Drivers Test Positive for Drugs They’ve Never Used

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Imagine this: You are stopped by police for a random roadside drug test. You lick the strip and are told to wait a few minutes for the results. Moments later, the officer returns and says you have tested positive for drugs.

The only problem is you’ve never taken illegal drugs in your life!

It might sound implausible – but as one Sydney man recently discovered, it can and does occur.

The Plight of an Innocent Man

Steve Hunt was driving home from work when pulled over for a roadside drug test.

As someone who does not take drugs, Steve happily submitted to the test.

But the law abiding citizen got a rude shock when the officer told him there was ‘a problem.’

The officer informed Steve that he had tested positive for methylamphetamine, then placed him under arrest and took him to a nearby drug van. Despite a secondary test returning a negative result, police decided to send Steve’s sample to NSW Health for further testing, where a positive result was returned two weeks later.

Adamant that there had been a mistake, Steve asked his lawyers to have the sample retested. Two further tests were conducted at the same NSW Health lab, each returning a negative result!

Despite this, police refused to drop the case and sent it to court. At court, the police prosecutor offered ‘no evidence’ – knowing that Steve would certainly win the case.

Accordingly, the case was dismissed in court.

It was fortunate that Steve decided to fight the case – as he faced a maximum penalty of $1,100 and six months off the road, as well as a criminal conviction for drug driving if he had simply pleaded guilty as many people do.

But his ordeal still cost him $5,000 in legal fees – money which he was forced to draw out of his mortgage to prove his innocence. Perhaps his lawyers should have applied for his legal costs to be paid by police, but for some unknown reason it does not appear that an application for costs was made.

Other Cases

Since Mr Hunt’s case made the headlines, a number of other drivers have come forward saying that they had also tested positive for drugs which they had never taken.

Some had similar experiences to Mr Hunt – where the initial test came back positive, and subsequent tests produced negative results.

In fact, the very first person in the world to return a positive reading for a drug test was nearly convicted of drug driving on the basis of a false reading.

39-year-old John De Jong returned a positive result for methylamphetamine when he submitted to a lick test in Yarraville, near Melbourne, way back in 2004.

Mr De Jong denied ever using the substance and was taken to a drug van for a subsequent test, which indicated a positive result for cannabis.

According to Mr De Jong, he had last used cannabis a month before – meaning that it should not have been detected in a roadside lick test, which can generally only detect cannabis that has been consumed 4-6 hours earlier.

Shocked by the reading, Mr De Jong consulted an independent pathologist, who released a report showing that there could not have been cannabis in his system at the time of driving. As a result, police did not proceed with the charges.

As it was the first time roadside lick tests had been used anywhere in the world, police had arranged for the media to be present at the scene. Mr De Jong therefore found his picture splashed across the news to his embarrassment, and the media presence backfired for police.

Mr De Jong later sued police for defamation, and the matter was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. Police were also forced to issue a ‘statement of regret’ to Mr De Jong for the error.

Mr De Jong’s case may have been the first – but it’s certainly not the last case of a driver being charged with drug driving on the basis of a false positive.

In fact, a 2006 study found that ‘no device was found to be reliable enough for roadside screening of drivers,’ and that ‘lick’ test devices ‘fail[ed] to meet the 95 per cent accuracy level originally demanded.’

Subsequent investigations have revealed that up to one-third of all drivers who initially test positive during roadside lick tests return negative readings when re-tested in drug vans.

In 2010, Victoria Police admitted that 62 out of 1618 people who tested positive for drug driving had been incorrectly charged. And in NSW, 72 out of 174 drivers tested in a Northern Rivers operation returned ‘false positives.’

Despite these serious issues, NSW Police have vowed to expand their drug testing operations, with plans to conduct 100,000 lick tests each year by 2017.

sydneydruglawyers.com.au 22 Nov 2015

Another dodgy 'Australian Government' policy using dodgy technology.

In Australia, you're branded a 'criminal', first and foremost, then you have to PROVE your innocence.

Nothing to do with caring for the people, but rather enslaving the masses.

Journalist Sharri Markson detained on Israeli visit

Sharri Markson, a senior writer at The Australian, was travelling with other Australian journalists on a week-long study tour in northern Israel.

A prominent Australian journalist was detained by Israeli security officials in tense scenes last week for breaching protocol during a visit to a hospital treating victims of the Syrian civil war.

Sharri Markson, a senior writer at The Australian, was detained for questioning by security officials at the Ziv Medical Centre in northern Israel on Thursday.

Markson was travelling with other Australian journalists on a week-long study tour organised by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.

Sources said Markson became "aggravated" during the "tense" incident in which security officials demanded she hand over her passport, mobile phone and notes.

"It was very intense and dramatic," a source said. "There was a major commotion and suddenly there was security everywhere."

