crikey--2020-02-13--Meet the industry that says it can’t survive 2.2% wage growth

Meet the industry that says it can ’ t survive 2.2 % wage growth The restaurant industry is angry that @ @ @ @ @ enforced and employers who underpay workers are being revealed .
But if an industry ca @ @ @ @ @ it pays are virtually stagnant , there 's something seriously wrong .
Normally , employer @ @ @ @ @ vocal supporters of rigorous enforcement of industrial relations laws , especially on `` rogue '' @ @ @ @ @ .

Normally, employer groups are among the most vocal supporters of rigorous enforcement of industrial relations laws, especially on “rogue” and “militant” unions.
But the hospitality industry, it seems, would prefer if the relevant regulator wasn’t too eager to enforce the rule of law. At least, that’s the message in the wake of the collapse of George Calombaris’ restaurant company.
The celebrity chef’s empire crumbled after revelations it underpaid staff millions over a number of years. A dramatic fall in patronage followed.


crikey--2020-02-13--The real reason why everyone thinks Queensland coal miners totally rock

The real reason why everyone thinks Queensland coal miners totally rock While politicians claim they want to support coal miners @ @ @ @ @ coal lies in the tens of billions of dollars in exports it earns every year @ @ @ @ @ it funds .
Queensland 's coal miners are suddenly the most popular political demographic in @ @ @

Queensland’s coal miners are suddenly the most popular political demographic in the country.
Labor under Anthony Albanese has been performing almost ritual obeisance to regional Queensland since the 2019 election — though not enough, allegedly, for a coterie of right-wingers who want the party to appeal even more to fossil fuel interests.
Meanwhile, the Nationals are tearing themselves apart and destabilising the government over coal-fired power, while fossil fuel fetishist Matt Canavan claims the party is “the party of workers, workers in coalmines, workers in shipyards and workers in factories”.


crikey--2020-02-13--Australians want to hear about plans to reduce emissions

The government should tell us how Australian resources and innovation can make us world leaders in clean energy .
Government @ @ @ @ @ want to hear about plans to reduce emissions .
We want reliable and affordable energy @ @ @ @ @ .
Tell us what is happening , what more needs to be done , how @ @ @ @ @ .
Tell us how Australian resources and innovation can make us world leaders in clean @ @ @ @ @ the former CEO of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA .

In The Daily Fix, Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems. Today: climate change.
Government should have confidence that Australians want to hear about plans to reduce emissions.
We want reliable and affordable energy and we want emissions reduction.


crikey--2020-02-13--The Calombaris collapse: what about the unemployed workers?

The Calombaris collapse : what about the unemployed workers ?
What did the union and media pile-on achieve ?
When @ @ @ @ @ clerk at Freehills I spent a few months working in the most employer-friendly industrial relations @ @ @ @

When I was a young articled clerk at Freehills I spent a few months working in the most employer-friendly industrial relations team in Australia.
On one occasion I was asked to serve a legal document to a high profile union. When I walked in it felt like there was a significant chance of bodily harm (there wasn’t).
The unions hated the employers and their lawyers, and the lawyers hated the unions.


crikey--2020-02-14--Old metaphors sink beneath the waves as unprecedented crises emerge

Old metaphors sink beneath the waves as unprecedented crises emerge The language and systems we once used to understand and @ @ @ @ @ has become redundant .
Have we had enough of cruise-ship disasters as metaphors for modernity @ @ @

Have we had enough of cruise-ship disasters as metaphors for modernity by now?
The recently released inmates of the Diamond Princess were doing double-duty: incarcerated to protect us all from the further spread of Covid-19 (the exciting new name for coronavirus), they were also a floating image of recent decades, a pricey, pointless “pleasure” cruise that soon became a nautical hell, with guests confined to their cabins for a fortnight.
The food was terrible, outdoor exercise was minimal, and eventually the porn channel on the in-ship cable was made free, with the hope, I presume, that the guests-turned-inmates would wank themselves into a complaisant torpor.


crikey--2020-02-14--What the auditors really thought of the sports grants process

What the auditors really thought of the sports grants process The ANAO 's Senate inquiry evidence paints an alarming picture @ @ @ @ @ sports rorts scandal .
Officials from the Australian National Audit Office ( ANAO ) appeared @ @ @ @ @ night , revealing further details about the sports rorts scandal .

Officials from the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) appeared before a Senate inquiry last night, revealing further details about the sports rorts scandal.
We’ve pulled out some of the highlights from the evidence.
‘Deficient in a number of important areas’
GRANT HEHIR (auditor-general): “Overall we concluded that the design of the program was deficient in a number of important areas, including: greater analysis was needed of the likely demand for grant funding and strategies developed for the managing of high-level demand; strategies to manage risk to the quality of the assessment process set out in the Sport Australia grants management framework were not implemented; and conflict-of-interest management arrangements were not to a consistently high standard.


crikey--2020-02-17--What Scott Morrison needs to do about climate change

The PM needs to commit to transitioning away from fossil fuels as soon as possible , while reassuring people that the sky will not fall if he does .
In The Daily Fix , Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems .
Today : climate change .
If the prime minister wanted to take serious action on climate change — and , more importantly , encourage other levels of government , businesses and individuals to take action — he would simply say that it is real , that it ’ s caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s one of the biggest threats to our national sovereignty , security , prosperity and environmental wellbeing .
He would insist that those members of his backbench who question the science or the need to act are as entitled to their view as he is entitled to ignore them .
From a policy point of view he would commit to transitioning away from fossil fuels as soon as possible .
He would ban the construction of new coal oil and gas production .
He would reassure people that this in no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the energy system overnight ” .
It will simply be the first step towards a transition to a world that burns less fossil fuels .
He would stop the subsidies for fossil fuel construction and consumption and redirect the tens of billions of dollars per year currently spent on subsidies towards helping regions and industries to adapt .
This would be far more help than we gave the car industry , or the textile industry , or the call centre industry when free trade deals cost hundreds of thousands of jobs .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay to fairly facilitate the rapid transition we need .
He would set renewable energy targets and storage targets that give industry the confidence to invest .
And he would introduce efficiency standards for cars , trucks , houses and commercial buildings .
A carbon price would help provide even more incentive .
Tackling climate change isn ’ t an economic or engineering challenge .
It ’ s a political one .
Richard Denniss is the chief economist of The Australia Institute .

In The Daily Fix, Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems. Today: climate change.
If the prime minister wanted to take serious action on climate change — and, more importantly, encourage other levels of government, businesses and individuals to take action — he would simply say that it is real, that it’s caused by burning fossil fuels, and that it’s one of the biggest threats to our national sovereignty, security, prosperity and environmental wellbeing.
He would insist that those members of his backbench who question the science or the need to act are as entitled to their view as he is entitled to ignore them.


crikey--2020-02-17--Gaetjens’ shoddy arguments do little to help his credibility — or the government

The attempt by longtime Liberal staffer Phil Gaetjens to justify the rorted sports grants program is riddled with holes and @ @ @ @ @ of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Phil Gaetjens ' attempt to protect the government from @ @ @ @ @ all the characteristics of the longtime political staffer he is , not the public servant @ @ @ @ @ .

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Phil Gaetjens’ attempt to protect the government from the sports rorts scandal bears all the characteristics of the longtime political staffer he is, not the public servant he is paid to be.
Instead of providing the report he prepared on whether Bridget McKenzie’s “administration” of the community sports infrastructure grants program breached the Statement of Ministerial Standards, Gaetjens last week chose to give the Senate committee investigating the scandal a letter explaining how he’d reached his conclusions.
Those conclusions were exactly what the government needed — that overall the program had not been rorted, but that McKenzie had failed a trivial admin requirement of declaring a small gift, so she had to go. There was no conspiracy here, just a lone gunwoman.


crikey--2020-02-17--The government doesn’t actually like government. Here’s the proof

The government doesn ’ t actually like government .
Here ’ s the proof A linguist analyses the first speeches @ @ @ @ @ see how they feel about the concept of 'government ' .
On Christmas Eve last @ @ @ @ @ ruddy-faced and in the company of cows , found it an appropriate time to make @ @ @ @ @ .
His brief video , posted to social media , had two themes .

On Christmas Eve last year, Barnaby Joyce, ruddy-faced and in the company of cows, found it an appropriate time to make a contribution to national debate. His brief video, posted to social media, had two themes.
One was the benign authority of God. The other was the less-than-benign authority of our earthly institutions. On the latter, “I am sick of the government being in my life,” he declared.
The Twitterverse went ballistic in response. Many were quick to point out the simple method by which Barnaby and government could extricate themselves from each other. Some speculated that the impromptu oration had been preceded by an extended visit to a nearby pub.


crikey--2020-02-17--As the press gallery ate up Shearer Scotty, down the road taxpayers were being fleeced

It 's time political journalists in this country took a long hard look at themselves .
When the news of @ @ @ @ @ the world in 1963 , the media race to grab the shiniest news baubles was @ @ @ @ @ as now , most journalists covered the major parts of the story staring them in @ @ @ @ @ why not ?

