Oz Politics.

[stevebaby]

Fraud allegations levelled against a recently retired Liberal Party MP will be evaluated by the Australian Federal Police.

A package of classified documents has been mailed to the AFP containing details of tens of thousands of dollars worth of allegedly fraudulent taxpayer-funded payments made to the wife of Alex Somlyay, a senior MP who retired at the September election after 23 years in Federal Parliament.

Mr Somlyay is still refusing to respond to Fairfax Media about the allegations it broke, saying on Tuesday: "I don't want to talk to you. I'm not talking to you. I'm seeking legal representation."
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Asked about Mr Somlyay's alleged conduct, a federal police spokeswoman said: "The AFP will evaluate all available information to determine whether a potential Commonwealth criminal offence has been committed."

After refusing for the previous 24 hours to answer questions about the allegations - including multiple opportunities on the day before the story was published - Mr Somlyay spoke to the ABC on Tuesday. He said the allegations, which were put to him repeatedly and in detail the previous day, had taken him "by complete surprise".

In the interview, he said his wife had worked from home as a researcher for speeches and committee hearings throughout 2012-13. He also brushed away suggestions he had obscured his wife's identity by listing her in his payroll under two different names.

A source close to Mr Somlyay's office was not aware of any work carried out by the MP's wife during the last term of Parliament.

Mr Somlyay's ''relief staffing budget'' states his wife worked 270 days or 2030 hours between September 2012 and December 2013. Yet halfway through his wife's alleged period of employment - on June 24, 2013 - Mr Somlyay gave his farewell speech to the House of Representatives. The month after Mr Somlyay announced his retirement his wife received a pay rise.

Documents obtained by Fairfax Media show that on July 1, 2013, the salary of Jennifer Donovan increased from $64,085 to $78,844. She was employed on that salary as Mr Somlyay's researcher until December 9, 2013 - four months after he stopped doing committee work.

Mr Somlyay billed taxpayers $69,157.15 for his wife's employment during 2012-13 alone.

Documents sent to the federal police show Mr Somlyay listed his wife under two different names on the same page of an internal staffing document titled ''monthly management report''.

At the top of the document, the former MP's wife is listed as ''Jennifer Bridget Somlyay''. But lower on the same page, under a section titled ''electorate employees'', an apparently different woman, ''Jennifer Donovan'' is listed.

Ms Donovan received at least $99,000 for ''electorate office'' work dating as far back as 2003, further documents indicate. Donovan is the maiden name of Mr Somlyay's wife.

Asked what his wife did to justify her salary, Mr Somlyay told the ABC: "Jenny's a qualified researcher and her work was associated with research for speeches, for committee hearings, for committee work you know, the parliamentary party, and she did that on a regular basis."
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...114-30t4a.html

Yet another with "entitlement syndrome" .Is it too much to ask that all these bludgeing parasites get out of our taxpaying pockets?

[stevebaby]

Tony Abbott promised publicly that he would spend, if elected, his first week in government with the Yolngyu people. That was the first "promise" that he broke. He has continued to break every single "promise" that he made to the Australian people. Every single one.
Some of the people who voted for the candidate who was mentored by a public admirer of Mussolini and Franco were sucked in. Most of them knew he was flat out lying every time he opened his mouth.

[stevebaby]

Abbott's become Wallaby Bob's brother...i.e. Roo Ted
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/o...-1226772562087
Pyne? Pyne's just the junior boy at the private school, bending over in front of the fire with a muffin squeezed between his cheeks, toasting it for the prefects. The gooses who voted for this travesty of a government are the rug that little chrissy pyne is wiping his feet on.

[seanz]

I might start taking an interest in Oz politics again.


I'm trying to think of a previous coalition PM that could so easily be described as BSL........can't think of one.

[stevebaby]

I'm just warming the engine. Wait till the light turns green.

[purri]

Go baby!

[skuthorp]

Abbott's become Wallaby Bob's brother...i.e. Roo Ted
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/o...-1226772562087
Pyne? Pyne's just the junior boy at the private school, bending over in front of the fire with a muffin squeezed between his cheeks, toasting it for the prefects. The gooses who voted for this travesty of a government are the rug that little chrissy pyne is wiping his feet on.

Trouble is Steve they knew, and we knew that voting Kev in and rewarding his behaviour was not going to happen, or should have. A reasonable candidate and a bunch of decent policies would have seen Abbott out of the picture, and the collection of odds and sods in the senate nowhere. It got to the point that even Clive had a better policy platform than Labour, and the vote was more against Labour than for the libs.
Left most people with nowhere else to go, me too and I didn't vote for the first time in my life. Conscientious objection to an unacceptable choice. It would be unreasonable and not viable to expect most voters to boycott the election, so we got Abbott, Pell, the extreme right and a large dose of revenge for not voting him in first time about.

