Food Fail: Westfarmers' Dr. Every & friends build a hollow woodpile

Coles is a national full service supermarket retailer operating 749 supermarkets (including a number of Bi-Lo branded stores) throughout Australia. Coles has a rich history in Australia, with the first Coles Variety store opening in Melbourne in 1914. Today, Coles aims to give the people of Australia a shop they trust, delivering quality, value and service...

If there’s one thing that low income households (including the working poor, pensioners, unemployed, students) rely on it is the staff of life – the humble loaf of bread.

Ever since Coles introduced its own baked goods into the Yamba store, this can be the weekly lottery result for those customers who purchase allegedly freshly baked in-store bread:

Two slices from a Coles loaf in which approx. one quarter of the slices had hollow middles, July 2013

Howard and Switkowski allowed U.S. to commence spying on Telstra customers from 29 November 2001 onwards

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and former Telstra CEO and current Chancellor of RMIT University Dr Zygmunt "Ziggy" Switkowski have a lot to answer for - as do their respective cabinet ministers and telco chair and board members.

It is noted that Opposition Leader Tony Abbott was a cabinet minister in the Howard Government during the period in which this secret data collection and retention agreement was negotiated and signed, as was National Party Leader Warren Truss. Both men are standing at the forthcoming federal election.

Telstra’s current Chair, Catherine Livingstone, was also an independent non-executive director on the board at the time the agreement was negotiated and signed, whilst current CEO David Thodey was Group Managing Director of Telstra Mobiles in 2001 and was not appointed to the position of Group Managing Director Telstra Enterprise and Government until December 2002.

Telstra must reveal all on secret deal with FBI

12 Jul 2013 | Scott Ludlam Media Release
Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy

The Greens have called on Telstra to immediately disclose details of a secret deal, revealed by Crikey today, which was struck 12 years ago to allow the FBI and US Department of Justice to monitor calls and data traffic via the company's undersea cables.

"Telstra, at the time majority owned and controlled by the Howard Government, struck a deal to allow 24/7 surveillance of calls going in and out of the United States, including calls made by Australians. The cables in question are operated by Telstra subsidiary Reach, which controls more than 40 major telecommunications cables in the region, including cables in and out of China and Australia," said Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

"While the current Australian Government recently pushed then abandoned a two-year mandatory data retention scheme, for more than a decade this secret deal with the United States compelled Telstra, Reach and PCCW to store all customer billing data for two years.

"The deal also compelled Telstra, Reach and PCWW to provide any stored communications and comply with preservation requests; to provide any stored meta-data, billing data or subscriber information about US customers; to ignore any foreign privacy laws that might lead to mandatory destruction of stored data; and to refuse information requests from other countries without permission from the United States.

"This secret deal also allowed FBI and US Department of Justice officials to conduct inspection visits of Telstra and Reach offices and infrastructure.

"This is an extraordinary breach of trust, invasion of privacy, and erosion of Australia's sovereignty," said Senator Ludlam.

The agreement is available at this link: http://media.crikey.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/US-NSAs-Telstra.pdf

Agreement between the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and three telecommunication co...

Financial Review 13 May 2013:

The Coalition has approached former Telstra chief executive Ziggy Switkowski to be a director of NBN Co if it wins the election in another sign that it plans to shake up the board of the $37.4 billion broadband project.

The Australian Financial Review can reveal that opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull has canvassed Mr Switkowski and other former Telstra executives to replace NBN co-directors as he prepares for negotiations with the telco.

On 9 July 2013 Public Intelligence posted a list of other telecommunications corporations known to have made similar agreements with the U.S. Government:

