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".

Scammers posing as Qantas and Virgin Australia appear to be contacting NSW North Coast residents

From the Australian Communications and Media Authority:

SCAM ALERT - Scammers posing as Qantas and Virgin Australia

Consumer Alert: Scammers posing as Qantas and Virgin Australia

The ACMA has received an increase in reports from members of the public about automated voice calls. The call suggests to 'press 1' to claim a loyalty reward or redeem a prize from Qantas, Virgin Australia or similar. These are scam calls.

Where members of the public do 'press 1', they are taken to a human operator who will ask a number of questions, including a request for credit card details.

You should never provide your credit card details under these types of circumstances.

If you receive a call, or repeated calls like this, simply hang up.

For more information on this specific scam, see the ScamWatch alert: Automated scam calls claiming to be from Qantas with bogus holiday win.http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1139946

You can report phone scams to http://www.scamwatch.gov.au or by calling 1300 795 995.

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