Auspol November: G20 Beat Down Edition

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Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

Just a final reminder about Xylo's Australian Care package. :siren:

I will be heading stateside in a couple of weeks.

Thanks to the goons who have already chipped in or have offered to make something awesome like Fruity. I will post pictures of the package on snapchat (much like other goons have shown pictures of their packages) once everything is sorted.

Hambeet has offered to be the �treasurer� and collect money through his paypal (like he did for AMU�s ban)

If you want to take part, I have created a google doc like we used in Mafia to chat. Feel free to leave suggestions, let us know if you plan on chipping in or sending a gift through to me.

The google doc is at
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qHwwV7qEMIE58wcE1-2WIsT69jkZPWiSP3ejQxT4Myo/edit?pli=1#gid=0

If you have any questions (like Hambeet�s Paypal account), you can either PM me

Freudian Slip fucked around with this message at 07:32 on Nov 1, 2014

# ¿ Nov 1, 2014 07:30

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 15:46

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

CrazyTolradi posted:

Taxing calories is a stupid idea, taxation would only be passed on to the consumer and as high tax on cigarettes and alcohol shows, does nothing to deter them from consuming such items. It would be basically just a poor tax, because poor people tend to only be able to afford items that are high in calories/sugar/fat because that's what is cheap. Decent and healthy food is more expensive to buy which is something we should address first. Sugar content in food is something else that needs to be addressed, but not by taxation.

I wish people would actually look at what research says. Increasing taxes on smokes is one of the most effective ways of getting people to quit.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2446442/

http://journals.lww.com/jphmp/Abstract/2004/07000/The_Effects_of_Tobacco_Control_Policies_on_Smoking.11.aspx

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379709000075

# ¿ Nov 3, 2014 06:35

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

Les Affaires posted:

But surely those governments that tax this stuff rely on the income? Right??

I know you are taking the piss, but the government knows that when they increase the excise on cigarettes they don't actually get much more revenue because sales go down

# ¿ Nov 3, 2014 07:43

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

My Imaginary GF posted:

*reported sales go down. Do mid-term lung cancer rates? Because I can find you a back of a truck with tax-free cigarettes if thats what you want.

Not only sales, but patient self reported smoking status has also decreased over time in line with excise increases (I work on one of these large studies). Its funny because it was the cigarette companies that were complaining about the "explosion" in black market cigarettes (and how they wouldn't pay tax) yet no credible data source has seen this big switch.

# ¿ Nov 3, 2014 08:14

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

Anidav posted:

Newspoll: 54-46 to Labor

That would be pretty cool if it weren't for the Fairfax Ipsos poll showing 51-49 to Labor

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...102-11fraj.html

# ¿ Nov 3, 2014 13:13

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

Well this sucks - the roast was one of the best programs on the ABC and it couldn't have cost much to make.

SMH posted:

ABC axes The Roast

The ABC has axed satirical news program The Roast after three years on air.

The Roast began as a one-minute online program in 2011 before ABC2 picked it up as a two-minute program a year later. The Roast was extended to 10 minutes this year.

While decisions about ABC programming are being affected by looming government funding cuts, Fairfax Media understands the axing was part of the normal programming review process.

In an announcement on the program on Monday night, The Roast team said: "It's still unclear what show will replace The Roast on ABC2 but being ABC2 we can assume the current frontrunners include insightful documentaries like I Married My Staircase, My Penis Is A White Collar Criminal and Dawn Porter: Almost Fell Over in the Shower Today."

In a later Facebook post the team said: "We would like to thank you for all the support you've given us over the years. Especially those tax dollars you didn't have a choice about giving to us. We'd also like to wish young, promising comedians like Shaun Micallef and The Chaser the best of luck as we pass the torch down to them.

"As for where you can watch us next year, we're excited to be able to make an announcement shortly. But what we can tell you now is this: we have one more week left on the ABC, and we plan to give you our best episodes yet. Or failing that, the best episode we could make that day."

As a long-term savings measure, the ABC is considering switching off ABC2 and moving its youth-focussed content online and onto the iview catch up service.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/abc-axes-the-roast-20141104-11gos9.html#ixzz3I4lRvtqQ

# ¿ Nov 4, 2014 06:47

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

I must admit that I only watch the ABC through iview.

My concern was that I thought that part of the reason the ABC exists is to give young creative types a start. The guys (& gal) from roast were just starting to get their groove. I don't think any commercial station is going to pick them up yet.

To be honest, them showing things like breaking bad while cool, I wouldn't lose sleep over if they didn't.

# ¿ Nov 4, 2014 07:11

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

aejix posted:

Also the Lion's Helmet wrote a letter to Bill Shorten and, despite Leyonhjelm having some pretty appalling positions on some subjects, he's nailed this one imo: http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...-bipartisanship

Yeah - I must admit, even though he is a nutter - he is consistent to the point that we get a broken clock scenario. My only issue with the piece is that he says that he has been the only pollie to be anti the measures he lists. I was pretty sure the Greens (Ludlam in particular) has been fairly vocal in opposition to them.

