The Desperation Of Barnaby Joyce: letter publicly released at a cost to Australian taxpayers of an est. $293 per word plus legal fees

Barnaby Joyce letter by FairfaxPolitics on Scribd

https://www.scribd.com/document/328667010/Barnaby-Joyce-letter

The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 October 2016:

Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon has fought for the release of the letter, which was emailed directly to Mr Joyce and Tony Abbott's former head of department Michael Thawley, since the independent Information Commissioner ruled it should be made available.

Mr Joyce's department fought that ruling, spent $80,000 on engaging Ernst & Young to review its public information processes, and then fought the matter through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal before giving up the fight just after Parliament rose for two weeks on Friday.

"This letter shows Paul Grimes was deeply concerned about Barnaby Joyce's behaviour. He was challenging Joyce's integrity," Mr Fitzgibbon said on Monday.

"He clearly thought what Joyce did was not appropriate. This letter indicates he was being bullied.

"What Barnaby Joyce did was to sack Paul Grimes to save himself."

The Deputy Prime Minister's office stressed that Mr Joyce did not sack Mr Grimes, rather Mr Abbott asked him to stand aside on advice of Mr Thawley.

Stuart Robert MP - the archetypal Liberal Party politician

Stuart Rowland Robert, Liberal MP for Fadden (QLD) since 2007, is truly the archetypal Liberal Party politician - in parliament for his own personal financial advancement, less than transparent about his investments and business connections or gifts he receives, as well as being quite comfortable with those dodgy political donations schemes operating at state and federal level.

Now it seems that the LNP Fadden Forum, which reportedly has a $12,000 annual membership fee, is in the news again.

The Australian, 30 September 2016:

A well-connected lobbyist gave more than $110,000 of her “own money’’ to the fundraising entity of federal Liberal MP Stuart Robert as her company was being wound up with unpaid debts.

Simone Holzapfel, a former longtime adviser to Tony ­Abbott, owed more than $430,000, including $355,000 to the Australian Taxation Office, when she donated $114,000 in 12 separate payments to Mr ­Robert’s “Fadden Forum’’ in mid-2013, ahead of the federal election.

Ms Holzapfel was then a lobby­ist for Gold Coast developer Sunland Group, now at the centre of the latest controversy to embroil Mr Robert, the Gold Coast MP sacked last year from the Turnbull ministry.

Months before the donations were made, Mr Robert had ­defended Sunland in parliament over its involvement in the ­detention of two Australians in Dubai, with a speech largely lifted from briefing notes supplied by Ms Holzapfel.

The notes had been sent to both Mr Robert and Mr Abbott’s chief of staff, Peta Credlin, on the morning of the November 26, 2012, speech to parliament.

It can also be revealed that Ms Holzapfel sent the notes to Mr Robert and Ms Credlin while working as Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate’s media officer.

She left the council in February 2013 to pursue “commercial ventures’’ and reboot lobbying and PR company Shac, which had been set up in 2005.

The $114,000 donation in 2013 and Mr Robert’s bankrolling of “independent’’ candidates ahead of the Gold Coast council elections in March this year — as revealed by The Australian — are now part of an investigation by Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission.

Ms Holzapfel has previously told The Australian the donations were her “own money’’ and rejected suggestions she had given the money to Mr Robert’s Fadden Forum on behalf of clients.

“I ­donated because I wanted my ­former boss (Mr Abbott) to ­become prime minister, and that is my right to do,’’ she said then.

It has now been confirmed that at the time of making the donations — between July and September 2013 — Ms Holzapfel’s company was in external administration, with $437,000 in debt.

Ms Holzapfel was the sole directo­r of the company, Coolabird, which had changed its name from Shac months earlier and was eventually wound up.

Administrators confirmed yesterday that the company had debts of $437,000 when it was put into ­liquidation, including a debt of $355,000 to the ATO……

The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 September 2016:

A speech Turnbull government MP Stuart Robert gave to Parliament defending the Gold Coast property developer Sunland was substantially written by the lead lobbyist for the company.

Fairfax Media can reveal that former Tony Abbott staffer-turned-developer-lobbyist Simone Holzapfel was the true author of whole sections of the speech that Mr Robert delivered in November 2012.

Ms Holzapfel wrote a four-page defence of Sunland after a November 17 newspaper article scrutinised the company's dispute with an Australian man who spent five years trapped in a legal nightmare in Dubai.

Seven sections of that response - provided to various government officials and obtained by Fairfax Media - subsequently found their way into Mr Robert's adjournment debate speech on November 26.

