SMH Online, 12 May 2009

Joe Tripodi ... testing the market worldwide.

NSW government minister Joe Tripodi spent $290,000 of taxpayers' money travelling the world to drum up interest in the proposed sale of the government-owned electricity assets.

It ranks as one of the most expensive state ministerial trips ever taken.

Mr Tripodi, the Minister for Ports and Infrastructure, headed a group of six advisors who visited 11 countries in 27 days.

They had 30 meetings with potential bidders for the assets, according to details of the trip disclosed to Parliament today.

Travelling with him were his chief of staff, Jennifer Doherty, Treasury officials, and other advisors such as Frontier Economics, Carnegie Wylie and Credit Suisse.

The group visited Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, the UAE, France, the UK, the USA, Canada, Hong Kong and China.

"Several [investors] indicated their intention to participate in our reforms," Mr Tripodi said.

Of the total, $170,000 was spent on air fares, $48,000 on road and rail expenses, another $69,000 on accommodation and meals, and a further $3000 on miscellaneous expenses.

The new head of NSW Treasury, Michael Schur, pulled out of the trip part way, to return to Sydney to work on the State Budget, due mid-June, and was replaced by one of his deputies, Mr Kevin Cosgriff.

The government has not indicated the likely proceeds from the sale, which is expected to easily top $6 billion.

"This government has rocks in its head if it thinks selling assets at this time is worth doing," said Opposition Treasury spokesman Michael Baird of the proposed sale.

VICTORIA'S gambling watchdog is signalling the Federal Government's attempts to stimulate the economy are hurting some of the most vulnerable in society by fuelling spending on poker machines.

The warning comes as the Government puts the final touches on the federal budget and after recent cash hand-outs caused an almost $30 million increase in poker machine spending in a month.

The December Federal Government stimulus payments led to a surge in poker machine spending in Victoria, with $250 million being pumped through, up from $220 million a year earlier.

April figures to be released next month are expected to show a continued jump in taxpayer-funded spending on poker machines.

Research has shown a significant amount of money spent on poker machines comes from problem gamblers.

In an unusual move, the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation has warned that "extra government payments can lead to customers or club members spending extra money gambling. Gambling providers are encouraged in these times to watch for signs of problem gambling among patrons."

The commission has confirmed this warning was timed to coincide with the latest cash hand-outs.

Economists and community groups are calling for cash payments to be scrapped from the next stimulus package.

Victoria will receive about $3 billion of the Federal Government's latest $12 billion stimulus package, with the $900 cash payments sent out this month.

A recent survey by social researcher Ipsos Mackay found Australians were negative about stimulus measures, particularly the hand-outs, The Age revealed on Saturday.

The office of Treasurer Wayne Swan declined to comment on the cash payments and poker machine spending. Instead, a spokesman for the Federal Government said: "We're very confident that the vast majority of Australians are spending responsibly, and that spending is helping to support jobs."

Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Wayne Kayler-Thomson said new economic stimulus measures should not include "funding another cash hand-out through debt". "Any future stimulus must be based around measures aimed at encouraging businesses to hire labour, such as cutting taxes on jobs like payroll tax, and investing in shovel-ready infrastructure projects, as well as planning future projects," he said.

Lateral Economics chief executive Nicholas Gruen said he supported the first two stimulus packages, but the time for cash hand-outs had passed.

Victorian Council of Social Service chief Cath Smith said: "The question is could that money have been spent better to protect jobs and protect essential services for people?"

World Vision chief executive Tim Costello shared her concerns. "We know with every stimulus package what jumps is pokies spending, which creates virtually no jobs," he said.

"The worst social and economic outcomes are being encouraged and the social outcomes are communities fragmenting, families fragmenting, crime rising because of what happens when you play the pokies. It is not just you blow $950; you keep playing and lose horrendously," he said.

Tatts Group spokesman Michael Mangos said: "It's a nonsense to suggest that the entire extra money that came into the economy went into poker machines.

"Based on normal spending we got our share, we didn't get double our share, we didn't get treble our share; we didn't get all of it."

http://problemgambling.vic.gov.au

Mr Tripodi was accused of the breach after letters to political donors were leaked to the Opposition by Labor sources showing that Mr Tripodi used his letterhead as Fairfield MP to thank at least three donors for their payments in March 2004.