[skuthorp]

Looks like the new lifeboats are in use already,
"Australia has used one of its new life boats for the first time to send a group of 56 asylum seekers back to Indonesia in a move that is likely to plunge the bilateral relationship to a new low.Fairfax Media has interviewed a large group of would-be refugees from Pakistan and Bangladesh who said they scuttled their wooden vessel six days ago in an attempt to avoid being pushed back to Indonesia.
Instead they were picked up by Australian navy vessel HMAS Stuart and kept overnight before being transferred to a Customs vessel and then put on a small, bright orange life-boat-style vessel close to the Indonesian shore, with only enough fuel to return there."


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...#ixzz2qafFH792

One could argue that by scuttling their boat deliberately they played the rescue card and lost. I wonder who 'owns' the boat?

[stevebaby]

Secret Morrison's sole qualification for his portfolio appears to be from his experience at Tourism Australia when, although his brief was to increase tourist numbers to Australia, he decreased them with his "Where the bloody hell are ya?" advertising campaign.
Either he's lying about the illegal naval incursions being accidental, or some of our ship's commanders can't navigate. I know where my money's going. When he sends out a sig to our naval commanders he's probably going to get a response that he may not expect.
In any case, he's a complete dill.

[stevebaby]

http://youtu.be/DwbzxemJZIc
In the interest of healing the wounds that the Murdoch Party is attempting to inflict on our Australian traditional society, here's a song we can all sing along to.

[stevebaby]

I make this solemn vow to this thread. I will never throw a huge sookielala and close the thread and I will never be a dobber.
Also, who played rugby? Rugby brings together in our national mission to try and beat the All Blacks.

[skuthorp]

I did, Union first as a protest against 'compulsory' Aussie rules at school, then League with Sth Perth also rans.
My step dad had played for the Springboks in the early 1930's. My dad played Aussie rules for Hawthorn.
Prefer Union, more tactical.

[PeterSibley]

Secret Morrison's sole qualification for his portfolio appears to be from his experience at Tourism Australia when, although his brief was to increase tourist numbers to Australia, he decreased them with his "Where the bloody hell are ya?" advertising campaign.
Either he's lying about the illegal naval incursions being accidental, or some of our ship's commanders can't navigate. I know where my money's going. When he sends out a sig to our naval commanders he's probably going to get a response that he may not expect.
In any case, he's a complete dill.

Yep, this is a beauty , the headlines this morning are "Indonesia says Stop the Boats ! ''.

Lovely stuff, someone is incompetent or pushing this way too hard.

[purri]

Hey! Equal time for both sides of politics. I've retired from the Board of a national educational org that is funded by State and Feds; and others that I worked in are Federal and State entities under both regimes so I can wash the laundry "en publique".

Heh heh.

[skuthorp]

It seems that the rule of law no longer applies in Narau.
"Nauru's justice system has been thrown into chaos after its chief justice and only magistrate - both Australian citizens - were sacked and barred from the country."

There are, as you might think, a whole slew of cases in varying stages that will be abandoned, including the trials of rioting refugees in Australia's detention camps.
"It's extremely serious. Just this week we have 60 or 70 criminal matters listed, including about 30 or 40 of the asylum seeker defendants," he said.

[WX]

I heard about that Jeff, it seems like a very strange thing for a government to do. I wonder what the story behind it is?

[Duncan Gibbs]

[WX]

Good one Duncan.
Saw this today.
Refugees = migrants = more takeaways = happiness.

[skuthorp]

There's a story about two Australian businessmen that Narau had told to get out. They appealed for a stay, the magistrate was also tossed out and then the Chief justice when he backed the magistrate. Oddly, the next level of legal appeal is the Australian High Court.
I guess we'll find out about the two businessmen, whether they'd been playing in the local political market or if it's just a case of not paying enough baksheesh to the right people.

[skuthorp]

Anyone interested in the remarks by Marty Natelagawa at Davos re Aus.?
http://www.news.com.au/world/indones...-1226809127859

[PeterSibley]

Indonesia not on a war footing, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa says

• 7 HOURS AGO JANUARY 24, 2014 1:58AM

'Not an unfriendly act'... Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, centre, holds an assault rifle as he inspects a task force last year. Source: AFP



INDONESIA is "not really" on a war footing with Australia despite reports warships have been deployed to the border, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa says.

