We say what we mean, we mean what we say, we do what we say we’d do in the way we say we’d do it.
A good reputation is something that is hard to build but very easy to destroy. It depends largely on trust and is influenced, not only by one’s actions, but by how those actions are perceived by others. A reputation is the trust that you build with society.
It could be argued that the opinions of others are unimportant but we live in a great social network and need a good reputation for practical purposes—friendship and income chief among them. It’s hard to have friends if people think you’re mean-spirited and hard to make a living in any capacity if people think you’re lazy, unreliable, or dishonest.
This is also true of governments.
When the Coalition government rushed to sign three free trade deals that had been under negotiation for years, the Australian public were left with an uneasy feeling about what had been promised to get the signature on the dotted line by a given date rather than because of favourable outcomes.
As more details of the secret negotiations emerge, it appears that this concern was well-founded, and not just for Australia but also our trading partners as the following examples show.
“The Australian government has outraged South Korea by awarding a $1 billion plus Defence supply ships contract to a Spanish company, despite the Asian nation believing it would be the preferred partner….. its government and diplomats are fuming over the snub and believe it to be the latest instance in a long list of Australian double talking over defence materiel contracts.”
After reneging on a previous high level handshake “deal” over the supply of Korean mobile land artillery (self-propelled howitzers) citing “budgetary problems”, Tony Abbott offered a consolation suggesting Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) would get the contract for our supply ships.
In March this year, however, the Defence Capability and Acquisition Group notified the Korean embassy that Spanish Navantia had been selected as the preferred contractor for the SEA 1654 program for replenishment ships.
A Korean source said the free trade agreement reached between Korea and Australia, which entered into force in December 2014, was meant to expedite those defence procurement contracts that were already in train.
“Korea feels harshly done by and it is now a matter of maintaining face,” the contact said. “The feeling in Seoul is that if the Australian government can’t properly review the Defence materiel decision, then the National Assembly in Korea will review how it deals with Australia into the future.”
Likewise, the Japanese government is furious over losing the $50 billion contract for Australia’s new submarine fleet.
Based on handshakes, winks and nods in both 2013 and 2014 between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Tony Abbott, the Japanese believed there was an understanding that Australia’s new submarines would be built by them.
Australian National University’s Dr Andrew Carr, of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, said “Our reputation as a reliable trade partner could be hurt and this could potentially flow on to other areas besides defence contracts.”
There is a growing feeling amongst Asia watchers that Australia is not being totally “honourable” in its own region.
This feeling is only exacerbated by our deplorable treatment of refugees where our “success” is measured by our ability to keep them out with the inevitable consequence of making them someone else’s problem. Our willingness to torture asylum seekers to achieve this goal is not something that is earning us respect and congratulations whilst we moralise to other nations who are struggling to help the millions displaced, in part, by our actions.
Another crucial area where we are losing face is our inaction on climate change. According to the government’s own figures, far from decreasing, Australian emissions will grow to 577 Mt CO₂-e in 2020, or 6 per cent above 2000 levels.
Emissions from the electricity generation sector grew by 3.2 million tonnes (Mt), or 1.8 per cent over 2015, while land sector emissions grew by 3.6 Mt – a 129 per cent increase in year-on-year emissions despite our Emission Reduction Fund which is being undermined by state governments loosening land clearing restrictions.
Is it any wonder that Coalition MPs did not have the courage to meet with delegations from Kiribati and Tuvalu who are losing their home while politicians try to sell the message that coal is good for humanity?
Australia has also received criticism for its high rates of Aboriginal incarceration and the documented cases of abuse in juvenile detention, our continued discrimination against the LGBQTI community, the high numbers of children, disabled and elderly living in poverty, our draconian counterterrorism laws, and our drastic cuts to foreign aid.
Australia used to stand tall as a country which could be relied upon to do more than its share, a country that fought for human rights, a country of straight dealers whose word could be trusted, a country who looked after the vulnerable.
No longer.
Instead of a community who values integrity, we are now a nation of penny-pinchers who think only of themselves, who measure value only in dollars, and whose word means nothing.