Over 500 Syrians – including wounded fighters battling the Assad regime – have been treated at the Ziv Medical Centre in Safed, near the Syrian border.

In a briefing before the tour began, hospital staff told the journalists that the patients could be at risk upon their return to Syria if it became known they had sought treatment in Israel. The hospital uses elaborate methods to secretly transfer the patients in and out of Syria.

The eight journalists were instructed not to record the names of the patients or to take photos that could identify them.

Fairfax Media understands that during the visit, Markson broke away from the other journalists to speak to the patients without supervision and exchanged contact details with them.

This led to her being detained by security forces. Fairfax Media understands the incident was resolved following intervention by NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff​.

Mr Alhadeff, who has returned to Australia, said: "Our paramount concern was for the safety and security of the Syrian patients.

"In that regard, we are very mindful of not disclosing their identity.

"There was an unfortunate misunderstanding but the situation was quickly resolved."

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council  executive director Colin Rubenstein​, who was not on the trip, confirmed a "kerfuffle" had occurred at the hospital.

He said the council  representative on the trip told him Markson "took down the email address of a Syrian patient, security officials got wind of it and asked her about it on the way out".

"Most times it's very clear to all the participants what the guidelines are. It's never been an issue before.

"The condition of visiting the hospital is to respect and maintain the confidentiality of the patients' identities.

"If anyone's identity was disclosed it would put them at great risk – it's a brutal part of the world."

Other reporters on the trip included Daily Telegraph deputy editor Ben English, Fairfax Media federal politics editor Bevan Shields and Channel Seven reporter Alex Hart.

Markson, who was until recently The Australian's media editor, declined to comment.

She later tweeted: "The Syrian fighters took my details to keep in touch with a journalist when they return to Syria, where they're at war with Assad and Daesh.

"The Syrian fighters gave me theirs too. Israeli security were a bit heavy-handed, demanding I delete the details from my phone and notebook."

This is not the first time Markson, the daughter of celebrity agent Max Markson, has been involved in a controversial hospital visit. In 2005 she reportedly secured an interview with a victim of the London bombings by entering the hospital ward looking upset and carrying a bunch of flowers. The incident was later covered by the ABC's Media Watch program.

Markson also reportedly rifled through the bins of rival publication Cosmo when she was editing Cleo magazine.

smh.com.au 23 Nov 2015

So,  Israel allows reporters to see people war torn victims, under controlled and scripted conditions, but when someone (a truth seeker?) goes further, then apparently it's a 'security' breach.

Bollocks?

Does Israel does not want people to know the truth?

Should take ALL the refugees from Syria?

 

Does it not make 'financial' sense to send them 'next door' and not ship thousands of kilometers to Australia?

Is Israel NOT a 'Human Rights' supporter?

Wage fraud: Pizza Hut franchisees using 'sham' contracts to underpay drivers

Evidence shows Pizza Hut's franchisees are paying delivery drivers as little as $12 an hour without super or WorkCover. Photo: Neil Newitt

Australia's second-biggest pizza chain, Pizza Hut, is under fire as evidence emerges that its franchisees are using "sham" contracts to pay delivery drivers as little as $12 an hour without super or WorkCover.

It comes as the franchise giant is fighting its franchisees in the Federal Court after they launched a class action against head office alleging unconscionable conduct under the franchising code.

These are not legal rates. They've [drivers] got to be paid the award rate.
Gerard Dwyer, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association

Pizza Hut has been locked in a deep discounting battle with rival chain Domino's.

Maurice Blackburn principal Josh Bornstein, who reviewed a copy of the contract said, in his view, the contract was a "sham".

Over the past five years, Pizza Hut has faced fierce competition from rival chains, particularly from the fast-growing Domino's chain and premium pizza chains. The increased competition has led to Pizza Hut closing some of its restaurant stores to focus on home delivery and introducing steep discounts to win customers.


An estimated 90 per cent of franchisees claim losses and business collapses as a direct consequence of orders that they slash the cost of pizzas up to 50 per cent to take market share from rivals.

A contract obtained by Fairfax Media shows a driver can earn $6 a delivery, with no more than two deliveries per round trip. Under the terms of the contract drivers provide the car, pay for fuel, vehicle maintenance and insurance.

A delivery driver, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job, said the franchisee had offered him an $8 an hour arrangement plus $4 per delivery as a compromise to the $6 per delivery contract, which includes the logo of Pizza Hut on the corner.

"That's the best pay methods we can do so far. The business need to make some money to keep running. Please understand," emails show.

Maurice Blackburn principal Josh Bornstein, who reviewed a copy of the contract for Fairfax Media, said in his view the contract was a "sham".

"Is this driver an independent business person in the business of delivering pizzas? In my view, absolutely not," Mr Bornstein said.

