Auspol May: it's a Bloody Budget Bonanza!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol May: it's a Bloody Budget Bonanza!

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.

Todays Guardian is pulling both ways on discussion of sex work/prostitution in Australia and New Zealand, not to argue they shouldn't do a both sides coverage to cover bias but the content of them is at once saying they individually view their rights and successes, and at the same time being told they are the oppressed and slaves.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/may/01/the-future-of-sex-work-a-photo-essay

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/30/new-zealand-sex-work-prostitution-migrants-julie-bindel

fake edit: oh just realised the second is by Julie Bindel, a TERF

# ¿ May 1, 2018 03:29

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 00:23

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.

quote:

A tattooist has been arrested as police investigate the alleged genital mutilation of a woman in Newcastle.

Police allege the 33-year-old woman paid the man for a body modification procedure at a Newcastle West business in 2016, but later made a formal complaint of genital mutilation to police.

Police formed Strike Force Nellievale to investigate, and about 8am on Tuesday officers arrested the tattooist and body modifier at his home in Terrigal on the Central Coast.

The 37-year-old man was taken to Gosford Police Station and is assisting police with their inquiries, a police spokesman said.

A search warrant was also being executed at a business at the Erina Fair shopping centre, the spokesman said.

Body modification is not legislated in NSW, but members of the skin penetration industry are required to follow public health regulations.

Not being qualified medical practitioners, body modifiers are not allowed to supply topical anaesthetics, and cannot use schedule four prescription medicines, which includes injections.

Looking past the anesthetics part, ummmm... should this be a crime? There was a consented party involved who sought out, and paid, for the procedure then turned around and went to the police? I don't think this is what genital mutilation legislation was for.

edit: realised i may have misread the article, that this could be a piercing gone wrong (it says she paid for a procedure but not what procedure), but still the view is fundamentally the same

Lid fucked around with this message at 03:36 on May 1, 2018

# ¿ May 1, 2018 03:34

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.

Not up to date, whats SW?

# ¿ May 1, 2018 03:43

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.

Doctor Spaceman posted:

Sex worker.

Thought that but Julie Bindel isn't a sex worker

edit: oh caught up sex work and trans exlusionary radical feminism

ok caught up, move along

# ¿ May 1, 2018 03:44

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.

drat you ampersands

# ¿ May 1, 2018 03:45

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.

Nimby

# ¿ May 1, 2018 04:27

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.

hooman posted:

"Agile" economy destoys actual economy is going to be the catchphrase for the 2020's isn't it?

Not in this case, its just the new spin on this

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/airbnb-is-gutting-our-community-says-mayor-of-holiday-hotspot-byron-bay-20180409-p4z8j5.html

# ¿ May 1, 2018 04:52

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.

G-Spot Run posted:

There's no such thing as healthy smoking or even really healthy drinking, it's all poison, not doing a thing is a simple message. Healthy eating is a trickier lesson because we all have to eat and besides not all fat people are living fat on a diet of KFC and cola. It's the differences person to person that muddy the healthy eating fat lifestyle waters when I can cook everything from basically raw ingredients and be fat while some shitlord can eat ALDI ready meals and be a stuff breeze away from blowing away.

Dont KFC shame me

Or hot star for that natter

Or mcnuggs

# ¿ May 1, 2018 08:31

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.

The Queensland government is expected to pass new land-clearing laws on Tuesday amid fierce protests by farmers on the steps of the state parliament.

The laws are an attempt to rein in soaring clearing rates and restore environmental protections that were scrapped in 2013. The Climate Council estimates bushland more than seven times the size of Brisbane � about 1m hectares � was cleared between 2012 and 2016.

About 500 farmers from across the state, wearing green shirts and waving signs that proclaimed them the �true environmentalists�, demonstrated on the grounds that the changes will harm the state�s agricultural sector. They didn�t miss the opportunity to point out that city dwellers� smashed avocado and soy lattes were, in many cases, products of Queensland farming.

Jacqui Tickell, a cattle farmer, said there were misconceptions about the role of pastoralists in land clearing.

�We�re not broadscale clearing,� she said. �We�re just managing the regrowth of trees. If we just leave that there, there will be a huge problem with thickening, no sun will hit the ground, and there will be no grass there, no grass for any of the animals.