46 comments
Login here Register here-
David Stephens -
Fedup -
Kaye Lee -
Rob Giblin -
Kaye Lee -
Jaquix -
Michael Taylor -
Harquebus -
Kaye Lee -
Kaye Lee -
Kaye Lee -
Kaye Lee -
Rob Giblin -
Kaye Lee -
Kaye Lee -
Möbius Ecko -
diannaart -
Rob Giblin -
Jexpat -
Michael Taylor -
Möbius Ecko -
Miriam English -
diannaart -
Kaye Lee -
Kaye Lee -
jim -
Miriam English -
guest -
John Ward -
Miriam English -
diannaart -
Kaye Lee -
Terry2 -
jim -
Möbius Ecko -
wam -
Matters Not -
Florence nee Fedup -
Florence nee Fedup -
Kaye Lee -
Terry2 -
Terry2 -
Wun Farlung -
Kaye Lee -
Matters Not -
diannaart
Return to home pageMaybe it’s just me but when I hear politicians saying things like the headline to this piece – yes, I know it’s a parody – I think of those big apes or chimps bumping their chests against each other.
I don’t give a rats about Japan and how they feel losing the contract. The same goes for South Korea. This country has been sold bit by bloody bit to any stinking country that want to throw a few dollars our way and to hell with the Australian people. We have lost all of our Companies, businesses. Now everyone is carrying on about the stinking refugees that we are not taking into this country. To hell with the UN too. Who the hell are they to preach to us about refugee intake. We have enough of them here already and it’s already alienating the Australian people. We don’t have jobs for our young, the government ripping off the most vunerable people in our society, the elderly, the sick, the unemployed, the disabled, all the while feeding and pampering to the filthy rich. Refugees this country cannot afford and all the while bleeding our welfare system dry so don’t try and tell me this country has/had a great reputation! In my book this country is a bloody joke with clowns running the show! If you stand up and speak out you’re branded a racist, doesn’t matter if you may be right in the long run. Bloody do gooders who think this country should be open to all and sundry, doesn’t matter where they come from, we should take them all in! Bullshit! If we don’t start looking after our own now then this country will become a haven for every piece of scum from around the world. It’s time the politicians stop selling off what is left of this once great country and start rebuilding us for our future survival and the future of OUR children! I thank God we have a few people like Pauline Hanson who actually has the guts to stand up and speak for a good many Australians. It’s a pity our leaders don’t have the same guts to do what is right for all Australians and stop worrying about how the rest of the stinking world perceives us! Who gives a shit! The rest of the world give us NOTHING!
Sadly David, it isn’t a parody but a direct quote from our Treasurer.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/my-brain-hurts?utm_term=.kglZ9EgdP#.geoK8M1WB
I knew and said 12 months ago that Andrew Robb was taking Australians as fools on the TPP. I trade with Asia, they knew as well.
Fedup,
Firstly I would appreciate it, in fact I insist, that you stop referring to refugees as “stinking”.
You are expressing emotions that have no basis in fact. Who is considered “our own” I wonder? Are you interested in the economic impact of migration or do you just not like people from other countries?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently released a study that shows, far from being a burden on the country, humanitarian migrants in particular are amongst our most successful:
…While almost two-thirds of migrant taxpayers were migrants with a Skilled visa – reporting $26 billion in Employee income – Humanitarian migrants displayed greater entrepreneurial qualities and reported a higher proportion of income from their own unincorporated businesses and this income increased sharply after five years of residency.
The 2000 Business Review Weekly’s annual “Rich 200” list revealed that five of Australia’s eight billionaires were people whose parents migrated to this country as refugees.
We do have a problem with youth unemployment. To blame that on refugees is completely wrong and unhelpful. Stop looking for scapegoats and start looking for solutions. Refugees mean more people to keep schools and businesses open.
And didnt some Chinese entity “donate” $550,000 to the Liberal Party about the time the TTP was signed, and Robb rushed his resignation?
Kaye, some people seem to think that if we stopped our refugee intake all of a sudden there’d be no unemployment, housing would be affordable, the Budget would be repaired, our NBN would be faster, there’d be no domestic violence, there’d be peace in the land and climate change would halt. Stopping refugees is a quick fix to everything.
Boy, are they in for a shock.
Well said Kaye Lee.
This then might also interest you.
