The following are the planned personal income tax rates for the financial year 2009 to 2010. These rates were announced in the May 2008 Rudd Government budget which delivered substantial tax cuts for the 2008/2009 financial year.
It is unclear if these rates will change in the upcoming Rudd Government Budget, due to be brought down in May. Please check back for updates. These tax rates for 2009/2010 extend the tax cuts for 2008/2009 as announced in last year's budget.
UPDATE: The following tax rates have been confirmed in the Rudd & Swan 2009 Budget.
You will be able to submit your tax return to the ATO from July 1, and for most people they must be submitted by October 31.
2009 to 2010 Financial year Australia Personal Income Tax Rates:
$0 – $6,000 - Nil
$6,001 – $35,000 - 15c for each $1 over $6,000
$35,001 – $80,000 - $4,350 plus 30c for each $1 over $35,000
$80,001 – $180,000 - $17,850 plus 38c for each $1 over $80,000
$180,001 and over - $55,850 plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000
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The following are the personal income tax rates for the financial year 2008 to 2009. You will note a big jump in the thresholds from the previous financial year, 2007-2008. This was due to the promised and delivered Rudd Tax Cuts. The one that is relevant for most people was the point at which the 30 cents in the dollar rate kicks in. That was increased from $30,001 in 07/08 to 34,000 in 08/09.
You will be able to submit your tax return to the ATO from July 1, and for most people they must be submitted by October 31.
2008 to 2009 Financial year Australia Personal Income Tax Rates:
0 – $6,000 Nil
$6,001 – $34,000 - 15c for each $1 over $6,000
$34,001 – $80,000 - $4,200 plus 30c for each $1 over $34,000
$80,001 – $180,000 - $18,000 plus 40c for each $1 over $80,000
$180,001 and over - $58,000 plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000
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If you have ever had a need to park you car at Melbourne Airport for any length of time, you will know what a rip off it is. Ive added the current prices for short term parking below so you can see what i mean.
But its great to see that the ACCC, or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is looking into this matter. They have presented a report to the Federal Assistant Treasurer Chris Bowen which says that the car parking costs at Melbourne Airport are way too high. They also think that Melbourne Airport is price gouging.
Melbourne Airport makes a whopping 21% of its revenue just from the car parks. Sydney Airport only makes 7%. The reason they have been charging so much in Melbourne? Because they can. They have a monopoly on the car park.
But the price increases over recent years have been very high. In the last 2 years, prices of car parking at Melbourne Airport have risen a massive 50%. Incredible. If you need to stay between 1 and 2 hours you will be hit with an $18 charge. That's just highway robbery. Or Airport Robbery.
Perhaps you could ask the Federal Police to intervene in this scam. But with only 10 police at Melbourne Airport, they might be busy. I hope they don't all take their lunch break at once.
Anyway, Chris Bowen is considering what action to take on this matter and has asked the ACCC to continue monitoring. Good. But we do need some action on this one.
But i have some helpful advice you can use when picking up a friend or family member from a flight. It will help you avoid these excessive car park charges at Melbourne Airport.
On the north side of the airport, heading towards Bulla and Sunbury, there is a parking stop. Its where people go to do plane spotting or watching. Park your car there. When your pick up has arrived, get them to give you a call. Tell them to meet you outside in 5 minutes or so, outside of the arrivals. You will need to pick them up in the second lane from the building, the first is for taxis and buses only.
Word of warning. Some people park their car on the Freeway just before the entrance to the Airport. This is illegal and the police patrol there regularly. Some also park at McDonalds. Beware, they have a tow away zone. And they will tow you, trust me. I hope that helps.
Here are the charges (current march 2009) for Melbourne Airport Short Term Car Park:
0-20 mins $3.00
20-40 mins $6.00
40-60 mins $12.00
1-2 hrs $18.00
2-3 hrs $20.00
3-4 hrs $30.00
4-10 hrs $40.00
10-24 hrs $45.00
24-48 hrs $90.00
It has been announced that the previously official figure of 210 dead from the Black Saturday fires in Victoria in February has been revised. After forensic checks the new figure of dead in the fires stands at 173.
Nearly 2 months to revise a death figure, and thats not yet final. Its hard to get my head around the time frame on this.
However, I think that sometimes we find it hard to believe that something like this could occur in the present time. Because with all the technologies available to us, and the vast networks of government departments working on these things, some matters still take time to resolve.
But i guess its the same with the bushfires in February. There is no doubt something in our minds which says that these things cant happen to us. That we are now way too sophisticated to be caught up in fires. Better communications, more advanced firefighting equipment, better planning and preparation exist now than in the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires.
And yet the devastation this time was greater. Sometimes i think we need to sit back and remember that we aren't as advanced as we like to believe.
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An update from the ATO on when your $900 tax bonus payment from the Rudd Government will arrive.
The latest advice is that the $900 Rudd handout will start to be sent out or be lodged in your bank account from the 6th of April. The money will provided to taxpayers in a staggered way, and it will take 6 weeks for all payments of $900 to be processed.
This information is correct for all taxpayers who lodged a return for the 2007-2008 financial year prior to March 23, 2009. For people lodging a tax return for 07/08 after this date, your payment of $900 will start to arrive after the 23rd of May.
Keep in mind that you must lodge your 07/08 tax return before June 30 of this year in order to be eligible.
However, if the recent High Court Challenge by a Member of the National Party, Mr Bryan Pape is successful, no money may be payable.
Yet another attempt by the coalition and Turnbull's colleagues to stop you recieving the $900. Something to keep in mind.
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In a story that could have come straight from the cold war era, it has been revealed that Australia's Defence Department has been secretly spying on their own Minister, the Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP.
News today is that senior officials from the Defence Department's Security and Intelligence sections have been investigating links between the Minister and a Chinese Australian businesswoman in Sydney named Helen Liu.
The revelation that a Minister can be investigated or spied upon by his own department is incredibly disturbing. And way out of order.
Joel Fitzgibbon has had a 16 year friendship with Ms Liu, who is apparently a close family friend. It is reported that Ms Liu has had financial dealings with China, being associated with numerous companies there.
The spying on Joel Fitzgibbon has gone so far that according to news reports, a Defence Signals Directorate officer was able to access the Minister's office IT systems. It is unclear whether that means the officer hacked his way in. But it is believed that during that access he found the banking details of Ms Liu. That may not be too surprsing given that Fitzgibbon rents an apartment from the Liu family. And we dont know in what context those details were found.
It seems that the Defence Department is out of control. They recently stuffed up the pay packets of SAS soldiers, significantly underpaying them. They then refused to comply with Fitzgibbon's request to fix the problem.
Keep in mind that this is the same Defence Department who botched the handing of the investigation into the death of Soldier Jake Kovco, and sent his body to the wrong place. And the same people who allowed the Howard Government to get away with the children overboard affair. Seems they would prefer to spy on Australians rather than getting on with the real job of protecting us.
Its time that this department was brought under control. Joel Fitzgibbon is doing a fine job in defence. If the department want to continue this kind of behaviour, its time that the axe was applied.
I wouldn't normally refer to an article by Caroline Overington from The Australian. But in this case i think she has it spot on.
However i will note that it is me drawing the comparison between the case of convicted child molester Ronald Dean King and Speeding Fine evader Marcus Einfeld.
Have a read of Overington's article. Some of the information is quite graphic and extremely disturbing. Comment below if you still feel able. I'm still sickened by the whole thing.
And I'm appalled at the incredibly light sentence issued to King. Now compare that sentence with the minimum 2 years given to Marcus Einfeld.
One case involved breaking into a house and sexually molesting a 4 year old. If the details described by Overington don't give you a sick feeling in your stomach and make you incredibly angry, then you aren't human.
The other case involved a man lying about a speeding fine. Granted, it was wrong, and a stupid thing to do.
