Australian Political & Infrastructure Discussion Thread

[Australian rePublic]

Not sure. I'm starting to think it's the disused line to Colo Vale, actually, but when I drive there, I don't take the risk by assuming it's disused

It's not disused anymore. It's a tourist railway

Partly. I don't know if that part is

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

It's not disused anymore. It's a tourist railway

Partly. I don't know if that part is

Did you see my rant on banks?

[Australian rePublic]

Partly. I don't know if that part is

Did you see my rant on banks?

Yes. What I don't like is the way that mortgage brockers got duded in the royal commission

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Did you see my rant on banks?

Yes. What I don't like is the way that mortgage brockers got duded in the royal commission

Oh. How so?

[Australian rePublic]

Yes. What I don't like is the way that mortgage brockers got duded in the royal commission

Oh. How so?

I don't know whether or not this ended up happening, but the royal commission suggested that customers, rather than banks, pay the commissions owed to mortgage brokers. The banks could easily afford the comission, but most customers would be unwilling to pay it. Most mortgage brokers are small mom & pop businesses who don't need that shit. My mum teaches mortgage broking and she told me that that was the worst thing that could possibly happen to the industry. Considering how banks have screwed people over badly, I don't think they should be exempt from paying mortgage brokers' comissions

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Oh. How so?

I don't know whether or not this ended up happening, but the royal commission suggested that customers, rather than banks, pay the commissions owed to mortgage brokers. The banks could easily afford the comission, but most customers would be unwilling to pay it. Most mortgage brokers are small mom & pop businesses who don't need that shit. My mum teaches mortgage broking and she told me that that was the worst thing that could possibly happen to the industry. Considering how banks have screwed people over badly, I don't think they should be exempt from paying mortgage brokers' comissions

"But don't worry, the big banks won't fail because they're not supposed to."
- Bill Wurtz

So avoid the big banks if you can? Stick with Bendigo or Suncorp? Or a credit union/building society?

[Australian rePublic]

I don't know whether or not this ended up happening, but the royal commission suggested that customers, rather than banks, pay the commissions owed to mortgage brokers. The banks could easily afford the comission, but most customers would be unwilling to pay it. Most mortgage brokers are small mom & pop businesses who don't need that shit. My mum teaches mortgage broking and she told me that that was the worst thing that could possibly happen to the industry. Considering how banks have screwed people over badly, I don't think they should be exempt from paying mortgage brokers' comissions

"But don't worry, the big banks won't fail because they're not supposed to."
- Bill Wurtz

So avoid the big banks if you can? Stick with Bendigo or Suncorp? Or a credit union/building society?

Under the proposal, they wouldn't have been obligated to pay commissions to mortage brokers either

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

"But don't worry, the big banks won't fail because they're not supposed to."
- Bill Wurtz

So avoid the big banks if you can? Stick with Bendigo or Suncorp? Or a credit union/building society?

Under the proposal, they wouldn't have been obligated to pay commissions to mortage brokers either

I know that. There are small mom-and-pop banks out there though. I'm pretty sure Gympie CU would be one. VOLT and :86400 (neobanks) would have been made up of a relatively small team. And then there's small ADIs like the Illy-W Credit Union and Orange Credit Union. Either they're already owned by a medium to big-sized bank, such as bcu (Bananacoast Community Credit Union) which is currently owned by the P&N (Police and Nurses) Bank. Manly-Warringah and Northern Beaches CUs are owned by Community 1st.
Westpac owns St George Bank, Bank SA and the Bank of Melbourne - three subsidiaries in total.
CBA owns Bankwest and Aussie Home-Loans.
NAB owns MLC, UBank, :86 400 and the Bank of NZ.
BOQ owns ME Bank.
Bendigo + Adelaide Bank (or BAAB, as I like to call it), owns AWA, BDCU and Circle Alliance Banks.
Police Bank owns Border Bank, which I'm surprised isn't located in Albury.
Bank of Sydney is owned by the foreign Arab Bank, if I'm not mistaken.

My point is, while I do hold concern for small businesses, I hold much more concern for the power these big four banks have, and with loose banking acquisition laws.

I mean, having all these other banks, credit unions and building societies is mad, but they can't really hold a torch to the Big 4 and their inner circle of two shady operators; Macquarie and AMP, who according to Market Forces, have at least $3 billion of their investment subsidiary sunk into climate-wrecking projects. Bank of Queensland is up there too.

Right now, only really Bendigo and Suncorp can hold a candle to the Big Four and Slightly-Less-Big Three. Heritage, Newcastle Permanent and CUA (Great Sth. Bank) do quite well in the mutual banking sector.

I guess it's just Australians enjoy a sense of familiarity.

