12/31/2018 0 Comments Trial of new imported 'luxury' cars for federal MPs to replace ageing Holden fleetUpdated December 24, 2018 07:35:56
Photo: The Prime Minister is currently chauffeured in an armoured BMW 7 Series car (right). (ABC News: Andrew Greene) Federal politicians could soon be chauffeured to work in a new BMW or Mercedes, as the Commonwealth looks to upgrade its fleet of official vehicles known as 'COMCAR'. Key points:BMW is considered by industry insiders to be the preferred manufacturerLabor wants the Commonwealth to preference car companies undertaking research and development in AustraliaSenator Kim Carr said the move highlights the death of Australia's car manufacturing industry From early next year the Finance Department will begin trialling new cars to replace the ageing COMCAR fleet, which is currently made up of mainly Australian-built Holden Caprice sedans. COMCAR is used to transport federal politicians, judges and other dignitaries to official work engagements. Following the recent closure of Australia's car manufacturing industry, the ABC can reveal the new fleet will be selected from imported models including Hyundai, BMW, Toyota and Mercedes. "The current fleet is being maintained and extended to their full life," the Finance Department said in a statement to the ABC. The Finance Department said COMCAR conducted an initial assessment of 18 vehicles which could potentially be used for the "provision of car-with-driver services for COMCAR clients". "Of the vehicles assessed, seven vehicles were considered for inclusion in the trial. "These vehicles were selected due to meeting a number of key criteria, including whole-of-life costs, overall value for money, fit for purpose, protocol and environmental considerations." Industry insiders said BMW is considered the early favourite to win the COMCAR fleet contract given the German manufacturer already supplies the Commonwealth's current armoured vehicles, which are used to transport VIPs such as the Prime Minister. The ABC has been told "luxury" vehicles that retail for about $100,000 including the BMW 5 series (520d and 530d), as well as the Mercedes E220 are likely to be among the models strongly favoured by the Commonwealth. Photo: The replacement cars will be chosen from imported models including Hyundai, BMW, Toyota and Mercedes. (Reuters: Vasily Fedosenko) New fleet highlights 'tragedy' of car industry closure Labor's Industry spokesman Kim Carr said the Commonwealth's impending purchase of new imported vehicles highlights the regrettable death of Australia's car manufacturing industry. "It's a tragedy and it highlights yet again the foolhardy decision that this Government made to undermine, destroy our vehicle assembly in Australia," Senator Carr said. Senator Carr said purchasing of government vehicles should give preference to those automotive companies which remain in Australia undertaking research and development. "The Commonwealth could lead the way in being able to use its purchasing power in such a way as to attract new investment to the Australian automotive industry." Topics:government-and-politics,canberra-2600,australia First posted December 24, 2018 05:52:51 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-24/new-luxury-vehicles-for-mps/10665086
0 Comments
Updated December 26, 2018 11:45:38
Related Story: Fires, 'thundersnow' and dust storms: What is up with the weather? Map: Melbourne 3000 Extreme heatwaves are forecast to sweep through parts of Australia over the Christmas and New Year period, with some locations set to swelter in the 40s for days on end and average temperatures up to 12 degrees higher than usual. Key points:Australians will swelter through the next few days after ChristmasTemperatures are expected to be up to 12 degrees higher than usualThe heat is expected to linger into the new year It is part of a sustained heatwave affecting parts of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. In the days after Christmas, the mercury will push 46 degrees Celsius at Coober Pedy in South Australia and 45 at Mildura in Victoria and Hay in New South Wales. It will be the first time since 1931 that Mildura, on the Murray River in Victoria's north-west, has had five consecutive December days above 40C. Photo: Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 46C in parts of Victoria. (ABC News: Margaret Burin) In Wagga Wagga, highs above 40C are forecast for at least four consecutive days from Thursday onwards after a high of 39C today. In the capital cities, Adelaide will reach 41C and Melbourne 35C on Thursday, and Canberra will swelter through the mid to high 30s for the rest of forecast period, peaking at 39C on Saturday. Sarah Fitton, an extreme weather meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology, said heat had been building up through central parts of Western Australia. Photo: A heatwave across parts of southern and central Australia is expected to push the mercury past 40C in some states. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology) "No cold fronts to flush that hot air away so it really is just building," Ms Fitton said. "And then as we head into the later period of the week, we're going to see a trough come through and that's going to effectively grab that hot air through WA and really start to see it increase even further over the south-eastern states," she said. "We'll start to see a heatwave intensify." 