Do the 2 sentences make sense to you? Cos i sure as hell don't get it.
Now you can see how bad sentencing is in New South Wales. But in their defence, it happens in every other state too. Its time something changed.
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I had the opportunity to travel on a train today. I was going to say that i had the pleasure of using the public transport service, but as usual it was far from pleasurable.
What made it all the worse was that some tosser thought it appropriate to bring his bike onto the train during the middle of peak hour. It caused chaos to say the least. The train was already packed, but this dimwit considered that it was entirely acceptable behaviour to push his way through. As if it was his right.
Maybe he was an employee of those pretend environmentalists over at Bicycle Victoria. Or perhaps he is a card carrying member of the remove the car society, otherwise known as the Public Transport Users Association.
I wasn't familiar with the rules regarding bicycles on trains in Melbourne, otherwise i might have said something. Because apparently bikes are only permitted on the last carriage of the train and are not allowed to obstruct passengers.
This loser decided that the middle carriage was fine for him. It wasn't fine for the rest of us. Which is why when many passengers attempted to depart the train, we got caught by his obstruction. No surprise that someone exclaimed forcefully to him, "who the F%$k brings a bike onto a train?".
Apparently it costs the same to travel with a bike on a train, even though they take up the space of at least 3 paying customers. Outrageous.
I'm suggesting that all bikes be banned from trains until 7pm on weekdays. I'll allow them to travel on weekends, but not when a footy or cricket match is on. Its only fair to the rest of us.
The alternative is that bike riders pay for their own ticket, then purchase 3 more for the space they take up. The government did try to ban bikes on trains in peak hours in Zone 1 last year. Public outcry led to that decision being overturned in 6 weeks. Pity.
Its kind of ironic that someone chooses to have a bike, only to carry it on another form of transport. Here's a suggestion, if you want to ride a bike - ride away. Don't use a train to carry yourself around. Kind of defeats your purpose.
Of course i don't think that bikes should be allowed on public roads until 7pm at night on any day of the week. They really are way too dangerous to us drivers. But I'll save that opinion for another day.
What do you think? Should bikes be allowed on trains during peak hour?
Wow. Ive been such a huge fan of the fantastically talented Palbasha Siddique since her vocals featured on the Where the Hell is Matt Video last year with the song Praan.
But she just seems to get better. Palbasha turned 18 in January, and blessed us with the following video. Keep in mind that not only does she have a great vocal range, she is also setting up a charity to help poor kids in Bangladesh. How good is that?
If you want to check out the orignal Where the Hell is Matt Video, have a look here.
I'm so mightily impressed with Palbasha Siddique. This song and her voice still gives me chills. Just amazing. I am very much looking forward to her album. Happy 18th Palbasha, have a great year.
Its a disturbing statistic. Online credit card fraud has risen over the last year by 50% according to the Reserve Bank.
Assistant Governor of financial systems at the Reserve Bank, Philip Lowe, has said that "Almost half the fraud on credit cards occurs in situations where the merchant does not physically see the card, with the fraud rate increasing by around 50 per cent over the past year."
Credit card fraud costs Australians over 500 million dollars every year. And that's rising. Worldwide the cost of the fraud just on credit cards is into the tens of billions of dollars.
I know all about credit card fraud - Ive been a victim. Last year i was stung for over $1000 from transactions in the UK. I wont name the company where the transactions were made, but it is one of the biggest and most used travel service in Britain.
My bank and credit card company didn't pick up the dodgy transactions, of which there were many. I noticed it only after checking my online account. Thankfully, the bank promptly refunded my money.
But the method in which these criminals take the money is clever. Often they wont go for big amounts. Instead they will put through numerous smaller amounts which often go undetected.
In my case, they put through a couple of small transactions over 2 days. After confirming that the card worked, they then proceed to charge bigger amounts. It only stopped when i notified my bank who then cancelled my card. Which is annoying in itself. It means changing a whole range of direct debits which existed.
I'm not sure how they obtained my details. I'm not convinced it was from an online source, ie from my details being hacked. I have a theory that its more likely to be from someone who has actually physically viewed the card. For instance when you pay for a restaurant or hotel bill. The card is often taken away, or an impression is made.
Keep in mind that all a fraudster actually needs is your name, card number, expiry and 3 digit number on the back. Very simple stuff.
Its an important lesson for all of us. While in Australia credit card companies and banks are likely to refund your money if the transaction is proven not to be yours, you can never be too sure. So it pays to keep an eye on your card when paying for something.
And if you have access, check your online statement regularly.You would be surprised how many people i speak to who don't actually go through their credit card statements line by line.
Have you been stung by Credit Card Fraud? How were you treated by your bank or credit card company?
I have written previously about the lack of security in Australia at major buildings and potential targets for terrorists.
But the latest revelation is extremely disturbing. It is reported that there are as few as 10 police on duty at Melbourne's International and Domestic Airport terminals at any one time. 10 only.
So while you can be sure that there are more than a fair share of customs officials trying to prevent a piece of fruit, Chinese herbs or some other non lethal item entering our country, the airport itself is almost unprotected.
However the Melbourne Airport authority think that 10 police is enough, and they don't need more security. Are they kidding? This is the second biggest airport in Australia and is home to both major international and domestic terminals. And its a damn big area.
Kevin Rudd has announced a federal inquiry into the incident that occurred at Sydney airport resulting in the death of one man. But you don't need an inquiry to tell you that 10 police is nowhere near enough to protect what might be considered a prime target by terrorists.
For god sakes, just send more police to Australian airports. Its not that bloody hard.
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You know that an inquiry has started when people start the blame game. This time the media will be following the Royal Commission on the Victorian Fires every step of the way.
So expect to hear a lot of complaints and blame over at least the next 6 months. Maybe the fault will lie with the government, the local councils, DSE, the CFA etc etc Every local person will have a theory. And the endless media coverage of who is to blame is going to get a bit tiresome.
Because thats why we have a Royal Commission. To find out the facts. We dont need to hear every theory which may or may not be correct.
I wont yet pass any judgement on the matters related to the fires in Victoria, but i will offer this little snippet which featured in The Age. It was a story about Steve Bell, a CFA Lieutenant who went to the Royal Commission hearing in Kinglake and Jack Walhout from the Toolangi fire brigade.
Im cutting and pasting but they had the following to say:
(Steve Bell) He criticised people at the meeting who claimed they had not been warned of the fire that devastated the small mountain town.
"There was 24 hours of warning that the weather conditions would be the worst since Ash Wednesday," he said. "How much more do you bloody need?"
The people asking those questions had never turned up to bushfire education sessions run by the CFA, he said. "None of these people were in Community Fireguard meetings. We had two years of trying to drum it into them but they weren't interested. Nobody bloody wanted to know about it."
His claim of community complacency was backed by a 25-year member of the nearby Toolangi fire brigade, Jack Walhout, who said people in his area also failed to attend bushfire preparation sessions, even though his brigade had been warning for years that the heavily forested region might one day face an unstoppable fire.
"At the last meeting, we would have been lucky to have half a dozen people," Mr Walhout said. "You would drag people by the nose to those meetings."
I just think that these comments from people obviously in the know are important as we move forward with the inquiry. Lets not jump to too many conclusions before all the facts are on the table.
In yet another attempt to waste public money and tarnish the reputation of Marcus Einfeld, the New South Wales Police are investigating him over not wearing a seat belt while travelling in a car with ABC journalists.
Marcus Einfeld graciously appeared on ABC's Four Corners program which was aired on Monday night. He agreed to be interviewed by them prior to being sentenced to jail last week.
In one scene from the interview, Marcus Einfeld got into the back of an ABC vehicle, which was filmed by the Four Corners crew. He was interviewed by the ABC journalist, and it appeared that he wasn't wearing a seatbelt even though the car was moving.
