Australia: Endangered Koalas?

More stupid Greenie prophecy. If they ever get a disaster prophecy right will be the time to heed them, and not before.  As it is, this is just another of their old scares.  Scares are their stock in trade.

And it is as dishonest as usual. They say, for instance, that Koalas are "at serious risk of disappearing entirely from some areas".  A more honest statement would be that Koalas are "at serious risk of disappearing entirely from some areas while being in pest proportions in other areas, such as Kangaroo Island in South Australia".  There is no truth in them (John 8:44)


EARTH has lost a staggering 60 per cent of its wildlife populations since 1970, a bleak new report has revealed.

But koala numbers in Australia have declined at an even faster rate, and the beloved national animal is at serious risk of disappearing entirely from some areas.

The group WWF today released its Living Planet Report, a comprehensive study tracking 16,704 populations of 4005 vertebrate species across the world from 1970 to 2014.

It described the global decline in species — an average rate of 13.6 per cent every 10 years, or 60 per cent in total — as a “grim” result of the pressure humans place on nature.

While the figures are alarming, koala populations along Australia’s east coast have plummeted even faster, at a rate of 21 per cent per decade.

That shocking statistic can be explained by another figure in the report — eastern Australia is one of the 11 worst deforestation fronts in the world, and the only developed country on the list.

“It is a wakeup call for our east coast to appear alongside notorious forest destruction hot spots such as the Amazon, Congo Basin, Sumatra and Borneo,” WWF Australia boss Dermot O’Gorman said.

Clearing for livestock is listed as the primary cause of forest loss, with unsustainable logging an important secondary cause.

By 2050, koalas are likely to disappear completely from the wild in NSW, WWF Australia estimates.

The group blames the axing of forest protection laws by the State Government, saying it all but signing the species’ death warrant.

“The Government needs to urgently reverse its recent axing of laws that has led to a tripling of koala habitat destruction in northwest NSW,” Mr O’Gorman said.

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Anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson joins Proud Boys founder’s Australian tour

ANTI-ISLAM campaigner Tommy Robinson has announced he will join Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes on his Australian tour in December, in a move likely to increase pressure on the government to ban the right-wing activists from entering the country.

Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is the former leader of the English Defence League and is one of the most prominent anti-Islam voices in the UK. Earlier this year he spent two months in jail after being sentenced for contempt of court for live-streaming outside a “grooming gang” trial.

The 35-year-old was released on bail in August and ordered to face a retrial. A judge last week referred the long-running case to the attorney-general to determine whether it should be dropped.

In a Facebook video on Monday, Robinson said he was coming to Australia to “thank everyone” for their support, “providing all is good”. “We’re going to see over the next couple of days,” he said.

“I guess there’s going to be a lot of people getting triggered in Australia and hopefully a lot of people happy I’ll be coming. Eight weeks ago I was sitting in solitary confinement in prison, and now I’m probably going to address American Congress and speak in cities across Australia.”

The tour, dubbed “The Deplorables”, is being organised by Penthouse magazine and follows controversial visits by right-wing provocateurs Milo Yiannopoulos and Lauren Southern, both of which were marred by clashes between attendees and protesters.

There are growing calls for McInnes to have his visa rejected on character grounds. The former Vice co-founder has described his Proud Boys group as a “gang” and encourages members to brawl with left-wing groups like Antifa.

Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich called on Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to reject both men’s visas, saying the tour would “whip up fear and unrest in our nation and should be of grave concern”.

He said McInnes held “hateful, anti-Semitic and abhorrent views” and he would “not be surprised if one of his rallies will result in rioting in the streets as well as in violence and bloodshed”.

“This is an individual who has said that he hates Jews and who has demonised Muslims, women, Africans and gays, and who brought a sword to an event and performed a re-enactment of the assassination of Japanese leader Inejiro Asanuma — a killing he described an ‘inspiring moment’ in history,” he said.

Dr Abramovich said in the aftermath of the Pittsburgh massacre and a surge in anti-Semitism, “we should not be giving McInnes a platform to spew his vile rhetoric”.

On Robinson, Dr Abramovich said it was “alarming that a far-right extremist and white-nationalist” was planning to visit Australia.

“Mr Robinson has a number of criminal convictions and has served time in prison for contempt and for trying to enter the US with a false passport,” he said.

“Allowing an individual, whose group has engaged in threats and incidents of violence with police, and who through fiery rhetoric and race-baiting promotes religious bigotry and vilification, would be a mistake.”

In his Facebook video, Robinson said he knew there would be “a lot of people trying to stop” his visit and that there would be “many people who know very little about me spreading lies and rumours and just out and out bulls**t about who I am and what I stand for”.

