Police Association appears to believe the that the NSW Police Commissioner's response to the Bentley Blockade is not carefully planned

Coal seam gas/tight gas miner Metgasco Limited's little helpers at  http://pansw.org.au/node/1942:

Circular No. 19 Operation Stapler (Bentley Gas Project)

7th May 2014
Circular No. 19

Operation Stapler (Bentley Gas Project)

Under normal circumstances an operation of this magnitude would require a considerable period of careful planning. Unfortunately, the planning for this operation is constrained by a far shorter timeframe.

Your Association has been meeting with the Northern Region Commander and his staff to ensure the Industrial and WHS conditions of our members are met. This is a work in progress and we are continuing to consult with the NSWPF.

Members should be aware of the following entitlements as per our Award Crown Employees (Police Officers- 2013) Award.

Accommodation:

Where available, members are entitled to be accommodated in three star/three diamond accommodation. The Association has been advised that this standard of accommodation has been sourced in Ballina, Lismore and Casino .If you are not accommodated in at least 3 star accommodation on this operation, please advise your Association ASAP.

Meals:
When members are required to perform duty at a temporary work location, you are entitled to be compensated for expenses incurred for meals and incidentals. The Association has been advised that you will be supplied suitable meals during shift and be paid a meal claim for off duty meals. If the meals supplied are not suitable or if you are not paid your meal or incidental claim, please advise your Association.
Breakfast: $22.30 Lunch: $ 25.45 Dinner: $43.85 Incidentals per 24 hours: $18.20

Hours of Duty:
Members are entitled to two rest days in seven or four rest days in fourteen. If you are not provided with this, you are entitled to the cancelled rest day penalty.
Members who work more than seven “b” shifts in a 21 day period are entitled to the excess “b” shift penalty.

The Association has been advised that members will be working eight hours shifts with travelling time and overtime. These shifts will be morning, afternoon or night shifts. We have been advised that members will work the same type of shift when deployed to minimise fatigue and rostering issues. The normal length of deployment is seven days in the field with travel either side. Please advise your supervisor if fatigue is an issue.

Facilities:
The NSWPF has obligation under WH&S to provide certain facilities even at temporary work locations.This includes facilities for decontamination, toilets, stand down areas, shelter, and appropriate uniform and personal protective equipment. The Association has been advised that these facilities have been sourced. Any WH&S issues should be raised with your supervisor in the first instance. If unresolved, please contact your Association.

Association Contacts
Your Association will have two Organisers at the Operation. They will be in attendance for the induction. Mobile numbers of the Organisers will be supplied at the induction. Branch Officials are asked to make themselves know to the Organisers as a point of reference in the field.

First Response and other duties:
The number required to be deployed on this operation may affect the capability of LAC to meet First Response Agreement. Please advise your local branch officials of any breach use the First Response Non Compliance Form available at our website or by calling the office to notify the Association of all first response breaches.

You can contact the Association on 9265 6777 or though the DOI outside normal business hours. Email: info.centre@pansw.org.au
 

Scott Weber

President

Hitting the nail on the head regarding Anthony John Abbott

The trouble Tony Abbott is having at the moment - which is reflected in falling approval ratings for himself and his party - has arisen because of a long-term commitment to a particular ideological point of view. In other words, his problem is that it is getting harder for him to hide what he really wants to do to the country…..he can no longer hide the reality of his vision for Australia. The reason that's a problem is because most Australians don't like what they are seeing.   [Tim Dunlop, The Drum, 8 May 2014]

The Lies Abbott Tells - Part Fifteen

THE LIE

The Australian 12 May 2014:

FEDERAL MPs were in line for a pay rise that could have given them 10 times the amount they paid under the deficit levy — before the last-minute decision by Tony Abbott to freeze their wages.

The one-year freeze will also apply to senior public servants, the heads of government agencies and judges.

The Remuneration Tribunal will meet today in Sydney where it had been due to decide its annual adjustment of politicians’ pay, which must be announced by June 18….

Mr Abbott decided it would not match his belief that “everyone” should make a contribution to repair the budget if MPs and ministers were “better off”.

Last Wednesday, Mr Abbott promised the budget would be fair, saying: “I’m going to be able to look people in the eye on Tuesday night and on Wednesday morning and beyond and say, ‘We are all in this together, we are all doing our bit’.”

