So CommBank just posted a record profit of 9.48 Billion dollars but can't pass on the interest rate cut in full.

-PB

Why do people vote for him? I'd say his views only represent a very small minority in Australia ... so is there more a point in case of protest votes?? I'd say Pauline Hanson's vote is a similar reason (and hence why last time in the senate she lasted such a little time ... people cast a protest vote usually only as a one off, rarely do they continue unless nothing changes). Major parties will change slightly to try and win back these "protest" votes for the next election.

The biggest issue I have with the banks is that the govt has guaranteed bank deposits (brought in during the GFC - made sense then, but no longer necessary).

Given that the banks are assisted by this govt guarantee, means that they have (or should have) responsibilities beyond maximising shareholder return. An RC would be beneficial if it involved a wholesale review of the banking industry - how it is structured, how it is regulated etc. There are issues beyond just looking into potentially dodgy practices.

The reason I am in favour of it is also because the banks are vehemently against it.

I think there was only 74 people who voted for him directly, they voted for One Nation (really Pauline Hanson) and they got him as a bonus.

They might change slightly to get them back but there are two factors that will mean loons like this guy will most likely be gone at the next election:

1. One Nation won't be able to keep these 4 together ala Palmer United
2. Even if they survive in one piece, larger quotas for a senate half election will make it very difficult for them

Really by practices I meant something more broad than just the things that may appear to be "dodgy". Agree 100%.

So looks like we're whoring ourselves out again to China with NSW wanting to lease a chunk of their power grid.

This will end in tears one day.

-PB

Baird will say its for the good of the state , but it wont end well

Anyone watch 4corners? 

Baird says a lot of things that are a load of crap...

Nsw politics is fucked.. corrupt on both sides

There are a few things that should never be sold off and always owned by the government.  Power is one.  Water would be another.

Not once has selling off the grid produced a good result in Australia.

"We're not run by factions" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: 

Not to mention that there are few countries that seems to ever sell off their grids etc, one of which of course is China.

You will never see China letting foreigners into areas like that.

I also see the UK is now in a spot of bother after pulling out of a propose Nuclear Power station that was going to be a third funded by China to the point where they're diplomatic relations are now at a "crucial juncture".

-PB

So abetz says he will cross the floor if abott, andrews or himself  dont get back on the front bench. How sad 

Baird is really starting to remind me of Newman. 

Yup lol.

Power unto himself.

-PB

Watching the ALP try and make the Census issue about Turnbull. That's like blaming Telstra for the iPhone 6 bending in your pocket.

Bunch of flogs and parrots. 

Federal Government blocks the sale of NSW electricity network to the Chinese.

Except more fundamentalist Christian.

Yea I don't agree with that, he chopped and changed the minister responsible for this position multiple times, allowed fears to spread in the weeks leading up to the census about privacy concerns, then proceeds to tweet about how easy it was only for the site to be pulled down two hours later, holds a press conference with McCormack trying to spin the whole nothing to see here routine, holds another press conference a day later throwing a tanty saying heads will roll. 

It's obviously not all his fault but he's played a part in this and I if anything it once again highlights Turnbulll as a very weak bumbling stumbling leader. Of course the ALP will try and take advantage so has Bolt and co. 

The reality is that it's not really his job to be all over it. That's what the ABS is for. The ABS and IBM royally f*cked this up. 

The shadow finance minister was on Sky News this morning just about blowing a load in his pants as he trotted out 3 word insults for 5 minutes.

Reality is that the ALP and everyone else would be having a go at Turnbull if he got involved with the roll-out of the online census for not letting the ABS do its job. Lose lose situation. 

And IBM got the contract thanks to Abott ROFL.

-PB

I got an email from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

It said that my Dad's Uncle was King Constantine's 3rd cousin and a descendant of Philip who is screwing Australia's Queen! When he sadly passed away in 1963, they have been trying to locate my dad, but since he has passed, I have been named by the ABStasi of Australia as the next heir to his private fortune in the Bank of Nigeria which he used as a tax haven. So now, the Nigerian Central Bank Governor want my Name, Address, and Bank Account as well as a probate fee of $2,000 which I can just charge to my VISA Card, in order for them to electronically wire the money through to my account.

I better respond to this email peeps! 

This is true.

It is not up to any Minister or PM to be across everything like this or to micro-manage every single Australian Government NGO or Department. It's just not physically possible. That is why Government employ Public servants to do, like the Head Statistician who by the way earns more money than The Australian Prime Minister. Yes that is true folks. He is on over $700k per annum. 

The ABS stuffed up big time.

However, Turnbull did lie about this attack not being malicious. The website was down for 2 days, so it wasn't just a mere DDoS hack. They were compromised badly and the entire handling by the ABS has been terrible. 

In addition, this is the biggest violation of privacy ever perpertrated in Australian History.

Enjoy peeps! 

I just don't get what privacy they can invade ... there is nothing really that personal that they could "use" for a gain. The only reason to hack it would be to cause "anarchy" (or for shits and giggles). The information is provided as a snapshot publicly at the end anyway.

Finding names and addresses could be "hacked" from a number of different resources anytime (e.g. utility companies, local government, state departments, licensing, retail shop customer lists) all which would be easier targets and provide just as much information for any malicious intent.

Or was the plan to have something piggy back off the census to track our internet usage so as to find out our passwords or infect our computers???

You will be given an SLK number which will follow you for the rest of your life. This SLK number will be linked to other Government departments from the ATO, Medicare and PBS. They will be able to access your entire medical history from this number, any medical conditions including mental health, and a running sheet of all the prescribed drugs you have taken through the PBS.

The data linking will probably not be limited to Medicare, ATO and PBS either. This is akin to being issued with an Australia Card ID Card with your very own bio-metric footprint. Once they destroy the names and addresses, the SLK's will not be destroyed and will still be able to identify your name and address through data-set matching. 

Here is an explanation from a Cyber Security expert. 

http://www.scienceparty.org.au/census_2016_privacy_assurances_not_good_enough

We already have the MyGov website though, why can that be secure and this can't?? Incompetence??

The myGov website is voluntary, and it isn't secure. It's like saying we provide our details to faceBook too and they have a lot of information about is. Well, FaceBook is voluntary too, and we choose what information to provide them. You can also secure your account in Settings. So not the same thing. 

Last year, my MyGov account was hacked and a tax return was submitted after the hackers changed my address and payment details. They were issued with a $20,000 refund. Luckily, I lodged my return a few days later and wasn't able to. Then discovered that a fraudulent return was made after I was hacked. The ATO cancelled the cheque and put extra security measures on my profile which was compromised through Xero. At the time, thousands of profiles were hacked across Australia. 

It was a pain lodging my tax return. 

The ATO also cancelled MyGov so I don't have that anymore. 

So it's not secure. 

Also, I think it is very naive to believe that anything on the web is actually secure. There is no such thing as 100% security on the net. Any cyber expert will tell you this as fact!

No Government Sites are secure either. Even Government Departments like ATO, ABS, Medicare and PBS are not secure. Sure they may spend a lot of money on security but NOTHING is 100% secure.

heck, even the CIA, NSA and FBI have been hacked. banks have been hacked!

Hillary Clinton had her emails hacked and now you can read them all on WikiLeaks! lol

Agree nothing is totally secure but plenty of checks and balances in place to monitor their security. I think a lot of it falls back on users ensuring their own security too. We live in a digital age, so it's just ensuring that systems are continually updated to ensure the best level of protection is available and earns the trust of users.