Other documents also showed he held campaign committee meetings in his electorate office on several dates in 1999 and 2004. At least one of these meetings involved Chris Bowen, who is now the federal Assistant Treasurer.

The Opposition referred the documents to the Speaker, Richard Torbay, who asked the clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Russell Grove, to investigate the matter. Late yesterday, Mr Torbay released a statement that said despite Mr Tripodi breaching the parliamentary guidelines for MPs' use of resources, there was no need for any further investigation.

"The use of a member's parliamentary letterhead and envelopes in relation to a local government election campaign are in contravention of the Parliamentary Remuneration Tribunal rules," the statement said.

"As electorate offices are public-funded resources, they are also not permitted to be used for campaigning or electioneering."

But the statement said that while Mr Tripodi had committed a clear breach, "on the information received, Mr Tripodi's activities in 2003-04 would not appear to be a substantial, fraudulent or systematic breach of the guidelines, to the extent that external investigation would appear warranted at this time."

The statement said that a formal response had been sought from Mr Tripodi, who has offered to repay any expenses.

"While the value of the resources utilised for campaigning was minimal, the issue at the basis of these rules is a prohibition on use of public funds available to incumbents," the statement said.

Mr Tripodi, who is in Tokyo on government business, released a statement saying he accepted the findings of the investigation.

"The Speaker has noted that there was no substantial, fraudulent or systematic breach of the parliamentary guidelines," Mr Tripodi said.

"I once again apologise for this oversight and I will pay back whatever is required."

The Opposition Leader, Barry O'Farrell, said the rules were clear and taxpayer-provided resources and facilities should not be used to help run Labor's local council campaigns.

"I am concerned this is just the tip of the iceberg," Mr O'Farrell said.

"After 14 years in office, Labor MPs like Joe Tripodi are incapable of separating their public duties from ALP activities."

THE Finance Minister, Joe Tripodi, has misused his parliamentary allowances, using his stationery and electorate office for Labor campaigns for Fairfield Council, documents obtained by the Opposition reveal.

Letters to political donors leaked to the Opposition by Labor sources show Mr Tripodi used his letterhead as Fairfield MP to thank at least three donors for their payments in March 2004.

He also held campaign committee meetings in his electorate office on several dates in 1999 and 2004 according to leaked minutes and invitations provided to the Herald.

At least one of these meetings involved Chris Bowen, now the federal Assistant Treasurer.

In the 2004 council elections, the present member for Lakemba, Nick Lalich, and the present member for Smithfield, Ninos Khoshaba, were council candidates.

When the Herald asked Mr Khoshaba about whether Mr Tripodi used his office for council campaigns, he said: "You'd have to ask Joe about that. I don't want to make any comment."

The rules of the Parliamentary Remuneration Tribunal state that the "electorate office provided for a member of the Legislative Assembly is not to be used as an election campaign office. Additional entitlements should not be used to fund … costs previously borne by political parties which are not principally related to a member's parliamentary or electorate duties".

Last night the office of the Opposition Leader, Barry O'Farrell, referred the matter to the Speaker, Richard Torbay. Penalties for such breaches can include expulsion from Parliament.

Mr Tripodi was forced to admit yesterday that he had wrongly used the letterhead, claiming it was an "oversight" on his part and that his records showed it occurred with only one letter. He denied his office was used as a campaign office but admitted campaign meetings were held there.

One letter to a Faiz Said, dated March 3, 2004 on Mr Tripodi's letterhead, says: "I would like to extend my appreciation for your political donation of $750.

"Your generous support to the Fairfield Municipal Committee is greatly appreciated."

Speaking from Tokyo, where he is on a 20-day trip in a bid to sell electricity retailers, Mr Tripodi said: "Some meetings were held in my office where election matters were discussed along with other local issues. But the council campaign was not run out of my electorate office.

"My records show one donor acknowledgement letter was sent on my MP letterhead. This was an error. My records show other acknowledgement letters were sent on ALP letterhead.

"Apart from the oversight with the letterhead, I have checked records and the logistic support allowance forms and they show that public funds were not used for the 2004 council election campaign."

When told the Herald had other letters on his letterhead, Mr Tripodi said: "I only have a record of one acknowledgement letter being sent on my MP's letterhead, but I accept there may have been more."