'We're expecting extreme heatwaves' Photo: The hot conditions are being blamed on hot air building over Western Australia. (ABC News: Margaret Burin) Heatwave conditions are currently in the Gascoyne and the Pilbara and they're expected to move eastwards over the next few days. "As we head into the middle of the week, we'll start to see severe heatwaves develop through South Australia, through northern Victoria and southern New South Wales," Ms Fitton said. "And then they'll intensify towards the end of the week as the temperatures do become even more above average. So we're expecting extreme heatwaves." The hot conditions will also be accompanied by strong winds towards the end of the week, creating dangerous fire conditions. But hopes for a Christmas miracle in the form of cool change may be unrealistic, with Ms Fitton warning Australia's hot flush will be sustained. "We are looking at a prolonged period of heat," she said. "As we head into New Year's Day, we might see a slightly more significant change over southern states, but it really means that heat is still going to be sitting up through New South Wales and southern Queensland," she said. "It may not be enough to completely flush it away at this stage." Topics:weather,melbourne-3000,sydney-2000,perth-7300,adelaide-5000,hobart-7000,canberra-2600,australia,darwin-0800 First posted December 24, 2018 15:20:41 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-24/weather-bureau-meteorology-heatwave-hot-temperature-christmas/10666026 12/27/2018 0 Comments Man allegedly strangled young brumby in Kosciuszko National Park until it fell unconsciousUpdated December 21, 2018 21:26:06
A man was filmed strangling a tame horse in Kosciuszko National Park, refusing witness pleas to let go, until it fell unconscious, New South Wales Police allege. Key points:A 61-year-old Tamworth man is charged with animal cruelty after allegedly strangling a tame brumby coltThe man was camping in the Kosciuszko National Park when another group of campers allegedly saw him attack the animalPolice say the horse suffered injuries, but it could not be found after the incident Police said a group was camping in the NSW national park on Saturday November 17 when they saw the man, who was part of another camping group, putting a rope around the neck of a brumby colt. They allege the man repeatedly pulled the horse by the lariat, which caused it to be visibly distressed and struggle to breathe. The man allegedly refused to let the horse go when several witnesses intervened, and it fell to the ground unconscious. It is believed the horse suffered injuries as it was lame after the attack. But police said it could not be found after the incident so they "are not aware of its fate". Police later spoke to a 61-year-old Tamworth man and charged him with animal cruelty, as well as capturing or snaring an animal in a national park. Officers said they had viewed the footage recorded by a camper, and said it "clearly showed" the horse was hurt. Detective Inspector Cameron Whiteside said police do not tolerate, and will thoroughly investigate, all cases of animal cruelty. "We strongly encourage members of the public to report any incident of animal cruelty so those involved can be identified and charged," he said. The man is due to appear in Cooma Local Court in February. Topics:law-crime-and-justice,human-interest,animal-attacks,animals,animal-welfare,crime,cooma-2630,nsw,australia,bega-2550,canberra-2600,act First posted December 21, 2018 15:39:30 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-21/man-charged-with-strangling-brumby-in-kosciuszko-national-park/10647134 12/26/2018 0 Comments Highly respected Indigenous leader jailed for repeated violent assaults on womanUpdated December 21, 2018 07:33:30
A well-known Indigenous leader who repeatedly attacked a woman, including choking her until she played dead and pushing her head into mud, has been jailed for trying to strangle her. The highly respected leader, who the ABC is unable to name as it could identify his victim, has appeared at Welcome to Country and other Indigenous ceremonies in the ACT. He was sentenced to eight months behind bars for more than 10 offences. In Queanbeyan Local Court on Wednesday, the 44-year-old man faced a raft of charges including punching the woman in the head while she was driving, using her hair to slam her head into a door frame, throwing heavy objects at her and emptying an ashtray on her. A police statement gave graphic details of the choking incident. "The victim felt like her throat was going back to front," the statement read. "Not knowing what else she could do, the victim just played dead and became as still as possible." He then kicked her in between the legs, according to the police statement. The summary of facts tendered to the court read that the man threw a heavy candlestick and bottle of bourbon at the woman as well as pulled her jumper, which ripped. "[The man] pushed [the woman] to the ground and used his body weight to push the side of her head into the mud," the summary read. The assaults began in 2017, with the bulk of them happening during the Australia Day weekend this year. Court documents also detailed verbal humiliation, such as calling the woman a "dirty dog s***" after he had pushed her head back and forth. They allege he then emptied an ashtray on her head and asked "are you happy?" The man was also accused of stalking and intimidating the woman. It is alleged he sent 92 messages in 16 hours after he saw her car near the police station one time. He was convicted of more than 10 offences and jailed for eight months with a non-parole period of five months. Topics:law-crime-and-justice,crime,assault,community-and-society,domestic-violence,courts-and-trials,australia,act,canberra-2600 First posted December 20, 2018 18:59:35 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-20/indigenous-lead-jailed-for-violent-assault/10640906 12/24/2018 0 Comments From office workers to bus drivers, all ACT Government staff will learn how to spot domestic violenceUpdated December 23, 2018 10:00:47
