JBP posted:

I mean I didn't expect this to come from a dude like Abetz, but his proposal allows a business to dismiss casuals and get new ones that don't have the protected rate. Considering that casuals are the real losers through anything like this, it's a bit of a "but see I'm a nice guy" play.

aejix posted:

So if I'm your typical unscrupulous small business owner, i just get rid of everyone (or make some sort of superficial adjustment to the role and make everyone reapply for their "new job") and now my workforce is subject to the reduced penalty rates?

Abetz is a loving snake but if he's actually concerned about his constituents then this will do gently caress all to help them anyway, and if he's just paying lip service instead then anyone relying on penalty rates isn't going to be fooled by his suggestion anyway (one hopes).

quote:

In an opinion piece for Fairfax Media, Senator Abetz has publicly called on the Fair Work Commission to protect existing pay rates so "no worker is worse off" and only new employees would be paid reduced rates on Sundays and public holidays.

Senator Abetz said he supported the landmark decision to cut penalty rates for certain workers in the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors because it would help small business and create jobs, but the decision "had to be implemented in a fair and equitable manner".

quote:

A police officer who kicked, punched and stomped on a man after he was involved in a high-speed crash during a pursuit in Newcastle has been found not guilty of assault after the prosecution failed to prove he knew what he was doing.

Senior constable Christopher Charles Fullick, 37, had raised the defence of "automatism" as a result of post-traumatic amnesia, claiming he had no memory of the incident, or the next 10 minutes, after he was involved in a crash with the fleeing vehicle that "nearly killed" him.

Police in-car video captured the pursuit through the suburb of Hamilton, the near-fatal crash and then Mr Fullick sprinting from his vehicle and assaulting the driver, Anthony Kirk, 29, as he was being restrained by other police officers about 11pm on January 27 last year.

After a lengthy investigation, Mr Fullick was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.

But on the second day of a hearing in Newcastle Local Court on Friday, and at the conclusion of the prosecution case, Magistrate Andrew Eckhold acquitted Mr Fullick of both charges.

Mr Fullick's defence team of barristers Paul Rosser, QC, and Michael Weightman, and solicitor Stuart Gray had provided expert evidence from a neurosurgeon, a neurologist and a psychologist who opined that the police officer was acting as an "automaton" at the time of the assault. The prosecution called psychiatrist Dr Jonathan Adams, who couldn't rule out the possibility that Mr Fullick was in an automatistic state at the time.

That became the crucial part of the case, with Mr Eckhold dismissing the charges because the prosecution had failed to "negatise" the defence of automatism.

During the first day of the hearing, Magistrate Eckhold was shown in-car video from another pursuing police car that was behind Mr Kirk as he sped away from police on January 27 last year.

After travelling through a number of Newcastle suburbs, the video shows Mr Kirk's car heading west on Veda Street before he turns right into Samdon Street, speeds through a give way sign at Denison Street and then careers into the intersection of Belford Street.

At the exact moment, Mr Fullick's police car flashes into screen heading west on Belford Street and the two cars collide, sending the fleeing vehicle spinning out-of-control before it comes to rest on the footpath out the front of the Hamilton Car Centre. The estimated speed of Mr Kirk's car was 85km/h, the court heard, as he hurtled through a red light on a blind corner and was milliseconds from killing himself, his passenger or those in the police car he collided with.

Police then swarm into the screen, attempting to grab the driver and passengers out of the vehicle.

A few seconds later Mr Fullick can be seen sprinting into shot, landing a kick on the driver before bending down and appearing to throw a few punches at the man.

"There is a kick, three punches and a stomp," Mr Fullick's barrister, Paul Rosser, QC, told Mr Eckhold.

The police-in car video meant the assault itself was not in dispute, and instead it was a question of whether "automatism" was demonstrated or not.

And after initially saying the hearing would run for four days, Mr Eckhold was left with no doubt that the defence of automatism could not be excluded after hearing just the prosecution case.

After the decision, Mr Gray said the defence had served on the prosecution a large amount of evidence that suggested Mr Fullick was not culpable.