Ms Holzapfel's words make up more than half of the speech.

Mr Robert has refused to comment on the revelation, which once again puts the spotlight on his connections with Sunland. Mr Robert's links to the company have come under scrutiny as part of a Queensland corruption inquiry into political donations to Gold Coast City Council candidates, which involves his fundraising body, the Fadden Forum......

UPDATE

The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 October 2016:

Turnbull government MP Stuart Robert has close ties to an African church that supports harsh anti-gay laws and is run by a preacher described as "one of the most homophobic people in the world".

Mr Robert was a founding director of Watoto Australia, an offshoot of the Ugandan-based pentecostal Watoto Church, and has called church leader Gary Skinner one of the "great influences" on his life…..

Gay and lesbian activists say Watoto and Mr Skinner are virulently anti-gay and have contributed to violent homophobia in Uganda. Mr Robert – who was also a member of Watoto's International Board – has travelled to the Ugandan capital Kampala many times to meet Mr Skinner, who says homosexuality is "degrading" and an "inhuman sin" that brings disease and destroys families.

The perception of Coalition corruption and rorting continues to grow.......

The longer this generation of Liberal and Nationals politicians hold sway at either state or federal level the more apparent it becomes that they have little to no understanding of business ethics or civic responsibility, nor any regard for the damage that even a perception of a conflict of interest can do to the level of public trust in political institutions.

Here is yet another example……

ABC News, 22 September 2016:

John Cotter Jnr.

A company run by prominent Queensland Liberal National Party members was part of a consortium awarded $3 million under a federal infrastructure program, the ABC can reveal.

The money is for a feasibility study for the proposed Urannah Dam in north Queensland.

The $3 million was secured by a consortium that was made up of the community group, Bowen Collinsville Enterprise Inc, and the Brisbane-based venture capital group, Initiative Capital.

Initiative Capital is owned by its chief executive John Cotter Jr and its executive director Gerard Paynter, who say the bid was made through an independent and transparent assessment process, with all funds to be managed by the state.

But the Queensland Government has told the ABC successful funding bids were selected by the Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and that the Urannah Dam was not even listed as a state priority.

The $3 million for the Urannah Dam study came from National Water Infrastructure Development Fund. The fund called for applications late last year, with a panel of technical experts assessing the bids.

But the fund guidelines state "the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources [Barnaby Joyce] will be the final decision-maker".

John Cotter Jr is a member of the powerful Queensland LNP state executive and a regional party chair.

LNP sources said he was heavily involved in fundraising at all levels of the party.

When asked by the ABC about fundraising and his roles with the LNP, Mr Cotter said he was not allowed to comment.

"I can only confirm I am [an LNP] member," he said.

But a spokesman for the Queensland LNP confirmed Mr Cotter was on the state executive.

His partner in Initiative Capital, Gerard Paynter, is the Queensland managing director of LNP-aligned lobbying firm Barton Deakin.

Its website describes him as "an experienced Liberal National Party figure having been a Queensland and Federal Young Liberal president and a member of the Queensland state executive for five years".

It says he also has extensive experience in managing LNP state and federal campaigns, including holding a "central campaign role within the LNP for the 2013 federal election".

Mr Paynter told the ABC he did not hold any executive positions within the LNP.

He did not respond to follow up questions……..

The Australian, 27 July 2013:

MEMBERS of Queensland's GasFields Commission and their families enjoy lucrative financial interests in the state's controversial coal-seam gas industry that endanger the statutory body's independence, landholders and activists claim.

The commission, an election commitment by Campbell Newman's Liberal National Party, purports to promote sustainable co-existence between CSG miners and farmers - but critics say it is captive to industry……

Mr Clapham said landholders were concerned about the commissioners' links to gas companies. "To many people it appears the commission is there to facilitate the industry, not to even up the power imbalances. It's there to grease the wheels of the industry," he said.

The son of commission chairman John Cotter is the founder and major shareholder of a Brisbane-based consultancy that has close links to the British-owned Queensland Gas Company, one of four firms developing the state's $65 billion CSG industry.

John Cotter Jr's Flinders Group is involved in the $100 million construction of a jetty at Curtis Island at Gladstone, from where exports of liquid natural gas will begin next year. The Flinders Group has also advised resource firms, including QGC, on accessing land in more than 10 major projects, involving agreements with 1000 landholders.

Mr Cotter Jr said he no longer dealt directly with landowners because of his father's commissioner role and the group had created "Chinese walls" to avoid potential conflicts.

Activist Drew Hutton said the Flinders Group "scopes areas where coal-seam gas companies might need to target properties for gas wells and other infrastructure".

