Qld govt 'not suppressing information'

The Queensland government says Australia's media union is ill-informed and self-serving in accusing it of developing a tendency to suppress information.

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance raised its concerns after the government rushed through new laws at 3.30am (AEST) on Friday to protect the identities of people named in files from the Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption, which were accidentally released.

MEAA president Christopher Warren had already slammed a decision last week to withhold the full Commission of Audit into the state's finances - chaired by former federal treasurer Peter Costello - and only release an executive summary.

"Rolling out morsels of information and drip-feeding them to the media isn't worthy of any government elected to serve the people," Mr Warren said in a statement on Friday.

"It would be quite wrong to use such the tactic for other issues it wants to keep hidden from the public.
"The government should be subject to proper, rigorous scrutiny by the fourth estate - that's the function of the media in a healthy democracy."

But the government said it was clearly committed to openness and accountability, and its recent actions on the matter involving the Fitzgerald inquiry had been taken reluctantly and only at the urging of the state's Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC).

"The MEAA also ignores the fact that the legislation imposes only temporary restrictions subject to the outcome of an open and public investigation into the release of the documents," a spokesman for Premier Campbell Newman told AAP.

He said the government would release the full Costello report after it has had time to consider the recommendations.

The spokesman pointed to the government's public release of the diaries of all cabinet ministers each month, the changes it has made to the information laws and its open data reforms.

"The Newman government is leading the way with its commitment to open and accountable government," he said.

ninemsn.com.au 9 Mar 2013

It is not just the Queensland government that suppresses  information.

In order not to expose corruption in government and with police, the government is tight lipped about its operations.

Just because the government 'said' it doesn't suppress information does not automatically make it true.

THE biggest liars are in government, and when it comes to elections it's open slather, one lie after another.

As an example Australia's current Prime Minister Julia Gillard, nicknamed 'Ju-liar' stated falsely that one she is PM there will be no Carbon Tax. Carbon Tax has been introduced once Gillard became PM.

Sunscreen found to have toxic ingredients

ENVIRONMENTALISTS have called for an immediate ban on a chemical found in kids' sunscreens five years after concerns were first raised.

 
Research conducted in 2008 into anatase titanium dioxide found that the chemical's nanoparticles in sunscreen could react with sunlight to break down the coating of Colorbond roofs, Friends of the Earth said.
The study found that the nanoparticles increased the rate of sun damage to the roofs by 100 times, prompting worries about what it could do to human skin.

New research commissioned by the conservationist group has revealed six out of eight tested sunscreens still contain anatase titanium dioxide.

Friends of the Earth spokeswoman Louise Sales called for an immediate ban of the chemical in sunscreen.
"There are a lot of unknowns and there are no current studies looking at the impact of anatase titanium dioxide on the skin," Ms Sales told AAP.

Ms Sales it was "shocking" that there had been no government action on the use of the chemical in sunscreen, particularly those used by children, in five years.

She also said she felt Australia's sunscreen regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), had not kept up with the science.

"We believe a precautionary approach is best."

From July all sunscreens in Europe will be required to show labels listing all the nano-ingredients used in them, but there are no plans for such a move in Australia.

"There is currently no evidence to suggest that sunscreen products which incorporate nanotechnologies pose greater safety risks than other products," a spokeswoman for TGA said in a statement.

"The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has not identified any evidence that supports the proposed changes to labelling requirements in relation to nanoparticles."

news.com.au 6 Mar 2013

The pharmaceutical industry make huge profits from selling its garbage to unsuspecting consumers.

The products that contain carcinogenic chemicals should be withdrawn as soon as possible.

See corpau article:

Toxic carcinogen in sunscreen :- http://corpau.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/toxic-carcinogens-in-sunscreen.html

Processed meat responsible for one in 30 deaths: European study

MEALS containing too much processed meat such as bacon and sausages could send you to an early grave, a large-scale study has found. 
 
Analysis of the diets and medical history of almost half a million men and women linked processed meat to deaths from cancer and heart disease.

The Europe-wide research, including work by Oxbridge scientists, found that processed meat is to blame for about one in 30 deaths. The researchers suggested a limit of no more than 20g a day of processed meat – equal to one rasher of bacon.

