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August 07, 2010

Biggest Ekka Ripoff: Lunchtime "Crust Gourmet Pizzas" with a 75% price hike!

The Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar in the heart of the Ekka's Sideshow Alley would have to be the biggest ripoff at the show.

At lunchtime, the pizzas are $7 for a pretty average slice but by mid-afternoon, having slugged the lunchtime crowd, the price drops to $4.

So, the tip for show goers: Buy your Crust Gourmet Pizza after 3pm or vote with your feet and boycott them altogether.

It's a pity that the RNA officials allow this sort of thing to go unchecked year after year.

August 06, 2010

Langbroek slammed over AFL somersault

Minister for Child Safety and Minister for Sport

The Honourable Phil Reeves

06/08/2010

LNP: Breathtaking hypocrisy on AFL

The LNP which opposed an AFL stadium on the Gold Coast is now pretending to support AFL, Sport Minister Phil Reeves said today.

"This is the most breathtaking hypocrisy by a political party in years," Mr Reeves said.

"The Bligh Government is building a brand new AFL stadium on the Gold Coast to support the game in Queensland and drive up event dollars.

"But when we announced this stadium the LNP were fiercely opposed and attacked it as an election stunt.

"Now Mr Langbroek has the gall to pretend he is an AFL supporter.

"What a joke. He will be seen for the fraud that he is on this topic.

"The Member for Surfers Paradise has become the 'Johnny come lately' when it comes to supporting AFL and the jobs it creates," Mr Reeves said.

Palmer palms away legal fight against Captain Bligh

Joint Statement: Premier and Minister for the Arts

The Honourable Anna Bligh

Treasurer and Minister for Employment and Economic Development

The Honourable Andrew Fraser

06/08/2010

Statement by Premier

Premier Anna Bligh, Treasurer Andrew Fraser and businessman Clive Palmer have today reached a settlement after mediation over defamation action brought by Mr Palmer.

Ms Bligh said the parties reached an agreement which meant the matter was now finalised and would not proceed to court.

"I'm very happy that we have been able to settle this matter and avoid the expense and inconvenience of having to proceed to a court hearing," the Premier said.

"This matter is now closed."

The Premier, Treasurer and Mr Palmer agreed to release the following statement:

In January 2009, in the course of discussing political donations, the Premier and Treasurer made certain remarks concerning Professor Palmer. As a result of those remarks, Professor Palmer brought actions against the Premier and Treasurer.

The parties have settled those actions on the following terms:

1.Professor Palmer will discontinue the actions.

2.Each party will pay his or her own costs of the actions.

3.There is no requirement that this settlement be kept confidential.

4.The parties agree there is an entirely legitimate role for individuals and entities to support political parties through either donations (in cash or in kind) or other efforts.

The Premier and Treasurer agree that Professor Palmer has not acted unlawfully in supporting the LNP.

Equally, Professor Palmer agrees that robust political debate is absolutely vital to a functioning democracy.

The Premier and Treasurer do not hold the view that any political donations made by Professor Palmer to the LNP were made for an unlawful purpose.

All parties agreed that each is honestly committed to the prosperous future of Queensland.

Flegg Flogged: LNP Member for Moggill 'delighted' by Labor BER program yet stands by Abbott promise to give QLD schools 'the cuts'

Minister for Education and Training

The Honourable Geoff Wilson

06/08/2010

LNP Member for Moggill 'delighted' by Labor BER program yet stands by Abbott promise to give QLD schools 'the cuts'

Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson has welcomed today's release of the Federal Government's interim review of the Building Education Revolution (BER) program.

Mr Wilson said the report confirmed many key points already highlighted in the two independent Price Waterhouse Coopers reports commissioned by the Queensland Government.

"Young Queenslanders all over the state are enjoying learning in world-class facilities because of this Labor Government investment," Mr Wilson said.

"The BER program is delivering real work for Queensland businesses, real jobs for locals and new facilities for our schools.

"Even the LNP Member for Moggill acknowledged in a letter to me that he was 'delighted' by the BER program in his electorate and asked for additional funding.

"While I was happy to confirm extra Queensland Government investment it amazes me he continues to condemn the program.

"The LNP Member for Moggill has today criticised th e government for not spending money fast enough while standing by Tony 'the cuts' Abbott in his promise to stop building in Queensland schools.

Mr Wilson said Queensland had the second most P21 projects (1,592) and yet was delivering on time with a significantly lower number of issues.

"Today's report confirmed that the Queensland Government has made best use of industry capabilities and resources and 'appear to have better aligned the risk allocation associated with procurement in the pursuit of value for money.

"The taskforce also believed schools self-management of BER projects in the larger government systems would have been problematic and increased the risk of not delivering on time, or for predictable cost.