Police have issued a statement which says the following:
"NSW police traffic services branch will be reviewing footage to determine what action if any may be taken. Seatbelt safety is an important measure to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries. It is an issue that police take very seriously."
But here we go again. How much money will the Police waste on this investigation? And how may more years can they give to Einfeld for this offence?
I think everybody should wear seatbelts - I'm a pretty big supporter of better road safety. If he wasn't wearing a seat belt, sure, send him a fine. You know where he is. Just as long as you review the footage of every person who appears on news networks to see if they are doing anything wrong. Better still, why not analyse all CCTV footage to see who is jaywalking in Sydney's CBD?
Meanwhile Sydney Airport is still unprotected and gang violence continues unchecked. They have some seriously absurd priorities in Sydney.
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Japanese Whaling - why not let Japan take the beached whales to eat instead of killing other whales in the open sea?
As we read yet another report of whales beaching themselves near Hamelin Bay in Western Australia, my mind turns to the awful practice of Japanese whaling. It is still remarkable that Japan is allowed to get away with such an atrocity.
But i suppose thats what comes with being an economic superpower. Very few countries want to stand in the way of one of their biggest trading partners.
Its not clear why whales beach themselves. There are numerous theories for beaching including escape from a predator, and even the use of sonar by ships and submarines which affect the whales directional ability. Whatever it is, once they have beached, its very hard to get the whales back into the open sea.
My suggestion is that a deal should be done with the Japanese to get them to stop their whaling in exchange for giving them the beached whales. For the most part the beached whales end up dying, despite the best efforts of volunteers to keep them alive.
When they die, they have to be disposed of. It seems like an awful waste when Japan wants whales to eat.
What do you think?
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"I'm not sure what the answer is to the apparent increase in violence, particularly glassing. When i was growing up, which wasn't that long ago, glassing was only something that seemed to occur in the movies. While I'm sure it existed, it seems glassing someone at a bar or club is almost a weekly event in Melbourne."
I have formed the opinion that much of the violence that takes place is very spontaneous, sort of a mini rage. But i also think that its very temporary. All it takes is a few seconds to enable security staff, friends or onlookers to intervene in any violence and the attacker can be controlled. And then allowed to calm down.
The problem exists primarily during those few seconds where someone decides to be violent. So the best solution is to take away the opportunity for someone to use a lethal weapon. Given we don't allow people to carry guns or knives, (many clubs actually screen for these), why should we provide a weapon like a glass to be available to an attacker?
For much of the time the glass is in easy reach or even in a person's hand. It takes a split second to smash the glass, create a sharp edge and then assault another person.
Andrew Blain, an Australian soldier lost an eye in an unprovoked attack at a club in Darwin.It seems that there is such an easy solution. Take away a weapon of opportunity by replacing actual glass, with plastic glasses. Ever heard of someone ending up in hospital with serious injuries or dead after being struck by a plastic container? It doesn't happen.
We are not going to stop people from drinking. And there will always be a section of the community who drink too much and have a tendency to be violent. Governments usually to take the preventative approach, ie don't drink to excess. But that wont address or deal with a range of people who wont or cant adhere to this message.
Of course, the hotels don't want to introduce plastic glasses. Your guess is as good as mine as to why they wont. Perhaps they think it would be more costly.
There is still the issue to be addressed as to what to do with bottled beers or things like breezers. But remember that its been a long time since bottled products have been available at the footy or cricket. The bar staff open the bottle then place the contents in a big plastic cup.
Personally, i prefer to drink out of glass. But id happily compromise if it means less people end up in hospital. You often hear the line that if we can save one life it will be worth it. Plastic glasses will save lives. And that's what this is all about.
What do you think? Would you be happy to drink out of a plastic glass at a pub or club?
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Ive long argued that pensioners really dont do it as tough as they like us to think. But its no surprise that after the Rudd Government botched the selling of their last budget that they were forced to give something more to this whingeing whining section of the community.
It has been reported that pensions may rise by $35 per week for a single and $51 per week for couples. More bloody handouts from Rudd and Swan. This time to one of the least deserving sections of the community. Keep in mind that these pensioners won massive payment handouts from the Rudd Government last year. Thousands of dollars in some cases. Thankfully pensioners didnt get anything in the latest handouts.
How much did i get last year from Rudd? Nothing. Im single. Apparently i dont have any bills to pay and the supposed price rises that pensioners whinge about apparently dont apply to me.
But its hard to believe that pensioners are struggling when prices for consumables are actually coming down. Yes, you silly oldies, things are cheaper now because of the financial crisis.
But will this stop the oldies from complaining? Of course not. What else do these people have to do with their time? Nothing.
No, just you wait for the next round of complaints. They no doubt will say that the extra money is welcome but its not enough. They need more. "Surely you don't understand, things aren't as cheap as they were in 1960 you know."
I'm sick of old people complaining about how bad they have it. They don't. For the most part they are doing just fine.
I'm happy to say it here. Complaining pensioners are just greedy silly old gits. They should bugger off to oldville and talk amongst themselves. Then maybe we can get some peace.
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I'm incredibly baffled by the murder that took place in broad daylight at Australia's busiest Airport, Mascot in Sydney. Where oh where were the police?
One man was killed, beaten to death with a steel bollard, while two more were seriously injured. Yet this all occurred in a place where we would rightfully expect security and a police presence to be at its highest. The biker gangs involved in the fight murdered a man, then hopped into taxis to go home. Not one was arrested at the scene.
In the aftermath of the September 11 atrocity, security at Australia's major airports was supposed to be beefed up. So what happened on Sunday?
It really is anyone's guess. Apparently private security guards witnessed the start of the incident, then left. Hard to believe. But even so, consider that these private security don't even have a direct way of contacting the Federal Police who are blessed with the responsibility of protecting our airports. Its a role that they are supposed to share with New South Wales police.
Does it surprise you that the Federal Police could botch something as simple as actual policing? I saw Mick Keelty on TV trying to defend their efforts at the airport. Feeble really. Keep in mind that these are the same Federal Police who did such a great job on the Haneef matter. And the same ones who tipped off the Indonesians about Australian drug smugglers, rather than catching them in Australia.
Ive long argued that the security arrangements in Australia are incredibly lax. Having travelled through Europe, the United States and Asia, Australia comes a distant last in terms of protection of sites which might be of major interest to terrorist's. Even our politicians get next to no protection.
Its not like an airport is low on the list of possible targets. Consider the botched attempt at Glasgow airport in 2007. Police were on the scene of that one within a minute. Not surprising.
If you have had the pleasure of travelling in the UK, you will know that every major airport has significant numbers of heavily armed police patrolling. And when i say heavily armed, i mean it. Bullet proof vests, semi automatic machine guns, as well as handgun. And these are just the ones on public display. Many more crack teams are on standby at a moments notice.
But don't think that the UK approach is just in response to the September 11 attacks, or the London tube bombings in 2005. The UK have been on high alert for terrorist activity for more than 30 years. Remember that they had the IRA to contend with.
My point is that it will probably take a major incident in Australia before any real security exists.
Consider the amount of police resources devoted to pursuing Marcus Einfeld on his lies about a speeding fine. Countless officers, thousands hours and millions of dollars were spent on this vendetta. Yet no money or resources seem to exist to protect Australia's premier airport.
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Its time politicians actually looked into this matter properly. I'm sick of inquiry's after the fact. Should we really be waiting until something happens before security is strengthened in Australia?
No. Its time somebody stood up on the national security issue. Who is it going to be? Please dont wait until its too late.
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Ive always been impressed with the Victorian Traffic Accident Commission's (TAC) ad campaigns. The wipe off 5 campaign has been in place since 2001 and is designed to get drivers to take 5kmh off their normal speed to reduce the risk of serious injury in accidents.
Its a great message. And one worth listening to. The latest TAC "wipe off 5" ad shows how much of a difference reducing your speed by just 5 km makes in an accident. Please have a look at it.
