The Abbott Government reaches its apogee of absurdity with Christopher Pyne *WARNING: Offensive Language*

When the Australian Minister for Education Christopher Pyne attempted to start his very own ‘grass roots’ response to the anticipated programming cuts forced on the Australian Broadcasting Commission by his own government’s budget cuts, he chose to create a change.org petition on 18 November 2014.

The response from his fellow Australians has been predictable, hilarious, graphic and sometimes obscene.

Thus far his petition has attracted almost 2,000 supporters who have used the reasons for signing section to support their ABC and attack the Abbott Government and Pyne himself.

Here are a few examples of the overall response before this petition page mysteriously disappears forever from the Internet:

Paul Chetwynd-Jones EAST BALLINA, AUSTRALIA

Pyne thinks we're so stupid he'll get re-elected. The ultimate smarmy politician, trying to ride both sides of the fence. Sure I'll sign, like it would make a difference to this Government what anyone would think if they don't have money to donate. Never mind, Christopher, Murdoch will tell Tony, & Tony will tell you

Bruce Howlett GUYRA, AUSTRALIA

I have written to my own local member who is Barnaby Joyce, and recieved a reply full of justifications. The easiest way to stop this happening Mr Pyne, is for you to lobby your own part to make sure that the proposed cuts to ABC funding do not happen.

Brad Wirth WERRIBEE, AUSTRALIA

The people of Sturt owe a duty to their fellow Australians to get rid of Pyne at the next election.

Harold Holt AUSTRALIA

You're a hypocrite Chris. Grow a backbone and tell your colleagues to keep their promises.

Ty Burns NEW YORK, NY

It's people like you - that makes me glad I moved from Australia. It's people like you - that makes me sad that my country is getting raped in the arse. It's people like you - that has that kind of face that needs to be punched.

Timothy Anderson FORT LAUDERDALE, FL

As an ex-pat Australian living abroad, the ABC and SBS remain two of the only authoritative and largely unbiased sources of news from home that I have access to. From Newscorp, Fairfax, Guardian and commercial TV news, bias and paid comment runs rife.

Jo Bourke CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA

The Abbott government, including the dishonourable Christopher Pyne, are a bunch of parochial, narrow minded, nasty twits, hell bent on destroying everything that is good about Australia. The ABC is a vital source of independent information by way of contrast to the Murdoch Empire that is holding the LNP in its big, sweaty hands. The ABC also performs a crucial role in allowing new, Australian content to be brought to audiences who don't want to be subjected to mindless commercial media. Shame on you Christopher Pyne and all that you stand for - I hope that the ABC is still around when you're ejected from government in 3 years' time.

Phil Phillips AUSTRALIA

Chris Pyne is a c&#nt

Scott Large ALICE SPRINGS, AUSTRALIA

Surely you, as part of Cabinet would have more access than anyone to intervene? You, sir, are a peanut.

Brigid Marasco BRUNSWICK WEST, AUSTRALIA

I'm signing merely to tell you that your cynicism is stunning and your lack of empathy monumental. I hope that you will reap what you sow, but I won't hold my breath. Your lot (Tories intent on punishing the vulnerable because you believe they deserve their fate) needs to read the research about why you think the way you do - if you claim any intelligence at all, you will soon see that your fundamental blindness to distress until you experience it directly yourself makes you ignore the well being of society as a whole. Bloody solipsistic tyrants! Your "Government" has been a massive clusterfuck for Australia - but I do thank you for giving me the opportunity to use my favourite swear word.

Joe Hockey AUSTRALIA

Christopher, get a backbone. We are going to shut down every effe9ring public institution in this country or die in the attempt. What are you doing to wreck my government now you skinny biatch?

Lachie A'Vard AUSTRALIA

You cannot make this up!

Minister for ignorance starts online petition against his own party's destructive policy. Probably wondering why people think he is stupid.

How's the Dinning Kruger effect going for you Chris?

Kathryn Bottrell ELTHAM, AUSTRALIA

Well look, we can't be too hard on Christopher for being confused. The man did think getting stuck in traffic on Greenhill road that day was somehow because 'Labor Govt wins with 47% of the vote' at some point in the prior term. He's not exactly known for his grasp of cause and effect now, is he.

Re-fund the ABC, idiots, and start returning the commons assets to the people you're stealing them from.