“To get its way, Australia refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and the Law of the Sea and unilaterally changed the maritime boundary in its own favour.”
http://www.alternet.org/world/secret-documents-reveal-sick-mindset-people-who-signed-genocide-east-timor
Now we expect China to not do as we do.
BTW Pauline Hanson’s first husband and father of two of her children was a refugee.
Very good point Harquebus. Not to mention engaging in state-sanctioned industrial espionage
Michael,
People need scapegoats to explain the problems in their lives. Much easier than looking for solutions.
Rob,
The Trans-Pacific Partnership isn’t about trade and it’s certainly not about free trade. It’s about entrenching the interests of major corporations at the expense of ordinary citizens
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-12/verrender-we've-been-sold-out-by-the-tpp-sham/6845348
Yes I know that.
I’ve been trading in the region for 30 years.
Just sold bananas 13000t for the Indonesian government into Germany. The new Agricultural Minister says I’m the only Australian he trusts.
Jaquix, tip of the iceberg
Former trade minister Andrew Robb has joined investment bank Moelis & Company, where he will focus on deals with China.
The role with Moelis, a New York-listed investment bank, will see Mr Robb mainly helping Chinese companies looking to enter the Australian market.
He will have the title of independent adviser.
Moelis also has an asset management business focused on wealthy Chinese wishing to obtain an Australian passport, through the Significant Investor Visa program.
Mr Robb was responsible for redesigning this program while in government to tilt the required $5 million in investment away from passive bonds, towards higher risk venture capital and small company investments.
Moelis says it has about $1 billion in assets under management from this program.
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/national/andrew-robb-takes-china-role-at-investment-bank-moelis–co-20160713-gq4idu#ixzz4KlBe8lJh
Ten Network confirmed yesterday that Robb had replaced John Klepec as Gina Rinehart’s representative on the TV network’s board. In the three short weeks since retiring as the federal member for Goldstein in the recent federal election, aside from the Ten gig, Robb has picked up a gig with the investment bank Moelis and a role as a consultant to the Melbourne biotech venture CNSDose.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/cbd/andrew-robb-is-a-fast-mover-20160725-gqcyxd.html
Rob, it would be interesting to hear your insights more broadly on Australia’s reputation as well as our free trade agreements.
Michael Taylor at 12:20 pm
Strange about that, they say the same thing every time they want to sell off a public asset. None of their predictions have ever come to fruition on that front so how can you trust what they say on trade agreements?
There was a time, in the not so distant past… well maybe it never existed, but I would like to think so. At some time in another universe, Australia had the opportunity to lead by example… lead by friendly, cooperative, negotiable example… that opportunity has gone. Yet Australia, its leaders and many of its inhabitants expect its neighbours to do as it says, not as it behaves.
Spitting the dummy because China/Japan/Indonesia/PNG does something bit underhand, is just a childish tanty and not a little racist.
If our leaders had a greater understanding of agriculture instead of mining, they’d instinctively know about reaping and sowing.
Very had to chat.
The best to contact you?
Cheers Rob
In the case of the F-35, not a nation of penny pinchers- but rather, panderers.
Whether this is true or not, I don’t know, but I saw a comment on Facebook that Kate Carnell wants pensions to be loans, to be paid back from the money raised from the sale of the recipient’s house when they die.
It sounds like something only a right-winger can dream up.
On the F-35:
http://www.janes.com/article/63907/usaf-grounds-15-f-35s-due-to-avionics-cooling-line-issue
Holy shit, US$400 billion just for software, and it still not meeting requirements. Then there’s this icing on the cake:
Well said Kaye.
What pisses me off is that we are incredibly well off, but are acting as though we are struggling for our very existence. By propagating through the mainstream media and politicians speeches the idea that we are struggling to make ends meet it allows the politicians to do unbelievably mean things — persecuting refugees, the unemployed, and the sick, rationalising the expansion of fossil fuel extraction. And people excuse it because of our perceived desperate struggle. But they’re pushing a lie.
