Saturday 29 April 2017
Friday 28 April 2017
SENSIS: small business support for Federal Government lowest under Turnbull at -2 points
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Medianet Release
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© Australian Associated Press, 2017
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Clarence Valley Yarn Bomb - warm clothing swap or give 1-5 May 2015
Clarence Valley Council - Events
yarn bomb - clarence valley
Event Date: May 1 2017 - May 5 2017
Event Type: Fundraiser
Contact Name: Mel Orams
Phone: 0423 976 582
YARN BOMB - MACLEAN + YAMBA + GRAFTON
WHAT’S ALL THE YARN ABOUT???
When Yarn Bombing first emerged as a movement, it was about injecting colour and joy into everyday life, by anonymously wrapping bright coloured yarns around every day stationary objects, such as trees, or street signs, in high traffic areas.
Since then, the movement has evolved to include the idea of using warm clothing, to create a bright coloured display, where people are welcome to take what they need, swap, or give clothing away. This is an event run by the community, for the community!
WHEN AND WHERE IS IT HAPPENING???
WEDNESDAY – FRIDAY 3-5 MAY, 2017
RIVER STREET, MACLEAN
FENCE NEXT TO MACLEAN CELLAR
FENCE OPPOSITE HOME HARDWARE
THE BOTTOM PUB BEER GARDEN (WET WEATHER)
WEDNESDAY – FRIDAY 3-5 MAY, 2017
TREELANDS DRIVE, YAMBA
TREELANDS DRIVE COMMUNITY CENTRE, FENCE OF THE MEDICAL CENTRE NEXT DOOR
OR
INSIDE THE COMMUNITY CENTRE (WET WEATHER)
MONDAY – FRIDAY 1-5 MAY, 2017
GRAFTON
NSOA NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE, CORNER OF SPRING AND NEW STREET, SOUTH GRAFTON
GRAFTON TAFE
THE HUB BAPTIST CHURCH, CORNER OF QUEEN AND OLIVER STREET
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED!
From NOW, until the beginning of MAY 2017, we are seeking donations of any new or preloved, clean winter clothing for adults or children; blankets; bags/backpacks; hotel soaps/travel toiletries; clothing pegs.
Members of the public are welcome to hang or drape their own donations on the dates, and at the venues listed above. Alternatively, donations can be dropped off at following locations until the beginning of May:
MACLEAN PUBLIC SCHOOL
Woodford Street, Maclean
DURING TERM
LIBRARY at MACLEAN HIGH SCHOOL
Woombah Street, Maclean
DURING TERM
TREELANDS DR COMMUNITY CENTRE24
Treelands Drive, Yamba(Opposite Mc Donald’s)
Monday - Friday 9AM-4PM
GRAFTON
Direct to the Grafton Venues on the days of the event.
A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump
Reuters, 19 April 2017:
(Reuters) - A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.
They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded was an intensive effort by Russia to interfere with the Nov. 8 election. U.S. intelligence officials acquired the documents, which were prepared by the Moscow-based Russian Institute for Strategic Studies [en.riss.ru/], after the election.
The institute is run by retired senior Russian foreign intelligence officials appointed by Putin’s office.
The first Russian institute document was a strategy paper written last June that circulated at the highest levels of the Russian government but was not addressed to any specific individuals.
It recommended the Kremlin launch a propaganda campaign on social media and Russian state-backed global news outlets to encourage U.S. voters to elect a president who would take a softer line toward Russia than the administration of then-President Barack Obama, the seven officials said.
A second institute document, drafted in October and distributed in the same way, warned that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was likely to win the election. For that reason, it argued, it was better for Russia to end its pro-Trump propaganda and instead intensify its messaging about voter fraud to undermine the U.S. electoral system’s legitimacy and damage Clinton’s reputation in an effort to undermine her presidency, the seven officials said.
The current and former U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the Russian documents’ classified status. They declined to discuss how the United States obtained them. U.S. intelligence agencies also declined to comment on them.
Putin has denied interfering in the U.S. election. Putin’s spokesman and the Russian institute did not respond to requests for comment.
The documents were central to the Obama administration's conclusion that Russia mounted a “fake news” campaign and launched cyber attacks against Democratic Party groups and Clinton's campaign, the current and former officials said.
“Putin had the objective in mind all along, and he asked the institute to draw him a road map,” said one of the sources, a former senior U.S. intelligence official.