�We can�t just walk away. We need to fight these laws and let Queensland know that we�re for the environment.�

The Palaszczuk government attempted to pass similar laws during its first term, but they were defeated by the crossbench. Labor won a majority at the 2017 election and now has the numbers to pass the reforms.

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson, who told News Corp she would oppose land clearing for solar farms if the laws were passed, and Katter�s Australian party MPs attended the rally and joined in chants of �no farmers, no food�.

Nationals senator Matt Canavan also told News Corp on Tuesday he would consider challenging the vegetation management laws in the high court, on the basis that they may breach the Racial Discrimination Act by stifling economic development opportunities in Cape York.

A parliamentary committee that had been scrutinising the laws earlier this month recommended the government give priority to measures to �better support Aboriginal landowners to realise sustainable agriculture development opportunities�. It is unclear yet whether the bill will be amended as a result of this recommendation.

# ¿ May 1, 2018 09:08

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.

Are we defining fat as overweight or obese, because those two have become partially interchangable in "fat people" debates and colours the view of who is saying them. "Fat" is a vaguer term and the people here saying they're fat i have been assuming mean overweight dads.

# ¿ May 1, 2018 09:14

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.

less gatekeeping more medically accepted terminology

# ¿ May 1, 2018 09:31

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.

eh, since 2010 the average australian man and woman are overweight, so that a lot here are "fat" isn't an unusual thing, including myself, and why i was trying to differentiate that from obese because the discussion becomes not about fat but about the average australian

# ¿ May 1, 2018 09:36

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.

https://twitter.com/samanthamaiden/status/991115503337848832

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-01/cyber-spy-agency-expansion-should-be-considered-dutton-says/9715176

quote:

A push to expand the powers of the country's cyber spy agency to collect intelligence on Australians is being backed by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

The controversial idea to restructure the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) is strongly opposed by some in Cabinet who argue it is not necessary.

The ABC understands Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo and Defence secretary Greg Moriarty have discussed giving ASD a domestic role with three elements.

Firstly, ASD's unrivalled ability to shut down computer systems � a so-called "cyber effects" power � could be used within Australia, targeting organised criminals, terrorists and child pornographers.

ASD would also be allowed to conduct covert "penetration tests" on Australian companies to test their cyber security and vulnerability to hacker attack.

Such tests are already conducted on companies with their express permission.

Thirdly, ASD would be given coercive powers to enable the agency � which becomes an independent statutory body on July 1 � to direct companies and government agencies to improve their cyber security.

Intelligence agencies are prioritising making sure that critical infrastructure is impervious to ever-more sophisticated malicious cyber attack.

The agencies believe that infrastructure like telecommunications, banks, health, energy and insurance networks need to be protected from hidden weaknesses that could be exploited.

Lid fucked around with this message at 09:45 on May 1, 2018

# ¿ May 1, 2018 09:43

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.

Get back in the salt mines

# ¿ May 1, 2018 10:54

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.

DancingShade posted:

That's it, I'm calling the Business Council of Australia!

*runs off crying*

That counts as your lunch break.

# ¿ May 1, 2018 11:46

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.

# ¿ May 1, 2018 12:20

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.

Stay off the grid with a grid

# ¿ May 1, 2018 13:25

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.

The only self loathers are those that put beetroot on burgs

# ¿ May 1, 2018 16:09

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.

https://www.smh.com.au/education/a-38-hour-week-for-teachers-bring-it-on-20180502-p4zcuw.html

quote:

A lot of teachers are up in arms about MP Andrew Laming�s comments that teachers get too many holidays and should be made to work the same hours as other professions. Laming thinks teachers should work a 38-hour week and have only four weeks of holidays per year. Right on cue, a lot of people in the education profession are saying that Laming is out of touch and has no idea of the realities of our job.

But I think my colleagues might be too quick to take offence. As a music teacher I think Laming�s suggestion has merit and deserves to be explored more thoroughly.

Here are the implications of his proposal as I see it.