Corporate Parties	Government Parties	Date	Download Link
Level 3 Communications, Inc.	DHS, DoD, DoJ	September 26, 2011	Download
AP TeleGuam Holdings, Inc.; AP TeleGuam Merger Sub, LLC	DHS, DoD, DoJ	May 1, 2011	Download
American Samoa Hawaii Cable, LLC; Samoa American Samoa Cable, LLC; American Samoa License, Inc.; and AST Telecom, LLC d/b/a Blue Sky Communications	DHS	February 2, 2011	Download (12.85 MB)
TerreStar Corporation; TerreStar Networks Inc.,	DHS, DoJ	December 18, 2009	Download
GU Holdings Inc.	DHS	September 21, 2009	Download
American Samoa Hawaii Cable, LLC; AST Telecom, LLC	DHS	January 9, 2009	Download
Inceptum 1 AS now known as Mobsat Holding Norway AS; Telenor Satellite Services AS successor to Telenor Broadband Services AS now known as Vizada AS; Telenor Satellite Services Holdings, Inc.; Mobsat Holding US, Inc. now known as Mobsat Holding US Corp; Telenor Satellite, Inc., now known as Vizada Satellite, Inc.; Telenor Satelltie Services, Inc. now known as Vizada, Inc.; GMPCS Personal Communications, Inc.; Marlink, Inc.; Telenor Secure Services, Inc. now known as Vizada Secure Services, Inc.; MindSparX, Inc.; Vizada Services Holding, Inc.; Vizada Services LLC	DHS, DoJ, FBI	September 25, 2008	Download
Horizon Mobile Communications, Inc.; SatCom Distribution, Inc.; SatCom Distribution Ltd.; and SatCom Group Holdings Plc	DHS, DoJ	September 24, 2008	Download
Inmarsat Global Limited; Inmarsat Hawaii Inc.	DHS, DoJ	September 17, 2008	Download
Reliance Communications Limited; Reliance Gateway Net Limited; FLAG Telecom Group Limited; FLAG Telecom Group Services; Yipes Holdings, Inc.; Yipes Enterprise Services, Inc.	DHS, DoJ	November 30, 2007	Download
Stratos Communications, Inc., previously MarineSat Communications Network, Inc.; Stratos Mobile Networks LLC; Stratos Mobile Networks, Inc.; CIP Canada Investment Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	August 14, 2007	Download
Global Crossing Limited, formerly known as GC Acquisition Limited; Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte Ltd	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	February 1, 2007	Download
Telenor Satellite Services AS; Telenor Satellite Services Holdings, Inc.; Telenor Satellite, Inc.; Telenor Satellite Services, Inc.; Inceptum 1 AS; Mobsat Holding US, Inc.; GMPCS Personal Communications, Inc.; Marlink, Inc.; Telenor Secure Services, Inc.; MindSparX, Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	March 5, 2007	Download
Guam Cellular and Paging, Inc.; DoCoMo Guam Holdings, Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	October 13, 2006	Download
América Móvil, S.A. de C.V.; Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico, Inc.	DHS, DoJ	2006	Download
Cypress Communications Holding Company, Inc.; TechInvest Holding Company, Inc.; Arcapita Investment Management Limited; and Arcapita Bank B.S.C.(c)	DHS, DoJ, FBI, Treasury	June 17, 2005	Download
TelCove, Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	June 15, 2005	Download
VSNL America, Inc.; VSNL Telecommunications, Inc.; Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	April 7, 2005	Download
Telefonica Moviles, S.A.; TEM Puerto Rico, Inc.; NewComm Wireless Services, Inc.	DHS, DoJ, FBI	May 14, 2004	Download
Micronesian Telecommunications Corporation; Pacific Telecom, Inc.	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	October 6, 2003	Download
Global Crossing Ltd.; GC Acquisition Limited; Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte Ltd	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	September 23, 2003	Download
XO Communications, Inc.	DoJ, FBI	September 16, 2002	Download
Telenor Satellite Services Holdings, Inc.; Telenor Satellite, Inc.; Telenor Satellite Services, Inc.; Telenor Broadband Services AS	DoJ, FBI	November 29, 2001	Download
Reach Ltd.; Telstra Corporation Limited; Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited	DoJ, FBI	November 29, 2001	Download
Mobile Satellite Ventures LLC; Mobile Satellite Ventures Subsidiary LLC; Motient Corporation; TMI Communications and Company, Limited Partnership	DHS, DoD, DoJ, FBI	November 14, 2001	Download
MarineSat Communications Network, Inc.; Stratos Mobile Networks LLC	DoJ, FBI	August 7, 2001	Download
Deutsche Telekom AG; Voicestream Wireless Corporation; Voicestream Wireless Holding Corporation	DoJ, FBI	April 1, 2001	Download
AT&T Corp.; British Telecommunications PLC; TNV BV; VLT Co. LLC; Violet License Co. LLC	DoD, DoJ, FBI	October 7, 1999	Download

American telco customers are fighting back through the courts - but has anyone in this country filed against the United States of America, Commonwealth of Australia and Telstra Corporation Limited yet?

The Ashby-Slipper-Harmer matters still wending their way through the Australian judicial system

Excerpt from bouefbloginon 14 June 2013

As Ashby v Slipper - NSD22/2013 and Harmer v Slipper - NSD31/2013 wend their way through the judicial system, placing yet more submissions before the Federal Court, J at bouefbloginon adds another perspective.

Full list of court documents available online here.