The warning comes in the wake of the horsemeat scandal which has caused many consumers to question the origins of their food.

Processed meat, made by combining the leftover parts of animals which cannot be sold as good
cuts such as steaks and joints, contains high concentrations of fat, including artery-clogging cholesterol.

The researchers from ten European countries quizzed almost 450,000 people, many of them Britons, and tracked their health for an average of 13 years.

They said: '‘Men and women with a high consumption of processed meat are at increased risk of early death, particularly due to cardiovascular diseases but also cancer.’'

Some 26,344 of the participants died over the course of the study, with those who ate the biggest amounts of processed meat being 44 per cent more likely to have died than those who ate the lowest amounts.

The figures for heart disease were striking – those who ate the most processed meat, more than 160g or three sausages a day, were 72 per cent more likely to die of heart disease.

A study last year found that eating 50g of processed meat a day – the equivalent of one sausage or three rashers of bacon – raises the likelihood of cancer by a fifth.

But in the latest, much bigger study, those who ate the most processed meat were almost 50 per cent more likely to suffer an early death, with heart disease the overwhelming cause.

The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, concluded that a limit of 20g a day of processed meat – equal to a rasher of bacon or one full English breakfast a week – would prevent about 20,000 early deaths in the UK each year.

Tracy Parker, a dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘With spring in the air, many of us may be looking forward to sunny barbecues. But this research suggests processed meat, such as sausages and burgers, may be linked to an increased risk of early death.

‘'However, the people who ate the most processed meat in this study also made other unhealthy lifestyle choices.

‘'They were found to eat less fruit and vegetables and were more likely to smoke, which may have had an impact on results.’'

Professor Karol Sikora, one of Britain’s leading cancer specialists and an unpaid member of the industry-backed Meat Advisory Panel, said the key to good health is a balanced diet.

He said: ‘'Don’t worry about having a bacon sandwich. It is not going to kill you. But don’t have four bacon sandwiches every day for your whole life.’'

The amount of white meat eaten, such as chicken, was not linked to death rates by the researchers, while small amounts of red meat appeared beneficial.

news.com.au 7 Mar 2013

Christopher ‘Badness' Binse proposes to girlfriend in court drama amid siege, robbery, theft and gun charges

CHRISTOPHER Dean Binse, aka "Badness", has starred in a dramatic day at court proposing to his girlfriend from the prison dock after a magistrate refused to hear his matter.

Binse had already been kicked out of the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court hearing three times before magistrate Michelle Ehrlich adjourned the matter until tomorrow, saying she could not control him.

 

As he was being led away by five prison guards Binse called out to his girlfriend, who was with two other women was supporting him in court, in what appeared to be another language.

“It means I love her. I just proposed … marriage,” he shouted at media inside the court.

Outside court the woman, who did not give her name, said she had accepted Binse’s proposal.

Binse is representing himself at a committal hearing after allegedly keeping police at bay in a 44-hour siege that gripped Melbourne last May.

It allegedly ended after police surrounding the house fired tear gas into the East Keilor home that forced him out.

As he stumbled outside, police fired beanbag rounds at Binse that brought him to the ground and enabled his arrest.

He is facing charges including making threats to kill, armed robbery, vehicle theft and being a prohibited person in charge of a firearm.

Among the charges was the armed robbery of an Armaguard van at Laverton in March when more than $200,000 was allegedly stolen.

Minutes after the hearing first started this morning Ms Ehrlich stood the matter down after Binse continued to shout out to the court.

He was ejected a further two times before Ms Ehrlich decided to adjourn the matter until tomorrow where Binse will be forced to appear via videolink.

During the hearing Binse accused police of “sabotage” over what he claimed to be missing evidence.
He also urged Ms Ehrlich not to “railroad” his attempt at justice.

“This is hard for me…this is your forte…I’m just trying to do the best I can,” he told her.
Binse said wanted the committal hearing to proceed for the “common good”.

“I’ve never worked with the state but I’m happy to do so now, for the community,” he said.
“I don’t want to hijack proceedings (but) this is in the public interest, believe me.

