Blind Faith: unlocking the secrets of WestConnex - Michael WestAfter Mao died, the Communist Party settled on a formula of declaring that Mao had made mistakes—about 30 percent of what he did was declared wrong and 70 percent was right. That’s essentially the formula used today.
JOHN AUSTEN. NSW needs an inquiry into Sydney transport
A dreadful start to 2018 for Sydney transport made NSW Minister Constance the unwelcome centre of attention. The spotlight will turn to the Premier who was formerly the Minister for Transport. Continue reading
JOHN AUSTEN. Newcastle port – some progress in undoing a privatisation fiasco
Pressure is mounting to overcome the ridiculous anti-competitive constraints on Newcastle port. Continue reading
Asking Martina Navratilova - would she escape in 2018.
NEWS YOU CAN USE: 7 Ways To Stop A Plague Before It Spreads
Publishing is an upper-class industry that attracts upper-class writers. This social and cultural sliver has a profound impact on whose stories get told
SCOTT BURCHILL. Jim Molan’s delusions
No-one would expect a surgeon to recommend Chinese medicine to his patients. His advice usually involves a scalpel and some nasty cutting. Similarly, it would be surprising for military men to advocate political solutions to global conflicts. It’s not their area of professional expertise. By default they lead with their strongest suit — organised violence — not geopolitics or diplomacy. Continue reading
Rogue IT admin goes off the rails, shuts down Canadian train switches
- Mobile phone dealer boss faces 12 years in director limbo Did somebody say VAT fraud? Yes, the Insolvency Service did
- IR-2018-7, IRS Urges Travelers Requiring Passports to Pay Their Back Taxes or Enter into Payment Agreements; People Owing $51,000 or More Covered
- Notice 2018–01, Revocation, Limitation, or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Tax Delinquencies
- IRS, Revocation or Denial of Passport in Case of Certain Unpaid Taxes
- Forbes, How Overdue Taxes Can Jeopardize Passports
- National Review, The IRS Is Coming for Your Passports
The US is the world’s second worst tax haven, say Tax Justice Networks ranking Quartz
↩︎ The New York Review of Books
Reviewing all of this year's Super Bowl commercials, all at once, shows that US corporations are freaking out.
↩︎ The Week
How To Handle a Crisis : 10 Golden Rules
Companies can keep their valuable reputations when disaster comes knocking. Three experts explain how.By The Rules
1 Have a plan.
2 Assess the damage; determine what's fixable, what's true and what's in the best interest of shareholders.
3 Release a boilerplate statement within 10 minutes.
4 Express regret.
5 Take responsibility.
6 Take remedial action.
7 Get the CEO and chairman talk to media and stakeholders.
8 Publish digital content quickly to get your side of the story out.
9 Have a kill switch for social media.
10 Direct people to a source of information.
What does it take to get through a crisis with your reputation intact? At the BOSS Leadership Summit, senior writer Aaron Patrick led a lively hypothetical discussion with Sue Cato, founder of cato counsel, Gerry McCusker, founder of EngageORM and Louise McElvogue, lead partner at Macleod Media, to discover the golden rules of crisis communications.
BOSS: In our hypothetical scenario, the CEO of a large commercial bank rings you and says they're being told that AFP agents are about to raid their offices on behalf of the Australian Taxation Office, looking for evidence that the bank has been using tax havens to avoid tax, which have been exposed in a massive leak called the Pacific Papers. What do you tell her?
10 golden rules for businesses managing a crisis | afr.com
DSS
tried to hide data breach from affected employees.
The Department of Social Services initially decided not to inform employees of a major privacy breach last year that exposed the personal data of 8500 current and former staffers, reasoning that it would cause unnecessary concern." (Crikey)
The Department of Social Services initially decided not to inform employees of a major privacy breach last year that exposed the personal data of 8500 current and former staffers, reasoning that it would cause unnecessary concern." (Crikey)