Wednesday 23 January 2013
It's an election year and some Coalition candidates will probably mention productivity growth and labour costs
Whenever a Coalition candidate mentions ‘low’ annual productivity growth or ‘rising’ labour costs, in the lead up to the 2013 federal general election, remember these graphs from Greg Jericho .
Australia is doing very nicely thank you.
The Trouble With Bob - A Minties Moment In Employer-Employee Relations
From
Granny Herald 18th January 2013:
“Downtrodden
employees of the world, take heart: a rebel hero walks among us. A man in his
mid-40s, identified in reports only as "Bob", was a star programmer
earning a six-figure salary at an American infrastructure company. When the company
commissioned a network-security audit, they belatedly discovered that
"Bob" had outsourced his own job to a Chinese software company for a
fifth of his pay. Relieved of his workload, Bob would spend his entire office
day on the internet, flicking from eBay to Facebook to cat videos, before
writing a progress-report email for his bosses and knocking off at 5pm. Sadly,
upon finding out how resourcefully Bob had managed his own productivity, the
firm sacked him rather than marvelling at his initiative and promoting him to
senior management.”And we Aussies applauded him with these results by early evening on the 20th January.
Labels:
industrial relations
Tuesday 22 January 2013
16th Year of Flickerfest at Bangalow 25-27 January 2013
Travelling Flicks
FLiCKERFEST
presented by RENAULT
22nd INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
A & I Hall at Bangalow from 25th -27th January 2013
Celebrating 22 years of short film excellence Flickerfest presented by Renault, remains Australia’s leading short film festival.
Flickerfest rides the short film wave into the Northern Rivers from the 25th until the 27th January, for it’s 16th year screening a smorgasbord of shorts from the Byron Region, Australia and around the world over 3 jam-packed days at the A & i Hall Bangalow.
Flickerfest rides the short film wave into the Northern Rivers from the 25th until the 27th January, for it’s 16th year screening a smorgasbord of shorts from the Byron Region, Australia and around the world over 3 jam-packed days at the A & i Hall Bangalow.
Information/Bookings: PH 02 6684 5577
Program:
Best Of International 1: Fri 25th Jan 8.30pm (Opening Night drinks start 7.30pm)
Best Of International 2: Sat 26th Jan 8.30pm
Best Of Australian Shorts: Sun 27th Jan 8.30pm
Best Of International 1: Fri 25th Jan 8.30pm (Opening Night drinks start 7.30pm)
Best Of International 2: Sat 26th Jan 8.30pm
Best Of Australian Shorts: Sun 27th Jan 8.30pm
Labels:
entertainment
So why is the Australian National University aiding and abetting a mining company intent on destroying NSW Northern Rivers communities?
According to the Australian National University (ANU) in the ACT this is its financial situation:
- Provides revenue to support the ANU liability to current and former staff covered by the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme (CSS) – approx. $450M
- Invests the funds within the Endowment for Excellence which funds some staff salaries, scholarships etc.
- Invests the cash reserves of the University, whether held centrally or by Colleges
So how is this university tackling its falling investment income?
Well, it is apparently not doing what it implied to faculty, students, media and the general public in 2011 - totally divesting itself of coal seam gas industry shares.
Woroni, the ANU student newspaper:
The Canberra Times:
The ANU's vice-chancellor Professor Ian Young announced the sell-off of about $1million worth of Metgasco shares in a statement to the ANU Students Association this week. But he's played down the role of student protests in forcing the move, telling The Canberra Times it was ''a pragmatic decision'' based on the worth of the shares.
''We've had those shares since 2001,'' Professor Young said.
''They represent less than 0.1 per cent of our total investment portfolio.''
Because according to Metgasco's own documents as of 21 September 2012 ANU was the 17th largest shareholder in this coal seam gas exploration and production company with 2.5 million shares remaining of the 4.2 million shares it held in 2011.
The university's excuse in August last year for this state of affairs - “there are no/few buyers” for these shares.
This excuse seems laboured. Even though share volume traded is often sluggish, by the end of September 2012 a good stockbroker should have been able to offload ANU's remaining shares.
