The NSW Nationals have been whispering about it for quite a while, but this is the first time I have seen it in print

Former Labor MP Janelle Saffin is considering taking on the sitting Nationals MP Kevin Hogan for the federal seat of Page at the next general election.

Snapshot from The Northern Star 29 June 2014

Hat tip to Clarrie Rivers for supplying this.

Rupert Murdoch's plan to cripple public broadcasting in Australia is apparently still on track

The Sydney Morning Herald 27 July 2014:

A secret study of ABC operations has identified $60 million worth of potential savings, a finding the Abbott government will use to justify a new round of cuts to the broadcaster's budget.

Fairfax Media can also reveal the government is considering issuing directions to the ABC and SBS on managing their budgets - a move that would have the government exert greater influence over the broadcasters' operations.

The proposal is contained in the Abbott government's efficiency study into the ABC and SBS, which cherish their operational independence from government.

The government cut the ABC's budget by $35.5 million over four years in the May budget - a cut the government described as a ''downpayment'' on the results of the efficiency study.

The efficiency study, led by former Seven West Media chief financial officer Peter Lewis, says the government could encourage belt-tightening at the broadcasters by issuing a regular Ministerial Statement of Expectations to the ABC and SBS boards.

The study acknowledges the idea is ''controversial'' and could spark concerns the government is intervening in the ABC and SBS for political reasons….

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has insisted any future cuts should affect only back-office operations, not programming. ABC and SBS insiders dispute this and argue many of the study's savings proposals - such as moving SBS in with the ABC - are short-sighted and impossible to implement.

Earlier this month the ABC announced it would axe 80 jobs in its international division following the government's termination of funding for its $223 million Australia Network international broadcasting service.

How the Australian Broadcasting Commission competes with the Murdoch media empire according to Crikey on 3 December 2013:

The full extent of the ABC threat to News Corp isn't clear until you closely examine their competing activities.

First there's television, and the years-long saga of the ABC's Asia Pacific service, a national vanity project costing tens of millions a year, which the Howard government begged Jonathan Shier to take on in 2001. After the ABC began producing a reasonable, if low-cost, service, News coveted it for Sky News (of which News Corp has an interest via its holding in one-third owner BSkyB) to improve its international clout at taxpayer expense and tried twice, in 2005 and 2010, to win it, getting knocked back both times, although for very different reasons the second time around.

Then there's ABC News 24, a direct rival to Sky News itself and to News Corp's half-owned Foxtel, which carries Sky News. News 24 reaches about 14% of metropolitan audiences a week, far ahead of Sky News.

And free-to-air: Lachlan Murdoch's Ten Network has been regularly losing its third spot in the evening television ratings to the ABC. The ABC pointed out yesterday that it had lifted its prime-time share to a 14.6 share, up 1 percentage point from 2012 and the best performance of any free-to-air network this year. Ten's share fell and in fact spent all of 2013 behind the ABC, consigning it to fourth in metro markets, while its regional performance was even worse. ABC management has simply outclassed Lachlan's conga line of executives. The former head of ABC TV, Kim Dalton, was behind the suite of programs that enabled the ABC to have programs that viewers wanted to watch when Ten imploded in August of 2012, and continued to slide this year. Lachlan Murdoch has removed two CEOs and is now on his third in three years. Ten's problems are as much his problems as those of the poor decision making by former management.

Lachlan Murdoch also slashed and burnt the previous Ten management's carefully developed news and current affairs presence, at a time when the ABC was strengthening its position as the most trusted source of news for Australians across radio and television, far ahead of commercial broadcasters and newspapers — with News Corp's increasingly biased mastheads bringing up the rear as Australia's least-trusted newspapers.

"Plainly there are good leaks involving government secrets, which embarrass the ALP, and bad leaks, which make life difficult for the Coalition."

The ABC's online iView service is also a threat. It's now the most popular TV replay source online, and it competes directly, and for free, with Foxtel.

ABC Radio also competes directly with Lachlan's DMG radio stations in each state capital; Nova FM only beats the ABC's metropolitan local stations in Brisbane and Perth. And ABC Radio is planning a development that will not be greeted warmly by News or Ten or DMG Australia. Fairfax won't be happy either. In an email to staff two weeks ago, ABC Radio head Kate Dundas revealed that, among a long list of changes and new ideas, were state-based online news editions planned for 2014, a new e-mag for Radio National, a huge revamp of the Triple J Dig multiplatform, and a second online music stream for Classic FM.

Probably the most important will be the first version of the ABC audio player — the audio equivalent of iView. Podcasts for programs such as Conversations (which attracts hundreds of thousands of listeners a month) and RN programs will move to this new player site. ABC Radio Multiplatform also has a lot planned for 2014, with mobile versions of key sites like ABC Rural, Dig Music and ABC Local news sites.

