True crime writer Peter Hoysted, aka ‘Jack the Insider’ returns with the story of one of Australia’s most elaborate criminal enterprises.
From the early 1950s, Melbourne’s Federated Ship Painters and Dockers Union was much more than an affiliation of dock workers.
It became a thriving criminal enterprise, and a front for crimes including murder, theft, extortion and prostitution.
The Union held sway for five decades, and had members who had never done a day’s work on the Docks, but had plenty of experience with killing.
Eventually a Royal Commission was called into their activities, which led to the downfall of a Federal Government.
Text supplied by ABC.
Treasuries own data shows the corporate tax cuts are not the best option for using taxpayer funds when making tax changes.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/the-best-case-for-the-company-tax-cut-just-isn-t-that-good-20180321-p4z5io.html
A million bucks spent in legal fees trying to cover up their election fraud is not a good look for Mr Andrews and his cronies.
It’s not only stealing Boa, it’s sacrilege!
But you won’t hear a peep out of the apologist on here who professes to be concerned about misuse of the taxpayer’s funds.
Far worse Carl is the waste of tax payers money on Barnaby’s office refurb, Julie Bishops boyfriend (sorry partner, sorry significant other half) traveling to UN meetings, Joe Hockey claiming living expenses in Canberra when he was living in his wife’s house…..I could go on. This just another example of all politicians sucking off the public teat, no point is getting in a knot over this one and not the others. Bassman’s examples are spot on.
Appears to be a typical “look over there” response. So, some “stealing” is okay and some “stealing” is worse.
Weird?
No Carl, it’s not a look over there response….which I gather you picked up from Dwight. You can’t however pick your examples of “stealing” and being horrified depending on who you vote for. I don’t remember you being aghast at the Barnaby stuff, or the Bronwyn Bishop stuff, or the Joe Hockey stuff, or the Bassman examples. I would like to see you being horrified by all politicians rorting.
If a politician is living in a property in Canberra that belongs to them/ their partner they should not be able to claim overnight expenses.
Then again I don’t think pollies should be able to accept gifts, free tickets to sporting events or theatre etc, a business breakfast or lunch related to their portfolio is fair enough.
Not to mention the half a dozen or so legal cases the coalition have also used over $ a million each of taxpayer funds to fight. One way traffic around here as usual.
Worse is Brandis spending $16million in The Hague re his fight for oil rights with East Timor and Howard spending $2billion on advertising.
Don’t do facebook so not sure what the Cambridge analytica brouhaha is about, except stealing data[well doh!], but its making headlines.
Rabada too making news. He should at least fire up the game. The best thing we can do to cool his boots his smash him all over the park. Looking forward to Thursday evening.
And the unions and vic labor not doing the Battlers Bill any favours.
No one is stealing data. That’s Facebook’s business model. When the Obama 2012 FB app was out there, everything was cool. But Trump won so now it’s a problem.
Last gasp. Smoking cost the Nation over $30 Billion per year.
https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/9d29c844-57b0-4d68-808b-2dfd13aec28c/ah16-4-7-tobacco-smoking.pdf.aspx
That study is widely regarded as so horribly skewed as to be a great, steaming pile of bullshit. It contains all sorts of dodgy mathematical extrapolations and crude assumptions like loss of productivity, house fires (I’m a former fire investigator and fires from lit cigarettes almost never happen or at least don’t with a cigarette as the sole source of ignition) and a public health bill that is so exaggerated as to be laughable. By payment of the excise smokers actually bankroll public health spending — $8 bn of a total $22 bn Medicare spend. The public health industry routinely cites the figure as if it is gospel and a direct cost to the health system. It isn’t. And when these health zealots get called out they very quickly go to water.
Why should a company be able to cancel an agreement because workers will not take a pay cut or work shifts that cause fatigue issues. With fatigue comes more incidents, loss of productivity and more sick days.
Ah comment went in the wrong place. anyway. So smoking covers some of f the health cost then? JTI I would have thought by now you would be reformed smoker? The cost of smoking through health issues is huge , the loss of productivity likewise is huge not only through people stepping out for a smoke but through other associated health issues. I could not find any other numbers so I posted the Australian government one because surely the government would not mislead the Nation? Anyway. I will not agree. On another note what is the issue with some Innovative and Agile Southern European Businessmen making some on the side. the biggest kick to the black economy came from the introduction of the GST anyway if we are looking at unintended consequences. I have related here previously even though I was not close and only saw him occasionally through my life. I witnessed my old man go from 55 fit and string to 66 dead due to smoking related illness. I would not want that to happen to anyone.