"He is employed to deliver the company's product as and when directed. He is not genuinely running a pizza delivery business. In other words, in my view, the contract is a sham."

Other Pizza Hut franchisees are also believed to be using similar contracts.

Driver sources suggested the model means drivers can only earn as little as $12 per hour.

The revelation comes after a joint investigation by Four Corners and Fairfax Media revealed systemic worker exploitation at 7-Eleven. Workers at a range of fast food chains, nail salons, restaurants and retail stores have also been caught out underpaying and mistreating workers, many of whom are international students.

One worker in a northern suburb of Melbourne said the franchisee was paying cash. "There is no paperwork and neither there is proof. But the biggest proof is employees, who are working there, who are exploited and have no other option apart from working and supporting them selves."

Another said one franchisee was paying $10 an hour plus $1 or $2 for each delivery.

A spokeswoman for Pizza Hut said the company was not aware of the specific contract and said it was out of step with the chain's practices.

"This contract, if authentic, is inconsistent with Pizza Hut's enterprise agreement which is in place for Pizza Hut franchisees," the spokeswoman said.

"Pizza Hut with its franchisees have negotiated a national enterprise agreement with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) under which includes rates of pay for drivers and team members."
It is understood Pizza Hut has in the past pushed to have delivery drivers put on contracts.

SDA national secretary Gerard Dwyer said he was outraged to hear Pizza Hut franchisees were using independent contracts to pay delivery drivers as little as $6 per delivery.

"These are not legal rates. They've [drivers] have got to be paid the award rate," Mr Dwyer said.

"We have an agreement in place that does not allow for contractors. We're in the midst of negotiating a new agreement with Pizza Hut where we are looking for an increase in rates."

Mr Dwyer said under the current EBA delivery drivers at Pizza Hut are to be paid $20.35 per hour if employed as a full-time worker or $25.44 per hour if employed as a casual worker. Drivers also receive $2.13 per delivery on top of the hourly rate to cover vehicle costs. 

smh.com.au 23 Nov 2015

We do not support or even recommend Pizza Hut products for consumption.

Their product is garbage compared to others and their work ethic is appalling.

Lets see how the Australia's 'legal joke (nee system) handles this matter.

Just another multi-national company promoting slave labour.

US gov incompetence blaming Snowden for Paris attacks

Seriously??? !!! ???

How can ANYONE take the heads of the CIA as anything less than 'pot' heads?

These two assclowns claim that Snowden was responsible for teaching the how to avoid 'standard means' of electronic detection, despite 'terrorists' using this technology PRE September 11th 2001.

And these sociopaths are in positions of 'power'.

It may be plausible to any 11 year old kid, but to anyone who has knowledge in I.T. their statements are BULLOCKS!!! !!! !!!

So the U.S 'citizen' is paying taxes for a government failure in 'surveillance'??? !!! ???


From the news.com.au article on 21 Nov 2015 of the headline:

 CIA blames National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden for Paris attacks

Both security agencies and leaders seem more than happy to make NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden a scapegoat for the Paris attacks Marnie O’Neill

AMERICA’S most senior intelligence officers have blamed the Paris attacks on National Security Agency renegade Edward Snowden.

Both the current CIA director John Brennan and his predecessor James Woolsey claimed in separate interviews that leaks by the former contractor taught Islamist terrorists how to use encryption and avoid standard means of electronic communication to evade detection.

This is despite the fact that terrorists are known to have used anti-surveillance techniques since before 9/11 and an independent report last year, which found “no correlation” between updates to jihadist encryption software and Snowden’s leaks.

But according to Mr Brennan: “In the past several years, because of a number of unauthorised disclosures, and a lot of hand-wringing over the government’s role in the effort to try to uncover these terrorists, there have been some policy and legal and other actions that have been taken that make our ability collectively, internationally, to find these terrorists much more challenging.

“There has been an increase in the operational security of a number of operatives of these terrorist networks as they have gone to school on what it is that they need to do in order to keep their activities concealed from the authorities.”

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden sightseeing on a boat in Moscow shortly after fleeing the US. Picture: Life NewsSource:Supplied

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Belgian jihadi suspected of masterminding deadly attacks in ParisSource:AP

Mr Brennan made the comments after giving a speech on national security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Former CIA director R James Woolsey was a little more blunt, telling MSNBC: “I think Snowden has blood on his hands from these killings in France.”

Paris marks one week after attacks that killed 130

London Mayor Boris Johnson also chimed in, directly linking Snowdon’s actions to the Paris attacks in an article he wrote for the The Telegraph.

“To some people the whistleblower Edward Snowden is a hero; not to me,” Mr Johnson wrote.