Binse attempted to give some documents to the media after saying he had been “gagged” by prison authorities, also said he wanted the court to understand his mental capacity at the time.

heraldsun.com.au 6 Mar 2013

What a joke  the Australian legal system really is, where it cannot handle a criminal to be brought to trial.

Could a real reason be that corrupt judges are being paid off, not to proceed, or even better, to give lenient sentences.

Judges work closely with criminals in handing out 'favourable' sentences in exchange for 'drug money'.

Microsoft fined $715m by European Union Commission for browser blunder

THE European Union Commission has fined Microsoft 561 million euros ($715 million) for failing to offer users a choice of internet browser. 

 
The penalty imposed by the EU's executive arm, the Commission, is a first for Brussels: no company has ever failed to keep its end of a bargain with EU authorities before.

In 2009, Microsoft struck a broad settlement with the Commission to resolve disputes over Microsoft's abuse of the dominance of Windows, which had spanned more than a decade.

The company agreed to pay 860 million euros and promised to give Windows users the option of choosing another browser rather than having Microsoft's Internet Explorer automatically installed on their machines.

But Microsoft failed to stick to the deal for some 15 million installations of Windows 7 in Europe from May 2011 until July 2012. The company admitted the failure last year, adding that it was an oversight.

The Commission's top regulator, Joaquin Almunia, said at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, that the fine reflected the size of the violation and the length of time it went on. It was also intended to make an example of Microsoft and deter other companies from doing same thing.

"A failure to comply is a very serious infringement that must be sanctioned accordingly," he said.

Mr Almunia has advocated negotiated settlements since he took office in 2010, saying competition issues are best resolved quickly. He says slapping big fines on companies years after the fact does little to help consumers.

But he said the whole point of a settlement is undermined when companies then don't abide by its terms.
"They must do what they committed to do, or face the consequences," he said.

Mr Almunia conceded that the Commission had been "naive" in appointing Microsoft itself to oversee compliance with the agreement, and said the Commission won't allow that in the future.

For its part, Microsoft was apologetic.

"We take full responsibility for the technical error that caused this problem and have apologised for it," the company said in a statement. "We provided the Commission with a complete and candid assessment of the situation, and we have taken steps ... to help avoid this mistake - or anything similar - in the future."

The company is required to offer consumers a choice of browsers through 2014.

In all, Microsoft has now paid a grand total of 2.2 billion euros in fines to the Commission since 1998, when regulators opened their first investigation against the company. Some of those fines were for failing to obey the commission's orders, but this is the first time a company has admitted to breaking a promise made to the EU regulator.

The competitive landscape has changed greatly in recent years, however. Tech companies are now often more concerned about Google dominance in Internet search technology, Facebook's dominance in social networking, and Apple's dominance in mobile phones and software than Microsoft's Windows operating system, though it is still dominant on personal desktop computers.

Rival browsers such as Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome have become popular, and software applications on mobile devices usually bypass browsers entirely.

In a sign of the times, Microsoft itself turned to the watchdog in 2012, asking it to investigate Google for anti-competitive practices.

news.com.au 6 Mar 2013

There is literally no such thing as a 'blunder' at this level when it comes to information technology.

Microsoft deliberately packaged in the web browser, and deliberately did not offer users the freedom of choice.

Microsoft deliberately ignored the ruling made by the commission. 

A company that is not to be trusted.

Ted Baillieu resigns as Victoria premier

TED Baillieu has sensationally quit as Victorian Premier as his embattled government was pushed close to collapse. 
 
A tearful Mr Baillieu announced that Major Projects Minister Denis Napthine would replace him after a day of turmoil caused by the shock decision of backbencher Geoff Shaw to quit the parliamentary party and move to the cross benches.

That decision means that the Coalition government could be ousted from office unless it can win Mr Shaw's support on key legislation, including the budget and any possible vote of no confidence.

Mr Baillieu said he had to go for the good of the party and that he would remain in parliament, killing Labor hopes of another by-election.

Dr Napthine is a former state Liberal leader who was ousted in a coup in 2002 before being given the chance to contest an election.

Mr Baillieu offered Dr Napthine, a factional ally, his full support.

"I will be staying on in parliament to support him," Mr Baillieu said. "He has my full support. He's an outstanding individual."