This was in direct conflict with Mr Cotter Sr's role in assisting farmers in dealing with mining companies, he said. "It's another case of where the Queensland government has structured things so landholders are disadvantaged against the might of the coal-seam gas companies."

Mr Cotter Sr, a grazier at Goomeri northwest of Brisbane, said he had no role in his son's business…..

Following closely on the heels of John Cotter Jnr's latest issue came this report in The Age on 26 September 2016:

A Turnbull government MP is facing questions over a series of taxpayer funded travel claims, including more than $2000 for flights to his own wedding in Melbourne.

Western Australian Liberal MP Steve Irons charged taxpayers travel costs of $1346 for a flight on October 18, 2011, three days before he was married at Melbourne's Crown Casino.

The West Australian reported on Monday that following the October 21 ceremony, Mr Irons charged taxpayers $911 for a return flight to Perth on October 25.

The Swan MP said the money had been repaid to the Department of Finance after "a self-audit" of travel expenses in his office.

Mr Irons' wife Cheryle was a Melbourne-based real estate agent at the time of the couple's wedding.

The revelations come days after it was reported that he had also used taxpayer funds to pay for flights to a Gold Coast golf tournament in December 2015.

Mr Irons said he studied golf tourism opportunities at the first stage of the International Team Challenge, after being invited to attend by the Australian PGA.

As chair of the parliamentary friends of sport group, Mr Irons said the trip had not broken any rules on taxpayer funded travel, despite it being claimed as "electorate business".

The December trip included a $258 bill to taxpayers for three nights' travel allowance in Coolangatta and $1875 for a flight from Brisbane to Perth.

A further flight cost is expected to be reported in future releases from the Department of Finance.

Mr Iron's office did not respond to requests for comment…..

NSW Political Donations & Election Funding: over the next six months watch for further mentions buried deep in mainstream newspapers

The Sydney Morning Herald on 30 August 2016 indicated that NSW voters may yet see a number of former state politicians fronting local magistrates in the near future:

Former NSW Liberal MPs have been issued letters of demand to repay potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal donations solicited before the 2011 state election.

As the corruption watchdog prepares to table its report into Liberal Party rorting of political donations laws on Tuesday, Fairfax Media can reveal the NSW electoral commission has issued the demand to some of those caught up in the Operation Spicer inquiry.

The electoral commission has the power to demand repayment of illegal donations. If it is determined that an MP or candidate knew the donation was illegal, they can be forced to repay twice the amount.

An electoral commission spokesman would not release names of those sent the demand, but confirmed it had completed an investigation.

It had "formed the view that sufficient evidence is available to justify recovery action against some of the persons who have received or benefited from unlawful donations, loans or indirect campaign contributions," he said.

"Those persons have been issued with demands for payment. The commission reserves its right to pursue recovery action in the event of non-payment."

It is understood there is some uncertainty over whether the former MPs can be prosecuted under the Election, Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Act.

The time within which prosecutions can be launched was extended from three to 10 years by Premier Mike Baird in October 2014, but the change only applied to offences committed after that date. The offences in question were committed in 2010.

But there is a question over whether the law could be applied from when they were uncovered by the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 2014 and therefore fall within the original three-year limit…..

The Australian on 31 August 2016 reported that the NSW Liberal Party is still short of funds due to donor identity issues:

The NSW Liberal Party could launch legal action against the NSW Electoral Commission ­if attempts to recover about $4.3 million in withheld campaign funding are unsuccessful.

The party’s state division has been forced to renegotiate millions of dollars in loans taken out from Westpac to cover the shortfall. It is understood division chiefs were hopeful that the findings of Operation Spicer — which found that few within the party’s hierarchy knew about the donations scheme run through the now-­defunct Free Enterprise Foundation — would clear the way for the return of the money.

Instead, it appears the NSW Electoral Commission is continuing to demand the party conduct an audit of all its donations to ­ensure there were no inappropriate third-party donations such as those made through the Free Enterprise Foundation, which took prohibited donations from developers including Brickworks and Elmslea Land Developments.

In a statement, however, the NSW Liberal Party said only that it “continues to work with the NSW Electoral Commission in relation to its 2010-11 return”.

A NSW Electoral Commission spokesman said there had been “no change in relation to the commission’s determination to withhold funding”.

“The party is ineligible for funding on the basis that it has not disclosed the identity of donors for the 2010-11 ­period,” he said. “The party’s eligibility for public funding is not ­related to the ICAC report. Eligibility is prescribed in the Election Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Act 1981.”