Asked where the Labor councillors' campaign office was, if not at his electorate office, the minister said: "There was no campaign office. The distribution of material was co-ordinated from a number of locations, including the homes of branch members."

Mr O'Farrell said: "This is a clear breach of the guidelines and the Speaker needs to act. There should be an investigation to establish how broad the issues were. The Speaker can require funds to be repaid … [and] can refer the matter to ICAC. "My big concern about this is it's just the tip of the iceberg."

THE door is being partially closed on immigration, in an aggressive bid to protect local jobs and wages in the face of the global recession.

The Rudd Government will slash skilled migration this year by 14 per cent, hacking back permanent visas issued from 133,500 to 115,000 - a fall of 18,500.

It will be the first time in more than a decade Australia's intake has been cut, and there is no record of a mid-year reduction of this magnitude.

The move is certain to please trade unions worried about the competition from overseas workers for a shrinking number of jobs.

The Government will protect trades workers by removing their classifications from the critical skills list which sets migration priorities.

That means no further visas this year for bricklayers, plumbers, welders, carpenters and metal fitters in the construction and manufacturing industries.

Those to be still allowed in will be professionals in IT, health, medicine and engineering where there is still strong employer demand.

Employers will not be pleased when the measures are announced today, and will warn that the decision could make it harder to get skilled workers when the economy improves.

And there are potentially thousands of families already in Australia who will be disappointed by the measure - because they will be heading home sooner than they hoped.

Around 50 per cent of permanent visas for skilled workers go to people who come here on a temporary visa, gain the sponsorship of a company, then "upgrade" to stay for good.

The cutback means far fewer will be upgrading.

The top 10 suppliers of skilled migration are Britain, India, China, South Africa, the Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the United States.

In 2007-08 about 28,000 workers came from the United Kingdon, 22,000 from India and 20,000 China. And at the other end of the scale, just under 3000 came from the US, just over 3000 from Indonesia and 4150 from Sri Lanka.

The "prudent" cuts were approved by Cabinet last week and reinforce the principle that immigration intakes can vary according to economic circumstances.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans believes the overwhelming message from industry during consultations is that Australia needs a skilled migration program but migrants need to meet shortages, not compete with locals for jobs.

SMH Online, 14 March 2009

Australian authors and publishers are set to receive a windfall from Google's project to put millions of books online.

In recent weeks several Australian publishing industry bodies, such as the Australian Society of Authors, the Copyright Agency Limited and the Australian Publishers' Association, have been contacting members to let them know about the settlement Google has reached with American authors and publishers.

Under the terms of this settlement, copyright holders are to be paid $US60 ($91.85) a book and $US15 an article or chapter copied from the more than 7 million items in the Google Library project.

The project, accessible online only in the US, will allow internet users to download and search any book scanned from the collections of 11 major American university libraries. When the book generates income, either from direct use or from advertising, Google will pay the copyright holder 63 per cent of that income on top of the initial opt-in fee.

Google had tried to ignore the copyright owners but American authors and publishers started a class action against it. The parties settled the matter last year. The chief executive of the copyright agency, Jim Alexander, hailed the agreement as "a substantial victory for copyright owners".

Authors and publishers have been notified that they may either opt in or out of the deal by May 5. If they opt out, Google may not use their book in any way. If they opt in, the copyright holders are entitled to a share in revenues and fees.

"What this does is put the copyright owner back in control," Mr Alexander said. He said it was impossible to estimate how many Australian authors and publishers among the agency's 13,000 members would benefit. Google has assigned $US125 million to compensate copyright holders and set up a book rights registry that will independently oversee how payments are allocated.

A Google spokesman, Rob Shilkin, said Google Australia had been waiting for the US deal to be bedded down, but once it was, the company would approach potential Australian partners with a view to undertaking a similar project.

Malcolm Knox is a director of the Copyright Agency Limited.

THE Premier Nathan Rees's mega-ministry is costing $26 million a year, with the wages bill for political advisers and spin doctors increasing by $1 million a year under his stewardship.

Despite his pledge to cut the number of advisers working in ministerial offices, Mr Rees presides over a gargantuan government where staff numbers have blown out to 239.

But the Premier has defended the size of the staff, with a spokesman saying everyone was working long hours to deliver a bumper $56 billion infrastructure package.