The Sydney Morning Herald 12 June 2014:

Commercial television networks have leapt on the release of a Department of Communications research paper into Australian media ownership to renew calls for a relaxation of laws on media mergers and acquisitions.

The Abbott government is considering scrapping media ownership laws, including the law which prevents owners from controlling a newspaper, television station and radio station in the same market.

Tony Abbott's relentless blowing of his own trumpet fails to impress most voters

This is how Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the Murdoch press spin Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crash site negotiations since this passenger plane was downed with loss of all lives on 17 July 2014:

Tony Abbott is leading the West into a confrontation with nuclear superpower Russia over the downing of MH17.

The stakes are incredibly high, as the Prime Minister organises, effectively, a small army to move into Ukraine….

He has now assembled a five-nation force — including Holland and Britain — to recover the remaining bodies from the war zone where MH17 fell.

This is the nation and government which actually successfully arranged access to the site:

MH17: PUTIN ASSURES ASSISTANCE FOR INVESTIGATION TEAM TO ENTER INCIDENT SITE – PM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) 2014 - Russian President Vladimir Putin has given his assurance to use his influence to enable a Malaysian investigation team to enter the crash site of MH17 to commence investigations into the tragedy.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said in a telephone conversation with Putin today after breaking fast this evening, the Russian President stated that Moscow understood the need to investigate the incident.

"President Putin said he hoped Ukraine President (Petro Poroshenko) would agree to a ceasefire to enable the entry of the investigation team into the site.

"Putin said the party in control of the area wants an objective investigation to be conducted and Putin also said Russia did not have the capacity to shoot down the aircraft," Najib told reporters after receiving the call from Putin.

Earlier, Najib attended a breaking of fast with the media organised by the Communications and Multimedia Ministry at the Al-Muhammadi Mosque compound in Angkasapuri, here.

In the telephone call, the prime minister also told Putin on the need for the investigation team to be allowed into the crash site to start the investigation.

He said the investigation team which comprised Malaysian representatives should be given assurance on safety while carrying out their task.

"I also told Putin that the site should not be tampered before the team begins its investigation," he said.

Asked which party was responsible for the incident, Najib said Malaysia was a victim of an intense geopolitical conflict in the area.

"So that's the one that hangs over the whole attempt to initiate an immediate investigation," he said.

Najib said the group in control of the MH17 crash site and the Ukrainian government must agree to a ceasefire to enable the investigation team to enter the incident site as soon as possible.

"There is a commitment for a ceasefire by both parties but it should be translated into a form of an agreement, and I have informed President Putin that our investigation team has left for Kiev and I want them to be allowed into the area," he said.

On the involvement of some of the world's superpowers in the incident, Najib said the matter was very complex as they had their own and opposing views.

Najib said although he had no plans to visit Kiev on the incident, he was in constant contact with the leaders concerned.

He said today, he had received calls from leaders of several countries including Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, United Nations Secretary-General (UN) Ban Ki-moon and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

On reports that the MH17 plane was shot down and the parties involved should be held responsible, the prime minister said it needed complete investigation based on facts and solid evidence.

He said if the aircraft was shot down, forensic investigations would be able to determine it with ample evidence recovered from the aircraft.

MH17 aircraft, carrying 298 passengers and crew, was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed in Ukraine, near the Russian border, on Thursday.

The Boeing 777 plane left Amsterdam at 12.15pm (local time) on Thursday and was expected to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 6.10am (Malaysian time) on Friday.

Of the 298 passengers on board MH17, 44 were Malaysians.

MALAYSIA SECURES AGREEMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICE DEPLOYMENT TO MH17 CRASH SITE

Malaysia has secured an agreement with Ukrainian separatists, who control the area around the MH17 crash site, to allow a group of international police personnel to enter the area in order to provide protection for international crash investigators.

Pursuant to the earlier agreement between Prime Minister Najib Razak and Alexander Borodai, leader of the separatist forces, Mr Borodai today agreed to allow a deployment of international police personnel to enter the crash site.

Prime Minister Najib has today spoken to the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Australia, and the three grieving countries have agreed to work closely together in deploying police personnel.

68 Malaysian police personnel will leave Kuala Lumpur for the crash site on Wednesday as part of the international deployment.

Under the original three point agreement brokered between Prime Minister Najib and Mr Borodai last week, the Ukrainian separatists agreed to:
1. transfer the black boxes to Malaysia;
2. handover the human remains to international officials;
3. and grant full access to the crash site for international investigators.