All ACT public servants including shop workers, office staff and bus drivers will be trained in spotting domestic violence, including little-understood controlling and coercive behaviours, how to respond to victims and where to find them help. Key points:A course on family violence recognition will be rolled out to all ACT public servants from next year as part of their 'core training'Frontline health workers, such as paramedics, will receive more advanced training than currently offeredThe program was first planned in 2016 after a string of domestic violence deaths in the territory Frontline workers who come into regular contact with domestic violence victims, such as hospital social workers and midwives, will also receive more in-depth advanced training from mid-2019. It is an expansion the ACT Ambulance Service said could save lives. The program, described as "bold" by support services, will be rolled out to the territory's 21,000 public servants early next year as "core training", in a similar way to anti-bullying or workplace health and safety courses. Plans for improved training for frontline health and justice workers were announced in 2016 after a cluster of domestic violence deaths in the territory including Tara Costigan, who was murdered with an axe by her ex-partner while nursing their newborn. Photo: The murder of Tara Costigan by the father of her newborn, whom she cradled as she was killed, contributed to plans for more training. (Supplied) But in developing the program, the ACT Government decided to expand it to all public servants. Training to consider possible risks of reporting abuse ACT coordinator general for family safety Jo Wood said workers would be taught to recognise different types of abuse, how to discuss the issue empathetically and where to refer someone for more expert advice. She said the training would be available face-to-face or online, and would extend to "an incredibly diverse range of roles and people". "That will include bus drivers, people who work in Access Canberra, teachers in schools, nurses in the hospitals, people doing policy work in the centre of government," Ms Wood said. "We know that one-in-four women and one-in-13 men have experienced violence from an intimate partner and when we start to raise this issue in the workplace, including through the training, more people are going to feel they are able to disclose it in the workplace," she said. But she stressed the training would ensure workers did not feel there were higher expectations to always report abuse, which in some cases could make victims unsafe. "We don't have a mandatory reporting regime for domestic and family violence," she said. "If it's a situation where there is significant risk then that's a point at which we would be strongly encouraging people to be referring and providing contact details for the specialist agencies in our communities." Photo: Frontline health responders, like paramedics, will get more extensive and more regular training. (Supplied: ACT Government) Victims could be 'funnelled back' to already struggling services Family violence support:If an emergency, call police on 000. If not an emergency, call: Support groups applauded the new program, with Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS) chief executive Mirjana Wilson calling it a "bold move". "It's a big project. But I think it's something that really highlights the Government's commitment to ensure that this is an area that all people have some capacity to respond in some way appropriately," she said. But she warned that as it stood, appropriate support services would struggle to cope with an expected increase in victims seeking help. "Just raising awareness is not OK in and of itself," she said. "If we're then funnelling everyone back to services of which there are few to respond to this in the territory, we really need to ensure they're funded to do that well." Recognising that not everyone could get to a specialist organisation such as DVCS, Ms Wilson said she would like to see the training taken to another level, such as "to develop other workplaces to provide some more adequate responses [to domestic violence]". In December, workers from the Justice and Community Services directorate and emergency services were the first public servants in Canberra to trial the "foundation" training. Regular domestic violence training 'can save lives' ACT Ambulance Service chief officer Howard Wren said paramedics were in line to have the more advanced training next year, and that consistent training in their field could save lives. He highlighted how paramedics were recently taught how to look for signs of manual strangulation, an under-reported type of domestic violence. Photo: The ACT Government initiative will be rolled out to all public servants from next year. (Supplied: ACT Government) "There's been a couple of cases where people, because they're more aware of it, because they ask some additional questions and go looking for it, they've found something that may well have