A 38-hour week means 7 hours and 36 minutes per day across 5 days. This means that I can arrive at work at 8am and leave at 3.36pm every day. There�s no need to factor in lunch breaks or recess, since I work though lunch and recess every day - either directing music ensemble rehearsals, mentoring students, giving instrumental lessons, supervising yard duty, or sitting at my desk frantically trying to catch up.

According to Laming I should be able to leave my job at 3.36pm. This is a huge improvement over my current work conditions, as that never happens now. Furthermore, Laming says there should be no marking, preparation, reporting or planning to do at home. I am hugely in favour of this. When I get home every afternoon my time will be my own, I will be able to pursue my hobbies and enjoy time with my family without the need to do any extra work after dinner. Brilliant!

Of course, under the Laming scheme there will be no school commitments in the evenings or on weekends. Parent/teacher interviews will happen during office hours, as will all music ensemble rehearsals, school concerts, musical productions and other performances. Meetings that currently occur in the evenings, such as Friends of Music groups, will now happen between the hours of 8am to 3.36pm.

Departmental and curriculum meetings will need to be finished by 3.36pm, as will professional development sessions. As a music teacher, it�s a huge relief to know that I�ll never again be required for a Sunday rehearsal or a weekend music camp. I�ll also no longer be required to take students to performances at weekend community festivals or public holiday events such as Anzac Day services. And school concerts that begin at 7.30pm will be a thing of the past. We will get our lives back. Thank you Andrew Laming!

The trade-off, of course, is fewer holidays, but I don�t mind. Having weekends and evenings to myself every week of the year more than makes up for it. And in keeping with Laming�s desire to make teachers� work conditions the same as other professions, I�ll now be able to take my four weeks of holiday at any time of the year - no longer bound to take my holidays during the non-teaching period. This will work out brilliantly. My wife frequently travels internationally for work. Since her work trips are generally during the school term I am usually unable to accompany her. But now that I will be able to apply to take leave at any time during the term, I�ll be able to travel when she does. I can�t wait.

Those teachers who have derided Laming for not knowing what he is talking about should maybe consider further his proposal to see just how much better off they�ll be under his suggested reforms. If the proposal looks the way I described it above, I�d vote for it.

Aaron Searle is a Melbourne teacher.

# ¿ May 2, 2018 18:05

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.

OPORTO, Red Rooster and Chicken Treat shops across Australia are on the verge of closing their doors due to the parent company’s unfair business practices, it has been claimed.

Oporto no!

# ¿ May 4, 2018 01:33

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.

Craveable Brands controls the branding on some 570 restaurants across all three chicken outlets. The franchisees submitting to this Senatorial inquiry allege the company is acting in bad faith by forcing stores to shell out absurd amounts for goods and supplies; items outlets are forced to buy at rates far above the standard open market price.

The submission details examples of this, like a case of Mount Franklin water, which can be bought for $11 off-the-shelf at any supermarket like IGA or whatnot. But Craveable Brands supplies the same case of water to Red Rooster and Oporto outlets for the inflated price of $18 per unit.

Similarly, franchisees claim they have been forced to purchase restaurant stock and essentials like bulk plastic spoons, knives, and forks at over $70 per package, which is outrageously above the open market price of $40 for the same amount of the same items.

Franchisees allege these inflated prices are due to “rebates” on the behalf of Craveable Brands; rebates which are neither disclosed nor shared with franchisees who suffer because of them.

THE FREE MARKET

# ¿ May 4, 2018 07:51

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.

Splits... unsplits... unsplits because your policy is now Liberal Party policy and its really really really hard to explain that away?

http://junkee.com/kathleen-maltzahn-nordic-model/156839

quote:

A Controversial Greens Candidate Has Backflipped On Sex Worker Rights After Intense Pressure

After years of defiantly championing the controversial �Nordic model� for criminalising sex work, controversial Greens candidate Kathleen Maltzahn has performed a spectacular backflip ahead of this year�s state election, now saying she wouldn�t vote for it if given the chance.

...

Kathleen Maltzahn has been the Greens candidate for the winnable state seat of Richmond for the last three elections � including the upcoming election in November. But every time she�s run, she has been dogged by controversy because of her support for the Nordic model, which is at odds with party policy.

That pressure on Maltzahn increased on Monday when the Victorian Liberal State Council passed a motion to support the implementation of the Nordic Model into law if the party wins in November.

