Recoome posted:

I can apply to a Ph.D program

UrbanLabyrinth posted:

Heya, don't do a PhD unless you want to work in research/lecturing. A DPsych will get you clinical endorsement faster, or a masters will get you registration (and thus paid work) sooner (unless your uni is benificent enough to sign the forms for PhD/DPsych students saying they've finished the masters-equivalent portion, which they hate to do because people keep dropping out after they start getting paid for other work).

open24hours posted:

It's not perfect, but at least it's another step towards and independent ACT.

quote:

States, territories could levy income taxes under Federal Government proposal ahead of COAG AM By political reporter Louise Yaxley Updated 28 minutes ago

The Federal Government is floating a radical idea to let the states and territories levy income taxes.

Key points:

Plan would mean letting states, territories charge some income tax to fund services
It is a suggested solution to stand-off between the states and Federal Government that has dragged on since 2014
Proposal to be discussed at the Council of Australian Governments meeting
Prime Minister and Cabinet Department head Martin Parkinson has briefed state and territory officials about the proposal and premiers and chief ministers will get the full details ahead of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting, on Friday.

Treasurer Scott Morrison was this morning questioned about the proposal and said it was under consideration. "I'm a pragmatist on all of these issues and a pragmatist always focuses on solving the problems," Mr Morrison said. "If those sorts of remedies lead to a solving of the problem, then of course you're going to consider them earnestly." He has stressed the federal government doesn't want the overall tax burden to increase. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has already spoken about taxation reform to some state leaders, including Western Australia's Premier Colin Barnett. "So if the Prime Minister can get the states to agree I think it could be quite a significant COAG," Mr Barnett said. The plan is understood to mean letting the states and territories charge some income tax — and then use it to fund services like health and education rather than relying on Commonwealth grants.

It would be a major change to the way the federation works, potentially creating a patchwork of different tax rates across the nation. But ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said it was worth considering. "Income taxing powers would be part of a broader tax mix then for state and territory governments," he told Lateline. "In the spectrum of taxes that are levied in Australia, they are relatively efficient. "They certainly pass the test of being able to be levied progressively, so you can certainly tax higher income earners more and have a fairer tax system as a result. So they are a better form of tax than some of those blunt measures like the GST for example. "To the extent that they become part of the state and territory tax mix, I am relaxed about that. It would be a logical next step'

But other state leaders are not relaxed, waiting for Mr Turnbull to explain the plan — one source described it as a farcical thought bubble being communicated through leaks.

Mr Barr pointed out it was similar to an idea floated last year by South Australian Labor leader Jay Weatherill. "That's the principal argument that Jay Weatherill put forward was to link a more robust revenue line, namely income tax, with those areas of high growth in state and territory budgets," he said. "It would be a logical next step as part of federation reform." He argued it would address the problem of vertical fiscal imbalance — which is where the Commonwealth collects the bulk of the revenue, but the states and territories do the bulk of the service delivery. "Where we could address that by extending income tax powers or returning income tax powers to the states and territories — it's an option that needs to have a public debate," Mr Barr said. "And we certainly look forward to what the Prime Minister will put on the table this week."

It is a suggested solution to the stand-off between the states and the Federal Government that has dragged on since Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey's 2014 budget, which left the states $80 billion short of funding they were otherwise expecting over a decade. Since then state and territory leaders have argued they cannot afford to run their hospitals and schools without the so-called growth funding. This week's COAG gathering will see the Federal Government give them extra money for hospitals to get them until 2020, but in exchange they would be encouraged to make their health systems more efficient. Federal Health department head Martin Bowles told a Senate committee earlier this month that meant finding ways to treat people chronic and complex diseases rather than relying as much on them being in hospital.

But the Federal Government is not expected to offer any extra money for schools at this meeting, which disappoints Mr Barr. "We have a revenue problem in this country, we're not at the moment raising sufficient revenue to meet our future health and education needs," he said. "I hope for an outcome in health but I also hope for an outcome in education — we won't be letting go of that outcome from 2014 either."

quote:

Three girls racially abused by group of youths in Geelong Updated 56 minutes ago

Police are searching for a group of youths who bashed and racially abused three girls — one as young as 11 — in a Geelong park. The offenders punched and threw rocks at the girls — aged 11, 12 and 15 — at the Sparks Road reserve in Norlane about 5:30pm last Wednesday. They forcibly removed the victims' headdresses and broke their mobile phones as the girls tried to call police. Police said the offenders were both boys and girls and aged from seven to 16. The group threw rocks at the girls before they left the area, police said. Police said they believe a woman was with the group at the time of the incident. The three girls suffered minor injuries. Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

norp posted:

Phoneposting so can't be hosed quoting the guy who said it, but voluntarily paying off a hecs debt is basically the dumbest thing ever.

When you could get a 15-25% discount it could be made to stack up if you were debt free and the other option was investments that weren't making much more than CPI. The thing is now that HECS is so much lower than the interest rate on your house or car it's a no brainer to leave it unpaid if you have other debts. Even if you have no debt you are better off putting that money in a term deposit at the meagre rates the banks are paying for them.