Ashen-faced senior ministers Louise Asher and David Davis left the party-room meeting with Mr Baillieu, who read from a statement and did not take questions.

Mr Baillieu resigned following a crisis meeting of Liberal MPs at parliament this evening called after MP Geoff Shaw quit the party, threatening the coalition's grip on power.

Mr Baillieu said a leadership change was in the best interests of the government.

"I love this state, I love the Liberal Party and I love this role that I have had the honour to enjoy over the last two and a bit years," Baillieu said.

"It is apparent to me that a change of leadership is in the best interests of the government."
Dr Napthine refused to explain why Mr Baillieu stood down.

"The explanation is that Mr Baillieu made a decision to step down as leader of the Liberal Party," he said.
"Mr Baillieu made his own decision to stand down.

"I will lead the party to the next election.

"Ted has put his heart and soul into the Victorian Liberal Party... for the best part of three decades," Dr Napthine added.

"He is not just a colleague, he is a great friend."

Dr Napthine, who turnd 61 today, said he had been proud to serve under the Baillieu government, which came to power at the state election in 2010.

"I look forward to providing strong, stable and positive government for the people of Victoria," he said.

Earlier today Mr Baillieu had declared he was "confident" the Coalition will continue to govern in Victoria, despite the shock resignation Mr Shaw threatening his hold on power.

Mr Shaw's decision to quit the Liberal Party and sit as an independent has plunged Mr Baillieu's government further into crisis, following growing pressure on his leadership.

Mr Shaw's resignation leaves the Liberal-National coalition with 44 seats in the 88-seat lower house and Labor 43, assuming it retains the safe seat of Lyndhurst at a by-election next month.

Mr Baillieu said the controversial former Liberal, who would sit on the crossbenches, gave the government a short resignation letter this morning but did not provide detailed reasons for his decision.

His resignation means the coalition will likely have to rely on his vote to get laws through the parliament.

Asked if Mr Shaw would support the government, Mr Baillieu said: “I understand he will be considering his position.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his government, Mr Baillieu emerged from a meeting of Liberal and National MPs today to declare his party would govern “decisively” and push its “strong agenda”.

“I am confident we will continue to govern,” he told reporters as he entered question time.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said he would not actively pursue Mr Shaw's vote.

“How Mr Shaw votes is up to him,” Mr Andrews said.

“I don't think Mr Shaw will be offering his vote to anyone. I won't seek his vote and I will not seek to change the dynamic on the floor to seek his vote.

“That circus is run up in Canberra and I won't be doing it here.”

Mr Andrews said every Victorian was keen to see why Mr Shaw had effectively sacked Mr Baillieu and the Liberal Party.

“He is not so much running a government, he is running a complete and utter circus,” he said of Mr Baillieu.
“This government is doing nothing to deliver for the people of this state other than to lurch from one crisis to the next.”

Mr Shaw's resignation sparked a series of crisis talks in the parliament and heaped more pressure on the leadership of Mr Baillieu, following poor polling and the secret Liberal Party tapes issue.

Mr Shaw was expected later today to explain his resignation.

“Mr Shaw, the Member for Frankston, has resigned from the parliamentary Liberal Party,” the leader of the Liberal Party in the upper house, David Davis, told parliament.

Mr Davis, asked by the opposition whether the Baillieu government still existed, said matters of confidence would be dealt with in the lower house.

“I can state that the government is very much determined to press forward.”

Mr Davis said he was unaware of any undertaking by Mr Shaw to support the government, which until today controlled the lower house with a one-seat majority.

Mr Shaw failed to vote in the first division called following his resignation.

The government won the vote 43 to Labor's 42. Labor's numbers are currently down from 43 because of the decision of Labor's Tim Holding to quit politics, forcing a by-election in his seat of Lyndhurst on April 27.
Mr Baillieu said today's events would not change the party's decision not to run a candidate in the by-election.

Mr Andrews said a move to the cross benches would mean Mr Shaw has to OK everything the government wants to do.

“It would seem that very piece of legislation, everything this government wants to do, will now have to be the product of a negotiation with Geoff Shaw, and in that endeavour I wish Ted Baillieu luck. I think he'll need it,” Mr Andrews told Fairfax Radio.

