Migrants set to do dirty work we shun

THEY clean toilets, drive taxis and wait on tables - jobs "beneath" so many Australians the Government is considering importing thousands of migrant workers to fill some critically short-staffed industries.

A growing underclass is developing in Australia, once revered for its work ethic, where entire occupations are being left almost entirely to foreigners.

Experts say high-paying mining jobs are luring young Australian workers from traditional fields such as retail and hospitality, while others would rather go on the dole than muck in and do certain jobs themselves.

"I hate to say it, but there does seem to be a sense of entitlement now among younger Australians," Tourism Accommodation Australia boss Rodger Powell said.

"They believe jobs in the service industry are too menial or too low paid and they have been brought up to believe they are destined for something better instead of starting from the bottom and working their way up as generations did before them."

The hospitality and tourism industry is so short-staffed the Government is in discussions to import 36,000 cooks, waiters and bartenders to fill vacancies.

Another 56,000 will be needed by 2015, according to Federal Immigration Minister Chris Bowen.

Under the plan, tourism and hospitality employers would be able to bring in workers on a two or three-year visa, similar to the 457 visa program widely used in the mining sector.

"Of course employers would need to show they are doing their best to employ and train domestic workers and paying market rates," Mr Bowen said.

While hospitality is struggling to fill vacancies, some sectors are being shunned.

"It's very rare to have an Australian work as a commercial cleaner," Australian Cleaning Contractors' Alliance director John Laws said.

A spokeswoman for the cleaning union United Voice said competition for contracts was so fierce some companies bid at a loss and used illegal practices such as cash-in-hand payments.

A black market of illegal workers is said to extend across other businesses, such as restaurants and general labouring.

heraldsun.com.au 28 Jan 2012

Another propaganda story that hides the hidden agenda.

Migrants are not only bought in to do the 'rubbish' jobs but are a highly sought out resource in many other fields / professions.

The government is bringing in cheap slave labour by the plane ( and NOT boat) load to lower the cost of Australian labour.

The banking, Information Technology, sales, food services, sales and many other industries are all being occupied by illegal migrant labour in which the government is deliberately turing a blind eye to.

Interviews with migrant students have confirmed the 'backdoor' the government is knowlingly offering to support the slave labour market, which in turn supports the economy.

More News Judge delays ruling on child killer Ramazan Acar

A JUDGE has reserved his decision on child killer Ramazan Acar's attempt to appeal the length of his life sentence with a 33-year minimum term.

Acar, 24, was handed the sentence in July last year after pleading guilty to murdering his two-year-old daughter Yazmina.

He has appealed on grounds including the sentence was manifestly excessive.

Acar was dubbed "the Facebook killer" because he posted chilling messages on the social network site about his plans to kill his daughter.

One of his messages read: "bout to kill ma kid".

After abducting Yazmina, he stabbed the little girl and dumped her body.

When sentencing Acar, Justice Elizabeth Curtain told him: "You killed your daughter to get back at her mother".

Acar appeared in the Court of Appeal via video link from Port Phillip Prison today.

His barrister, Gavan Meredith, told Justice Mark Weinberg that the sentence was manifestly excessive for several reasons, including Acar’s remorse, his early guilty plea, his young age and the fact he co-operated with police.

Mr Meredith said the sentencing judge had not taken into account evidence from a psychologist about Acar’s emotional state and underlying personality disorder.

Prosecutor Brett Sonnet said Acar’s crime clearly fell into the worst category of murder and the sentence was open to the judge.

Mr Sonnet submitted that Acar knew his intended actions were demonstrably and terribly wrong.

Justice Weinberg has reserved his decision until next week.

heraldsun.com.au 27 Jan 2012

Another example of criminal migrant trash being imported into Australia, who commit crimes on Australian soil, one of murder being the pinnacle of atrocities.

There is also another matter of child 'custody' where the dispute escalated to a stated where the father was no longer able to make rational decisions.

The legal system sees males as agressors, and it is the actions of Acar that support these views.

Some 'backwards' (including the United States), countries see fit to take a life for a life, ie. the death penalty is called upon.

A 33 year minimum means he can be out a lot earlier, as many cases of murder have had the criminal released much ealier than the minimum system.

Criminals are led out into the community by the corrupt legal system, in order to re-offend.

Since Australia has done away with the death penalty, and there is NO turning back, life imprisonment without parole should be the only alternative.