QUACKTASTIC posted:

http://www.fortitude-australia.com/about-us/
Anyone recognise the symbol on the shirt at 3:06?

QUACKTASTIC posted:

http://www.fortitude-australia.com/about-us/
Anyone recognise the symbol on the shirt at 3:06?

The Peccadillo posted:

Au Revoir Shosanna posted:

my entrenched racism is a byproduct of my instinctual fear of the lacanian other, i am literally terrified all of the time

open24hours posted:

I dunno, I have more faith in the ACT government than I do the federal. I'd rather my money went to them directly.

Cartoon posted:

Even at the cost of eliminating universal health care in the rest of Australia? Truly the most FYGM of sentiments.

AgentF posted:

Off-topic but with all the expertise here I figure I'd ask.

Fiance's mum has been working in disabled care for a number of years now as a casual employee. She and the other casual employees were told that they were going to be moved to permanent employment and this was supposed to happen a few months ago but the employer kept delaying and it never really happened. Soon the casual employees' contracts will expire so the workplace is offering for them to re-interview for their jobs, but fiance's mum won't be available to do so because she'll be in hospital recovering from cancer surgery at that time, and the rumours amongst the staff is that this timing is intentional as a way of getting rid of her. As a mature-aged employee with some health issues we think she will have great difficulty finding another job, and without an income she will likely lose the house.

Does anyone know if there are protections for casual workers or an ombudsman that I should be speaking to? I heard there might be requirements where an employer has to make casual staff permanent if they've been working for a number of years and being rostered routinely as though they were permanent. Apparently there is a union that has been trying to organise the workplace and get permanent arrangements for the employees but I don't know if they're making much headway; apparently a number of months ago the employer told them that the casuals had all been made permanent and so the union stopped looking into it without even confirming with the employees themselves, and it turned out to be not true.

Any leads I could follow up would be greatly appreciated.

"Overhaul 'broken system' of dealing with domestic violence, says royal commission posted:

Melissa Davey

Australia’s first royal commission into family violence has made a comprehensive 227 recommendations in its landmark report to the Victorian parliament, making it the most extensive document ever handed down on how to how to prevent and respond to the issue.

Minutes after the report was published, the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, repeated his pledge to introduce all its recommendations, even though he acknowledged it would cost “many hundreds of millions of dollars” and some would take years to implement.

“The budget will be delivered in just a couple of weeks time,” he said. “Obviously here are some things that can’t wait. We will move quickly on those things that simply can not wait.

“That will come at a significant cost. This is not about saving money. This is about saving lives. Family violence is costing us at least $3.1bn dollars every single year. How do you put a price on a life lost?”

Rosie Batty, the campaigner against domestic violence and mother of Luke Batty, whose killing by his father was one of the attacks that prompted the royal commission, said she was “thrilled” by the report.

Within the recommendations there is an emphasis on breaking down a siloed system to increase transparency and cooperation between sectors, as well numerous recommendations to hold the performance of those sectors to account.

Removing the burden from victims in getting help and placing accountability on the shoulders of perpetrators is also a strong focus of the report.

There is also a role for the state government in lobbying the federal government for change, the report says.

Andrews established the family violence royal commission in February last year. The report was handed by the commission to the Victorian governor, Linda Dessau, on Tuesday, and released on Wednesday.

Several of the recommendations deal with creating a more comprehensive information-sharing regime between police, courts, family service providers and other parts of the family violence sector, including a recommendation the government establish a secure central information point led by Victoria police and which stores databases from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice.

It would mean that when risk assessments are being made about the likelihood of a perpetrator reoffending, their history of involvement with a range of services are made available to those charging with assessing that risk.

Throughout the royal commission’s hearings, several experts described a system where the full history of a perpetrator’s involvement with courts and the justice system was not immediately accessible to police and magistrates, leading to weakened intervention orders and an underestimation of risk to victims and children.

Even a perpetrator’s involvement with different police commands was not always easily accessible to other police officers or magistrates, the commission heard.

There is also a focus on allowing victims of family violence to remain in their own homes so that they are not forced to uproot themselves and often children as they seek out safety in crisis accommodation or homeless shelters.

Instead the commission has recommended the government should give priority to allowing victims to safely stay in or return to their own homes by offering rental and mortgage subsidies and by monitoring perpetrators through the police and justice systems. This means the government also needs to expand the number and range of crisis and accommodation services, the report says, with priority given to rural and remote areas.

Victims should not be forced to spend more than six weeks in crisis accommodation, including motels and refuges, the commission recommends. To achieve this, a family violence housing implementation taskforce comprising senior representatives from the public and commercial housing sectors as well as family violence specialists should be established within a year, the report says.

A strong emphasis has been placed on accountability by the commission. The Victorian minister for housing, disability and ageing should report annually to the parliamentary committee on family violence on the extent of housing shortages for family violence victims, progress in meeting benchmarks including ensuring women are moved into permanent housing within six weeks, and proposals on how to meet demand and shortfalls.