[Australian rePublic]

Under the proposal, they wouldn't have been obligated to pay commissions to mortage brokers either

I know that. There are small mom-and-pop banks out there though. I'm pretty sure Gympie CU would be one. VOLT and :86400 (neobanks) would have been made up of a relatively small team. And then there's small ADIs like the Illy-W Credit Union and Orange Credit Union. Either they're already owned by a medium to big-sized bank, such as bcu (Bananacoast Community Credit Union) which is currently owned by the P&N (Police and Nurses) Bank. Manly-Warringah and Northern Beaches CUs are owned by Community 1st.
Westpac owns St George Bank, Bank SA and the Bank of Melbourne - three subsidiaries in total.
CBA owns Bankwest and Aussie Home-Loans.
NAB owns MLC, UBank, :86 400 and the Bank of NZ.
BOQ owns ME Bank.
Bendigo + Adelaide Bank (or BAAB, as I like to call it), owns AWA, BDCU and Circle Alliance Banks.
Police Bank owns Border Bank, which I'm surprised isn't located in Albury.
Bank of Sydney is owned by the foreign Arab Bank, if I'm not mistaken.

My point is, while I do hold concern for small businesses, I hold much more concern for the power these big four banks have, and with loose banking acquisition laws.

I mean, having all these other banks, credit unions and building societies is mad, but they can't really hold a torch to the Big 4 and their inner circle of two shady operators; Macquarie and AMP, who according to Market Forces, have at least $3 billion of their investment subsidiary sunk into climate-wrecking projects. Bank of Queensland is up there too.

Right now, only really Bendigo and Suncorp can hold a candle to the Big Four and Slightly-Less-Big Three. Heritage, Newcastle Permanent and CUA (Great Sth. Bank) do quite well in the mutual banking sector.

I guess it's just Australians enjoy a sense of familiarity.

The thing is, if you can afford to give put multiple home loans, then a mortgage broker's comission would just be a regular business expense. Just like me. I'm a small mom & pop delivery driver who drives for a living. No matter how small my operation is, I understand that petrol is a regular operating expense. If you need a loan, however, then a mortgage broker's comissions will just add to your expenses and likely deter you from using a mortage broker. I do feel for mom & pop banls, however, mortgage broker comissions are just a regular business expense for them, just as electricity is a regular business expense for supermarkets, or band-aid for mom & pop doctor's surgeries. Your doctor wouldn't charge you for a band-aid, no matter how small of a mom & pop doctor's surgery it is, likewise, your bank wouldn't charge for the mortgage broker's fees, no matter how small of a mom & pop operation they are

[Australian rePublic]

Shit, today is the only time I've edited the OP since last creating this thread September I almost feel bad for ruining the no-edits strake (is that how you spell streeke?) Anyways...

Anyways, one thing that really gets me is the lack of phone coverage in this country. Given how remote we are, reception everywhere is impossible, never gonna happen. Telstra has got a pretty good network, but their customer service is absolutely abysmal at best. AT BEST. It's as if they pride themselves on shit customer service There are some parts of the country where Telstra is your only option, which is bad for competition. Optus is pretty good for where many people want to go, but there are patchy areas in places that get my goat. For example, in the more remote parts of Sydney, e.g. Wisemans Ferry, reception is pathchy to non-existent. In Old Adaminaby and Providence Portal, two towns which are extremely popular amongst winter tourists due to their proximity to the ski resorts, especially Selwyn, and there's an entire 6 hour section and three entire stations on the Sydney to Broken Hill rail line with no Optus reception whatsoever, which is abysmal. The other carriers don't even compare to Telstra and Optus. There should be places which should have minimum expectation of basic phone reception, such as tourist resorts, (i.e. resort towns) including seasonal resorts, and passenger rail corridors. Singtel, Optus' parent company and 100% owner, is excellent in Singapore, where it's the country's largest carrier. To be fair though, maybe we shouldn't compare Australia's population density to that of Singapore.

As far as the vaccine is concerned, I don't understand why Australia is so bloody scared of giving AstraZeneca to under 60's, I am 25 years old and got mine, after 2 different doctors suggested it. My only side effect was a couple of days of fatigue, which have now worn off, and were easily solved by just sleeping all day, and I was the worst effected from all vaccinated family members. As for Janett Young suggesting that AZ is more dangerous to under 40's than Covid. **Facepalm** where did she get her medical degree? Hollywood Upstairs Medical College? Many GPs here in NSW are willing to the AZ vaccine to under 40's, and many of them do. Not to mention the UK (actually, please don't, Palaszczuk and Young might have a break down if). What makes Young think she knows more than all those GPs combined? No wonder there is an overabundance of AZ vaccines nationwide, especially in QLD, QLD is suffering the most from the Pfizer shortage, and there is ever increasing vaccine hesitancy in QLD

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Shit, today is the only time I've edited the OP since last creating this thread September I almost feel bad for ruining the no-edits strake (is that how you spell streeke?) Anyways...

