Opposition Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey exposed

Peter Martin on 1 December 2011:

The two Perth accountants who costed the Coalition’s 2010 election policies breached professional standards and will be fined, a disciplinary tribunal has ruled.

The ruling is an embarrassment to the Coalition which claimed during the campaign the costing was “as good as you could get anywhere in the country, including in Treasury." In recent months it has threatened to use private accountants once again.

Geoffrey Phillip Kid and Cyrus Patell, both of the Perth office of WHK Horwath produced a one-page report for the Coalition two days before the election which Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey tendered as an audit, saying the pair had certified “in law that our numbers are accurate".

“If the fifth-biggest accounting firm in Australia signs off on our numbers it is a brave person to start saying there are accounting tricks,” he told ABC radio. “I tell you it is audited. This is an audited statement.’’

In fact the document was the result of a carefully-worded agreement between the accountants and the Coalition to produce work primarily "not of an audit nature".

An audit would examine the assumptions used by the Coalition and whether they were reasonable.

Kidd and Patell’s unpublished agreement with the Coalition explicity required them to make no inquires about “the reasonableness of otherwise of the assumptions used"...

A professional conduct tribunal established by the Institute of Chartered Accountants ruled in July that Kidd and Patel were liable to face disciplinary action because their one-page report failed to contain “a statement that the procedures performed do not constitute either an audit or a review” and so failed to properly describe the limited nature of the agreed upon procedures…

Read the rest here.

Something to ponder about the 2011-12 Federal Budget

An example of where the Australian Labor Party has lost its way.

The Punch and Jo Thornely on 2^nd December 2011:

“Wading through the bits of the 2011-2012 Budget that actually say actual things in actual English (that is, the bits that don’t say things like “continuing benefits to the bottom-line beyond the forward estimates”, which I assume means “um”) I was struck by some comparative numbers.

One of the numbers was $222 million, which has been earmarked to extend the National School Chaplaincy Program.

One of the other numbers was $53 million, put aside to improve access to public dental services, particularly for those with low incomes. In a (perhaps simplistic) summation, in financial terms the government is around four times more likely to give you access to divinity than dentistry. It will be easier to learn about Noah’s Ark than dental plaque.”

A few barefaced political untruths in November-December 2011

"...controlled burns, despite these problems over the recent couple of weeks, [are] absolutely essential."  WA Premier Colin Barnett in ABC News, 4 December 2011

The US said it was committed to making a success of the UN climate talks currently taking place in South Africa.  BBC News, 3 December 2011

He pledged to save small business $1 billion a year by cutting red tape.  Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott in Crikey, 2 December 2011

Mr Hockey said the Coalition would press ahead with its promise of tax cuts at the next election. The Australian,  2 December 2011

"It [the Murray Darling Basin Plan] is a Greens manifesto," Mr Chesson said. The Australian, 2 December 2011

Mr Gulaptis said his primary focus as Member for Clarence would be to see that the O'Farrell Government continues to deliver for the Clarence. The Northern Star, 29 November 2011

Christopher Pyne insisted there was a sacred and immutable Westminster principle that a Speaker must come from the government party... The Canberra Times, 27 November 2011

Because the Gillard Government is in so much debt some independent retiree superannuation is worthless Northern Rivers resident, 26 November 2011

Liberal backbencher Michael Pengilly has made more comment on his embarrassing tweet in which he called the Prime Minister "a real dog". He has blamed his slur against Julia Gillard on his lack of "digital dexterity". ABC News, 25 November 2011

Mr Cansdell says......"I didn't really appreciate the gravity of my decision then, and I didn't think much about it at all.  ABC Mid North Coast,  22 November 2011

Widely-held assumptions that climate change is responsible for an upsurge in extreme drought, flood and storm events are not supported by a landmark review of the science.  The Australian, 18 November 2011

In the United States, we’ll never forget how Australia invoked the ANZUS Treaty - for the first time ever - showing that our two nations stand as one. U.S. President Barack Obama in the Herald Sun, 17 November 2011

the police gave the same holding statement that has been issued for the past six weeks about ''investigations [into disgraced former Clarence MP Steve Cansdell are] ongoing''. The Age, 13 November 2011

"The Government has been borrowing around $135 million each and every day to pay its bills.”  Luke Hartsuyker Nationals MP for Cowper in The Northern Star,  9 November 2011

Church parties accept their responsibility when victims of abuse seek damages through legal proceedings and when liability or potential liability is clear. Cardinal George Pell in The Australian, 4 November 2011

From Obama to McWho? Where punters are putting their money in the lead up to the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

It only takes a casual glance at the U.S. media to know that, aside from the incumbent president, guesses as to who else will contest next year's race for the White House are somewhat unrealistic and all over the place.
Here's where the average punter is laying win-only money (market depth) at Betfair according to OddsChecker:

