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Showing posts from March, 2018

Sydney's cheapskate stadiums plan - In California they are borrowing $4.9 million for one

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The cost of Stan Kroenke’s stadium in Inglewood is climbing, and his fellow NFL owners made an adjustment for that Tuesday at the league’s annual meetings. Owners approved raising the debt waiver to $4.963 billion for the first phase of the project, which includes the football stadium where the Rams and Chargers will play, the neighboring 6,000-seat performance venue, the 200,000 square feet of office space for NFL Media, the parking lots surrounding the stadium and the cost of the entire 300-acre parcel. The stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2020, was originally projected to cost $2.6 billion. Do Women Candidates Have An Advantage In 2018?  - NPR The answer appears to be yes, but as with all things related to identity and politics, it's complicated. Pollsters say women have distinct advantages this year— and many voters may not even realize how much gender affects their opinions of candidates. Defying criticism, Taiji pushes forward with bold plans based on continued d

The continuing nonsense of L A W tax changes

Of all the nonsensical aspects  of our current parliamentary system surely one of the greatest is the way governments pretend to legislate for things that will not come into effect for many years down the  track. The current example is the fiction of the Turnbull government's company tax cuts which assume that a future government will not do something different. It is just laughable as anyone who remembers Paul Keating's L A W income tax cuts will understand

Politicians should ban Bruce Bilson

Politicians of all parties should ban all contact with the disgraced former Liberal minister Bruce Bilson. The man who failed to disclose he was collecting a salary from a powerful business lobby group while still a member of parliament is now acting as a lobbyist for the Franchise Council of Australia. Decent politicians would refuse to deal with him.

Making school compulsory from the age of three

France to make school obligatory from the age of three  - The Local fr School is currently compulsory for French children from the age of six, although since 1989 parents have had the legal right to a place in an ecole maternelle (pre-school) from age three. A right most of them take up, in large part due to the fact he schools are free. But in future they won't have a choice with President Emmanuel Macron to announce that from September 2019, the start of the new school year, the age of compulsory school attendance will be set at three. "This decision reflects the president's desire to make school the place of real equality and is recognition that the ecole maternelle should no longer be considered as just a form of day care or preparation for elementary school, but as a real school, focused on the acquisition of language and the development of the child, " the Elysée Palace explained. Cloak and Data: The Real Story Behind Cambridge Analytica’s Rise and Fall

Real political reporting in The Australian - a must read for all political groupies

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Those followers of politics stupid enough to refuse to read a Murdoch paper are missing out on some of the best political reporting for years. And it is coming not from the ranks of those News team experts holed up in the Canberra press gallery but from a pair whose work appears on the finance pages of The Australian. Will Glasgow and Christine Lacy break political story after political story in their Margin Call column. Currently the pair are showing their so-called peers how reporting should be done with their coverage of the rather ugly rift in the Victorian Liberal Party over access to the many millions held in what is called the Cormack Foundation. It is a ripping yarn of a political serial with starring roles for the clubland of Melbourne and the grandees of the establishment versus younger upstarts. At stake are the resources necessary for the Liberal Party to fund effective state and federal election campaigns. The temptation for the Owl to knock-off the writings of Gla

If the Australian election gets down to this I know who will win

The choice is clear: Turnbull and his Liberals wants to give $65 billion in tax handouts to the big banks and multinationals while Labor's backing schools, hospitals and Australian jobs. pic.twitter.com/xK8YM6PEtW — Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) March 23, 2018

The liberal politics of Kim Kardashian and other news and views

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Democrats prefer Mitch McConnell’s politics to Kim Kardashian West’s. That’s ridiculous.  - Think Progress The maligning of the businesswoman and reality star politically is unfair and depressing. In between filming one of the most entertaining reality shows on television today and running a highly successful cosmetics and fragrances business, Kim Kardashian West has emerged as a staunch defender of progressive causes, and she proudly endorsed Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 general election . But a recent Morning Consult poll measuring the potency of political endorsements found that, among independents, the most damaging endorsement a politician can receive is that of Kardashian West. Among Democrats, Kardashian West’s endorsement is the eighth most damaging, right after Steve Bannon and right ahead of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Smoke rises from a black hole  - The Australian ... the rise of a dedicated, lucrative black market that anecdotally at least has dragge

Bob Brown and the Tarkine - What the Greens really should be worrying about

The breathtaking beauty of Julis River, captured by Francois Fourie, in all of it’s wild takayna / Tarkine glory. Help us bring the plight of takayna / Tarkine to the Earth’s attention by pledging to fund Australia’s largest environmental arts project: https://t.co/RJOp5OJoJZ pic.twitter.com/p8zHPeTan6 — Bob Brown (@BobBrownFndn) March 21, 2018

Explaining why it's really hard to impeach a US president and other news and views