The heraldsun has not opened comments for this article.

More News Test fails to raise skills

THE gap between our best and worst students is widening and our top academic performers are slipping by world standards, the Government has conceded.

The official Naplan 2011 report concludes there has only been a "small number of improvements" in literacy and numeracy since national testing was introduced four years ago.

While almost 94 per cent of students are hitting minimum benchmarks for the fundamentals of learning, Federal Education Minister Peter Garrett admitted some of the results were concerning.

"Our best-performing students are not doing as well as they were 10 years ago, while the gap between the top and bottom students has increased," said Mr Garrett, who released the report yesterday. "This is not acceptable in a country as wealthy and well-resourced as Australia.

"Our neighbours in the Asian region have raced ahead of us. We need to provide the highest quality education to all our children. This includes understanding why our results are not as good as they could be."

The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy 2011 report had mixed results for Victoria, showing its rural pupils were bucking the national trend of dominance by city students, performing "exceptionally well".

In every other state, rural students trailed their city counterparts in reading, writing and numeracy.

However, Victoria still has one of the worst Naplan participation rates, despite efforts to force students to sit the tests. The report, which covers tests sat annually by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, also showed parents' jobs and education level were key indicators of performance at school.

More than 98 per cent of grade three students with "professional" parents hit minimum standards in reading, for example, compared to less than 88 per cent of those whose mums or dads were unemployed. Naplan testing has been dogged by controversy since it was introduced in 2008.

Some schools are accused of encouraging less-talented students to stay at home on test days to boost results.

The next round of tests will be on May 15-17.

Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne said: "Despite the billions spent by the Gillard Government, there has not been any tangible improvements in the only area that really matters - educating young people".

heraldsun.com.au 24 Jan 2012

The 'deliberate' politics is to dumb down the children of the canon fodder.

Various methods are discreetly used to achieve this.

Education is kept from the masses, and substituted for the focus on sport and blue collar jobs.

Even of there are students that show high academic potential, the government's schooling system assures they are opressed.

Peasants pay for the Royals presents

THE Prime Minister's office has rejected suggestions by Buckingham Palace that the Royals footed the bill for gifts given during the Queen's tour Down Under.

The Queen and other members of the royal family have charged Aussie taxpayers thousands of dollars for gifts they gave to dignitaries.

The Queen and Prince Philip handed out dozens of framed photographs of themselves and other mementos as thanks to their hosts during their tour last October.

But the gifts were actually paid for by the Australian Government.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson today attempted to deny the Herald Sun's report that Australian taxpayers were paying for gifts handed out by the Royals.

"The Royal Household pays for gifts given by The Queen - not Australian taxpayers," the spokesperson said.

But a short time later, the PM's office has again confirmed the report.

“Consistent with longstanding practice the Australian Government will meet the costs of gifts presented by The Queen during her visit to Australia," a spokesman said.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and about 40 other Australian officials received the gifts, which cost almost $15,000 - the spokesman reaffirmed.

Should we be forced to pay for royal gifts? Tell us below

In a little-known regal protocol known as passing costs "to the realms", the practice of Commonwealth citizens paying for royal gifts has been going on for decades.

Prince Charles, during his tour of Australia several years ago, hit taxpayers for the cost of photographs, trinkets and even copies of a gardening book he co-wrote when he handed them to officials.

Charles gave away 16 framed pictures of himself, a pen knife, three wallets, a fountain pen and a planter box shaped like a sheep.

On top of the gifts, Australian taxpayers foot the bill for royal travel - estimated at about $1 million for the Queen's 2011 visit and $350,000 for Charles' 2005 tour and another $600,000 for his 1994 trip.

Those costs include flights, accommodation and phone calls as well as expenses such as meals and mini-bar bills.

"On their own they are reasonably small costs in relation to overall government expenditure," Australian Republican Movement chairman Michael Keating said.

"But if people are unhappy about these quite bizarre costs, if we want to stop kowtowing and giving these funnily funded gifts, we want to get to the real issue which is becoming a republic."

But Australians for Constitutional Monarchy chairman Prof David Flint said the Queen should not be expected to personally pay for the gifts.

He said an Australian president in any future republic would not be expected to pay.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister's office said the Queen and Prince Philip presented Ms Gillard with framed photographs and a silver box during last year's visit.

heraldsun.com.au 24 Jan 2012

An item taken in exchange for money is NOT a gift but rather a purchase.

