minister Sussan Ley billed taxpayers for airfares and taxis to help ring in the New Year on the Gold Coast for two consecutive years.

Pressure is now mounting on Ms Ley to resign or be sacked after she was yesterday forced to issue an embarrassing apology for her �error of judgment� in using ministerial travel to the Gold Coast to buy a lavish apartment with her partner.

She said her impulse decision to buy the property during a taxpayer-funded trip did not meet Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull�s expectations.

The Herald Sun can now reveal Ms Ley also billed the taxpayer for two jaunts to the Gold Coast for New Year�s Eve celebrations.

But she again refused to answer questions about what �official business� she was on and who she was meeting during the New Year�s Eve trips, with the Opposition calling for her to be sacked.

The scandal engulfing the Minister could grow further as the Finance Department has been asked to probe all of Ms Ley�s ministerial travel to the Gold Coast � where she owns property and her partner runs a bin cleaning business.

Revelations about Ms Ley�s extravagant spending could not come at a worse time for the Turnbull Government as it struggles to fix the Centrelink debt-collecting debacle, while cutting pensions from more 300,000 elderly Australians.

During her first New Year�s Eve trip in 2013, Ms Ley claimed $575 when she flew to the Gold Coast from Albury on December 30.

She also used her cabcharge allowance four times in Queensland during the December 30 to 31 holiday period, costing the public purse more than $335.

Ms Ley returned to the Gold Coast for New Year�s Eve again in 2014, claiming two $269 flights for herself and a family member from Coolangatta to Sydney on January 1.

Taxpayers did not cover any accommodation costs for the New Year�s Eve jaunts.

The Herald Sun can also reveal Ms Ley travelled to the Gold Coast at least 17 times between 2013 and 2016, costing taxpayers more than $40,000.

The Herald Sun has attempted to cross reference all Ms Ley�s Gold Coast trips with her parliamentary and ministerial duties � public appearances, media events, press releases, speeches and meetings � but could not find evidence of any �official business� on at least nine occasions.

Those trips alone cost taxpayers more than $20,000.

But a spokesman for Ms Ley said that the Minister undertakes �extensive meetings with doctors, patients and other organisations� and just because there was no media release or speech on the public record it didn�t mean there was no justification for the trip.

He also said the focus on the Gold Coast was �misleading� because Ms Ley travelled to Sydney and Melbourne more than 50 times during the same period.

Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King again called for her resignation, saying there was no credible explanation for taxpayer-funded trips to the Gold Coast on weekends and holidays.

�These revelations make it crystal clear that Malcolm Turnbull must sack Sussan Ley,� Ms King said.

�Ley has violated every tenet of Malcolm Turnbull�s own ministerial standards. Either she must walk or Mr Turnbull must push her.�

Some examples of Ms Ley�s trips to the Gold Coast include a four night stay in July 2014 when taxpayers forked out $4388 in travel costs for Ms Ley and a family member and a weekend trip in September 2014 totalling more than $2000.

As a shadow minister Ms Ley also spent four nights on the Gold Coast at a cost of $3352 in March 2013.

The following month she returned to the Gold Coast with a family member billing taxpayers for flights, taxis, car hire and chauffeur driven cars totalling $3594.

In May 2013, Ms Ley again returned to the Gold Coast for �official business� with a family member claiming $2907 in flights and travel allowance claims.

In a statement released yesterday, the Health Minister said she had examined her records and identified two claims for accommodation on the Gold Coast in 2014 and 2015 where she now believes she should have �stayed and claimed in Brisbane�.

She also said a flight taken in June 2015 from Coolangatta to Canberra should not have been charged to taxpayers.

The apology comes just days after the Herald Sun revealed Ms Ley purchased a $795,000 apartment on the Gold Coast during a taxpayer-funded work trip.

Ms Ley apologised for the �error of judgment� and said she had spoken to Mr Turnbull who agreed that it didn�t meet �the high standards he expects of Ministers�.

Senators and MPs are allowed to use taxpayer-funded hire cars, chauffeur-driven Comcars or taxis for parliamentary business such as �informing constituents about issues� and attending meetings.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...95588a97cbcb060

# ? Jan 8, 2017 11:56

ewe2: Jul 1, 2009

This is a fun read. I'm going to use blunderfucked a lot this year.

quote:

There were obvious points of failure, now well documented. The data matching program was engineered to poo poo lipids as output because of the bad assumptions written into the code. The Tax Office computers were perfectly capable of mistaking one employer for a dozen or more. And the Mygov website was a torture porn dungeon built atop an accursed graveyard, in a city of the damned, which sank its foundations into a Hell Dimension.