Since then, Maltzahn has faced questions from sex workers, Greens voters and prominent activists Van Badham and Nic Holas, and sex worker Ava, as to whether she would �vote with her conscience� in favour of the Nordic Model (which we�ll explain in a second), as she had previously stated she would.

But in a statement to Junkee, Maltzahn has now confirmed she will toe the party line and abandon her long-held position: �If I am elected to state parliament. I won�t be voting for the Nordic model, including if the Liberal Party introduces it. Their agenda is anti-women and I have spent my career fighting for women�s rights,� She said.

This is a major backflip for Maltzahn, who is the founder of Melbourne organisation Project Respect, which advocates to the state and federal government for the establishment of the Nordic or �Swedish model� of sex work criminalisation, in the form of an �Australian Sex Buyers� law�.

�Kathleen founded an organisation that has consistently argued against the rights of sex workers, and argued over the voices of sex workers and obviously to people in our community that�s very troubling�, says Jane Green, a Victorian sex worker and the media spokesperson for Vixen Collective. �She�s arguing for policy� that harms sex workers and reduces our access to outreach, health and importantly, police services when we have issues with our work, and reduces our human rights�.

...

There�s one group that�s unlikely to believe Maltzahn�s backflip on sex work policy, and it�s Victorian sex workers.

�Maltzahn�s current comments on not voting to support the Nordic Model, in light of being a long-term proponent of it and having previously publicly stated she would vote for the Nordic Model, seem disingenuous at best. How believable is it when she calls out the Liberals for being �anti-women� for supporting the Nordic Model, when that�s also the law she believes in?,� Jane Green told Junkee.

It�s also worth noting that if elected, Maltzahn would still be allowed to vote with her conscience to support the Nordic Model. The Victorian Greens constitution clearly states that in �rare or special circumstances where the views of an elected Member are in conflict with the Greens� policy, then that elected Member may vote according to her or his conscience�.

All Maltzahn would would have to do is submit an explanation to State Council. There is nothing to stop her from changing her mind again.

�One thing that this issue shows surely�, said Maltzahn earlier this year, �is that I�m not someone who will change my mind, if I think that I�m doing the right thing�.

# ¿ May 4, 2018 10:58

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.

Cleretic posted:

Ahh, alright. Yeah, you can kinda tell, that post rang a little too close to some of the more eye-rolling bullshit that gets posted here to me.

This is literally the opposite of a split or slipping towards centrism, and people still said it immediately.

I was saying unsplits but it rings really hollow that she flippes because now her policy is Liberal policy. Thats shallow as gently caress and while people claim the Greens have less principles now thats a pretty clear case of being contrarian to the right even though you agree because otherwise it might mean people realise you are a second wavist.

# ¿ May 4, 2018 12:23

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.

The best GTA story was 4

The best game was San Andreas

# ¿ May 5, 2018 13:36

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.

Don Dongington posted:

Nicko! Cousin! Sorry to interrupt your 9th consecutive dumb poo poo ferry mission but it's time to go bowling,

(GTA 4 was boring as poo poo)

This is why GTA 4 isnt the best game.

# ¿ May 5, 2018 15:02

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.

The Turnbull government has unveiled a plan to recover billions of dollars being lost to federal coffers from a combination of undetected tobacco imports, illegal tobacco crops known as "chop chop" and a thriving black market in stolen, untaxed cigarettes.

Revenue and Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer said a flourishing illegal trade was costing taxpayers billions while the proceeds were going on to fund other criminal activities.

This sounds like complete nonsense.

# ¿ May 5, 2018 18:53

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.

JBP posted:

Idk radio national has been going on about black market smokes so there's probably something to it. It's always been a thing though.

The government expects to increase revenue through a suite of new measures by $3.6 billion over four years.

It estimates that 864 tonnes of illicit tobacco escapes duty each year.

The Australian Taxation Office will be given expanded powers to charge tobacco duties and other tax liabilities on cigarettes when they enter the country rather than when the product leaves a licensed warehouse in Australia destined for the retail market.

And a new multi-agency Tobacco Taskforce, to be formally announced in the budget on Tuesday, will crack down on criminal gangs and organised crime syndicates which each year, move a staggering amount of the product beyond the taxman's reach in the black economy.