“They’ll be saying I’m a white supremacist,” he said. “For the record, I despise white supremacy. I’ve got a 10-year history of battling and confronting genuine Nazis. The real far-right hate me and despise me in my own country, I’m known as a race traitor.”

Penthouse publisher Damien Costas denied Robinson was Islamophobic. “There’s a big difference between Muslims and the perceived ideology of Islam,” he said.

“In my opinion, people don’t have a problem with Muslims, I think they have a problem with extreme Islam and the issues that come with that. I would say the vast majority of Australians don’t have an issue with multiculturalism, it’s when certain groups start advocating a nation with two separate sets of laws. That’s a very different story and a very divisive notion.”

He also claimed McInnes “doesn’t advocate violence at all”. “He’s a comedian, he advocates self-defence,” he said.

“It’s easy to take what he says out of context and silly to do so. For a number of years, conservatives, especially in the US, have been told to turn the other cheek and take a beating from groups like Antifa because violence is wrong. Now it’s at the point where it’s expected. That’s just wrong.”

He added historically “in many cases, the authorities haven’t intervened”. “There’s now an attitude that if the police are not going to get involved, the victims should hit back,” he said. “That’s a very sad state of affairs.”

Speaking to news.com.au in August, McInnes said he saw it as a “comedy tour” but predicted it would draw violent left-wing protesters.

“I don’t know why,” he said. “We don’t come to their things. I don’t understand why there’s a problem with free speech. Why is that seen as a threat?”

He added “people will show up and if they want to fight, I’m happy to fight”. “Our motto is we don’t start fights but we’re happy to finish them,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs declined to say whether visas for the pair would be rejected. “The Department does not comment on individual cases,” they said.

“All non-citizens entering Australia must meet the character requirements set out in the Migration Act 1958 (the Act), prior to the grant of any visa. For visitors who may hold controversial views, any risk they may pose will be balanced against Australia’s well established freedom of speech and freedom of beliefs, among other relevant considerations.”

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Another charming Muslim immigrant

EUAN Fraser’s night out in Melbourne almost cost him his life. The 30-year-old former cage fighter from Dundee in Scotland was holidaying Down Under last year.

Inside a taxi on the way home to Aberfeldie, just north of the CBD, in the early hours of the morning on June 12, 2017, Mr Fraser and his driver started talking about religion.

Mr Fraser says what seemed like a casual chat enraged the driver to such an extent that he grabbed a weapon from his car, followed his passenger to the door and beat him almost to death with it.

His victim was left with bleeding on the brain, broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and significant facial injuries — but the man responsible is still on the loose.

Mr Fraser’s girlfriend Sharon Macrae told news.com.au her partner was “not doing great”.

“The driver struck him from behind with a crowbar,” she said. “(He) suffers bad PTSD and has recurring flashbacks and nightmares which means he hardly sleeps.

“It’s a terrible shame and it breaks my heart.”

Mr Fraser called an Uber to get from his home to hospital. Pictures taken shortly after the attack show his face bloodied. In the images, he wears a neck brace and a hospital gown and reportedly required several stitches.

UK-based newspaper The Scotsman reports Mr Fraser paid more than $AU7200 (£4000) for medical treatment but was reimbursed a percentage of that — about $AU4500 (£2500) in compensation by the Australian Government.

The conversation inside the cab before Mr Fraser was attacked involved him telling the taxi driver he was atheist. The driver, who Mr Fraser says is a Muslim, reportedly took offence.

“As I got out of the taxi I just heard footsteps behind me and heard a loud bang,” Mr Fraser told local newspapers. “Then I felt this immense pain in my head and I was knocked clean out.”

Mr Fraser said the house was covered in blood and later “looked like a murder scene”.

During his Mixed Martial Arts fighting days, Mr Fraser weighed 102kgs and fought in the UK’s light heavyweight division. He described himself in one interview as “a real crowd pleaser”.

Aberfeldie, where Mr Fraser was attacked, ranked 57 out of 351 Melbourne suburbs for liveability in 2015, according to Domain.

The suburb bordering Essendon has a relatively low crime rate but the City of Moonee Valley, which covers Aberfeldie, saw 614 assault related offences committed in 2017.

That figure was down this year to 510.

News.com.au approached Victoria Police for comment. In a statement, police said they are investigating.

“It is believed a man was standing outside his home address on Fawkner Street in the early hours of the morning when he was struck in the back of the head by an unknown offender,” the statement said.

“The victim, 29-years-old at the time, sustained serious head injuries. The victim reported having a verbal altercation with a taxi driver prior to the incident.

“Investigators have not identified the offender at this stage and the investigation remains ongoing.”

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Finally, Keating can see the folly of his super scheme

If you were in any doubt our system of compulsory superannuation is essentially pointless, other than making industry players extremely wealthy, check out the latest suggestion from the father of the scheme, former prime minister Paul Keating.