Cut and paste churnalism* in the lead up to the 2013 Australian federal election campaign

Spot the difference………

The Federal Nationals Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker’s media release of 8 July 2013:

Coalition’s policy to reduce regulation will give North Coast small business a break - Hartsuyker

July 8, 2013

Small business on the North Coast will be the main beneficiaries from the Federal Coalition’s commitment to cut red and green tape, Federal Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker said today.

Newsagents, dry cleaners, butchers, restaurants, fruit shops and small businesses across the region will benefit from the Coalition’s policy to reduce regulation.

“Small businesses across the region are really struggling because Labor has smashed consumer and investor confidence,” Mr Hartsuyker said. “Local small business owners and community groups tell me they are spending more time than ever complying with red tape.  

                         

“Small business people are expected to be the chief salesperson, the HR manager, the financial controller and the lawyer.  It’s a tough ask at the best of times, and even tougher when you are expected to comply with more and more regulation. Small businesses don’t have compliance departments – and nor should they.  We need common sense to prevail again.

“Under the Rudd-Gillard Government, 21,000 additional regulations have been added despite having promised to cap the growth of regulation.  Our policy will cut $1 billion in red and green tape costs every year – that means more jobs, more productive businesses, more efficient government and less costs to consumers and taxpayers.”

Mr Hartsuyker said the Coalition’s policy to Boost Productivity and Reduce Regulation will shift the focus from more regulation to less. 

If elected, a Coalition government will undertake a range of measures to deregulate the economy. These include:

•  Repealing Labor’s carbon tax;
•  Setting aside two Parliamentary sitting days for the repeal of legislation each year;
•  Reporting to Parliament annually on red and green tape reduction;
•  Creating a dedicated unit within each department and agency that is charged with driving red tape reduction;
•   Linking the remuneration  of senior public servants to quantified and proven reductions in red tape;
•  Establishing a  one-stop-shop for environmental approvals;
•   Allowing small  businesses to remit compulsory superannuation payments made on behalf of workers directly to the Australian Taxation Office;
•  Transferring administration of paid parental leave from business to the Family Assistance Office; and
•  Amending the Future of  Financial Advice legislation to reduce compliance costs for small business financial advisers.

Mr Hartsuyker recognised that all modern economies need regulation, but excessive regulation results in more costs than benefits and destroys the incentive to work, or in the case of community groups, it destroys the incentive to volunteer.  The Coalition will restore the balance.

“I want to make it easier for small businesses to employ people and for community groups to do their work without worrying about red tape.  My message to North Coast small businesses is that the Coalition has a smart plan to cut red tape and costs and that starts with the removal of the carbon tax,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

The Coffs Coast Advocate’s online version of 10 July 2013 which also appeared under a number of other APN digital mastheads:

Coalition promises to cut red and green tape

SMALL business on the North Coast will be the main beneficiaries from the Federal Coalition's commitment to cut red and green tape.

That's according to Member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker who said newsagents, dry cleaners, butchers, restaurants, fruit shops and small businesses across the region will all benefit from the Coalition's policy to reduce regulation.

"Small businesses across the region are really struggling because Labor has smashed consumer and investor confidence," Mr Hartsuyker said.

"Small business people are expected to be the chief salesperson, the HR manager, the financial controller and the lawyer. It's a tough ask at the best of times, and even tougher when you are expected to comply with more and more regulation.

"Small businesses don't have compliance departments - and nor should they. We need common sense to prevail again.

"Our policy will cut $1 billion in red and green tape costs every year - that means more jobs, more productive businesses, more efficient government and less costs to consumers and taxpayers."

Mr Hartsuyker said the Coalition's policy to boost productivity and reduce regulation will shift the focus from more regulation to less.

If elected, a Coalition government will undertake a range of measures to deregulate the economy. These include:

Repealing Labor's carbon tax;

Setting aside two Parliamentary sitting days for the repeal of legislation each year;

Reporting to Parliament annually on red and green tape reduction;

Creating a dedicated unit within each department and agency that is charged with driving red tape reduction;

Linking the remuneration of senior public servants to quantified and proven reductions in red tape;

Establishing a one-stop-shop for environmental approvals;

Allowing small businesses to remit compulsory superannuation payments made on behalf of workers directly to the Australian Taxation Office;

Transferring administration of paid parental leave from business to the Family Assistance Office; and

Amending the Future of Financial Advice legislation to reduce compliance costs for small business financial advisers.

* Churnalism is a form of journalism in which press releases, wire stories and other forms of pre-packaged material are used to create articles in newspapers and other news media in order to meet increasing pressures of time and cost without undertaking further research or checking.