Auspol September: The Canberra Clown Car

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Mr Chips: Jun 27, 2007; Whose arse do I have to blow smoke up to get rid of this baby?

Doctor Spaceman posted:

Speaking of which...

Have they taken any action in Iraq other than a couple of food/water airdrops so far?

Everything else has been talk, hasn't it?

# ? Sep 8, 2014 14:21

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# ? Jun 11, 2024 21:18

Mad Katter: Aug 23, 2010; STOP THE BATS

epipen posted:

hold on, people will pay to watch pro-australia propaganda?

This would be hilarious if not for Rupert's proven track record of running things at a loss out of spite/vanity.

# ? Sep 8, 2014 14:48

Megillah Gorilla: Sep 22, 2003; If only all of life's problems could be solved by smoking a professor of ancient evil texts.; Bread Liar

There is some good news - I bet a bloke at work $100 before the election that Murdoch would get the corpse of the Australia Network for all his 'good' work as a LNP mouthpiece within a year.

Yay me I won by 9 days

# ? Sep 8, 2014 15:01

dr_rat: Jun 4, 2001

Nibbles! posted:

Wasn't the idea behind the Australia Network that it was, well, free

Even the article which, as much as I could read was basically just an ad for the service, was paywalled.

Murdoch spreading democracy in the region, but only to those who can afford the subscription costs.

# ? Sep 8, 2014 15:08

Pidgin Englishman: Apr 30, 2007; If you shoot
you better hit your mark

Mr Chips posted:

Have they taken any action in Iraq other than a couple of food/water airdrops so far?

Everything else has been talk, hasn't it?

http://m.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australia-delivers-military-stores-as-un-gives-support-20140902-10bnkz.html

We have dropped some weapons as well so far, no strikes though afaik.

# ? Sep 8, 2014 15:16

Nibbles!: Jun 26, 2008; TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP

make australia great again as well please

The US have already said they wont send in ground troops haven't they?

# ? Sep 8, 2014 15:24

Negative Entropy: Nov 30, 2009

Nibbles! posted:

The US have already said they wont send in ground troops haven't they?

"yes, but they have a brown president "

:tinfoil:

# ? Sep 8, 2014 22:04

Synthbuttrange: May 6, 2007

Lambie's claims full of something, apparently. :v:

# ? Sep 8, 2014 22:18

Gough Suppressant: Nov 14, 2008

dr_rat posted:

Even the article which, as much as I could read was basically just an ad for the service, was paywalled.

Murdoch spreading democracy in the region, but only to those who can afford the subscription costs.

The revolution will not be televised on free-to-air.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 00:08

Doctor Spaceman: Jul 6, 2010; "Everyone's entitled to their point of view, but that's seriously a weird one."

Barry O'Farrell is guest starring on today's episode of ICAC.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 01:30

T-1000: Mar 28, 2010

John Birmingham in the SMH posted:

Scott Morrison is about to get a lesson in humility

The office of the Coroner is an ancient and noble one, pre-dating the arrival of the white man and his Law in Australia by many hundreds of years. Many, many hundreds. The role, already established in practise, was formalised by statute in 1194. Over the better part of the millennia that followed the responsibilities and prerogatives of the office have evolved, but always in one direction. Towards the truth.

The Coroner seeks the truth, and although he or she is an officer of the state, no power of the state or any of its interested officials will deny the Coroner's investigations. Be it bailiff or sheriff or high minister of the Crown, should the Coroner deem it necessary to summon an official to make explanation, they will be summoned and they will attend or face the dire consequence of their refusal.

It's nothing like dealing with snarky journalists, as Immigration Minister Scott Morrison is about to find out.

The Queensland Coroner has decided that the death of a fit and healthy young Iranian man, asylum seeker Hamid Kehazaei, while detained at the behest of Mr Morrison, was no less than a death in custody. The Commonwealth had custody and care of Mr Kehazaei and he died from a simple cut to the foot while in that custody. He died in Queensland, having been transferred to hospital here.

Many Australians want to know how and why this appalling tragedy occurred, but only one can compel the man who administered the system in which the victim died to explain himself. The Queensland Coroner.

Perhaps the Coroner will not call Mr Morrison. Perhaps the Coroner will be content with the minister's assurance that a man dying of a cut to his foot is no biggie. It happens all the time, after all. But that is unlikely.