We’ve all got our own stories. What’s important is people make informed choices. Governments can tax, sure, but when they tax unreasonably as they have with tobacco, it creates a black market and with excises so high and increasing, it is bees to honey for organised crime.
Tax on whiskey is a killer for me
Not kidding Bassy, all the scotch’s/whiskies I like are an arm and a leg these days
Not that much cheaper buying it Duty Free either nowadays Tracy….
SCOTCH WHISKEY:- When I launched myself in Scotland I went straight to the first bottle shop I saw saying to myself a Scotch will be cheap here…bloody dearer than here in Oz!!
Jack – having worked in the tobacco industry for a few years, I’ve seen some of the dodgy arguments put up by anti-smoking interests.
However, I’d hardly call the AIHW “health zealots”. They’re the number crunchers of Australian health data and they largely do their work in an apolitical way that’s statistically robust. How policy makers use their analyses is another matter.
The report was merely cited by AIHW. It was not written by them. Rather it came from rather more blurry sources. Read the report, not the citation. I guarantee you will be amazed at the shite therein.
A news item from my local area suggests the Government regime of perpetual excise increases on tobacco is in danger of being undermined, and has spawned a whole new avenue for organised crime to benefit from a poorly thought out tax. Tobacco has become the new pot. Crime gangs would not grow tobacco if it were not profitable. The penalties for growing tobacco illegally are much higher than for growing pot. Almost nightly the news airs CCTV footage from break-ins of commercial premises where thieves have targeted the cigarette shelves. This idiot tax has led to a crime spree. The Government will maintain this ridiculous tax until someone gets killed.
https://www.news-mail.com.au/news/major-update-60m-of-illegal-tobacco-found-in-bundy/3367143/
Good stuff, Wiss.
“The Government will maintain this ridiculous tax until someone gets killed.”
Many people will get killed, with or without the tobacco tax.
The smuggled cigarettes are not what you would smoke if you knew what was in them.
The government was told that this would happen at the time.
Next there will be statistics that old age costs the country $200 billion a year in lost productivity.
And we know where that will lead–the “voluntary” bit will be left out of the euthanasia bills.
Oh dear!
I cannot understand the resistance to voluntary euthanasia. You’d think the govt would be all for it. It would take a lot of strain off the health care system – and so many of the poor old dears just don’t want to hang around being a burden.
Agree Boa. I think the NT is thinking of resurrecting the legislation that was knocked on the head by a Kevin Andrews….hope so..
Penny – voluntary euthanasia legislation was “knocked on the head”.
Fair comment I spose.
Bad choice of words I agree, but Kevin Andrews has never visited the Northern Territory after his despicable act. Even the CLP hated him.
Dismayed, we are the only country that does the maths with this result. Others find that smoking is revenue positive. Factor in the costs of age care and dementia. As JTI says, study is total ordure but we all like bias confirmation
No surprises. the same in this country.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/propaganda-machine-fox-news-analyst-ralph-peters-leaves-network-20180321-p4z5g4.html
https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/baby-no
Well the MUA are up to their usual nonsense at Port Botany. Can’t believe they’re being allowed to merge with the CFMEU.
Heart warming and reassuring news from NASA today, Mr Insider. There’s a small chance an asteroid will hit Earth in 2135. NASA is working on a plan! I calculated I will be 183yo so have ‘some time” to prepare for this “event”. Strange NASA gives warnings like this 117 years in advance, what their angle I do wonder?
https://tinyurl.com/ycrmt7d9
Just a few weeks back an unknown and undetected asteroid, 2018CB, about the size of a bus, passed between the earth and the moon. The margin was 38,000km. Another much larger undetected intruder passed by 180,000km out in December last year. The Chelyabinsk meteor of 2013 (apprx 17m across) was also undetected and exploded in the atmosphere. A strike by any of these would cause massive destruction, even if it landed in the sea.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/asteroid-2018cb-to-pass-earth-just-at-just-one-fifth-the-distance-of-the-moon/news-story/bd072d28717991b1ce0d83c2d088aa74
About 40 degrees Henry
An acute as well acute.
Very interesting Jack, stuff I knew nothing about and now I know where the nickname Goanna came from.
Yoda! That’s who Lee Rhiannon looks like. I’m no fan of those shows but I get the gist and I don’t think Lee has his wisdom, or ears.
John Howard, now sans glasses, also bears more than a passing resemblance to Yoda. Perhaps he and Rhiannon are secret siblings. It is not a coincidence that Sen. Rhiannon represents the Greens.
Now there would be an interesting reunion after all those lost years. 60 minutes would clean up. The nature v nurture debate would get a workout as well.