Anyways, one thing that really gets me is the lack of phone coverage in this country. Given how remote we are, reception everywhere is impossible, never gonna happen. Telstra has got a pretty good network, but their customer service is absolutely abysmal at best. AT BEST. It's as if they pride themselves on shit customer service There are some parts of the country where Telstra is your only option, which is bad for competition. Optus is pretty good for where many people want to go, but there are patchy areas in places that get my goat. For example, in the more remote parts of Sydney, e.g. Wisemans Ferry, reception is pathchy to non-existent. In Old Adaminaby and Providence Portal, two towns which are extremely popular amongst winter tourists due to their proximity to the ski resorts, especially Selwyn, and there's an entire 6 hour section and three entire stations on the Sydney to Broken Hill rail line with no Optus reception whatsoever, which is abysmal. The other carriers don't even compare to Telstra and Optus. There should be places which should have minimum expectation of basic phone reception, such as tourist resorts, (i.e. resort towns) including seasonal resorts, and passenger rail corridors. Singtel, Optus' parent company and 100% owner, is excellent in Singapore, where it's the country's largest carrier. To be fair though, maybe we shouldn't compare Australia's population density to that of Singapore.

The National Broadband Network isn't much better than our telephone network. For fixed broadband, 43.40mbps on average according to Ookla Speedtest, meaning Australia is 56th in the world on fixed broadband speeds - somehow Moldova and Trinidad-Tobago are beating us on fixed internet speed.

[Australian rePublic]

Shit, today is the only time I've edited the OP since last creating this thread September I almost feel bad for ruining the no-edits strake (is that how you spell streeke?) Anyways...

Anyways, one thing that really gets me is the lack of phone coverage in this country. Given how remote we are, reception everywhere is impossible, never gonna happen. Telstra has got a pretty good network, but their customer service is absolutely abysmal at best. AT BEST. It's as if they pride themselves on shit customer service There are some parts of the country where Telstra is your only option, which is bad for competition. Optus is pretty good for where many people want to go, but there are patchy areas in places that get my goat. For example, in the more remote parts of Sydney, e.g. Wisemans Ferry, reception is pathchy to non-existent. In Old Adaminaby and Providence Portal, two towns which are extremely popular amongst winter tourists due to their proximity to the ski resorts, especially Selwyn, and there's an entire 6 hour section and three entire stations on the Sydney to Broken Hill rail line with no Optus reception whatsoever, which is abysmal. The other carriers don't even compare to Telstra and Optus. There should be places which should have minimum expectation of basic phone reception, such as tourist resorts, (i.e. resort towns) including seasonal resorts, and passenger rail corridors. Singtel, Optus' parent company and 100% owner, is excellent in Singapore, where it's the country's largest carrier. To be fair though, maybe we shouldn't compare Australia's population density to that of Singapore.

The National Broadband Network isn't much better than our telephone network. For fixed broadband, 43.40mbps on average according to Ookla Speedtest, meaning Australia is 56th in the world on fixed broadband speeds - somehow Moldova and Trinidad-Tobago are beating us on fixed internet speed.

The NBN is a white elephant. I was studying IT in high school, and we were discussing the various reasons why the NBN wouldn't work. That was nearly 10 years ago. It turned out worse than what we actually anticipated. The thing is though, there's nothing wrong with our mobile network- it's apparently one of the best in the world. The problem is the lack of coverage more than the network itself

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Ok.
Anyway, um, I don't think I've covered this yet, but recently, big media players have been pushing to cut local content quotas - and it has apparently worked.
Rundown: [url]https://www.michaelwest.com.au/local-arts-and-film-jilted-in-favour-of-foreign-streaming-majors-foxtel-netflix-and-nines-stan/
/url]
This decreases incentive for local content to be produced, and further bleeds Screen Australia of funding. I mean, I watch SMG4 - and Meta Runner was amazing - but I rarely ever hear of anything else. Netflix, a foreign giant, is picking up aspiring Australian filmmakers - which is fine - but, as with Google and Activision - operates in tax havens and is able to get away with paying no tax on royalties. Without local content guidelines, some of the ABC's programs (which are indeed of middling quality) may disappear. There is no longer an incentive for Foxtel to produce local content.

Meanwhile, the video-on-demand giants like Disney, ViacomCBS - who owns Channel 10 - and Nine (who owns Stan), are netting profits into the billions while paying a minute amount of tax.

Meanwhile, Foxtel gets $40 million to televise women's sport - with the paperwork mysteriously unavailable.
Why?

