One of the fascinating instances of science and culture meshing

Humpback whales from Google Images

Science tells us that; Cetacean ancestors probably moved into water before changing their diet (and their teeth)

Ancient Australian indigenous culture tells us that whales were ancestors living on the land who moved back into the ocean; During the dreamtime period Gyian intermingled with other creatures, passing on the Laws of Baiyami. He later changed form from a bird of the land to live as he does today in the ocean as a whale. This was the birth of Gyian on Earth.

Tweets of the Week

After the 2012-13 Commonwealth Budget was handed down………….

Tim Dick ‏@dick_tim

Only budget comment heard at Campbelltown today: They're bribing me, and I like it.

Courteney Hocking‏ @courteneyh

for tony abbott, numbers are like women: he doesn't get them & he can't help coming across as pig ignorant whenever the subject comes up.

blacksheep‏ @lissjeanrosa

Pyne shorter "I trust no one and nothing and especially dirty low income families" #auspol @SwannyDPM @BreakfastNews

Nostalgia as well as a perigee moon rising over Coffs Harbour this week

http://youtu.be/WQtgVy-ggoQ

A 'Supermoon' rose over Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia today, 5th May 2012 and even though it was hidden behind clouds on the horizon for a few minutes, it soon shone extra bright.
People were seen wondering the streets all night like zombies, wondering why the night was so bright.
Please note no copyright infringement is intended by the use of the Credence Clearwater song, 'Bad Moon Rising' which was used as a pun on the lunar event.

The Coffs Coast Advocate 6 May 2012

Which part was unparliamentary language? Was it "Abbott and Costello" or "The Three Stooges"?

Yesterday in the House of Representatives:  

Mr BRADBURY (Lindsay—Assistant Treasurer and Minister Assisting for Deregulation) ... I was not surprised to see reports in the papers today that there is a cunning and devious plan to parachute Peter Costello back into parliament. They figure that is about the only way they might be able to give their economic leadership a little bit of credibility.

Honourable members interjecting

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Assistant Treasurer will return to the question.

Mr BRADBURY: Unfortunately, it looks as though what was reported might not be happening—we will not be getting Abbott and Costello; we are just stuck with the Three Stooges.

Ms Julie Bishop: Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Previously that phrase has been deemed unparliamentary and I ask that he withdraw.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is correct. That has been ruled as out of order in this context, and I will ask the Assistant Treasurer to withdraw.

Opposition members interjecting

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Everybody on that side might walk the plank very quickly if they do not show some respect to the chair. The Assistant Treasurer has the call.

Mr BRADBURY: I withdraw.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER:I thank the Assistant Treasurer.

Source: Hansard, House of Representatives, 10/05/12

Image credit: perthnow.com.au

Gulaptis buys into Pacific Highway funding stoush by way of a Dorothy Dixer and gets caught out aiding a political deception

On 7 May the NSW Nationals Member for Clarence, ‘Steve’ Gulaptis, was reported in The Casino Times:

STATE Clarence MP, Chris Gulaptis, (pictured) today condemned Federal Labor for cutting $2.3 billion out of the Pacific Highway in its budget.

"I'm very disappointed to see that Federal Labor has walked away from an agreed 80:20 split on the Pacific Highway funding and cut vital funding from the Pacific Highway," Mr Gulaptis said.

Not content with that piece of political mischief, on 9 May 2012 he rose to his feet in the NSW Legislative Assembly and asked this preordained question of his leader:

My question is directed to the Deputy Premier. How does the Federal Labor budget break the Prime Minister's promise to complete the Pacific Highway upgrade by 2016?

One small problem for the Clarence MP is that records apparently show otherwise according to The Sydney Morning Herald:

Mr Baird and Mr Gay produced a letter from the former Labor transport minister, David Campbell, to Mr Albanese in 2009 saying he would ''undertake to seek a 20 per cent NSW government commitment to the additional funding''.

But Mr Albanese said: ''My reply to NSW was to reject minister Campbell's proposal for an 80-20 funding split. On the 29th of January I wrote back to minister Campbell and I said … I was very disappointed about the decision [of the NSW government] to reduce its funding further.''

This is not only confirmed in Andrew Stoner’s convoluted reply to Gulaptis according to the NSW Hansard of 9 May, but by letters published on 10 May 2012 in The Sydney Morning Herald.

