Author: GREEK WORLD MEDIA

Source: TheDailyTelegraph

JEFF Fenech lost $500,000 on what he now claims is an irrefutable truth: “Anthony Mundine is the most hated Australian ever”.

Mundine is today at the centre of a sporting gaffe to rival Fine Cotton and Trevor Chappell bowling underarm after US great Shane Mosley sensationally withdrew from tonight’s scheduled bout at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

The controversial Redfern fighter has also been labelled “a bullshit artist” by Fenech after yesterday claiming little knowledge of what the Australian fight great had done to help save the fight, including a $350,000 cash payment when Mosley first threatened to walk in August.

Asked at a press conference if he felt sorry for the Marrickville Mauler, who all up has lost half-a-million dollars, Mundine laughed and said no.

“And, look, he can say what he likes,’’ Fenech said last night. “I now realise Anthony Mundine is the most hated Australian ever.

Anthony Mundine gets KO’d 1:08

Has there been any greater blow to Anthony Mundine’s career than being left at the altar by ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley? We’ve found a few…

“This fight, he just couldn’t sell it. Nobody cares anymore. I’m sure he thinks he will come out of this okay, but you saw his press conference, it was typical Mundine bullshit.

“He knew exactly what I’d done for this fight because we spoke about it. Often. I’m not worried about the money but when so many people helped him get to a bloke he never could’ve on his own . . . classless.”

Fenech revealed he was in his backyard on Monday night, about to fire up a barbecue, when he learned one of the most embarrassing gaffe’s in Australian sports history was already underway.

“I’d invited Sergio Mora, the sparring partner for Shane Mosley, over for dinner,” he says. “He walked into my backyard, shook my hand and said ‘Jeff, we’re going home first thing tomorrow’.

Paul Kent on Shane Mosley’s exit from Australia 7:46

Paul Kent reveals why ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley left Australia less than 48 hours before his fight with Anthony Mundine.

“Sergio knew I’d put up $500,000 and wanted to let me know. So what do you do . . . we sat down and had a barbecue.”

Mosley jetted out of Sydney early yesterday after agreed payments on his $1 million purse were not met. The dramatic disappearance topped a shambolic 15 months involving the US great, Mundine and embattled fight promoter Vlad Warton.

Seen as something of a ‘Last Chance Saloon’ for both fighters, the Sydney bout was first hatched last July – when Mundine linked with Warton for his US debut against American journeyman Bronco McKart.

While that bout drew only 286 paying customers, for an embarrassing $15,000 gate, the pair left Las Vegas talking dollar signs and a date with Mosley. And Warton, to his credit, made it happen.

SHOW ME THE MONEY: Jeff Fenech says he is out of pocket over the Mundine-Mosley farce.

Yet still the fight needed cash.

Enter Fenech.

With Warton unable to find a major sponsor, and Mosley already threatening to walk in August, Fenech generously stepped in and placed $350,000 into an escrow account.

“And now you’ve got Anthony coming out to say he’ll save the day,’’ Fenech laughs. “But why didn’t he put the money up this week? He could be fighting now. 

SPLIT in the camp: Anthony Mundine trains with Jeff Fenech before the fallout from the Mosley fight farce.

“It’s typical Mundine. I guess that is why nobody likes him.”

Source: ABC

New South Wales MPs who plan to table same-sex marriage laws in state parliament say their bill can withstand a High Court challenge.

The ACT’s same-sex marriage bill passed in the Legislative Assembly yesterday, but the Federal Government is set to challenge the law.

Federal Attorney-General George Brandis has said he has received advice that the bill was “invalid by reason of inconsistency” with the Commonwealth Marriage Act.

Attention has turned to the New South Wales Parliament where a debate is set next week for a bill drafted by a cross-party group of MPs, including Labor’s Penny Sharpe.

Ms Sharpe says the draft has been scrutinised by constitutional lawyers and the proposed law creates a separate legal category for same-sex marriage distinct from the federal Marriage Act.

“Because the Federal Government only deals with marriage for heterosexual couples, our advice says that that would be perfectly consistent with the federal constitution,” she said.