The Daily Telegraph on 22 September 2016 reported that the Liberal Party finally submitted the required donors names and one former Liberal MP has returned $10,000 of the $60,000 in unlawful donations the party received in 2011:

The Liberal Party will get the $3.8 million of the $4.4 million the Electoral Commission withheld from it because of its receipt of illegal donations during the 2011 state election campaign, the Commission has announced in a statement this afternoon.

The Electoral Commission had withheld the money pending what it believed was a proper declaration by the Liberal Party in relation to the illegal developer donations funnelled through the Free Enterprise Foundation and exposed by ICAC.

The Electoral Commission has also announced that it has received a $10,000 payment from former Liberal Charlestown MP Andrew Cornwell, which relates to money he received from developer Jeff McCloy during the 2011 election campaign.

“Following an investigation by inspectors of the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC), the NSWEC determined that a number of unlawful donations were made to endorsed candidates of the NSW Liberal Party in the lead up to the 2011 State election.” a statement from the Electoral Commission said.

“This investigation was informed by the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s Operation Spicer.

“One of the matters examined as part of this investigation was a AU$10,000 cash donation for the benefit of former MP Andrew Cornwell.

“That donation was subsequently paid into the account of the Charlestown State Electoral Conference, NSW Liberal Party.

“The NSWEC has the power to take legal action to recover the value of unlawful donations……

On the payment to the Liberal Party, the Commission said: “On 23 March 2016 the NSW Electoral Commission NSWEC determined to withhold almost AU 4.4 million in administrative and election funding from the Liberal Party of Australia, NSW Division (NSW Liberal Party) due to the party’s failure to disclose past donations.

“The donations were primarily made to the party by donors via the Free Enterprise Foundation in the 2010-11 disclosure period.

“On 22 September 2016 the NSWEC determined that a number of these and other undisclosed donations were unlawful and deducted the value of the unlawful donations from the amount of public funding payable to the party.

However ongoing political donation issues are not confined to New South Wales.  North of the Rio Tweed, the Queensland Liberal National Party was reported in the Brisbane Times on 25 September 2016 as having troubles of its own:

A special anti-corruption taskforce has been assigned to investigate claims of dodgy political donations that have embroiled Turnbull government MP Stuart Robert and a Liberal fundraising body he controls.

The investigation comes amid new questions about Mr Robert's connections to property developer Sunland and his support for the company's controversial $600 million plan for two high-rise towers on the Gold Coast.

Mr Robert has admitted his Fadden Forum – a fundraising arm of the Queensland Liberal National Party – was used to secretly bankroll two candidates with $60,000 to run in the March Gold Coast City Council election.

Kristyn Boulton and Felicity Stevenson, who were given $30,000 each, were both members of Mr Robert's staff but ran as independents and did not disclose their Liberal links until after the poll. Ms Boulton was successfully elected while Ms Stevenson failed and returned to Mr Robert's employ.

Political rivals have accused Mr Robert and the LNP of seeking to stack the council by stealth with pro-development councillors.

The Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission this month launched an investigation into the election and has assigned a "specialist team" with political expertise to spearhead the investigation.

It's understood the investigation will seek to examine the provenance of money donated to the Fadden Forum, including suggestions it came from property developers whose involvement was concealed.

One high-profile donor to the Fadden Forum has been Gold Coast developer lobbyist Simone Holzapfel, a former adviser to Tony Abbott, who gave more than $100,000 to the fundraising vehicle.

Former Australia Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb - moved from parliament to private sector without a pause

Andrew Robb with Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng and former prime minister Tony Abbott

at the signing of the China trade agreement in 2015. Alex Ellinghausen

Former Liberal Member for Goldstein and former Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Robb officially retired when the federal election was called on 9 June 2016 after around twelve years in the House of Representatives.

His annual parliamentary pension is thought to be well in excess of $102,000 for life.

Despite receiving a pension which is at least four times higher than an average person on the aged pension, a month later Mr. Robb announced he had found employment in capacities which allow him to take immediate advantage of contacts he made as a minister of the crown.

What could possibly go wrong?

The employment list so far……..

Australian Financial Review, 11 July 2016:

Former trade minister Andrew Robb will advise a Geelong start-up that's invented a genetic guide to antidepressant drug dosage, in the mental health advocate's first corporate role since retiring from politics at the recent federal election.

CNSDose, founded at University of Melbourne's MAP accelerator last year by alumni Ajeet Singh, has just raised $1 million and in January inked a distribution deal with a US-wide chain of DNA testing labs, AlphaGenomix.