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Can Donald Trump Be Impeached?  New York Times Book Review Andrew Sullivan, reviewing two recent books, explains why "It’s really hard to impeach a president." And so the impeachment power was both strong and weak. Strong as it hovered as the ultimate sanction for any president who might push his luck, but weak insofar as it was deliberately limited to the offense of subverting the Constitution itself or betraying the United States in foreign affairs: the famously grave and yet vague Anglo-American terminology of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which included “great and dangerous offenses.” These were essentially serious political crimes, which was why they had to be dealt with in the political arena rather than the courts. They amounted to one core idea: If the president was to start acting like a king, he could be dispatched. But if he was to start acting like an idiot, he could not be impeached. If he was psychologically disturbed but not mentally incapacitated, dit

The Greens need to get back to their trees

At the two recent state elections the Greens vote has fallen. In South Australia on Saturday their 6.6% share was two points down on their 2014 effort and 1.5 percentage points down on 2014. SA Green Vote Year Vote 2018 6.6% 2014 8.7% 2010 8.1% 2006 6.5% A fortnight ago in Tasmania the Greens had their lowest vote since 1998 Tas. Green Vote Year Vote 2018 10.3% 2014 13.8% 2010 21.6% 2006 16.6% 2002 18.1% 1998 10.2% 1996 11.1% 1992 13.2% 1988 17.1% 1986 5.6%

The strange political arithmetic of Andrew Bolt as minor party vote in SA increases 50%

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A strange kind of decline that Andrew Bolt claims to have seen. In South Australia: Election ALP Lib Others 2018 33.9% 37.4% 28.7% 2014 35.8% 44.8% 19.4% 2010 37.5% 41.7% 20.8% The minor party vote up from 19.4% of the total to 28.7%. In Batman the position not so clear given that the Liberals were too broke and/or scared to take part but the Green vote admittedly down a tad.

Venality, moral turpitude, political corruption and other news and views

Donald Trump’s Rivals Lash Out Over “Cowardly” Firing of Deputy FBI Chief - Mother Jones “When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known…” Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2018 When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America...America will triumph over you. https://t.co/uKppoDbduj — John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) March 17, 2018 [Former CIA Director (2013-17). ] Here Is Andrew McCabe’s Full Statement. Everyone Should Read It.  - Mother Jones This att

In South Australia it's toss a coin and take your pick but in Batman the Greens are a clear favourite

The probabilities about today's elections based on the betting market odds: SOUTH AUSTRALIA Party of next Premier Labor 52% Liberal 40% SA Best 8% 100% A hung parliament? Yes 68% No 32% Hartley Liberal (Tarzia) 74% SA Best (Xenophon) 17% Labor (Portelesi) 4% Others 5% FEDERAL Batman Greens 68% Labor 30% Any other 2%

Freedom of speech Indonesian style

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Indonesia makes criticising politicians a crime  - The Straits Times Indonesians could be jailed for criticising national politicians under a new law which came into force Thursday (March 15), in what critics slammed as a major step back for the world's third-biggest democracy. The vaguely worded Bill passed the 560-member House last month but has just become official, over the objections of President Joko Widodo who refused to sign off on the controversial legislation. Joko does not have veto power over the Bill, although it can be challenged at the Constitutional Court. The so-called MD3 law opens to the door to pressing charges against anyone who "disrespects Parliament or its members" but does not set out possible minimum or maximum jail terms. From this morning's Jakarta Post: Just one day after the controversial Legislative Institutions (MD3) Law took effect, opposition from the public has grown stronger, with judicial review requests filed to the C

Bankers afraid of negative consequences if they speak up and other news and views

A quarter of UK bankers say their job is bad for their health  - Financial Times Major survey suggests many are afraid of negative consequences if they speak up about concerns Banking Standards Board Annual Review 2017-2018  - UK ... a reluctance to speak out on issues certainly reflects, in part, fear of the consequences of doing so; but it also, and to a roughly equal extent, reflects the perception that nothing is likely to happen even if something is said. Fear and futility, in other words, are equally influential in constraining challenge. Firms need to think about not only how they encourage feedback, but also how they respond to it when it is received. . @billshortenmp : Don’t buy the hysterical scare campaign of the government. How is it fair that some people can get up to $2.5 million of taxpayer money for a so called tax refund when they haven’t paid any income tax. MORE: https://t.co/sPLvkIU8vr #SkyLiveNow pic.twitter.com/To0y44aPRA — Sky News Australia (@SkyNew

In Batman is Labor really edging closer?

The market still has the Greens favourite to win in Batman but Labor's price has shortened a little over the last few weeks. Here are the current percentage chances based on what the major bookies say: Batman Greens 62% Labor 36% Any other 2%

The perils of public media funding and other news and views

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The Perils of Public Media Funding  - Project Syndicate In many media markets around the world, publicly-financed news organizations are little more than government mouthpieces. If even a fraction of these outlets' budgetary windfalls were redirected toward independent news sites and broadcasters, journalism would thrive and the public would be better informed. Christopher Steele, the Man Behind the Trump Dossier  - The New Yorker Jane Mayer explains how the former spy Christopher Steele compiled his infamous “Russia dossier,” a secret report on Trump’s ties to Russia. China’s Economy Is Not Normal. It Doesn’t Have to Be.  - New York Times What some take to be the Chinese economy’s weaknesses have, in fact, been strengths. Unbalanced growth isn’t evidence of a looming risk so much as a sign of successful industrialization. Surging debt levels are a marker of financial deepening rather than profligate spending. Corruption has spurred, not stalled, growth. At least so far. T