It would appear that it is determined to retain its investment in Metgasco in spite of the fact that this mining company's first-stage plan for the Northern Rivers is to establish an estimated 1,000 gas production wells.
Turning the rural landscape into a version of this:
Section of a gas field in Tara, Queensland
This is the current membership of the University Council and I would suggest to Northern Rivers communities that these individuals need to justify the continuing inclusion of Metgasco Limited in the university's investment portfolio:
Professor the Honourable Gareth Evans AC QC - Chancellor
Professor Ian Robert Young AO - Vice-Chancellor
Ms Ilana Atlas - Pro-Chancellor
Dr Doug McTaggart
Dr Vince FitzGerald
Ms Robin Hughes AO
Ms Martine Letts
Mr David Miles AM
Mr Graeme Samuel AC
Professor Andrew MacIntyre
Professor John Close
Professor Tim Senden
Mr Matthew King
Ms Aleksandra Sladojevic
Ms Julie Melrose
Their contact details are here.
* An email was sent to the Australian National University Chancellor seeking further confirmation of the Metgasco share parcel. No reply has been received.
Labels:
ANU,
Coal Seam Gas Mining,
Finance,
Northern Rivers
Uncle Joe Hockey, insomniac
Think a pollie found awake after 3am is either partying hard or tackling a backlog in policy paperwork?
Think again. Some are just cybersurfing and playing with 140 characters on Twitter.
GO TO SLEEP JOE!
Labels:
Twitter
Monday 21 January 2013
NASA: Long-Term Climate Warming Trend 1880-2012 [Animated World Map]
Labels:
climate change
The BRP - Banks R Not Us
Last week the Australian Electoral Commission advertised an
application for non-parliamentary party registration by the Bank Reform Party or BRP of West
Australia and its registered officer - a former journo & media bloke for BankWest - wants election campaign
funding for 2013
thanks very much.
He hopes
his fledgling party will join the throng lining up around the country later this
year eager to stuff our letter boxes with glossy leaflets and crowd the
airwaves with vague promises most have no intention of honouring if they make it onto parliamentary benches:
- Animal
Justice Party
- Australia
First Party (NSW) Incorporated
- Australian
Christians
- Australian
Democrats
- Australian
Fishing and Lifestyle Party
- Australian
Greens (including three additional branches listed below)
- Australian
Labor Party (ALP) (including nine additional branches listed
below)
- Australian
Labor Party (N.S.W. Branch)
- Australian
Labor Party (Victorian Branch)
- Australian
Labor Party (State of Queensland)
- Australian
Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
- Australian
Labor Party (South Australian Branch)
- Australian
Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch)
- Australian
Labor Party (ACT Branch)
- Australian
Labor Party (Northern Territory) Branch
- Country
Labor Party
- Australian
Protectionist Party
- Australian
Sex Party
- Australian
Stable Population Party
- Building
Australia Party
- Christian
Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)
- Citizens
Electoral Council of Australia
- Country
Alliance
- Country
Liberals (Northern Territory)
- Democratic
Labor Party (DLP) of Australia
- Family
First Party
- Help
End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) Party
- Katter’s
Australian Party
- Liberal
Democratic Party
- Liberal
Party of Australia (including seven additional branches
listed below)
- Liberal
Party of Australia, NSW Division
- Liberal
Party of Australia (Victorian Division)
- Liberal
National Party of Queensland
- Liberal
Party (W.A. Division) Inc.
- Liberal
Party of Australia (S.A. Division)
- Liberal
Party of Australia – Tasmanian Division
- Liberal
Party of Australia – ACT Division
- National
Party of Australia (including four additional branches listed
below)
- National
Party of Australia – N.S.W.
- National
Party of Australia – Victoria
- National
Party of Australia (WA) Inc
- National
Party of Australia (S.A.) Inc.
- No Carbon Tax
Climate Sceptics
- Non-Custodial
Parents Party (Equal Parenting)
- One
Nation
- Rise
Up Australia Party
- Secular Party
of Australia
- Senator
Online (Internet Voting Bills/Issues)
- Shooters
and Fishers Party
- Socialist
Alliance
- Socialist
Equality Party
- The First Nations Political Party
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)