Now Mr Robb, inspired by his own experience battling depression, is helping the start-up make connections with pathology lab chains in China, Hong Kong and the US, based on his own networks.

Australian Financial Review, 13 July 2016:

Former trade minister Andrew Robb has joined investment bank Moelis & Company, where he will focus on deals with China.

It is Mr Robb's second appointment since leaving politics at the recent federal election, after he took up a role advising Geelong healthcare start-up, CNSDose.

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.

As a Minister in the Abbott and Turnbull governments, Mr Robb was responsible for concluding long-stalled free-trade deals with China, Japan and South Korea.

The Australian, 15 July 2016:

Malcolm Turnbull is being urged to greenlight a private-sector proposal by eager regional councils for a $200 billion fast train linking Sydney with Melbourne.

But the keen response from rural councils in NSW and Victoria was tempered by a more cautious approach by state and federal governments to the ambitious proposal from private company, Consolidated Land and Rail ­Australia.

CLARA, which is advised by high-profile former politicians including former Victorian premier Steve Bracks, former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell and former trade minister Andrew Robb, is proposing a 915km fast-train project for travel between Sydney and Melbourne in less than two hours.

Yet another example of why Australia needs uniform 'real time' political donation disclosure laws

The full list of who made declarable cash donations to political parties or independent candidates and, which state parties and associated entities transferred money to their federal counterparts for use in the campaign preceding the 2 July 2016 federal election, won’t be known until 2018.

That will in all probability be less than a year before the next federal election.

Even then the accuracy of disclosures is open to speculation as at the period covering the previous federal election in 2013 indicates:

50 (54%) resulted in the disclosure return requiring amendment

35 returns (38%) required amendment to the reported total value of receipts

32 returns (34%) required amendment to the reported total value of payments

12 returns (13%) required amendment to the reported total value of debts

31 returns (33%) required amendment to the details of individual receipts, either by correcting the details disclosed or adding receipts not included on the return

6 returns (6%) required amendment to the details of outstanding debts, either by correcting the details disclosed or adding debts not included on the return.

Meanwhile, as we wait ABC News on 14 July 2016 supplied yet another example of why real time online publication of political donation declarations would be a wise reform:

A group of Sydney property developers have donated thousands of dollars to the ACT branch of the Liberal Party despite appearing to have no connection with the capital.

Developers are banned from making political donations in New South Wales, but are not in the ACT.

Since last month four companies registered to developers in Sydney have donated a total of $20,000 to the Canberra Liberals.

The ACT Labor Government said it had no record of any of the companies ever working, or applying for work, in the territory.

One of the developers, Tony Merhi, previously appeared before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) over allegations he had bypassed his state's ban on developer donations by donating to a Liberal Party slush fund.

Mr Merhi also sparked interest when it was revealed he began donating tens of thousands of dollars to the federal Liberal Party following the NSW ban on developer donations in 2009.

In response to questions from the ABC, regarding the donations and the possibility the Canberra Liberals were being used to avoid the NSW ban, the party released a short statement.

"The Canberra Liberals receive donations from many different individuals and businesses. All donations are permitted under ACT donations laws," the statement read.

Merc Shoppingtown, Toplace, J&M Nassif Property Group and Statewide Planning all made one-off $5,000 donations to the Liberals in June.

Details on the companies are limited, but Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) records showed they were registered respectively to Tony Merhi, Jean Nassif, John and Maroun Nassif, and Hoda Demian.

The ABC has been unable to contact any of the companies or their directors, other than Toplace, who declined to comment.

The NSW Electoral Commission said the "risk of money being moved between branches of political parties [was] not a new one"….

"The NSW Electoral Commission has advocated reform in this area, as has the Panel of Experts on Political Donations more recently," the Commission said in a statement.

But the Commission said if the ACT Liberal Party chose to transfer the money to their New South Wales colleagues there would be a cap on how quickly they could do it.

"The ACT branch of the Liberal Party can donate this financial year $5,900 to the NSW branch for state purposes and another $5,900 for local government purposes," the Commission said.

The ACT Liberal Party deputy leader Alistair Coe dismissed the issue as a storm in a tea cup.

Mr Coe said the donations were linked to the party's federal campaign.

"So our federal campaign does have different dealings with people right across the ACT and indeed Australia, so to that end those donations are linked to the federal campaign rather than territory politics," he said…..

Last week's update to the ACT's political donation disclosures also shows the Canberra Liberals received one of their largest ever individual donations, $30,000 from Paul Marks, as well as a $15,000 donation from the Victorian branch of the party.