Police late last year launched a criminal investigation into Mr Shaw after he was allegedly found to have rorted his taxpayer entitlements over the use of his parliamentary car.

In other controversies, Mr Shaw made lewd gestures at the opposition during a question time; likened legalising homosexuality to legalising child molestation, speed driving and murder; was involved in a roadside punch-up with a young motorist in 2011; was fined and put on a good behaviour bond after being charged over a 1992 assault at a Frankston nightclub; and allegedly called Labor MP James Merlino a “midget” in question time.

Earlier today, Mr Baillieu insisted his government was united, amid criticism from his own backbench and ongoing leadership speculation.

Liberal backbencher Bill Tilley said while he believed Mr Baillieu was listening, the government's leadership team needed to revamp the way it dealt with the backbench.

“It's a management thing,” Mr Tilley said.

“There should be some further and significant conversations: how to interact with the executive and the backbenchers to deliver the right, the proper and accurate messages to Victoria.”

Mr Tilley is annoyed with Mr Baillieu over comments he made about him in parliament yesterday.

Mr Baillieu told parliament Mr Tilley quit his role as parliamentary secretary to Police Minister Peter Ryan because his conduct was inconsistent with the role.

Mr Tilley said he was unhappy with the Premier's comments and wanted to speak with him today.
“There was some inaccuracies and I just want to correct those.

“They're taking some things from a report that was tabled by the Office of Police Integrity (OPI) and adding some things that certainly weren't part of that report.”

Mr Tilley resigned as parliamentary secretary after he was criticised by the OPI over a plot to oust former chief police commissioner Simon Overland.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy, who has publicly supported Mr Baillieu this week, is widely regarded as a potential future Liberal leader.

The Premier said he had no need to ask Mr Guy to pledge his support.

“Matthew and I get on very well. I know he's very supportive,” Mr Baillieu said.

The government has been thrown into turmoil this week with the airing of secretly-recorded telephone conversations reportedly involving Mr Baillieu's chief of staff Tony Nutt and a former adviser to Mr Ryan, Tristan Weston.

Mr Weston quit after the OPI found he was involved in a plot to undermine Mr Overland.

The secret recordings and receipts leaked to the Herald Sun reportedly show Mr Weston was paid $22,500 by the Liberal Party after leaving Mr Ryan's office.

Liberal state director Damien Mantach reportedly authorised the payment to Mr Weston.

Mr Baillieu said he did not believe any serious corruption had occurred despite referring the matter to the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC).

theaustralian.com.au 6 Mar 2013

Ted Baillieu is involved in elaborate corruption involving Victoria's ex 'top dog' police chief Simon Overland together with others in drugs, prostitution and links to the criminal 'bikie' underworld.

The corporate media is (deliberately) slow in exposing the truth behind the multimillion dollar fraud and corruption in government.

Another win to the 'corporatocracy'.

Government has proof of low wages for foreigners on skilled visas

THE Federal Government said it had proof that foreigners on temporary skilled visas undermined the wages of Australian workers. 

Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor said new figures revealed that a surge in skilled 457 visas had seen wages tumble in the information, communications and technology sector, as foreign workers accepted pay cuts of between $7200 and $8300.

Mr O'Connor said there had been a 68 per cent leap in the number of 457 visas in the ICT sector over the past four years, the biggest rise of any industry.

But wages for those workers had dropped between 5 and 12 per cent, despite overall wage growth across the economy.

"In these professions the average 457 visa worker is now paid less than Australian workers," Mr O'Connor said.

"The trend is clear and if it is allowed to continue it could lead to wage cuts for Australian workers and permanent skilled migrants."

Holders of 457 visas are supposed to be paid the same as Australian workers and only given a job if there is a shortage of skilled Australians.

Mr O'Connor said the new figures covered web developers, software engineers, database administrators and IT security specialists.

There have been claims that pay levels have been manipulated by some rogue employers in the IT industry in Melbourne and Sydney.

Mr O'Connor said he strongly supported the 457 visa scheme when it was used to fill genuine shortages, but in some industries there was a "saturation of 457 visas" and it was driving down wages.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Labor's crackdown was putting Australian workers first. But the government was embarrassed by former MP Pauline Hanson welcoming that position as "vindication" of her controversial policies in the late 1990s.