The Australian government purchased portrails of the Queen, which can be a tax deduction for the government.

See comments for this article

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/australians-fork-out-for-royal-gifts/comments-fn7x8me2-1226251718385

Comments on this story

Keith of Werribee Posted at 1:07 PM January 24, 2012

The PMs office has rejected Buckingham Palace suggestions. Do the Australian people believe anything the PM says any more. I think I would believe anyone other than the PMs office from now on, there seems to be a lack of credibility in that office now.

Hollywood Trash Snooki coming to Australia

Hollywood's trash is coming to Australia in the form of the reality show's Jersey Shore 'star' Snooki (Nicole Polizzi) to corrupt the minds of the impressionable teens of the canon fodder.

The shows producers portray the sanctity of sexual intercourse between two people as an act not worthy of blinking, which is against Christian beliefs, therefore offensive to Christians.

Promiscuity, group sex, are all part of the agenda to diminsh the morals of society, in which the corporate media plays a large part of influencing the minds of the impressionable teen market the show is designed for.

It is such an accolade to have a foul mouth trailer park trash whore come to the Gold Coast to promote another Hollywood trash production.

More News 50 drink-drivers lose licence each day during police blitz

DRINK-DRIVERS have been banished from Victorian roads at a rate of almost 50 a day during a major police blitz.

Acting Chief Commissioner Kieran Walshe said he was disappointed 2610 people lost their licences for exceeding their alcohol limit during operation Summer Stay.

“The behaviour of each one of these drivers could have resulted in a tragedy,” Mr Walshe said.

More than 1.1 million people were breath-tested during Summer Stay, which ran for 52 days until midnight Sunday.

The highest number of drink-drivers was caught on the Mornington Peninsula, where 88 people lost their licences.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said there had for a long time been a “cultural” problem with drink-driving in the area.

The next worst places were Yarra Ranges with 85, Dandenong with 62 and Stonnington with 61.

Mr Walshe said the drink-drive test rate of one positive per 432 motorists was poor but an improvement on the one in 332 from last year.

“This shows that even more motorists are becoming well and truly aware of the dangers of drink driving and are making the right choice by not risking their lives and the lives of others,” he said.

Summer Stay also detected 397 drug-drivers, 4510 disqualified and unlicensed drivers, 3584 seatbelt breaches, 23050 speeding offences and 5734 breaches of mobile phone laws.

Police said 433 cars were impounded.

Transport Accident Commission chief executive officer Janet Dore said the rate of speeding detected during Summer Stay was a “disgrace”.

“These people should really count themselves lucky that they have only been handed a fine and haven’t killed someone,” Ms Dore said.

Ninety Victorians died in road accidents linked to speeding last year.

“To learn that more than 23,000 drivers have put their lives and their passengers’ lives at risk by driving too fast was incredibly disappointing, and something that our community should be ashamed of,” Ms Dore said.

Mr Walshe said he found the seat-belt figure astounding.

“There is nothing more frustrating for police than attending a fatal collision where we know that a person would have sustained only minor injuries should they have been wearing their seatbelt,” he said.

heraldsun.com.au 9 Jan 2012

The government on many occassions has provided fraudulent information to put forward a political agenda, the most publicised one, being that of crime figures for Melbourne, Victoria.

If the figures are to be believed what the Victorian Police claim them to be, they are quite shocking.

Unfortunately thers is a percentage of society known as trailer park trash, that will continue to put others lives at risk by drink driving.

Australia's youth culture is that of binge drinking, also amongst others disrespect for road laws and other motorists.

These people should not be in posession of a drivers license for any period of time, let alone the suspension of one.

In order to implement safe roads, the government allocate more resorces, which will not bring in the desire revenue that for example speeding fines do.

Guns, crime a dangerous mix

GUNS outnumber people in 24 Victorian towns a special investigation has revealed, and the anti-gun lobby is horrified.

The East Gippsland hamlet of Swifts Creek has the highest ratio: 774 registered firearms shared by just 278 residents, the Herald Sun reports.

Annual figures show an increase of 62 per cent in robberies involving firearms in Victoria.

Detective Supt Brett Guerin, head of Victoria Police's serious crime division, said those involved in recent lawless behaviour in Melbourne's northwest suburbs had been "shooting up the streets as if it's the wild west". He reinforced the police strategy of "unremitting harassment" to deter the use of firearms.