“It is pretty clear that his bean-spilling has taught some of the nastiest people on the planet how to avoid being caught; and when the story of the Paris massacre is explained, I would like a better understanding of how so many operatives were able to conspire, and attack multiple locations, without some of their electronic chatter reaching the ears of the police.”

Much has been made of the fact that accused mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud managed
to slip easily between Europe and Syria, despite having been linked to failed terror plots and starring in a number of ISIS propaganda videos.

Snowden copped a tongue-lashing from CIA director John Brennan this week

James Woolsey, who ran the CIA during the Clinton years, says Snowden has ‘blood on his hands’Source:AP

Like Jihadi John before him, the 26-year-old had boasted of his ability to cross borders without getting caught. Abaaoud was able to travel from Syria to Belgium, obtain weapons and set up a safe house in the municipality of Verviers with two other potential jihadists. The plot was exposed when authorities raided the home on January 15. The two other men were killed during the operation but officers could find no trace of Abaaoud.

Despite a massive operation to track him down, including further raids in Greece where his cell phone was tracked, Abaaoud said he was able to give authorities the slip and return to Syria.

“Allah blinded their vision” he said of the failure of European intelligence agencies to stop him.

“My name and picture were all over the news yet I was able to stay in their homeland, plan operations against them, and leave safely when doing so became necessary.”

He managed to do this despite Europe being on high alert after the Charlie Hebdo attack in France and the raising of the terror level in Belgium following the Verviers raid.

Last year private security firm Flashpoint Global Partners examined the frequency of releases and updates of encryption software by jihadi groups. It found no correlation to Snowden’s leaks about the NSA’s surveillance techniques, which became public from June 5, 2013.

“Prior to Edward Snowden, online jihadists were already aware that law enforcement and intelligence agencies were attempting to monitor them,” the report said

“The underlying public encryption methods employed by online jihadists do not appear to have significantly changed since the emergence of Edward Snowden.”

Taxpayer records exposed by serious ATO, myGov security flaw

Australians can access a range of government services through the myGov portal, including tax services. Photo: Screenshot

• DHS herding people on to an imperfect system in myGov
• 'They're in denial': MyGov users vent anger
• Cyber thieves target tax time

Australians' private tax records were left unsecured thanks to a serious flaw in how the tax office's online services connect with myGov, in the latest of a series of security bungles related to the federal government's online services.

Experts have raised concerns over the handling of IT security issues by the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of Human Services, which runs the overarching service portal myGov, after a taxpayer who tried to report the issue claimed he was hung up on twice by the agencies' call centre staff.

myGov is a portal which provides single sign-on (SSO) to access multiple services from linked government agencies. Photo: YouTube
 

Sydney IT professional JP Liew recently discovered the flaw when logging into myGov to access his online tax records, only to discover he was looking at his wife's.

In a video obtained exclusively by Fairfax Media, Liew demonstrated how downloading a PDF letter from the tax office by clicking on a link within the myGov mailbox creates a "cookie" which logs the user into ato.gov.au. (In this case, cookies are used to authenticate the "single sign-on" process, or SSO, whereby the user only has to login once with myGov to access multiple linked services, such as tax, Medicare and Centrelink.)


Because clicking on the PDF link didn't actually open a browser page at ato.gov.au and therefore a page was never closed, the cookie did not expire, meaning the next user who logged in to myGov and clicked on a link to ato.gov.au saw the previous user's records.

Security researcher Nik Cubrilovic found gaping holes in the myGov website more than a year ago. Photo: Andrew Meares
 

"I've just spent about an hour on the phone to four myGov technical support people to explain to them that there is a serious bug on the myGov website that will expose another person's ATO information if they share the same computer and browser," Mr Liew said in his video.

"This is very common [to share computers] in workplaces and public libraries however none of them seems to be able to understand what I was trying to say."

Despite the ATO saying this week that it had fixed the problem, Mr Liew was ordered to remove the video from YouTube, with the Tax Office citing security concerns.

DHS has been asked to clarify whether the flaw was present across other government services such as Medicare or Centrelink. Security analyst Ty Miller said this was a "strong possibility". Another analyst, CQR Security founder Phil Kernick, also said it was possible.

An ATO spokesperson did not directly respond when asked how long the flaw had been active for.

However, they said the ATO was aware of "very limited circumstances" where the flaw could have occurred: if the first user didn't sign out of the ATO website (or the session didn't automatically time out) before they logged out of myGov, and if both such users were using the same device and browser.

"This issue does not occur on all types of devices," the spokesperson said.

"We continue to investigate to ensure no other errors are occurring."

A DHS spokesperson said there was "no flaw" in myGov and that the problem lay with the ATO.
Mr Kernick also said the responsibility to delete cookies lay with the services plugging into myGov, and not with myGov itself.