2012 Presidential Election - Next President
Barack Obama	1.89 $36	1.9 $1359	1.91 $106
Mitt Romney	4.3 $223	4.4 $19	4.5 $4
Newt Gingrich	5.6 $30	5.7 $79	5.8 $3
Ron Paul	28 $4	30 $95	32 $18
Rick Perry	60 $3	65 $9	95 $5
Herman Cain	60 $12	100 $27	130 $18
Hillary Clinton	34 $5	40 $5	60 $9
Jon Huntsman	3.75 $15	24 $6	38 $13
Michele Bachmann	25 $3	38 $12	50 $20
Rick Santorum	250 $3	300 $4	320 $6
Gary Johnson	380 $3	390 $4	400 $3
Rudolph Giuliani	100 $66	200 $7	1000 $32
Joseph Biden	380 $3	490 $3	500 $5
Sarah Palin	400 $10	410 $4	500 $5
Michael Bloomberg	420 $3	520 $10	550 $11
Donald Trump	300 $6	360 $7	430 $3
Chris Christie	840 $3	990 $3	1000 $14
Mitch Daniels	590 $3	650 $3	770 $3
Tim Pawlenty	250 $3	500 $3	1000 $58
David Petraeus	130 $3	250 $3	1000 $41
Mike Huckabee	920 $3	980 $3	1000 $18
Jeb Bush	27 $13	500 $3	1000 $22
John Thune	60 $7	500 $3	1000 $44
Haley Barbour	30 $3	34 $7	1000 $96
Marco Rubio	25 $3	500 $3	1000 $45
Bobby Jindal	90 $15	500 $3	1000 $82
Condoleezza Rice	500 $3	730 $3	1000 $56
Lindsey Graham	130 $3	500 $3	1000 $80
Mark Sanford	3.5 $3	500 $3	1000 $92
Charlie Crist	60 $7	500 $3	1000 $86
Chuck Baldwin	500 $3	640 $4	1000 $84
John McCain	500 $3	610 $8	1000 $94
Bill Owens	30 $12	500 $3	1000 $89
Fred Thompson	60 $14	500 $3	1000 $92
Evan Bayh	40 $15	500 $3	1000 $93
Tom Ridge	75 $9	500 $3	1000 $78
Al Gore	90 $7	410 $3	520 $3
George Allen	300 $4	500 $3	1000 $93
George Pataki	34 $9	500 $3	1000 $90
Bill Frist	3.5 $3	500 $3	1000 $88
Janet Napolitano	3.5 $3	500 $3	1000 $92
Sam Brownback	480 $3	500 $3	1000 $90
Eric Cantor	40 $7	500 $3	1000 $82
Jim DeMint	44 $7	50 $7	1000 $66
Mike Pence	3.5 $3	500 $3	1000 $82
Kay Bailey Hutchison	100 $10	500 $3	1000 $88
Rob Portman	90 $6	500 $3	1000 $86
Dirk Kempthorne	100 $11	500 $3	1000 $88
Scott Brown	3.5 $3	500 $3	1000 $76
Paul Ryan	470 $13	500 $3	1000 $52
Mark Warner	90 $6	500 $3	1000 $84
Tim Kaine	100 $10	500 $3	1000 $87
Rand Paul	3.5 $3	75 $7	1000 $55
Fred Karger	90 $6	500 $3	1000 $88
Alan Grayson	120 $7	500 $3	1000 $85
Alvin Greene	120 $7	500 $3	1000 $85
John Boehner	70 $7	500 $3	1000 $85
Chuck Hagel	120 $7	500 $3	1000 $85
Duncan Hunter	120 $7	500 $3	1000 $85
Norm Coleman	120 $7	500 $3	1000 $85
Jim Webb	120 $7	500 $3	1000 $85
Kathleen Sebelius	120 $7	500 $3	1000 $85
Caroline Kennedy	120 $7	500 $3	1000 $85
Thaddeus McCotter	3.5 $3	500 $3	1000

The Port Paper: a NSW North Coast National Party saga continues

Screen snapshot 2 December 2011

The Port Paper was until the end of August 2011 allegedly one of the NSW Nationals political propaganda and campaign broadsheets masquerading as a print and online community newspaper.

Once found out it ceased publication and has idled online ever since under a new address; http://portpaper.publishpath.com/.

Its parent company Australian News & Media Pty Ltd is under external administration, although an associated entity Australian Corporate & Marketing Services Pty Ltd appears to be operating.

What is interesting about the new registrant Whois Privacy Protection Service Inc (which now hosts a skeleton presence of The Port Paper on the Internet) is its history of being found to be a party to acts in bad faith.