I can think of any number of your fraudulent actions you could unwind to return the cash...

David Smith AUSTRALIA

I have a better way of saving those ABC production jobs in Adelaide Chris. Keep your election promise and don't cut the funding of the ABC. What a hypocrite you are Christopher Pyne. The gall you have to create this petition.

Margie Abbott AUSTRALIA

Dear Christopher,

When you've finished speaking to Peta Credlin about your behaviour can you let her know that she can keep Tony. I've done my time, she can take over for real.

Regards

Margie

Alan Jones AUSTRALIA

Careful guys, Pyne's friend Brandis is recording all our meta data and this freedom loving government might put a black mark on our ASIO files !

Doug Bateman AUSTRALIA

In a play or novel, this petition would be dramatic irony. In reality, it is a terrifying insight into the stupidity of the man.

jack Amala BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA

o whiney pyney, why did your boofhead leader lie to us about ABC cuts? How do any of you sleep at night, knowing that millions of people loathe you for your psychopathic hypocrisy and slimy dishonesty?

bren Okeefe PARKWILLE, AUSTRALIA

because I love the ABC and don't want any cuts to Aunty. I hope C.Pyne is voted out for voting to destroy the ABC. I hope he shares the same fate as J.Howard - the PM who was defeated in his own electorate -the result of his own arrogance, pride and pursuit of extremist ideology. So.. Adelaide voters - bite back.

Damian Smedley PARADISE, AUSTRALIA

you are a front bencher of a fraudulent government that does not have a mandate. ROT IN HELL YOU MONGRELS

Joseph Goebbels BERLIN, AUSTRIA

Love your work Pyne, I fully support State owned media. You got my vote buddy!

Michael Smith MORPHETTVILLE, AUSTRALIA

It's a shame that, during that free university education you had, that you didn't learn how government works in Australia. That, as a cabinet minister in the government that has cut funding to the ABC, you share the responsibility for the very thing that you have set up an on-line petition against. In the words of Senator Ludlam - srsly?

James Pinnell AUSTRALIA

Pine is an utterly breathtaking hypocrite inside one of the most disfunctional governments in living memory.

It Tolls For Thee AUSTRALIA

Time to spruce up that resume, dipshit.

corinna jane VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

Feeling peckish? Help yourself to a nice big slice of this deliciously dense and moist stupidity cake, served up by our very own sociopath, C.P. Gotta love politicians and their inept use of social media!!!

Robert Menzies AUSTRALIA

What a sleazy troll. You love market forces when it selectively culls out the voice of people whose opinion you don't agree with, then dislike it when it makes you appear impotent and sidelined. The point of the ABC and SBS and the points of view they espouse is that they have some form of conscience for this country. Not the bellicose xenophobia of Alan Jones and the commercial networks that use dog-whistle issues to drum up support from the plebiscite.

And now you pathetically try to protect local issues. Either this is a calculated insult to South Australian fans of the ABC, or you are truly delusional.

Steve Hunt AUSTRALIA

What a joke. You take we, the people, as clowns. You are cloistered in life, you show you have no understanding of our world and everyday life. You are crude and simple - minded with your approach to issues. Your approach to policy is without ethical standing. You stoop and probe hoping you can get away with injustice. Fob them off! They have no memory of pre-election statements!! Thank you for taking government to a dead end. Quite frankly you are a waste of time. The ABC is not to be touched. You are untrustworthy and your government is beset by lies. You made your bed - lie in it!

Cheerio

Edward Massey AUSTRALIA

Mr Pyne, do you and the rest of the Abottoir government honestly believe that your lying and duplicitous behaviour goes unnoticed? This petition is nothing more than appalling hypocrisy from the lowest form of grub.

Phil Ryles SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE

I'm already on the receiving end of a pathetic governments cuts to the ABC via channel 447 which before the current govt got their hands on it was worth watching !

Linda Barraclough TRARALGON, AUSTRALIA

ABC should not be closing anything, anywhere. You are responsible Christopher Pyne - you imbecile.

Ben Gray MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Yeah, it looks like people are signing this only in order to abuse this petition system, just like you are doing by posting this hypocritical and hollow petition.