To be led by the Australian Border Force, the Tobacco Taskforce's operating brief will be to enforce the toughened laws and to "dismantle illicit tobacco supply chains".

Authorities believe significant quantities of cigarettes are illegally removed from tobacco warehouses for sale on the black market. Some of this theft may be piecemeal by employees, but larger-scale removal of cigarettes from warehouses is also occurring.

To address this "leakage", a tightened regulatory framework will ensure the integrity of the tobacco duty regime and new resources will be provided to the ATO to meet the challenge of home-grown supply for the illicit tobacco trade.

Among those changes will be a new requirement to obtain a permit to import tobacco.

The government says it has seized an estimated 98 tonnes of illicit tobacco this financial year alone, which would have netted the taxpayer almost $90 million in revenue had it been sold legally.

In a single operation in Queensland, 31 tonnes was seized, which would have netted $29 million in duty. In Victoria, $48 million has been foregone on the tobacco seized, which weighed in at a nation-leading 53 tonnes. Seizures in NSW so far this year have accounted for 14 tonnes or $13 million in foregone revenue.

The previous financial year, the ATO seized 117 tonnes at an estimated total value in terms of duty of $90 million.

Estimates from the Department of Home Affairs and the ATO say this is merely a fraction of the total revenue foregone each year, which is as high as $600 million.

In January this year, three people allegedly connected to a tobacco smuggling syndicate operating through Melbourne Airport's international terminal were charged in relation to a haul of 1 million cigarettes. Authorities say that had a street value of $682,500 and would have raised duties close to three-quarters of a million dollars if sold legally.

In another instance, Australian Border Force officers in conjunction with the Australian Federal Police's Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce, seized luxury vehicles, jewellery and $9 million in cash regarded as the proceeds of crime.

Ms O'Dwyer said the extent of the problem called for even tougher anti-corruption measures, particularly because criminals operating in the tobacco black market were using it to finance other off-book endeavours.

"The illicit tobacco market is dominated by organised crime groups, which use tobacco profits to fund their other criminal and black economy activities,” she said.

“These strong new measures will shut down the avenues that organised crime syndicates have to access illicit tobacco to fund criminal activity.”

The changes build on those introduced in legislation earlier this year dealing with illicit tobacco offences, which included tougher penalties for tobacco-related offences of up to 10 years' imprisonment.

Government figures revealed the ATO had undertaken 26 operations since July 2016 in which the seizure and destruction of 215 tonnes of illicit tobacco had occurred. It said this would have netted $179 million in tobacco duty. Over the same time, the ATO had executed 55 warrants relating to breaches of the Excise Act.

The attraction of black market cigarettes has grown because of the ease with which successive governments have increased imposts without fear of political backlash.

In his first budget in 2016, Treasurer Scott Morrison announced an annual 12.5 per cent rise in tobacco excise for each of the next four years. This continued the sharp upward trajectory of cigarette prices which have climbed by more than 340 per cent since 1996.

The crackdown on illegal tobacco is unlikely to garner any opposition within Parliament with all major parties aware of the lethal risks of smoking.

On Friday, Mr Morrison announced a tax reduction for the smaller capacity beer kegs favoured by craft beer makers, putting them on a par with the larger ones used by the major brewers.

# ¿ May 5, 2018 21:49

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.

http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/why-donald-trump-should-get-the-nobel-peace-prize/news-story/1349d5466a501e4b5ebf9f13653fbec1

Joe hildebrand farted

# ¿ May 6, 2018 01:46

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.

A branch of the NSW Liberal Party is set to debate the merits of Sharia-style corporal punishment and a radical proposal to make citizens responsible for sentencing criminals rather than judges.

The notoriously hard-right Carlingford branch, under its colourful president George Popowski, will discuss a push to "straighten out the law and order system" by handing sentencing powers to a panel of 20 members of the public, with no more than 30 per cent from the legal fraternity.

Mr Popowski, who authored the motion, also urged the reintroduction of corporal punishment, arguing it was the "fairest" form of retribution because "we all feel the same pain".

