JBP posted:

First dog once again on the cutting edge of just writing some poo poo down then saying an animal in the middle of it. So kawaii.

BBJoey posted:

it's not even interesting commentary, it's the kind of poo poo you see on facebook preceded by "gotta get this off my chest, feel free to like and share"

how the gently caress did this guy get his job

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

https://twitter.com/MarkDiStef/status/845780981361532928

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

https://twitter.com/MarkDiStef/status/845780981361532928

The ABC posted:

The Islamic State terrorist group (IS) could establish a caliphate in the southern Philippines, according to Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

Bogan King posted:

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

https://twitter.com/MarkDiStef/status/845780981361532928

Tarantula posted:

Possible evacuations for parts of Townsville, I should probably stock up on rum before it hits. What's some good music to go with a cyclone? I'm thinking something classical.

Starshark posted:

Mars, Bringer of War.

Doctor Spaceman posted:

Done with a wind orchestra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg2lgQtnXR4

Doctor Spaceman posted:

Done with a wind orchestra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg2lgQtnXR4

Doctor Spaceman posted:

It was the best wind orchestra version I could find in my extensive minute-long search.

Tarantula posted:

A wind orchestra is certainly appropriate regardless.

quote:

Support for the Turnbull government has crashed, according to the latest Fairfax-Ipsos poll, and Labor now holds a thumping 10-point lead over the Coalition in the two-party preferred vote.

Under a uniform swing, if an election had been held on Saturday, the government would have suffered an electoral drubbing and lost 24 seats, including cabinet ministers Peter Dutton and Christian Porter, as well as junior ministers Ken Wyatt and Luke Hartsuyker.

The poll will likely send shockwaves through the government, which believed it had started to recover politically after a series of policy announcements designed to tackle rising power prices, and may kick off a fresh discussion about the Coalition's prospects under the leadership of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

It comes ahead of the final sitting of Parliament before the May budget, and after a week in which the government announced controversial changes to race hate laws, passed a $1.6 billion childcare package, and explicitly backed a cut to Sunday penalty rates.

The Coalition now trails Labor on a two-party preferred basis by 55 per cent to 45 per cent, while strong support for minor parties, including the Greens, One Nation and the Nick Xenophon Team, has held firm.

The two-party preferred vote is a big dip since the July 2016 election result, when the Coalition narrowly won by 50.4 per cent to 49.6 per cent. In November's Fairfax-Ipsos poll, Labor led the Coalition 51-49.

Significantly, the 55-45 lead for the opposition is worse than the 54-46 two-party result recorded in August 2015, weeks before Tony Abbott was removed as leader by Mr Turnbull. It is only two percentage points better than Mr Abbott's worst ever Fairfax-Ipsos result, 56-44, which came soon after the disastrous May 2014 budget.

Mr Turnbull's personal approval rating has also gone backwards since November, falling 5 points to 40 per cent, while his disapproval rating has risen 3 points to 48 per cent. In October 2015, soon after becoming leader, Mr Turnbull's approval was 28 points higher, at 68 per cent, and his disapproval rating was 17 per cent.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's approval also fell 2 points to 35 per cent, while disapproval remained steady at 53 per cent.

Tarantula posted:

Possible evacuations for parts of Townsville, I should probably stock up on rum before it hits. What's some good music to go with a cyclone? I'm thinking something classical.

adamantium|wang posted:

Lid posted:

Repealing 18C will right this boat.

quote:

Baiada to reduce wages up to 40 per cent for new staff
Mario Christodoulou


One of Australia's largest chicken processors, Baiada Poultry, plans to reduce wages for its contract labour by almost 40 per cent.

The company, which is behind brands Steggles and Lilydale, is rolling out a plan to reduce wages to the award rate for new casual employees taken on via labour-hire firms.

Under the plan, an experienced casual working at a factory in Newcastle would receive $25.14 an hour, well short of the union-negotiated rate of $38.91 an hour and a loss of almost 40 per cent.

Until a few days ago, the company had intended to roll out the plan not just to new employees but across its entire workforce of casuals. Last week it began informing staff at its raw-processing facility in Beresfield, Newcastle, about the changes but then backflipped after the unions were informed by Fairfax Media.

Grant Courtney, secretary of the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union Newcastle branch, said workers were horrified by the news their pay would be reduced to a "hugely inferior" rate.

"We have expressed our disgust to the company about how this can happen," he said

"These vulnerable workers already toil for long hours with no job security in a tough, fast-paced environment. With their take-home pay suddenly slashed by $200 each week, many would have lost their houses, defaulted on their bills, or forced to look for a second job to supplement the lost income."

Contract labour makes up an estimated 40 per cent of Baiada's workforce ,according to the union, with the company using two main labour-hire firms – Chandler Macleod and Australia Personnel Global. Both firms declined to comment when contacted by Fairfax Media.

A spokesman from Baiada said no current workers would be subject to wage reductions but "future agency workers will be employed under lawful award wages and entitlements".

Baiada has a track record of underpaying employees through the use of labour-hire companies. In 2015, a report by the Fair Work Ombudsman found that staff were working extremely long hours while paying high rents in overcrowded houses.

According to the report, young poultry workers were paid as little as $11.50 an hour, well below the minimum wage, for shifts of up to 19 hours a day. They were also forced to live in slum houses with 20 others and sometimes share mattresses.

Baiada promised to clean up its act following the report, setting aside $500,000 for underpaid employees.

Mr Courtney said the recent plan to reduce wages was possible only by exploiting a loophole through the use of labour-hire companies, which allowed it to get around paying the union-agreed site rate.

"Employers take advantage of this loophole by creating a "second class" of worker who receive between $5 and $13 less an hour for doing the same identical work as the person next to them," he said.

"Workers who do the same work should receive the same pay. It's that simple."