Compared to most Australians I am near the bottom of the heap, being an unemployed senior with no savings, living alone in rental housing on the dole, yet even so, that still makes me one of the 1% richest and luckiest people in the world. I never starve (my biggest struggle is to keep my food intake low to remain slender). I have access to the greatest communications system on Earth and the greatest repository of information that ever existed. I’m continuing my education (always) at no cost via the net. I can see the doctor or go into hospital for free if I need. Imagine how I see the complaints of people who live in their own house with a car and family and income from a job. Imagine how those complaints look to the billions in the world who are truly struggling, especially the 16 million who die every year simply because they can’t get enough food! We look like a nation of self-obsessed poopy-heads.
We have become a nation of whiners.
Further on the topic of fossil fuels, I just spent some time this morning looking at figures for the growth in electricity generated by solar panels. Our politicians are under the delusion that coal will continue in its primary position for generating electricity because solar panels only generate a small amount of the total at the moment, but they don’t seem to notice that solar PV electricity production has doubled on average every 2.4 years. That means that just 8 years from now, even if there are no advances in batteries, or solar cells, or their production, photovoltaics will be able to easily displace fossil fuels entirely in electricity generation. An even greater blow to fossil fuels will be the imminent widespread adoption of electric vehicles. And this is happening when the bottom has fallen out of the market for coal, and oil is increasingly frowned upon, and the companies responsible for both seen as the most untrustworthy in the world.
This future for solar power doesn’t even consider wind power, which is leaping ahead. Together, private investment in solar and wind is about twice what fossil fuels receive now. Keep that up for several years and people will be wondering what all the fuss was about with fossil fuels. They’ll wonder why idiot politicians could ever believe they had a future. Future generations will look back in puzzlement at how short-sighted politicians could be, plunging ahead into the quicksand of war for the sake of stealing other countries’ oil.
Fossil fuels are going the way of nuclear power. There is no private investment in nuclear power. Only politicians (who can spend other people’s funds) are stupid enough to sink money into it. Soon the same will be true of fossil fuels. And politicians will be the last to drop them, as usual.
Telling it like it is, Miriam – damn straight.
Those who fear the impost of the poor, the unemployed, disabled… tend to be those you hear whining “I can’t afford to go to New York, this year and will have to make do with the Gold Coast”.
Michael,
It is true. It was in the ACCI’s pre-budget submission
“The chamber wants the government to consider converting pension payments to elderly homeowners into a loan that is repaid when the property is sold.”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/acci-plan-turn-age-pension-into-loan-recoup-from-sale-of-home/news-story/1a95cea52452de607c5cd4f1f6ed373e
Miriam,
Financial investment experts say Australians should not invest their super funds in the coal industry, despite the Treasurer’s recent reassurances on commercial radio about the industry.
It has been the fourth year of diminishing returns for one of the country’s biggest exports, and analysts have said it shows the shift away from coal to renewables.
Mr Morrison recently sent a direct message to super funds on commercial radio, telling them to invest in coal.
“Some industry funds, for example, won’t allow their funds to be invested in coal shares,” he said.
“Now that’s got nothing to do with returns, necessarily, that’s got to do with politics.”
He went on to suggest that Ausgrid and the coal industry were all worthy investment options for Australia’s super funds.
“I think Australians, and the Prime Minister and I, are frustrated that we’re not seeing more of that $2 trillion in capital, which is there in super savings, not lining up on these sorts of transactions,” Mr Morrison said.
Tim Buckley, the former head of equity research with Citi Group, and now with the Institute of Energy, Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), said Australia’s top coal miners had written off $4 billion in the 2015-16 results.
“Our oil and gas companies have written off $9 billion — and that’s real dollars, that’s US dollars — in the last reporting period.
“These guys are down a collective $US1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) in the last 12 months.
“I think the numbers speak for themselves. If you are investing in coal companies in the last five years, in America you would have lost 99 per cent of your money. In Australia, you probably would have only lost 70 per cent of your money, so to me the comment is ludicrous.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-16/financial-experts-advise-against-investing-super-in-coal/7845458
And this is the guy in charge of investing our taxes
The Liberals pffft They haven’t a bloody clue an would not be in power if they hadn’t lied through the teeth. both times.
Yes Kaye, it all comes back to your initial statement in the article. It is all about trust. Australian politicians have an awful lot of lies to make up for. Unfortunately the breaches in trust are deepening.