Scott Morrison is more likely about to find himself dragged, metaphorically if not bodily, into a court of law where he cannot lie or even reframe the truth, for that would be perjury and that way lies imprisonment. Scott Morrison is about to learn that his power, while seeming absolute when consigning poor bastards like Hamid Kehazaei to oblivion, is nothing like absolute when confronted by the power of the Coroner to seek the truth of that banishment and the death in which it seemingly resulted. Scott Morrison, who apparently fancies himself as an alternative prime minister, is about to get a lesson in the realities of power, and maybe, just maybe, a lesson in empathy, when he finds himself subject to the undeniable power of a state official who simply does not care for the unique and personal narrative which makes Morrison, the warm little centre of his own existence.

The Coroner seeks the truth in death and he or she will not be denied that truth.

We can only hope. Sidenote: John Birmingham consistently turns out good articles.

Doctor Spaceman posted:

Barry O'Farrell is guest starring on today's episode of ICAC.

There was the theory that Barry jumped so readily because he knew that there was more to come, and worse. Seems there might be something in that:

The SMH posted:

Two weeks before the 2011 election, then opposition leader Barry O'Farrell announced a tax policy that benefited developer Brickworks while the company was allegedly bankrolling a researcher in his office and had secretly donated $125,000 to the Liberal campaign.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 01:49

Nuclear Spy: Jun 10, 2008; feeling under?

T-1000 posted:

We can only hope.

Hopefully we'll get something along the lines of this

quote:

A Queensland coroner has been scathing of a far north Queensland diving operator in her findings into the death of a Chinese tourist in 2010, saying he poses a �possible danger to public safety�.

Wai Kim Lam, of Hong Kong, drowned while snorkelling off the Reef Experience vessel at Michaelmas Cay on the Great Barrier Reef, about 40 kilometres off Cairns on May 21, 2010.

The cause of death, the coroner found, was �drowning against a background of coronary artery atheroma�.

What happened in the aftermath, coroner Jane Bentley said, was obfuscation from the diving operator, Reef Encounter Enterprises sole director John Dennis Heuvel, which meant the question of whether proper safety procedures were followed on the Reef Experience remained unanswered.
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Ms Bentley said Mr Heuval, also the sole director of Hostel Reef Trips Pty Ltd, refused to cooperate with the Office of Fair and Safe Work Queensland investigation into Mr Lam�s death.

He told investigators he had told his crew that providing statements to the OFSWQ or Queensland Police Service was �unlikely to be in their interests�.

Crew member Michael Chee refused to provide an initial statement following Mr Lam�s death, saying he had been directed otherwise, but was unwilling to say from whom he had received that advice.

Fellow crew member Cody Polglase failed to attend an appointment at which he had agreed to make a statement.

�The lack of information available to OFSWQ was a direct result of the lack of cooperation of Mr Polglase, Mr Chee and Mr Heuvel,� Ms Bentley said.

�Mr Chee and Mr Polglase both accepted in evidence (at the coronial inquest) that they knew that OFSWQ were seeking a statement from them.

�Neither could provide a reasonable explanation for why they did not provide a statement in the most serious circumstances � that is, where a passenger had died.

�Mr Heuvel and his companies failed to provide all information requested.

�Mr Heuvel, as the person responsible for the vessel and all that occurred on it that day, as well as being the lookout at the time of Mr Lam�s death, was a person who had information crucial to the OFSWQ investigation.�

Ms Bentley said the refusal of Mr Chee and Mr Polglase to provide information during the 2010 investigation meant the actual circumstances surrounding Mr Lam�s death may never be known.

�Had they given statements at the time, they may have indicated that proper procedures were followed,� she said.

�They were discouraged from doing so by Mr Heuvel, who was their employer, instructor and probably mentor at the time and undoubtedly had the ability to influence their decisions.�

Ms Bentley said it was �clear from the evidence� Mr Heuvel did not believe he should be subject to OFSWQ audits and was uncooperative with inspectors.

�Such an attitude, in a person responsible for vessels which have taken approximately 700,000 people to the reef and continue to take passengers, is unacceptable and poses a possible danger to public safety,� she said.

The inquest heard Mr Heuvel had tried to prevent police officers boarding his boat when another passenger � Shaun Corrigan � died in 2012, prompting one passenger to call out to him: �You�re an idiot, mate. Let them come on board to do their job.�

Ms Bentley recommended Mr Heuvel allow OFSWQ to conduct a comprehensive audit on all of his operations and that any refusal be reported to relevant authorities.