The 3551 postcode, taking in towns on the outskirts of Bendigo, had the highest number of registered guns - 7179. French Island in Western Port Bay and Harrow, in the Wimmera, rounded out the top three gun hot spots.

Victoria has 642,176, or nearly 23 per cent, of the 2.8 million firearms registered in Australia.

Police are worried after more than 39,000 extra firearms were registered in Victoria in 18 months to June last year, despite an increase of only 5000 in the number of licensed shooters.

They said their biggest concern was the number of pistols in the community and people's willingness to use them to commit crimes.

Senior police said they would blitz gun dealers and licensed shooters to try to stop legal firearms getting on the black market.

It comes as figures show registered guns now outnumber people in 24 Victorian towns.

The highest proportion is in the East Gippsland hamlet of Swifts Creek where 278 residents own 774 firearms.

Other hot spots are French Island in Western Port Bay and Harrow, in the Wimmera.

Police figures also show:

UP to 200 (75 per cent) of all pistols seized from criminals in the past three years had never been registered or could not be identified.

FORTY-ONE of the 273 firearms seized were stolen.

MORE than half the firearms used in "high end" armed robberies last year were pistols.

FIFTEEN per cent of firearms seized from criminals were stolen weapons.

The annual figures showed an increase of 62 per cent in robberies involving guns and a 15 per cent increase in assaults with a firearm.

Detective Supt Brett Guerin, head of the force's serious crime division, reinforced the police strategy of "unremitting harassment" to deter the use of guns, particularly pistols.

Supt Guerin described those involved in recent lawless behaviour in Melbourne's northwest suburbs as "peasants ... acting in a way they would in the foothills of their home country, shooting up the streets as if it's the wild west".

"Instead of farming they rob people, or stand over them or sell dope - and they use firearms to enforce it," he said.

"We can't just wait for these matters to be fully investigated and brought before the courts one or two years down the track. We've got to start making life difficult for these peanuts."

The head of the force's licensing and registration division, Supt Russell Barrett, said shootings in Melbourne had emphasised the issue of illicit gun use.

"I don't think the issues we're seeing are with the licensed shooters. The problem is not with the lawful weapons in the hands of lawful shooters," he said.

"Our focus for the next 12-18 months will be to ensure that not only the right people get licences and access to guns, but to ensure that legal guns don't become illegal."

Supt Barrett said police would be strong on regulating the practices of dealers and ensuring owners were storing firearms safely.

He said he hoped a big drop in the number of firearms stolen - 142 in 2010-11 compared with 316 the previous year - was a reflection of more secure storage.

Only 18 of the 302 guns reported stolen in Victoria in 2008-09 were recovered, the most recent Australia Institute of Criminology firearm theft statistics show.

Pistols registered rose from just over 11,200 in June 2010 to 11,600 a year later.

weeklytimesnow.com.au 9 Jan 2012

An anti gun lobby will be horrified at any other figure than zero guns for the masses.

After the Port Arthur massacre, the government's knee jerk reaction was to implement a gun amnesty, in which honest citizens had to hand in their firearms.

Many people handed in relics, museum pieces and collectables which were then allegedly crushed, whilst criminals still held onto their firearms.

The gun amnesty has done nothing to stop the criminal element from still using illegal and unregistered firearms.

On of the guns used by the Port Arthur gunman Martin Bryant, was obtain from a lock up at Victoria Police from across the waters of Bass Strait.

Another propaganda article misrepresenting the real issue.

ADF hit by new sex abuse claims

Sex and drug claims rock ADF

A freedom of information application has revealed incidents of sexual assault, harrassment, drug abuse and child pornography in the Australian Defence Force.

THE Australian Defence Force has been rocked by an avalanche of fresh allegations of sex crimes and misconduct within its ranks.

About 350 pages of previously classified ADF documents have detailed allegations of rape, child pornography, filming of sexual encounters and inappropriate relationships.

The documents - released to the Seven television network under freedom of information laws - suggest years of adverse publicity about sexual misconduct in the ADF may have failed to have led to the cultural change that many had hoped for.

One of the documents reveals that in April - days after details emerged of the Skype broadcast of a sexual incident involving a female cadet at the Australian Defence Force Academy - a female soldier in Brisbane reported seeing a camera put underneath the screen of her shower cubicle.

A Defence briefing note says the case ''is considered highly sensitive given ongoing media attention to the case of female ADFA cadet. The media are unaware of this incident''.