gone unreported," Mr Wren said. "Clearly an event like that is very violent in itself and it may well escalate, but as a result of that attack there can be quite hidden damage." This hidden damage could be "quite catastrophic", he said. "You can damage blood vessels in the neck that don't appear to be damaged at the time but some time later you can have very significant issues and people can have a stroke for example." Mr Wren said he hoped the understanding of less obvious or delayed symptoms of family violence would only strengthen with the expanded training. Topics:domestic-violence,community-and-society,law-crime-and-justice,work,canberra-2600,act,australia First posted December 23, 2018 08:08:41 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-23/act-public-servants-to-be-trained-to-spot-family-violence/10647566 12/23/2018 0 Comments Man allegedly strangled young brumby in Kosciuszko National Park until it fell unconsciousUpdated December 21, 2018 21:26:06
A man was filmed strangling a tame horse in Kosciuszko National Park, refusing witness pleas to let go, until it fell unconscious, New South Wales Police allege. Key points:A 61-year-old Tamworth man is charged with animal cruelty after allegedly strangling a tame brumby coltThe man was camping in the Kosciuszko National Park when another group of campers allegedly saw him attack the animalPolice say the horse suffered injuries, but it could not be found after the incident Police said a group was camping in the NSW national park on Saturday November 17 when they saw the man, who was part of another camping group, putting a rope around the neck of a brumby colt. They allege the man repeatedly pulled the horse by the lariat, which caused it to be visibly distressed and struggle to breathe. The man allegedly refused to let the horse go when several witnesses intervened, and it fell to the ground unconscious. It is believed the horse suffered injuries as it was lame after the attack. But police said it could not be found after the incident so they "are not aware of its fate". Police later spoke to a 61-year-old Tamworth man and charged him with animal cruelty, as well as capturing or snaring an animal in a national park. Officers said they had viewed the footage recorded by a camper, and said it "clearly showed" the horse was hurt. Detective Inspector Cameron Whiteside said police do not tolerate, and will thoroughly investigate, all cases of animal cruelty. "We strongly encourage members of the public to report any incident of animal cruelty so those involved can be identified and charged," he said. The man is due to appear in Cooma Local Court in February. Topics:law-crime-and-justice,human-interest,animal-attacks,animals,animal-welfare,crime,cooma-2630,nsw,australia,bega-2550,canberra-2600,act First posted December 21, 2018 15:39:30 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-21/man-charged-with-strangling-brumby-in-kosciuszko-national-park/10647134 Updated December 15, 2018 19:23:11
Photo: Chief Minister Michael Gunner has declined to be interviewed by the ABC over the NT's financial crisis since the news broke. (ABC News: Mitchell Woolnough) Prime ministerial hopeful Bill Shorten has dodged questioning over Labor's "severe mismanagement" of the Northern Territory economy, following revelations the region is in dire financial straits and seeking an emergency bailout from Canberra. Key points:The Northern Territory Government is in the middle of a budget crisis, with the region's net debt expected to rise tenfold by 2029-30Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten says the region still has an "exciting future" through the industries of fracking, health, tourism and defenceChief Minister Michael Gunner declines to be interviewed over the matter after going on annual leave It emerged yesterday that the Northern Territory Government, headed by NT Labor Chief Minister Michael Gunner, was in the throes of a budget crisis and needing to borrow to cover day-to-day operational costs, such as public servants' wages. The Territory's net debt has escalated from $1.7 billion in 2016 when Labor was elected to around $3 billion this year, and was now expected to increase tenfold to $35.7 billion by 2029-30. At a press conference today in Adelaide, Mr Shorten who will be aiming to prove his party's economic credentials in the face of an anticipated hostile election campaign from the incumbent Coalition Government was asked whether the NT's financial strife was proof the "Coalition is right and Labor can't manage economies". Mr Shorten said the NT's woes were brought on by being at "the receiving end of a downturn from the Inpex development" but did not answer whether Labor was responsible for the situation, or say whether or not a future federal Labor government would consider pumping up annual Commonwealth funding delivered to the NT, or what kind of bailout measures it would consider to help the region's ailing economy. Fracking, defence touted for future He said the NT had an "exciting future" fuelled by the industries of tourism, defence, fracking and Indigenous history. "We're committed to playing to our strengths in defence in the Northern Territory," Mr Shorten said. Photo: Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the NT has a bright future ahead, despite its current financial crisis. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty) "Michael Gunner is making significant and well-thought-out considered decisions about improving access to some gas reserves in the Northern Territory. "There's opportunities in the environment, healthcare, defence, infrastructure, resources and of course building on our amazing 64,000-year Indigenous Australian history, which makes the Northern Territory one of the luckiest places on the globe." No sign of Chief Minister Treasurer Nicole Manison said yesterday she would be flying to Canberra for emergency meetings with Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenburg next week, where it was expected she would push for a bailout to bolster the waning economy despite having already been handed a top-up payment of $259 million by then-treasurer Scott Morrison earlier this year. Despite the crisis currently embroiling his first-term government, Mr Gunner has declined to be interviewed by the ABC since the report was handed down by Ms Manison yesterday afternoon. Mr Gunner was also not attending the triennial Labor Party National Conference in Adelaide as he is on annual leave with Ms Manison taking his place. Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister and NT senator Nigel Scullion has also weighed into the NT's economic crisis, and said the Gunner Government was "taking the Territory down a path of economic ruin". "The debt continues to skyrocket, the economy is stagnating and it is clear that Territory Labor cannot responsibly manage the budget," Mr Scullion posted on Facebook. "Michael Gunner and Nicole Manison need to be held accountable for their severe mismanagement of the Northern Territory economy." NT Chamber of Commerce CEO Greg Bicknell told the ABC the Territory Government's spending should be better monitored. "Government should be looking at every dollar they're spending and saying is this going to grow our population, is this going to sustain our population and making sure that's the bottom line for it," Mr Bicknell said. "The Government have been spending pretty willy-nilly over both terms of government without an eye on the future, whereas people in their own businesses and their own budgets actually look to the future and plan towards it." Topics:politics-and-government,budget,federal---state-issues,federal-government,darwin-0800,adelaide-5000,canberra-2600 First posted December 15, 2018 19:21:12 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-15/bill-shorten-dodges-question-about-labor-management-of-nt-budget/10623916 Updated December 15, 2018 09:53:49
Photo: Shane Drumgold was appointed ACT Director of Public Prosecutions in December 2018. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson) He started out a high school dropout from a troubled family, and just recently landed a job his young self could never have imagined. Key points:Shane Drumgold takes over from Jon White as DPPHis career included prosecuting Kai Yuen and Marcus RappelIn 2006, a family trip turned into a nightmare due to the Solomon Islands riots The ACT's new top prosecutor, Shane Drumgold doesn't sugar-coat his early years growing up in Mount Druitt, which saw him leave school in year nine. "School and I never got along very well, simply because of the distractions that occurred during that period," he said. His formative years were marked by his father's struggles with mental illness and drug and alcohol problems, and by the death of his younger brother. Photo: Shane Drumgold at his university graduation. (Supplied) Now, he believes those trials laid the foundation for his life. "It's a learned experience I think that serves me well in my role I know what it's like to be a kid hiding under a bed," he said. He admitted there are days when he pinches himself, in disbelief at the life he leads. Overcoming, if not totally forgetting, his early suffering, he completed three university degrees, in economics, law and international law. "I at no point would have thought at 15 years old that at 50 years old I would be a senior lawyer," he said. "But I love the life, I love the work, I love dealing with victims. "I genuinely love working for the community and I seem to be particularly well suited to this work." And much of that work involved murder. Dealing in human suffering Mr Drumgold's career was marked by a series of high profile cases, including that of Kai Yuen, who was responsible for the 2010 killing of Brendan Welsh, Marcus Rappel, who was jailed over the axe murder of his former partner Tara Costigan, and Magid Al Harazi, who stabbed his wife Sabah Al Mdwali to death. "There are no winners in a murder matter," he said. "I feel equally for the family of the victims, and also when you appear every day, you see the family of the accused and you can see the pain in their face. "It's a painful place to be for everyone involved." But in court he says he keeps to a clinical approach. "I don't try to get into the mind of nor could I ever get into the mind," he said. "You need to be absolutely intimate with all of the details and to that extent you need to basically walk through the process from start to finish and have a firm grasp of the minutiae of the case." He said there was no surprise in the lack of remorse shown by the killers he interrogated in court. "Nobody likes to think that they've done something particularly evil, or done something particularly heinous," he said. "There is a strong (urge) particularly in the course of a trial to rewrite the history to make it something more digestible for them." A working holiday does not go to plan: Honiara, 2006 It was the dark world of murder trials that Mr Drumgold sought to leave behind