Placing censorship of Australian Internet on the backburner is a feint not a backdown by Rudd Government

Remember John Howard's very carefully crafted weasel words in 1996 about the possibility of his Coalition government introducing a goods and services tax in Australia?
Howard introduced GST legislation hot on the heels of the 1998 federal election didn't he?
After introducing a GST policy cloaked in the mantle of taxation reform in the lead up to that election, it subsequently took him less than four month to get 17 GST bills through the House of Representatives.

Well Prime Minister Rudd and Communications Minister Conroy have further refined lying to the electorate in an election year by attempting to disguise ongoing policy by seemingly placing it on the backburner while continuing to progress the same outside of public scrutiny.

Rather unobtrusively Conroy has been dragging his feet on presenting the federal parliament with legislation introducing mandatory national ISP-level filtering of the Australian Internet - thus leaving the policy in play but not at the forefront of the national election debate.

Should Labor be returned to government the way is then open for Rudd's authoritarian right-wingers to claim that the people gave Labor a mandate to introduce this information technology censorship.
Presumably argued on the basis that a vote for Labor covered every single one of its policies, even those it was attempting to camouflage because of sustained opposition from a significant numbers of Internet users.

As for Conroy's assertions that policy consultation is transparent or that filter circumvention will not become an offence under law - well I'd take that with a grain of salt.

While his claim that the intention is merely to block unlawful content or content ACMA deems refused classification can be seen to be by all to be a flat out falsehood, given information in North Coast Voices on 5 March 2010 and Delimiter on 9 February 2010 concerning filtering of senators' Internet access. Websites ranging from an online gay newspaper to political comment in the mainstream media are currently filtered out.

Delimiter on the current censorhip debacle.

Can your local fish and chip shop equal this Maccas record?

Now I don't know about you, but my local chippie is a quiet family-run business which also sells hamburgers to go.

Whenever I lob down there I'm more likely to stumble upon a youngster wanting ice cream than trip over crime scene tape.

This doesn't seem to be the case at Maccas stores around the world.

Do you know there have been over 114 customers murdered at McDonald's since it first opened for business in 1940, according to McMurder?

Pic from WPClipArt

McDonald's Australia accuses ABC Radio of bias in reporting on its move to build a 24hr fast food outlet in Yamba

One would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to have noticed that Yamba (a small coastal town at the mouth of the Clarence River on the NSW North Coast) is coming out strongly against the McDonald's Australia Limited application to build a 24hr eat-in and drive though fast food outlet in Treelands Drive.

Indeed, the Yamba community has been quite successful in getting its message across to both Clarence Valley Council and the wider community. Nevertheless it is facing off against a very large multinational and a financial investment group quite skilled in the way they approach local government and used to getting their own way on matters such as this.

So it was rather amazing to find that McDonald's only gave the ABC a short written statement after refusing to have a spokesperson interviewed for a segment on ABC North Coast Radio's Sunday Morning program out of Newcastle on 2 May 2010 - citing a belief that the ABC would not give the corporation a fair hearing.

The mind boggles as to why it would state something so blatantly untrue. Unless it was attempting to get the radio presenter to over compensate it its favour during that on-air segment or was looking to curry a sympathy vote from Clarence Valley shire councillors.

Hey you! Yes, I mean you. Leave those birds alone.

This should be interesting. The Keneally Government's flawed joint regional planning panel system (which allows unelected individuals and council staff to vote) is going to consider this development application near wetlands, as reported in The Daily Examiner.
This wetland supported 1,615 egret nests according to a 1988 census and annual numbers are affected by seasonal conditions

CLARENCE Valley ecologist Greg Clancy has found flaws in a development application (DA) to create 35 residential lots on land near the Lawrence wetlands.
Dr Clancy said a number of birds that featured on Federal Government conservation legislation either bred or nested in the wetlands.
"They didn't report cattle egret or eastern great egret. Both of those species are listed under the Federal Government legislation, and there are other species there that are listed," Dr Clancy said.
"It may well be that this development needs to be forwarded to Peter Garrett (Environment Minister). And that needs to be investigated adequately in the report."
Dr Clancy said the report did not adequately consider other aspects of the wetlands.
"The report is deficient in that it mentions there are a small number of breeding birds. It seems to underestimate the value of the site for breeding," Dr Clancy said.
"They (Clarence Valley Council) were there in January. Most of the breeding is over by January. It's spring and early summer that you get the thousands of birds nesting there."
Dr Clancy said the number of lots was going to pose a problem, even with the introduction of sewerage and storm run-off controls. There would be problems with disturbance of the birds during construction and from the amount of traffic and lights coming from the houses.
He disagreed with Clarence Valley Council's assessment that the Companion Animals Act would adequately control domestic animals such as dogs and cats...

Birds Australia this year:
Space at the Egret Rookeries at Lawrence and Murwillumbah is at an absolute premium.

Northern Region Joint Regional Planning Panel members:
On behalf of NSW Government: Garry West (Chair), Pamela Westing and John Griffin, with Bruce Clarke as Alternate.
On behalf of Clarence Valley Council: Stuart McPherson (General Manager), Richie Williamson (Mayor), Rob Donges (Council management staff) Alternate, Jim Simmons (Deputy Mayor) Alternate.

