Category: Australia

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has been spotted catching the train in Sydney.

A picture of Mr Turnbull sitting on a Sydney train on Saturday has attracted over 400 comments online, with many praising the man worth an estimated $200million for roughing it with the masses.

Former prime ministers have a considerable list of benefits available to them including a Commonwealth car and an accompanying driver in their home state.

‘That’s what all politicians should do, not cash in their perks as kings,’ one person said.

‘Say what you like about him as PM, but I like that a man who’s worth $200million and has all the perks of an ex-PM including a chauffeured Com car still catches the metro,’ said another.

‘One of the things I like about the Turnbulls is that they want to get around using public transport or by foot,’ a commenter added.

© Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited Mr Turnbull has been well known for his love and constant use of public transport and often posts his travels to TwitterA few commenters pointed out that he was incorrectly sitting on a disabled seat but several others quickly dismissed this.’Yeah look at all the disabled people lined up on that quiet train inconvenienced by Malcolm,’ a person replied sarcastically.The millionaire often chose public transport during his duties and famously took the train from Melbourne to Geelong while Bronwyn Bishop took the same trip by helicopter in the scandal known as ‘choppergate’.

© Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited The millionaire once took the train from Melbourne to Geelong while Bronwyn Bishop took the same trip by helicopter in the scandal known as ‘choppergate’He continued to ride public transport even while severing as Prime Minister but had to be surrounded several Australian Federal Police Officers.

Mr Turnbull has been well known for his love and constant use of public transport and often posts his travels to Twitter.

One on occasion in 2015 he embarked on a Twitter recommendation thread where he posted some of his favourite routes and images of scenery he had experienced on the train. msn

Affinity organised its major Ramadan Iftar Dinner at the NSW Parliament on 23 May 2019 attended by more than 300 prominent guests from diverse backgrounds and professions.

The event co-hosted by parliamentarians, The Hon John Sidoti MP and Ms Sophie Costis MP marked the Affinity Intercultural Foundation’s 11th annual Friendship and Dialogue Ramadan Iftar Dinner at the historic parliament building.

Former Socceroo and broadcaster and a staunch advocate for refugees and human rights, Craig Foster during his keynote address described how he spearheaded a campaign, creating a global movement and leading a coalition of organisations across sport and human rights to free the young soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi from Bangkok prison.

With thunderous applause Hakeem al-Araibi came to the stage in order to thank Craig and all his Australian supporters for a successful campaign that resulted in his safe return back to his new homeland.

Affinity’s annual ’Peace and Solidarity Award’ for 2019 was presented by Bill Dobbie, New Zealand Consul-General to Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop, investigative reporter at the ABC and Lucy Carter, researcher at Four Corners, ABC for their work on the Four Corners episode titled, ‘Under the Radar’ following the Christchurch terror attacks on two mosques which claimed the lives of 51 innocent people with more than 50 injured.

The invited guests at the Iftar included business people, members of the Parliament, members of the media (including ABC, SBS, Sydney Morning Herald, Walkley Foundation, Desi Australia, AMUST and Zaman), members from the Royal Australian Navy, NSW Police Force, United Nations Association of Australia, youth and education leaders, community and religious leaders, school principals, captains and students, government officials, former diplomats, academics as well as well as consul generals representing a number of countries.

The formal program commenced with an introduction and a welcome by Kumi Taguchi, presenter and broadcaster on the ABC, who acted as MC for the evening.

Welcome to Country was given by Walangari Karnatawarra, an Australian Aboriginal artist and Aboriginal elder from Alice Springs and now lives and works in Sydney.

Pauline Wright, President, NSW Council for Civil Liberties

Pauline Wright, President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties and an Affinity Advisory Board Member welcomed the guests.

Bilal Kilic.

Bilal Kilic from Amity College, in his melodious voice gave Adhan, the Arabic call to prayer for guests to break their fast. In mosques all around the world, the call to the evening prayer signals the end of the fast and the beginning of the Iftar dinner.

Mr Abdul Raheem, Consul at the Sri Lanka Consulate in Sydney reflected upon the recent acts of terror in Sri Lanka which claimed more than 200 innocent lives. Dr Kathy Egea, Senior Lecturer at UTS, was invited to the stage to present a gift to Mr Abdul Raheem.

Amity College Choir, Auburn.

Soon after dinner, Walangari Karntawarra and Amity College Choir came together on the stage for a combined performance.

Walangari performed a solo piece, followed by a performance from the Amity College Choir who sang, ‘Garrry Ninaname’, a traditional Aboriginal song & Touch the Sky, from Brave. The choir conductor for the evening was Emma Bolton, a music teacher at Amity College.