Mr Marks rose to prominence last year when then federal Liberal MP Stuart Robert was forced to resign after it was revealed he held shares in a mining company linked to Mr Marks.

UPDATE

The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 July 2016:

The party's financial dire straits were so bad during the marathon eight-week campaign the Liberals had to scrimp on their advertising earlier to afford a blitz during the final week, when political ads are thought to be most effective.  

One Liberal MP said they were regularly approached and offered donations on the proviso they were not redirected to Mr Turnbull's federal campaign. 

The Australian reported on Friday that Mr Turnbull, a multi-millionaire some estimate could be worth as much as $200 million, had dipped into his own pocket to fund $1 million worth of Liberal Party advertising.

Asked to confirm or deny the report, Mr Turnbull's office declined to answer and instead said all donations would be disclosed and made public. 

"Donations to the Liberal Party are disclosed in accordance with the requirements of the Electoral Act," a spokesman for the Prime Minister said. 

The Australian Electoral Commission says parties must disclose their donors identities each financial year, if their contributions exceed $13,000. But records for the 2016 election campaign will not be made public until February 2017.....  

I'm so over the Nationals fudging unemployment statistics during this federal election campaign

This was what voters were presented with when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull came into the Northern Rivers to try and shore up Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan.

Echo NetDaily, 17 June 2016:

The prime minister will be campaigning in the marginal Nationals-held seat of Page on Friday, announcing a jobs and investment package.

Kevin Hogan holds Page with a 3.1 per cent margin over former Labor MP Janelle Saffin.

The coalition is desperate to hold Page, which is developing a reputation for being bellwether seat.

The region has one of the worst unemployment records in the state, with youth unemployment nearing 20 per cent in some areas.

The coalition hopes the $25 million investment will give businesses incentives to invest and help boost employment in the region, not to mention boosting their chances of re-election.

It includes providing business innovation grants to help adopt new technology, upgrading local infrastructure and delivering targeted skills and training programs for regional shortages.

Kevin Hogan quoted in the Echo NetDaily on the same day:

Page MP Kevin Hogan welcomed the announcement.

‘The jobless rate in the Clarence Coffs area has fallen to 4.2% – well below the NSW and national average (4.95% and 5.5% respectively),’ Mr Hogan said.

‘Since July almost 2500 people in Page have found on-going work through the Coalition’s Jobactive programme. But more still needs to be done.

‘I set up a local Job Strategy Group over six months ago to bring companies looking to expand to the North Coast. This package will certainly be an incentive for those businesses that have been thinking about making the move but aren’t ready to commit,” he said.

So is Hogan right about unemployment levels on the NSW Far North Coast and the Page electorate in particular?

Here are the facts which he appears to want to fudge by quoting the much broader statistical region – Clarence-Coffs – which extends as far south as the Bellingen area.

The March Quarter unemployment rate for all persons (released 10 June 2016) in relevant local government areas:

Tweed LGA – 7.6%

Richmond Valley LGA – 10.7%

Ballina LGA – 6.1%

Byron LGA – 9.3%

Kyogle LGA – 10.6%

Lismore LGA – 9.4%

Clarence Valley LGA - 6.5%

Coffs Harbour LGA – 5.3%

In the March quarter 2016 this is the number of people these percentages are estimated to represent in the Page electorate :

Ballina – 7,430 people

Ballina Region - 7,999 people

Casino - 5,044 people

Casino Region - 3,225 people

Evans Head – 2,180 people

Kyogle – 3,419 people

Lismore – 7,769 people

Lismore region – 8,166 people

Grafton – 8,756 people

Grafton Region – 7,406 people

Maclean-Yamba-Iluka – 6,880

Coffs Harbour North –  8,711 people

In April 2016 the Youth Unemployment Rate (15-24 years of age) for both the Clarence-Coffs and Tweed regions was 11.9%.

In May 2016 the Youth Unemployment Rate (15-24 years of age) for New South Wales was  11.4%.

The National unemployment rate for all persons in May 2016 was 5.6% and the NSW rate was 5.1%.

And if readers want to know all Coalition's Job Active "ongoing-work" - I refer them to an excerpt from this previous post:

For that amount of money the Abbott-Turnbull Government expects the Jobactive scheme to have placed 380,000 jobseekers in often wage-subsidised employment in 2015-16, at a cost of est.$2,500 per placement covering Employment Fund expenditure, service fees and outcome payments.