Abbott Out Now AUSTRALIA

The government cuts the funding and then a government minister complains. They are all twats

Hugh Cunningham AUSTRALIA

I'm fed up with the constant haranguing of the ABC by conservative forces who simply want to shut down a voice for the common good!

mark carr NOWRA, AUSTRALIA

if you think this will save u votes you turd, i suggest you think again, you pyne in the arse

Elizabeth Winsor AUSTRALIA

We are not amused

shaquille ray SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

I'm signing this to express my support for the ABC.

And to show Mr Pyne who put them into this position in the first place, that even the smallest budget cuts can make big changes in quality. And how many people may face the axe because of his actions.

Mark Hansen AUSTRALIA

Here's a hint, you smirking piece of shit. Get the Government that you are a part of to keep its election promise of not cutting funding to the ABC. While we're on the subject, weren't there other areas that weren't going to be cut, such as education???

Valerie Kay AUSTRALIA

I can't believe this is for real? Is Christopher Pyne, a front bencher in the government that's cutting ABC funding, really running this petition? Can this be? Have we moved beyond joke to surrealist nightmare?

Gerri Donaldson ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA

All of the reasons that those that have signed before me have addressed! I agree with them all!

As many as 5,000 flying foxes killed by heatstroke in one colony on one day in the Northern Rivers

Australian Bureau of Meteorology temperature map for Saturday 15 November 2014

The Northern Star  in print and online, 18 November 2014:

* THOUSANDS of flying foxes are dead and hundreds of young babies have been left orphaned after heat stroke savaged the Casino colony at the weekend.

WIRES started monitoring the colony early on Saturday, but as the temperature rose and the humidity fell, the bats started to die.

At about 1pm bats started falling out of the trees; many were dead before they hit the ground.

The WIRES ground crew of volunteers gave the babies a hydrating injection before being transported to makeshift hospitals in homes in Casino, managing to save about 450 baby bats or "pups".

Emergency WIRES teams from neighbouring regions arrived in Casino to help deal with the catastrophe. The pups will be reared by WIRES carers before being released back into the wild.

* THE flying fox death toll at Casino has been revised upwards to more than 3000 and could be as high as 5000, WIRES Northern Rivers estimates.

Temperatures hit record highs at Casino over the weekend, hitting 44.1°C on Saturday afternoon, preliminary statistics from the Bureau of Meteorology reveal.

The Northern Star: Dee Hartin Photography

What America is told about Abbott's Australia

Australia left to cringe once again at a leader's awkward moment: The adolescent country. The bit player. The shrimp of the schoolyard. blares the headline and opening lines in the Los Angeles Times on 16 November 2014.

The article went on to observe:

For Australians it's not so bad — most of the time — to be so far away, so overlooked, so seemingly insignificant as to almost never factor in major international news. The lifestyle makes up for it.

But occasionally, there's an awkward, pimply youth moment so embarrassing that it does sting. Like when 19 of the world's most important leaders visit for a global summit and Prime Minister Tony Abbott opens their retreat Saturday with a whinge (Aussie for whine) about his doomed efforts to get his fellow Australians to pay $7 to see a doctor.

And then he throws in a boast that his government repealed the country's carbon tax, standing out among Western nations as the one willing to reverse progress on global warming — just days after the United States and China reached a landmark climate change deal.

The Group of 20 summit could have been Australia's moment, signaling its arrival as a global player, some here argued. But in all, the summit had Australians cringing more than cheering.

It was a classic example of what Australian author and journalist Peter Hartcher calls the "pathology of parochialism" in a recent book, "The Adolescent Country." Hartcher argues that the nation's politicians rarely miss a chance to trump important foreign policy matters of long-term national interest to score cheap domestic political points.

"The big matters are commonly crowded out by the small," he argues. "International policy is used for domestic point-scoring."

Opposition leader Bill Shorten called Abbott's opening G-20 address "weird and graceless."

"This was Tony Abbott's moment in front of the most important and influential leaders in the world, and he's whinging that Australians don't want his GP tax," said Shorten, referring to the $7 fee.

It's a tendency some observers argue not only damages the country's credibility but Australians' ability to take themselves seriously….

Australian government agencies and a registered charity trawled letters and parcels 10,002 times in 2013-14

The Age 13 November 2014:

Australia Post disclosed confidential information to law enforcement, security and other government agencies more than 10,000 times  in 2013-14, an increase of 25 per cent over the past four years. 

According to statistics released by the postal corporation, "specially protected" information, which includes information about letters and parcels and other private client information was provided to government agencies by Australia Post on 5635 occasions – more than twice the number four years ago.