As an aside, i have some concerns that the TAC does not have an effective medium for getting their message out to younger drivers. TV and radio just dont work as well with a younger audience anymore. As an example, i couldn't find a TAC channel on youtube, this video was thankfully posted by a concerned citizen. I hope to look a bit further into how the TAC could deliver their message to a younger audience more effectively.
Having offered one of the weakest apologies in history, the Sunday Telegraph are now resorting to blame former soldier Jack Johnson of conning them with the fake Pauline Hanson photos.
After being duped by Johnson, the Telgraph are offering the public a full on hatchet job on him, in a feeble attempt to absolve themselves of responsibility in publishing the photos.
The Sunday Telegraph today devotes a feature on Johnson, who they claim is "...a desperate figure who lives on a public-housing estate in western Sydney, says he has three cancerous bone tumours, so medical treatment and debts are constants in his life. He wanted our money to pay outstanding bills."
Yeah, and you paid that money to him.
They claim that Johnson has a "tenuous hold on reality" and "declined to help verify crucial elements of his story."
Ahh, right. So you published without verifying his story, which had holes from the beginning, and now its his fault? I'm sorry, but in my reading of this story, the ones with the tenuous hold on reality is the Sunday Telegraph.
Because the full story printed in the Sunday Telegraph suggests that Johnson is a person known to make up wild stories. There is even the accusation that he didn't actually serve in the army. It strikes me as particularly odd that such an investigation takes place after the fact. Too hard to do this before publishing the fake Hanson photos i suppose?
One of the more unbelievable statements issued by soon to be former Sunday Telegraph Editor Neil Breen was this little gem, "We're not politicians here. We don't try to spin our way out of a jam."
No spin? The Telegraph and News Limited spent most of the last week trying to justify their decision to publish the Hanson photos, and insisting that they were in fact real.
Then, faced with the fact that the photos were of someone other than Hanson, they have resorted to blaming someone else. But no amount of blame on Johnson can take away from the fact that it was Breen and other News editors who made the decision to publish the photos. They are the ones who put these photos into the public domain.
Keep in mind that Breen paid $15,000 to Jack Johnson after they used the most flimsy of checks on these photos. All they did was to make a cursory examination to see if the pictures were altered, or photo shopped. They neglected to do any forensic examination to see if the pictures were actually of someone other than Hanson.
That is not only sloppy, its downright disturbing. Hiding behind the old media claim that it is the public's right to know, the Telegraph state that they"...published the pictures because we believed them to be a genuine news story." The truth is that it is far too simple for the media to malign a public figure based on the thinnest of evidence.
Will the Sunday Telegraph, News Limited or other media agencies learn anything from this issue? Probably not. Breen will fall on his sword, be blamed for the whole saga and life will go on as normal in the media.
The only winner out of this will be Pauline Hanson who will receive millions of dollars in compensation. I don't like Hanson, but I'm happy to say in this matter, good for her.
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The Sunday Telegraph and effectively all News Limited papers have accepted that the photos purporting to be Pauline Hanson published last Sunday are in fact fake.
The papers have accepted some responsibility for publishing the photos, and have offered an unreserved apology to Pauline Hanson. Some, because they are claiming that former soldier Jack Johnson is a discredited disability pensioner who deliberately misled them. More on that later.
Neil Breen, the editor of the Sunday Telegraph, soon to be former editor, said sorry this morning in a published apology. Yet from my reading, it is one of the weakest apologies in news history. Having said sorry, Breen continues to justify his decision to publish the photos, and then passes blame to Johnson for conning them.
Hanson is sure to continue with her case against News Limited and other agencies who published the pictures. She has signed on high profile media lawyer and former Media Watch host, Stuart Littlemore QC to fight the case for her. Littlemore recently acted for Schapelle Corby's sister, Mercedes against Today Tonight, securing for her a multi million dollar payout.
Pauline lost her bid for the seat of Beaudesert in the Queensland election, and is suggesting quite forcefully that the published photos damaged her campaign. This is sure to be one of the features of any case against News Limited. But lost earnings is just one of the matters that will be raised. Pain and suffering as well as damage to her reputation will also be cited.
I have suggested previously that it would be in News Limited interest to settle this matter before a lengthy drawn out court case. The apology this morning indicates that they may be heading down that path. Hanson is sure to be set for life with this money.
Editor of the Sunday Herald Sun Damon Johnston said this morning that they have learnt a valuable lesson. Pity that it was so costly for them. Because all the backtracking that they do now wont insure them against a hefty law suit.
I'm just a little disappointed that we didn't get to see Hanson's belly button. That really would have been quite a show.
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A comment from my previous post on the Marcus Einfeld case stated that "Having accepted the privileges and duties of the legal profession and the judiciary, he should have always observed the highest standards of behaviour."
Agreed, he should have observed the highest standards of behaviour. But so should everyone.
We cannot hold certain individuals to a higher account just because of their current or former position in society. If that were the case, sentencing law would have to be changed to reflect differentials based on people's profession, fame, status, personal background etc. It would become a farce.
For example, if Einfeld were convicted of murder, is his crime greater than that of any other citizen, thus subjecting him to a harsher sentence? Of course not.
A crime is a crime. We cannot pick and choose which individuals should pay a higher price.
I fear it is more about the authorities choosing which cases to prosecute to the full extent of the law, and make examples of them. Is Einfeld alone in making a false statement regarding a speeding fine? No, this happens quite regularly.
A similar case existed when the ATO chose to pursue John Hewson for failing to lodge 2 tax returns. Hardly an uncommon event, hundreds of thousands of Australians do the same each year, but don't face the wrath of the ATO and the government prosecutor. Thankfully, that matter was thrown out of court.
If the Einfeld case shows anything, it is that sentencing in Australia has no consistency and is generally determined by a judiciary out of step with mainstream society. In addition, in this case the media had a role in ensuring that the judge had to apply a significant sentence.
Justice must be served in an even handed way. A 2 year minimum sentence for lying about a speeding fine is appalling.
Consider the amount of cases that make your blood boil when sentencing is incredibly lenient. Violent assaults, sex predators, rapists, attempted murders, major fraud. The list goes on and on. I have seen too many to remember whose sentences were less than that dished out to Einfeld. Check out a very good comparison by Vex News.
It may be argued that the sentences handed down in other cases were too lenient. And for the most part i would agree.
But in order for society to have faith in the legal system, there must be consistency. Be it Marcus Einfeld or Joe Bloggs who lied about a speeding fine, a similar sentence must be handed down. Einfeld's former standing does not change the nature of the crime.
Doing the right thing and obeying the law is the responsibility of every citizen. What is wrong for one, is not more wrong for another regardless of their background.
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The very sad death of actress and wife of Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson, has been ruled an accident after her fall on a beginner ski slope in Canada. The cause, according to medical examiners in New York is an epidural haematoma.
An epidural haematoma causes bleeding between the skull and the brain's covering, which in turn can produce blood clots and put extreme pressure on the brain. This pressure pushes the brain down, which then presses on the brain stem. Basically, it causes the brain to swell.
The head of neurosurgery at Washington Hospital Centre, Dr Edward Aulisi said that "Once you have more swelling, it causes more trauma which causes more swelling. It's a vicious cycle because everything's inside a closed space."
But symptoms in these cases often take time to emerge, with patients often feeling fine immediately after the trauma, as Richardson did.
Aulisi said that it pays to check if you have any doubts, "If there's any question in your mind whatsoever, you get a head CT scan. It's the best 20 seconds you ever spent in your life."
I think there is a good message in that. Experts suggest that Natasha Richardson may have survived if she sought immediate treatment. The longer it gets left, the harder it is to treat.
If you have an accident which involves any trauma to your head, get to a hospital quickly. At the very least, some lessons can be learned from this accident.