So far, international air crash investigators have been unable to properly deploy across the vast crash site in eastern Ukraine and collect evidence due to ongoing security concerns, including continued military activity. Malaysia calls for an immediate cessation of all military activities in and around the crash site.

Malaysia is concerned that these security concerns are preventing full and unfettered access to the site, and therefore a proper, independent investigation from being carried out. Moreover, Malaysia is particularly concerned that some human remains may still be at the crash site.

Malaysian officials are discussing the details of the police deployment with the Netherlands and Australia. Malaysian Foreign Minister, Anifah Aman, has been speaking to his international counterparts and officials from the Ukrainian government on the legal and diplomatic framework for the deployment.

Malaysian Transport Minister, Liow Tiong Lai, has been leading on the MH17 investigation, working closely with the head of the investigation in the Netherlands.

SPEAKING EARLIER TODAY, PRIME MINISTER NAJIB RAZAK SAID:

“I am deeply concerned that international investigators have been unable to properly deploy to the crash site because of the volatile security situation. It is imperative that we deploy a full team of investigators to ensure that all the human remains are removed from the site, identified and repatriated. Everyone who was on board MH17 must be afforded proper dignity and respect.

“We also need a full deployment of investigators to have unfettered access to the crash site so we can understand precisely what happened to MH17. I hope that this agreement with Mr Borodai will ensure security on the ground, so the international investigators can conduct their work.

“Three grieving nations have formed a coalition to secure the site. Through our joint deployment of police personnel, the Netherlands, Australia and Malaysia will work together to achieve justice for the victims.”

Because Australian voters are not stupid, Tony Abbott relentless media releases, interviews, press conferences (and News Corp’s shameless propaganda on his behalf) since the downing of Flight MH17 have fallen on somewhat deaf ears when his overall performance is considered and fails to significantly improve the overall Coalition position :

Snapshots from The Daily Telegraph poll of 1,400 people across Australia conducted on 23-25 July 2014 by Galaxy Research

This Newspoll telephone survey conducted for The Australian between 25-27 July 2014 is based on 1,157 interviews across Australia excluding the Northern Territory.

More proof that when Tony Abbott promised "Work Choices, it's dead, it's buried, it's cremated now and forever" he was lying?

More proof that when Tony Abbott promised Work Choices, it's dead, it's buried, it's cremated now and forever he was lying?

The Liberal-Nationals Coalition Government widens its political moves against unions ahead of final consideration of the Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014  and Building and Construction Industry (improving productivity) Bill 2013 by both Houses of  the Australian Parliament.

The Australian 28 July 2014:

The Abbott government has asked commonwealth agencies to supply detailed information about contact with unions, ­including during the years Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd were in office, leaked documents reveal.

Unions last night condemned the extraordinary move, but the Attorney-General’s Department said the information was neces­sary in the event the government needed to respond quickly to the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. Confidential government documents obtained by the ACTU show agencies have been asked by the Attorney-General’s Department to supply broad-ranging information by Friday about their contact with unions, including documents relating to policy development.

Agencies have been asked to detail the nature and frequency of their consultation with unions on policies and programs, negotiations on workplace relations matters, and any appointments of union officials to government ­positions.

Agencies have been asked whether they made any grants, including research grants, gifts or donations to unions over the past five to 10 years, a period covering the Rudd and Gillard governments as well as John Howard’s final term in office.

The department has also sought information about any significant property transactions between agencies and unions over the past five to 10 years.

The request seeks information about agency contact with all unions, not just the five unions being investigated by the royal commission. Agencies have been asked if they have documents relating to policy development concerning unions and payments made to unions.

They have also been asked if they possess documents that contain “credible allegations’’ of wrongdoing by a commonwealth official, including a minister, agency head, ministerial adviser or public-sector employee in ­relation to a union.

The department asks agencies if they have had direct contact with the royal commission.

In a letter to agencies, the ­Attorney-General’s Department says it was seeking their assistance to identify “potential areas of commonwealth exposure to matters being considered by the royal commission’’.

“So far, the commission has had limited attention on the commonwealth but this could change at any time should an allegation be made about the conduct of a minister, employees, agency or other matter in relation to a trade union, trade union official or member or a spate entity such as a ‘slush fund’,’’ it says.

“In the event that a credible ­allegation were made against the commonwealth, it is important that the commonwealth is able to respond quickly.’’….

NSW Labor Conference votes for a CSG Free NSW North Coast on 27 July 2014

One more nail in the coffins of coal seam gas exploration companies with tenements in the NSW Northern Rivers region.

                     

The West Australian 27 July 2014:       

Delegates at the party's state Labor conference backed the motion on Sunday which affects Lismore, Ballina, Clarence and Tweed electorates.

Under a state Labor government, the CSG industry will be banned from the NSW north coast and the Northern Rivers region.