The Hon John Sidoti and Ms Sophie Cotsis presented gifts to the Amity College Choir students and their teacher Emma Bolton.

The Hon John Sidoti, Member for Drummoyne is the Minister for Sport, Multiculturalism, Seniors and Veterans, and a Member of the Liberal Party while Ms Sophie Cotsis, Member for Canterbury is Shadow Minister for Women, Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism , Shadow Minister for Ageing, Shadow Minister for Disability Services, and a Member of the Autralian Labor Party.

Sophie Cotsis MP, State Labor Member for Canterbury..

Both co-hosts of the Iftar addressed the guests and were presented with gifts by The Hon John Hatzistergos, Judge, District Court of NSW.

The most popular and mover and shaker behind such successful events, Ahmet Polat, the Executive Director of Affinity Intercultural Foundation in his unique and hilarious style addressed all the guests present as his cousins appreciating all and thanking guests, sponsors, supporters and volunteers.

Joe Gelonesi, Manager, Religion & Ethics ABC, presented a gift to Pauline Wright and Walangari.

The audience were mesmerised by  Qur’an recitation by Ibrahim Karaisli from Amity College.

The keynote speaker, Craig Foster finally took to the stage and in addition to talking about his efforts to free Hakeem al-Araibi, gave a moving address of hiis passion for advocacy towards vulnerable people, gender equality in sport as a driver of change, indigenous rights and social justice and always being a prominent advocate for the beautiful game and its social impact on Australia.

A special gift, Jersey signed by international soccer legend Hakan Sukur (Shukur) was presented to Craig Foster by Ahmet Polat.

Sukur (Shukur) spent most of his club career at Galatasaray, but also played for Torino, Inter Milan, Parma and the Blackburn Rovers. He represented Turkey a total of 112 times, scoring 51 goals, making him the nation’s top goalscorer and 19th in the world at the time of his retirement. One of the most prolific strikers of the modern era, he netted 383 goals throughout his club career as well as the fastest ever in a World Cup, in 2002.

A special musical performance was staged by Ashiya Khan and Yasmin Hasan who participated in the International Festival of Language and Culture (IFLC), one of the largest and most prominent events for promoting world languages and cultures.

Dr Geoff Lee (right) with Ashiya Khan, Yasmin Hasan and Nuran Okan.

It was dedicated to cultivate and educate the youth and create a platform to share their cultural heritage with their peers around the world.

Ashiya Khan sang “You’re the Voice” by the one of Australia’s most beloved solo artists, John Farnham while Yasmin Hasan sang “Get Along” by Guy Sebastian, first winner of the first Australian Idol in 2003.

The Hon Dr Geoff Lee, Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education was invited to the stage to present gifts from Affinity to Ashiya, Yasmin and their music teacher Nuran Okan. Geoff stayed back on the stage to address the audience.

Joseph La Posta, CEO, Multicultural NSW with The Hon John Sidoti.

The Consul General of New Zealand in Sydney, Mr Bill Dobbie, honoured the guests with a moving address reflecting upon the recent tragedy in Christchurch and the coming together of the community afterwards.

Prof Mary Sponberg, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Southern Cross University presented a gift to Mr Dobbie.

The Hon  John Sidoti and Ms Sophie Cotsis handed sponsorship certificates to all of the sponsors, Suttons Homebush Honda, Multicultural NSW, University of Sydney, Settlement Services International (SSI), NAB and Notre Dame University.

Hakeem Al- Araibi, Community & Human Rights Advocate at Football Victoria accepted the award on behalf of Football Victoria.

Louisa Graham, Chief Executive of The Walkley Foundation.

Afterwards, Principal Chaplain Collin Acton, Director General Chaplaincy from the Royal Australian Navy and Louisa Graham, Chief Executive of the Walkley Foundation gave reflections from the floor.

Chin Tan, Race Discrimination Commissioner.

The Vote of Thanks was given by Mr Chin Tan, Race Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission who was presented with a gift by Patricia Jenkings, President of the United Nations Association of Australia.

Pauline Wright, President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, and Kumi Taguchi closed the formal proceedings with concluding remarks.

Principal Chaplain Collin Acton, Director General Chaplaincy from the Royal Australian Navy.

Ramadan is a month dedicated to self-discipline, spiritual renewal and togetherness. It is a time when Muslims recommit themselves to their faith, following days of discipline with nights of gratitude for the gifts that God bestows. Ramadan presents an opportunity for Muslims to bring their most positive values to the fore.

John Sidoti and Hakeem.