"The defence served a comprehensive series of expert opinions on the prosecution to the effect that Mr Fullick was acting as an automaton while suffering from post-traumatic amnesia," Mr Gray said.

"Ultimately, the magistrate found the prosecution could not negatise this."

Automatism is a rarely used criminal defence and is concerned with involuntariness as opposed to any question of mental illness.

Unless the Crown proves beyond reasonable doubt that the act of the accused was subject to the control and direction of his will, then he must be acquitted because no offence has been committed, the law states.

The defence has applied for costs in the matter, with a hearing to be held in June.

Mr Fullick had been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.

starkebn posted:

So if he's prone to automatism he can't be a police officer any more right? Right?

The Deadly Hume posted:

And his party has actually won House of Reps seats. (well, seat.)

Some of his policies are still poo poo, like he supports the penalty rates cut, but at least he's relatively sane.

Interesting observation by Possum Comitatus @Pollytics who does a lot of polling is that the corrupt Trump stuff is actually a turn-off for a lot of potential PHON voters even though they've been cheesed off by the major parties. These are votes that could easily go elsewhere.
https://twitter.com/Pollytics/status/835828327961124864

Her doubling down on that poo poo today probably won't help, and of course most of the people she recruits turn out to be muppets who couldn't even cop a feel in a sea of nipples.

Trump can wing it because he's got a bunch of arseholes around him who are more than happy to write up poo poo for him to sign while he fucks off to his golf course for a week. Hanson has James Ashby, of all people.

norp posted:

Vote 1: Someone Else

DancingShade posted:

In 20 years time this will be the norm because nobody going through school now will be able to afford the million dollar vacant investment property homes.

Also nobody middle aged or lower will be retiring any time soon and wages/jobs keep shrinking so we can all hang out at the caravan park together.

SMILLENNIALSMILLEN posted:

He thought he was in the right

starkebn posted:

That thing must be satire, surely. It hits every point at every step.

Bogan King posted:

lol if you think nsw has any chance of moving to the ALP. Foley is a dud root and not going away any time soon.

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

quote:

Fake cancer guru Belle Gibson, who is facing a possible $1 million fine after being found by a Federal Court judge to have "deliberately played" the Australian public, has been caught spruiking another fad diet and bragging about intestinal worms.

Days after Gibson bragged about passing a "huge rope worm" in an enema she took for an obscure cleansing diet, Federal Court of Australia Justice Debra Mortimer handed down her judgment upholding "most but not all" of the allegations levelled against the disgraced wellness blogger by Victoria's consumer watchdog.

In Wednesday's ruling, Justice Mortimer was particularly scathing of Gibson's deliberate tugging at the nation's collective heartstrings.

"Her 'pitch' overwhelmingly used groups likely to evoke sympathy because of their vulnerabilities – young girls, asylum seekers, sick children," Justice Mortimer wrote.

"The use of a seriously ill child, in this way is particularly unconscionable.

"In securing this public profile, and the financial and personal benefits which came with it for herself and her company, Ms Gibson deliberately played on the genuine desire of members of the Australian community to help those less fortunate."

Gibson faces a fine of more than $1 million, though Justice Mortimer did not impose a penalty on Wednesday. That will be decided upon at a court date which has yet to be fixed.

Consumer Affairs Victoria launched legal action against Ms Gibson last May, alleging false and misleading conduct in relation to her health and unlawful fundraising appeals in 2013 and 2014.

"I am satisfied the respondents engaged in conduct that was misleading or deceptive," Justice Mortimer found in relation to Gibson's charity claims.

The action was sparked after Gibson made false claims of beating terminal brain cancer by eschewing conventional medicine.

The watchdog accused her of engaging in misleading or deceptive commerce by making the claims to promote her app and book, The Whole Pantry.

Gibson was also exposed for failing to hand over the donations and lying about giving $300,000 away to charity.

Earlier this week, under her longtime Facebook pseudonym Harry Gibson, Gibson posted on the Facebook page of the Master Fast System – a diet which espouses new age fasting and cleansing – about her recent bowel movements.