The government and police should regularly audit their compliance with the code of practice for investigating family violence, the report says, and the results of these audits should be made public.

The recommendations aim to take the burden away from victims in having to navigate through the court, police and social service systems by calling on the Victorian government to introduce support and safety hubs in 17 regions of the state.

These hubs would be a kind of one-stop-shop for victims to safely receive police referrals, make contact with family violence services, establish a safety plan and risk assessment for further violence, and book victims into crisis accommodation and support services for children.

The court system should be overhauled within five years so that all family violence cases be heard within specialist family violence courts and the magistrates’ court should consider capping lists of family violence-related matters to take pressure off an overwhelmed system that struggles to properly consider each case.

Family violence victims, especially those caring for children, should be able to give remote evidence so that they don’t experience the trauma and at times, safety risk of facing their perpetrator in court, the report says. Where this is not possible safety rooms in courts should be established so victims do not have to face their perpetrators as they wait for their court matter to come up.

A review of interventions for perpetrators, including behaviour change programs, and the strength of those programs should be carried out by an expert committee, the commission recommends, while the attendance of men to counselling service and behaviour change programs should be monitored.

Men’s behaviour change programs need to be comprehensively reformed so that they are based on best practice and international evidence, the report recommends, with evidence given during the commission’s hearings that there was little evaluation carried out of the programs and it was difficult to establish if they worked.

There is a role for the Victorian government to encourage the commonwealth to consider a Medicare number for family violence counselling, the report says, and through its membership of the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council, encourage the council to improve family violence training standards for general practitioners.

The Victorian government should also lobby the Council of Australian Governments (Coag) to encourage the federal government to amend the national credit code to include family violence as a ground for financial hardship.

Numerous other recommendations have been made in the report focused on maintaining and improving the financial security of family violence victims, with perpetrators often disempowering their victims by controlling their finances. There are numerous recommendations made for specific groups of victims, including the elderly, men, LGBTI victims, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and those from ethnically diverse communities. Within two years, the Victorian government should expand support programs for Indigenous victims and provide adequate funding for Aboriginal-controlled health organisations within one year.

Representatives from the family violence sector, including the chief executive of Domestic Violence Victoria, Fiona McCormack, will hold a press conference at noon to respond to the report.

In a statement issued shortly before his scheduled press conference, Andrews reiterated his commitment to implementing every one of the report’s recommendations.

“I refuse to look back in 10 years’ time and admit that we could have done more to save lives,” he said.

“We will punish the perpetrators, listen to the survivors and change the culture that allows family violence to happen in the first place. There can be no excuses. Our work begins today to overhaul our broken family violence system from the bottom up.”

Zenithe posted:

Newly elected Greens Gabba councillor wants a paycut for pollies, including himself. Will be very interested to see what comes of this

Zenithe posted:

Newly elected Greens Gabba councillor wants a paycut for pollies, including himself. Will be very interested to see what comes of this

Au Revoir Shosanna posted:

Seems like an inefficient way to increase revenue. Wouldn't it be more agile to raise taxes on the poor?

quote:

Papua New Guinea's Immigration Department has said it is moving asylum seekers and refugees at the Manus Island detention centre to help them get ready to leave.

Key points:

More than 800 asylum seekers to be moved from Manus Regional Processing Centre.
PNG authorities inform refugees they can no longer stay at the centre.
Refugees believe PNG not a safe place to be resettled.


The PNG Immigration and Citizenship Service Authority (PNGICSA) confirmed the 850 detainees in the Australian-funded centre were being separated based on whether their refugee claims had been accepted.

"Separate accommodation will enable us to provide services and support appropriate to each cohort's immigration status," PNG's Deputy Chief Migration Officer Esther Gaegaming said in a statement.

"Refugees will be provided assistance to settle elsewhere in PNG. Non-refugees will be provided assistance to return to their country of origin, consistent with international practice."

Ms Gaegaming confirmed asylum seekers had been given deadlines for the processing of their refugee claims.

"The purpose of the Manus Regional Processing Centre is for the processing of refugee claims," she said.

"That processing will soon be finished.

"All refugee status initial assessments for asylum seekers at the Manus Regional Processing Centre will be completed by March 31.

"All refugee status determinations, including independent review for negative cases, will be finalised by June 30, 2016."

Halo14 posted:

Laserface posted:

holy poo poo Tim Ferguson is still a thing?

EvilElmo posted:

Pay cut now. Looks good. In 5 years get a pay rise to make up for all the increases they missed in those years.

This happens all the time.

EvilElmo posted:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/relax-sniff-in-sniff-out-relax

fickle poofterist posted:

Day left, but good month of lurking for me thanks all. Is the libertarian guy still got bagsies on OP next month?

fickle poofterist posted:

Day left, but good month of lurking for me thanks all. Is the libertarian guy still got bagsies on OP next month?