It’s a time of spiritual renewal and a reminder of one’s duty to our fellow human beings: to serve one another and lift up those less fortunate.  The Quran teaches that we should tread gently upon the earth and, when confronted by ignorance, reply “peace”.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. By foregoing things that we take for granted, by taking care to be kind, respectful and just, we are more likely to live out our values.

A 16-year-old girl pinned under a bus for more than 90 minutes in Parramatta last night is in a “serious but stable” condition in hospital.

The Sydney public transport bus mounted a footpath about 9:45pm last night and hit three teenage girls who were waiting at the bus stop at the intersection of Church and Argyle streets, outside the Parramatta train station.

One of the girls was pinned beneath the front of the bus.

Paramedics, police and firefighters worked frantically for one-and-a-half hours to free her.

Rescues crews were seen huddling around the bus, its front windshield cracked, parallel against a wall.

The bus was caught beneath an awning, meaning it was difficult for firefighters to elevate the bus and free the teenager.

“On our arrival there was a female in her early teens that was trapped under the bus for a significant period of time,” NSW Ambulance Acting Inspector Joe Ibrahim said.

“She was crushed by the bus and she remains in an extremely critical condition and has been transported to Westmead Hospital with pelvic injuries.

“The rescue was extremely difficult … with the assistance of NSW Fire and Rescue and NSW Police Force we managed to get the bus off the female patient and had our medical teams put her to sleep.”

Mr Ibrahim said the other two teenage girls, also 16, sustained minor injuries and were “thankfully, all quite stable”.

The bus had about 20 passengers on board at the time of the collision and a 49-year-old female passenger was treated in hospital for an eye injury.

Inspector Phil Sheedy from Fire and Rescue NSW said the confined space between the bus and the wall made the rescue “a very arduous task”.

“Hopefully, she will pull through,” he said of the 16-year-old girl.

NSW Police said a 62-year-old male bus driver was taken to the hospital for shock and mandatory blood tests as investigations continued.abc.net

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher has warned leaving Facebook and Google unregulated is not sustainable and says the public expects the government to take action on the US-based digital behemoths for privacy breaches and abuses of market power.

The technology giants, which are used by the vast majority of the Australian public and generate billions of dollars in advertising revenue, should face the same regulations and restrictions as businesses that aren’t powered by the internet, Mr Fletcher told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in an interview this week.

The comments come after Treasurer Josh Frydenberg warned the social media and search behemoths to expect a strict response to tackle their market power as part of a world-first inquiry into the impact of the technology companies on traditional media outlets, advertising revenues and user privacy.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission handed its final report to the government on June 30 after an 18 month investigation. It has not yet been publicly released or shared with the digital platforms.with theage

 

Confusion about which rail line is which has spurred transport planners to redesign Sydney’s rail map to make it easier for passengers to understand.

Since a “T system” was introduced as part of an overhaul of the rail timetable in 2013, much of the misunderstanding when reading the map has been about the T1 line because it encompasses the Western, Northern and North Shore lines.

In an attempt to make it easier for commuters and tourists alike, the T1 Northern Line will be renamed the T9 Northern Line from April 28. As well, it will drop yellow for a distinct red, and extend from Hornsby to Gordon via Epping, and Sydney’s central business district.

The Metro North West line will also make its first appearance on Sydney’s rail map in its trademark aqua – the same colour its driverless, single-deck trains are painted in. The new $8 billion line from Rouse Hill in Sydney’s north-west to Chatswood is due to open in May.

“Customer information will now be clearer and more concise,” it said. “This is not just a rebranding. It is about making customer journeys easier and improving their ability to plan their trip.”

Diagrammatic maps have played a crucial role in ensuring the smooth flow of passengers on railways for decades. A map of Sydney’s rail network in the 1930s drew inspiration from the first diagrammatic map of the London Underground by Harry Beck.

The Tube map has been repeatedly refined since and become one of – if not the – best known in the world. With SMH

A three-and-a-half metre snake has been caught trying to slither into a family home through a kitchen window.

Snake catcher David Walton was called to the property in Brinsmead, Cairns, on Thursday after a terrified elderly woman reported the bizarre incident.

The experienced reptile removalist was shocked at the size of the Amethystine python, which was sprawled up across the wall at 11am.

‘Because the window was glass, the snake couldn’t understand what it was,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

A three-and-a-half metre snake has been caught trying to slither into a family home through a kitchen window

A snake catcher was called to the property in Brinsmead, Cairns, on Thursday after a terrified elderly woman reported the bizarre incident

‘It was banging its nose against the wall trying to get in. The low of 20C is quite low for Cairns… It was just trying to get inside to get warm.’