On the positive side, no matter which way you look at it, the fossil fuel industry is dead. It is now just a matter of time. Thank goodness.
Now it’s just about mitigating the damage they can do on their way out. One thing we should have learned from all this is that you can’t trust politicians, especially those with their hands in the till. It is a pity. Those buggers are supposed to be representing us. Clearly we need some kind of accountability.
Kaye, your posst are always pertinent and closely related to current events. Too often, when issues are raised, the political response is: Don’t you worry about that. We will fix it. Let’s talk about a plebiscites, or freedom of speech, or gifts and donations or something really, really important like that.
Your careful research, Kaye, beats the MSM opinion pieces hands down.
Misleading and deceptive representations, leading right up to election day 2nd July 2016,
There is now clear evidence of fraud, misleading and deceptive conduct by members of Cabinet. This crookedness needs to be exposed. The sectional interests of our Government Ministers’ Corporate donors are taking precedence over the national interest, and the sustainability of financing for the Renewable Energy Industry.
In 2015,Treasurer Joe Hockey and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann directed the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to exclude investments in household and small-scale solar from the $10 billion fund in the future. The draft investment mandate called for “mature and established clean energy technologies … including wind technology and household small-scale solar” to be excluded from the Corporation’s activities.
Interestingly, the authority to make such changes can only come from the Parliament, not the Executive.
The Executive cannot change an Act of Parliament. The Parliament also authorises the Executive Government to spend public money (not the other way around).
Any change such as the revocation of a part and/or a new investment mandate to the CEFC Act 2012 may only be modified by amendments made, requested or agreed to by the Senate. Stephen Keim QC has provided advice to environmental groups about the Government’s ability to direct the CEFC. He said the Government had the power to put in place an investment mandate but it had to “tread a fairly thin line”.
During 1998, American Petroleum Institute (API), the USA’s largest oil trade association (member companies include BP, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, Exxon-Mobil and Shell) planned a “roadmap” for a climate of deception, including a plan to have “average citizens” believe that the realities of climate science were vague and uncertain.
Australians have been subject to fraudulent and misleading representations, regarding climate change over the past ten years by the people we elected.
The direct effect of the CEFC ‘Responsible Ministers’ acting as de facto or shadow directors of the CEFC has been to create the perception that Australian policy support for clean energy is uncertain or diminished.
These are the same negative outcomes envisaged by the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) 1998 campaign.
A third entity involved in this deception is the pressure group, the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA). The IPA was founded by a conglomerate of like-minded groups at the same time as the Liberal Party formed in 1943-44 after the break-up of the United Australia Party. The policy agenda of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) has been linked directly to LNP policy ever since.
To put these linkages in context: The law frowns on the abuse of authority by any elected official i.e. to act with the intention to dishonestly gain a benefit for another person and/or cause detriment to another. This behaviour is defined in law as ‘Misfeasance’ In most cases, the essentials to bring an action of misfeasance in public office are; that the office-holder acted illegally, knew he/she was doing so, and knew or should reasonably have known that third parties would suffer loss as a result.
The last Parliament (2013-2016) twice declined to allow the Executive’s Bill to Abolish the CEFC to become law. Subsequently, the Executive arm of Government had tried for two years to change the CEFC
investment mandate.
Recently, while in caretaker mode, the LNP created a different investment mandate directive (in order to appear to the electors to have authority) to modify the intent of the CEFC Act, without returning to the Parliament (which BTW no longer existed). So apparently they were preparing to seek such an alteration to the CEFC Act in (the next) the 45th Parliament.
During the election campaign Prime Minister Turnbull purported to have the authority to redistribute $1billion from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to fund his new Clean Energy Innovation Fund (CEIF).
$1 billion was also set aside to finance a ‘Better Cities Fund’ announced two thirds of the way through the campaign.
And a further $1 billion ‘drawn ‘ from the “Green Bank ” to clean up the Barrier Reef ($0.6 Billion) is mentioned in an advertisement in the Australian newspaper for jobs to deliver higher water quality in farm runoff in what looks like a subsidy to sugar / ethanol industry.
$100 million was set aside to prevent the closure of the Steelworks in Whyalla SA, and the University of Tasmania’s Northern Campus in Launceston received a pledge of $150 million to be extracted from the CEFC.