She also recommended the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority �consider reviewing� whether Mr Heuvel and his operations were fit to hold licenses to operate on the reef.

Bolded for operational reasons

# ? Sep 9, 2014 02:12

You Am I: May 20, 2001; Me @ your poasting

Doctor Spaceman posted:

Barry O'Farrell is guest starring on today's episode of ICAC.

BOF has told Icac that "The Big Man" isn't him, instead it is Nathan Tinkler

# ? Sep 9, 2014 03:50

Synthbuttrange: May 6, 2007

Lambie now says questions about her heritage are due to 'tribal war' :psyduck:

# ? Sep 9, 2014 03:59

Doctor Spaceman: Jul 6, 2010; "Everyone's entitled to their point of view, but that's seriously a weird one."

You Am I posted:

BOF has told Icac that "The Big Man" isn't him, instead it is Nathan Tinkler

Some other highlights from ICAC (from Kate McClymont's twitter)

quote:

[Developer] Brinkmeyer is saying it never occurred to him to donate directly to the Liberal Party. Despite knowing nothing about FEF, he chose it

quote:

Brinkmeyer: "Liberal party, of Australia?" "I'm not talking about any other countries sir"

quote:

Brinkmeyer: "I took my father's advice" re donating $20k to FEF." "Did your dad knowing anything about the FEF?" "I doubt it very much".

quote:

�If it the money found its way into the Greens party, you would have been content?� Brinkmeyer: �Very much so. Wait did you say content? NO!�

This was after the former State Liberal President said she didn't know who the major Liberal donors were.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 04:02

You Am I: May 20, 2001; Me @ your poasting

Doctor Spaceman posted:

This was after the former State Liberal President said she didn't know who the major Liberal donors were.

Yeah, that was gold. She dropped Sinidinos in the poo poo over that. "I had nothing to do with it, I left it all to Arthur to deal with"

# ? Sep 9, 2014 04:06

Drugs: Jul 16, 2010; I don't like people who take drugs. Customs agents, for example - Albert Einstein

quote:

�If it the money found its way into the Greens party, you would have been content?� Brinkmeyer: �Very much so. Wait did you say content? NO!�

i'm dead

# ? Sep 9, 2014 04:07

open24hours: Jan 7, 2001

SynthOrange posted:

Lambie now says questions about her heritage are due to 'tribal war'

Maybe she'll take that guy to court under 18c.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 04:16

Megillah Gorilla: Sep 22, 2003; If only all of life's problems could be solved by smoking a professor of ancient evil texts.; Bread Liar

T-1000 posted:

quote:
John Birmingham in the SMH posted:

Scott Morrison is about to get a lesson in humility

So if Morrison says, "Operational matters," or "PNG is outside your jurisdiction," what recourse has the coroner?

I really want to see him swing, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 04:35

T-1000: Mar 28, 2010

Gorilla Salad posted:

So if Morrison says, "Operational matters," or "PNG is outside your jurisdiction," what recourse has the coroner?

I really want to see him swing, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

He died in Queensland, though.
edit: The coroner may not even call Morrison, but when someone is brought into the country in government custody, and then they die of something that's easily treated, it's entirely reasonable that questions get asked and that would include the lead-up to them being brought in. I'm not a lawyer but I can't see any coroner just giving up after being told "We can't tell you what happened, it's a secret".

T-1000 fucked around with this message at 04:55 on Sep 9, 2014

# ? Sep 9, 2014 04:50

AVeryLargeRadish: Aug 19, 2011; I LITERALLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO NOT BE A WEIRD SEXUAL CREEP ABOUT PREPUBESCENT ANIME GIRLS, READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE!!!

Gorilla Salad posted:

So if Morrison says, "Operational matters," or "PNG is outside your jurisdiction," what recourse has the coroner?

I really want to see him swing, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

One would hope that such non-answers would result in perjuring oneself. But is the coroners office as powerful as that article makes them out to be?

# ? Sep 9, 2014 04:52

T-1000: Mar 28, 2010

AVeryLargeRadish posted:

One would hope that such non-answers would result in perjuring oneself. But is the coroners office as powerful as that article makes them out to be?

Well they're not quite Judge Dredd, but I wouldn't want to mess with them if I had something to hide.

quote:

When one considers that a coroner can issue and execute search warrants, instruct police on what inquiries should be made, require witnesses to answer even incriminating questions, obtain reports from experts of their choosing, is not bound by the rules of evidence, there can be no doubt the role is very different from that discharged by a magistrate adjudicating in civil litigation or criminal charges. It is essential the different purposes this system is designed to achieve are vigorously pursued and the different role the coroner plays is recognised and acted upon.