He proposed 10 lashes for theft of a T-shirt, 1000 lashes for stealing a car (2000 if the vehicle is damaged), 5000 lashes for punching a police officer and 20,000 lashes for murder.

The floggings should be "delivered at 10 lashes per hour – every hour from 9am to 5pm, with one hour for lunch", Mr Popowski wrote. The sentence would be doubled for second-time offenders.

Mr Popowski made headlines in 2016 when he brought a motion to a party conference calling for an immediate ban on all immigration, labelling migrants "criminals", "bastards" and "jihadists".

# ¿ May 7, 2018 21:56

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.

JBP posted:

They probably should have painted Chinese flags if they wanted to celebrate their culture.

hot take comin through

# ¿ May 9, 2018 03:00

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.

The Before Times posted:

I'm not surprised considering that Republicans have been positioned to not believe anything the mainstream news says about trump/politics/the world

If i agree with it its true if i disagree its false

# ¿ May 14, 2018 04:07

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.

the accused Family Court Bomber trial started today

For those that don't know this piece of Australian history it's an incredibly harrowing read

quote:

Leonard John Warwick, 71, is facing the first day of a judge-alone trial before Justice Peter Garling on 24 charges, including four counts of murder.

Mr Warwick, who appeared in the dock wearing a suit jacket and shirt, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The events for which he has been charged include the shooting murder of his brother-in-law, Stephen Blanchard, whose body was found in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park on February 27, 1980; the shooting murder of Justice David Opas on June 23, 1980; the bombing of Justice Richard Gee�s Belrose home on March 6, 1984; the bombing of the Family Court in Parramatta late at night on April 15, 1984; the bombing of the Greenwich home of Justice Ray Watson, in which his wife Pearl was killed, on July 4, 1984; and the bombing of the Casula Jehovah�s Witness hall, killing one congregation member and injuring 12 others.

The Crown alleges all victims had some involvement in the custody dispute involving Mr Warwick and his ex-wife, Andrea Blanchard, over their only daughter, Trudi.

If you want an in depth look at what lead to this moment read https://www.smh.com.au/national/road-to-revenge-20140825-3e8yo.html

# ¿ May 15, 2018 03:53

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.

hooman posted:

Auspol June: Judging others by the colour of their clothes not the content of their character.

Auspol June: as a white man i am qualified to judge people as class traitors and scum

# ¿ May 15, 2018 04:26

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.

The political career of one of the Liberal Party's newest members, Lucy Gichuhi, is at risk of coming to an abrupt end at the next election.

Senator Gichuhi defected to the Liberals in February, making the shock announcement alongside Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who described the Kenyan-born senator as an "inspiration" and a "true Australian success story".

But the ABC has been told the party's right-faction has never embraced Senator Gichuhi — a social conservative — and is moving to install Adelaide City Councillor Alex Antic above her on the party's Senate ticket.

That would push Senator Gichuhi to the fourth position, which is considered unwinnable.

One source told the ABC that if Mr Antic is on the ticket, the former Family First senator would be "consigned to the dustbin".

# ¿ May 15, 2018 04:56

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.

he Ukrainian government has made an extraordinary intervention on behalf of Turnbull government MP Chris Crewther, arguing a proposed boundary change to his marginal electorate would disadvantage a Ukrainian cheesemaker.

Mr Crewther, who first won the Melbourne seat of Dunkley in 2016 by just 1.4 per cent, is fighting the proposed changes. ABC election analyst Antony Green predicts the new boundaries would turn the seat notionally in favour of Labor by a margin of 1.3 per cent. The seaside town of Mornington, in Dunkley's south, is one of the areas slated for removal under the Australian Electoral Commission's suggested new boundaries.

Mr Crewther has been urging supporters, including the Ukrainians, to make submissions to the AEC protesting the changes.

In a letter to the AEC, Ukraine's ambassador to Australia Mykola Kulinich said he was "extremely concerned" about the proposed changes, and warned that the Ukraine-Australian relationship would "only be strengthened by Mornington remaining within the Dunkley electorate."

"I believe that the Ukrainian community in Dunkley will be disadvantaged by separating Mornington from the electorate, where many reside," the ambassador said.

