Is Opposition Leader Tony Abbott being a little too cute on his Statement of Registerable Interests?

I did not mishear, in an ABC News interview aired on 3 March 2013, Margie Abbott quite clearly stated that she was the owner of a small business.

Elsewhere she has said:

I run a community based not for profit childcare centre in Sydney, which employs 10 staff, and provides a service to about 100 families. I am effectively a small business operator…

Margie also styles herself as Director, SIOC (St. Ives Occasional Care Incorporated which may have been previously trading as Ku-ring-gai Community Childrens Centre Inc). She is apparently the sole director.

Yet her husband coyly declares to the Australian Parliament in his last Statement of Registrable Interests that she is employed, rather than more accurately stating that she is self-employed or the director of an incorporated business.

As anyone who works for a wage (with no equity in the business which employs them) can tell you - there is a wealth of difference between those three terms. Ranging from income, autonomy and security of tenure through to flexibility in work conditions.

As a sole trader, using her maiden name, Margie Abbott was also active in business between June 2001 and March 2003.

Given Mr. Abbott has a propensity to misrepresent his wife's interests, I have to wonder how he as both MP and Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business described her time as a sole trader to the Australian Parliament then.

Dutch super trawler finally leaving Australian waters

 

 

In the space of twenty-one days Seafish Tasmania and Parlevliet En Van Der Plas Beheer B.V blinked........

THEN

AAP 13 February 2013

 

The operators of banned super-trawler Abel Tasman have begun legal action against the government.

Super-trawler operator Seafish Tasmania has begun court action to sue the federal government and two ministers over the ban on the controversial fishing behemoth Abel Tasman.

Seafish managing director Joe Pirrello says documents have been sent to the Federal Court instigating action against the government, Environment Minister Tony Burke and Fisheries Minister Joe Ludwig.

Mr Burke used new powers to ban the 142-metre vessel last year after a public backlash and on Tuesday announced he would knock back a plan for it to be used as a "mother ship".

Under the proposal, smaller boats would fish for Seafish's 18,000-tonne quota of jack mackerel and redbait, with the Abel Tasman to be used as a giant offshore freezer.

The ship, formerly known as the Margiris, has been berthed at Port Lincoln in South Australia since its arrival from The Netherlands in August, costing Seafish more than $10,000 a day.

"About eight days ago we presented the Federal Court (in) Queensland with documents to sue the federal government, Tony Burke and Joe Ludwig in order to overturn his original declaration," Mr Pirrello told AAP.

In a statement, the company added: "The Australian government, through AFMA (the Australian Fisheries Management Authority), encouraged Seafish Tasmania to spend millions of dollars to bring the Abel Tasman to Australia.

"Now the Australian government wants us to go away. We won't be going away."

NOW
 

FV Able Tasman from Google Images

  

The Hon. Tony Burke MP

Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

 

Wednesday, 6 March 2013
 

Statement from Tony Burke on the Super Trawler

 

Seafish Tasmania today put out a statement saying the Abel Tasman is leaving Australian waters.

The Gillard Government last year acted to stop the Super Trawler – formally named the FV Margiris - from fishing in Australian waters until the sufficient scientific checks have been completed.

At the core of this issue was one principle - there was significant uncertainty about the environmental impacts of this new form of fishing.

When faced with this sort of uncertainty you can either be cautious and wait for the scientific work to be done or roll the dice and run the risks.

Australia chose to be cautious when it came to protecting the ocean. It was the right thing to do.

The Gillard Government makes no apology for not taking risks when it comes to protecting our precious oceans.

 

Background here.

Federal Labor MP for Page announces funding for Casino Saleyards safety upgrade

Saffin announces funding for upgrade of Casino Saleyards

Page MP Janelle Saffin has  announced Federal funding of more than $600,000 for a major upgrade to improve safety at the Casino Saleyards.

Ms Saffin said the funding, under the Federal Government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program. will mean much safer facilities for saleyard workers and truck drivers who transport livestock.

““There is a total of $636,000 in Federal funding along with $159,000 from the Richmond Valley Council for the upgrade at the Casino Regional Livestock Exchange.

“The funding is for the installation of double-deck delivery ramps, non-slip concrete pens and race floor and includes all-weather roofing along the yards and gates and lighting.  We can all appreciate how important these improvements are given our recent weather conditions.

“The issue of safety for saleyard employees and truck drivers has been raised with me by local councils, beef producers and the trucking industry in recent years, so I welcome the new funding.

“I was among a number of MPs from rural electorates who successfully lobbied for saleyards safety upgrades to be included in the Federal Governments Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program,” Ms Saffin said.

“I thank Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese for listening to the concerns from rural and regional Australia, and for responding to them by providing extra assistance.”

1 March, 2013

Office of Janelle Saffin MP
Federal Member for Page
Ph: 66219909 

Most unusual job vacancy advertisement

This digital copy of a newspaper clipping came to me via an email link to http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2013/02/situations-vacant-4/.

The tongue-in-cheek job vacancy appears to be from a UK publication, but hopefully someone has suggested to Cardinal George Pell that he send in his curriculum vitae – it sounds as though he fits the selection criteria down right down to the final infallibility clause.