‘The owner is quite paranoid. In the past many snake skins had been found although the snake could never be located,’ he said.

Dozens of flights have been grounded in Melbourne and Sydney as wild winds lash Australia’s south-east.

Thirty-one domestic flights have so far been cancelled out of Melbourne, mostly because of the weather. No international flights have been affected at this stage.

Airlines were warning passengers to check their flight status on Friday.

Jetstar said strong winds in Sydney had caused cancellations and delays to domestic flights.

“We thank customers travelling to or from Sydney for their patience and advise them to check the current status of their flight,” a Jetstar statement said.

“We appreciate delays are frustrating, however safety is our highest priority.”

Jetstar passengers will be contacted by SMS.theage.

A woman has died and a child is in a critical condition after destructive winds in Australia’s south-east sent a tree falling onto a car on the Black Spur, north-east of Melbourne.

Police believe the vehicle was travelling along Maroondah Highway at Fernshaw, about 80 km north-east of Melbourne, when a gum tree fell on it just after 9:30am.The woman, who was in the front passenger seat, died at the scene. Two children and the male driver were freed from the car.

One child with life-threatening injuries was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a critical condition, while another child was taken by road to the hospital in a stable condition.

A man with serious injuries was flown to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital, but was in a stable condition by mid–afternoon, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Police said the woman was yet to be formally identified.

Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol were investigating and will prepare a report for the coroner.

The Black Spur stretch of the highway — a popular scenic drive running through the Yarra Ranges — was re-opened between Healesville and Narbethong by late afternoon.

A number of road closures remain in place around the Yarra Ranges and Alpine areas due to the severe weather.

Emergency services said no-one was injured and alternative accommodation was being sought for residents as the roof’s wreckage was removed.

Parts of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales were experiencing the dangerous winds as a deep polar low moved across the region, seeing flights cancelled and prompting warnings of traffic chaos and blizzards.

“This is the coldest outbreak the south-east has seen this year,” Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) duty forecaster Rohan Smyth said.

Motorists were urged to take extra caution during peak hour traffic and the SES issued a road weather alert for “dangerous” driving conditions.

The winds lashing Victoria also destroyed part of the Frankston Pier, in Melbourne’s south-east, sending the end of the structure loose into Port Phillip Bay.

The State Emergency Service (SES) said part of the pier in the densely populated suburb had become detached.

Frankston worker Chris Ransom saw the piece of the pier floating away from his office building and told the ABC it appeared it was heading north across the bay.

“It’s not something you see every day,” he said.

Jack Kearney, who works at a restaurant along the foreshore, told ABC Radio Melbourne the part of the pier was “probably the size of a small bus”.

The area experienced wind gusts of more than 110 kilometres per hour on Friday morning and the BOM said there were “abnormally high tides” across the Victorian coast.

The outer south-eastern suburbs near Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula bore the full force of the winds, but the CBD and northern suburbs escaped the worst of the weather.

Cape Otway, south-west of Melbourne, experienced wind gusts of up to 115 kph early Friday morning.

Speed limits were dropped down to 60 kph on Melbourne’s busy Bolte and West Gate bridges due to the strong and gusty winds.

Victoria’s SES said it had received more than 475 calls for help between 8:00pm and 10:00am, mostly due to fallen trees and some building damage.

Domestic and international flights at Sydney Airport were affected by the weather, with multiple cancellations on services this morning.

Melbourne Airport said more than 30 domestic flights had been cancelled and that number was expected to rise into Friday night.

Both airports urged travellers to check directly with their airlines to see if their travel would be affected.

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South Australia felt the brunt of the low through Thursday night and early Friday morning, with conditions easing throughout the morning.

Widespread areas of dust were reported over parts of SA’s Mid North, Riverland and Murraylands districts.

SA SES state duty officer Tony Costello said the state’s emergency service had received about 340 calls for assistance in a “fairly hectic” 24 hours.

The high winds and poor visibility made it difficult for emergency services to reach the scene of a fatal truck collision on the Stuart Highway near South Australia’s Barossa Valley region.

The “worst of the cold air” was expected to reach NSW on Saturday, Mr Smyth said.

In NSW, most of the state’s east coast was issued a damaging wind warning for more than 90 kph on Friday.

A blizzard warning for Victoria and NSW’s alpine areas remained in place, with winds peaking at 120 kph.

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VIDEO: NSW’s snow fields experienced heavy snowfall this morning. (ABC News)

“This dump of snow will increase the risk of avalanche, so skiers outside of resort areas should assess the avalanche risk,” Mr Smyth said.