When the news of JFK’s assassination hit the world in 1963, the media race to grab the shiniest news baubles was all-consuming. Back then, as now, most journalists covered the major parts of the story staring them in the face. Because, why not?
But one journalist at the time looked around: Jimmy Breslin. He chose to look beyond the obvious. He looked for the little people. The undertaker who prepared the body, the grave digger, the priest. For there among the madding crowd the honest, unadorned stories could be found.
It doesn’t seem as if the death of one of the most famous politicians of our time and a shearing shed up the road from Dubbo would have much in common. But on April 27 last year, in the midst of our most recent federal election campaign, the ghost of Breslin probably heaved a pissed-off sigh.


crikey--2020-02-16--Andrew ‘the Bolter’ Bolt is a victim of a changing climate

A dispatch from our latest flame war with Andrew Bolt .
Oh God , it 's time for flame wars @ @ @ @ @

Oh God, it’s time for flame wars with Andrew Bolt again.
Readers will remember how I noted that Bolt’s purported mea culpa column on global warming — “it’s happening, but it doesn’t matter, and it’s gonna be great!” — was really a repositioning, to separate himself from the out-and-out craz… erm, enthusiasts such as Craig Kelly, who continue to insist that there’s no warming at all.
The Bolter — he has earned the nickname after bolting from full denialism — now insists that he fooled us all because the “I was wrong” at the start of the column was the head-fake we said it was.


crikey--2020-02-17--Net zero emissions — a target big enough to cover a host of sins

Net zero emissions — a target big enough to cover a host of sins Beware the `` net zero by @ @ @ @ @ 's vague enough that fossil fuel interests see it as an opportunity to expand .
@ @ @ @ @ zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 is suddenly fashionable .

The climate target of net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 is suddenly fashionable.
The Business Council has signed up to it. A number of federal Liberals have signed up to it. The NSW government joined Victoria in adopting it as policy last year. BP recently adopted it. A number of countries, including the UK, have signed up to it.
The coal fetishists in the Nationals are outraged about it.


crikey--2020-02-17--The best energy policy is no policy at all

According to the director of policy at the Institute of Public Affairs , the best government energy policy is none at all .
Most major economies are either not a party to the Paris agreement ( such as the US ) , not subject to any meaningful constraints on emissions ( such as China ) , or not on track to meet their targets ( such as the EU ) .
Accordingly , emissions reduction should not be a focus of government policy at this time , given that it would effectively be unilateral and ineffective .
Public policy responses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the climate should be limited to adaptation measures Australia can directly control .
In terms of energy policy , governments should focus on affordability and reliability .
Ideally , the energy market would be free to determine the most desirable means of electricity generation .
Proposals for government support for fossil fuels should therefore be rejected , but equally all subsidies , quotas and other government interventions encouraging the use of renewables should also be scrapped .
In a free market , energy companies would compete for who can offer the best “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who can best game the system .
The best government “ energy policy ” is none at all .
Gideon Rozner is the director of policy at the Institute of Public Affairs

In The Daily Fix, Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems. Today: climate change.
Most major economies are either not a party to the Paris agreement (such as the US), not subject to any meaningful constraints on emissions (such as China), or not on track to meet their targets (such as the EU).
Accordingly, emissions reduction should not be a focus of government policy at this time, given that it would effectively be unilateral and ineffective.


crikey--2020-02-17--Why are the Greens preferencing Labor last in this NT byelection?

Why are the Greens preferencing Labor last in this NT byelection ?
It 's almost without precedent for the Greens @ @ @ @ @ in the conservatives ' favour .
A Northern Territory byelection has unexpectedly emerged as a @ @ @ @ @ the soul of progressive Australian politics .

A Northern Territory byelection has unexpectedly emerged as a flashpoint in the battle for the soul of progressive Australian politics.
Voters in the northern Darwin seat of Johnston are going to the polls on February 29, after the resignation of renegade Labor MP Ken Vowles, and the Greens’ have recommended that voters put Labor last. Labor’s candidate is Joel Bowden, a former AFL player and union leader.
Voters who heed the Greens’ advice will be putting Labor behind both the Country Liberal Party opposition, noted for its hard line on locally significant issues of law and order, and the Territory Alliance, a CLP breakaway party, whose candidates for the next territory election include one who ran for the messianic Rise Up Australia party at last year’s federal election.


crikey--2020-02-18--Holden’s demise is part of our long drive from self reliance

Holden ’ s demise is part of our long drive from self reliance The killing-off of Holden as a brand @ @ @ @ @ symbolic than real .
But what a symbol it is .
Murray Bail 's overlooked @ @ @ @ @ with the removal of the tram system in Adelaide in the 1950s , and the @ @ @ @ @ the sky , now cleared of webs of black cabling .

Murray Bail’s overlooked novel Holden’s Performance begins with the removal of the tram system in Adelaide in the 1950s, and the citizens’ sudden awareness of the sky, now cleared of webs of black cabling.
The image serves as one of hope and promise, felt at the time by many, with the coming of the car and the freeway. Going wherever you wanted, no longer stuck in these old cities, moving along these grooved lines, your life.
Central to that was the creation of a mass-produced Australian car, a suddenly affordable item, and that was the Holden.


crikey--2020-02-18--God give me strength: I nearly went to Tony Abbott’s book launch

God give me strength : I nearly went to Tony Abbott ’ s book launch A near miss at Tony @ @ @ @ @ back memories of the the former PM 's similarly stunted reign .
I was almost @ @ @ @ @ ’ s book launch last night .

I was almost looking forward to Tony Abbott’s book launch last night.
The last time I went to an Abbott event, it was attended by retired supermodel Sarah Murdoch and the Mad Monk’s former “celibacy adviser” Josephine Ul.
Ul was in charge of keeping girls at a safe distance from Tony when he was a trainee priest, a job she described as “very challenging”.


crikey--2020-02-19--My prison visit with Julian Assange, by Andrew Wilkie

My prison visit with Julian Assange , by Andrew Wilkie Independent MP Andrew Wilkie writes about his alarming visit with @ @ @ @ @ .

Read Andrew Wilkie's full letter
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crikey--2020-02-18--The pursuit of influence: how the Pharmacy Guild works Canberra

The pursuit of influence : how the Pharmacy Guild works Canberra The Pharmacy Guild of Australia knows what it wants @ @ @ @ @ to get it .
Deputy PM Michael McCormack in a Pharmacy Guild tie , with @ @ @ @ @ left ) and National President George Tambassis ( right ) and Queensland President Trent Twomey @ @ @ @ @ Source : Facebook ) The Pharmacy Guild of Australia ’ s annual parliamentary dinner , @ @ @ @ @ of Parliament House , is a veritable night of nights on Australia ’ s lobbying @ @

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s annual parliamentary dinner, held in the Great Hall of Parliament House, is a veritable night of nights on Australia’s lobbying calendar.
Politicians of all stripes mingle over dinner and drinks with one of the country’s most powerful lobby groups. Formality melts away. Relationships are built. And it’s all done away from the public gaze.
Getting the ear of government is no problem for the guild, often described as the most powerful industry lobby group in Canberra. It enjoys access to politicians from the prime minister down, through a time-honoured mix of donations and schmoozing — a successful formula which has kept in place policies which critics decry as anti-competitive and against the interests of consumers.


crikey--2020-02-18--Want to fix energy policy? Ban lobbyists

According to a former Greens senator , lobbyists have corrupted government policy for too long .
In The Daily Fix @ @ @ @ @ wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems .
Today : climate @ @

In The Daily Fix, Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems. Today: climate change.
The federal government, above everything else, has to stop allowing a particular industry sector free rein to write energy policy. It’s become so normalised for coal and gas interests to write Coalition policy that it would be a huge break if they evicted all the lobbyists and embedded staff and stopped taking industry money.
I understand that there is zero chance of the present government doing this, but a hypothetical future government could.


crikey--2020-02-18--Australia’s bushfire losses are worse than first thought

Australia ’ s bushfire losses are worse than first thought The cost is absolutely immense .
But the final figures @ @ @ @ @ we rebuild .
The economic cost of the bushfires is bigger than first thought , @ @ @ @ @ to Crikey .

The economic cost of the bushfires is bigger than first thought, according to revised figures provided to Crikey.
Economists now say the bushfires will cost the Australian economy between $4 billion and $8 billion in property, productivity, consumer spending and business losses.
While costs are still being calculated, Crikey takes an early look into what’s been lost.


crikey--2020-02-19--Lack of ‘duty of care’ proves voters are right to not trust government

The government says it owes no duty of care to welfare recipients .
No wonder Australian citizens are feeling alienated @ @ @ @ @ is near record lows .
The majority of voters are convinced that people in government @ @ @ @ @ n't be trusted , and that government is run for the benefit of a few @ @ @ @ @ through all this , the Morrison government has found a new way to alienate voters @

Discontent with Australian democracy is near record lows. The majority of voters are convinced that people in government look after themselves and can’t be trusted, and that government is run for the benefit of a few big interests. But, through all this, the Morrison government has found a new way to alienate voters.
Yesterday The Guardian reported that, as part of its defence against a Federal Court class action relating to its illegal robodebt scheme, the government argued it had no duty of care to its victims under social security law.
A government insisting it has no duty of care to its citizens — and particularly those who require welfare assistance — confirms exactly the perception that the majority of voters have about a system of government that they believe has abandoned them.


crikey--2020-02-19--Australia seeks to block Palestine war crimes investigation

Is this further evidence of Canberra ’ s pro-Israel position ?
Australia is helping efforts to block an International Criminal @ @ @ @ @ crimes in Palestine .
It 's a move that 's been criticised by human rights @ @ @ @ @

Australia is helping efforts to block an International Criminal Court investigation into alleged war crimes in Palestine. It’s a move that’s been criticised by human rights organisations and Palestinian groups.
In an amicus brief filed last Friday, Australia argued that the court lacks jurisdiction to conduct an investigation because Palestine is not a state.
Only a handful of other states (Austria, Germany, Brazil and the Czech Republic) have intervened to file similar briefs contesting the court’s jurisdiction. The move has been welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and is further evidence of Canberra’s pro-Israel position.


crikey--2020-02-20--Vulnerable Australians will bear the brunt of climate change unless we act

Low-income and vulnerable Australians are likely to experience the negative consequences of climate change first and worst .
In The Daily Fix , Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems .
Today : climate change .
Consumer Action has long supported imposing a price on carbon emissions as an effective measure to reduce the likelihood of dangerous climate change and its disastrous effects .
Low-income and vulnerable Australians are likely to experience the negative consequences of climate change first and worst , so the goal should be to avert dangerous climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available .
Any pricing tool should be applied progressively , so those with the most capacity pay the most .
Consumer protection also provides a clear means to curb inequalities and to promote fairness , justice and environmental protection in an increasingly complex global economy .
It ensures that people everywhere are treated fairly and with dignity in the marketplace , and have access to safe , healthy , sustainable products and services .
This is particularly important for poor and vulnerable people who are often the most exploited .
Federal and state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consumer rights , with the goal of greater sustainability of consumption and production .
Gerard Brody is the CEO of the Consumer Action Law Centre .