Broader problems

But security researcher Nik Cubrilovic said the cause of the vulnerability was rooted in the architecture of myGov and its SSO process, and the "very basics" of authenticating a user.

"This is an architectural flaw—there are better methods for having SSO where logging out once at myGov would also log you out of any other site," Mr Cubrilovic said.

"I'm ... not comfortable with the blame shifting [from DHS to ATO]. It suggests that the culture that led to this bug and previous bugs is still prevalent at the department and that more issues are a matter of when rather than if."

The ATO spokesperson said the department "worked with DHS to design its online services in the context of the myGov website".

Mr Cubrilovic last year revealed a separate security flaw with myGov, also relating to cookies, which allowed user accounts to be hijacked.

In a document sent to DHS and seen by Fairfax Media, he outlined no less than 12 security issues with the myGov portal and gave recommendations as to how they could be fixed.

One-and-a-half years later Mr Cubrilovic said some of the recommendations had still not been implemented.
"In my original report there were recommendations to shorten the time that cookies are valid, to change the cookie type so that it couldn't be stolen and to unset them properly, but none of these were taken up," he said.

The flaw uncovered this week could also be replicated remotely—i.e. not necessarily only affecting people using the same computer and browser—if someone gained access to the user's cookie, he said.

Mr Cubrilovic said he was "not 100 per cent confident" in the way the ATO had implemented a fix for the new bug, because there was "still so much that can go wrong".

"A proper fix for this issue would be to re-architect the SSO process," he said.

Difficulties reporting bugs

The most simple of Mr Cubrilovic's recommendations from last year was to have a clear point of contact for users to report website bugs.

Mr Liew said he posted a video on YouTube documenting the flaw because attempts to report the bug via myGov and ATO customer service channels had resulted in him being hung up on twice. One staff member even told him to reboot his computer, he said.

In his video Mr Liew described speaking to four separate myGov support staff over an hour, none of whom were able to log the issue and direct it to security. He then rang ATO support, only to be told to contact myGov.

An ATO spokesperson said the department had reviewed its call with Mr Liew and while its staff member had been "professional and courteous at all times", she had "incorrectly referred the user to the myGov hotline".

"We recognise that on this occasion the user received incorrect advice," the spokesperson said, adding that the issue was being addressed via coaching and feedback.

Mr Cubrilovic described the failure to implement a clear channel for reporting bugs as "gross neglect" and said he had experienced similar issues as Mr Liew when trying to alert myGov about security flaws in the past. Action was taken only after he contacted a senior IT staff member directly via Twitter, he said.

 

smh.com.au 19 November 2015

 

That's what happens when you pay peanuts, you get 'monkeys'.

 

The Australian government outsources cheap unskilled I.T. labour from third world countries, where the IT qualifications are not worth the photocopied paper they're on.

We are aware of many other security flaws in government departments, but approaching them, they treat you as if you are the criminal.

As long as the Australian government persecutes easy targets for 'tax' and lets the real corporate criminals walk free, EVERYTHING is OKAY!

At the end of the day it is the masses (in this case private information leaked) that suffer from an incompetent government.

 

The government also 'forces' users to use the MyGov website.

Police hack facebook account - How can you really trust the Police?

The criminal actions of Australia's police 'force' literally know no boundaries.

They are more corrupt than the society they serve!!! !!! !!!

Naturally you will see no criminal charges against the persons involved or even dismissal from the 'force'.

What's even worse is that the (corrupt) police will investigate itself.

As long as the people are criminals for speeding 2km/h over the 'speed limit' is all that maters.

From the source of 7 News at au.news.yahoo.com on 16 November 2015 of the headline:

Magistrate labels NSW Police surveillance tactic 'criminal offence' 

 

A Sydney man was charged over 'indecent', superimposed photos that featured a serving officer and were uploaded to a private Facebook account. Picture: Fairfax Media

A magistrate has ordered New South Wales Police to pay almost $15,000 in court costs and dismissed charges against a man whose closed Facebook account was hacked by authorities.

Fairfax Media has reported Sydney man Rhys Liam Halvey was charged for six offences after authorities illegally accessed and surveyed his private Facebook account for four months.

Mr Halvey was arrested and charged for three counts of using a carriage service to offend police and three counts of publishing an indecent article.

It has been reported that the man had posted ‘indecent’, superimposed images of a serving police officer on his Facebook page.

Controversial observation tactics. Photo: Supplied

The surveillance tactics were supported in court by a high-ranking officer, however, magistrate Roger Brown believed the “unauthorised access” to be a “criminal offence” and dismissed the charges.

Mr Brown also ordered the police to pay $14,429 in court costs in September.

Mr Halvey’s barrister, Andre Turner, in a formal complaint to the Police Integrity Commission, questioned how widespread the “snooping” was.