The latest allegations come nearly two years after the start of an inquiry into into sexual abuse aboard HMAS Success.

As recently as September, an air force member was arrested and charged with seven counts of indecent assault of a minor. The case is still before the courts.

The Defence documents also reveal allegations concerning a soldier who had a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old living in Holsworthy army barracks in Sydney for two weeks.

Defence confirmed in a statement that two of its members had been disciplined over the case.

Also in September, an army member allegedly sexually assaulted a female member of his unit at Holsworthy. The matter was referred to police.

The documents reveal that a year earlier, a female student at the Defence Force School of Signals reported she had been sexually assaulted at a Melbourne hotel by a fellow student. The matter was referred to police.

In one incident on HMAS Success - allegedly four days after the first report into the sexual abuse on board the same

ship in 2009 - a crew member reported an alleged indecent assault. The incident allegedly took place last February, while the ship was in Singapore.

A sailor will face a court martial hearing over the incident, in which he or she allegedly tried to enter the room of a fellow sailor and kiss them and then allegedly grabbed the other crew member inappropriately after being pushed away.

The alleged incidents are detailed in documents labelled ''Hot Issue Briefs'' from the three arms of the forces for the past two years.

They outline incidents and responses and highlight the ''high'' media sensitivity of issues - particularly in relation to ongoing inquiries and adverse publicity about previous incidents.

The documents also detail allegations on other ships, but also in the army and air force. Some involve civilian victims.

Publicity about behaviour on HMAS Success appeared to bring forward some complaints about behaviour that had happened previously.

In one case, a senior navy officer was alleged to have had inappropriate relationships with junior sailors and allegedly had videos of sexual acts. This case is still subject to an investigation by the Defence Force Investigative Service.

In another case, there were allegations of bullying, indecent assault and a ''beer bounty'' for having sex with a victim on HMAS Toowoomba.

In some cases, complainants reactivated complaints they had dropped earlier. However, the briefs also noted that some who complained of inappropriate sexual behaviour did not want police to be notified.

A final report into HMAS Success, several reports into the culture of the Defence Force, and a separate review of more than 1000 allegations of sexual abuse are still to be completed.

In a statement last night, the Australian Defence Force said it had ''no tolerance for misconduct'' and that criminal matters were promptly reported to police.

theage.com.au 12 Jan 2012

Sexual abuse that has been going on within the ADF for decades has been swept under the carpet, by corrupt government officials often threatening the victims with ridicule, expulsion and loss of career.

Only recently by the actions of a cadet by posting his sexual exploits on the internet, that these matters have come to the attention of the masses and the corporate media.

Bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment and drugs are common within the ADF, but are genrally played down by authorities, for the sole purpose of creating the illusion that there is nothing seriuosly wrong within the higher ranks, and that all procedures are followed according to the law, which in reality they are not.

The government again is embarking on a coverup simultaneously treating the victims as criminals, and not for what they are, the real victims.

Even if any information is obtained under the Freedom of Information acts, there is no guarantee that it is given in full and not edited.

Another farce in the face of the general populous.

Criminals on the run after escaping detention centre

THE Melbourne immigration detention centre, which holds killers, drug dealers and failed asylum seekers, has had 25 escapees in three years.

Seventeen fugitives, including drug dealers, are still on the run.

Most were on overstayed or cancelled visas, and are awaiting deportation.

The revolving door at Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre has forced three internal security reviews that recommended significant changes.

Now, red-faced services provider Serco is scrambling to extend electric fences and add what immigration department officials describe as "additional anti-climb measures".

One source said changes to "soften" the centre's image after 2005, which eventually led to an electric fence replacing razor wire, meant easier escape routes.

The source said the centre was not a prison but Serco had not given staff what was needed to manage trouble-makers or felons.

"Some of these people are hard-edged. We are not talking about boat people, we are talking about people who have been in jail," the source said.

Last week the Herald Sun revealed two Vietnamese nationals who had served sentences for drug-related offences had fled the centre through the electric fence.

An Immigration Department spokesman said security improvements were under way.

After escapes between November 2010 and last January, Serco had conducted its own security review, he said.

It was followed by an outside company's assessment, and a third review by another outside company.

The spokesman said a decision was made in November to upgrade the fence, including installing another layer with a special material that makes it difficult to climb, which should be in place next month.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said escapes were investigated by the Immigration Department but local police assisted.