It was an entirely avoidable shitshow, a beached and bloated fail-whale which exploded at the first touch of the blubber knife, throwing enormous, loving chunks of rotting douchewaffle high into the outer atmosphere.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 12:30

Megillah Gorilla: Sep 22, 2003; If only all of life's problems could be solved by smoking a professor of ancient evil texts.; Bread Liar

Redcordial posted:

ABC is reporting that Ley will be paying back the costs of four trips to the Gold Coast.

See, the system works. This is why we don't need a federal level ICAC.

Shootme.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 13:50

DancingShade: Jul 26, 2007; by Fluffdaddy

"lol you caught me committing blatant fraud. Ok here is some money back but I'm keeping all the other stuff, my job and walking away with no charges. Cheerio!"

# ? Jan 8, 2017 13:52

Anidav: Feb 25, 2010; ahhh fuck its the rats again

Bronnie tried paying back the money too.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 13:56

DancingShade: Jul 26, 2007; by Fluffdaddy

Anidav posted:

Bronnie tried paying back the money too.

Losing an election is not the same as losing one's job through disciplinary or legal action due to fraud, just a potential consequence.

Though point taken.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 14:08

starkebn: May 18, 2004; "Oooh, got a little too serious. You okay there, little buddy?"

They've got journalists trawling through expense reports, they'll have to sack her or it's going to end up with them in other reports too, and they wont want that.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 14:16

Megillah Gorilla: Sep 22, 2003; If only all of life's problems could be solved by smoking a professor of ancient evil texts.; Bread Liar

Sot he obvious next move is to make all expense reports subject to the secrets act.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 14:55

starkebn: May 18, 2004; "Oooh, got a little too serious. You okay there, little buddy?"

Gorilla Salad posted:

Sot he obvious next move is to make all expense reports subject to the secrets act.

I think it's for the best citizen, how can we have responsible government like this?

# ? Jan 8, 2017 15:00

I would blow Dane Cook: Dec 26, 2008

Donald Trump "will do everything in his power" to halt the refugee deal between Australia and the US, according to a hardline Texan congressman who is confident no resettlements will ever take place from Manus Island or Nauru.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 15:14

norp: Jan 20, 2004; TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP

let's invade New Zealand, they have oil

starkebn posted:

I think it's for the best citizen, how can we have responsible government like this?

I'd like to think that would sink any government that tried it.

But Australians keep proving they can disappoint me

# ? Jan 8, 2017 15:14

Periphery: Jul 27, 2003; ...

Just imagine the outrage if those reports showed a more detailed breakdown of the expenses. I wonder what the drink charge for the flights/hotels are.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 15:21

norp: Jan 20, 2004; TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP

let's invade New Zealand, they have oil

Maybe she didn't understand tipping and wrote the total on that line?

# ? Jan 8, 2017 15:28

starkebn: May 18, 2004; "Oooh, got a little too serious. You okay there, little buddy?"

Periphery posted:

Just imagine the outrage if those reports showed a more detailed breakdown of the expenses. I wonder what the drink charge for the flights/hotels are.

official business

# ? Jan 8, 2017 15:30

norp: Jan 20, 2004; TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP

let's invade New Zealand, they have oil

starkebn posted:

official business

We don't comment on on-junket matters

# ? Jan 8, 2017 15:34

Lid: Feb 18, 2005; And the mercy seat is awaiting,
And I think my head is burning,
And in a way I'm yearning,
To be done with all this measuring of proof.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth,
And anyway I told the truth,
And I'm not afraid to die.

WE WARNED YE ABOUT SPLITS

quote:

Internal tensions in the Greens have escalated further with the party's former leader Christine Milne challenging two NSW MPs to condemn members of the party calling for a split in the movement.

Fairfax Media last month reported on the formation of a new factional grouping within the Greens calling itself "Left Renewal" and advocating a radical platform rejecting the legitimacy of the state and calling for the end of capitalism.

That development has been followed by some Greens members calling for the development of a left-wing alternative to the party. Deputy membership officer, Tomas Hamilton, last week called the Greens a "hollow shell" and advocated forming "a proper anti-establishment left populist party".

Ms Milne, who resigned as the Greens' federal leader in 2015, called on two prominent left-wing Greens MPs from NSW to condemn those remarks and for Mr Hamilton to resign.

"These individuals identify with [federal senator] Lee Rhiannon and [state MP] David Shoebridge," Ms Milne said. "They must be confident they have their support. That really puts the onus on those MPs to call them out.

"Seeing an elected office bearer say that they're intending to develop a base for a new party is completely destructive. They should leave now."

Ms Rhiannon and Mr Shoebridge have said they are not Left Renewal members but have defended its members' rights to express their views.

"I don't think the expulsion of Greens members from Left Renewal or the right-wing grouping is a sensible way forward," Ms Rhiannon said. "We need to remain an inclusive party that considers a diversity of views consistent with our four Greens principles."