Federal government investigators accessing specially protected information include the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Australian Customs Service, the Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink, Medicare and the Child Support Agency. 

Victorian and Queensland police as well as the NSW Crime Commission and the Western Australian Corruption and Crime Commission also received such private information. 

Postal information that is not "specially protected", including names and addresses on the outside of letters and parcels, was disclosed by Australia Post on another 4367 occasions. 

Government agencies accessing this postal "metadata" include the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and the federal departments of agriculture, environment, defence, foreign affairs and trade, health and ageing.

State police and anti-corruption agencies, state revenue offices, consumer affairs, workplace and environmental regulators as well as the RSPCA also accessed the information…..

The total of 10,002 disclosures in 2013-14 was 5 per cent higher than in the previous year, despite a 4.8 per cent decline in the volume of letters delivered by Australia Post. 

Only 19 disclosures of postal information were made to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.  This figure for 2013-14 is down from 31 disclosures in the previous year and is the lowest in a decade…… 

Australian Information Commission finds Department of Immigration and Border Protection unlawfully disclosed personal information of asylum seekers

Office of the Australian Information Commission, media release on Wednesday, 12 November 2014:

Department of Immigration and Border Protection unlawfully disclosed personal information of asylum seekers

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has been found in breach of the Privacy Act 1988, by failing to adequately protect the personal information of approximately 9,250 asylum seekers. They have also been found to have unlawfully disclosed personal information.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) was notified by the Guardian Australia on 19 February that a ‘database’ containing the personal information of 'almost 10,000' asylum seekers was available in a report on DIBP’s website. DIBP removed the report from its website within an hour of being notified. The report was available on DIBP’s website for approximately eight and a half days.

The categories of personal information compromised in the data breach consisted of full names, gender, citizenship, date of birth, period of immigration detention, location, boat arrival details, and the reasons why the individual was deemed to be ‘unlawful’.

‘This incident was particularly concerning due to the vulnerability of the people involved,’ said Australian Privacy Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim.

The breach occurred when statistical data was mistakenly embedded in a Word document that was published on DIBP’s website. The report was accessed a number of times, and was republished by an automated archiving service.

Mr Pilgrim said that OAIC’s investigation found that DIBP was aware of the privacy risks of embedding personal information in publications, but that DIBP’s systems and processes failed to adequately address those risks. This meant that DIBP staff did not detect the embedded information when the document was created or before it was published.  

‘This breach may have been avoided if DIBP had implemented processes to de-identify data in situations where the full data set was not needed,’ he said.

This data breach also demonstrates the difficulties of effectively containing a breach where information has been published online, and highlights the importance of taking steps to prevent data breaches from occurring, rather than relying on steps to contain them after they have occurred.

‘I have made a number of recommendations about how DIBP could improve their processes, including requesting that they engage an independent auditor to certify that they have implemented the planned remediation. I have asked DIBP to provide me with a copy of the certification and the report by 13 February 2015’, Mr Pilgrim said.

The OAIC is still receiving privacy complaints from individuals affected by the breach. The OAIC has received over 1600 privacy complaints to date, and these complaints are on-going.

Media contact: Ms Leila Daniels 0407 663 968 media@oaic.gov.au

Background

As this breach occurred prior to 12 March 2014, the Privacy Commissioner’s powers under the Privacy Act 1988 were limited to making recommendations.

The full report can be accessed on the OAIC website: http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/applying-privacy-law/commissioner-initiated-investigation-reports/dibp-omi

A vulnerable Richie Williamson seeks to shore up support for his mayoral position and future political ambitions?

Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson decided to spring a last minute surprise on his fellow councillors, residents and ratepayers with a mayoral minute not included in the ordinary monthly meeting business paper for 18 November 2014.

However, on the same day he informed councillors of his intention The Daily Examiner also appears to have become aware and published this on its front page the next day:

                                                                

CLARENCE Valley Council Mayor Richie Williamson wants to give ratepayers the chance to say if they want a popularly elected mayor.

Cr Williamson will table a Mayoral Minute at tonight's council meeting calling for the council to take the question to a referendum early next year.

The referendum could be held in conjunction with a by-election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Councillor Jeremy Challacombe in a car accident late last month.

The council will ask the NSW Electoral Commission to set the date for the by-election as February 21.