The NSW Ombudsman has referred the complaint back to police for investigation.

Government see it's people as 'rubbish'

So, you think you are a pretty 'learned' person when it comes to matters of importance?

'You' as a 'subject of the Queen' according to the 'Australian Constitution' apparently have a say?

When you raise a matter with your local MP, they are supposed to follow the 'will' of the people, right?

Well, actions speak louder than any 'conspiracy theories'.

In Australia, you're a nobody, a corporate slave, a 'serf' or a piece of 'rubbish'?

Well that depends on what you do.

If you're a footy/cricket/tennis fanatic, then you're okay, a 'fair dinkum' Aussie.

A nice little corporate slave?

BUT if you question the actions of the corporate criminals in position of power (e.g. government, multinational corporations), you're:

• spoke down to or

• a 'conspiracy theorist' or

• wrong and put in your place or

• or put on a 'watch list' ???

One example that made it into the corporate media was with regards to a concerned resident, Sharron who wrote a letter about her concerns with regards to a planned burn-off that went horribly wrong, where the response from the bureaucrat was that she was 'rubbish'.

This is the response from people in 'authority' that your hard earned taxes are entrusted to???

This is the sort of scum that is in office that 'governs' the Australian people.

Failure of governance - Doctor linked to 11 baby deaths

This matter has been described by the mainstream media as a 'failure of governance' in Victoria.

Unfortunately there are many more serious instances of a 'failure of governance' by the so called 'authorities' which are deliberately hidden from the general populous.

One aspect of governance is something called policing, where the police are supposed to be here to protect life and property, but instead are revenue collection agents for a corporation conglomerate called the 'Australian government', which is NOT the same as the de jure government called the 'Commonwealth of Australia', as per the Australian Constitution.

The government has done very little with respect to dodgy doctors in their 'practice'.

Who cares about the deaths of the children of the 'canon fodder' as long as the fines keep coming in, right?

And now it's easier to kill people and leave the country than to dodge an unlawful sheriff's of Victoria warrant arising from the illegal 'Infringements Court'.


From the news.com.au article of 15 October 2015 of the headline:

Bacchus Marsh Hospital investigated over deaths of seven babies

UPDATE: THE former director of obstetrics at Bacchus Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital had conditions placed on his medical licence after an investigation that found the deaths of seven babies may have been avoidable.

Director of obstetrics and gynaecology, Surinder Parhar, retired from the Djerriwarrh Health Services, which looks after the hospital, in July this year.

He had been at the hospital for 30 years.

Conditions were placed on his medical licence in June following a 28-month investigation by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority.

This investigation resulted from a doctor lodging a complaint. It is understood Mr Parhar has left the country.

The Herald Sun is not suggesting Mr Parhar was directly involved in the deaths.

In what Health Minister Jill Hennessy today described as a “catastrophic event”, an investigation into Djerriwarrh Health Services found seven of 10 stillborn or newborn deaths in 2013 and 2014 may have been avoidable.

Five babies died in 2013, and two in 2014.

The investigation, held by Professor Euan Wallace, found a “number of key failings at Djerriwarrh Health Services during 2013 and 2014”.

Do you know more, or have you been affected? Contact the Herald Sun newsdesk on 9292 1226 or news editor Elissa Hunt 

Despite the high number of deaths the hospital, nor its staff, ever raised an alert.

This issue came to light when a group of senior clinicians on the Consultative Council of Paediatric Mortality and Morbidity were reviewing data when they noticed an unusually high number of deaths.

Australian Nurses Federation secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said midwives had raised concerns over practices at the hospital and claims they were not listened too.

“Staff are very distressed and disturbed at what’s happened and there also relieved because we know our members here have been raising concerns about clinical risk and we passed those concerns onto the previous hospital’s executive,” she said.

“We also put those concerns in writing to the Department of Human Services and they’ve felt their concerns have been dismissed and not taken seriously.

“People want to make sure that what has happened never, ever happens again to any woman or family in this state ever again.”

Ms Fitzpatrick said staff raised concerns about the profile of some of the women giving birth at the regional hospital.

“They were concerned about the lack of consistency of obstetric and paediatric cover for women birthing here earlier than 37 weeks,” she said.

“They have declared themselves to be a level three maternity service so when you’re having premature babies here at 34 weeks, in particular when many of these women had serious medical conditions themselves, they believed they should have been at a tertiary maternity unit.”

The hospital’s administration has been replaced, while its obstetric services are being overseen by tertiary hospitals.

A further investigation has been launched to determine if the Department of Health should have realised the tragedy earlier.

“What has happened here has been a series of catastrophic failures by a number of parties that may have contributed to the very sad loss of young life,” Ms Hennessy said.