Details are also logged on police databases, so if fugitives are picked up for other crimes or inquiries they can be identified by police.

"There is an offence for detainees escaping under the Immigration Act and members of Victoria Police have power of arrest under this act," she said.

heraldsun.com.au 20 Jan 2012

The government is importing criminals into Australia at an astonishing rate.

The crime figures have been fraudulently represented by Victoria's previous police commissioner Simon Overland, as a result his position was vacated.

In a cost cutting measure, the government is deliberately putting the community at risk with the escape of these criminals.

Many 'trailer park trash' migrants have established criminal networks of which the government is fully aware of, and monitors, but does nothing.

Corrupt officials are on the payroll of many well established drug syndicates.

The ATO (Australian Tax Office) is fully aware of the illegal possesion of fund obtained from criminal activites, BUT instead plans to legalise the crimes by TAXING them.

Yes Australia, we are a racist lot

AUSTRALIANS are too paranoid to admit that racism is a problem in this country, a Young Australian of the Year finalist says.

Samah Hadid, 23, a human rights activist, said Australia would not overcome the issue until it accepted there was a problem.

"I'm bewildered by the reaction when anybody suggests that there is racism in this country," she said.

"It hits a nerve and it triggers a paranoia where people say that there is no existence of racism.

"It's quite annoying, particularly being from a minority group that experiences racism."

Ms Hadid's comments come after the Herald Sun reported yesterday that respected neurosurgeon Dr Charles Teo said racism was "very much alive in Australia".

The story prompted hundreds of comments on the Herald Sun website, in a spirited debate about multiculturalism in Australia.

A Herald Sun poll last night found 83 per cent of readers agreed with Dr Teo's comments. By 5.30pm yesterday 8452 readers had voted.

Is Australia a racist nation? Tell us what you think below

The strong support for Dr Teo's comments comes as the Scanlon Foundation's Mapping Social Cohesion 2011 report says racial discrimination in Australia has grown by more than 50 per cent in the past four years.

The survey of 2000 people across the country found that 14 per cent of people last year had been victims of racial discrimination, compared with 9 per cent in 2007.

Hass Dellal, director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, said that some people judged others on unfair stereotypes.

He said migrants and people from settled communities should interact with each other more through volunteering.

Premier Ted Baillieu said Victoria had a proud record of promoting its multicultural community, but said there were some problems.

"I don't deny, and I don't think anyone would deny, that there are in any community people with racist attitudes," he said.

Senator Kate Lundy, Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, said the Federal Government had set up an anti-racism partnership with the Human Rights Commission.

heraldsun 20 Jan 2012

Many nationalities have racist qualities about them. It is NOT limited to white Australians.

Other countries from Asia Africa or Europe subscribe to racism, but this is misrepresented by Australia's corporate media.

The migrants that enter Australia are also racist.

With whichever wave of ethnic migration that enters into Australia there is enormous racist prejudice against white Austraians. This fact is aswell deliberately overlooked by the corporate media.

In Australian governance or even many government departments, there is also racism from the Anglo-masonic establishment against the 'wogs' (a derogatorry term currently used to describe Europeans), even though they profess otherwise.

More News Employees working longer to keep jobs

AUSTRALIANS are being asked to work longer hours as bosses delay hiring new staff in the biggest jobs slowdown in two decades.

Almost 30,000 workers were turfed out of their jobs in the lead-up to Christmas, with many who kept their jobs asked to shoulder an ever-increasing burden, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals.

"While there are less jobs around we are also working harder, with the number of hours worked rising by 0.3 per cent in December," Commsec chief economist Craig James said.

"Employers asked staff to work longer hours rather than taking on new workers."

Mr James tipped unemployment could rise to 5.7 per cent this year.

"After holding out for the past six months, Aussie businesses have finally decided to bite the bullet and start culling staff - albeit modestly."

The data came as acting Treasurer Bill Shorten tipped more jobs could be lost if conditions in Europe worsen.

"There is a tough year ahead of us in Australia (with) big challenges in the global economy, which will inevitably impact on our economy," he said.

The fall in employment in December surprised many economists who were forecasting an increase of 10,000 jobs.

Part-time workers were hit hard in the lead-up to Christmas, with 53,700 stripped of employment.

The figures showed full-time employment was up 24,500 last month. The unemployment figure actually remained stable on 5.2 per cent nationally as fewer people looked for work.