Trump has said Russia’s activities had no impact on the outcome of the race. Ongoing congressional and FBI investigations into Russian interference have so far produced no public evidence that Trump associates colluded with the Russian effort to change the outcome of the election.
Four of the officials said the approach outlined in the June strategy paper was a broadening of an effort the Putin administration launched in March 2016. That month the Kremlin instructed state-backed media outlets, including international platforms Russia Today and Sputnik news agency, to start producing positive reports on Trump’s quest for the U.S. presidency, the officials said.
Russia Today did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Sputnik dismissed the assertions by the U.S. officials that it participated in a Kremlin campaign as an “absolute pack of lies.” “And by the way, it's not the first pack of lies we're hearing from 'sources in U.S. official circles'," the spokesperson said in an email.
Pro-Kremlin Bloggers…..
The report said Russia Today and Sputnik “consistently cast president elect-Trump as the target of unfair coverage from traditional media outlets."…..
Cyber Attacks
Neither of the Russian institute documents mentioned the release of hacked Democratic Party emails to interfere with the U.S. election, according to four of the officials. The officials said the hacking was a covert intelligence operation run separately out of the Kremlin.
The overt propaganda and covert hacking efforts reinforced each other, according to the officials. Both Russia Today and Sputnik heavily promoted the release of the hacked Democratic Party emails, which often contained embarrassing details.
Five of the U.S. officials described the institute as the Kremlin’s in-house foreign policy think tank……..
Read the full article here.
Thursday 27 April 2017
Turnbull Government not exactly charging ahead in latest Newspoll - which is unlikely to foster calm and considered decision making on the part of the prime minister
These polling numbers represent a dangerous period for the people of Australia.
No prizes for suspecting Turnbull will offer more support for Trump's attempt to force a breakdown of the almost 64 year-old military armistice agreement between the United Nations and Korean People's Army & Chinese People's Volunteers and, a recommencement of the hostilities with North Korea.
After all, becoming a war leader is almost always good for polling numbers - at least in the first heady rush into combat - and both Turnbull and Trump have persistently low voter satisfaction levels which neither can currently shake off as well as unhealthy budget deficits and/or public debt levels*.
Both the U.S. governing Republican Party and the Australian governing Liberal-Nationals Coalition go the ballot box again in 2018, with mid-term elections for the U.S on 6 November and a general election in Australia anytime from 4 August 2018 through to 18 May 2019.
* In January 2017 the US Government budget deficit was an est. US$559 billion and public debt stood at est.US$14.8 trillion. While the Australian Government budget deficit stood at est. AUD$42.5 billion and public debt at AUD$323.8 billion net.
Of course, certainly, we keep your personal information safe from prying eyes!
Anyone who is certain that all information a state/federal government department/agency or civil corporation holds about their social, financial, genealogical or health status is strictly protected from prying eyes needs to seriously question why they appear to hold that unsafe assumption.
The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 April 2017:
More than 700 public patients have had their privacy breached and potential delays in their follow up care after more than 1600 medical letters were found dumped in a Sydney bin.
NSW Health is investigating the incident involving a sub-contractor for a company tasked with transcribing medical letters sent from specialists to general practitioners.
On Tuesday, April 11, a man found piles of follow-up letters containing patient details stuffed into a garbage bin at an apartment block in Ashfield. It is understood there were more than 1600 documents in total. Some of the letters were duplicates.
The man called in his neighbour, a female health worker, who recognised the documents were out-patient letters and contacted Ashfield police.
A sub-contractor for Global Transcription Services (GTS) was supposed to take the letters home to post but instead stuffed them into the bin. The young woman had been dealing with personal upheaval and health issues, Health Minister Brad Hazzard said on Thursday, adding it was inappropriate to comment further.
The letters related to 768 public hospital patients from Royal North Shore, Gosford Hospital outpatients and Cancer Centre and Dubbo Hospital Cancer Centre.
There were also 700 letters relating to patients from six private providers: Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, providing services to Dubbo Cancer Clinic, Northern Cancer Institute (Frenchs Forest and St Leonards), Sharp Neurology, Southside Cancer Care Centre, Strathfield Retina Clinic and the Woolcock Institute.
Newcastle Herald, 17 April 2017:
The NSW privacy commissioner has called for a thorough investigation after thousands of photo ID cards, including gun licences, were mistakenly sent to the wrong people in a "significant" security breach.
A total of 2693 cards were sent to the wrong people earlier this month.