Editor of the Sunday Telegraph, Neil Breen, has admitted that his paper moved too quickly in publishing the Pauline Hanson nude photos and story, saying "...we needed to do more work on it or put more rigours through it."
Fantastic. Well done Neil Breen. Goose.
He has admitted that the story provided by Jack Johnson, the supposed photographer of Hanson, had a lot of holes in it. But he gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Breen previously said that he was 100% certain that the photos were of Pauline Hanson. Seems like the rest of the country, he isn't so sure anymore. I'm not sure that Breen can feel too safe in his job. Certainly wont have much to return to if Hanson wins millions in damages.
If Pauline Hanson gets elected again, Australians can blame you for giving her the publicity. Neil Breen you are a tosser.
But of course, he isn't the only one. News Limited editors across the country agreed to publish these photos. They ran in the Sunday Herald Sun in Melbourne and the Courier Mail in Brisbane. As well as on many of the TV news networks.
This is going to be one lengthy and costly court case. The fun is just beginning.
Update: Hanson Photos are Fake say Editors
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After one of the biggest and most costly witch hunt's this century, Former Federal Court Judge Marcus Einfeld has been sentenced to at least 2 years Jail for lying to avoid a speeding fine 3 years ago. Justice Bruce James handed down the verdict today to a packed courtroom.
I don't believe in lying - and i think what Einfeld did was stupid and crazy. But is his crime worth 2 years in prison? Not by a long way. Keep in mind that the fine at the time was a massive $77.
Ok, so he made up the fact that someone else was driving his car. Big woop. His crime for doing that? Making a false statement under oath and trying to pervert the course of justice.
And this lengthy sentence has come after he finally pleaded guilty.
The legal system is a joke. Talk about rough justice. There are many cases of convicted violent offenders being let off with a slap on the wrist. Or a very short jail term.
Think about the many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars the New South Wales government has paid to prosecute this case. Think of all the ways that money could have been spent. The lawyers are the winners in this one.
So Einfeld lied. Big deal. Give him a massive fine. Put an old guy in jail for telling a lie? And a pretty stupid one at that. What sort of country to we live in?
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I truly believe this is an interesting question. Are you in a better position, or do you have more money in your pocket that you did 6 months ago? Or even 12 months ago. I would love to hear your responses. Comment below.
Because it is my firm opinion that if you are employed and still working the same amount of hours, you are much better off than last year. I base this on 3 factors.
Firstly, wages have been steadily on the rise over the last couple of years, meaning that if you are still doing the same hours, you are seeing more in your pay packet every week.
Secondly, interest rates have dropped 400 basis points since last September - a 4% drop in 6 months. With more cuts to interest rates expected, that's a saving of many hundreds of dollars to the household every month. On an average loan of $300,000 it would save you around $800 per month.
Lastly, inflation has dropped significantly. That means prices for many products are actually coming down. There are savings to be had all over the place, shops and service providers are madly competing for your attention. Have a think about where petrol was last year, closing on $1.60 a litre. Now its averaging around $1.10.
While they have made people better off, I'm not adding in the Rudd stimulus package payments to families and taxpayers. These have been designed as one offs and may not be repeated.
I'm also not taking into account the fall in superannuation funds - like any investment, this will steadily rise over the long term. Considering the massive gains in super accounts over the last 7 or so years, a couple of years drop in super doesn't have much impact. Unless you want to retire right now of course.
The ABS released statistics early this month which said that gross disposable income was up by $11 billion in the December quarter, nearky a 6% rise. But most of that money went into savings. In that quarter, consumption only rose by .1%, with almost 9.5 billion dollars going into savings, the highest amount for 20 years.
So what about you? How are your finances? Do you feel more comfortable financially than last year?
A Sri Lankan born postmaster in the UK is demanding that people speak English when they come into his post office. If they don't, he is refusing to serve them.
Deva Kumarasiri arrived in England 17 years ago and now runs a post office in Nottingham, in central England.
Mr Kumarasiri has said that "If you don't want to be British, go home. The fabric of the nation begins to unravel if we don't all speak the same language."
I have a firm opinion that we should live and let live - i don't presume to get myself involved in other people's business. What others do in their own time, as long as its legal, is their own business. I have my own worries thank you very much.
In addition, i think of all the countries i have visited as a tourist, and have made very jumbled attempts at the native tongue. It has more than often come down to hand signals and a smile. Or, for that matter, i have sometimes resorted to English. It doesn't work. But shopkeepers, hotels, taxi drivers etc still serve me. And they almost always do so happily.
But what do you think? Should people be refused service in Australia if they cant speak English?
You have to just hate some people. In this case it is Bryan Pape, National Party member and States Rights Champion. He has taken the Federal Government to the High Court of Australia, claiming that the the $900 handout is not constitutional. The Government of course will defend the matter.
Vent your anger at Bryan Pape - send him an email, tell him what you really think about his court challenge.
bpape2@une.edu.au
Copy and paste your emails in the comments below - id love to hear what you tell him!
Good one Bryan Pape, you tosser. The matter is listed to be heard in the High Court on March 30 and 31. The ATO have told the court that they need to have a decision by the close of business on April 2 in order to meet the deadline for the payments.
So yet again your payment might be delayed, this time by an attention seeking member of the National Party. Yes, the same group of people as the Turbull led opposition who opposed your payment in the Parliament.
Im sure the High Court will have some common sense on this matter.
UPDATE: The High Court has ruled that the Tax Bonus Payment of $900 is valid under the Constitution. Bryan Pape's challenge was unsuccessful and you will begin receiving your payment soon. Check here for the ATO's schedule for paying you the $900.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority, ACMA, have suffered a damaging setback today after the leak of a list of their secretly banned websites. Good.
The leak to world whistleblower website wikileaks shows that the list of 2395 banned site was from August of 2008. However, ACMA said in November that its blacklist only contained 1370 sites.
Sites banned include some pages from MySpace, Youtube a dentist and even a tourism operator. While many of the sites are no doubt of disgusting, sick and highly illegal material, the existence of some sites which may be within the law is troubling.
This list of banned sites is sure to be expanded if the Government gets its way with its new net filter. The Government has indicated that the banned list could be expanded to more than 10,000 - and the sites would be kept secret.
At the moment, the 2395 banned sites list, or the updated list from ACMA only applies to certain ISP's. If the new net filter comes in, they will be banned across the board.
Some critics are saying that the net filter could be used to censor political or other fringe sites. And they also say that the speeds of Internet connections in Australia could be slowed by 80% or more.
I have serious concerns with dodgy and illegal websites. But i also have real concerns with censorship of genuine, not harmful websites. If parents are so concerned with what their children see on the net, how about keeping an eye on them while they are surfing? Its not that hard.
***word of warning - included in this post is a link to the general Wikileaks website. Wikileaks is a whistleblower website with a variety of information on numerous topics. If you do happen to come across the list of banned websites in Australia, please do not click on the links, which should have been made unclickable by wikileaks in my opinion. Just looking at some of the names of the sites is enough to make you sick. And whatever you do, dont link to the list. The Government are threatening prosecution of anyone who does.
What do you think about the Government's planned net filter?
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Disturbing report that Leader of the Queensland Opposition, Lawrence Springborg is suffering from major mental health issues.
Springborg recently launched his mental health policy in the lead up to this weekend's Queensland election. With much fanfare, he announced that the Liberal National Party would open 15 new mental health centres in Queensland at a cost of $54 million over the next four years.
Sounds great doesn't it? A political party finally taking the mental health issue seriously. But its not great, because as always with these announcements, the devil is in the detail.
Ive long believed that mental health is an issue that needs much more government attention, and plenty more money. Not to mention training more people to work in the field and creating better public awareness.
But the approach by Springborg has the potential to be a disaster. And no pun intended, it is just crazy.