“The ban on marriage for same-sex couples federally has left open the ability for states to legislate for same-sex couples and that’s what we intend to do.”

The bill will be debated in the Upper House late next week.

Source: SydneyWaterNews

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell today announced residents in the Blue Mountains, the Hunter and Southern Highlands will not be charged for water used to defend their homes during the bush fire crisis.

Customers will not be billed for water used to defend their homes in the following suburbs:

Springwood
Faulconbridge
Hawkesbury Heights
Winmalee
Yellow Rock
Mount Riverview
Emu Heights
Nords Wharf
Caves Beach
Murrays Beach
Cams Wharf
Raymond Terrace
Tomago
Williamtown
Medowie
Salt Ash
Campvale
Heatherbrae
Fingal Bay
Yanderra
Bargo
Buxton
Wilton

Mr O’Farrell and Minister for Finance and Services Andrew Constance said the policy will be extended to cover more households if conditions deteriorate.

“In emergencies like this, it’s vital government agencies work together to assist people wherever they can and provide practical help to households – and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Mr O’Farrell said.

“This is a very difficult time for residents in the Blue Mountains, Hunter and Southern Highlands and the last thing they need to be worrying about is how much water they are using and the impact on their bills,” he said.

“This benefit could be extended to more households depending on conditions and fire movement over the next few days.

“It’s just another example of the practical way the NSW Government is helping assist residents in bush fire areas. Yesterday, I announced we would waive the waste levy for all residents and businesses cleaning-up after the fires.

“I’m pleased Sydney Water and Hunter Water are doing their part to help in waiving excess water charges,” he said.

Mr Constance said Sydney Water and Hunter Water are working with fire authorities to identify areas affected by the fires, and credit customers’ accounts based on that information.

“Sydney Water and Hunter Water will look at an affected customer’s water consumption record from the same period last year and compare it with this year’s water consumption. The difference will be automatically credited back to the customer,” Mr Constance said.

“Residents in other bush fire areas may be supplied by local council water providers and I encourage them to consider the same benefit.

“I would also like to thank the Sydney Water and Hunter Water crews who have been working around the clock to maintain water supply and wastewater systems for bush fire affected residents.

“The organisations are working closely with fire authorities to ensure water gets to where it’s needed.

“This decision follows representations from locals MPs.”

Source: SMH

Treasurer Joe Hockey has responded to Australia’s ballooning credit card bill by almost doubling the borrowing limit to half a trillion dollars.

In an extraordinary move at odds with repeated Coalition warnings of a debt crisis spiralling out of control under the previous Labor government, Mr Hockey has announced the debt ceiling of $300 billion would be increased in a single leap, to $500 billion.

Cabinet approved the new limit on Tuesday and it will be legislated when Parliament returns next month.
Cabinet also approved the terms of reference and personnel for its long-promised commission of audit of government spending, with Mr Hockey arguing it would do the work of winding back the debt.

In a decision certain to raise concerns over its level of influence over government policy, the audit will be headed by Tony Shepherd, the president of the most influential lobby group for the big end of town, the Business Council of Australia.

Also on the board will be former Howard government minister Amanda Vanstone, former top public servant Peter Boxall, former Treasury secretary Tony Cole and former West Australian bureaucrat Robert Fisher.

The composition of the audit and tight timelines of less than six months have fuelled concerns of a sharp contraction of some programs. Mr Shepherd’s organisation has previously advocated radical business-friendly policies such as increases to the GST.

Economists say the debt limit is not, of itself expected to affect Australia’s AAA credit rating but simply reflects the reality that during a global downturn government spending has necessarily exceeded revenues.

However, the scope of the new borrowing limit has prompted speculation that the government may be planning extra borrowings to fund large ”off-budget” infrastructure projects, mirroring the way the national broadband network has been financed.

Labor finance spokesman Tony Burke slammed the government for proposing to increase the limit before providing the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook report. ”The party that said they were all about turning around debt has now asked for permission for it to go to half a trillion dollars,” he said.

Mr Hockey blamed the radical increase on ”the legacy of a bad Labor government”. He said it had been made necessary because the present debt limit would have been reached by December 12 on the way to an overall debt of about $400 billion over the four-year budget period.