Among the documents mailed out were 2000 driver's licences, 104 firearm licences, 318 permits to use disabled parking, 242 proof of age cards, 26 security licences and 3 commercial and private investigator licences.
It is understood people affected went to Service NSW to apply for their licence on April 5, with the licences printed at the agency's card operations centre on April 7.
The error was discovered four days later. Service NSW informed police, Roads and Maritime Services and the privacy commissioner.
Shortly afterwards, gun shops were contacted by police and told to be "extra vigilant" in checking licences until all licences sent to the wrong address were retrieved, News Corp reported.
Those affected have been advised to "be alert to activities that may indicate their identity is being misused by others".
Acting NSW Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Coombs said the breach was significant as it involves the identity of members of the public.
"These cards contain personal information that can identify individuals. Health information, which is even more sensitive, appears to have also been affected (eg on disability status)," Dr Coombs said.
"This breach is of particular concern as it occurs at a time when the NSW Government is increasing its digital interaction and service provision with the NSW community.
Education HQ Australia, 12 April 2017:
The traumatic, sensitive details of a Victorian mother's life lingered online for days after the education department thought it had dealt with a privacy breach.
The woman was one of 120 people affected when the Victorian education department inadvertently published personal details of parents online after receiving 558 submissions on proposed new regulations for state education.
The department thought it had taken the documents offline, but they were still publicly available five days after the breach, with several still listed on Google's search engine on Wednesday afternoon.
The Australian, 7 April 2017:
A Senate committee which investigated secret Defence training that teaches soldiers how to deal with being taken prisoners of war accidentally disclosed the confidential evidence of witnesses to each other.
On March 7, the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade references committee took evidence from witnesses in-camera, which means it wasn't a public hearing, as part of an inquiry into training procedures for resistance to interrogation and conduct after capture.
Witnesses were posted copies of their transcripts to check over by registered mail, but the committee accidentally sent witnesses all transcripts rather than just individual ones.
Crickey.com.au, 4 April 2017:
Qantas customers’ personal data has been compromised after a data breach revealed the names, seat numbers and frequent flyer numbers of eight passengers to another passenger looking at the Qantas check-in app on Thursday. The app, which was used to check in for a flight between Newman, Western Australia, and Perth, showed the length of the flight and that a snack or brunch would be available, but the Qantas passenger was shocked to be able to see details for other passengers…..
It is not the first time Qantas customer details have been shared with others. In January, an email sent to customers flying out of Melbourne warned of traffic delays on the Tullamarine Freeway included surnames and booking references of other passengers
The Age, 26 March 2017:
A hospital is being investigated for breaching the privacy of dozens of patients after medical records revealing a "swollen penis" and mental illnesses among other things, were found in a Coburg street.
The Australian Information and Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim is investigating how the records of 31 patients were removed from the John Fawkner Private Hospital in Melbourne's north last month.
Determination
1. I find that the respondent, Comcare, interfered with the complainant’s privacy in breach of Part III of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) by:
a. disclosing the complainant’s personal information, including sensitive health information on a publicly available website contrary to Information Privacy Principle (IPP) 11; and
b. failing to take such security safeguards as it is reasonable in the circumstances to take, against loss, against unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure, and against other misuse contrary to IPP 4.
Findings
* disclosing her personal information to the principal of a Commonwealth Bank Mortgage Innovation agency (MIA) for a purpose other than the primary purpose of collection, in breach of National Privacy Principle (NPP) 2.1 of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), and
* failing to take reasonable steps under NPP 4.1 to protect her personal information from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
Ninety-six per cent of Australian federal parliamentarians own a property
ABC News, 20 April 2017:
There's no housing affordability crisis in the ranks of Federal Parliament's members and senators.
The politicians charged with tackling the thorny issue of spiralling house prices are among the nation's most aggressive property investors, an analysis by the ABC has revealed.
The 226 individuals own 524 properties between them and about half of them own investment properties.
That means many of our politicians have a very personal interest in any changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount……
Ninety-six per cent of parliamentarians own a property. Only 10 out of our 224 elected officials aren't in the game.
Compare that to the rest of Australia, where home ownership is expected to dip below 50 per cent sometime this year.
Register of Members’ Interests for 45th Australian Parliament.
Although a number of investment properties are listed in the members’ register this does not necessarily mean that additional property is not owned as part of superannuation schemes (other than that operated by the Commonwealth of Australia) or included in the assets of a private corporation in which a member has a significant shareholding.
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