On the same day, Public Service Minister Eric Abetz was ­directed to write to the tribunal asking it to freeze pay and to not calculate a rise that would be passed on at a later date. The tribunal received the twin requests on Friday.

Despite being given the power two years ago to make pay decisions independent of politics, the three-person tribunal is expected to agree to both requests today.

THE FACTS

On 13 June 2013 the independent Remuneration Tribunal announced a 2.4 per cent increase in the pay rates of the most senior offices in the public service, parliamentarians, Secretaries, numerous part-time offices and the federal judiciary - effective 1 July 2013.

In September 2013 the Tribunal announced that the Australian prime minister and federal government ministers would receive no additional salary increases above that flowing on from this increase in parliamentarians’ base pay rate.

On 9 December 2013 the Tribunal issued a statement that it had determined not to further raise the salaries of federal parliamentarians and, on 12 May 2014 issued another statement confirming that it had decided in April 2014 not to increase the pay rates of senators and members of parliament before 1 July 2015:

For some months, noting the Government’s policy, it has been evident that any wages movement in the APS and federal public sector would be restrained. Indeed, at its April meeting, the Tribunal’s preliminary conclusion was that it would determine no annual review increase for offices in its jurisdiction from 1 July 2014….

The Tribunal determines remuneration for a wide range of the most senior full-time and part-time public offices, including the federal judiciary, and federal parliamentarians….

In 2011 and 2012, the Tribunal determined increases in remuneration for offices in its jurisdiction of 3%, with a 2.4% increase in 2013. Each of these decisions took effect on 1 July in the relevant year. When the Tribunal made its 2013 decision, it stated that it intended to review the decision towards the end of 2013 to see if any further adjustment was justified. The Tribunal did reconsider the matter late in 2013, and decided that the economic indicators at that time did not justify any further adjustment to remuneration.

One foot soldier in Abbott's Army in pre-Budget mode

This is the troll Karma_Is_King in an almosy 'happy' mood in January last year:

This is KiK inviting himself into a Twitter conversation at the beginning of this week:

One has to wonder how KiK copes with life generally.

I suspect that Bill from Bendigo came close to the mark:

Will the Abbott Government's first federal budget compound social and economic pressures on the NSW North Coast?

Tomorrow the Abbott Coalition Government is handing down its first federal budget and the very people it is targeting for permanent financial pain are already under stress on the NSW North Coast.

Excerpts from Anglicare Australia’s Rental Affordability Snapshot April 2014:

…………………………

NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption Operation Spicer - Week 3 witness list profiles

NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption Operation Spicer witness list for Week 3 of investigation hearings:

Nick Di Girolamo - Liberal Party fundraiser, managing partner at Colin Biggers & Paisley until February 2007 after which he joined Australian Water Holdings as CEO and shareholder

Raymond Carter – former staffer to former NSW Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher

Darren Webber - former Liberal Party MP for Wyong now sitting on the cross benches as an independent after expulsion from the party

Christopher Spence – former Liberal Party MP for The Entrance now sitting on the cross benches as an independent after expulsion from the party

Timothy Koelma - creator of the ‘slush fund’ corporation, Eightbyfive, and former aide of former NSW Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher

Nathan Tinkler - former Patinack Farm horse stud owner and mining magnate

Christopher Hartcher – former NSW Liberal Party MP for Terrigal and former NSW Resources and Energy now sitting on the cross benches as an independent MP after expulsion from the party

Some of the people on previous Operation Spicer witness lists:

Karen McNamara – Federal Liberal MP for Dobell

Jodi McKay – former Labor MP for Newcastle, former NSW Minister for Tourism

Charles Perrottet – NSW Liberal state executive member, former adviser to then NSW Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher, brother of NSW Minister for Finance & Services Dominic Perrottet and Government Affairs Analyst at BP Australia Pty Ltd

Tenille Koelma – Anconna Resources shareholder and wife of Tim Koelma former aide to then NSW Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher

John Caputo - director of First National Real Estate in Dee Why,former mayor of Warringah, committee member of Prime Minister Abbott's Warringah federal electorate conference and vice-president of NSW Premier Mike Baird's Manly state electoral conference