Even though a coroner can no longer commit a person to trial, as was authorised by earlier Acts, it would be disingenuous to suggest the criminal justice system and the coronial system are completely separate and discrete. Indeed the Act makes specific provisions for coroners to refer information to prosecutors - see s. 48. Similarly, although the Act in s. 45(5) and s. 46(3) prohibits a coroner from purporting to determine questions of civil liability, it is common for litigants to seek evidence for use in such proceedings via the coronial process. Approaches coroners might utilise to reduce the likelihood of their proceedings becoming focussed on issues that should better be contested in other proceedings are discussed in chapters 7 and 9 which deal with investigations and inquests. However, in some cases complete separation or compartmentalisation of the coronial, civil and criminal aspects of a death investigation is not possible or desirable. Coroners are required to find �how' the person died; a question that is often central to civil or criminal proceedings. Evidence discovered by coroners will often be crucial to civil or criminal cases. This overlap should not discourage coroners from discharging their statutory duties.

From Queensland state coroner's guidelines, more here.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 05:07

Megillah Gorilla: Sep 22, 2003; If only all of life's problems could be solved by smoking a professor of ancient evil texts.; Bread Liar

T-1000 posted:

He died in Queensland, though.
edit: The coroner may not even call Morrison, but when someone is brought into the country in government custody, and then they die of something that's easily treated, it's entirely reasonable that questions get asked and that would include the lead-up to them being brought in. I'm not a lawyer but I can't see any coroner just giving up after being told "We can't tell you what happened, it's a secret".

What concerns me is that he'll pull a, "Yes, he happened to die in Queensland. The fact that we mentally and physically tortured him and ignored his injuries until such a point as they became life threatening, and did ultimately lead to his death, is immaterial because it happened overseas. Within Australia, we did everything we were obliged to."

Given T-1000's post however, he may not be able to do that.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 05:59

Lid: Feb 18, 2005; And the mercy seat is awaiting,
And I think my head is burning,
And in a way I'm yearning,
To be done with all this measuring of proof.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth,
And anyway I told the truth,
And I'm not afraid to die.

http://mobile.news.com.au/national/...tors_picks=true

On phone but essentially the ADF is fermenting and maybe organising another Cronulla. As we all know the Cronulla Riots are a high point in our last decade.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:01

Ler: Mar 23, 2005; I believe...

quote:

Labor will never bring back the mining tax the Parliament repealed, says leader Bill Shorten.

And the Opposition Leader has said the primary lesson from the episode is to adopt a "no surprises" approach and consult industry before proceeding with major policy changes.

gently caress you ~~Tony Abbott~~ Bill Shorten

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:02

You Am I: May 20, 2001; Me @ your poasting

Ler posted:

[/url]

gently caress you ~~Tony Abbott~~ Bill Shorten

"What me, gutless?" - Bill Shorten

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:04

Les Affaires: Nov 15, 2004

Note that it contains the neat nugget "...[that] the parliament repealed".

Didn't rule out the general idea of a tax on mining.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:11

Doctor Spaceman: Jul 6, 2010; "Everyone's entitled to their point of view, but that's seriously a weird one."

I don't see a problem with it.

They're very clearly trying to avoid a "no carbon tax under the government I lead" situation by leaving room to bring in a different mining tax. Rudd playing everything too close to the chest and not consulting adequately was a problem throughout his leadership, and they completely hosed up how they handled the mining industry.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:11

CATTASTIC: Mar 31, 2010; ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Lid posted:

http://mobile.news.com.au/national/...tors_picks=true

On phone but essentially the ADF is fermenting and maybe organising another Cronulla. As we all know the Cronulla Riots are a high point in our last decade.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s3989318.htm

AUST. DEFENCE LEAGUE MEMBER: We are not a hate group, but we are a group that does hate Islam - period.

...

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: The Australian Defence League is a far-right anti-Islamic group set up in 2009. It's a registered not-for-profit organisation. Its mission is to have Islam banned in Australia.

RALPH CERMINARA: Hello everyone. I am the president of the ADL, the Australian Defence League. I'm also an ex-soldier from the Australian Army.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: Ralph Cerminara has been the Australian Defence League's national president for more than three years. He's been visiting mosques to put up anti-Islamic posters, ratcheting up tensions with the Muslim community with his poisonous rhetoric.