The MFS page encourages members to share "how to clean our pipes like plumbers" and that it's "not bound by any man made paper and/or laws" and is "based on Master Lui-Gino's understanding of Space Plasma Technology, Nature and many amazing brilliant teachers".

In a post on the page, since taken down, Gibson stated that she was on Day 10 of her fast, involving taking "tinctures", doing yoga and a session "with my very powerful and divine shiatsu practitioner".

Gibson talks about having a colonic irrigation, and expelling a 15cm parasite, followed by "A HUGE ROPE WORM", saying "it ruined my day almost not to be able to get this on video. Baha.'

"It was coiled around itself like a spiral about 5 or more times, and it took up the width of the tube, so based on this math, I'm guessing it was at least 60cm (at minimum!!).

"I felt such HUGE relief and was floating all day afterwards."

Later in the post, Gibson says that the diet had prevented two of her teeth from needing fillings, saving $400 in dental work.

"These two teeth were going translucent at the sides and about 40% of the surface area and indentations were dark. Not now!!" she said.

Gibson also boasts that her tonsils are now "about 30% smaller" and also that her hazel eyes are changing colour to "green with blue underneath".

She says the fast had "saved my life and shown me what happiness and health looks and feels like. I feel so blessed. Thank you".

Despite Gibson's post since being taken down from the Master Fast System Facebook page, publicity about it drew Australian posters, some of whom wanted to find out more.

Tokamak posted:

I don't believe she is sincere about most of the poo poo she writes, except for her views on Islam. She figured out the easiest way to make it as a young political writer (with her leanings), is to mimic the style of the alt-right with an edgy acerbic wit. It's really cool and good that Caleb can't see her insincerity.

https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2015/11/islam-modern-day-sexual-slavery/
https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2017/01-02/islamic-state-child-soldiers-islamic-schools/

So full of good opinions that she choose to author them under a pseudonym.

Frogfingers posted:

I'm not going to poison my brain trying to dissect her poo poo but she seems to exist just to wedge feminists on religious grounds (out of anyone's control anyway) just to distract from actual gender and class issues. Right wing slash fiction notwithstanding.

Doctor Spaceman posted:

I assume it's a picture pulled from Twitter and that the point is she is incredibly inconsistent about feminism but that's just a guess.

Milky Moor posted:

please don't doxx people even if other people have done it "over on twitter"

Milky Moor posted:

i took my definition from FAU, friend. i am only trying to help

Schlesische posted:

I don't know how a banking meltdown could be an optimistic scenario.
I'm assuming you mean that housing affordability surpasses Vancouver and heads into Hong Kong territory.

quote:

Confidence in the housing market has collapsed, with the number of Australians describing property as the wisest place to put their savings falling to its lowest level in more than 40 years.

Starshark posted:

He went to Jesuit schools for whatever that's worth. I don't even know if Jesuits are a sub-Catholic faith, I can't keep up with all these schisms.

quote:

A Supreme Court judge has blasted former NSW Labor MP Eddie Obeid and his sons for bringing an "unreasonable" and "irresponsible" lawsuit against the corruption watchdog and ordered the family to pay a multimillion-dollar legal bill.

In a scathing judgment delivered on Monday, Justice David Hammerschlag said there was "every reason why" Obeid and his sons Moses, Paul and Eddie jnr should pay the costs of every person sued in the case.

These included the costs of former Independent Commission Against Corruption chief David Ipp, QC, against whom the Obeids had made baseless allegations of misconduct that Justice Hammerschlag described as "of the gravest kind".

Legal sources said the legal bill would easily exceed $2 million, on top of the Obeids' own costs.

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

QUACKTASTIC posted:

He's not wrong

Zenithe posted:

https://twitter.com/TheNTNews/status/845209930424446978

adamantium|wang posted:

ewe2 posted:

Counter-riposte:


http://www.michaelwest.com.au/witch-hunt-the-fins-campaign-to-destroy-cpa-boss-alex-malley/

JBP posted:

What the gently caress is going on with this bloke and this show. In the immortal words of Kerry Packer "get this poo poo off the air."

JBP posted:

More likely he is a massive loving arsehole who is also old and white.