when he and his family packed up for a year-long working holiday to the Solomon Islands in 2006. Photo: Shane Drumgold and his daughter fleeing violent riots in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 2006. (Supplied.) But things did not go to plan, and they were caught up in deadly riots that grew out of control in the capital after the unpopular Snyder Rini was elected prime minister by legislators. "We were living in Rinandi and when Rinandi started to burn we made a fairly furious escape to the airport and were evacuated by the Australian Army," he said. "It's really a nightmare to be stuck in a dangerous situation like that and you don't just have to look after yourself, you have to look after your two children. "That was the scariest aspect that I had placed the kids in danger." Photo: The damage caused by the 2006 Solomon Islands riots caused an estimated AUD$37 million. (ABC TV) Mr Drumgold returned alone later, to finish his secondment as a public defender, dealing with some of the most horrific of crimes "I was frequently shocked because I would turn up to prison and there'd be a small, young, seemingly peaceful young person," he said. "And the message I got from that is that it was a war zone, and war makes good people do bad things." A new chapter for the ACT Mr Drumgold said he was looking forward to a future as the head of an organisation that has more than eighty staff handling thousands of cases a year. He said the ACT population growth was expected to reach 500,000 people by the end of his tenure, and with that will come more crime. "I need to factor in that we will have fairly regular murder prosecutions to deal with," he said. It was an historic murder that dominated the work of the DPP's office over the last few years, with the retrial of David Eastman for the 1989 murder of former Assistant Australian Federal Police Commissioner Colin Winchester. Mr Eastman was found not guilty after a six month trial. The outgoing director Jon White was criticised by the Bar Association for running the case at all. But Mr Drumgold said the office did its job a statement that gives a clue as to what kind of DPP he will be in the years to come. "Our job during the course of that case was to professionally present the evidence before a jury and for a jury to do their job which is decide based on the evidence, and that's what they did." Topics:law-crime-and-justice,international-law,laws,australia,act,canberra-2600 First posted December 15, 2018 08:40:14 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-15/shane-drumgold-appointed-the-acts-new-act-dpp/10622652 12/19/2018 0 Comments Wild karaoke bar where man found lying in trail of vomit slapped with $20,000 fineUpdated December 17, 2018 12:03:46
Photo: Staff told police an underage girl who needed to be hospitalised was "a regular". (www.SounboxKaraoke.com.au) Map: Australia Violence, hospitalisations and excessive underage drinking over a five-month period have landed the former owners of a popular Canberra karaoke bar with a $20,000 fine. Key points:Several instances of underage drinking, hospitalisations at Soundbox KaraokeACAT imposes $20,000 fine Karaoke bar now under new management The previous owners of Soundbox Karaoke Bar were last week issued a sharp rebuke and banned from selling alcohol in a judgement handed down by the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) over the incidents in 2017. The bar in Canberra's north has since come under new ownership, but kept the Soundbox name. The judgement came after a number of events, including one instance in June last year when a pair of young girls, one of them aged 17, were hospitalised due to drunkenness after visiting the Dickson bar. When authorities later asked employees of the bar about the incident, they were told the young women were regulars and were not checked for ID. The very next night, ACT Policing visited the bar for a compliance check. They found a man lying on a lounge in one of the karaoke rooms, passed out with a trail of vomit leading from him to the floor. Within the room, police found a full, unopened case of beer, two empty bottles of Johnny Walker Blue Label whisky, two empty beer jugs and empty shot glasses. Staff told authorities the beer was bought on site, and a drinks menu found during another visit advertised full bottles of spirits for sale, along with shots. Authorities became involved with the bar again that month when it was found to have served drinks to a man who arrived visibly drunk, later passed out and had to be treated by paramedics. Photo: The bar's drinks menu advertised full bottles of spirits for sale, along with shots. (www.SoundboxKaraoke.com.au) Months later, police were called to attend the bar after a fight broke out among a group of six men on a Saturday night in November. CCTV vision of the fight showed a man drink from a wine bottle, then swing it at two others nearby, connecting with the head of one of them. He tried to hit himself in the head with the bottle, as a scuffle occurred around him. Former owners fined, banned from holding a license The ACAT found the bar had breached seven conditions of its liquor license over a five-month period in 2017. The former owners were handed a $20,000 fine, and banned from applying for another liquor license for 18 months. They no longer own the karaoke bar. The ACAT took the step of publicly reprimanding the former owners, listed in tribunal documents as HH and HD Pty Ltd. "The incidents were serious and had the potential to cause more harm than they did," the decision said. "This reprimand is both a formal statement of the Tribunal's disapproval of the former licensee's conduct, and a message to other licensees and the public that a higher standard of conduct is expected, and legally required, of licensees." Topics:community-and-society,law-crime-and-justice,laws,police,australia,act,canberra-2600 First posted December 17, 2018 07:40:25 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-17/former-owners-of-canberra-karaoke-bar-slapped-down/10625016 Updated December 15, 2018 19:23:11