"The report stated that the Queensland Government system implemented a different procurement strategy so to engage different construction industry participants and ensure stimulus and work was delivered broadly across differing parts of the industry.

"It highlighted that construction managers were contracted at under 6% with a specific direction to engage smaller builders who ensured small firms were involved.

"The contract manager then assumed responsibility for those small businesses who lacked the occupational health and safety (OH&S) and environmental management systems and other experience necessary for work in schools.

Mr Wilson said he welcomed ongoing scrutiny of the program to ensure value for money was being delivered.

"I will not defend waste - if it is found immediate action will be taken.

"The delivery of BER in Queensland has been a partnership with projects designed to suit school community by the school community; no cookie cutter approach has been taken.

"Queensland has had no performance payments or bonuses with all money directed into school projects and savings reinvested into other projects at the school.

"Combined with the Queensland Labor Government's $850 million State Schools of Tomorrow program more than $10 million being spent on infrastructure in Queensland schools every day.

"Mr Flegg has continually complained of waste and mismanagement in BER delivery in Qld. Yet despite two inquiries by the independent auditor, not one claim has been substantiated.

"It's about time Mr Flegg put up or shut up.

"Anybody with evidence of waste or mismanagement is urged to send it immediately to the Director-General of Education Queensland, PWC or the Federal Government's BER Implementation Taskforce," Mr Wilson said.

The Bligh Labor Government is dedicated to best-practice learning supported by world-class facilities.

The Queensland Government has used independent quantity surveyors to audit BER projects at design and construction phases to ensure value for money.

Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) were engaged by the Queensland Government to independently investigate any complaints and assess value in the program's delivery.

PWC Report 1 was published in September 2009 and focussed on whether QLD system of BER implementation would achieve value for money based on best practice.

PWC Report 2 was published in June 2010 and investigated 12 official complaints, interviewed stakeholders and reviewed sample of projects focusing specifically on delivered value for money.

Both reports confirmed systems and delivery were achieving value for money.

August 01, 2010

Vot a stupid sign at Suncorp Stadium

A vater bubbler!

Students and immigrants caught in Australian racket: 'Innocents' help commit credit card fraud

 
AN ORGANISED crime ring is recruiting unwitting Victorians to commit credit card fraud, police say.
 
The ring advertises on legitimate job sites, offering large sums of money for people willing to work as ''dispatch managers''.
 
Detective Senior Constable Tim Johns said the ring used stolen credit card numbers to buy items over the internet, such as cameras, laptops, or expensive bicycle parts. The items would be shipped to the recruit's home, where a courier would collect the goods and ship them out of the country.
 
Senior Detective Johns said the group was preying on international students and new migrants, and did not pay people for the work they did.
 
''Once the recruit has worked for a month and starts asking for payment, the syndicate stops replying to their emails and the recruit is never paid.'' He said police had uncovered $100,000 worth of fraud committed by the group and three recruits in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. But he believed that was the ''tip of the iceberg''.
 
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
 

ACCC Nobbles Horse Betting Group


http://smarthouse.com.au

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has nobbled a horse betting operation who was using software that they believed was likely to mislead or decieve consumers after they claimed punters could earn between $50,000 to $70,000 working from home.

Sports betting software company, Intervest Global Live Pty Ltd, has stopped an advertising campaign on SeekCommercial after raised concerns about claims made for a horse betting software program called "Trilogics".

Intervest Global has acknowledged, in a court enforceable undertaking, that a number of claims in its advertisements about Trilogics software and how much people had earned from using the software were likely to be misleading or deceptive.

Intervest Global had represented in advertisements:

that it guaranteed that customers would earn $50,000 - $70,000 from home by using the software, when Intervest Global did not offer a guarantee of this nature.

that customers had earned a certain amount of average income from using the software in 2008, when Intervest Global had no basis for making that representation, that it had many customers who had been with Intervest Gobal for 10 years, when again Intervest had no basis for making that representation, and that the software was a franchised business, when it is not a franchise.

"It is fundamental that businesses must be able to substantiate every claim that they make about a product, particularly where claims about earnings and guarantees are designed to lure in potential buyers," ACCC deputy chair Peter Kell said.

"Consumers should be wary of businesses promising big returns from sport or horse betting products," Mr Kell said. "Remember that sports betting is gambling, not an investment, and the ACCC has been contacted by many consumers who have lost money through sports betting products."

The ACCC has been working with the Queensland Office of Fair Trading, Queensland Police, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission and the Australian Taxation Office to develop coordinated enforcement and consumer education strategies to tackle these types of sports betting products.

The ACCC can now issue notices that require businesses to substantiate claims that they make. If they breach the Trade Practices Act 1974, businesses also risk being issued with infringement notices of $6,600 for corporations and $1,320 for individuals, under the ACCC's new powers.