These monies from ARENA are part of the proposed omnibus legislation meant to wedge the ALP. Prime Minister Turnbull is fundamentally saying to Tasmanians “you can have an expanded Northern Campus or a renewable energy industry, but you cannot have not both”.
Malcolm promised money he cannot access, with the total pledged so far being $5.6 billion.
Cabinet Ministers have conspired to remove all funds from the CEFC by pledging the total amount left in the CEFC account to other ‘good LNP causes’.
At the same time Malcolm Turnbull is subsidising the fossil fuel industry with $24 billion of taxpayer funds. This includes exploration funding for Geoscience Australia and tax deductions for mining and petroleum exploration.
Prime Minister Turnbull, Deputy Prime Minister Joyce, Former Prime Minister Abbott, Ministers Pyne, Hockey, Cormann and Hunt are attempting to falsely convince the public that the Cabinet can “re-purpose and re-direct the Act” without going back through the Parliament. These changes to the CEFC Act 2012 are still to be legislated.
Let’s consider the limits the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act 2012 imposes on the responsible Minister’s mandate.
Section 65: The responsible Ministers must not give a direction under subsection 64(1):
(a) that has the purpose, or has or is likely to have the effect, of directly or indirectly requiring the Board to, or not to, make a particular investment; or
(b) that is inconsistent with this Act (including the object of this Act).
The object of The Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act (2012) is to facilitate increased flows of finance into the clean energy sector.
Joe Hockey and Mathias Cormann attempted to skirt around the law. If this gross ideological interference had not happened, the growth and jobs in the clean energy industry might have delivered some real balance to the downturns in other parts of the economy.
The LNP Cabinet is in contempt of Parliament. Its Ministers have betrayed our trust.
The LNP and the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) are still using the same script and still following the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) line of climate deception.
In a move away from API policy, in September 2014, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden in an interview with the Washington Post said: “Let me be very, very clear. For us, climate change is real and it’s a threat that we want to act on. We’re not aligning with sceptics” (Mufson 2014), Mufson is a director of Shell USA.
Fraudulent representation means making of a false statement about a material fact, with the knowledge that such statement is false, to another person with an intention that such other person to whom that statement is made must believe it as true and must act upon it resulting in an injury to the person to whom such false representation is made.
Conclusion
There are strong connections between the API and the IPA’s disinformation and the LNP campaign aims.
The links are there. The wrongs have been done. Let us join together to promote public debate on this matter.
http://www.findlaw.com.au/articles/4433/deceptive-and-misleading-conduct-by-corporations-t.aspx
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/hockey-sets-impossible-targets-for-cefc-in-green-investments-62743
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/australias-renewable-energy-investment-grinds-to-a-halt-20150414-1mkn70.html
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/government-pulls-the-plug-on-household-solar-20150712-gian0u.html
http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/RP9596
AUDIO: CEFC seeks legal advice over Government mandates on wind and solar (Breakfast)
http://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/fight-misinformation/climate-deception-dossiers-fossil-fuel-industry-memos – .V9fkLmURqEI
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-08/verrender-why-stop-at-the-mining-tax/5726276
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-13/government-accused-of-trying-to-shut-down-cefc-by-stealth/6614446
https://ipa.org.au/library/publication/1345447840_document_be_like_gough.pdf
http://www.austill.edu.au/journals/2011/i.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-12/government-lobbies-for-cefc-to-stop-wind-farm-funding/6613590
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s706/nl/2147483647/b1f0c299-c76c-4e8e-9121-fc2054bbc328/
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/turnbulls-sleight-of-hand-on-clean-energy-investment-63202
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jun/20/how the coalition-is-using-clean-energy-financing-as-an-election-slush-fund-australia
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/chicken-little-abbott-and-brandis-wrong-on-lawfare-20150821-gj4htj.html
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/libs-match-utas-funding-pledge/news-story/e4b625ce3aaf58402ede3543b703452e
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/second-tasmania-basslink-will-need-at-least-1000mw-of-new-renewables-89558
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/08/abbott-says-lobbyists-as-liberal-party-power-brokers-could-lead-to-corruption
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/19/clean-energy-finance-corp-could-sue
http://www.cleanenergyfinancecorp.com.au/the-public-interest-disclosure-(pid)-scheme.aspx
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2012A00104
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/12/coalition-bans-clean-energy-finance-corporation-wind-power-investment
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jun/13/when-you-poke-the-coalitions-great-barrier-reef-rescue-mission-it-crumbles
https://www.ucsusa.org/The-Climate-Deception-Dossiers.pdf
http://www.lectlaw.com/def/f079.htm
http://www.theenergycollective.com/gcooperrfa/227356/busting-big-oil-myths-renewable-fuel-standard-part-i
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/abbotts-climate-change-policy-is-bullshit-20091206-kdmb.html
John Ward
johnlward010@gmail.com
03 62921211
20 Grosse Road
Gordon
Tasmania
7150
Jim, it’s not just the LNP, it’s Labor too. The QLD Labor party okayed the Adani mine despite being elected on the promise that they’d stop it and protect the reef, and now the Northern Territory Labor government has reneged on their promise to stop fracking.