Why? Because Springborg in his genius, wants to allow untrained volunteers into each of these 15 centres. That's right, community volunteers.
What Springborg doesn't understand is that mental health is a specialised field. It requires training and plenty of understanding. You cant just pick people off the street who might volunteer at say a nursing home to come in and work at a mental health centre. It doesn't work like that.
He says that these centres will be run by nurses, with the additional services (maybe part time) of clerical staff, perhaps a social worker and a psychiatrist or psychologists. They also mention physiotherapists - I'm not quite sure why they have an ongoing role in mental health.
But not too much mention of doctors. Hmm. Perhaps these roles could be filled by the volunteers.
Given the Liberal National Party concedes that "...volunteers would not be given any special training..." how do they expect them to cope in this situation? And what help will they actually be?
Then add this little gem, regarding privacy, the opposition says that volunteers will certainly have access to very private information "...updating certain records by all means, appointment dates and things of that nature."
Great - private records in volunteers hands. Way to go Springborg, that's taking us way back in time. What a way to help somebody get back on their feet, by entrusting their privacy to an untrained volunteer.
Yes, Springborg and his opposition party have lost their mind. This is the mental health policy from hell. Anna Bligh, i don't live in Queensland, but you would have my vote.
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Does Senator Steve Fielding have an alcohol problem? Im not sure if he really likes a drink or if he is just a prize goose. Because I'm struggling to get my head around why Fielding would choose to reject a tax on pre mixed drinks which will help curb teen binge drinking.
I guess Fielding is more likely to be a goose, i don't really think he sneaks off during breaks in Parliament to down a couple of Bacardi Breezers or Jim Beams and Coke.
For the record, Fielding is a Senator from the Family First Political Party. Hmm, family first?
So i suppose that the title of that party is just for show. Because protecting families is what it should be about.
Fielding is neglecting families by allowing alco pops to be readily available to every teen at a bargain price. The Greens and even Nick Xenopon were willing to support the Government's legislation to raise taxes to help prevent teen drinking.
Not Fielding. He held out till the end, voting against a reasonable law just so he could get his 15 minutes of fame.
Fielding apparently wants alcohol advertising to be banned during sporting events. Its a noble idea and one worth consideration. But blowing a $1.6 billion hole in the budget and allowing distillers to again market their products to teenagers is what Fielding has done by rejecting the legislation.
Every day that goes by, Fielding just shows what a tool he is. Im not suggesting for a moment he is an alcoholic. But he is certainly drunk on power.
Paul Keating once said of the Senate that they were unrepresentative swill. In relation to Fielding, that statement has never been more true.
Why don't you stand up for families Senator Fielding? Stop being such a bloody tosser. Or maybe just bugger off back to church and have a think about what you really should be standing for.
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Ive always considered The American President to be one of the best political movies ever made. Yes, i know its also a romantic comedy, but it is a terribly accurate portrayal of the American political system at executive level.
In terms of its approach, its very much like The West Wing, but it preceded that show by a number of years. It does however have Martin Sheen as Chief of Staff to Michael Douglas as President Andrew Shephard.
Douglas does a fine job in his role as President. One of the best Movie Presidents. Even better than Reagan who I'm sure acted for some of his 8 years...
Anyway, check out the speech by Douglas towards the end of the movie. Not a speech you are likely to hear from any President in the future, terribly liberal, but very good nevertheless.
You have to really wonder about some people's lack of a moral compass when they attempt to defraud others during a time of crisis.
That's what Mark Kevin McMaster has done in stealing $28,000 from Centrelink's disaster recovery payment, provided to help those who had lost everything in the Black Saturday bushfires.
This guy is obviously a tosser. He has been sentenced to 2 and a half years jail with a 15 month non parole period. McMaster is on drugs, and was no doubt desperate. Even he describes his deception of Centrelink as a "dog act"
McMaster apparently made up false names and dates of birth and found addresses in the Melways. He then went to Centrelink 28 times and claimed $1,000 for each visit. McMaster proceeded to spend the money on drugs, gambling, motels and living expenses.
But you have the love the judge's comments. He described McMaster's crime as calculated and "sophisticated."
Huh? Sophisticated? The guy looked up an address in the Melways directory and made up a few names. That isnt sophisticated. A half wit could do that. Judges - have they any idea?
But I'm also curious how Centrelink could allow this to go through. Do they do any cross checking at all? Surely a quick call to any government authority, say like the ATO or Vic Roads would be able to verify the identity of people.
Here's the question...Does a Mr So and So live at such and such address? And does his date of birth match your record? No...bugger off then you loser.
Are Centrelink totally inept? They gave away Government money to this loser. Yes, they gave away your taxpayer dollars. One simple phone call is all it would have taken to prove if this guy was genuine. And 28 times they gave him money. Cash too!
It begs the question. How many other fraudsters have ripped off Centrelink after the bushfires?
Mark McMaster - Centrelink Fraudster
I don't think that Hanson's belly button is for sale just yet...but it could be. Jack Johnson was paid $15,000 by the Sunday Telegraph for the photos he claimed were of Pauline Hanson.
These photos are now known as the hansonphotogate scandal. Johnson himself isn't so sure now if the published photos really are of Hanson. And an expert in anatomy has said that the photos aren't of Hanson because of the distance between the eyes and a different nose structure.
So the key to all of this is the belly button. Forensic scientists have said that each belly button is unique.
Pauline Hanson has offered to show her belly button to the media to prove the difference. She came up with this offer but has yet to show us.
Is Hanson waiting for the highest bidder, or will she bring out her navel just before the election on Saturday?
I am going to make a prediction. If Hanson is convinced that these photos aren't of her, either Wednesday or Thursday of this week, Hanson will lift her shirt at a press conference and allow photographers to take a photo of her belly button.
That will give time for a proper scientific analysis of the navel before the election. They talk about navel gazing in politics sometimes. This will be taking it to a whole new level.
Update: Hanson Photos are Fake admits Newspapers
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In a stunning development in the Hansonphotogate saga (i always love it when people use the word gate to describe a scandal), an expert has claimed that the nude photographs are actually of another woman and not Pauline Hanson.
I have written about how much Hanson stands to make if she successfully sues News Limited and TV networks for publishing the photos.
This expert opinion makes her case that much stronger. Dr Meiya Sutisno, a forensic anatomist from the University of Technology Sydney has said that the photos are similar to Hanson, but no of her.
She bases this opinion on two things, the distance between the eyes and the difference in the nose structure. Sutisno said that the photos show the "...young woman's nasal bridge is high, prominent and projecting, and more narrow. Pauline Hanson's nasal bridge is quite wide and thick."
Another scientist has said that each belly button is unique. Hanson is offering to show hers to prove that the photos are not her. Thats a big threat.
Of course, stand by for some forensic analysis from the News Limited side. They will have their own opinion, and may prosecute this one fully.
But if they would like my advice, if they think these photos are fake or of someone else it would be much better to settle quickly and be done with it.
Because their prize witness at this point is one Jack Johnson, the bloke who supposedly took these photos. Johnson can be best described as a buffoon. Even he isn't so sure that these photos are of Pauline Hanson.
Ahh well, at the very least people are still buying newspapers.
Update: Photos of Hanson were Faked say editors.
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The Peter Costello leadership saga is getting almost as bad as Days of our Lives. You know, the daily serial that has been going since about 1972, with pretty much the same characters.
Costello keeps appearing on every TV, radio and print news he can find, just to give his opinion. And last week he argued passionately in the Liberal party room to vote to keep work choices.
He appears to be doing everything he can to destabilise Malcolm Turnbull. Creating division, backstabbing and disagreeing with policy positions.
So will Costello ever challenge? I have written previously that i think its all over for Malcom Turnbull. But Costello has no balls. Yet i wont rule out him being drafted to the job.