The Jakarta Post has reported that Indonesian radars have been pointed towards Australia and that a number of ships have been sent to increase border security.
In Davos, Switzerland, yesterday, Mr Natalegawa was asked whether that amounted to a "war footing".
"No. Not really. It’s not an unfriendly act to anyone, it’s just a country that is keen to ensure that our sovereign border is properly protected."
He then said he could not confirm anything about the ships or radars because it was an “operational matter” but said it was public knowledge that they were beefing up security after Australian naval vessels "inadvertently" crossed into Indonesian waters.
"Post the revelations about the violation of our borders … there was an indication that we will strengthen our border protection," he said, adding that he didn’t see "any reason" why the incursion should happen again.
The Government was forced to apologise to Indonesia after a number of incidents where Navy ships crossed into Indonesian waters.

[PeterSibley]

Abbot and Morrison are proving to be absolute masters at stuffing up our relationship with Indonesia. Vandals and fools ! Then of course we have the seizing of evidence in the case with Timor . I wonder who will be on one the 'we hate Australia list' by the time they're thrown out ?

[skuthorp]

Sounds like they've been taking lessons from the Yakusa. I'll wait till we see where the money trail leads before I assign political blame here. The developers' companies are not above similar deals, it's happened before.

[PeterSibley]

Unions of labour are by definition, bad, unions of money are by definition, good.

I'm with Jeff, we'll see where this leads first.

[Duncan Gibbs]

From my over 25 years in the construction industry I can tell you that individual unions and companies sidle up to one another to block out the competition: AWU+Leightons vs CMFEU+Multiplex kinds of situations. At the end of the day it's the workers, clients and company shareholders who ALL get ripped off because the head honchos of companies and unions are want to piss in each others' pockets.

Meanwhile Turnbull has been looking more and more like a statesman while Abbott... Well I'll let the SMH Op' Ed' do the talking:

Somebody call the waaaambulance - the ABC has been mean to Abbott

DateJohn Birmingham
Tony Abbott used to be a working journalist. In fact we worked at the same mag, The Bulletin, home of Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson, although none of us ever crossed paths.




Abbott tucked a press ticket into his fedora during the Hawke-Keating era and he could be as bruising in print as he was in the ring at Oxford. About as stylish too.
There is no record of Tony Abbott, two-fisted reporter, giving the government of the day an easy time of it. No free hits. No benefit of the doubt. He earned his pay cheque honestly, by finding things out and telling stories.
Like the Jesuit education he turned his back on, he seems to have forgotten a few things about what reporters do, what role they play in a free society.
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Tony Abbott the working reporter, the bloke who paid his bills punching a keyboard, would have laughed in the face of Paul Keating or Bob Hawke if they'd gone whining to their favoured pets in the tame media about not getting the benefit of the doubt, about the press not seeing their interests as being in the national interest. Tony Abbott the journalist would have touched them up good and proper just for the cheek of it.
Tony Abbott the Prime Minister, though? He makes Hawke's constant calls for the waaaaaambulance because some journo, usually from the ABC was mean to him … well, he makes Hawke look like John Howard.
You could cut Howard's fingers off and poke him in the eye with them, he wouldn't blink. He wouldn't give you the bloody satisfaction of it. John Howard might have looked like a brylcreemed super nerd but he was a hard nut who could absorb inhuman amounts of damage without flinching, because he'd learnt that to show weakness was to lose. Spectacularly.
Tony Abbott is no John Howard. His petulant waaaaaambulance call on talkback radio yesterday, whining about the ABC – not individual journalists mind you, the whole institution, thousands of hard working Australians – all of them, his puerile and disgraceful lie that they do not act in the national interest?
That would have made John Howard shudder. Not because Howard loved the ABC. No Prime Minister since Menzies has. But because Howard knew that, as soon as you start complaining, you're done. You look like a loser. You are a loser. You don't look like a bloke who's got the ticker for the hard work.
Abbott disgraced himself yesterday, and he disgraced his mentor in doing it.
Lawson and Paterson would probably be ashamed of him too.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/blogs/...#ixzz2rqFKBTYu

[PeterSibley]

'Twill be interesting to see where Abbott's Royal Commission leads and more importantly how it's perceived by the population. If it's seen as another version of Work Choices and an attack on wages and conditions it could do him a lot of harm. Frankly I can't see the need for a Royal Commission ,there was one ten years ago and this one will come up with the same findings, there is bribery and corruption in the building industry and that it takes two to play.
It seems there is a need for laws and regulation and more so their enforcement. The Feds are Liberal , NSW is Liberal , Vic is Liberal, Qld is something similar. It seems entirely possible so why not ?