[Australian rePublic]

Ok.
Anyway, um, I don't think I've covered this yet, but recently, big media players have been pushing to cut local content quotas - and it has apparently worked.
Rundown: [url]https://www.michaelwest.com.au/local-arts-and-film-jilted-in-favour-of-foreign-streaming-majors-foxtel-netflix-and-nines-stan/
/url]
This decreases incentive for local content to be produced, and further bleeds Screen Australia of funding. I mean, I watch SMG4 - and Meta Runner was amazing - but I rarely ever hear of anything else. Netflix, a foreign giant, is picking up aspiring Australian filmmakers - which is fine - but, as with Google and Activision - operates in tax havens and is able to get away with paying no tax on royalties. Without local content guidelines, some of the ABC's programs (which are indeed of middling quality) may disappear. There is no longer an incentive for Foxtel to produce local content.

Meanwhile, the video-on-demand giants like Disney, ViacomCBS - who owns Channel 10 - and Nine (who owns Stan), are netting profits into the billions while paying a minute amount of tax.

Meanwhile, Foxtel gets $40 million to televise women's sport - with the paperwork mysteriously unavailable.
Why?

Yea, that's bad. Netflix may operate in tax havens, but at least local content is local content. Local content, however, has a crap reputation. Fix the reputation of local content, and you'll have more people willing to pick it up. Russell Crowe is building a film studio in Coffs Harbour

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

Opinion: As a Google Maps addict,
I have been through (parts of) Sydney, and I just have to say, Katoomba feels like it's 30 kilometres away.

[Tinni]

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/06/motorsport/australian-grand-prix-canceled-formula-one-spt-intl/index.html

2021 Australian F1 Grand Prix and MotoGP race canceled

[Australian rePublic]

Opinion: As a Google Maps addict,
I have been through (parts of) Sydney, and I just have to say, Katoomba feels like it's 30 kilometres away.

Which part of Sydney? Penrith. I think it is

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

This looks like a cause for concern.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/how-super-are-the-super-changes-and-who-do-they-benefit/Michael%20West%20Media%20on%20the%20recent%20superannuation%20amendments
https://superblog.netlify.app/2021/03/25/funds-failing-test/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fundsfailingtest/Choice's%20point%20of%20view%20on%20YFYS
I thought the liberals believed in the free market.

Sure, it might be of some short-term benefit, but I'm worried about the super industry being consolidated into the hands of places like AMP - the big 4 are running scared from superannuation.

Superannuation rates have been frozen for years, while politicians enjoy 15.4%.

Given the IR reforms of last year, the closure of JobSeeker and JobKeeper - both set up in such a way that it allowed businesses like Harvey Norman to keep millions of dollars and not pay it back - the cashless welfare card that's been enforced in trial areas, quarantining 80% of welfare recipients' money under the pretense of 'stopping spending on alcohol and drugs', and planned to be rolled out to Centrelink recipients nationally, the tax cuts given to the top 10%, all while energy companies get away with exporting our cheap resources for their own benefit.

[Australian rePublic]

This looks like a cause for concern.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/how-super-are-the-super-changes-and-who-do-they-benefit/Michael%20West%20Media%20on%20the%20recent%20superannuation%20amendments
https://superblog.netlify.app/2021/03/25/funds-failing-test/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fundsfailingtest/Choice's%20point%20of%20view%20on%20YFYS
I thought the liberals believed in the free market.

Sure, it might be of some short-term benefit, but I'm worried about the super industry being consolidated into the hands of places like AMP - the big 4 are running scared from superannuation.

Superannuation rates have been frozen for years, while politicians enjoy 15.4%.

Given the IR reforms of last year, the closure of JobSeeker and JobKeeper - both set up in such a way that it allowed businesses like Harvey Norman to keep millions of dollars and not pay it back - the cashless welfare card that's been enforced in trial areas, quarantining 80% of welfare recipients' money under the pretense of 'stopping spending on alcohol and drugs', and planned to be rolled out to Centrelink recipients nationally, the tax cuts given to the top 10%, all while energy companies get away with exporting our cheap resources for their own benefit.

The top link at working. It does seem concerning. It seems like a band-aid solution

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

The top link at working. It does seem concerning. It seems like a band-aid solution

A band-aid solution?

[Australian rePublic]

The top link at working. It does seem concerning. It seems like a band-aid solution

A band-aid solution?

Sorry, I meant to say that the top link wasn't working.

If smaller superfees with less contribution are entitled to less fees, it might end up bankrupting themthem.

[Australian rePublic]

The worst thing that Gladys did was getting rid of the Sydney monorail. Instead of getting rid of it, they should have expanded it to go somewhere useful

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

<missing>

[Amorosa-Coonarra Coasts]

A band-aid solution?

Sorry, I meant to say that the top link wasn't working.

If smaller superfees with less contribution are entitled to less fees, it might end up bankrupting themthem.

I'm not very good with links that display different text.

[Australian rePublic]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-07/nsw-delta-variant-may-never-be-controlled/100273956

What the hell is this bullshit?!
*RAGE OFFSCREEN*

Here we go again with the fear mongering