# ¿ Nov 6, 2014 07:59

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

This didn't get much discussion - but one of NSW's prosecutors got into some trouble when she gave advice to her Son's GF to fake chest pains to help her get out of a drink driving charge.

ICAC started an inquiry looking to see if she perverted the course of justice.

She appealed this on the basis that ICAC had overstepped what they were allowed to do. If this appeal had been successful - it would have limited what ICAC could do in other cases.

Luckily her initial appeal has failed

Guardian posted:

Top NSW prosecutor Margaret Cunneen has lost her initial bid to shut down the Icac inquiry into allegations she perverted the course of justice.

Cunneen stood aside as NSW deputy senior crown prosecutor after Icac announced it was investigating claims she and her son Stephen Wyllie told his girlfriend, Sophia Tilley, to fake chest pains to avoid a breath test after a car crash in May.

In August, Cunneen faced a private hearing over the allegations.
On 29 October, Cunneen, her son and Tilley received a summons to attend a public inquiry into the matter, sparking their court bid to halt the proceedings.
Cunneen, who describes the accusations as �malicious�, argued Icac was acting beyond its jurisdiction and there was no suggestion the allegations involved her conduct as a crown prosecutor.
But Justice Clifton Hoeben rejected Cuneen�s arguments, saying it was appropriate for Icac to take a person�s status as a public official into account.

He also rejected Cunneen�s legal team�s submission that the conduct alleged against her, her son and Tilley went no higher than an interference with a police investigation.

If the factual basis of the accusations against the trio are made out, Hoeben said it could amount to perverting the course of justice or an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

Cunneen�s barrister launched an immediate appeal and in a brief hearing on the matter late Monday afternoon, Icac�s barrister Jeremy Kirk said the commission would hold off hosting the inquiry until the appeal is determined.

Subject to the outcome of the appeal, Kirk said the watchdog would want to hold its public hearings after the end of November.
�There is significant public interest in the prompt resolution of this matter,� he said.

Meanwhile, the young woman at the centre of the allegations, Tilley, appeared at Downing centre local court on unrelated traffic offences.

The court heard the 25-year-old had been caught driving at 100km/h in an 80km/h zone on the Easter long weekend.
Then in July, the property sales associate was caught running a red light on a Saturday morning in Paddington in Sydney�s east.
Magistrate Lisa Stapleton said Tilley had a �very poor� driving record, accruing five offences since renewing her L-plates last year.

�She has a limited history and it is very poor,� she said.
Tilley was fined $615 for running the red light and suspended from driving for two months from 14 December.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/nov/10/margaret-cunneens-bid-to-block-icac-inquiry-dismissed

# ¿ Nov 10, 2014 07:32

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

Hi all,

I did another article on general practice and why the co-payment is a bad idea.

It was published in the conversation here

https://theconversation.com/medicare-spending-on-general-practice-is-value-for-money-33948

Feel free to tell the tories in the comments to choke on their privilege

(Also if you want to share or tweet it - that would be great too)

Also my better half did another awesome infographic for you goons to share

Also if anyone else wants to chip in for Xylo's present you have till the end of the day to send the dosh to Beet as I am going shopping tomorrow!

Freudian Slip fucked around with this message at 00:29 on Nov 11, 2014

# ¿ Nov 11, 2014 00:25

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

Jumpingmanjim posted:

Sydney median detached house price just broke the million dollar mark

I am totally detaching my apartment from the rest of the block :killdozer:

Cha-ching!

# ¿ Nov 11, 2014 10:23

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

So I wrote for the Conversation yesterday about the fact that the GP co-payment is a bad idea because it discourages people from using the most cost-efficient part of our health care system.

https://theconversation.com/medicare-spending-on-general-practice-is-value-for-money-33948

So today in the Western Australian we got

A spokesman for Health Minister Peter Dutton rejected the report's conclusion.

"Over the past decade, the cost of the MBS has gone up 130 per cent and could double again in the next decade," he said. "Suggestions that is sustainable are denying the facts."

Not that anywhere in our report did we assert that Medicare was sustainable or not. They just trotted out the same response they have been giving to all criticisms of the scheme.

Who wants to place a bet whether my project gets its funding from the Department of Health next year?

# ¿ Nov 12, 2014 04:04

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

There are murmurs that the Government may try and bypass the senate to bring the GP copayment in. Part of me scoffs as it would be political suicide - but most of me just sighs with resignation :smith:

Guardian posted:

Medicare co-payment: government accused of planning 'backdoor move'

The government may be about to bypass parliament and push through the controversial Medicare co-payment scheme in a �sneaky backdoor move�, the opposition has claimed.

Labor has highlighted a message from the health department to medical practice software companies telling them to prepare to incorporate changes to accommodate the $7 payment.

The opposition says any move to impose �a tax on sick Australians� should be ruled out unless it is �put to the people�.

At the same time, the Abbott government is facing a budget crisis as the treasurer, Joe Hockey, warns of falling revenue combined with a Senate logjam on the Coalition�s budget cuts, leaving a bigger financial hole.

