@chimoaus https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/tolu-latu-stood-down-by-waratahs-after-drink-driving-charge-20190521-p51prj.html

It is understood allegedly police found the 12-Test Wallaby motionless behind the wheel of his car while stopped at a set of traffic lights on Cleveland Street in Sydney in the early hours of the morning.

@antipodean said in Aussie Politics:

It addresses bracket creep which is fundamentally sound policy. It doesn't come from anything, they're just not receiving it.

Bracket creep would have to be analysed in the context of slowing wages growth and general economy as well, no?

And if they're not receiving the tax, how do they forward project funding services for an aging population? Who pays for that?

@mariner4life said in Aussie Rugby in general:

George Smith was a gun right from the start, what a phenomenal player. One of the best all-round rugby players i have ever had the pleasure of watching. The fact he was forced to share game time with a plodder like Phil Waugh is one of the great tragedies of Wallaby rugby.

The worst bit? When the Tahs saw both Waugh and Smith going around as youngsters, they decided to wait on Waugh and Eddie Fucking Jones took Smith to the Ponies.

ON the Latu thing: turns out he was at a set of traffic lights when the cops nabbed him.

So he's fucked.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/folau-turns-to-top-silk-as-rugby-australia-case-heads-for-legal-stoush-20190521-p51psc.html

In a move that surprises nobody, Folau starts talking to employment lawyer with recent cred:

Israel Folau has tapped one of Australia's leading workplace relations lawyers and Melbourne silks, Stuart Wood QC, for advice as he mulls taking on Rugby Australia in court alleging a breach of contract.

A representative for Folau said that it was too early to say Wood had been “engaged” by the rugby superstar but confirmed the pair had been in talks over next steps in his ongoing tussle with RA.

Those close to Folau have recommended workplace relations expert Wood, who has emerged in past years as a crusader in unlawful termination cases where free speech is called into question.

The Melbourne-based barrister most recently successfully represented controversial marine scientist and climate-sceptic Peter Ridd in his battle against James Cook University, which terminated the academic for questioning his colleagues on-air and in emails.

The scientist was terminated by the university after describing his colleague, who was a coral researcher, as "not having any clue about the weather" and for giving "the normal doom science about the Great Barrier Reef".

Federal Circuit Court judge Sal Vasta ruled in the academic's favour, finding that his employment contract with the university protected his comments over and above the university's code of conduct. Ridd is continuing to seek reinstatement at the university.

While Folau has not confirmed his legal team or decided which avenue in the courts he will go down, the Herald understands the 30-year-old is setting his sights on being represented by Wood.
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@canefan said in The Folau Factor:

He wouldn't want to go back there anyway. Most of them are already going to hell!!!

And that's just preseason bonding sessions....

@barbarian said in Aussie Politics:

Whether it's justified or not, people still regard the Coalition as superior economic managers. Labor tried to fight the battle on economic grounds, which was the fatal flaw of their strategy. It was a field on which they could never win, outside of the inner-city progressives.

The swing maps I've seen show inner city "affluent" electorates tended toward Labor while the less affluent electorates moved toward the coalition.

Economic management is a broad topic and simply holding up graphs showing the changes in taxation, debt, deficit, surplus, etc you can paint any picture you want.

However, some analysts are saying that Labor never explained where the money was coming from, which I find interesting: franking credits and housing investment wind backs were pretty obvious I would have thought?

The Libs are also promising tax cuts without specifying where that money comes from, particularly a point blank refusal to answer questions in the $77B high bracket relief.

@rotated I think the Warringah situation is unique because of Tony Abbott's conduct the last couple of years.

Based on Phelps' ejection from Wentworth, Steggall may have one term before things return to "normal"

LOL should have held the election earlier.

https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/tax-cuts-for-10-million-workers-in-doubt-as-morrison-concedes-delay-to-parliament-20190521-p51pgs.html

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been told it is "very unlikely" he can convene Parliament before June 30 in a danger sign for his ability to legislate income tax cuts for millions of workers due to take effect on July 1.

The delay has forced the government to look at retrospective action to ensure ten million workers receive a tax offset in their tax returns worth up to $1080 a year and promised in the April 2 budget.
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