The time is getting closer for Costello to declare his hand on whether he will contest the seat of Higgins at the next Federal Election. When he does, he will almost be forced to call a spill of the leadership of the Liberal Party.
If he doesn't, he will go down in history as Australia's most gutless politician. Seriously, why did this tosser get into politics if he had no desire to get his hands dirty or take a chance?
Because as bad as he might look for trying and failing, he looks worse for never having had a dip.
Peter Costello, you are a tool. Maybe not as much of a tool as your brother Tim, but tool nevertheless. Get on with the challenge, or leave the rest of us in peace.
In saying that, its all fun to watch the Liberals slowly self destruct. It wont last forever, so enjoy it.
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The Pauline Hanson topless photos saga has become one of the biggest stories of the year. And stay tuned, there is still a whole lot more to come.
No, I'm not talking about more photos. But the issue now is if the Pauline Hanson raunchy photos are fake. I wrote yesterday about whether this could be a turning point in Queensland politics.
UPDATE: Hanson Photos are Fake say Telegraph
One thing is for certain, this could be the biggest scandal to hit a News Limited paper in years. The Daily Telegraph published the shots on Sunday, but don't worry - every other News Limited newspaper in the country published them as well. And the photos have been on every news network.
So if these photos are fake, how much could Pauline Hanson stand to make by suing the Daily Telegraph and News Limited? My estimate would be at least in the hundreds of thousands, but more likely, into the millions.
Seriously - it would be that much. More if she loses her bid for election to the State Parliament in Queensland this weekend.
If you think getting compensation in the millions is too much, take a step back for a second and think about how you would feel if the same thing happened to you. Now I'm no supporter of Hanson, not by a long stretch, but if these photos are fake, she deserves every cent of that.
That's not to say that she isnt milking this story for all its worth. She is an independent politician standing for election after all. But its still not a nice thing to wake up to on a Sunday morning is it? God knows it wasn't nice for me either - nearly choked on my coco pops.
If you have seen the Hanson photos, what do you think?
Are they fake? Do you think they have been photo shopped? Or are they of someone else?
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Delta Airlines are firing an opening bid in the war on Trans pacific flights by offering $777 flights from Australia to the United States. Add about $300 in taxes and the total for the flight comes in at less than $1100 return.
That's not a bad deal, and it follows Virgin's foray into the same market with their V Australia airline. This was after limited competition was allowed on this sector.
What it shows is that competition is healthy in air travel. Which is why it is baffling that the Federal Government, Anthony Albanese in particular, wont allow Singapore Airlines to fly the same route.
I have written about this before. I hope that this competition shows that the more airlines the better. Id prefer to fly Singapore. If you can allow free trade in almost everything else, why not total free trade in the skies?
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Ahh, Pauline Hanson poses for revealing photos in the 1970s. And this is an issue why? Because News Limited think it is, and it sells papers.
Im just curious if we will look back on this issue in the coming years and say that
this was a defining moment in politics in Queensland and perhaps Australia.
Remember back to when Hanson made all the remarks in the 1996 election campaign? She was just a chancer candidate in an unwinnable seat.
Then she was disendorsed by Howard, and the controversy enabled her to win the seat of Oxley, thus ensuring that the political landscape and race relations in Australia would forever be changed. Thats why im a little worried that maybe this issue will give her another leg up to spin her rubbish.
So will she win this time because of these photos? Hard to tell. But it isn't going to hurt.
Because Australia really has moved on, we don't really care too much if fringe politicians have posed for topless photos. I mean, who gives a toss? Thats where the sympathy vote may come in.
News Limited really want Hanson to win - they know what these photos will do. They want her to win because Hanson makes for good news print.
Its appalling, but that's what the media are attempting to do. I don't think i could stand another few years of Hanson's voice and stupidity. I despise the fact that shes a racist. But i also hate the fact they she isn't too bright.
Of course now Hanson is claiming that the photos aren't actually of her. And she will reveal her belly button in order to prove it. Yes, folks, it has come to that.
Maybe they are of her, maybe they aren't. If it is the latter, stand by for one of the biggest law suits in Australia's history. Not only has Hanson benefited from public funding of elections, ie, your money, she will stand likely to receive a massive payment from News Limited. Trust me, this would run into the millions.
The $15,000 News Limited paid for the photos is but the start of their payout. Are they insured for libel?
The story offered by the photographer Jack Johnson has more holes than a really big holey thing, so its hard to know where the truth lies.
Anyway, the truth will out at some stage. In the meantime, lets hope the voters of Beaudesert in Queensland have more sense.
For anyone who wanted to see the photos again, I'm not going to waste my time, sorry.
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I'm going to make a bold prediction. And that is that the Commonwealth Games due to be held in Delhi, India in 2010 will be cancelled, and moved back to Australia.
So stay tuned Melbourne - you may yet get another chance to host the major world sporting event that is the Commonwealth Games.
The reason? The fact that the Indian government and authorities will be unable to protect the sports men and women, their teams and the tourists visiting the event.
The tragic events that took place in Mumbai recently, when terrorists targeted foreign civilians were just a taste of what may happen if India hosts the games. Indian police and military were almost powerless to stop the attack and took days to bring the situation under control.
The recent attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan just highlights the instability that exists in the region. The Mumbai terrorism grew out of Pakistan. India couldn't stop it.
So what i think will happen, is that over the next few months some countries will start suggesting that they may not make the trip to India due to safety concerns. More countries will follow. The pressure will build, and the Commonwealth Games Federation will have to make a decision to take the event away from India.
The most logical place for them to turn will be Melbourne. Having hosted a very successful Commonwealth Games in 2006, Melbourne is well suited to play that role again. The infrastructure is mostly still in place, and the organisation could replicate that which we have seen before.
This is just my opinion of course. But if the safety of athletes cant be guaranteed, there is no good reason for India to host the games.
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Id be really interested to hear how people are planning to spend the $900 Tax Bonus Handout from Kevin Rudd.
You have a couple of weeks to work it out - the payment is due to arrive at the end of March and into the first week of April.
Personally, I'm planning to put it on the mortgage, which is probably something the government don't want me to do. I'm sure they would prefer that it was spent on various products or services, and not saved.
I'm curious if people will spend it on consumables, like LCD and plasma TVs, or other electronics, clothing and furniture. That's certainly where much of the money went from the previous handout stimulus package from Rudd in December. Or will you spend it on every day items like groceries? Maybe you will use the $900 to take a holiday. Preferably within Australia.
Of course a great deal of money from the December package went into poker machines. That may not be so much this time around given there is no money for pensioners and retirees in these handouts.
What are you going to spend your money on? Comment below.
This is my message to whichever health authority controls the warning label messages on cigarette packets. Not just here in Australia, but around the world.
Because if they truly want to get people to stop smoking, they need to try a better approach.
While those graphic messages and photos of people dying or suffering from cancer have some impact, I'm going to suggest two more warning labels. One for men, and one for women. I don't mind if they put photos with the label message, in fact, its probably going to be a big help.
And both warnings, while scary, are actually true.
So for the guys, the warning message should read something like:
"Smoking causes impotence" or what about "Its hard to get hard with a smoke". Or maybe just "Sex and Smoking don't mix".
If guys knew that smoking takes away their ability to perform, they might think twice about lighting up.
And for the girls, id suggest the following:
"Yes, smoking makes you look older - really old" or perhaps "Get wrinkles in your 20's, light a smoke". But probably something more radical "Smoking just makes you look ugly."
And yes, its all true. Smoking does really bad things to your skin.
This is certainly an age of vanity - people are so concerned about they way they look. The thought of cancer, disease and even death are so far from young peoples minds. Its why they speed in their cars with such reckless abandon. Its the belief that nothing bad will happen to them.
So lets appeal to their vanity - smoking will make you look really old and wrinkly and you wont be able to have sex. That should stop a few more in my opinion.
