As reports of widening FBI investigations and a grand jury surface......
Tuesday 15 August 2017
Trump fighting back against widening FBI investigation
As reports of widening FBI investigations and a grand jury surface......
Monday 14 August 2017
More bad news for NSW coastal forests
The Sydney Morning Herald, 7 August 2017:
A draft bill to revamp regulations for native forestry in NSW was slammed as "overly complex" and inequitable, and it failed to address "an inherent conflict of interest" in the oversight of state-owned Forestry Corp.
Documents obtained by Fairfax Media show the NSW Environment Protection Authority found the government's draft native forestry bill unfairly favoured Forestry Corp by remove licensing requirements for the corporation while maintaining them for landholders or industry seeking private native forestry.
It would also leave the corporation with powers unmatched for a state agency, including its protection from third-party challenges such as from environmental groups.
"The inherent conflict of interest for a corporation in having a concurrency role for negotiating, revoking or changing the terms of their licence ... and the removal of third party legal rights, exists nowhere else in NSW legislation or regulation," the EPA's leaked assessment made last December shows.
Fairfax Media understands the EPA also sought legal advice on how to restrict "very intense" harvesting that the Forestry Corp had conducted for years in areas such as the blackbutt-dominant forests of the NSW mid-north coast.
The Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (IFOAs) that permitted the logging were, however, found to be poorly worded, curbing the watchdog's ability to take legal action.
Even if it could act, though, the penalties available remain tiny. While other breaches, such as by coal mines, could attract fines of as much as $1 million, most forestry penalties were in the hundreds of dollars.
Many of the sanctions were decades old and although the cabinet had discussed a review of the penalties in 2014 – and agreed on million-dollar fines for forestry impacts on threatened species in late 2015 – it is yet to update them......
Digital Transformation Agency: of all the stupid ideas.....
Of all the stupid ideas this has to be one of the worst…….
The Courier Mail, 5 August 2017:
ONE super ID logon that will allow Australians to interact with Medicare, pay their car registration, help switch banks and buy groceries and clothes online is being developed by the Turnbull Government.
In a bid to stop identity fraud and increase competition, Digital Transformation Assistant Minister Angus Taylor revealed the blueprint centred on one user name and one password for government and private use.
Within five years, Australians may be able to order a pair of jeans online or update their address for Centrelink, their bank or energy providers by using the streamlining technology provided by the government.
The opt-in plan will give people the ability to have one logon and password, which will not be stored centrally to ensure security.
It will likely have a twostep verification process, including a text of a code being sent to a mobile phone.
He said the first step was a logon for all government agencies, which could happen reasonably quickly, and then expanding it to the private sector.
Mr Taylor said conversations were being held with states and territories and some significant private companies.
“It’s opt-in, that’s the crucial principle. Mistakes of the past were forcing people down a particular track,” he said, stressing that there would be no “number” given to Australians and it was not a version of dumped policy of an Australia Card.
He said the measure would also make it easier to change banks or open bank accounts because the Government logon would eventually be considered one of the best identification systems.
“If you update your address, you’ll only have to do it once (and it will go to all government agencies and online retailers).”
He called it the “tell us once” principle.
Yes indeed; one phishing email, re-direct hack, one malicious website or insecure mobile phone and in the space of five minutes your identity is not your own, money leaves your bank accounts or money is borrowed against your assets and your credit card notches up thousands of dollars in goods that someone else receives.
What a brill idea, Angus! Did Malcolm suggest it?
Sunday 13 August 2017
The United States of America under Trump - the ugly picture. Part Two
The Time
The 203rd to 206th day of the Trump Regime
The Place
Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
The Events
White supremacists rallies with unarmed counter protesters on the sidelines
The Images
Donald Trump does not dare name the white supremacists in #Charlottesville today. But they name him: "Heil Trump!" pic.twitter.com/sFzlvwtwBg— Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) August 12, 2017
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) August 12, 2017
Charlottesville, Virginia (CNN) One person was killed and 19 were hurt when a speeding car slammed into a throng of counterprotesters in Charlottesville, where a "Unite the Right" rally of white nationalist and other right-wing groups had been scheduled take place, the city tweeted on its verified account.
Note: All images found on Twitter
The United States of America under Trump - the ugly picture in two tweets
The 700th person was just killed by American police in 2017. This year is on pace to be the deadliest year ever measured for police violence— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) July 28, 2017
Here's the president of the United States encouraging police officers to be rough with people they arrest pic.twitter.com/iLzoUEY89e— David Mack (@davidmackau) July 28, 2017
NOTE
Depending on the source the number of people shot and killed by U.S. police range between 575 and 700 in 2017.
United Nations mixed response to Australia's human rights record
“Attacks against the Australian Human Rights Commission
60. The Special Rapporteur was informed about the attacks made by some politicians against the Australian Human Rights Commission and, in particular, its President, Gillian Triggs, which are particularly troubling given the prestige and respectability this Commission enjoys internationally. Following the Commission’s inquiry into the harm caused by the detention of migrant children, its President has faced public intimidation, questioning her integrity, impartiality and judgment. On several occasions in the recent past, efforts to weaken the financial resources and capacity of the Commission have resulted in budget cuts, which have been amplified by the additional functions assigned to it.
61.For the Special Rapporteur, this situation is even more unacceptable given the fact that Australia sponsored Human Rights Council resolution 27/18 on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, in which the Council states, in paragraph 9, that national human rights institutions and their respective members and staff should not face any form of reprisal or intimidation, including political pressure, physical intimidation, harassment or unjustifiable budgetary limitations, as a result of activities undertaken in accordance with their respective mandates, including when taking up individual cases or when reporting on serious or systematic violations in their countries.
62.The fact that the Commission handles more than 20,000 inquiries and 2,000 complaints each year, the vast majority of which are resolved to the satisfaction of all parties, confirms its exemplary work, particularly with respect to racism and racial discrimination. It should be held up by politicians, as well as journalists, as a good example of the functioning of democratic institutions in Australia.”
United Nations, Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xe... by clarencegirl on Scribd
Saturday 12 August 2017
Just because it is beautiful........(31)
The International Space Station moves across the face of the Earth's natural satellite, the Moon, photographed in broad daylight by Dani Caxete, BBC News, 2 August 2017
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