"All staff salaries are being met from existing ministerial budgets," the spokesman said.

"The Government has a task ahead of it bigger than the Olympics. Over the next four years the Government will deliver an infrastructure program which is the biggest in the country, a program which will support about 150,000 jobs and will deliver better services.

"Ministers are driving this program, along with their staff, and they are working around the clock."

Last June, under former premier Morris Iemma, the wages bill for the 230 staff working for 21 ministers was just under $25 million.

Pay rises and the extra staff employed to work for new ministers John Robertson and Steve Whan have caused the wages bill to rise by about $1 million a year.

Nationals leader Andrew Stoner said Mr Rees had made much of his promise to turn over a new leaf, telling last October's budget estimates hearing: "I have made it very clear that I have a very different style from that of the two premiers who preceded me.

"I have a strong view that the people of NSW are fed up with what you or they believe is spin."

Mr Stoner said Mr Rees's promises were hollow.

"At a time when Nathan Rees hasn't implemented a stimulus package to save NSW jobs, there are more jobs than ever going for spin doctors and political hacks in his Government," Mr Stoner said.

"This Premier is the bloke who said people were 'fed up to the back teeth with spin' and vowed to act differently to his predecessors.

"The only way he has acted differently to Bob Carr and Morris Iemma is by increasing the number of spin doctors working for State Labor.

"While unemployment is going up, jobs going for spin doctors and advisers in the Rees Government have gone up 10 per cent.

"You have to wonder what these spin doctors are doing. Despite the explosion in ministerial staff, Nathan Rees still hasn't implemented a stimulus package to protect jobs in NSW following his mini-budget that slowed the economy.

"It's not acceptable that the only jobs safe in NSW are the jobs of working for state Labor ministers, who have trashed the economy and have directly threatened employment."

lcarty@sunherald.com.au

Cast of the The Combination at the world premiere in Parramatta. (AAP: Tracey Nearmy)

An Australian film about Lebanese gangs has been pulled from Greater Union cinemas in Sydney after violent outbursts at early screenings.

The Combination is the first Australian film release of the year and has been receiving rave reviews for its gritty portrayal of life in Sydney's west.

The distributor for the film says they were informed of the decision by Greater Union last night.

Allanah Zitserman from Australian Film Syndicate says Greater Union has decided to stop screening the film after several brawls occurred at western Sydney cinemas after the movie was shown.

"I understand there has been some isolated incidents at the Parramatta Greater Union by a very small minority group that has forced Greater Union to make the unprecedented decision in the third day of its release to pull the film," he said.

Ms Zitserman says the film's cast and crew are devastated by the decision but can understand why it has happened.

Sacked ... Father Peter Kennedy. Photo: Paul Harris

Rebel priest Father Peter Kennedy defied the Catholic Church by conducting Mass today, after being sacked by Brisbane Archbishop John Bathersby last week.

More than a thousand people attended the service at St Mary's church in South Brisbane in support of Fr Kennedy, who was sacked for refusing to stop unorthodox practices such as blessing gay couples and selling books that questioned the divinity of Jesus.

The parish's newly appointed priest, Fr Ken Howell, stayed away after being advised by police not to attend following revelations on Saturday that Archbishop Bathersby had been the target of a bomb threat.

"It's sad the archbishop is not here because if he was he could not turn away from this community," Fr Kennedy told the parish on Sunday morning.

Refusing to stand down, Fr Kennedy reassured members he would be at the next Sunday mass.

He then led them into two hymns, aimed at the church, including: "Will you love me, as I have loved you".

Fr Kennedy rejected the idea of a parish member resorting to bomb threats, saying no one wanted a confrontation but rather understanding.

Parish member Tadgh Carter agreed.

"I don't think it would be coming from this community. It's not the way we do things," Mr Carter said.

"It could be anyone who has a grudge against the Catholic church."

Mother of three, Nena Morgante, has been going to St Mary's for 25 years.

"I think the church should not be afraid to let people worship and be part of the Catholic community how they feel and want to be (part of it)," Ms Morgante said.

"This church is unorthodox and then there are traditional ones. Both have a place."

At the end of the service, the congregation chanted "we shall not be moved".

A protest march is expected to take place at 3pm (AEST).

AAP