Il Papa Anthony Speaks

“He’ll either be the pope or prime minister”

Fay Abbott

It is said of the doctrine of papal infallibility and of papal definitive acts that; his definitions, of themselves,...are justly held irreformable, for they are pronounced with the assistance of the Holy Spirit... 

In other words, what il papa in Rome decides to utter as a doctrinal matter of faith or morals is the unalterable truth coming to him through an invisible presence in the heavens on high and, no-one has the right to question his pronouncements.

This explains much about Tony Abbott’s character, his perception of the role of an Australian prime minister, his approach to policy creation and his almost pathological desire for decision-making secrecy.

He thinks he’s the Antipodean pope.

This was Il papa Anthony in Australia on 10 January 2014, the saint’s day of that other defender of orthodoxy, Gregory of Nyssa:

The Prime Minister this morning likened his mission to stopping the boats to a war, and said it should therefore be understandable that his government was a closed book on asylum operations so as to not give vital information to the "enemy".....

"In the end we are in a fierce contest with these people smugglers and if we were at war we wouldn't be giving out information that is of use to the enemy just because we might have an idle curiosity about it ourselves,.....

Asked about the current state of Australian-run detention centres and whether or not they were up to adequate humanitarian standards, Mr Abbott said he did not apologise that they were not "five star or even three star hotels".

"Let's remember that everyone in these centres is there because he or she has come illegally by boat. They have done something that they must have known was wrong," he said.

2013-2014 Australian Summer's best photograph

 All creatures great and small enjoy keeping cool in Australia's increasing hot summers......

https://twitter.com/firstdogonmoon

Scott Morrison and Serco Australia Pty Ltd

Australian Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Scott Morrison and his department have responsibility for immigration detention centres.

These centres are for people who have overstayed their visa, are in breach of their visa conditions or who have come here without a valid visa. People who are refused entry into Australia at international airports and seaports may also be detained in an immigration detention centre. The centres provide accommodation for medium and high risk detainees and the majority of the population are single adult males.

UK based Serco Group Pty Ltd through its subsidiary Serco Australia Pty Limited has been contracted by the Australian Government to operate the detention centres.

Serco Australia’s principal shareholders are listed in its 2012 Annual Report as:

This is what Serco says of itself:

* Serco is committed to working transparently and in accordance with the laws and financial reporting requirements of the countries in which it operates.

We prepare our financial reports to high standards, ensure that they are properly audited and seek to lodge them in compliance with the relevant requirements and in line with accounting standards.

Serco Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in accordance with its Rules, publishes Annual Reports and Accounts and Stock Exchange Announcements.

Our Asia Pacific division is made up of a number of companies.

In Australia, Serco operates as Serco Group Pty Limited, comprised of: Serco Australia Pty Limited; Great Southern Railway Holdings Pty Limited; and, Serco Traffic Camera Services (Vic) Pty Ltd. We seek to comply with the Corporations Act in providing special purpose financial reports to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

* In line with our values, Serco is committed to treating people in our care with dignity and respect in a safe and secure environment. Across Australia's network of immigration centres, our staff work hard to ensure the wellbeing of people in administrative detention, and to deliver high quality services.

We provide catering, recreation, education and excursions, manage accommodation, facilities, maintenance, transport and logistics, security, training and procurement. Our employees look after thousands of people in locations all over Australia, responding to their cultural, religious and individual needs.

Community engagement is an important part of our approach. It's beneficial to the welfare of the people we look after, and consistent with our intention to be a good neighbour to those who live in the areas where we work. We also welcome the involvement of external agencies and independent observers, as we believe clear and strong accountability is a key element in successful service delivery.

We seek to innovate, develop and continuously improve in our provision of immigration services, to meet our responsibilities and fulfil our duty of care.

Serco Australia has been in the news recently due to its alleged penny pinching ways with regard to supplying sanitary pads/tampons to female detainees, an allegation of rape at its Christmas Island detention centre, complaints about poor security at Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre, dehumanising detainees by using numbers instead of names and making Curtin detainees jump through hoops to access phone calls and then restricting their ability to do so, denying them access to scanning facilities and instituting a complete blackout of Australian television stations.

It is also alleged that it has been price gouging under a contract it has to transport West Australian prisoners and, in 2013 admitted to inappropriate sexual contact between a male guard and female detainee.

Serco Australia’s British parent company is also under fire for the supply of inadequate asylum seeker housing services, and been ordered to repay £68.5m of taxpayers' money after being found to be overcharging for prisoner tagging.