As evidenced by Carnie Wilson v. Whois Privacy Protection Service, Inc. a/k/a Whois Agent Claim Number: FA0502000417186, Asahi Breweries Ltd. v. Whois Privacy Protection Service, Inc., Demand Domains, Inc.Case No. D2009-1481, Jacuzzi UK Group PLC v. WHOIS Privacy Protection Service Inc. Case No. D2004-0254, Fluke Corporation v. Whois Agent and Whois Privacy Protection Services Inc. [2004] GENDND 1061.

Whois Privacy Protection Service Inc. is also listed as owning a male m@sturbation website.

It would appear that The Port Paper and the North Coast Nationals have finally found their natural home.

A Click in Time - Celebrating the Centenary of Australian Surfing Photography 1911 - 2011

Russell Ord 2003

Blood and Guts, Shipsterns, Spooky’s and Pipeline are names that conjure up titles of horror movies rather than four spectacular Australian surf breaks that will be featured at the opening of the ‘Centenary of Australian Surfing Photography Exhibition’ at Yamba.

After 18 months planning and research for the exhibition, 100 professional and amateur surfing photographs from every state and decade from 1911 showcases a diverse range of skill, content and creativity while at all times showing some technical merit.

The 100 photographs exemplify the legacy of Osric Notley, the first person accredited with taking Australia’s first surfing photograph back in the summer season of 1911/12 at Main Beach Yamba in Northern NSW.

Priceless gems at the exhibition include the cover photos from two 1962 surfing bibles of the day, the first Surfing World and Surf About Magazines.

Female surfer Isabel Letham and friends with the Duke swim at Freshwater in Sydney in 1915 is an absolute rare find as to are Ma and Pa Bendall from the Sunshine Coast.

A number of the masters of the lens in their era have contributed their favourite masterpieces including John Witzig’s ‘Headless McTavish’, Alby Falzon’s Bobby Brown at Angourie, Jack McCoy at Gnaraloo Station and Christo Reid at Wanna Beach, South Australia.

Some surf photographers look like they simply have a death wish when they paddle out at Cyclops in SA and Shipsterns in Tasmania with two massive waves caught on camera in 2006 and 2003 and submitted by Russell Ord and Sean Davey.

South coast photographer Dave Milnes has generously contributed a previously unpublished photo of surfing legend Bobby Brown taken at Port Kembla.

Angourie veterans Albert Fox and John Batcheldor relieve their 1963 road trip to Bryon Bay from Warilla captured on a box Brownie while surfing at Blood and Guts (Belongil).

Like the turn of the century in 1900 there was a massive shift in photographic equipment enabling photography to be picked up by the masses, not unlike today.  An example of this new technology comes in the form of 11 year old, Pheonix Short who submitted an image he took of himself with his ‘Go Pro’.

Some of the international surf names Andy Irons, Layne Beachley and Kelly Slater are also immortalized in the exhibition.

We may have also inadvertently found Australia’s first female surf photographer? A Yamba woman Sharmian Maxwell, instead of lying on the beach in her polka dot bikini was out and about with her father’s camera snapping Angourie in 1964.

A vintage display of retro camera gear will also be feature of the exhibition.

The exhibition goes for two months at the Yamba Museum 3^rd December to 3^rd February 2012.

Entry fee is $5 (Children Fee), funds raised go to the disability surfers and Yamba Museum who will be gifted the collection at the end of the exhibition.

No photographs are for sale as the exhibition as it becomes a permanent collection for the community of Yamba, the birthplace of Australian Surfing Photography.

Unknown 1917

One Click In Time from Debrah Novak on Vimeo.

Media Contact: Debrah Novak Mobile: 0419272621

Today is UN International Day Of People with Disability

“Together

for a better world for all:

Including persons with disabilities in development”.

“Too often we focus on the negatives,

when there are so many amazing stories

and so many organisations and individuals doing great work.”

Federal MP for Page Janelle Saffin

Don’t DIS my ABILITY

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Arty humour

From Chelsey Austin's Facebook photos

Click to enlarge

Fair dinkum, I bet they're spewing in Macquarie Street right now

In June this year Bazza O’Farrell severed the link between the salaries of state and federal backbench pollies – in the past the base salary of a NSW MP was aligned with a Federal MP minus $500.

So in 2011 those pollies in Macquarie Street are sitting on $139,544 as annual salary plus an electoral allowance, with only the hope of a capped 2.5% increase next time the Parliamentary Remuneration Tribunal considers salaries and allowances.

While down in Canberra……..

“FEDERAL MPs are set for a massive pay rise - taking a backbencher's salary close to $200,000 a year…..”

The new NSW Nats MP for Clarence is going to have to hustle hard for a lucrative parliamentary committee chair or two if he's to live in the style I hear his trouble n strife is expecting. He may actually have to work in the job, which might come as a bit of a shock to someone used to cruising on autopilot when he was in Clarence Valley local government.