By its own admission, the government wants to jack up the limit once only, thereby removing the need to bring another debt ceiling rise to the Parliament closer to the next election.
Insiders said the prospect of trying to convince ”economically illiterate” independent senators of the need for the increase might have been a consideration.

In an unusually brief news conference, Mr Hockey offered no detailed explanation of the debt increase. ”We are increasing it to that level because I’ve been advised that on 12 December the current debt limit of $300 billion will be hit,” he said.

”We need to move quickly to deal with this, particularly in the wake of what’s been revealed in the United States in recent times.

”We need to put it beyond any doubt and we do not want to have to revisit this issue again. We’ve been advised it will now exceed $400 billion on current trends.”

The last debt ceiling increase was just a quarter of the new increase, at $50 billion.

Mr Hockey said it was important to have what he called ”a buffer of $40 [billion] to $60 billion to provide stability to the issuer, the AOFM [Australian Office of Financial Management]”.

”We have decided to go to $500 billion. This is the legacy of a bad Labor government and this is part of the job that we have to fix.”

Market Economics managing director Stephen Koukoulas said the decision was valid because contrary to the bellicose rhetoric of the Coalition before the election, Australia ”did not have a debt crisis then, and does not have one now”.

Mr Hockey brushed off concerns that the government’s promised commission of audit would be overly influenced by the BCA.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said the audit would report quickly, with phase 1 (examining efficiency and effectiveness of spending) delivered to the government by January and phase 2 (looking at public sector performance) reporting by March.

Mr Burke said the announcements were a breach of promise. ”What Joe Hockey is now doing on both the commission of cuts and on the issue of the debt ceiling is a million miles away from the expectations he gave the Australian people before the election.”

Source: CanberraTimes

As Prime Minister Tony Abbott prepares to unveil his promised commission of audit, unions have called for it to be transparent and evidence-based.

Business Council of Australia president Tony Shepherd is set to chair the five-person panel, which is expected to be approved in a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.

Former Liberal minister and former ambassador to Italy Amanda Vanstone is expected to be named as a member.

CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said the government should make sure the commission did not pursue pre-determined outcomes.

“If history is anything to go by, these audits simply become a shopping list for razor gangs,” she said.

“To maintain trust with the community the government must ensure the process is open, transparent and evidence-based.”

Ms Flood said speculation about public sector job losses, including in the Canberra public service, was of concern to members.

“While Mr Abbott clearly has a mandate to conduct a Commission of Audit, he does not have a mandate to introduce the large scale cuts to job and services that followed similar exercises in Queensland, Victoria and other Liberal state governments,” Ms Flood said.
She called on commissioners to acknowledge the value of the public service and ensure communities don’t lose out through cuts to jobs and services.

The panel is expected to make public its first recommendations within three months.

Source: News

The new code will regulate the sale of puppies and kittens to ensure animal welfare standards.

People selling pets in Canberra are now subject to tougher restrictions and penalties.

The new Animals Sales Code came into force today covering everything from pet stores to backyard dog breeders selling on the internet.

The code also includes livestock, backyard poultry and live animals sold in restaurants and markets such as fish.

Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury says the new regulations are an important step forward for animal welfare.

“It will achieve this by requiring sellers to provide hygienic accommodation,” he said.

“To provide adequate exercise to the animals and to provide written information about the care of the animal that is being sold.

“And it will also restrict animal sales to buyers who are under the age of 16.”

The code also gives greater enforcement powers to the RSPCA, TAMS officers and police if they see a breach.

“By making it enforceable this means that we do have officers who can go out and make sure that standards are being adhered to which underlines the importance of animal welfare,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“And making sure that people do get the information they need before becoming a pet owner.”

It can be enforced with a written warning, on-the-spot fines or court imposed penalties of up to $11,000 for an individual.

Canberra vet Michael Archinall welcomes the new code.

“It is all about the animal welfare and it’s all about looking after the animals and making sure they’re cared for in the best way possible,” he said.

“So if we need to have a code or an act that’s enforceable, so be it.

“But it’s been operating well as a volunteer code of conduct for a while.”