The South Australian election: kicking Nick now that he appears down

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It's interesting being in South Australia in election week and getting a taste of the Nick Xenophon bashing that seems to be the major topic of political conversation. The fellow is certainly paying a price for those early opinion polls that showed his SA Best party as more popular than Liberal and Labor. He is under attack by all and sundry with the Greens sounding the bitchiest of all. No party has done SA Best any favours when it comes to preferences. This afternoon the Adelaide Advertiser has even produced a pol l showing that Xenophon will not even win the seat of Hartley that he quit the Senate to contest. Bookmakers quickly reacted to that news and their markets now put the chances of winning thus: Hartley Liberal (Tarzia) 48% SA Best (Xenophon) 43% Labor (Portelesi) 5% Others 4% At the broader level this is what the markets currently show: A hung parliament? Yes 69% No 31% Party of next Premier Labor 52% Liberal 40% SA Best 8% 100%

A new generation of women coming to political power and other news and views

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A New Generation of Women Is Coming to Power  - The Nation From New Zealand to Namibia, they’re building a more humane society. ... In recent years, notes Laura Liswood, secretary general of the Council of Women World Leaders, a new generation of female leaders has come to power. ... Liswood says the growing number of women serving as party leaders and government ministers is notable. “Younger women are more often the leaders of opposition parties,” she explains. “They are then positioned to become key coalition partners and prime ministers. We are increasing the pool of potential leaders.” Eight out of 10 in France say media ‘indispensable’ to democracy  - France 24 More than eight out of 10, or 84 percent, of French citizens feel that the media is “indispensable” to a working democracy, according to a survey conducted for France Médias Monde and other French news organisations released on Sunday. ... Some 1,800 people over the age of 18 took part in the February 12-15 survey,

California shows how to get young people on the electoral roll

California expands automatic voter registration to teens  - Think Progress California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed into law Wednesday legislation that will automatically pre-register all 16 and 17 year olds to vote when they receive a California driver’s license or state identification card. ... As it currently stands under California law, the state Department of Motor vehicles has an opt-in process for voter registration. But starting on January 1, 2019, all teens who pass through the department will automatically be added to the system and able to vote once they turn 18.  Italy faces political gridlock after 5-Star surges  - Reuters Italy faces a prolonged period of political instability after voters delivered a hung parliament on Sunday, spurning traditional parties and flocking to anti-establishment and far-right groups in record numbers. Switzerland votes overwhelmingly to keep its public broadcaster - The Guardian Just 408 days into his presidency, Trump spends his 100th

An amazing story of the Victorian Liberal Party and money

Pamela Williams in The Australian explains a very Melbourne dispute that influences who wins federal government. Liberals’ war chest divides the powerbrokers : The party’s biggest donor, the Liberal-aligned Cormack Foundation, is now in limbo, caught in a pending court battle that has shocked everyone and opened rifts behind the scenes among top Liberal officeholders. Cormack as a company was founded on the profits of the $15m sale of the Liberal-aligned 3XY radio station in 1986. Since the late 1980s Cormack directors have given the party $60m — entirely from dividends, while preserving untouched capital now worth ­almost $70m. In 2016, Cormack donated $1m to the federal Liberals for the ­election campaign, although Turnbull had met with members of the board and asked for $3m. Cormack directors apparently agreed to consider the request, but, unwilling to spend anything outside accrued dividends, sent the party only $1m. At the same time, a wrestling match over the $70m was already

Add the Northern Daily Leader to your must read news sites

Barnaby Joyce the local member is making The Northern Daily Leader a must read newspaper for all political tragics. It is leading the way again this morning with this yarn: Barnaby Joyce storms out of Tamworth press conference following personal questions New England MP Barnaby Joyce stormed-off from a press conference after facing one question on his personal life, saying it was no-one else’s business. #auspol https://t.co/t1LidthOES @The_NDL — Jacob McArthur (@jlmcarthur4) March 5, 2018

Sharri Markson is the press gallery star - see for yourself

Journalist Sharri Markson joined us live at desk to discuss the latest in the Barnaby Joyce saga. pic.twitter.com/5Nh4XXu6ur — The Project (@theprojecttv) March 4, 2018

Women who win are more likely to get divorced and other news and views

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The Hidden Taxes on Women  - New York Times Winning an election increases subsequent divorce rates for female candidates but not for men (This paper, like most of the social science literature, focuses on female-male partners.) These divorces are not the exclusive result of hard-fought campaigns. The study examined elections with very narrow margins of victories, in which winning was largely a matter of luck. These “lucky” winners also experienced higher divorce rates. Corporate success has similar consequences: Women who become chief executives divorce at higher rates than others. Another study found that the same is true in Hollywood : Winning the best actress Oscar portends a divorce, while winning the best actor award does not. Economists vs. Scientists on Long-Term Growth  - Project Syndicate Artificial intelligence researchers and conventional economists may have very different views about the impact of new technologies. But right now, and forgetting the possibility of an ex