The PM rejected claims she had embraced Mrs Hanson's policies.

"I want to see Australian workers put first. Full stop. That's it," she said.

Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey seized on Mrs Hanson's comments.

"It says everything about the modern Labor Party and where it is going and what it believes in, which is nothing," he said.

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox rejected the claim 457 visas were putting downward pressure on Australian workers' wages.

He said the debate was "running completely off the rails". He said only three companies had been prosecuted for misusing the system since 2009.

heraldsun.com.au 6 Mar 2013

While diverting the attention of the herd population to the 'boat people' saga, the government has been allowing entry of so called 'students' to saturate Australia's job market.

The majority of Indian 'students' have been working illegally in many industries with the support of the authorities.

The 'learning' institutions have been part of the fraud, in where students who have been enrolled in courses did not show up to classes only to bribe the lecturers.

Authorities deliberately turn a blind eye with no 'blitz' in sight.

Another government supported fraud.

New laws limit exposure of corrupt judges

CORRUPT judges will be protected from being named and shamed, unlike others in  Victoria’s public sector, under Premier Ted Baillieu’s anti-corruption regime.

After months of delays, the state government has introduced new laws giving Victoria’s first corruption watchdog sweeping powers to investigate politicians and their staff, as well as judges, public prosecutors, police, local councillors, the auditor-general and the governor.

But an examination of the 102-page bill reveals that while the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission must report to Parliament,  it will not have the power to publicise information against judges.
‘‘The IBAC must not include any finding of corrupt conduct of a judicial officer, or any other adverse finding relating to a judicial officer arising from an investigation in a special report ... or an annual report,’’ the legislation says.

Government spokesman Paul Price said the restrictions were consistent with other states, and necessary to ensure the independence of the judiciary.

But a Labor Party spokeswoman, Jill Hennessy, said the government had not previously suggested there would be ‘‘special privileges’’ for some but not for others. The Coalition’s election policy also states: ‘‘All parts of the public sector will be subject to the same rules and investigatory powers.’’

The legislation also means:

• IBAC will be required to dismiss complaints against judges if they relate to the merit of a judgment or court decision.

• Notorious criminals will have the right to make complaints to the new watchdog.

• The government is yet to decide whether journalists will have the  right to protect their sources if called to give evidence.

• The commission can refuse to investigate a complaint if it is not made within a year of the alleged corruption taking place.

• People who obstruct an investigation risk 12 months’ imprisonment, or fines of more than $14,600, or both.

• Public hearings will be allowed in some cases, at the discretion of the IBAC commissioner.

The legislation paves the way for the biggest overhaul of Victoria’s anti-corruption regime in the state’s history.

IBAC is likely to be headed by a retired judge, and its agents will have the power to carry semi-automatic weapons, capsicum spray, and body armour, as well as to search premises, seize documents and tap phones.

But Victorians will have to wait about another six months until the commission is fully operational — a third tranche of laws outlining its  examination powers has still to be introduced; the Commonwealth must pass its own laws  on telephone interception; and it is still not known how long it will take to appoint the  first IBAC commissioner.

Despite the delays, Monash University criminology expert Colleen Lewis — who for years has been calling for a corruption watchdog  — said the change was long overdue. She said the reforms appeared to include an appropriate level of oversight: a parliamentary committee, an inspector to watch the watchdog, and a public interest monitor.

‘‘With a body as powerful as this, we have to have as many checks and balances as we can,’’ she said. ‘‘We have to be careful not to get it to a stage where it can’t operate, but it must be accountable for what it does.’’

theage.com.au 11 Dec 2011

A grim reminder and reality check of how corrupt the authorities, politicians, law makers, judges and police really are.

The masonic brotherhood looking after itself in the most public manner, to the detriment of the 'sheeple', without a single 'bleat' from the herd.

Corruption watchdog is 'seriously flawed'

EXCLUSIVE

The Baillieu government's leading expert on its anti-corruption watchdog has broken his silence to reveal he believes the body is ''seriously flawed'' and the Coalition has constrained its powers.

Former Court of Appeal judge Stephen Charles, QC, who chaired the government's four-person expert panel on the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, said it was unlikely the watchdog would be able to investigate the kind of corruption allegations engulfing the New South Wales Labor Party.