Unfortunately 68% of these placements are likely to last only 4 weeks before the person is unemployed once more. I suspect the percentage of temporary jobs is so high because this allows service providers to bill the government again and again for ‘helping’ those same job seekers find other temporary jobs once the initial placement dissolves into thin air and, via the $1.2 billion national wage subsidy pool potentially allows employers to 'churn' new employees on short term contacts so that employers receive financial benefits from the pool but employees are unemployed at contract's end.

None of the departmental employment sustainability measures encompass positions lasting longer than six months, so it is unclear as to whether there is a genuine expectation that job service providers will assist in finding permanent employment for anyone.

In July 2015 when Jobactive Australia commenced, the real national unemployment rate was probably running at est. 8.7% and by March 2016 it had climbed to est.11% according Roy Morgan Research vs ABS Employment Estimates (1992-2016).

In November 2013 the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) seasonally adjusted combined unemployment and underemployment rate (underutilisation) was 13.5% and by February 2016 this combined rate was 14.2%.

In September 2013 the average number of weeks an unemployed person spent looking for a job was 39, with an est.134,400 people looking for 52 weeks and over.

Under the Abbott-Turnbull Government by March 2016 the average number of weeks had risen to 46.2, with an est. 181,700 people looking for 52 weeks and over. [Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force, Australia, Detailed - Electronic Delivery, Mar 2016] 

In June 2014 an est. 123,800 15 to 24 year-olds were looking for full time or part-time work. By March 2016 the number of young people in this category had risen to 133,000. [ibid]

The Brotherhood of St. Laurence reported on 14 March 2016 that some rural and regional areas were grappling with youth unemployment rates above 20 per cent.

Richmond-Tweed (including Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Lismore, Mullumbimby) in the NSW Northern Rivers region had a youth unemployment rate of 14.5% in January 2015 and by January 2016 this rate had risen to 17.4% [Brotherhood of St Laurence, Australia’s Youth Unemployment Hotspots: Snapshot March 2016, p. 3]

Politicians, candidates and advisers behaving badly in 2016

Unsurprisingly all the politicians and candidates caught behaving badly by the mainstream media are either members of the Liberal Party of Australia, the Liberal National Party or the Country Liberals..........

The Sydney Morning Herald, 11 June 2016:

A Coalition candidate has quit after it emerged he owns a Frankston brothel called Paradise Playmates.

Taiwan-born massage therapist John Min-Chiang Hsu resigned as the Liberal Party candidate for the Victorian seat of Calwell after his ties to the brothel were revealed on Saturday.

The Victorian Liberal Party said in a statement it had come to its attention that Mr Hsu had "not fully declared his business interests prior to applying for endorsement as required".

"Mr Hsu has resigned, with immediate effect, as an endorsed candidate of the Liberal Party and has resigned as a member of the party," the statement said.

"Given the AEC's nomination deadlines the Liberal Party will not be running an endorsed candidate in the division of Calwell."

According to company documents, Mr Hsu also owns a company called Beautiful Life Natural Therapies, which runs three Melbourne massage establishments: CBD Massage, Five Star Massage and Sabaydee Thai Massage Day Spa.

It's believed at least Sabaydee offers sexual services because it appears on a review website for sex work.

News.com.au, 11 June 2016:

The Northern Territory's chief minister was "horrified" to learn his sports minister had sent sexually explicit videos to a female constituent.

Nathan Barrett resigned from the Country Liberals cabinet on Saturday after admitting he sent two videos of himself masturbating to a woman, which she told News Corp Australia were unsolicited.

Chief Minister Adam Giles said he was sorry to see Mr Barrett quit his portfolios of assistant treasurer, sport and recreation and young territorians, "but quite frankly he had to go, there was no other choice"……

The scandal-plagued government faces an election in less than three months, and Mr Giles said it was up to the party to decide whether Mr Barrett would remain preselected for the seat of Blain, in the Country Liberals heartland of Palmerston.

Mr Giles would not comment on allegations that Mr Barrett offered the woman a job if he became treasurer after the August 27 poll.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 11 June 2016:

Some of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's closest advisers have been drawn into a heated shouting match with a local Greens protester during a campaign stop on the Sunshine Coast.

Senior Turnbull confidantes Senator James McGrath and principal private secretary Sally Cray asked, respectively, who paid for the activist's unemployment benefits and how she would fund hospitals when challenged on the Adani coal mine and healthcare cuts.

"Don't want to answer the hard questions!" the protester yelled out as the Prime Minister walked ahead.

"The Adani coal mine…If it was a country, it would be the seventh highest polluter in the world. What are you going to do about that, Mr Turnbull?"

Senator McGrath, a veteran strategist and former state director of the LNP, responded, asking her "what are you going to do about jobs?".

