News Corp cries poor - wants local government funding

The comment of tweeter @Greg_MarineLab says it all:

"How very NewsCorp! Begging for a taxpayer handout while never paying any tax & subverting democracy...."

News Corp unsuccessfully lobbied a number of South Australian councils and, like the City of Tea Tree, Campbelltown, Playford and Salisbury councils didn't want to prop the Murdochs up when in all probability it would mean raising rates.

InDaily, 3 May 2019:

InDaily has confirmed with several sources a senior delegation of News Corp executives, including South Australian executive general manager Ish Davies and Messenger Newspapers editor-in-chief Nadja Fleet, approached four north-eastern councils in March requesting significant investment – totalling at least $1.6 million over two years – to keep the print run of the local North Eastern Weekly afloat.

It has only taken the Murdoch's 32 years to run this once independent group of community newspapers into the ground.

All drink driving in NSW to result in immediate loss of licence from 20 May 2019

NSW Transport for NSW, media release, 6 May 2019:

Immediate loss of licence for all drink drivers

All drink driving offenders can now immediately lose their licence under tough new penalties announced by the Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance today.

From May 20 drink drivers who are first-time, lower range offenders will receive an immediate three month licence suspension and fine of $561.

“This means anyone caught drink‐driving in NSW, at any level, including low-range, can now lose their licence immediately,” Mr Constance said.

“This reform makes it clear if you break the law, you will pay the price. We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to drink and drug driving.”

Under the new laws, simpler and more certain penalties will also apply for drug drivers.

Offenders who drive with the presence of illicit drugs for the first time will receive a $561 fine and a three month licence suspension if the offence is confirmed by laboratory analysis.

Alcohol related crashes claimed the lives of at least 68 people on NSW roads last year, accounting for nearly one in five road deaths, including 55 lives lost on country roads.

Fatalities from crashes involving a drug driver accounted for similar numbers of deaths.

“Drivers who have an illegal level of alcohol in their blood or have used illegal drugs have no place on the road,” Mr Constance said.

Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Corboy said this reform will protect all road users by ensuring swift and certain penalties.

“Alcohol is one of the major factors in crashes that kill or injure people on NSW roads.The 0.05 blood alcohol limit has been in place for almost 38 years. There are no more excuses,” Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.

Portrait of a Dangerous Smirking Fool

Australian Prime Minister & Liberal MP for Cook Scott Morrison, ABC "7.30", 6 May 2019:  “Do I think the United Australian [sic] Party is a bigger risk than….the Labor Party and the Greens. No I don’t”.
 Image: @_sara_jade

Junkee, 6 May 2019:

Scott Morrison appeared on the ABC’s 7.30 tonight and said some very questionable things, but one in particular stood out: our Prime Minister reckons that a 100 percent renewable energy target is more of a risk to Australia than anything Clive Palmer and his United Australia Party has to offer.

Morrison shared this view after 7.30 host Leigh Sales pressed him on why the Coalition chose to make preference deals with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and Clive Palmer’s UAP this election.

Illegal net fishing on Clarence River costs fisherman $18,000

The Daily Examiner, 7 May 2019, p.4:

If you think illegal net fishing is no big deal, you may be about to get tangled up in a very expensive process.

The warning comes from NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries on the North Coast as they successfully prosecuted commercial fisherman from Iluka over seven illegal fishing offences in two years.

And the cost to him? More than $18,000 in fines and professional fees.

DPI director of fisheries compliance, Patrick Tully said all matters in relation to the offences were heard in court on April 10, with the offender convicted of all charges.

“This offender has incurred significant penalties related to the illegal use of nets in the waters of the lower Clarence River on two separate occasions in 2017 and 2018,” Mr Tully said.

“In November 2017, the offender failed to stop his vehicle when requested by Fisheries officers who then pursued him to his residence where they found him to be in possession of an illegal net and a number of fish taken illegally by that net. Then in April 2018, the offender was found using a net by illegal methods.

“On both occasions the nets and illegally taken fish were seized by DPI Fisheries officers.”

The man, a repeat offender, was convicted on all six fishing-related offences and one of obstructing fisheries officers. He was also required to pay the department’s professional costs….

Anyone with information on suspected illegal fishing activity is urged to contact their local DPI Fisheries office, call the Fisher Watch phone line on 1800043536 or report illegal fishing activities online.

Bypass the Murdoch press and read Labor's policy costings for yourself

Going on the behaviour of Murdoch's News Corp mastheads during the 2019 federal election campaign to date, by 6am the headlines will be misleading at best.

Scott Morrison & Co have already begun their scare campaign in response to the policy costings Labor released yesterday.

Therefore I invite readers to bypass political posturing by both the Coalition and a large section of the media and look at the policy document for yourselves.

It is your judgement that counts because the responsibility to elect the next Australian Government rests with you, not with an elderly U.S. billionaire who rarely visits this country.

2019 Labor Fiscal Plan by clarencegirl on Scribd

https://www.scribd.com/document/409452342/2019-Labor-Fiscal-Plan

Cartoon of the Week

Matt Golding

Tweets of the Week

Lismore this morning: a PUBLIC READING OF THE FAILURES of the Coalition on climate. Our town crier read a list of 22 failures. Crown yelled ‘shame’ after each of them. #auspol #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/MVBh4DcCwW

— Annie Kia (@AnnieKia) May 1, 2019

The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader both visited Agfest in Tasmania today. At the bar the guy pouring the beers says to Bill Shorten, "At least you paid Scomo didn't pay." pic.twitter.com/lwGxxmCAm4

— David Sharaz (@DavidSharaz) May 2, 2019