“In 2013/14 there were seven peri-natal deaths at Djerriwarrh — that is double the number expected, yet this was overlooked by the clinical leader and the board of Djerriwarrh.”

Health Minister Jill Hennessy at today’s press conference. Picture: Hamish BlairSource:News Corp Australia

Ms Hennessy said the “shocking failures” at the hospital included inadequate reviews of peri-natal deaths.

“While Djerriwarrh did review some of the deaths at the time, it did not review them all. And while some were reviewed, they were inadequate and the findings were not always actioned,” she said.

The board was not told of some deaths, and there was poor oversight.

Other failures included staff misreading and misusing foetal surveillance, and the acceptance of high-risk pregnancies that should have been referred on.

Ms Hennessy said the hospital had “failed to adjust or update its practices to respond to rapid population growth in the region”, but she defended government investments in the health service.

She said some deliveries should not have been attempted at a service classified as a low-risk provider, and that staff were inadequately trained.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Victorian secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said concerns about a lack of staff, policies and equipment at Djerriwarrh’s maternity services were raised with the Health Department in 2014.

“Some midwives, and possibly doctors, had raised concerns with management and left the service in frustration when their concerns weren’t addressed,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.

“We know that there were an increased number of births at the service and this was not proportionately matched by increased staff or infrastructure.”

Dr John Ballard, who was appointed to the Djerriwarrh board to oversee the hospital in the wake of the deaths, said they resulted from “multi-system failure” and there was not one doctor common to each case.

Bacchus Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital. Picture: Nicole GarmstonSource:News Corp Australia

Ms Hennessy said it was a “truly heartbreaking set of circumstances”, and full support would be given to the families involved.

She said the investigation would be transparent because the families deserved to know the truth about the “shocking failure”.

The affected families may be eligible for compensation.

“I am deeply conscious that nothing can change the past for these families,” Ms Hennessey said.

Ms Hennessy said the impact of the scandal was unimaginable for women already grieving over the loss of their babies.

“After these women endured the death of their babies, in some circumstances they weren’t given the information that they sought,” she said.

“It is heartbreaking to think of these women thinking that for some reason the death of their baby may have been their fault.

“It is absolutely critical that we are able to get every piece of information around their pregnancies and the births and have that peer reviewed.”

Senior staff from the Royal Women’s Hospital have been sent to Djerriwarrh to provide expert oversight and better clinical training for staff.

Principal at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers Dimitra Dubrow told 3AW two families had contacted the firm about the deaths of their babies.

“What they are telling us ... is that they have been contacted by the Department of Health and advised that the circumstances surrounding their baby’s death is being looked into and that the death may have been prevented.

“You can imagine this would be extremely distressing for these families who have already suffered a painful loss.”

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency said Mr Parhar had been investigated after a complaint in 2013 about his care of a mother after the stillbirth of her baby at the hospital.

Action was taken against the doctor imposing conditions on his registration requiring education and mentoring.

“At the time, AHPRA and the boards were not advised of abnormally high peri-natal mortality rates at the health service, or about any concerns about that doctor’s care of other patients, or concerns about the quality of obstetric or midwifery care provided at the Djerriwarrh Health Service,” the statement reads.

AHPRA said the case was not sent to a tribunal because it did not meet the threshold for referral.

CEO Martin Fletcher apologised for the time taken to investigate the complaint about that doctor.
Mr Parhar surrendered his registration on October 1.

AHPRA said it was now launching a wider investigation into other doctors and midwives at the Djerriwarrh Health Service.

“In late July 2015, AHPRA, the Medical Board of Australia and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia first learned of wider concerns about potentially avoidable peri-natal deaths at the health service.

“Immediately, AHPRA used its powers to require the Djerriwarrh Health Service to provide information to enable close regulatory scrutiny of care provided by registered health practitioners at the service.”

It is believed the hospital received significant government funding to help expand maternity services just a year ago.

More than $740,000 was directed towards the maternity services unit in 2014.

The hospital’s maternity services birthrate had doubled in less than a decade.

According to the 2013/14 annual report, 897 babies were born in the maternity unit in that year.

In the 2012/13 financial year, 1016 babies were born and 914 born in the year before that.

It was expected the hospital would be catering for up to 1400 births a year as a result of the expansion.

With AAP

Police had three chances to stop stolen car used in hit run tragedy but did nothing

Another crime committed where police are totally useless.

Just as long as there is REVENUE from 'speeding' motorists.

From the Herald Sun newspaper with the headline:

FREE TO KILL

Tim Jellis, who died in a fatal car crash in Taylors Lakes. Picture: Facebook.

• Tragedy takes Tim too soon
• Third teen arrested over Taylors Lakes hit-run smash

UPDATE: HUNDREDS of people gathered in Melbourne’s east to remember Gisborne man Tim Jellis, who died in a tragic hit-run car crash in Taylors Lakes last month.