Former federal Labor MP Janelle Saffin told the conference, held in Sydney's Town Hall, that the motion aligned the party's platform with community opposition to CSG mining.

The motion comes after the NSW government in May suspended Metgasco's drilling licence in Bentley, in the state's Northern Rivers region.

The suspension came just days before thousands of protesters were expected to form a blockade at the drill site and up to 800 police officers were detailed to monitor their activities.

Metgasco has filed for a judicial review in the Supreme Court.

Federal Assistant Employment Minister Luke Hartsuyker and Ben Fordham indulge in jobseeker bashing during 2GB interview

Snapshot taken from www.2gb.com on 27 July 2014

In Job Seeker Compliance Data released for the March 2014 Quarter there were 858,104 jobseekers receiving unemployment benefits, of which 643,511 were active jobseekers who attended 2.215 million scheduled appointments with employment service providers.

From 1 January to 31 March 2014 Centrelink issued 121,216 Participation Reports (non-compliance), 20 per cent of which involved jobseekers whom the department considered had a reasonable excuse but who did not give prior notice of non-attendance and 15 per cent of which were the jobseeker’s first instance of a participation report.

A reasonable excuse can involve medical issues, caring responsibilities for a sick child or relative, homelessness, transport difficulties, recent bereavement, literacy or language difficulties, legal appointment, court appearance, attending a job interview, doing paid work/found a job, or other circumstances.

Of those jobseekers who failed to attend their usual appointment or did not comply with other requirements, a total of 215,284 had their benefit payment suspended under the new compliance arrangements introduced from 1 July 2011. Non-payment penalty periods generally are for a period of eight weeks.

Out of all those 858,104 registered jobseekers (including school leavers) only 137 refused a suitable job offered and only 183 did not turn up to commence a suitable job.

Yet 2GB radio’s Ben Fordham and the Assistant Minister for Employment in the Abbott Government, Luke Hartsuyker, indulged in some classic jobseeker bashing on Friday 25 July 2014.

With Hartsuyker stating that the reasonable excuse definition was being “toughened" and, not turning up for a scheduled appointment because it was “too hot or too cold or I couldn’t be bothered certainly doesn’t cut it”. For Hartsuyker to so misrepresent what is currently considered a reasonable excuse is extremely dishonest. 

For 2GB to call registered job seekers "dole bludgers" and Fordham to decide that all people who refuse jobs or do not turn up to interviews is because "they just can't be bothered" was dog whistling at its best.

To place job seeking in perspective, in seasonally adjusted terms in February 2014 there were 743,100 unemployed people across Australia of which 218,400 were in New South Wales.

That same month there were 143,600 job vacancies nationally and only 49,600 of these were in New South Wales according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Looking at jobs advertised online in the Northern River region it is likely that there were as few as 500-600 job vacancies in that February and most of these would not have been for permanent full-time employment.

Asylum seekers make it to Australian mainland despite Abbott Government policy

According to Australian High Court July 2014 transcripts; outside Australia’s territorial waters on or about 8 June 2014 the Abbott Government intercepted a boat carrying approximately 150 Sri Lankan Tamil men, women and children (of which the youngest appears to be two years of age) allegedly intending to seek asylum in this country. All were taken on board a Customs ship which then moved further out into international waters, allegedly so that Australian officials could at some point transfer them to the custody of Sri Lankan officials.

On 20 June 2014 the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection issues this media release :

The latest weekly update from Operation Sovereign Borders highlights the continued success of the Coalition Government's border protection policies with more than six months having passed without a successful people smuggling venture, and is a reminder to the people smugglers that the same set of policies and resolve they have faced to date will remain on our borders, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon Scott Morrison said today…..

The ABC The World Today program reported on Monday 23 June 2014:

TONY ABBOTT: We've stopped the illegal boats, we will ensure that we stop the jihadists as well.

A month later and matters were not going Abbott and Morrison's way.....

ABC News 26 July 2014:

The Government has confirmed it intends to send 157 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who have held been on a Customs boat to the Curtin Detention Centre in remote WA.

The group of men, women and children left in a boat from India and have spent nearly a month in legal limbo on board the Customs ship, after being intercepted by Australian authorities….

ABC News 26 July 2014:

International law Professor Donald Rothwell says the asylum seekers' legal status remains uncertain.

"Bringing them to the mainland - if that is ultimately their destination - would bring them within the migration zone and it would activate for them a capacity to make asylum claims," he told ABC News 24.

"So we are in quite a fluid situation in terms of the ability of these people to actually make asylum claims under Australian law."

Professor Rothwell says the transfer could open up the possibility of another High Court application “to actually have the rights of these people recognised under international and Australian law".