[skuthorp]

Tony's still consumed by revenge at this stage, and some of Howards old henchmen are like pigs in 5hit.
The last Royal Commission enquiry results into the building industry were quietly shelved because of the companies involved as Duncan said in #26.

Meantime the ABC is under fire, on Murdoch's behalf probably, for News 24, The Drum, and anything else he regards as competition to pay TV. In power neither side appreciate criticism, but the libs are, once again, bent on revenge. Sadly I think that Tony will prosper on his mantra of xenophobia, militarism and cries of bias. I have an example in mind but Godwins law forbids.

[PeterSibley]

Enough rope may do the trick.

[skuthorp]

Enough rope may do the trick.

From what I hear about the place I think not. Wishful thinking, Labour internecine warfare and the failure to stand a candidate you could vote for has done more damage than you think, and the factional wars go on.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...221-2zrwb.html

[PeterSibley]

Poor bugger us.

[PeterSibley]

Personally I'm entirely happy with the Greens, we need a different way of looking at our planet and Coles and Woolies are stuck in a century old dream of wealth by coal.

[WX]

It's not getting any better and nobodies learning anything.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-3...at-bid/5230300

[skuthorp]

A new Guy Fawkes, or rather a whole bunch of them is needed badly.

[stevebaby]

It took her long enough to realize that Abbott's a liar. What a grossly dishonest creature he is.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...204-31y52.html

[PeterSibley]

Chocolate manufacturers are different apparently, pick your favourite then deny and wriggle. They're getting off to a grand start . If labour can get it's act together the Libs could be a one term government, they're pushing a bit too hard .

• Federal politics: full coverage
• Analysis: Abbott insincere on award conditions at SPC

Liberal MP Sharman Stone has launched an extraordinary attack on Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey, accusing them of "lying" in defending their decision not to give $25 million to fruit processor SPC Ardmona.
Mr Abbott, Mr Hockey and Employment Minister Eric Abetz have all suggested it was the fruit cannery's "overgenerous" workplace conditions with unions that had contributed to its financial woes.

Local Liberal MP Dr Sharman Stone at the SPC Ardmona plant in Shepparton in Victoria. She has attacked Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey over their comments on SPC Armdona's workplace agreement. Photo: Ray Sizer

Dr Stone, whose Goulburn Valley electorate takes in SPC Ardmona, told ABC radio on Tuesday that her colleagues were misleading the public by saying workplace conditions were to blame.

Asked whether she thought Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey are ''actually, really lying when they're saying it's about this issue (the workplace agreement)'', Dr Stone responded: ''Well they're not speaking the reality.''
Asked if that constituted ''lying'', Dr Stone said: "It's not the truth, that's right, it's lying.''
"What really upsets me most . . . the federal government didn't say, look we'd love to help but we just don't have the money right now," she added.
"What they said was, we're not going to help because it is the amazing wages and conditions that have knocked this company for six."
Dr Stone said such arguments were "just wrong".
"If I was in Parliament I couldn't say 'liar' because it's unparliamentary.''
Rather than overly generous wages and conditions, it was the "dumping" of cheap products by supermarket chains, the Coles and Woolworths duopoly, the rise in imports, the floods and 10 years of drought that contributed to SPC's troubles, Dr Stone said.
"This is a witch hunt," she added. "And sorry, I don't like witch hunts, which are . . . unfair and in this case could lead to us losing an industry."
In a decision taken last Friday that could risk up to 3000 jobs in Victoria's Goulburn Valley, Mr Abbott supported Liberal economic dries including Mr Hockey and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann to knock back SPC's request for government co-investment.
Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane and Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce had backed the company's request, which would have triggered a $25 million investment from the Victorian government and ensured SPC's parent company, Coca-Cola Amatil, would spend up to $161 million on the canning facilities.
SPC managing director Peter Kelly said the decision was disappointing and would trigger a review of the company's manufacturing operations. Victoria's Deputy Premier Peter Ryan said the decision was a significant setback for the Goulburn Valley.
Mr Abbott said the company had posted a half-year profit of $216 million to June 2013, signalled its willingness to invest $161 million in its manufacturing operations and there was "no way" the government wanted to see workers take a pay cut.
"It is very important that they complete the renegotiation they have embarked upon," he said.
"It is very important they complete the negotiation of the enterprise bargaining agreement . . . there are wet allowances, there are loadings, there are extensive provisions to cash out sick leave, there are extremely generous redundancy provisions."


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...#ixzz2sJFXsz7n