Hero co-pilot Jeffrey B Skiles of US Airways Flight 1549 that landed in the Hudson river in January is due to head back to work shortly, declaring that he sees "no future in being a long term celebrity."
Jeff Skiles will do some simulated flights before heading back to fly later in March.
If you havent seen it, check out Skile's testimony to the US Congress last month. He is truly well spoken, calm and confident. And a powerful advocate for the aviation industry. Add hero to that description and Skiles is a very impressive character indeed.
I'm still amazed by the landing of the US Airways plane on the Hudson River in New York. And the heroic and calm effort by Ches Sullenberger, Jeff Skiles and the crew of the flight is something to be truly admired.
A company in the US, Scene Systems have put together a virtual reconstruction of the events of that day, complete with audio from the plane and traffic control.
This is really worth watching:
Ive always been a big supporter of low cost airlines like Ryanair and Air Asia. And Ive been fortunate enough to have been able to use their services.
But after hearing that Michael O'Leary, the owner of Ryanair is planning to charge for the use of toilets has made me think twice.
Now i don't particularly like toilets on airplanes - there, Ive said it. And for the most part i avoid them wherever possible.
However the thought that i would have to swipe a credit card or place a coin in a slot in order to use the facilities is just appalling. Its ok for me, i could do that if i needed to.
But what about those that don't have a credit card? Kids or the elderly. Or those who have forgotten to take enough coins on board?
What are they supposed to do, go in their seat? Because, as they say, when you gotta go, you gotta go.
It seems to be that the easy and free use of bathroom facilities in a closed environment like a plane or a train is a human right.
What next from O'Leary, will he now bring in charges seat belt? You cant buckle in unless you swipe your credit card or chuck in a coin.
When Rynair first hit the market, they truly were a low cost airline, they competed with other well established airlines, and beat them at their own game. In those days, you pretty much just paid for your fare and the taxes and that was it.
Since then we have seen a range of different fees and charges that passengers must pay in order to fly as they did before. If you book online you will pay a processing fee for using your credit card. As if there is any other way to pay.
If you want to check baggage, like most people do, you will pay another fee. If you want to change your flight, there's another huge fee for that too. And when they fly you to an airport that is some distance from the city you are intending to go to, they will operate the connection services, again at a whopping fee.
One of the things that happened over the last few years is that Ryanair undercut the established airlines so much that they many were forced to pull out of the routes they were flying. They just weren't making money anymore.
And that was the time that O'Leary and Ryanair decided to add all those other charges on. You might get a flight for 1 pound or 1 euro. But add in all the charges, consider the fact that you often fly to an airport in the middle of nowhere and then have to pay a premium again on the bus service to the city, really, are you any better off?
It all sounds good. But the truth is something different. Air Asia for their part seem to be operating a service similar to what Ryanair did in their early days. Lets hope they stick to what they are at the moment, a truly low cost airline.
If they even consider putting charges on the use of a toilet, god help them. Certainly for O'Leary and Ryanair, id like to see the backlash if he does do it.
Might give new meaning to the phrase pissing in the aisles. Id be laughing at that.
Ryanair's Michael O'Leary riding a plane - or is he just happy to see you?
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Ive always followed the adage that if you have a choice between stuff up and conspiracy, stuff up wins almost every time. But the events surrounding the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan need some scrutiny.
ICC match referee Chris Broad has almost claimed conspiracy by suggesting that the Pakistan team bus was not in the travelling convoy that was attacked by terrorists on Tuesday.
Broad claims that on the first two days of the test, the Pakistan bus travelled with the Sri Lankan bus to the Gaddafi stadium. But on the day in question, the Pakistan bus left 5 minutes after Sri Lanka's.
Therefore we must question the motives of the terrorists. Were they planning to attack just the Sri Lankan team? Or was their primary target the Pakistan team bus? The former answer seems much more plausible than the latter. Why?
Because a Pakistan terrorist based organisation in my opinion is highly unlikely to want to attack the national team of their country's favorite sport. Could you imagine the backlash against anyone harboring or supporting such groups?
Pakistan loves their cricket. And the team is made up of all different types of people from different backgrounds and political persuasions. In other words, they don't make a likely target, except perhaps for creating attention.
Attacking a foreign team is a different story. Which is what makes this attack very much like the Mumbai massacre. Same style, well planned, Pakistani nationals involved, foreign targets. Its just that this time it happened on home soil.
So back to Broad's claim. Does the 5 Min's actually make a difference? In this case, its seems to have made all the difference in ensuring that the Pakistani bus wasn't involved. But why did it leave later? That is something that is yet to be explained.
The 2 buses travelled together and followed the same route for the first 2 days of the test match. Which means that the attackers had already known the route and had planned accordingly.
Reports suggested that two cars intercepted the Sri Lankan bus - they backed in front of it, causing it to stop to avoid collision. Gunmen from the cars jumped out, then opened fire. That leads us to ask, on the first 2 days, which bus was leading the convoy? The Pakistani or the Sri Lankan team bus?
And would the terrorists have been able to back their cars between the two buses had the Pakistani bus been leading the convoy on the day of the attack? In other words, if their goal was to attack the Sri Lankans, they would need to wait for the Pakistani bus to pass, then have enough time to back their cars between the two.
So, if it is conspiracy, there would be a suggestion that someone has tipped off the Pakistani team bus, and asked for a delay. That's a wild theory, but Ive given up being surprised by a lot of things.
So then we might ask, where was the protection that was supposedly promised the Sri Lankan cricket team for their visit to Pakistan? Looks like it was non existent doesn't it?
But that argument runs against many of the reports coming from the ground, that the convoy was protected by up to 25 Pakistani Commandos. That's right, 25.
We have half a dozen police or army officers dead. But not one terrorist dead, wounded or captured. And for anyone who has seen the footage, the terrorists were walking around brazenly, without any opposition.
So where were the army? Early reports said the gun attack ran for over 20 mins. And yet no troops or armed opposition could stop even one of the dozen or so terrorists? That does strike me as odd.
Further to that, it appears that the police or army van that was travelling with the bus was actually behind it. Which is extremely odd for any protection detail. There should be at least one in front, and one behind.
Im not here to suggest conspiracy, i will leave that up to other people. But a lot of the events that occurred on that day seem very strange indeed. Perhaps Pakistan's security is just that bad.
But it seems to me that if a group of 12 terrorists can plan something so well, it shouldn't be so hard to offer protection to a group of international sportsmen.
If anyone else has a theory, id love to hear it - comment below.
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You have to love it - the marketing genius of some people. Kogan Technologies have come up with their latest so called winning deal called Kevin37. To coincide with the arrival of the $900 Rudd tax bonus payment in April, Kogan are releasing a $900 37 inch LCD TV.
Sounds like a good deal yeah? A 37 inch TV to arrive right at the same time as the payment from the government.
Now, just stop right there for a moment. Apart from giving full marks for the marketing genius of this, a 37 inch TV for $900 isn't a great deal.
You can regularly purchase LCD TVs, which are properly name branded products, coming from South Korea and Japan, for about the same, or even less.
Heard of Kogan before? No, i haven't either. Want to know why?
Because the name Kogan is the surname of the owner of the business, Ruslan Kogan. That's right folks, he named the TVs after himself. Which is perfectly simple to do when all you are doing is buying the products from China and telling the manufacturer to put a simple sticker on the front.
Not hard. You or i could do the same. In fact, I might set up the YoungGrump TV. I'll sell mine for $850. You can donate the other $50 to one of my chosen charities.
And you have to love this little snippet from the website: "Kogan Technologies is 100% Australian owned and operated, so any profits are reinvested into the Australian economy."
Yeah, the business is 100% owned, but everything you purchase is from China! Good one fella.
KEVIN37 - i don't think so. Dont get conned by the hype - shop around, you can get a much more reliable product for an even better price.
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