In The Daily Fix, Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems. Today: climate change.
Consumer Action has long supported imposing a price on carbon emissions as an effective measure to reduce the likelihood of dangerous climate change and its disastrous effects.
Low-income and vulnerable Australians are likely to experience the negative consequences of climate change first and worst, so the goal should be to avert dangerous climate change based on the weight of scientific evidence available.


crikey--2020-02-19--Behind the counter: Who does the Pharmacy Guild of Australia really work for?

Behind the counter : Who does the Pharmacy Guild of Australia really work for ?
Critics say the guild is @ @ @ @ @ not pharmacists , while it 's becoming clear that what is good for the guild @ @ @ @ @ large corporate players .
This is part two of Inq 's investigation into the influence @ @ @ @ @ Australia .
Read part one here .

This is part two of Inq’s investigation into the influence of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. Read part one here.
Of all the battles the Pharmacy Guild of Australia fights, none is greater than its negotiations over the Community Pharmacy Agreement.
The agreement is negotiated every five years, and is critical to the powerful lobby group’s success. It sets out how much pharmacies — whose owners are represented by the guild — are paid per prescription.


crikey--2020-02-19--How much money has been pledged to bushfire relief — and where is it going?

How much money has been pledged to bushfire relief — and where is it going ?
With all the confusion @ @ @ @ @ takes a look at what ’ s been pledged so far , and where it @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve lost millions of hectares of land in the bushfires , along with dozens @ @ @ @ @ calculated yesterday , the economy now faces a bill between $ 4 billion and $ @ @ @

We’ve lost millions of hectares of land in the bushfires, along with dozens of lives. As Crikey calculated yesterday, the economy now faces a bill between $4 billion and $8 billion.
An eye-watering amount of donations have come pouring in from around the world — though it hasn’t come without controversy.
Crikey takes a quick look at what’s been pledged so far, and where it’s going.


crikey--2020-02-19--Have you seen that post-election investment boost that business promised? We looked for it

Remember the glee of business after the Coalition 's unexpected election win last May ?
Business leaders claimed that Morrison @ @ @ @ @ investment floodgates .
“ A dose of confidence from a forward-looking and pro-business government will @ @ @ @ @ driving economic growth and prosperity , '' business luminary Richard Goyder claimed .

Remember the glee of business after the Coalition’s unexpected election win last May? Business leaders claimed that Morrison’s re-election would open the investment floodgates.
“A dose of confidence from a forward-looking and pro-business government will be a big factor in driving economic growth and prosperity,” business luminary Richard Goyder claimed.
The NSW Business Chamber said the win would restore confidence and business “will now move forward with investing in their business capabilities”. The Australian cheered a post-election sharemarket surge. Columnists agreed — business could now invest with confidence and certainty.


crikey--2020-02-21--Stasiland more extended than we thought: the truth behind the ‘Abbott as foreign agent’ affair

Stasiland more extended than we thought : the truth behind the ‘ Abbott as foreign agent ’ affair In November @ @ @ @ @ that Tony Abbott had been pursued by his own department under foreign interference laws .
@ @ @ @ @ it all along .
When the government discovered in November that its laws against foreign @ @ @ @ @ to target a conservative political conference and former prime minister Tony Abbott , it was @ @

When the government discovered in November that its laws against foreign interference had instead been used to target a conservative political conference and former prime minister Tony Abbott, it was outraged.
“I have made it clear to my department that I expect it to demonstrate a focus on the most serious instances of non-compliance,” Attorney-General Christian Porter said when it was revealed a furious Tony Abbott has been asked by the AGD to register under the Foreign Interest Transparency Scheme (FITS).
“I’m not persuaded this focus has been perfectly demonstrated to date.”


crikey--2020-02-20--The ties that bind: just how much does the deputy PM know about a $2.4m grant?

The ties that bind : just how much does the deputy PM know about a $ 2.4m grant ?
An @ @ @ @ @ by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia has revealed a close relationship between Deputy Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ Deputy PM Michael McCormack with Queensland Pharmacy Guild of Australia President Trent Twomey ( far @ @ @ @ @ Warren Entsch ( right ) and former Guild president Kos Sclavos ( far right ) @ @ @ @ @ This is part three of Inq ’ s investigation into the influence of the Pharmacy @ @ @ @ @ part one here and part two here .

This is part three of Inq’s investigation into the influence of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. Read part one here and part two here.
Nationals leader Michael McCormack has refused to say what role he played in approving a controversial $2.4 million regional grant to a business linked to a senior Pharmacy Guild of Australia official. The official is a supporter of the Queensland LNP and is known to McCormack through his guild lobbying activities.
An Inq investigation into political lobbying by the pharmacy guild has revealed a close relationship between Deputy Prime Minister McCormack and the guild — a relationship so close that McCormack last year donned a guild-branded tie to pose for pictures with officials including the guild’s LNP-aligned Queensland president Trent Twomey.


crikey--2020-02-20--GPs are doing too good a job (and other news you may have missed)

GPs are doing too good a job ( and other news you may have missed ) Medicare philosophers and more @ @ @ @ @ in a jam-packed week , here are the stories you may have missed .

I’ve got a bad case of loving you (for which I’ll need to book a second appointment)
The government is sick and tired of doctors treating physical and mental health issues in the one appointment and would like them to stop charging Medicare for all this wasteful efficiency, thanks.
That’s the gist of a new “compliance push” from the Department of Health, reminding GPs that they shouldn’t make claims to Medicare under two different consultation lines.
Instead, one presumes, assiduous doctors should instead tell the patient breaking out in stress-hives that today they can deal with either the skin problem or the stress problem but not both (apparently Medicare is a big fan of the philosophy and adhere to Descartes’ theory of the separation of mind and body).


crikey--2020-02-20--Renewable investment is being crippled by a failing regulatory structure

You can not start serious decarbonisation , or the export of renewable power , if you ca n't get renewable energy to the market .
In The Daily Fix , Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems .
Today : climate change .
Renewable investment is being crippled by a failing regulatory structure across the electricity system .
You can not start serious decarbonisation , or the export of renewable power , if you can ’ t get renewable energy to the market due to a lack of transmission .
Transmission investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new generation can be connected to grid and existing generation can be dispatched without being constrained by capacity or strength .
Requiring national planning to occur based on weak and unsustainable government climate policies that ignore the necessary and obvious electrification of transport and industry will leave the nation ill-prepared .
Requiring national planning to occur assuming Snowy Hydro 2.0 will happen on time is a significant and unacceptable risk .
A delay or failure of that project due to its scale could be crippling .
Incremental projects like additional connections to Tasmania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower risk and should proceed now .
Snowy and a failing regulatory system are distorting the market and delaying alternative investment , creating higher market risks for all , and will result in longer-term higher electricity prices for industry and consumers .
Oliver Yates is the former CEO of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and ran as an independent candidate for Kooyong in the 2019 federal election .

In The Daily Fix, Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems. Today: climate change.
Renewable investment is being crippled by a failing regulatory structure across the electricity system.
You cannot start serious decarbonisation, or the export of renewable power, if you can’t get renewable energy to the market due to a lack of transmission.


crikey--2020-02-21--History set to repeat itself in royal commission into Black Summer

History set to repeat itself in royal commission into Black Summer Decades of fires and dozens of reviews , inquiries @ @ @ @ @ us to not hold our breath over the upcoming royal commission into the 2020 bushfire @ @ @ @ @ officer Russell Rees gives evidence at the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission ( Image : @ @ @ @ @ to launch another royal commission into the devastating bushfire season has not come without controversy @ @ @ @ @ and time-consuming , and critics have asked if it will achieve anything new .

The decision to launch another royal commission into the devastating bushfire season has not come without controversy. It will be expensive and time-consuming, and critics have asked if it will achieve anything new.
It will also be the 58th parliamentary inquiry into bushfires in 80 years — nationally, we’re averaging one inquiry every 14 months.
Crikey takes a look through history to see what — if anything — is different about this one.


crikey--2020-02-21--A Senate inquiry is trying to understand Australia. We tried to understand the inquiry

Will a Senate inquiry alone be enough to save Australia from racism and far-right extremism ?
It ’ s nearly @ @ @ @ @ since an Australian man walked into a mosque in Christchurch and massacred 51 Muslims .
@ @ @ @ @ fascist , a product of disorienting , memey online sewers .
But he was also @ @ @ @

It’s nearly a year to the day since an Australian man walked into a mosque in Christchurch and massacred 51 Muslims. He was a textbook internet fascist, a product of disorienting, memey online sewers. But he was also radicalised in Australia.
And yet, aside from a limited crackdown on violent content online, there’s been little done by the government to confront what happened in Christchurch.
Meanwhile, the shooter — who Crikey has decided not to name — has inspired a host of copycats, from Texas to Germany. ASIO recently warned that the threat of right-wing extremism was increasing.


crikey--2020-02-21--After St Kevin’s, institutions can no longer hide from justice

After St Kevin ’ s , institutions can no longer hide from justice Like so many institutions , St Kevin @ @ @ @ @ in its care on the altar of its own survival .
St Kevin ’ s @ @ @ @ @ boy ’ s school in Melbourne , stands in the public glare as an institution @ @ @ @ @

St Kevin’s College, the elite private boy’s school in Melbourne, stands in the public glare as an institution that has learned nothing.
Considering that two children sexually assaulted by Cardinal George Pell over 20 years ago were also St Kevin’s boys, that might seem particularly surprising. It’s not.
Far away on the same day, another institution fell. The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy, brought down by a flood of claims by former scouts of historical sexual assaults. That’s significant.


crikey--2020-02-23--Additional funding is desperately needed in the fight against wage theft

Great funding is needed — both to investigate non-compliance and support workers who are getting ripped off .
There are @ @ @ @ @ legal processes that could be made to bring down the number of businesses underpaying their @ @ @ @ @ of them are under consideration by the Morrison government .
Awards have recently been simplified @ @ @ @ @ , and more could be done in that area too , although without simply being @ @ @ @ @ .
But the most urgent need is for greater funding , both to the Fair @ @ @ @ @ it cope with the huge task of investigating non-compliance by small and large businesses alike @ @ @ @ @ community-based legal services which advise and support vulnerable workers .
That additional funding should not @ @ @ @ @ or legislative proposals — it ’ s needed now .
Andrew Stewart is the author @ @ @ @ @ to Employment Law , and is the John Bray Professor of Law at the University @ @ @

In The Daily Fix, Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems. This week: wage theft.
There are many useful improvements to existing legal processes that could be made to bring down the number of businesses underpaying their staff — and indeed some of them are under consideration by the Morrison government.
Awards have recently been simplified by the Fair Work Commission, and more could be done in that area too, although without simply being a pretext to remove entitlements.


crikey--2020-02-24--Hard pill to swallow: questions persist on $20 million pain grant

Last week , Inq investigated the influence of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia .
Today , we look at one example of what it gets for its efforts .
How do you calculate the power of Pharmacy Guild of Australia to influence government policy ?
One measure could be the $ 20 million grant — the largest ever in Australia for pain and pain medicine — handed to the guild for a trial of pain assessments by pharamacists , supported by Health Minister Greg Hunt .
The grant , which outraged doctors when it was announced in 2018 , continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading pain specialist body , the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists .
The college told Inq the $ 20 million grant was “ by far ” the largest grant ever in Australia for pain and pain medicine — “ and this to an organisation that has no track record in basic science or clinical pain research or in fact no association with academia , ” the college said .
Our investigation last week into the guild ’ s network of relationships with politicians from the prime minister down — including Deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guild tie for happy snaps — has flushed out pent-up frustration at the degree of influence the guild wields .
Dr Meredith Craigie , dean of the college ’ s faculty of pain medicine said the scheme had been introduced with “ no input ” from specialist pain medicine physicians and that it risked promoting medication as the only option to relieve chronic pain .
( Pharmacists are also paid a set fee per prescription . )
“ There is no question that the guild is an influential employers ’ organisation for pharmacists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state governments are not unduly influenced by some groups at the expense of others , ” she said .
“ Already we have seen advertisements where pharmacists are portraying themselves as experts in pain management and offering to be the primary provider of personalised pain management action plans .
This is frankly misleading advertising and makes the work of well-organised primary and tertiary pain teams much more difficult by fragmenting care.
” The guild rejected the college ’ s criticism , saying that the trial focussed on inter-professional collaboration , “ referral to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that it included “ non-pharmacological ” pain management .
In a statement , the guild said it had partnered with academia and engaged an expert panel including members from the Australian Pain Society , Chronic Pain Australia , the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia , University of Wollongong and the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing .
Inq ’ s investigation last week discovered close to 40 pictures of guild officials posing with Coalition ministers and backbenchers as well as senior state politicians .
The photo gallery represents tangible evidence of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wielded away from public scrutiny .
There is no doubt more evidence to be found .
But why should journalists or citizens need to trawl the internet searching for images — and hope social media accounts have been left open — to know who is influencing the government ’ s health policy , and how ?
And to discover that the guild and Health Minister Greg Hunt at one point held “ great discussions ” , according to the boast of one guild official ’ s Instagram post ?
The Pharmacy Guild of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but its activities are enabled by rules in Canberra that do little to cut down on lobbying or to allow any transparency .
Inq obtained evidence of soft influence peddling such as the guild hosting the prime minister for Christmas drinks , and the deputy prime minister ( plus a host of other politicians ) letting their hair down at the guild ’ s annual parliamentary ball .
Yet none of these contacts with the guild need to be recorded for public scrutiny .
At the same time the influence-peddling business is on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notice provided to Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick and Greens Senator Larissa Waters last year revealed that over the period of Coalition government there has been a near doubling of sponsored passes — the orange lanyard — given to lobbyists and others to roam parliament unescorted .
Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie told Inq : “ Those orange passes are rolled gold to lobbyists .
With a pass around their neck , lobbyists get to walk the hallways and get direct access to ministers in a way that just isn ’ t possible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of pass-holders is growing should make us nervous , especially given our loose regulations on lobbying in the federal parliament.
” “ Australians are in the dark as to who these orange passholders are , whose interests they represent and what they ’ re actually doing here , ” Lambie said .
The Department of Parliamentary Services says it does not keep a record of who the lobbyists are among the ever-growing ranks of orange pass holders .
Nor is the information available under freedom of information laws .
Greens Senator Larissa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ to clean up politic ” included requiring politicians to tell the public when and why they meet with lobbyists as well as establishing a strong , independent federal anti-corruption commission .
Next : why the rules governing lobbying are toothless…

How do you calculate the power of Pharmacy Guild of Australia to influence government policy?
One measure could be the $20 million grant — the largest ever in Australia for pain and pain medicine — handed to the guild for a trial of pain assessments by pharamacists, supported by Health Minister Greg Hunt.
The grant, which outraged doctors when it was announced in 2018, continues to be criticised by Australia’s leading pain specialist body, the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.


crikey--2020-02-24--Speaking the truth about power: the Coalition is hurting reliability, affordability and competition

While Australia faces an investment drought , the government is deterring billions in renewable energy investment because of its climate denialism .
The result is more expensive and less reliable power .
The latest report on the health of the east coast electricity market shows how the Coalition ’ s inability to determine a coherent energy policy is punishing consumers , hurting energy reliability and undermining the economy .
COAG ’ s Energy Security Board released its annual Health of the National Electricity Market report on Friday , in the wake of recent reports that investment in renewable energy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Renewables investment has been a relative bright spot in an economy that has seen overall investment flatline since 2017 , with new spending on wind and solar farms and battery storage reaching over $ 9 billion in 2018 .
But , contrary to claims by Scott Morrison that Australia is a “ world leader ” in renewables investment , that fell to just $ 5.6 billion in 2019 , and the ESB ’ s report shows why .
Calling for a “ a credible long term vision ” to guide governance in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the impediment lies : The lack of a strategic direction has led to stakeholders deferring investment in the maintenance and construction of new generation , especially in flexible dispatchable generation .
This has increased reliability risks , undermined affordability and slowed progress on emissions reduction .
It has also raised barriers to entry and constrained competition in the market .
With political uncertainty investment planning becomes very difficult and this has impacts well beyond the electricity industry .
Remember that the Energy Security Board was established by the government itself in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis that it is harming affordability , emissions reduction , competitiveness and system reliability through its deterrence of investment .
The board report shows that it isn ’ t merely investment in generation capacity that has been deterred .
Investment in new transmission capacity has flatlined since 2015 , at levels below not merely the 2008-14 period of high expenditure , but 2006-07 as well .
Distribution expenditure has also fallen away since 2015 but lifted a little in 2018 .
The lack of transmission and distribution expenditure is in turn deterring renewables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Operator in effect preventing renewable generation plants worth hundreds of millions of dollars from operating at full capacity because of reliability concerns , slashing revenue for owners .
The board report downgrades its assessment of the investment environment from “ moderate ” to “ critical ” since its last report , “ because of issues being faced by some new renewable generators in connecting to the existing grid ” .
The report also concludes that the current level of regulation of the market is badly flawed .
It is clear that the rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a point of incomprehension for most people and are far too prescriptive .
A review in due course should change many rules to guidelines that can then be varied as technology changes .
Far too specific data requirements that were set before the digital age are a good example .
The only bright spot was that laborious rule change processes have now been speeded up — though not fast enough for Victoria , which has signalled it will override national regulations to accelerate access to renewable generation .
The report notes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower by , on average , 7 % in coming years “ as new low cost renewable capacity enters the system ” but “ it is important to note the need for significant investment over the next decade in both transmission and distribution networks.
” It ’ s only five years since then-prime minister Tony Abbott railed at renewable energy on the basis that it drove prices up .
At a time when the level of business investment is causing serious concern among policymakers , the government is halting billions of dollars of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to climate denialists , while spending its own money encouraging coal-fired power and gas development on an ad hoc basis .
The real victims are consumers and business , who are enduring higher prices and poorer reliability of service .

The latest report on the health of the east coast electricity market shows how the Coalition’s inability to determine a coherent energy policy is punishing consumers, hurting energy reliability and undermining the economy.
COAG’s Energy Security Board released its annual Health of the National Electricity Market report on Friday, in the wake of recent reports that investment in renewable energy in Australia had slumped 40% in 2019.
Renewables investment has been a relative bright spot in an economy that has seen overall investment flatline since 2017, with new spending on wind and solar farms and battery storage reaching over $9 billion in 2018.


crikey--2020-02-25--ASIO head addresses Australia from a dark shadow where accountability should be

ASIO heads are always `` coming out of the shadows '' , but in fact remain hidden away from accountability and scrutiny .
Australia ’ s spy chiefs sure like to come out of the shadows .
Former defence secretary Dennis Richardson brought ASIO “ out of the shadows ” , according to Greg Sheridan , twenty years ago .
Former ASIO head David Irvine was the “ spy who came out of the shadows ” , according to a sycophantic column on his retirement .
Successor Duncan Lewis was praised for being “ no stranger to the public stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s security he has , like his predecessors , been the public face of updates on the terrorist and foreign interference threat.
” As head of the Australian Signals Directorate , Mike Burgess boasted he was bringing the cowboy signals intelligence body — best known for trying to bug the Indonesian president ’ s phone — “ out of the shadows ” .
And as Lewis ’ replacement as head of ASIO , yesterday Burgess rose to deliver a speech that — you guessed it — was about “ ASIO stepping out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , ASIO remains , as far as real accountability goes , not merely in the shadows but deep in a cave , beyond the reach of any scrutiny .
Giving the occasional speech , and dropping the occasional interview or scoop to one of the press gallery ’ s small club of national security reporters — who can be guaranteed never to upset the apple cart in the way a real journalist like Annika Smethurst might — is not accountability .
Australia has the worst accountability and oversight arrangements for intelligence agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apart from the inspector-general of intelligence and security , who acts almost entirely outside the public or parliamentary gaze , there is no genuine oversight of our intelligence agencies .
ASIO ( and AFP ) has to front up to estimates , but can avoid any difficult questions by claiming they pertain to operational issues .
And parliament ’ s intelligence committee can ’ t conduct inquiries into the operations of any of the agencies , no matter how egregiously they behave .
If you ’ ve seen The Report , the story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s investigation of the CIA ’ s torture program , such an investigation could never happen here .
There are still serious questions about the role of Australian security services in the kidnap-and-torture program run by the CIA under the Bush administration and MI6 under the Blair government — the answers to which are buried under confidentiality settlements with the victims , and the lack of any court or committee with the power to properly resolve .
While the Brits , the Canadians and the New Zealanders don ’ t have a system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two congressional committees oversee intelligence , none of them accept the idea that parliament should not have a strong oversight role of intelligence services like as we do .
And despite Labor ’ s occasional mutterings about trying to change that , security bureaucrats like Burgess will continue to operate with no accountability .
Burgess ’ speech raised some interesting questions .
It grabbed headlines with his claim that there was more espionage activity in Australia now than at the height of the Cold War .
He also pointed out that right-wing terrorism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a lot of activity by such groups in Australia : “ In Australia , the extreme right wing threat is real and it is growing .
In suburbs around Australia , small cells regularly meet to salute Nazi flags , inspect weapons , train in combat and share their hateful ideology.
” Burgess also said something that an ASIO head is unlikely have ever said before the Christchurch massacre : “ While we would expect any right wing extremist inspired attack in Australia to be low capability , i.e .
a knife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sophisticated attacks are possible.
” That is , neo-Nazi and racist groups are capable of perpetrating attacks with the potential for large numbers of casualties .
This chimes with the US experience .
The most recent domestic terrorism threat assessment issued by the government of Texas identified white supremacists as the greatest terror threat , and identified violent incels as an emerging threat .
The recent racist terrorist attack in Hanau in Germany appears to have been carried out by a US-inspired incel .
Not that Islamist terrorism has been left behind by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to have picked up on the real meaning of this statement .
That is , after nearly twenty years of the war on terror , and the expenditure of tens of billions of dollars by Australia alone in invading Middle Eastern countries , pumping up the budgets of the likes of ASIO , removing our most basic rights and imposing mass surveillance on Australians , “ there are now more Islamic extremists from more countries active in more places than ever before ” .
If that ’ s not a truly spectacular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s not clear what ever would be .

Australia’s spy chiefs sure like to come out of the shadows.
Former defence secretary Dennis Richardson brought ASIO “out of the shadows”, according to Greg Sheridan, twenty years ago. Former ASIO head David Irvine was the “spy who came out of the shadows”, according to a sycophantic column on his retirement.
Successor Duncan Lewis was praised for being “no stranger to the public stage. As the official authority on Australia’s security he has, like his predecessors, been the public face of updates on the terrorist and foreign interference threat.”


crikey--2020-02-24--Data retention scheme is being abused exactly as critics predicted

A review of the Abbott government 's data retention scheme has shown it is being widely abused by scores of bodies around the country .
A review of the mass surveillance scheme established by the Abbott government six years ago has revealed how it is being widely abused in ways voters were assured would never happen .
The government ’ s data retention regime , which compels communications providers to retain personal information on service use by customers for two years , is currently the subject of a statutory review by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 , it assured Australians that the unprecedented level of surveillance of their communications metadata — which can be used to construct a detailed portrait of an individual ’ s life beyond that provided by any content they may use — would be subject to strict controls .
Its use would be limited to serious offences and a small number of security agencies — just 22 across the state and federal governments .
Those commitments have turned out to be false .
Telecommunications companies and the Communications Alliance , the body representing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submissions to the committee last year that scores of bodies other than the 22 security agencies specified in the data retention legislation were routinely seeking retained data .
According to the Communications Alliance , bodies such as local councils , the Victorian racing integrity regulator , taxi bodies , a vet body and anti-dumping agencies have used a loophole under which they are able to request retained data from telecommunications providers , via s.280 of the Telecommunications Act .
In evidence to the committee earlier this month , the Communications Alliance went further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 CLEAs make data requests … those requests can be imprecise .
Sometimes these agencies don ’ t know exactly what they ’ re looking for or what they ’ re trying to find .
Often they also have difficulty interpreting the data that they receive , come back to the service provider and try to work their way through it.
” This has also led to the content of communications such as the URLs users are accessing being disclosed by providers , in direct defiance of the intended limitation of data retention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notoriously made a fool of himself trying to explain that the scheme would be strictly confined to metadata rather than content such as URLs , but according to Christiane Gillespie-Jones of the Communications Alliance , URLs are “ sometimes , but not always by far , being provided by providers because of the difficulty of separating out specific data points .
I suspect that the same might be the case with location data.
” Gillespie-Jones also told the committee retained data was being obtained for civil court proceedings , yet again in defiance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for serious criminal offences .
Data that would otherwise be deleted , but which is now being retained at the request of security agencies , is being caught by other provisions of telecommunications legislation , and processes such as court subpoenas , and dragged into activities voters were assured it would never be used in .
At a previous hearing , staff of the Commonwealth Ombudsman told the committee they were also aware of over 100 instances of information being incorrectly provided to security agencies in 2017-18 , including over 40 cases of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 13 cases of data not asked for .
The Ombudsman ’ s office also argued that it was straightforward for security agencies to evade the requirements of the “ journalist information warrant ” process , intended to provide an extra hurdle when agencies want to obtain metadata to identify a journalist ’ s sources : If an agency has a sense of who the source might be , they can get an internal authorisation to access the potential source ’ s data and , in so doing , identify those phone numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was communicating with , and it may turn out that one of those is the journalist .
And so there is a way in which the journalist ’ s source is identified but without accessing a journalist information warrant .
Security agencies are also routinely keeping data indefinitely ( something not prohibited by the data retention laws ) enabling them to connect data from different requests and thus assemble a richly detailed portrait of individuals .
Each new request potentially adds further layers and connections to existing data on targets such as whistleblowers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recent targets of the Australian Federal Police and ASIO .
Data retention critics repeatedly warned that each of these outcomes would inevitably result from such a scheme : that retaining user data would prove an irresistible honeypot for non-security agencies , that mission creep would mean the scheme would stop being about “ the most serious criminal offences ” and start being about parking fines and rubbish bins .
They warned that metadata and content could not be cleanly separated , that journalists and whistleblowers would be the target of the scheme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to construct ongoing profiles of large numbers of people .
Those critics were ignored at the time , particularly by the media , which only woke up to the threat posed by data retention at the last minute and were placated with an exception that , as the Ombudsman representatives noted , is trivially easy to evade .
It ’ s now up to the government-controlled intelligence and security committee to push for fixes to a scheme that was fundamentally flawed from the outset .

A review of the mass surveillance scheme established by the Abbott government six years ago has revealed how it is being widely abused in ways voters were assured would never happen.
The government’s data retention regime, which compels communications providers to retain personal information on service use by customers for two years, is currently the subject of a statutory review by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
When the Abbott government introduced the scheme in 2014, it assured Australians that the unprecedented level of surveillance of their communications metadata — which can be used to construct a detailed portrait of an individual’s life beyond that provided by any content they may use — would be subject to strict controls.


crikey--2020-02-24--In terror and hope — the world’s 20-year wild ride

Evolution or devolution ?
A look back over the past 20 years of politcs , technology , and wars of all kinds .
20 years ago , the world was watching with amazement as the Republican party chose , as its candidate to go up against heir presumptive Al Gore , the first candidate to fulfil the prophecy of H. L. Mencken : that one day “ the plain folks of the land will reach their heart ’ s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron ” .
George W Bush , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set the tone of his candidacy when in an interview by the NBC affiliate in Boston , he was asked to name the leaders of Chechnya , Taiwan , Pakistan and India .
He failed on Chechnya and India , got a pass mark on Taiwan but when it came to Pakistan he showed his true grit .
Bush said : “ The new Pakistani general , he ’ s just been elected — not elected , this guy took over office .
It appears this guy is going to bring stability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s good news for the subcontinent.
” Bush : “ General .
I can name the general .
General.
” He couldn ’ t .
General Pervez Musharraf , later to become an important ally and “ friend ” to Bush , must have wondered what he was in for .
It was a decade since the collapse of the Berlin Wall , and then the dissolution of the USSR .
China had become a state capitalist one party state .
Global capitalism had no limit .
The General Agreement on Tariffs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was updated in 1994 , and then replaced as the World Trade Organisation was established in 1995 .
The North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) came in to force a year earlier on January 1 .
Resistance would not be long in coming ; the Zapatista insurgency began in Chiapas , Mexico in 1994 , the same day as NAFTA , and its new social movement uprising led by a former philosophy professor would seed and inspire the global anti-capitalist movement of the late ’ 90s .
The challenge appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a lack of major state opposition , expanding into every of social life , comodifying existence .
The Onion became the go-to site of this period , with its wry , melancholic pseudo news-stories documenting the transformation : “ New Crispy Snack Cracker To Ease Crushing Pain Of Modern Life “ , “ Coca-Cola Introduces New 30-Liter Size “ , “ Cher ’ s ‘ Believe ’ Now Faintly Audible Everywhere In America “ .
Seinfeld documented the minutiae of the new atomised modern life : were you allowed to break up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
The Simpsons became a clearing-house for a half-century of accumulated mass culture .
An ascendant US began a series of “ human rights ” wars that extended its visible and invisible empire .
The brief hopes of the UK left were dashed by New Labour ’ s neoliberal tilt , with worse to come .
Towers had begun to rise in Pudong , Shanghai , on the shore opposite the old European Bund , as the country ’ s economy surged to take-off point .
The words capitalism and socialism all but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1997-98 .
The question , for those of us on the latter side of that disappearance , was how to revise the most basic sense of political contestation and alternatives , as western societies became a vast squeeze , switch , trade-off : declining wage power , rising inequality , higher necessity costs , offset by a world of cheaper luxury shit that made people feel richer and more prosperous , financed by a world of debt .
Then on September 11 , those planes hit those towers , and everything changed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ right — the Bush administration , the Howard government , Blair ’ s new Labour — abandoned fanciful notions of globalisation and peace-through-trade .
With no effort at all , they returned to a neoconservative state-power model , enforcing civil liberties crackdowns , a bellicose expansionary policy which would culminate in the Iraq war of 2003 , and a culture war for the superiority of “ western civilisation ” .
That seemed to be the great closing down of an era .
The great right-left struggle of modernity that had begun , now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revolution was over , and the crappy old game of nations and empires had returned .
As it turned out , the opposite occurred .
Iraq was the fire into which US supremacy lowered itself , a three , four , five trillion dollar disaster , which not only drained the country at a time when China was recording 10 % a year growth , and India not far behind , but also exposed the American elite as incompetent , clueless , lacking in purpose and will , incapable of projecting power .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ US had yielded to a renewed internal focus , as new media and cultural shifts had moved the social revolution of the ’ 60s onto the next stage .
Women had now thoroughly entered the full-time workforce , and people of colour were in positions of power .
As the briefly triumphant G.W .
Bush era cratered on Iraq , Hurricane Katrina and a global economic crash set up by the pre 9/11 deregulation , a woman and a black man vied to be the president presumptive of the US .
In Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to be the author of the neoliberalisation of everyday life , but was really doing little more than running the rapids of a greater process , staying afloat and offering a few conservative moves to its base .
Yet what is most significant was the way in which the neocon era created by 9/11 faded with the decade in which it was born .
As Iraq was written off , and President Obama replaced full neocon wars with boutique drone attacks , the Arab world faded as an “ other ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fevered Fox viewers .
The Iraq war ’ s decline to quagmire had coincided with the virtually simultaneous emergence of the smartphone and social media , each amplifying the other , and casting the 1991 invention of the modern internet/world wide web as no more than prologue .
As Moore ’ s Law continued its relentless process of exponentially expanding everyday computing power , a capitalism that had been running out of puff was wired up to what was really a post-internet connectivity not yet named as such , so radically global , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new historical moment .
Simultaneously the central banks of the world began massive “ quantitative easing ” programming which has now pumped up to $ 15 trillion into the global economy , most of which has simply flowed to existing holders of finance .
The flood of money , the new mobility of the world , the whirlwind transformation of everyday life finally sewed its opposition — not on the left , but on the right , as a grassroots nationalism rose up , and gained the adherence of millions who had felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and excluded by its new operant class .
The knowledge class , whose progressivist movement had more or less replaced the old left , and emphasised the causes of gender , race and other identities , over material class , had both achieved a new degree of liberation , but had also become divided from , and even antagonistic to the old working class .
It had become blind to the degree that it was an advancement of their own knowledge class interests , disguised as the old general interest of humanity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to represent .
Finally , after the drubbings of Trump , Brexit , European nationalism , as real economies withered in the acid rain of quantitative easing , as the “ bad ” billionaires bought themselves global surveillance systems , and the “ good ” billionaires bought themselves half-billion dollar yachts , people began to rebel not merely against this vast global inequality , but against the progressivist insistence on the division and privilege of identity politics , beyond the real triumphs of gender , race and other liberations .
The right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exponential expansion of understanding of global warming and biosphere catastrophe , retreated to pure irrationalism , as a precursor to explicit authoritarian violence and the toppling of such democracy as exists .
So the fight has at least been clarified .
If you want a quick takeaway from someone who has been in the thick of it in the last two decades , it is extraordinarily melancholy to see how far backward we have slid in that time , how exact a copy the 21st century has been of the 20th in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vast the resistance now is — not merely woke but awakened to the way of the world , and how loud untold million fists of flesh are , when they batter against the gold doors of the towers .

20 years ago, the world was watching with amazement as the Republican party chose, as its candidate to go up against heir presumptive Al Gore, the first candidate to fulfil the prophecy of H. L. Mencken: that one day “the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron”.
George W Bush, the fauxy Christian ex-alcoholic governor of Texas, set the tone of his candidacy when in an interview by the NBC affiliate in Boston, he was asked to name the leaders of Chechnya, Taiwan, Pakistan and India. He failed on Chechnya and India, got a pass mark on Taiwan but when it came to Pakistan he showed his true grit.
Bush said: “The new Pakistani general, he’s just been elected — not elected, this guy took over office. It appears this guy is going to bring stability to the country and I think that’s good news for the subcontinent.”


crikey--2020-02-24--Australia’s lobbyists are winning thanks to a ‘piss-poor’ regulatory framework

It 's impossible to hold lobbyists to account when they 're operating within such a shoddy framework If the Pharmacy Guild of Australia ’ s lobbyists hadn ’ t kept their Instagram accounts public , Inq would never had stumbled on a vast visual diary of their incredible access to politicians .
In Australia , there ’ s an awful lot we don ’ t know about the work of political lobbyists , whose everyday work remains relatively hidden .
And thanks to a patchwork , wafer-thin regulatory system , we have little ability to ever hold them to scrutiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most lax lobbying regime out of most developed democracies .
It ’ s piss poor , ” George Rennie , a lecturer in political science at the University of Melbourne told Crikey .
At a federal level , lobbying is regulated by a combination of the lobbying code of conduct and the ministerial statement .
The code is toothless , and doesn ’ t prescribe any penalties for a breach .
That isn ’ t much of a problem — no lobbyist has been sanctioned in over five years .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handled .
Its enforcement has been shunted across government , from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to the Attorney-General ’ s Department .
Rennie says often people within those departments have little understanding of who is in charge of dealing with the code .
The ministerial standards , meanwhile , have been shown up recently by the lobbying careers of former Coalition ministers Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop .
Then-secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Martin Parkinson told a Senate inquiry neither appointment breached rules which restricts ex-ministers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they leave parliament .
In that case , the personal assurances of Pyne and Bishop were enough to land them in the clear .
We also lack robust information about the relationship between lobbyists and sitting ministers .
The lobbyist register gives some indication of who ’ s doing what .
But ministerial diaries aren ’ t available at a federal level , and only in some states .
And so , we ’ re left to turn to social media .
The regime is so inadequate that even the Australian Professional Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lobbyists , has called for better sanctions .
When is a lobbyist not a lobbyist ?
The interesting thing is that the Pharmacy Guild could never actually breach the code .
Nor could its members appear on the government ’ s register of lobbyists .
That ’ s because , according to the code ’ s narrow definition , they aren ’ t lobbyists .
Under the code , a lobbyist is defined narrowly , to only include third party lobbyists .
That means groups like the Pharmacy Guild are excluded .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Business Council of Australia , Minerals Council , corporations , unions , religious bodies and the like .
The narrowness of the code can produce results that are sometimes absurd .
“ When Gina Rinehart meets with a minister , which she can do whenever she likes , she ’ s not a lobbyist .
It ’ s a joke , ” Rennie says .
In another infamous case , Nationals president Larry Anthony was able to remove himself from the lobbyist register , despite heading a lobbying company .
His excuse was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ therefore not engaging in lobbying activities .
At a Senate inquiry 10 years ago , academic John Warhurst noted that the code was “ timid and narrow ” , with “ very serious ” exclusions of powerful groups .
We ’ ve made little progress since then .
Rennie argues this is deliberate — politicians have designed a system that looks like they care , but is too messy and inadequate to achieve anything .
Even America is better than us But most startlingly , Australia is being left behind on issues of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia has unenforceable codes , the United States has tough , legislated laws , enforced by special prosecutors , and penalties that include jail time .
Laws with teeth have had a real impact .
The Mueller report would ’ ve been impossible without various lobbying laws , like the Foreign Agents Registration Act .
In 2007 , corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff went to jail for fraud .
In Canada , as in the US , laws are not narrowly limited to third party lobbyists , but also include those acting in-house , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pharmacy Guild would be subject to greater scrutiny .
But in Australia , we ’ re no clearer about the depths of the Canberra swamp .
And we have little way of holding lobbyists to account when their work crosses the line .

If the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s lobbyists hadn’t kept their Instagram accounts public, Inq would never had stumbled on a vast visual diary of their incredible access to politicians. In Australia, there’s an awful lot we don’t know about the work of political lobbyists, whose everyday work remains relatively hidden.
And thanks to a patchwork, wafer-thin regulatory system, we have little ability to ever hold them to scrutiny or account.
A poor regulatory framework
“We have the most lax lobbying regime out of most developed democracies. It’s piss poor,” George Rennie, a lecturer in political science at the University of Melbourne told Crikey.


crikey--2020-02-24--Tougher penalties are needed to punish wage thieves

Employers need to be help accountable for underpaying their staff .
In The Daily Fix , Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems .
This week : wage theft .
It ’ s no coincidence that the emergence of the wage theft crisis has coincided with conservative governments blocking unions from conducting spot checks and inspecting pay records in workplaces , while at the same time attacking the rights of working people to have fast and effective recourse when employers break the law .
In order to address this crisis we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employers who steal wages , change the system so that working people can quickly and cheaply claim back any money which has been stolen and are secure to raise concerns about potential wage theft without fearing for their jobs .
We also need to allow unions to conduct spot checks where they can inspect pay records and hold employers directly accountable for paying their staff correctly .
The discussion paper circulated by the Morrison government does not commit to any of these important reforms .
Sally McManus is the secretary of the Australian @ @ @ @ @

In The Daily Fix, Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems. This week: wage theft.
It’s no coincidence that the emergence of the wage theft crisis has coincided with conservative governments blocking unions from conducting spot checks and inspecting pay records in workplaces, while at the same time attacking the rights of working people to have fast and effective recourse when employers break the law.
In order to address this crisis we need to put in place tougher penalties for employers who steal wages, change the system so that working people can quickly and cheaply claim back any money which has been stolen and are secure to raise concerns about potential wage theft without fearing for their jobs.


crikey--2020-02-28--Virus Watch: market crashes and papal sniffles

As the world battens down the hatches for a COVID-19 pandemic , here 's what you need to know about recent developments .
The spread of COVID-19 continues to see event cancellations and spooked investors .
Scientists are still grappling with tracking the virus and determining what its long-term impact could be , while the US continues to look very unprepared for what could soon be a global pandemic .
The economy ( and everything else ) is cancelled For the sixth straight day , global stock markets fell .
Analysts are warning we could be heading for economic turmoil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On top of that , big events are either being cancelled or are in trouble .
UK rapper Stormzy is postponing the Asian leg of his tour .
Big tech companies like Facebook and Microsoft have been forced to cancel or withdraw from major conferences .
Sport has also been hit hard .
Four Italian Serie A football matches were cancelled last weekend , and five of the next round of games will be played in front of empty stadiums .
Ireland ’ s Six Nations Rugby match against Italy , slated for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A-League club Perth Glory wants to suspend its Asian Champions League clash with South Korean side Ulsan Hyundai .
Even the Tokyo Olympics , still months away , could be in trouble .
IOC official Dick Pound said a decision would be made in late May .
Elsewhere , Saudi Arabia has announced it would suspend foreign pilgrims from entering the country , which is home to the two holiest sites in Islam — Mecca and Medina .
Will everyone get it ?
“ Everyone Will Get Coronavirus ” , thundered the front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim was based on statements from University of Queensland scientist Ian Mackay , who said COVID-19 would likely just become an endemic virus , or “ one that ’ s with us for life ” , much like a regular cold .
That said , the current outbreak is still causing a few difficulties for scientists trying to track and control its spread .
Most people who have been infected so far have only reported mild symptoms , much like a standard cold , and tend to recover .
But the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and contain the spread of COVID-19 .
To complicate matters further , a woman in Japan became the first person outside of China to be reinfected with the virus , weeks after initially recovering .
Another question puzzling experts is the extent of asymptomatic transmission — spread of the virus between people who don ’ t appear infected .
Since people who don ’ t display symptoms are less likely to be tested , higher rates of asymptomatic transmission could mean the virus is spreading undetected , posing even greater problems for containment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feverish tabloid speculation that COVID-19 might have struck its most famous victim yet .
Yesterday , Pope Francis cancelled a series of events in Rome because of a “ slight indisposition ” .
A day earlier , he ’ d been coughing and blowing his nose during an Ash Wednesday event .
The Vatican refused to comment on whether the pontiff has been tested .
Italy currently has 528 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 17 deaths , the most outside of Asia .
Once upon a time , countries might have looked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this magnitude .
No more .
Yesterday , President Donald Trump gave a rambling press conference where he appeared to downplay the risks of the virus .
That attitude seems to have seriously undermined the country ’ s response .
The New York Times reported that federal health employees interacted with quarantined people without adequate medical training or equipment .
This week , the US also recorded its first community-transmitted case of COVID-19 — a patient in California tested positive despite no contact with hot zones or other people with the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s most cultish supporters , the virus is a conspiracy by the Deep State to undermine the president .
Yesterday , Trump agreed that the virus is being weaponised against him by political foes .
Everything is extremely normal .

The spread of COVID-19 continues to see event cancellations and spooked investors.
Scientists are still grappling with tracking the virus and determining what its long-term impact could be, while the US continues to look very unprepared for what could soon be a global pandemic.
The economy (and everything else) is cancelled
For the sixth straight day, global stock markets fell. Analysts are warning we could be heading for economic turmoil to rival the global financial crisis. On top of that, big events are either being cancelled or are in trouble.


crikey--2020-02-28--Who is profiting — and who is making a loss — from the coronavirus?

The coronavirus is sinking the global economy , but there are a few unlikely groups benefitting .
The coronavirus is predicted to have a devastating impact on the world economy — though not all sectors are operating at a loss .
Let ’ s take a look at some of the winners and losers of the outbreak .
Moderna , a biotech company which recently received a grant to develop a coronavirus vaccine , has seen a 30 % leap in share values .
Pharmaceutical stocks have also seen a spike as investors flock to benefit from the health crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumption of wild animals after scientists discovered that some of the earliest infections were found in people who had exposure to wildlife markets ( though the link has yet to be definitively proven ) .
China recently lifted a ban on US poultry products , while cracking down on illegal meat imports .
The latter move has had repercussions for India , which is one of the biggest exporters of buffalo meat .
Australian universities face a $ 1.2 billion hit in fees from international students affected by the travel ban , exposing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationals make up 10 % of all students at Australian universities .
The coronavirus may be the “ black swan ” for online learning .
Monash University ’ s Carlo Perrotta has suggested the virus will be the tipping point to push educational technology into the mainstream .
Universities have already embraced the online learning trend , offering students stranded in China streamed lectures and courses available on online learning platforms .
China is Australia ’ s most lucrative live lobster market but now , thanks to a ban on all wild animal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuck at home .
The loss of the $ 660 million Chinese lobster markets may have an impact for years to come , as uncaught lobsters wander away to other areas of the ocean .
As word of the virus spread , concerned citizens flocked to pharmacies to buy face masks for protection from the airborne contagion .
Popular companies have seen hundreds of millions added in market value , while manufacturer Livingstone International Healthcare has been referred to the ACCC after marking up face masks in Australia by 1500 % .
Airlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internationally as the coronavirus takes its toll , with countries closest to China affected the most .
The virus hit during Lunar New Year , one of the busiest times for the travel sector .
Italy has cut short its annual Carnevale celebration , while spooked travellers are staying away from neighbouring countries .
The domestic travel industry , however , may see an uptick in tourists as Australians cancel their plans to go abroad and travel locally instead .
Cruise liners may also see an increase for Australian tours — though given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sure how soon people will be rushing to the ships .
Scott Morrison has listed the coronavirus as another reason the government won ’ t deliver its surplus while Donald Trump has , in usual Trump-style , taken to Twitter to slam the Democrats for criticising him for closing the borders .
“ CDC and my administration are doing a GREAT job of handling coronavirus , including the very early closing of our borders to certain areas of the world .
It was opposed by the Dems , ‘ too soon ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correct decision … If the virus disappeared tomorrow , they would say we did a really poor , and even incompetent , job , ” he wrote .
Chinese travel agents have started marketing 14-day travel tours to get around the quarantine ban by travelling to third-party destinations .
It ’ s being promoted as a way to make it into Australia in time for the university semester , with stop-offs in Thailand and Malaysia ( though given the virus recently reached Malaysia , this may no longer be an option ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with prints including “ I survived coronavirus 2020 ” and “ I am not a virus ” , showing nothing can get in the way of capitalism .

The coronavirus is predicted to have a devastating impact on the world economy — though not all sectors are operating at a loss.
Let’s take a look at some of the winners and losers of the outbreak.
✔ Drug developers
Moderna, a biotech company which recently received a grant to develop a coronavirus vaccine, has seen a 30% leap in share values. Pharmaceutical stocks have also seen a spike as investors flock to benefit from the health crisis.


crikey--2020-02-27--Hiding behind contagion: the companies blaming the virus for bad business

The virus is definitely having an effect on business , but it 's also something that can be conveniently pointed to in a press release .
As Scott Morrison warns Australians to prepare for a coronavirus “ pandemic ” , there are some companies already seeing the silver lining .
Coronavirus has turned into a game of smoke and mirrors with organisations using the virus to explain away low profits — despite not yet being affected by the virus at all .
As Terry Rawnsley , Principal & Partner at SGS Economics and Planning told Crikey , “ it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a press release to say it ’ s not just us — it ’ s having a big impact ” .
Let ’ s take a look at the sectors blaming the pandemic for bad business .
Crown Casino has announced its 2020 half-year results , which have been labelled by CasinosAus as a “ disappointing big picture ” thanks to “ negative publicity and the virus ” .
Coronavirus is mentioned as being “ closely monitored ” in the report .
But the numbers are calculated through to December 31 — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organisation to several cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan .
As Rawnsley put it : “ Obviously the coronavirus will have an impact on Crown , but they ’ re reporting on stuff that shouldn ’ t be impacted … they ’ re setting the ground for even worse results.
” While it makes sense for companies to flag the impact the virus might have early on , Rawnsley believes some companies are “ using the coronavirus for less than stellar results ” .
“ The narrative for the results and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Crown did not respond to Crikey ’ s request for comment .
Retail has been bad since Christmas Factories that churn out some of our favourite products — including iPhones , wedding dresses , and even instruments parts — closed in China , hitting retailers .
But the virus extended a planned shutdown in several Chinese factories over the Lunar New Year and many of them — including Apple stores which closed at the start of the month — are already back in business .
Foot traffic sales may also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidence — but this isn ’ t something new , Rawnsley said .
The retail slowdown has already been prominent in Australia since before Christmas .
“ You don ’ t expect a collapse but a lot more softness in that series … A bigger drop will be the tourism , accommodation , recreation and entertainment sectors , ” he said .
The surplus was already bust Scott Morrison has stepped away from his surplus pledge , asking : “ hands up those who thought there was going to be a coronavirus epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” It ’ s a convenient excuse given that the probability of a surplus had already turned to ash thanks to both the bushfires and a slow economy , said Tim Harcourt , an economist at the UNSW Business School .
“ It ’ s likely investment was slowing in Australia and it was hard to meet the surplus in the budget , ” he said .
The surplus wasn ’ t huge at $ 5 billion , meaning there wasn ’ t much wiggle room — especially after the dollar dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial crisis last week , while unemployment climbed to 5.3 % last month .
Even without the coronavirus , we “ might not have made it ” , Harcourt said .
Not all tourism will suffer The hit to the tourism sector has been described by David Beirman , senior lecturer in Tourism and Management at University Technology of Sydney , as a “ quadruple whammy ” from the droughts , fires , floods and now , coronavirus .
But some have already managed to use the virus to spin their bad news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earnings for this financial year , preempting the effects of the coronavirus following a loss of growth .
A Corporate Travel Management spokesperson told Crikey the organisation has “ provided assumptions to the market of the potential impact Covid-19 may have on our second-half operating profits .
But , we don ’ t have a crystal ball.
” .
The spokesperson added they were aiming for a “ swift recovery at the other end of the virus impact cycle ” .
Meanwhile , Tigerair ( owned by Virgin Australia ) has used the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its planned fleet downgrade — a move Beirman said can only be beneficial .
“ For low-cost airlines , the downgrade is a good thing .
The more you have a single aircraft fleet , the cheaper it is to run it.
” Airlines , he said , save money maintenance , fuel and repairs by cannibalising parts from one aircraft to another .
Tigerair said in a statement the fleet withdrawal was part of its mitigation strategy to minimise impact to Virgin Australia Group ’ s financial position .
While Royal Caribbean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s full-year earnings will take a hit , Beirman doesn ’ t think this will apply to Australian cruise lines .
“ Seventy-five percent of Australian tours either cruise within national waters , around New Zealand or to the south-west pacific , ” he said .
“ Most cruise close to home.
” And , given that cruise passengers are the “ risk-averse travellers ” , there may even be an uptick in domestic cruises .
But others are not so easy to convince : as Richard Holden , another economist at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a cruise is the perfect petri dish for transmitting a virus ” .
Holden said that , while some outbound will get replaced by domestic travel , “ a holiday in South Australia is different to one in Milan ” .
“ In general , this is an easy thing for people to blame poor results on , ” Holden said .
“ [ But ] people aren ’ t necessarily going to take the time to go back and look at their account , ” meaning companies could get away with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ the coronavirus will get blamed for a lot of things moving forward so it ’ s important to understand where it will have an impact and where it ’ s being used as an excuse for poor performance elsewhere ” .

As Scott Morrison warns Australians to prepare for a coronavirus “pandemic”, there are some companies already seeing the silver lining.
Coronavirus has turned into a game of smoke and mirrors with organisations using the virus to explain away low profits — despite not yet being affected by the virus at all.
As Terry Rawnsley, Principal & Partner at SGS Economics and Planning told Crikey, “it’s something that can be pointed to in a press release to say it’s not just us — it’s having a big impact”.


crikey--2020-02-27--Mallee was given some pre-election sugar (and other news you may have missed)

Submarines are going up , and now even mining is embracing renewables ?
Here are the stories you may have missed .
As more and more suspect pre-election grants come to light , it ’ s interesting to see the butterfly effect at play .
The delicate wing-flap of a dating website can manifest itself as a $ 2.5 million regional airport upgrade a scant few months later .
The people of the Division of Mallee have done exceptionally well from the extracurricular activities of their former Nationals MP Andrew Broad .
You might recall that Broad declined to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Idea ran a story on an extramarital date he went on , arranged through a “ sugar baby ” site .
This is a site where young women are paid money in return for paying attention to the sorts of men who compare themselves to James Bond on the basis that they have two phones .
While Mallee was previously considered a safe seat for the Nationals , there were clearly concerns that it might need to be sandbagged in the wake of the scandal .
Mallee mopped up more than $ 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ departmental largesse — including $ 500,000 for an already-rejected project .
Four media grants from Mitch Fifield ’ s office went to regional papers in the seat .
( Crikey also successfully applied for grants through the program . )
And the Cohuna Airport won itself a $ 2.57 million infrastructure grant , in part to accommodate more cadet pilots to train there — cadets which , according to journalists Jommy Tee and Ronni Salt , don ’ t appear to exist .
Then there was a cool million in drought assistance given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the month before the election .
The same amount went to Gannawarra , Yarriambiack and Swan Hill councils , some of whom merrily told the Bendigo Advertiser that they had been surprised since they hadn ’ t actually applied for anything .
The lesson here is clear : any MP with their constituents ’ interests at heart should immediately join a dating site .
It ’ s the peccadillo-led recovery regional Australia needs !
Naval Group , the French company behind the SA submarine contract which would bring jobs to Port Adelaide and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has quietly admitted to the Senate that the amount of sub work actually happening in Australia will be less than expected .
It will be more like 60 % rather than the 90 % promised when the government committed $ 50 billion for them to construct our next generation spaceships of the ocean ( in the immortal words of then-senator John Madigan ) .
The company also confirmed that it ’ s signed three contracts so far with suppliers , all of which are overseas .
So that commitment to a local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with “ ambiguous ” .
On the plus side , it looks like the 12 submarines will also be far , far more expensive than originally budgeted , with the budget now blown out to $ 80 billion by the time we get them in 2054 .
So… um , yay ?
Much of the conservative hatred of renewable energy is supposedly because of its devastating effect on the mining industry , so it must be awfully embarrassing to learn that Oz Minerals ’ new billion-dollar nickel mine will be almost entirely powered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
See ?
We can all still be friends after all !
The reasons are economic — it turns out that renewables are loads cheaper than running a gas line out to the site .
Rio Tinto and Fortescue have announced similar , although smaller , projects with renewables .
Spare a thought for those poor climate denialists about to be forced to take issue with their beloved mining industry .

Honey (do-do do-do doo dooo), oh sugar sugar…
As more and more suspect pre-election grants come to light, it’s interesting to see the butterfly effect at play. The delicate wing-flap of a dating website can manifest itself as a $2.5 million regional airport upgrade a scant few months later.
The people of the Division of Mallee have done exceptionally well from the extracurricular activities of their former Nationals MP Andrew Broad.
You might recall that Broad declined to run again in the 2019 election after New Idea ran a story on an extramarital date he went on, arranged through a “sugar baby” site.