Mr Charles said that before it begins an investigation, IBAC is required to have enough of the facts to reach a reasonable conclusion that serious corruption may have occurred. A mere suspicion is not enough, he said.

''One will often begin a corruption investigation with a mere suspicion, and time and time again during the [NSW] inquiry it has been plain that it began with suspicion and no direct knowledge of corrupt behaviour,'' Mr Charles said.

''In my view the [IBAC] legislation is seriously flawed. There are significant barriers that have been set up. It will be possible for suspected persons - as soon as they are aware that an investigation is under way - to take steps to challenge IBAC in court, thus delaying the investigation and giving those suspected of corruption the chance to destroy vital evidence.''

Before the IBAC legislation was finalised, Mr Charles and the other experts spent months consulting lawyers, judges, academics, police, the journalists' union and the public service about the watchdog's powers and scope.

On Monday Premier Ted Baillieu wrote to IBAC asking it to assess whether there should be an investigation into revelations the Liberal Party paid $22,500 to ministerial police adviser Tristan Weston. It also emerged that his chief of staff, Tony Nutt, offered to find Mr Weston employment.

Meanwhile, Liberal MP Clem Newton-Brown was last week elected chairman of a new parliamentary committee to oversee IBAC. Mr Newton-Brown is a strong supporter of the Team 200 fund-raising group responsible for Planning Minister Matthew Guy's developer dinners in 2011 and 2012, revealed by Fairfax on Tuesday.

Though no longer formally associated with Team 200, Mr Newton-Brown said he continued to help it raise funds to support Liberal MPs in marginal seats.

theage.com.au 5 Mar 2013

Going to a corrupt authority exposing corruption is a little pointless.

At the end of the day one becomes the target, and the allegations made against the corruption are dismissed.

Yet another win for the corrupt authorities.

Adding fluoride in water is beneficial for for adults too

FLUORIDE cuts tooth decay in adults of all ages, a University of Adelaide-led international study has found. 

 
The world-first population study has uncovered the strongest evidence for adding fluoride to water sources.
The director of the university's Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, Professor Kaye Roberts-Thomson, said the results add to evidence that fluoride in drinking water benefits the dental health of children.

"By looking right across the Australian population, we now have good evidence that fluoride in drinking water is effective in preventing tooth decay in adults," Professor Roberts-Thomson said.

The study used data from a random sample of 3800 Australians aged 15 and over.

"We've known for some time that fluoridated drinking water can prevent tooth decay in children, but this is the first time that research has conclusively shown this in an adult population," she said.

The researchers found adults with more than a 75 per cent lifetime exposure to water fluoridation have up to a 30 per cent reduction in tooth decay compared to those with less than 25 per cent lifetime exposure.

The study found those born before water fluoridation existed had benefited from its addition to drinking water.

The study, published in the Journal of Dental Research today, follows controversy surrounding MLC Ann Bressington after she shared a "Wanted" poster on her Facebook page, which said Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek had committed crimes against humanity by allowing fluoride in the water.

Prof Roberts-Thomson said that, given that controversy, it was important to know that evidence was stacked in favour of long-term exposure to fluoride in drinking water.

Australian Dental Association president Dr Karin Alexander said, "The ADA continues to be dismayed with the scaremongering from fringe groups that lack consideration of the . . . scientific evidence . . . of the significant benefits for dental health that occurs from the fluoridation of water supplies."

news.com.au 6 Mar 2013

Another (deliberate) lie perpetuated by the corporate media to the uneducated masses.

Images of vulnerable children are often used by authorities to instill fear and submission of the herd population.

Many articles have been written in mainstream science journals, that indicate fluoride, a toxic by product from the aluminium industry, is not to be consumed by humans.

Anyone who does not heed to the way of thinking of the establishment, is not only ridiculed by the official propaganda lap dog, the corporate media, but also targeted in other ways once they become uncomfortable to the authorities.

 

Despite the toxicity of fluoride, the authorities are forcing the masses to consume this harmful substance, and the 'choice' is taken away from the people, and the people are told what is good for them.

A policy which can be said is analogous to communist or Nazi rule.