These show that a federal government offer was retracted because NSW failed to act in time and one additional funding amount being made available was part of the stimulus package in response to the global financial crisis - see below.

It would appear that any hope of anything like a permanent 80:20 or 83:17 funding split in New South Wales’ favour was only ever alive in the mind of the NSW government of the day and, it was swiftly disabused of this notion.

Indeed, in 2009 the NSW Government agreed to reconsider its Pacific Highway upgrade contribution levels at a future date and, in light of that promise and in recognition of nationally hard economic times the Federal Government was more than generous when it came to monies for specific upgrade sections granted to the state.

NSW by its own admission paid only 10 per cent of the total cost of the completed Glenugie section and paid nothing towards the Kempsey By-pass section due to be opened next year. Yet Mr. Gulaptis has stated to North Coast media that these works were undertaken in an 80:20 funding split.

Mr. Gulaptis needs to realize that he first duty is to the truth and not to his party. He also needs to remember that political whoppers will almost always get found out.

NSW Minister for Transport's 2009 letter to Canberra

Federal Minister For Infrastructure's 2009 letter to NSW Government

Google Inc. cries poor in Australia

Posted on Slashdot 3 May 2012:

daria42 writes "Looks like Apple isn't the only company with interesting offshore taxation practices. The financial statements for Google's Australian subsidiary show the company told the Australian Government it made just $200 million in revenue in 2011 in Australia, despite local industry estimating it actually brought in closer to $1 billion. The rest was funnelled through Google's Irish subsidiary and not disclosed in Australia. Consequently the company only disclosed taxation costs in Australia of $74,000. Not bad work if you can get it — which Google apparently can. About that 'don't be evil' motto? Yeah. Not so much."

The Sydney Morning Herald 2 May 2012:

Search engine and advertising giant Google Australia has posted a wider full-year loss of almost $4 million, despite a sharp lift in revenue.

In a special purpose annual report for the year ended December 31, Google Australia posted a $3.93 million loss after income tax, down from a loss of $3.08 million in 2010.

Revenue from continuous operations was $201.1 million, up from $151.4 million the previous year.

Gross assets for the wholly owned local arm were $116 million and income tax expenses slumped, from $1.128 million to $74,176.

Google Australia, which is based in Sydney and has 568 employees, listed its principal activities as ‘‘to provide services, assistance and advice in connection with marketing and sales support for web search engine service and advertising services.

"Google Australia Pty Ltd additionally performs certain research and development services with respect to products, utilising Google RD Technology and other appropriate technology from Google."

It took on two new directors last year in Matthew Scott Sucherman and James Anthony Marocco, replacing John Kent Walker and Lloyd Martin in November.

Under the recently released Convergence Review’s recommendations to the federal government, Google would not be defined as a major media company, thereby escaping greater content regulations.

No dividends were paid.

LOL found at Fail Nation

Australia's unemployment hits 4.9% low. Something the Federal Coalition has to suck up before Abbott's Budget Reply Speech 10 May 2012

ABS MEDIA RELEASE
10 May 2012		67/2012
Australia's unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage points to 4.9 per cent in April 2012

Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage points to 4.9 per cent in April, as announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today. There was also a decrease in the labour force participation rate of 0.1 percentage points in April to 65.2 per cent.
The ABS reported the number of people employed increased by 15,500 to 11,501,000 in April. The increase in employment was driven by increased part-time employment, up 26,000 people to 3,438,200, and was offset by decrease in full-time employment, down 10,500 people to 8,062,800. The increase in employment was mainly driven by an increase in male part-time employment.
The number of people unemployed decreased by 28,800 people to 598,200 in April, the ABS reported.
The ABS monthly aggregate hours worked series showed an increase in April, up 6.6 million hours to 1,633.9 million hours.
There has been some interest recently in how changes in the Australian population impact on the estimates of employment from the Labour Force Survey. The responses collected from the sample of people in the survey are weighted to projections of the Australian population for the current quarter. These population projections are based on the most up-to-date information available, but are different to the official estimates of resident population that are calculated at a later date. In order to explain these issues, the ABS has produced a special feature article "Population Benchmarks and the Labour Force Survey" in this month's publication.
More details are in the April 2012 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0), as well as the upcoming April 2012 issue of Labour Force, Australia, Detailed (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001) due for release next week on May 17. Both publications are available for free download (after release) from the ABS website - www.abs.gov.au.