RALPH CERMINARA: So we're not out there going after Muslims with pitchforks and things like that.

SEAN RUBINSZTEIN-DUNLOP: But you are going after Muslims individually?

RALPH CERMINARA: Well of course. They're coming after us. They're raping our children. They're raping our families. They are - now in the west, it's pretty much a crime capital of Sydney and we all know what's going on down there.

Hide yo kids, hide yo wife

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:13

Les Affaires: Nov 15, 2004

Doctor Spaceman posted:

I don't see a problem with it.

They're very clearly trying to avoid a "no carbon tax under the government I lead" situation by leaving room to bring in a different mining tax. Rudd playing everything too close to the chest and not consulting adequately was a problem throughout his leadership, and they completely hosed up how they handled the mining industry.

Pretty much. It's a message they're sending both internally and externally. The lesson is for the current government as much as their own party, and a slight slap over the wrist for Swan too.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:14

open24hours: Jan 7, 2001

Doctor Spaceman posted:

I don't see a problem with it.

They're very clearly trying to avoid a "no carbon tax under the government I lead" situation by leaving room to bring in a different mining tax. Rudd playing everything too close to the chest and not consulting adequately was a problem throughout his leadership, and they completely hosed up how they handled the mining industry.

This kind of poo poo is exactly why everyone hates them. Just be straight up about what you're going to do instead of playing some ridiculous game like this. If you're not hiding anything you can't be exposed.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:24

hambeet: Sep 13, 2002

You Am I posted:

"What me, gutless?" - Bill Shorten

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:31

Doctor Spaceman: Jul 6, 2010; "Everyone's entitled to their point of view, but that's seriously a weird one."

open24hours posted:

This kind of poo poo is exactly why everyone hates them. Just be straight up about what you're going to do instead of playing some ridiculous game like this. If you're not hiding anything you can't be exposed.

SMH posted:

[West Australian Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan] backed her leader's comments on Tuesday, but said there could be a chance in the future to reintroduce a profits based tax if it offered her home state a greater share of revenue to compensate for the "dreadful inequities" she says WA currently experiences under the GST-sharing agreement.

"We should not be panicked out of revisiting the mining tax but we've got to go back to the fundamental concept of the mining tax as envisioned by the minerals tax and the Henry tax review, which is a profits based system which replaces the royalties system and then we would need to lock in legislatively a profit-sharing arrangement with the states," she told Fairfax Media.

That's a fairly clear statement of intent to me. It's 18 months to 2 years from an election, announcing specific policy details is fairly pointless considering how much could change in that time.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:42

webmeister: Jan 31, 2007; The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm.

Doctor Spaceman posted:

That's a fairly clear statement of intent to me. It's 18 months to 2 years from an election, announcing specific policy details is fairly pointless considering how much could change in that time.

Unless you're John Hewson, in which case it's fatal.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:49

Fruity Gordo: Aug 5, 2013; Neurotic, Impotent Rage!

Plus the amount of time it would leave Tories and corporations to run another scare campaign about it.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:49

Fruity Gordo: Aug 5, 2013; Neurotic, Impotent Rage!

But Shorten is loving gutless and ALP is poo poo so looking forward to their new attempt at loving up a good idea.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:51

Tehan: Jan 19, 2011

Lid posted:

On phone but essentially the ADF is fermenting and maybe organising another Cronulla.

That's one hell of an autocorrect gently caress-up :stare:

Ralph Cerminara got a write-up on a site dedicated to documenting 'military imposters' here. Considering he's constantly trying to use his military service (such as it was) to lend weight to his crusade, it's pretty damning.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:54

Fruity Gordo: Aug 5, 2013; Neurotic, Impotent Rage!

Speaking of gutless, where did Arbib slither off to?

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:54

Doctor Spaceman: Jul 6, 2010; "Everyone's entitled to their point of view, but that's seriously a weird one."

webmeister posted:

Unless you're John Hewson, in which case it's fatal.

There's not an Opposition Leader in the country that didn't learn from Hewson.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:58

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# ? Jun 11, 2024 21:18

open24hours: Jan 7, 2001

Doctor Spaceman posted:

That's a fairly clear statement of intent to me. It's 18 months to 2 years from an election, announcing specific policy details is fairly pointless considering how much could change in that time.

The Greens have an actual policy platform available on their website even three years out from an election. Seems to work OK for them.

# ? Sep 9, 2014 06:59

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