Best tweet by far in April 2010

billmaher
Every asshole who ever chanted 'Drill baby drill' should have to report to the Gulf coast today for cleanup duty via web Retweeted by you and 100+ others

A bit of background on this massive oil spill here and here.

Pic found at
Watts Up With That?

Henry Tax Review Final Report: overview and analysis [transcripts]

The long term tax plan we announce today will strengthen the economy and make the tax system fairer and simpler for Australian working families and businesses.
These are the first steps in a 10 year agenda that will help ensure we share prosperity fairly, maximise our opportunities, and keep Australia in the box seat as the global recovery gathers pace.
Australia faces important decisions about how we structure our tax system.
This package is carefully calibrated to make the most of the opportunities presented by commodity boom mark II, but also to address the challenges that it presents.
This is a long term plan to apply a Resource Super Profits tax to the profits earned from resources that are owned by all Australians, and use it to:
generate more superannuation savings for working families;
lower tax for all companies, especially small businesses; and
invest in our future infrastructure needs, particularly for mining states.
Excerpt from Treasurer Wayne Swan's joint press release with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, 2 May 2010

Rudd Government's intended tax reforms outlined at Stronger-Fairer-Simpler: a tax plan for our future

Henry Tax Review Final Report:

Part 1: Overview	1.0MB
Preface	326KB
Terms of Reference	169KB
Executive summary	213KB
Chapter 1: The need for reform	240KB
Chapter 2: Designing a future tax and transfer system	223KB
Chapter 3: A tax and transfer system for the 21st century	185KB
Chapter 4: Personal taxation	214KB
Chapter 5: Investment and entity taxation	196KB
Chapter 6: Land and resources taxes	184KB
Chapter 7: Taxing consumption	169KB
Chapter 8: Enhancing social and market outcomes	212KB
Chapter 9: The transfer system	209KB
Chapter 10: Institutions, governance and administration	177KB
Chapter 11: Macroeconomic and fiscal impacts	191KB
Chapter 12: List of recommendations	295KB
Appendices
Appendix A: Acronyms	140KB
Appendix B: The Australia's Future Tax System Review Panel	165KB
Appendix C: Documents of the Review	188KB
Appendix D: Consultation	234KB
Appendix E: Research and consultancies	418KB
Appendix F: Secretariat and support	164KB
References	294KB
Glossary	293KB

Final Report: Part 2 - Detailed Analysis - Volume 1

1.9MB

Final Report: Part 2 - Detailed Analysis - Volume 2

2.2MB

Family violence in Australia - a chance to have your say on whether the legal process works

"The National Plan for Action.......highlighted that 350,000 women experience physical violence and 125,000 women experience sexual violence each year in Australia. As well as the devastating human cost, this violence comes at an enormous economic cost, with research showing that, each year, violence against women costs the nation $13.6 billion.
Australian Law Reform Commission President, Professor Rosalind Croucher in media release on 29 April 2010

The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) and the NSW Law Reform Commission (NSWLRC) today released the much anticipated Consultation Paper for the joint Inquiry into family violence laws—Family Violence: Improving Legal Frameworks (Consultation Paper 1).

ALRC President, Professor Rosalind Croucher said that over 60 individuals and organisations from around Australia working in the areas of family violence, sexual assault and child protection had already been consulted to inform the thinking behind the Consultation Paper.

"This Inquiry will be one of the largest and most significant in the ALRC's recent history. The Inquiry's Terms of Reference have asked the Commissions to focus on laws and legal processes and to consider what improvements could be made to protect women and children from family violence. Building on the work of the Family Law Council, Professor Richard Chisholm and the Australian Institute of Family Studies Evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms, this Inquiry looks at the interrelationship in practice of at least nine sets of criminal laws, eight sets of child protection laws, eight sets of family violence laws and the Family Law Act, as well as evidence laws, sentencing laws and a range of other legal processes."

ALRC Part-time Commissioner for this Inquiry, Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough, stated, "This is a critical opportunity for national reform, and for those working in and around the justice system, to ensure the Commissions hear which of the federal and state laws do, or do not, work in practice to protect all victims of family violence—whether child or adult."

Commissioner Professor Hilary Astor from the NSWLRC stated, "Families in crisis often have intersecting problems involving family violence, sexual assault and child protection matters. They are presently faced with a complex maze of courts, legal processes and services which often don't relate well to each other. At the moment, it is far too easy for people to fall through the cracks, for them to leave the process disillusioned, or for outcomes not to deliver maximum safety for families in crisis. The Consultation Paper asks people to respond to questions and proposals, and to contribute their own ideas, for improving law and practice so that our systems for dealing with all forms of family violence are approachable, effective and easy to navigate."

The Commissions have also released a Consultation Paper Summary to assist people who want to make a submission. This Summary and the Consultation Paper are now available on CD ROM and to view and download from the ALRC's website. Hard copy versions will be available by mid May....

Hard copy submissions addressing the questions and proposals in the Consultation Paper can be posted, faxed or emailed to the ALRC. Online submissions are encouraged. Information about how to make an online submission is available at http://submissions.alrc.gov.au. The ALRC is also conducting an online discussion blog around the Consultation Paper and encourages people to participate at www.alrc.gov.au/FVIblog.

Closing date for submissions is 4 June. Late submissions may not be able to be considered. The Commissions will submit their final Report to the Cth and NSW Attorneys-General on 31 July 2010. [ALRC media release,29 April 2010]