What about the Nambour hospital, she asked, which she said was suffering from $419 million funding cuts over a decade?

"How are you going to fund it?" Ms Cray, usually in the background, weighed in.

"Who pays for your dole?" Senator McGrath fired at the protester, who had not mentioned her employment situation, when she mentioned tax breaks for coal mines.

"What sort of ridiculous question is that? How do you know where I'm from? How rude are you? I'm not on the dole, mate," she responded.

The Australian, 11 June 2016:

Tasmania’s Mining Minister, Adam Brooks, has been stood aside over a perceived conflict of interest related to his ongoing use of a former company email address.

Mr Brooks has continued to use his company email despite being required to begin divestment of his mining industry business interests since becoming a minister.

On Thursday night in budget estimates hearings, on three occasions, he denied ongoing use of the Maintenance System Solutions email account, only to later correct the public record and concede he had retained it “for personal use”.

Premier Will Hodgman announced yesterday that, after discussing the issue with Mr Brooks, the minister had agreed he should be temporarily stood aside pending an audit of his use of the MSS email account by the Crown Solicitor.....

“The perception of a conflict of interest has now arisen.

“It’s important that question be independently assessed and audited.”

That process may take some weeks.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 12 June 2016:

Jermyn – the candidate who made headlines on May 28 when his attempt to ambush Bill Shorten at a campaign event backfired spectacularly – was at the helm of the project as CEO of Mooter partner company Hot Shot Media.

The competition would be powered by ImageSocial, Hot Shot's nascent whiz-bang photo-sharing platform.

In a presentation to US investors in April 2012, Jermyn predicted huge success: up to 40 million participants and 441 million photographs from across the US, Britain and Australia alone. And revenue of $24 million.

"Shutterbug Millionaire is not an epic reality TV competition yet but we're going to make it feel like one," his presentation confidently declared.

The project secured $15 million in funding from American venture capital firm La Jolla Cove Investors.

Then Jermyn got Australian-born celebrity photographer Russell James and Victoria's Secret model Erin Heatherton on board as judges.

In June 2012, the company started spending big on advertising. Billboards went up across Los Angeles, Chicago and New York – including an 80-foot monster marquee on Broadway. Company documents suggest the marketing campaign cost close to $2 million.

A few weeks later Jermyn made his biggest announcement yet: British billionaire Richard Branson would be Shutterbug's "ambassador".

"I encourage everyone to capture cherished moments and powerful perspectives and share them through this opportunity," Sir Richard said at the time.

In another statement to the ASX, Jermyn gushed: "It is inspiring to have someone of Sir Richard's calibre and universal recognition join us."

But then something went horribly wrong. Shutterbug Millionaire missed its launch date and Mooter went quiet until January 2013, when the company suddenly announced a trading halt. A few days later it went into voluntary administration.

Perth Now, 12 June 2016:

FRESH from being dumped by the Australian Defence Force, Canning MP Andrew Hastie has been exposed breaching parliamentary rules by failing to declare an $870,000 house he bought in March.

The former SAS soldier-turned Liberal MP’s failure to declare the property on his Register of Interests on time means he could be found guilty of “serious contempt” of Parliament.

It comes days after the revelation he was booted out of the Army Reserve for defying a Defence request to remove photographs of him in military uniform from election campaign material.

The three bedroom, two bathroom house in question is Mr Hastie and his wife Ruth’s first home.

It is described as “simply stunning” with “glorious ocean views” but is still yet to be declared in the latest registration of member’s interests.

Any changes to an MP’s interests, including gifts or property purchases, must be reported within 28 days according to parliamentary rules.

Despite buying the 616sqm property on March 27, Mr Hastie failed to declare the purchase within the four-week requirement or prior to the double dissolution on May 9…….

However, the House was dissolved on May 9, meaning Mr Hastie still breached the rules and went 52 days without trying to declare the property. The former troop commander said he took full responsibility for the delay.

“Due to an oversight, an update to my Register of Interests was not submitted on time,” he said. “I did write to the Clerk of the House of Representatives to advise him of this change in May.”

If Mr Hastie is reported to the Committee of Privileges and Members’ Interests and is found to have knowingly not reported, he could be found guilty of “serious contempt” of the House of Representatives.

He moved his family from a Department of Defence house in Shenton Park last August to a rental home in Dudley Park, Mandurah, to contest the Canning by-election prompted by Don Randall’s death.

Mr Hastie also came under fire then for enrolling to vote in the Canning electorate prior to living there for at least a month, contravening the Australian Electoral Commission’s rules.

This appears to be the house in question: