Recent entries
- Gillard spooked by spectre of Rudd
- Hinch: Now to Canberra
- Killer cab driver
- Photos: Missing kids in Laverton
- Physician, Heal Thyself
- Reports of Daylesford gunman
- Hinch: The leaks have wounded Gillard
- Xavier expels shoplifting students
- RSS Syndicate this blog (XML)
What we're talking about
- WENDY on Australians killing dugongs and turtles I want turtles and Dugongs protected. Not slaughtered by senseless ppl who need a "chicken" fix? more
- David jones on Australians killing dugongs and turtles sea turtle i see the sea turtle, as tears flow from his eyes, it sees the pain and suffering, as for freedom tries,its breed ... more
- David jones on Australians killing dugongs and turtles dugongs see the gentle dugong, as tears flow from his eyes, if you would know the reason, that the dugong cries, it would be ... more
- janet page on Killer cab driver So we can now Sue V.Cat if this bloke re-offends. more
- colin riddell on Australians killing dugongs and turtles The dugongs and sea turtles, also need your voteAs the illegal hunting.All of you should note.Check upon the website, and ... more
- colin riddell on Australians killing dugongs and turtles The whole reason I AM RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN is because 1. we are total hypocrites in relation to japan killing whales.And 2 ... more
- vili on Australia's first bloke HI DONT BELIVE ANY POLITICIAN , AND WHO CARES , WHOS GONNA WIN NOTHING GONNA CHANGE , ALL THE PROMISERS GONNA GO EVERYTHING ... more
- shane on Australia's first bloke I have no issue with Joolya being single or married or as the old saying is ''living in sin'' who cares. My concern is that ... more
- Wondering on Australia's first bloke Looking at Gillard's house, a double front brick veneer and the intrusion of cameras into her house it seemed a house that ... more
- Pat on Australia's first bloke So when the Labor Premiers and Labor Pardy heavyweights including the Canberra press gallery hang it on Tiger Woods about ... more
- Lenny on Australians killing dugongs and turtles Come on FEDERAL TAX OFFICE BOYS - this is totally illegal & would be undeclared income (CASH IN HAND). This is the black ... more
- Mark.creighton on Australia's first bloke I looked up the term "dog whistle" and yes it does suit the Liberal party. more
- paul on Australia's first bloke Was good interview until she showed her true colors with the "dog whistle" remark. Its the word of the month with labor . ... more
- Mike O on Australia's first bloke Tony Abbot has every right to emphasise family values and way of life. Gillard is becoming painful as each day goes by. ... more
- army mom on Wikileaks releases secret war documents If your leak of important documents , puts my son or any of our soldiers in danger in any way or shape. you had better ... more
- Choco sanderson on Australians killing dugongs and turtles justine you whining moaning woman get a life animals die for food every day ,just because you are not allowed to kill them ... more
- David on Wikileaks releases secret war documents Way to go WIKILEAKS, we should never have been there in the first place. To destroy BinLaden, to destroy the Talaban, to ... more
- Rock Gock on Wikileaks releases secret war documents Who gets credit from the White House for leaking this information ? The FBI & CIA need to know who to arrest for treason. As ... more
- Lenny on Wikileaks releases secret war documents Milton, the leaked 92,000 pages (originally reported as 200,000) provided by whistle blowing site Wikileaks & published by ... more
- neil on Julian Knight seeks secret prison files he has served his time under our laws, if you don't like it go back to where you came from, this is a democracy. more
New taxes as ministers continue to spend
This is one of those days when up on Spring Street the Government must be wishing things didn't happen at the same time.
It's July 1. Start of the new financial year. Various things kick in. Federally, we get some income tax cuts but at a state level it's time to pay and pay...
Victorians will pay more for a series of State Government services from today.
The start of a new financial year means automatic increases in vehicle registrations, fishing licences, animal registrations, speeding fines and court fees.
They will all rise by three per cent, despite the Government forecasting inflation to remain at 2 per cent over the coming year.
The Premier, John Brumby, has defended the increases.
"It remains to see what the inflation rate will be," he said.
He says the new financial year also marks a substantial increase in assistance for first home buyers.
"We have never provided such generous incentives for first home buyers" he said.
Eligible applicants can now receive about $36,000 in total government support.
The close of the financial year also signifies the end of some drought assistance measures, which the government will assess before next summer.
And at the same time, being July 1, the government has had to release figures about Ministers' spending. And boy have they been spending.
Forget all that stuff about belt-tightening and 'we're all in this together'.
Forget the Global Economic Crisis. There have been no cutbacks for several ministers.
Two state government ministers went through more than $90,000 in four weeks on separate overseas junkets this year.
Tourism and Water Minister Tim Holding spent $51,893 on a 15-day visit to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York in January.
At a time when government coffers are hard hit, Treasurer John Lenders spent $41,209 on a 14-day tour of the US, Britain, France and Germany.
Can this sort of expense be justified? Tell us below.
The purpose of his visit - detailed in quarterly ministerial travel expenses, released today was "selling, learning and relationship management".
Mr Lenders had meetings with financial institutions for briefings on international market trends and talked up Victoria's credentials with investors.
The January meetings, described as "increasingly important in the context of the current global financial crisis", cost taxpayers more than $24,000 in business-class air fares for the minister and a staffer.
The pair spent almost $10,000 on accommodation and about $7,000 on unspecified expenses.
Mr Holding spruiked Victorian tourism at events associated with G'Day USA Australia week and participated in a water and energy policy symposium at the invitation of the Australian consul-general.
He also endeavoured to learn about water projects in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
Taxpayers picked up the tab, which included more than $23,000 in air fares for the minister and an advisor, almost $12,000 in accommodation and more than $16,000 in other expenses.
Together Mr Holding and Mr Lenders, who were the only ministers with recorded travel trips in the first three months of the year, spent $93,101.
Now I am not one of those people who believes prime ministers and premiers and senior ministers should stay at home and never experience and learn from what's out there in the big world. But it has got to be genuine. Has to be worthwhile and can't just shriek 'junket'.
It's July 1. Start of the new financial year. Various things kick in. Federally, we get some income tax cuts but at a state level it's time to pay and pay...
Victorians will pay more for a series of State Government services from today.
The start of a new financial year means automatic increases in vehicle registrations, fishing licences, animal registrations, speeding fines and court fees.
They will all rise by three per cent, despite the Government forecasting inflation to remain at 2 per cent over the coming year.
The Premier, John Brumby, has defended the increases.
"It remains to see what the inflation rate will be," he said.
He says the new financial year also marks a substantial increase in assistance for first home buyers.
"We have never provided such generous incentives for first home buyers" he said.
Eligible applicants can now receive about $36,000 in total government support.
The close of the financial year also signifies the end of some drought assistance measures, which the government will assess before next summer.
And at the same time, being July 1, the government has had to release figures about Ministers' spending. And boy have they been spending.
Forget all that stuff about belt-tightening and 'we're all in this together'.
Forget the Global Economic Crisis. There have been no cutbacks for several ministers.
Two state government ministers went through more than $90,000 in four weeks on separate overseas junkets this year.
Tourism and Water Minister Tim Holding spent $51,893 on a 15-day visit to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York in January.
At a time when government coffers are hard hit, Treasurer John Lenders spent $41,209 on a 14-day tour of the US, Britain, France and Germany.
Can this sort of expense be justified? Tell us below.
The purpose of his visit - detailed in quarterly ministerial travel expenses, released today was "selling, learning and relationship management".
Mr Lenders had meetings with financial institutions for briefings on international market trends and talked up Victoria's credentials with investors.
The January meetings, described as "increasingly important in the context of the current global financial crisis", cost taxpayers more than $24,000 in business-class air fares for the minister and a staffer.
The pair spent almost $10,000 on accommodation and about $7,000 on unspecified expenses.
Mr Holding spruiked Victorian tourism at events associated with G'Day USA Australia week and participated in a water and energy policy symposium at the invitation of the Australian consul-general.
He also endeavoured to learn about water projects in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
Taxpayers picked up the tab, which included more than $23,000 in air fares for the minister and an advisor, almost $12,000 in accommodation and more than $16,000 in other expenses.
Together Mr Holding and Mr Lenders, who were the only ministers with recorded travel trips in the first three months of the year, spent $93,101.
Now I am not one of those people who believes prime ministers and premiers and senior ministers should stay at home and never experience and learn from what's out there in the big world. But it has got to be genuine. Has to be worthwhile and can't just shriek 'junket'.