Hollie Hughes - Liberal Party state executive member

Darren Jameson – former NSW police officer and former Liberal pre-selection candidate in Robertson electorate

Aaron Henry – member of the Liberal Party and former staffer with NSW State Liberal Member for The Entrance Chris Spence

Laurie Alexander – former staffer with NSW State Liberal Member for The Entrance Chris Spence

Zaya Toma – Fairfield City councillor and electorate office manager for State Liberal MP for Smithfield Andrew Rohan

David Sharpe – former co-owner and executive at BuildDev property developer

Troy Palmer - chief executive of Hunter Sports Group, Chief Financial Officer of Patinack and a Buildev Group director

Matthew Lusted – owner of a Wyong building company and a Liberal Party donor

Tim Gunasinghe – President of the Erina Chamber of Commerce
Timothy Trumbull - accountant and Liberal Party donor

Pasquale Sergi – property developer

Angelo Maggiotto –property developer

Iwan Sunito – property developer
Sebastian Reid - nephew of former of NSW Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher
Annette Poole - staff member at legal firm Hartcher Reid

Eric Stammer - General Manager Yeramba Estates property development company

Roy Sergi - Advance Ready Mix Concrete
Peter Hesky - hotelier and property developer
Ekarin Sriwattanaporn - operates IT business Micki-Tech and is partner of Ray Carter former electorate officer for then NSW Resources and Energy Minister Chris Hartcher

Robert Osborne - Liberal Party donor and owner Patonga Beach Hotel

Marie Neader - receptionist at legal firm Hartcher Reid

John Stevens – property developer

Darren Stevens

Darren Williams - development manager at the Buildev Group and a sponsor of the Sydney-based Liberal Party associated entity The Millennium Forum in 2008

Nabil Gazal – Gazcorp director Sydney property developer

Nicholas Gazal – Gazcorp director Sydney property developer

Eric Koelma – brother to Tim Koelma creator of the ‘slush fund’ corporation, Eightbyfive

Grahame Young - CEO of Tesrol property group

Gary Bonaccorso – Sydney property developer
Doug Sneddon - planning consultant

Anthony Bandle – trustee of Liberal and National Parties’ Canberra-based associated entity Free Enterprise Foundation 

John Abel – NSW Liberal Party member and factional identity within the party
Tony Merhi - property developer and alleged Liberal Party donor
Marie Ficarra - Member of the NSW Legislative Council and, a former parliamentary secretary until 17 April 2014
Peter McConnell - former chief of staff to former NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell

Mum! Mr. Eleventy is trying to scare me again!

This was Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey tweeting at 3.41pm on 6 May 2014:

Sixteen per cent! *shock, horror, gasp* Must agree with every funding cut, tax increase or punitive welfare measure in the Abbott Government's first federal budget!

Or do I?

What is this 6-year projection up to 2018 actually telling me about the state of national economies in those countries included on this graph.

Take the USA for instance, which Joe Mr Eleventy Hockey appears to be saying is doing so much better than Australia.

In 2013 in US dollar terms federal government spending totalled $3,454.6 billion, federal debt reached $16,719.4 billion and its gross domestic product (GDP) was $6,618.6 billion. Therefore US federal government spending was 52.1% of GDP and gross debt was 100.6% of the country's GDP. Based on White House data, US net debt was 28.5% of GDP and the federal deficit was 6% of GDP in that year.

While in Australia in 2013-14 federal government spending totalled $409 billion, gross commonwealth government debt reached $311 billion (on 31 March 2014) and our gross domestic product (GDP) was $1,577 billion. Therefore federal government spending in 2013-14 was 25.9% of GDP and gross debt was an est.19.7% of GDP (as of 31 March 2014). According to the current Minister for Finance, federal net debt will be an est. 12.4 % of GDP and Treasurer Hockey's own MYEFO projects a federal deficit of 2.98% of GDP for the 2013-14 financial year.

Clearly Mr, Hockey's tweeted graph means little when one compares the word's largest economy with Australia's better economic profile. 

Muuuum! Make him stop!

Note: Australian data drawn from The Treasury, Dept. of Finance, Australian Office of Financial Management and Australian Bureau of Statistics.