�It�s not so much a [budget] hole,� said Hockey, �as a case of � falling revenue, but it�s not about panic, it�s not about responding with a whole range of further cuts, it�s about ensuring that we recognise what the problem is.�

Even though the Medicare legislation has yet to be introduced in parliament, the health department has reportedly written to software companies informing them changes were required to ensure medical practices can check when a concessional patient has reached 10 visits to a GP, pathology or diagnostic imaging service.

Hockey refused on Thursday to rule out bypassing parliament to implement the $7 co-payment, defending budget cuts such as the deregulation of higher education fees.

�I am not going to speculate on what the outcome is,� he told the ABC.

Hockey admitted the government was facing a sharp drop in revenue, which will be outlined in the Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, due in December.

�If we make a contribution now through a copayment on Medicare or through a range of other initiatives including higher education fee deregulation, if we make that contribution now we will get the benefit in the future as a nation,� Hockey said.

The government has failed to get through a number of its budget measures in the Senate, including a petrol indexation rise, the deregulation of higher education fees, the Medicare co-payment and the changes to the rules around unemployment benefits.

Three weeks ago, the government announced it would bypass the Senate and introduce the petrol tax hike via a regulation, which would then have to be approved by the Senate retrospectively.

The government is facing a double whammy of revenue write-downs due to the fall in iron ore prices combined with the failure to get budget cuts through the Senate. Labor, the Greens and the Palmer United party have all pledged to block the welfare changes, higher education deregulation and the Medicare co-payment.

The political situation is further complicated by PUP senator Jacqui Lambie refusing to pass any government legislation in protest against a below-inflation defence force pay deal, possibly causing a split within Clive Palmer�s party.

The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, said the Abbott government was up to their �sneaky old tricks� by not ruling out bypassing the parliament to �put a tax on sick Australians�.

�This is a government who doesn�t negotiate. They cajole and bully,� Shorten said.

�We say to the government, stick to what you said at the election. If you want to introduce taxes and changes and unfairness, take it to the people of Australia. Don�t do it through sneaky back doorman manoeuvres.�

Throughout the term of the Labor government, the Coalition said the budget problem was not lack of revenue but too much spending.

In his 2013 budget reply speech, then opposition leader Tony Abbott referred to the �supposed revenue shortfall� outlined by the former treasurer Wayne Swan, who said the failure to achieve surpluses was a result of falling government income.

�The treasurer spent much of his speech complaining that he was the victim of a sudden collapse in government revenue,� Abbott said at the time.

On Thursday, Hockey said the drop in revenue was a result of a 30% fall in iron ore prices since the budget and admitted he had not been conservative enough in estimating how far national income would fall.

�The iron ore price that we had in the May budget was below the consensus of the market. Previously Labor always over-estimated and then pretended to have a surplus.

�We were sceptical about market consensus and we took a lower price and you know what�s happened, it�s absolutely lower than that.�

A spokesman for the Department of Human Services, which administers the Medicare co-payment, said the proposed changes in medical software were not just related to the copayment but also resolved �a technical issue�.

�The implementation of all government measures, especially those involving ICT, require considerable forward planning. Even where legislation has not been passed, forward development work of this nature is standard procedure for the department.�

# ¿ Nov 13, 2014 03:57

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

Nuclear Spy posted:

Been following the betting odds for the upcoming Victorian State Election lately and have recently noticed the odds for a few seats shortening:

28/10
Brunswick: Labor 1.15 Greens 7.00 Coalition 12.00
Melbourne: Labor 1.40 Greens 3.50 Coalition 10.00
Richmond: Labor 1.17 Greens 6.50 Coalition 11.00

11/11
Brunswick: Labor 1.15 Greens 7.00 Coalition 12.00
Melbourne: Labor 1.50 Greens 3.00 Coalition 10.00
Richmond: Labor 1.20 Greens 5.50 Coalition 11.00

13/11
Brunswick: Labor 1.10 Greens 9.00 Coalition 14.00
Melbourne: Labor 1.40 Greens 2.75 Coalition 21.00
Richmond: Labor 1.14 Greens 5.00 Coalition 16.00

I used to work for a betting agency a couple of years ago for extra cash. I used to do all the "novelty" odds ~ pretty much anything that wasn't sport.

Individual seat betting never really holds much money, especially at state level. It wouldn't have taken much money to shift the odds.

More importantly, whoever is running the book has lost their bottle between the 11th and the 13th as they shortened both labor and the Greens. The percentages on those books are huge now.

I wouldn't read much into it is all I am saying

# ¿ Nov 13, 2014 14:19

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 15:46

Freudian Slip: Mar 10, 2007; "I'm an archivist. I'm archiving."

Sydney University had to cancel it's "Mexican" themed Christmas party because of complaints that it was racist.

At first I thought it was funny that they even decided to go with such a theme. Like they watched the last episode of Utopia and went "Yeah - that's a top idea"

However, white people in my office, who weren't planning on going, are complaining about "PC gone mad". I have been trying to explain that there is a difference between celebrating a culture and dressing up as characterture of said culture.

In the end I said that in Australia you have a right to be a bigot and walked off.

How do people not get that you don't get to tell people of other cultures that they are not allowed to be upset by your representation of them.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2014 03:15

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Auspol November: G20 Beat Down Edition