One has to wonder why Morrison and his department continue to support this private company.

Senate asks Abbott's Commission of Audit to explain itself

Australian Parliament – Senate notice:

On 11 December 2013 a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee into the Abbott Government’s Commission of Audit, was established to inquire into the Commission of Audit established by the Commonwealth Government and, in particular, any report of that Commission to the Government, with interim reports as the committee sees fit and a final report on or before 13 May 2014.

Submissions should be received by 31 January 2014.

Today national audit commissioners are due to appear before this select committee and will be asked what instructions they have been given by ministers on everything from raising the GST to selling off Medibank Private and Australia Post. The proposed $6 Medicare levy and any changes to industrial relations laws will also be topics under scrutiny.

Will some or all of the commissioners attend or will they send their excuses?

The Commission's first phase report is due to be delivered to the Abbott Government by the end of January 2014.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell gets a well-deserved serve

http://www.moir.com.au/

OBIT: Hon. Anthony John 'Tony' Abbott MP, Prime Minister of Australia

The Hon. Anthony John 'Tony' Abbott MP, Prime Minister of Australia, passed away suddenly on Friday, 13 June 2014.

He collapsed in mid-sentence at a press conference outside Parliament House with what was at first thought to be heatstroke brought on by an unseasonably hot winter day.

However his condition worsened and he was rushed to Canberra Hospital where he was admitted to the coronary care unit.

Medical treatment was complicated by the discovery of symptoms of ‘concrete heart’ syndrome and that, in combination with low hospital staffing levels due to recent Federal Government funding cuts, meant that the Prime Minister died within four hours of admission.

Tony Abbott was a man of no fixed principles, who rose to power on the back of his ability to be unrelentingly negative, viciously sledge political opponents and endlessly repeat three word slogans.

An intolerant, muscular Christian who thought the poor always responsible for their own misfortune and their children undeserving of a decent public education.

His reputation for sexism and misogyny was known around the world, as was his commitment to political untruths.

A friend to a select few – particularly those from his own religious or social background and assorted media barons.

Tony Abbott is sincerely mourned by members of his immediate family.

The Liberal Party of Australia issued a brief statement of regret on his passing, then returned to the task of choosing a new leader.

A number of spontaneous street parties were reported to have occurred across Australia when his death was announced.

There was a mixed reaction from world leaders.

Cardinal George Pell has issued a media release stating his intention to tirelessly work for the canonisation of the late prime minister.

Mr. Abbott’s ashes will be returned to England and interred in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, close by the grave of his hero former British Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven.

Australian Politics 2014: Der Führer marches on and on

On 19 March 2014 it is expected that Australia’s own little führer will present to Parliament the as yet unsighted Omnibus Red Tape Repeal Bill and a series of specific bills proposing the repeal of an estimated 8,000 legislative instruments.

These bills will be passed by the House of Representatives because the Coalition has the voting power to do so easily.

As yet there is no indication as to what specific regulations will be abolished, however the financial sector, road transport industry, coastal shipping, education, agriculture, environmental approvals and trading hours have been mentioned in the media today.

The only certainty is that, with Abbott Government’s track record, one can be sure that any and all negative impacts of this mass repealing will fall heavily on the shoulders of ordinary wage earners and the poor, allow foreign multinationals further access to Australian markets, possibly lead to job losses in some industries and limit measures protecting Australian consumers and workers.

The Murdoch press reports:

The repeal day comes after Mr Frydenberg, who has been charged with implementing the government's deregulation agenda, conducted more than 100 meetings and a string of roundtable forums over the past three months with sharemarket-listed companies, multinationals, big private companies and business lobby groups to determine the pieces of regulation that need to be scrapped.

They include firms such as Westpac, Wesfarmers, IAG, Ten Network, Aldi, Dow Chemical, Incitec Pivot, the big four accounting firms and lobby groups such as the National Farmers Federation and the Minerals Council of Australia.

Mr Frydenberg has also had meetings with the likes of Rio Tinto, Orica, BHP Billiton, BG Group, Telstra, Medibank Private and Credit Suisse, as well as Woolworths chief executive Grant O'Brien, Coles managing director Ian McLeod and food group Goodman Fielder's Chris Delaney.

The Abbott Government asserts that it has also consulted with the not-for-profit- sector. This alleged consultation appears to be solely in relation to regulations concerning this sector’s funding applications and grant provisions.