Evidently, superannuation is of no use to many people over 80 because their superannuation balances will be largely exhausted.

“We have no policy in Australia for the 80 to 100-year-old cohort,” he said. “I don’t believe that should be left to superannuation. I think it should be a national insurance scheme. Only the commonwealth can insure across generations.”

Take it from me: it’s time to be afraid. With an insurance scheme comes the payment of premiums — by us. In the past, Keating raised the possibility of levying an additional 2 to 3 per cent on wages, a so-called longevity levy, to look after the oldies. He also might be inclined to support yet another surcharge on the Medicare levy.

So what is the purpose of superannuation, a form of compulsory saving? In theory it is to substitute or supplement the Age Pension. Mostly it acts simply as a source of additional income above the Age Pension amount or a nest egg to be cashed in.

There is no expectation that the proportion of totally self-funded retirees will change during the next several decades even though the system of compulsory superannuation has been here for almost 30 years.

Assuming that no political leader will have the courage to pull the plug on the superannuation racket any time soon, what are the glaring faults of the system that need to be remedied?

In particular, how can the highly respected Future Fund become an integral part of the system to drive down fees and charges as well as secure a better deal for members more generally?

One of the egregious features of compulsory superannuation is the mistreatment of young workers (and some others) with multiple accounts. Having worked several jobs in their late teens and through their 20s, it is common for young people to find their cumulative superannuation balances are close to zero when they hit 30.

Fees and charges are continuously subtracted from low-balance accounts and unwanted insurance premiums are deducted for death and disability cover and sometimes for income protection. Balances are quickly depleted. The funds mainly have stood by and allowed this to happen.

The previous minster responsible for superannuation, Kelly O’Dwyer, had developed a package of legislative initiatives to deal with some of the problems under the Protecting Your Superannuation Package.

The changes include:

* Three per cent maximum on fees and costs for low-balance My­Super accounts below $6000.

* Opt-in insurance for new members aged under 25, members of low-balance accounts and members with inactive accounts.

* Transfer of inactive low-balance accounts to the Australian Taxation Office.

* The consolidation of inactive, low-balance and lost accounts by the ATO.

These make sense and should be passed swiftly by the Senate.

It is estimated that more than $3 billion is paid in terms of unwanted or pointless insurance by young people. Note, however, should young people or others with low-balance accounts wish to buy insurance within their superannuation accounts, they will be perfectly free to do so.

A significant unsettled issue is the status of the default arrangements applying to new workers who fail to nominate a superannuation fund. For award covered workers, the modern awards set out a small list of funds, overwhelmingly industry funds, from which the employer can select.

Additionally, for a significant number covered by enterprise agreements — about 40 per cent of workers — a single superannuation fund is nominated and new workers are signed up to it. These workers have no choice even though they already may be members of other funds. These arrangements should be prohibited by law.

According to the Productivity Commission’s recent analysis of superannuation, the default arrangements are defective because they do not always direct workers to funds with superior returns (there are some industry super funds that have very poor records). The system also lacks transparency and is anti-competitive.

The Productivity Commission sets out a possible alternative based on 10 best-in-show funds that would be used by the ATO to enrol workers and to keep them there across time. Using a variety of criteria, these 10 funds would be selected by experts (there is talk of involving various government officials, including the governor of the Reserve Bank) and the competition would be repeated from time to time.

But the idea is unworkable. It would trigger the mother of all bunfights. It also is hard to see how funds, once on the list, would ever be dislodged, given the economies of scale and scope being on the list would entail.

The obvious alternative is to use the vehicle of the Future Fund as the key mechanism to receive default superannuation contributions. We’d need an agency — let’s call it the Australian Superannuation Guarantee Agency — and the administration and custodial functions could be outsourced, as they are with many funds. And other workers would be free to join. The Future Fund would be the wholesale investor of the funds, although the ASGA would be free to consider other fund managers.

With the likely annual flow of funds of about $10bn, ASGA quickly would achieve the required economic scale, and its fees and charges should be lower than the prevailing rates, putting competitive pressure on others to lower their fees and charges.

There are examples of these arrangements overseas and they work well. The argument that involving the Future Fund implies some sort of government guarantee — this was used by the Productivity Commission to dismiss the idea — is fallacious. There would be no more government guarantee for ASGA members than for all other superannuation fund members. If the superannuation system is to stay, and recall Keating’s declaration that it is useless for real old­ies, its more glaring faults must be fixed urgently.

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Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).    For a daily critique of Leftist activities,  see DISSECTING LEFTISM.  To keep up with attacks on free speech see Tongue Tied. Also, don't forget your daily roundup  of pro-environment but anti-Greenie  news and commentary at GREENIE WATCH .  Email me  here