Cr Williamson's Mayoral Minute recommends taking the following question to the voters:

"The Mayor of Clarence Valley Council is currently elected each year by the Councillors.

"Do you favour the election of the Mayor by the electors for a four-year term and without changing the number of councillors from nine, including the Mayor?"

According to Cr Williamson, the option of having a popularly elected mayor is regularly raised with him by ratepayers.

"I haven't gone into the points for and against in the Mayoral Minute because this really is a decision of the people," he said.

"Now is an opportunity for the question to be asked.

"The council should never be afraid of asking residents and ratepayers their views on important issues."

Cr Williamson would not be drawn on his preference.

The Mayoral Minute estimates the cost of the referendum in conjunction with the by-election at $16,000.

The estimated cost of the by-election itself is $160,000.

Mayor Williamson tells us that he is merely responding to the wishes of ratepayers.

One would think if that were really the case these wishes would be reflected in numerous letters to the editor since September 2004. A search of local newspaper records show few mentions of a desire to directly elect a mayor for a four-year term.

Indeed the only prominent proponents of changing how a Clarence Valley mayor is currently elected have been the present NSW Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis and former Nationals pre-selection candidate Mayor Richie Williamson himself.

Then Cr. Chris Gulaptis was quoted in the media as he faced losing his bid to become Clarence Valley mayor in 2006:

Councillor Chris Gulaptis said he thought he would lose the challenge because councillors, not ratepayers, vote for the mayor.

He says he would have a better chance if the election were done by popular vote.

"I haven't been lobbying," he said.

"I think there has been some lobbying done and I think it's successful, more successful from the other candidate, and I think that I will probably come second again.

"However, I'm putting my hand up and saying I'm not happy with the way things are going.

While Richie Williamson has been unsuccessfully attempting to convince his fellow councillors to change mayoral election rules since at least 2011:

ORDINARY MEETING of 15 NOVEMBER 2011….

Item: 13.236/11

MOTION

(Crs Williamson/Comben)

That

In accordance with S16 (b) of the Local Government Act 1993, Council conduct a

constitutional referendum at the 2012 NSW quadrennial local government election so as to allow the electors of Clarence Valley to determine the basis on which the Mayor attains office that is, by election by the Councillors or by election by the electors.

Voting recorded as follows:

For: Councillors Williamson, Comben, Howe and Hughes

Against: Councillors Tiley, Toms, Simmons, McKenna and Dinham

The motion was LOST…..

If Council resolves to hold a constitutional referendum the General Manager must advise the Electoral Commissioner with 21 days.

The required explanatory material, which must be prepared and publicised at the cost of Council, must be based on a balanced case for and against the proposition.

The Local Government Act provides that the decision made at a constitutional referendum binds the council until changed by a subsequent constitutional referendum. If a referendum resulted in a change to direct election of the mayor, that change would not take effect until the 2016 Council election.

Lower Clarence opinion seems to be mainly split between those who believe that Williamson is pushing for mayoral election by popular vote because winning the office in that manner would convince potential backers to support him when he next takes aim at a state or federal seat and, those who believe that having come close to losing the mayoral election last September he needs the guarantee of a four-year term by 2016 if he is to hold off future contenders.

The timing of this mayoral minute hasn’t escaped the eagle eyes of valley residents either – the fact that there are only eight councillors at present means that it is more likely that Mayor Williamson will be able to use his casting vote in favour of his own self-interest should there be a voting tie when the motion comes before council this afternoon.

UPDATE

A valley resident asked me if I knew when Clarence Valley councillors became aware of Mayor Williamson's intention to put forward the motion seeking a referendum.

I cannot say exactly. However I believe it may have been shortly after the document was created on 17 November 2014 at 1:12:49pm (see snapshot below) and sent to councillors later that afternoon.

As for when the document became available online at council's website - all I can say is that I was not aware of it being published on the Internet until just before 9pm on 17 November 2014.

UPDATE

On the afternoon of 18 November 2014 Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson took advantage of the fact that there were only eight councillors at the ordinary monthly meeting (due to the recent death of the ninth councillor) and, forced through ITEM 10.010/14 PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM - CHANGING THE BASIS ON WHICH THE MAYOR ATTAINS OFFICE TO ELECTION BY THE ELECTORS by using his casting vote to endorse his personal preference for a referendum vote on establishing a popularly elected mayor serving a four-year term.