Mr James said the dour figures would force the Reserve Bank's hand for a February rate cut from the current 4.25 per cent.

Five thousand jobs were lost in the Victorian economy, although the official rate dropped from 5.5 to 5.2 per cent as fewer people looked for work.

heraldsun 20 Jan 2012

Another blatant exploytation by empoyers both local and multinational.

The end game is to opress the masses and enslave them into their jobs, just like in Japan.

What the mass media are not focusing on is the OH&S issue assocated with the longer working hours.

Many employers are breaking the OH&S laws, but workers are too frightened to come forward as their job will be at risk after an official complaint.

Julia Gillard the great deceiver

From the article:

Wilkie dumps ALP over broken pokies

Anti-pokies MP Andrew Wilkie has torn up his agreement to support the Gillard minority government after the prime minister broke her promise on gambling reforms.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a watered down pokies reform plan in Melbourne on Saturday.

The decision prompted Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to label Ms Gillard the "great deceiver" for betraying Mr Wilkie and therefore becoming prime minister under false pretences.

"Nothing this prime minister says can be taken seriously ever again," he said.

"All of the promises she makes at the next election will have to be discounted, in the same way all her previous commitments have been dishonoured."

The prime minister's plan will witness a trial of the controversial mandatory pre-commitment technology to start January 1, 2013, possibly in the ACT, and if successful, then expanded.

The technology requires gamblers to preset a limit on what they are prepared to lose on high betting machines.

A decision on its roll out will be deferred until 2016.

The backdown could dent Ms Gillard's credibility but she has denied the move represented another broken promise.

"The circumstances of this parliament are clear ... there is not the support in the House of Representatives for the Andrew Wilkie plan," she said.

A devastated Mr Wilkie told reporters in Hobart he could no longer guarantee supply and confidence for the government.

He will support only motions of no-confidence in the event of serious misconduct and not support politically opportunistic motions and will consider budget measures on their merits.

"I regard the prime minister to be in breach of the written agreement she signed, leaving me no option but to honour my word and end my current relationship with her government," Mr Wilkie said.

He said the backdown was a missed opportunity but indicated he would vote for Ms Gillard's compromise.

"We should be able to trust our politicians to keep their word," he said.

"Frankly a deal is a deal."

The reforms have been the target of heavy attacks by registered clubs, which argue they will cut revenue and be a costly regulatory burden.

Key independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott had indicated publicly they would not support mandatory pre-commitment reforms.

NSW Labor backbenchers in marginal seats were coming under significant political pressure from a cashed-up opposition movement to the reforms.

Speculation was mounting last week the Wilkie promise would be dumped, in light of the government gaining an extra number on the floor of the lower house following the election of former Liberal MP Peter Slipper as Speaker.

His predecessor Harry Jenkins went to the Labor backbench.

The minority government's buffer is now just a single vote.

Mr Wilkie had wanted legislation passed by May and his 2014 deadline upheld.

Fellow anti-gambling campaigner Senator Nick Xenophon said he doubted the Gillard government had ever had its heart in the proposed gambling reforms.

"This is a breach of faith," Senator Xenophon said.

Families Minister Jenny Macklin said she had made a "substantiative offer" to Clubs ACT and had also approached the ACT government about trialling the pre-commitment technology.

She said electronic warnings will be fitted to machines and the government will also move to introduce a $250 daily withdrawal limit from ATMs in gaming venues, excluding casinos.

The Australian Greens have flagged introducing a private members bill for an alternative plan of $1 bet limits.

Greens senator Richard Di Natale told reporters in Melbourne the backdown was a sad day for families shattered by problem gambling.

"It's a spineless announcement and represents a cave in to vested interests," he said.

"It could set back the cause of pokie machine reform for decades to come."

He said the $1 bet limit policy had wider support in parliament and opposition leader Tony Abbott had not ruled out supporting the idea.

A Clubs Australia spokesman told AAP the organisation would not be "dumping" their campaign against the reforms until they examined the details of the legislation.

Anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello said the full roll-out of the pokies reforms hung on a "wing and a prayer".

"We are trusting a future parliament where there won't be a Wilkie with the balance of power," he told ABC TV.

"It's something that disturbs me."

21 Jan 2012

In politics, false information, fraud are common with NO REPERCUSSIONS against the criminal activity.

Another timeless example of how fradulent politicians are.

Julia Gillard should be ousted from her Prime Ministerial position.