Ms Rhiannon said the party should use democratic forums to discuss policy proposals.

But Mr Hamilton, a critic of some conservative members of the NSW party, denied he was of the Left Renewal faction and said he should not resign for expressing dissenting views.

Young Greens members of Left Renewal have publicly expressed similar sentiments about developing an alternative to the Greens.

Mr Shoebridge said he was unable to respond because he was on holiday and had not seen Mr Hamilton's remarks.

Ms Milne also partly backed calls from her predecessor, Bob Brown, who called on Ms Rhiannon to move on from politics.

"Lee was democratically elected a year ago but I do think she should think about not running [for another term]," Ms Milne said. "If you're going to call for renewal then you have to lead."

Ms Rhiannon rejected calls by Mr Brown to stand down after last year's election, saying she intended to continue in her job.

The recent divisions represents the escalation of an old battle between the party's left wing, known to detractors as the "Eastern bloc" and more centrist MPs, a group dismissed by opponents as "tree Tories".

Candidates backed by the left have lost out in the two most recent state preselections in NSW.

So we're three for three in federal leaders telling Left Renewal to gently caress off.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 15:48

gay picnic defence: Oct 5, 2009; I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...95588a97cbcb060

I thought the Hun would be trying to bury this along with anything else that might hurt the libs, I wonder if they see it as a way to weaken Malcolm and reinstate Abbott

# ? Jan 8, 2017 20:52

DancingShade: Jul 26, 2007; by Fluffdaddy

gay picnic defence posted:

I thought the Hun would be trying to bury this along with anything else that might hurt the libs, I wonder if they see it as a way to weaken Malcolm and reinstate Abbott

Might be warning shot to the rest of the LNP "deliver (on our backroom deals) or this happens".

# ? Jan 8, 2017 21:32

I would blow Dane Cook: Dec 26, 2008

One upside is that, should Ley's position become untenable, there are two former health ministers in the wings.

One, Peter Dutton, is overdue for transfer from the immigration portfolio.

Better to have a fresh pair of eyes oversee the deal to resettle those on Manus Island and Nauru in the United States.

The other, Tony Abbott, is chafing at the bit to come off the bench.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 22:25

ewe2: Jul 1, 2009

They might want to do what the US Congress is about to do: change the rules so that they can't be investigated.

There is a news vacuum, and it's being filled with government greed and bastardry and it's clearly damaging, but they're not doing a good job of media management.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 22:53

Synthbuttrange: May 6, 2007

Wait a One Nation candidate is being dumped for homophobic comments? :psyduck:

# ? Jan 8, 2017 23:21

The Before Times: Mar 8, 2014; Once upon a time, I would have thrown you halfway to the moon for a crack like that.

Yep, ON is full of rampant homophobes but the Queensland candidate went too far even for them.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 23:41

MysticalMachineGun: Apr 5, 2005

Synthbuttrange posted:

Wait a One Nation candidate is being dumped for homophobic comments?

Remember, despite being horribly racist and homophobic, One Nation pretend they aren't.

Also, considering these expense reports are publicly available why don't journalists/bloggers/whoever go through everyone's expenses when this happens?

# ? Jan 8, 2017 23:52

ewe2: Jul 1, 2009

The ramification that really endangers Ley is that you can't exactly impulse-buy an auction. Because knowing the seller and arranging finances doesn't exactly scream auction either. It screams deal.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 23:54

open24hours: Jan 7, 2001

MysticalMachineGun posted:

Also, considering these expense reports are publicly available why don't journalists/bloggers/whoever go through everyone's expenses when this happens?

Might take more than half an hour of research.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 23:55

Senor Tron: May 26, 2006

MysticalMachineGun posted:

Remember, despite being horribly racist and homophobic, One Nation pretend they aren't.

Also, considering these expense reports are publicly available why don't journalists/bloggers/whoever go through everyone's expenses when this happens?

Lots of expense reports, lots of work searching through old articles and press releases trying to cross reference things. Journalism isn't especially well resourced nowadays outside clickbait.

# ? Jan 8, 2017 23:59

iajanus: Aug 17, 2004; NUMBER 1 QUEENSLAND SUPPORTER
MAROONS 2023 STATE OF ORIGIN CHAMPIONS FOR LIFE

Yeah, I can kind of forgive them not just permanently monitoring the finances, that seems like it would be a massive drain on resources they barely have.

# ? Jan 9, 2017 00:04

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# ? May 23, 2024 17:04

starkebn: May 18, 2004; "Oooh, got a little too serious. You okay there, little buddy?"

I think they only dare poke the bear when there is an obvious wound to go after

# ? Jan 9, 2017 00:06

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol January 2017: relentless incoherence and incompetence.

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