"One example is the ever-growing Blue Bay Cheese that has businesses in both Mornington and Frankston.

what

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xLUEMj6cwA

# ¿ May 15, 2018 07:42

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.

hooman posted:

Good thing section 44 of the constitution stops foreign governments trying to interfere in our electoral procesbhasdfhjaskf

No you see

"In discussions with local Ukrainian-Australians and those involved with the friendship group (which includes the ambassador) following the AEC’s proposed boundary changes, I raised that they (local Ukrainian-Australians) may no longer be in my electorate given the proposed loss of Mornington," Mr Crewther told Fairfax Media.

"At the end of the day though, Blue Bay Cheese’s and the ambassador’s decision to put in an objection was entirely up to them, off their own concerns about the impact on either their business or upon established relationships supporting the Ukrainian-Australian community.

"I cannot force any group or individual to put in or not put in a submission," he said.

He said encouraging the ambassador's submission was in no way promoting foreign interference in Australia's political system.

"The Ukrainian ambassador making public representations on various issues of concern to the Ukrainian-Australian community, of his own discretion, is not interference by a foreign power, as it is only expressing a viewpoint. Ambassadors do this all the time,"

"At the end of the day, the AEC or the Australian government make their own decisions on the basis of their own principles and authority. They are under no obligation to take into account the views of ambassadors or representatives of any country."

"Espionage or bribing/blackmailing someone (in particular parliamentarians) to represent a particular view is a different story, and would be foreign interference but that has clearly not occurred in this case," he said.

# ¿ May 15, 2018 08:08

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.

The missing commonwealth games athletes hace reappeared unsurprisingly to seek asylum

http://www.news.com.au/sport/sports...449a98787736eaf

Lets watch Dutton gently caress this up.

# ¿ May 15, 2018 08:15

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.

Some of the 11 African athletes who went missing during the Commonwealth Games have been given bridging visas to stay in Australia temporarily.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has urged the competitors to give themselves up with the visas they were issued for the Gold Coast Games due to expire at midnight on Tuesday.

But the head of a service that helps refugees migrate to Australia says some of the 11 have already got bridging visas.

"I know some of them have already had interviews with immigration," said David Addington, the chairman of Sydney's Northern Beaches Refugee Sanctuary.

"I know that some of them have already been given bridging visas ... so you don't get detained."

Mr Addington was not personally involved in the athletes' cases but said he'd spoken to advocates who were.

Refugee Advice and Casework Service principal solicitor Sarah Dale told AAP her Sydney legal centre has helped a number of the athletes lodge applications for protection before their Games visas expire.

"We have spoken and assisted a number of people who were involved with the Commonwealth Games most of whom are from the African region," Ms Dale said on Tuesday afternoon.

When an individual lodges an application to stay in Australia they are usually granted a bridging visa until the government determines whether they are owed protection as refugees.

But Mr Dutton's office on Tuesday refused to say if any of the athletes had bridging visas.

He urged them to present themselves to Australian Border Force officers.

"If people have breached their visa conditions ... enforcement action will take place to identify those people and to deport them if they don't self-declare," Mr Dutton said in Melbourne.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says the athletes shouldn't be allowed to stay.

"I don't believe they have sound grounds. They came here as athletes and they pulled this stunt," she told AAP.

"They are being fed these lines by these migration agents and by refugee advocates in this country, telling them what to say and what to do."

The missing athletes include five boxers and three wrestlers from Cameroon, two athletes from Uganda and a Rwandan Paralympic powerlifting coach.

# ¿ May 15, 2018 08:35

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.

these Big Media Refugee Advocates are so strong they got in the heads of these Cameroonian's within days pulling this stunt, FEED THEM LINES says notorious racists being racist

# ¿ May 15, 2018 08:37

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 16, 2024 00:23

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.

Sparticle posted:

Australia gets to finally decide which it likes more: sports or racism.

It's racism

nah, same thing happened with Sydney olympics. Out of it off the top of my head we got one good guy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakio_Bika

and one complete rear end in a top hat

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9ctor_Lombard

we like our sports people

and as much as I loathe Lombard him being given a visa and allowed to stay was entirely the right outcome

# ¿ May 15, 2018 08:38

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol May: it's a Bloody Budget Bonanza!

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