As family and friends filled St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church in Surrey Hills for a thanksgiving service, Victoria’s top roads cop defended the force’s controversial no-pursuit policy which has been linked to 25-year-old’s death.

Mr Jellis was driving to a friend’s house in Taylors Lakes when the stolen Audi smashed into his car, killing him instantly on October 24.

The Herald Sun revealed police had spotted the Audi three times just days before the fatal crash but were unable to pursue the vehicle due to the no chase policy.

Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Doug Fryer defended the policy, but conceded it was unpopular among members.

“We know some of our members are frustrated and it's a little unpalatable for them to not chase the bad guy,” Assistant Commissioner Fryer told 3AW.

“But you look back to why we’ve done this ... we’ve had 14 deaths in a four-and-a-half year period (from police pursuits).”

The scene of the fatal hit-run accident. Picture: Mark Stewart

Peter and Glenyce Jellis attend the funeral for their son Tim. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Police Minister Wade Noonan also told 3AW yesterday the new policy was made after coronial inquests into fatal pursuits.

“It’s very much an attempt to strike a balance between public safety and arresting an offender such that police will pursue only in the most serious cases where there is imminent danger to public safety,” he said.

Tim’s parents Peter and Glenyce Jellis do not blame police, but have raised serious concerns for the policy.
“The police are only really doing what they can,” Peter said.

“If they did pursue and there was another accident or another fatality, then the police wouldn’t be following their instructions — it is really a catch 22 if they’re in the right or wrong.”

Friends and family travelled from interstate and overseas to pay their respects to the generous, caring and humble Tim Jellis — nicknamed ‘smiley’ for his infectious grin.

Brothers Andrew and Mark Jellis and family friend Dennis Wright gave eulogies at the service.

Mr Wright said Tim loved Jesus and his AFL football, particularly the Bombers.

He said one wall of his bedroom displayed his favourite bible versus, while another was dedicated to Essendon.

Tim was also passionate about his pet dogs Nelly and Fletch and living in the bush.

In lieu of flowers the family accepted donations from the Presbyterian Inland Mission.

Three balaclava-clad men fled he scene after hitting Mr Jellis’ car. Picture: Mark Stewart

Police Minister Wade Noonan told 3AW that the new policy was made after coronial inquests into fatal pursuits.

“It’s very much an attempt to strike a balance between public safety and arresting an offender such that police will pursue only in the most serious cases where there is imminent danger to public safety,” he said.
Victoria Police would not respond to questions over sightings of the stolen Audi days before the deadly crash.

“It would be inappropriate to comment any further as the matter is before the courts,” spokeswoman Anthoula ­Moutis said.

Three teens have been charged with culpable driving over the fatality. But officers have voiced their anger at the new pursuit policy.

The Herald Sun has been told that soon after the restricted pursuit policy was enforced, offenders drove into an inner-suburban police station carpark and did burnouts.

Officers were forced to watch from inside the station, unable to pursue the offenders.

Ram raids were also escalating, a senior officer said.

“I think it’s the start of ­anarchy, ultimately.”

Melbourne doctor fears link between mobile phone use and brain cancer

Melbourne doctor fears link between mobile phone use and brain cancer. Photo: 7News

A leading Melbourne doctor is blaming mobile phones for an escalation in brain cancer.

Dr John Tickell has fought his own cancer battle and claims radiation is the link.

He says it should be a wake up call for anyone who uses a mobile phone.

Dr Tickell was a on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne when he suffered a seizure. A subsequent brain scan revealed five tumours; one was the size of a golf ball.

"It's maybe the scariest words you'll ever hear, 'you have brain cancer'," Dr Tickell said.

Now in remission, Dr Tickell believes radiation is a significant contributing factor to the increasing rate in brain tumours.

"There's a million more times radiation in the air today than there was fifty years ago - that is frightening," he said.

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Some 35 Australians are diagnosed with brain cancer every week.

Christian Althaus, of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, said: "The exhaustive studies that have been done to date have found no link, we expect that to continue but science will continue to examine this issue."

The most comprehensive study involved 5000 brain cancer patients worldwide.

While it found there was no increased risk of cancer overall, those who used their mobile phones were up to 40 per cent more likely to develop Glioma, a common type of brain cancer.

The 32 million mobiles in use in Australia carry a little know warning that the phone should be held at least 5mm away from the body.

While neurosurgeons believe the rise in brain cancer can be attributed to better diagnosis, patients remain worried.

"It's probably the most common question asked, but all you can say is there is no definite evidence," Neurosurgeon Andrew Kaye said.

If you're concerned about mobile phone use, the advice is:

• Use a headset
• Limit phone calls
• Text instead
• Regularly swap ears