Photo: Chief Minister Michael Gunner has declined to be interviewed by the ABC over the NT's financial crisis since the news broke. (ABC News: Mitchell Woolnough) Prime ministerial hopeful Bill Shorten has dodged questioning over Labor's "severe mismanagement" of the Northern Territory economy, following revelations the region is in dire financial straits and seeking an emergency bailout from Canberra. Key points:The Northern Territory Government is in the middle of a budget crisis, with the region's net debt expected to rise tenfold by 2029-30Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten says the region still has an "exciting future" through the industries of fracking, health, tourism and defenceChief Minister Michael Gunner declines to be interviewed over the matter after going on annual leave It emerged yesterday that the Northern Territory Government, headed by NT Labor Chief Minister Michael Gunner, was in the throes of a budget crisis and needing to borrow to cover day-to-day operational costs, such as public servants' wages. The Territory's net debt has escalated from $1.7 billion in 2016 when Labor was elected to around $3 billion this year, and was now expected to increase tenfold to $35.7 billion by 2029-30. At a press conference today in Adelaide, Mr Shorten who will be aiming to prove his party's economic credentials in the face of an anticipated hostile election campaign from the incumbent Coalition Government was asked whether the NT's financial strife was proof the "Coalition is right and Labor can't manage economies". Mr Shorten said the NT's woes were brought on by being at "the receiving end of a downturn from the Inpex development" but did not answer whether Labor was responsible for the situation, or say whether or not a future federal Labor government would consider pumping up annual Commonwealth funding delivered to the NT, or what kind of bailout measures it would consider to help the region's ailing economy. Fracking, defence touted for future He said the NT had an "exciting future" fuelled by the industries of tourism, defence, fracking and Indigenous history. "We're committed to playing to our strengths in defence in the Northern Territory," Mr Shorten said. Photo: Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says the NT has a bright future ahead, despite its current financial crisis. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty) "Michael Gunner is making significant and well-thought-out considered decisions about improving access to some gas reserves in the Northern Territory. "There's opportunities in the environment, healthcare, defence, infrastructure, resources and of course building on our amazing 64,000-year Indigenous Australian history, which makes the Northern Territory one of the luckiest places on the globe." No sign of Chief Minister Treasurer Nicole Manison said yesterday she would be flying to Canberra for emergency meetings with Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenburg next week, where it was expected she would push for a bailout to bolster the waning economy despite having already been handed a top-up payment of $259 million by then-treasurer Scott Morrison earlier this year. Despite the crisis currently embroiling his first-term government, Mr Gunner has declined to be interviewed by the ABC since the report was handed down by Ms Manison yesterday afternoon. Mr Gunner was also not attending the triennial Labor Party National Conference in Adelaide as he is on annual leave with Ms Manison taking his place. Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister and NT senator Nigel Scullion has also weighed into the NT's economic crisis, and said the Gunner Government was "taking the Territory down a path of economic ruin". "The debt continues to skyrocket, the economy is stagnating and it is clear that Territory Labor cannot responsibly manage the budget," Mr Scullion posted on Facebook. "Michael Gunner and Nicole Manison need to be held accountable for their severe mismanagement of the Northern Territory economy." NT Chamber of Commerce CEO Greg Bicknell told the ABC the Territory Government's spending should be better monitored. "Government should be looking at every dollar they're spending and saying is this going to grow our population, is this going to sustain our population and making sure that's the bottom line for it," Mr Bicknell said. "The Government have been spending pretty willy-nilly over both terms of government without an eye on the future, whereas people in their own businesses and their own budgets actually look to the future and plan towards it." Topics:politics-and-government,budget,federal---state-issues,federal-government,darwin-0800,adelaide-5000,canberra-2600 First posted December 15, 2018 19:21:12 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-15/bill-shorten-dodges-question-about-labor-management-of-nt-budget/10623916 |
Archives
March 2023
Categories |