FFS … words fail…
The miners win whatever way it goes.
“In a bid to quell rising community opposition to coalmining approvals on prime agricultural land, the Baird government will today announce a $220 million buyback of BHP Billiton’s Caroona mining exploration licence on the Liverpool Plains in northwest NSW.
The licence for underground coalmining was granted in 2006, and BHP paid $1m upfront.”
Instead of just blocking approval, we pay them hundreds of millions NOT to explore.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/mike-baird-pays-220m-to-bhp-for-return-of-mining-licence/news-story/0bfe280e88bf4cf70d3cf5bd4556e697
Well, perhaps as a consolation, South Korea will be happy that from next year they will be manufacturing GM Holden for the Australian market.
Tony Abbott’s attacks on the renewable energy industry in 2014 saw investment collapse by 88%, with the loss of thousands of jobs. Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt oversaw a resurgence of coal fired power with a resulting increase in carbon pollution from the electricity sector of almost 6% in two years…….https://www.laborherald.com.au/environment/selling-out-on-real-climate-change-action/
I’m utterly sick and tired of the Liberals taking the credit for the successes of others, especially successful Labor policies.
Today after a visit to the NYSE Turnbull was triumphalist over Australia’s 3.3% growth rate on the back of the GFC.
Screw you Turnbull, Rudd did that not you. Indeed if your Liberals had their way Australia would have followed most of the rest of the world into recession. Hockey with your blessing wanted to destroy 200,000 jobs in an instant and close thousands of businesses.
Why don’t you boast to the foreign media on how you destroyed a world beating broadband network to create an inferior one at greater cost.
By the way the backlash against his UN speech has started with Médecins Sans Frontières being the first to condemn it.
the cunning choice of robb put shorten at a disadvantage given robb’s illness which made personal attacks on his competency impossible. the cfta sticks in my craw when NZ limited the chinese to 1900 and 100 in each sector but robb unlimited and no checks on education or training standards.
“Automotive Electrician [321111]
Cabinetmaker [394111]
Carpenter [331212]
Carpenter and Joiner [331211]
Diesel Motor Mechanic [321212]
Electrician (General) [341111]
Electrician (Special Class) [341112]
Joiner [331213]
Motor Mechanic (General) [321211]
Motorcycle Mechanic [321213]
Alan Hicks of the Electrical Trade Union (ETU) said that the Government’s decision to remove the mandatory skills assessment for Chinese workers in ten occupations was a disgrace. “For the Federal Government to come out and waive that under a free trade agreement, without any consultation with unions or employers, is an absolute disgrace”
My understanding was japan and germany would build the subs in SA at a cost < 20 billion why 50 billion to france?
Why choose a nuclear sub which won't be ready for years and is already far behind schedule (well delays and cost blow outs are normal in the contracts the coalition has signed over the last 30 years) and requires conversion from nuclear to deisel)
Is the answer in the barracuda's power source?
Now the pynenut is elected will we see problems with australian unions being used as an excuse for letting the subs be built in france and have nuclear power??.
If a pollie can hide his/her assets death duties would be back in a minute.