The Great Alpine Road in Victoria was closed between Harrietville and Mount Hotham due to heavy snow.

Just before 5:30am, the apparent temperature at Thredbo top station was -22 degrees Celsius.

It was forecast to snow at altitudes as low as 500 metres in Victoria, including near the Dandenong Ranges, just east of Melbourne’s suburban fringe, and near the central town of Ballarat.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service recommended backcountry travel be postponed until conditions improve.

Australians are voting in a federal election on Saturday that bookmakers predict will return the Labor Party to power after six years in opposition.

A victory would put Labor leader Bill Shorten on course to become the country’s next prime minister, following a campaign in which he highlighted climate change and tax reform.

“I am nervous because it’s a big day, it’s a very big deal,” Shorten said on Saturday. “But I’m confident that we have done the homework.”

His rival is the current prime minister Scott Morrison. His conservative Liberal-National coalition has held power since 2013, but has struggled in the opinion polls over concerns about instability and party infighting.Voting is compulsory across the country, meaning a high proportion of the 17 million eligible voters is expected to turn out for this election.

But the polls also indicated Morrison narrowed Labor’s lead during the campaign, even though many voters are still angry about the ousting of his socially moderate predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, in a backbench revolt last August.

Turnbull was the second prime minister to be ousted while in office by the ruling Liberal Party amid deep divisions over climate and energy policy.And while polls show most Australians support stronger action to tackle climate change, Morrison’s coalition strongly supports the coal industry.

Morrison has pledged to meet Australia’s commitment under the Paris Accord to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 26% and 28% on 2005 levels, but says more ambitious targets would damage the economy.

Shorten said that, if elected, his government would aim to cut emissions by 45% by 2030.

Polling stations will close first in the more populous east of the country, two hours before voting ends in Western Australia.

A childcare provider allegedly filed claims for non-existent children and bought the identities of parents as a way to defraud millions of dollars from the Federal Government.

According to its website, Red Roses Family Day Care — which has locations in Sydney and Wollongong — promised to provide “high-quality, home-care options for children between the ages of birth to 12 years”.

But the family-run company allegedly made fraudulent claims worth up to $5 million from Government childcare programs, including the Commonwealth’s Child Care Subsidy Scheme (CCSS).

Red Roses Family Day Care allegedly filed claims for children who never existed and investigators NSW Police are now pursuing up to 150 parents who allegedly sold their children’s identities to help the company qualify for the subsidies.

“There are over 150 parents laying claim in terms of rebate, what we’ve taken out yesterday are the professional facilitators behind his syndicate,” NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said.

The ABC understand the business existed on paper, but no child ever went into care at any of the properties.

“The [child] identities were legitimate it’s just there wasn’t any physical evidence of anyone being looked after,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said.

Police said some of the men and women charged over the alleged scam were preparing to target the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

One of the “childcare centres” that supposedly looked after 50 children was operating out of a garage, police said.

Yesterday, NSW Police arrested 18 people over their alleged involvement in the scam — so far 17 have been charged.

“Strike force Mercury will continue in its investigations and we won’t rule out further arrests,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said.

The company’s director, Alee Farman, 49, was among 15 women and three men who were arrested yesterday during raids stretching from Fairfield to Wollongong in relation to the alleged syndicate.

Police said Mr Farman was originally from Iraq and became an Australian citizen in 2007.

Police said one woman arrested yesterday had $35,000 cash in her handbag, despite claiming Centrelink benefits.

The means-tested scheme was designed to help reduce the financial burden placed on low and middle-income families paying for childcare.

Subsidies are generally paid to childcare providers, who are required to pass them on to parents as a fee reduction.

Families then make a co-contribution to their childcare fees, paying the provider the difference between the fee charged and the subsidy amount.

The CCSS previously existed under different names before last July.

The company made around $4 million in rebates over eight months — the company director reportedly took home around $30,000 a fortnight.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith said some vulnerabilities had been identified in Government systems.

“There are vulnerabilities that we have found during the investigation,” he said.

Detectives and tactical officers targeted more than 22 properties when they turned up at homes across Greenacre, Fairfield, Bass Hill, Chester Hill and Georges Hall, and at a property near Wollongong.

A source close to the investigation told the ABC the group’s activities were at the level of sophistication “that could only be likened to the highest level of organised crime”.

The major investigation involved the Financial Crimes and Organised Crime Squad, along with the Federal Department of Education and Training, the Australian Intelligence Commission and the NSW Department of Education.

Inquiries into the alleged scam have been ongoing for almost a year, with childcare providers now under the microscope of detectives.