I find it disgusting that Labor and the diludbrankims continue to ignore the effect NOW(much less 20 years of compound interest) of the licence to steal, up to $96000 from the poorest sector of the work force and society the rabbott gave VET/TAFE private prividers
KL from your link:
BTW, Verrender is in error. It’s not just ‘a politician’ that’s in error but a whole ‘mindset’ – a particular and peculiar ‘common sense’ that is deeply problematic.
Nevertheless, it’s highly likely that the TPP will come into effect, even though Trump and Clinton (a recent convert) claim they will oppose its adoption. On the local scene, the ALP will fall into line because to do otherwise would require a change in ‘common sense’ away from the ‘free trade’ mantra. and perhaps more difficult, would require political leadership that just isn’t there. After all the current government is ‘tottering’ so why risk a potential ‘political gift’ that would be so hard to sell.
Hanson will fill the vacuum. Hoover up the disillusioned voters as she will always do. A political ‘Dyson’.
Wonder how much that ban of very young carers are saving the taxpayers. Sacrificing their own future to do so. #auspol
PM proudly claimed we have welcomed EXTRA 12000 because of his asylum policies. If so, where are they? 2000 at the most.
Exactly Florence.
“Malcolm Turnbull says a commitment to maintain Australia’s refugee resettlement intake at nearly 19,000 from mid-2018 is a very substantial contribution.”
• 2015-16: minimum of 13,750 places
• 2016-17: minimum of 13,750 places
The Fizza is not talking about what we ACTUALLY are doing but what we have said we MIGHT do in the future.
“Mr Turnbull will urge leaders to do more to address the underlying causes of displacement, including providing more assistance as close to home as possible.”
says the Fizza as we slash billions from foreign aid. Perhaps if we would stop bombing them and start rebuilding their country there would not be so many refugees.
“He will also commit Australia to participating in the US-led program to resettle Central American refugees in a resettlement centre in Costa Rica.”
Ummmmmm…..Manus??? Nauru????
It appears that Turnbull and Dutton have gone to the UN in New York and actually told lies about our refugee resettlement program.
We have been silent on indefinite detention on offshore islands but still call it ‘offshore processing’ yet we refuse to resettle those found to be genuine refugees.
We even have Dutton saying that if these people are ultimately settled in a third country – be it New Zealand, Norway, Sweden Canada or the US – we will ban them from ever visiting Australia even if they becomes citizens in their new country.
We have that fool Abbott talking up a system of turning back boats on the high seas as the panacea and an appropriate response for the Mediterranean with no care or responsibility for what happens to the asylum seekers after their boats are turned back.
I hope that our MSM hold Turnbull and Dutton to account but I’m not holding my breath.
It seems that Barack Obama has extended a lifeline to Turnbull with the Costa Rican refugee intake proposal : I believe that, reading between the lines, some of those people, who were awaiting admittance to the USA, will now be transferred to Australia in exchange for those already processed and languishing on Nauru and Manus who will go to America.
Now we just have to seize the opportunity and close down, once and for all, those appalling detention centres and next we need to get rid of that useless tool, Dutton.
Kaye Lee
I couldn’t comment on Australia’s reputation in a business sense but on the tourist side in SE Asia Australian’s are considered stingy oafs
Sadly as is the case with some opinions of Muslims we get lumped together
Drunk 18 year olds who have just finished school could give that impression
Australians are considered ‘stingy’ because of their reluctance to ‘tip’. Me included. Americans ‘tip’ because it’s common practice at home where the wages are so miserable that survival is impossible without ‘tips’. Muslims are popular because the ‘giving of Alms to the poor’ is one of the five Pillars of Islam. They rarely pass a beggar without giving some baht.
As for the drunk 18 year olds in Australia, they are relatively well behaved when compared to the students in places like Belgium (Brugge is a good example) where compulsory schooling extends to aged 18 while the legal drinking age begins at 16. Taking into account that some of the beers have an alcohol content of 14%, Friday afternoon in the centre of town is a sight to behold.
Matters Not
Having worked as a waitron in USA, I can confirm the following; MOST Americans know how to tip. The most generous are the poorer and the stingiest are the rich. There is also a claim that Afro-Americans don’t tip – this is bullshit, they do, maybe they don’t tip racists?
However, I did learn the art of tipping thanks to this stint in the USA.