US on a Death Row
“They're eating the cats, they're eating the dogs" proved a more effective message than "Let me help you buy your first house."
There's a sign you can see in many shops that sell beautiful but fragile items: LOVELY TO LOOK AT, DELIGHTFUL TO HOLD, BUT ONCE YOU BREAK IT, THEN IT'S SOLD. You can say the same about democracy.
From 1924 to 2024
Donald Trump Wins the 2024 Election, Putting Democracy on the Brink
The tech companies avoiding tax in Australia ATO releases new tax transparency report.
AFP warns alleged tax leaks PwC partners face up to 10 years in jail
The art of tax administration in Australia
Can we trust official statistics? The data gaps shaping our view of the economy FT
The Saga of a Celebrated Scientist — and His Rodent Dystopia The Chronicle of Higher Education
Who wants to work for Defence anyway? What you missed on estimates day three
It was an eventful day for government accountability and the future of democracy, and by that we mean day three of supplementary Senate estimates.
We learnt defence consultants have faced charges for unlawfully sharing information, employment service providers are being investigated for pressuring job seekers for payslips, and the consequences a Trump presidency would have on inflation levels in Australia.
Earlier in the day, Secretary of the Department of Defence Greg Moriarty warned tense global conditions placed Australia at an "elevated risk" of conflict.
"Since the last estimates, our international environment has worsened," he told senators.
"Driven by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and North Korea's support to Russia's illegal war."
Making his estimates debut, Chief of the Defence Force Admiral David Johnston said recruitment remained a critical priority for the military's top brass.
Chief of the Defence Force Admiral David Johnston. Picture by Keegan Carroll
He revealed that, as of October 1, ADF's total workforce is 58,699.
"We have positive indicators to suggest that better recruitment outcomes will become apparent by the end of this year," he said.
Treasury secretary Dr Stephen Kennedy told the economics committee that modelling done on the impact of Trump's proposed trade tariffs on Australia shows they could lead to lower growth and higher inflation.
We also found out Labor's plans to spend $16 billion to wipe HECS student debts by 20 per cent would not have a significant impact on inflation, as per Treasury analysis.
Memorial officials grilled over $999,000 contract
Bureaucrats from the Australian War Memorial were quizzed over the unusual value of a $999,999 contract awarded to Xact Project Management in 2019.
Greens senator David Shoebridge pointed out that government contracts worth $1 million require ministerial approval and suggested the $1 difference was a clear tactic to "duck under" this threshold.
Deputy program director Christopher Widenbar offered some guiding reassurance.
"As with any organisation, it consists of humans, and we learn to get better as we go along," he said.
WorkForce Australia investigates providers
Four employment services providers are under investigation by Workforce Australia for pressuring job seekers for payslips.
As part of the government's employment services scheme, job providers receive financial incentives from the government when a job seeker finds work through them.
Job seekers can voluntarily provide payslips to employment services providers, but there have been reports that these businesses have pressured job seekers to do this, threatening to cut job seekers' Centrelink benefits if they do not hand over these documents.
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations confirmed four employment services providers in the cross hairs.
It expects the investigation to be completed this month, with a public report to be issued soon.
Senator Michaelia Cash. Picture by Keegan Carroll
Changes to debt collection in the NDIA
The National Disability Insurance Agency did an internal review of a decision to pursue a $28,000 debt from a woman who took her own life.
NDIA deputy CEO Scott McNaughton said this had led to certain changes to debt management practices, including a debt committee chaired by the chief executive officer, which decides whether a debt gets raised or not.
"If debt does arise, and it has to arise under certain triggers under the act, then we have our waiver provisions, and that's something that we are looking at as part of our practice guidance," he said.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher during Tuesday's senate estimates. Picture by Keegan Carroll
Consultants charged with sharing top-secret information
A defence official revealed that since 2021, multiple criminal convictions have been made against outsourced consultants for sharing unlawful information.
Greens senator Barbara Pocock asked an official from the integrity division of the Defence Department how many convictions or charges the defence has pursued regarding conflicts of interest by a contractor or consultant.
Defence did not have the answer, but it was confirmed "some charges" have been laid.
"Have you had any, to your knowledge, charges in relation to the unauthorised disclosure of information?" Senator Pocock said.
An official responded, "We have had criminal convictions related to individuals accessing information when they shouldn't be. "
Tax Lawyer has published Vol. 77, No. 4(Summer 2024):
- Hayes Holderness (Richmond), Self-Policing Through Retaliatory Taxation, 77 Tax Law. 715 (2024)
- Adam B. Thimmesch (Nebraska; Google Scholar), A Future for the State Corporate Income Tax, 77 Tax Law. 761 (2024):
- Bruce A. McGovern (South Texas; Google Scholar) & Cassady V. (“Cass”) Brewer (Georgia State), Recent Developments in Federal Income Taxation: The Year 2023, 77 Tax Law. 805 (2024))
VPNs Are Being Detected More Than Ever, and This Is Why
Make Use Of: “Have you noticed that your VPN is detected more than it once was? Unfortunately for VPN users, websites, companies, and governments have more techniques than ever to uncover VPN use, so they’re no longer as invisible as they once were.
- Suspicious Login Patterns – One of the common ways websites detect VPN usage is by tracking user login locations. If a single user logs in from wildly different locations within a short period using the same device, websites may recognize this as an indication of VPN use to mask location. For example, if you log in from the U.S. one moment and from Australia shortly afterward, that could raise red flags. Also, if multiple users connect to the same website or service through a shared IP address from a VPN server, this pattern can signal VPN use. To minimize detection, connect to VPN servers close to your location and consider using dedicated IPs, which provide a unique address just for you, avoiding noticeable location shifts
Archive Buttons – Simply enter the URL of the article and click the archive buttons to remove any paywall.
- Connecting With a Blacklisted IP Address – Companies often keep lists of blacklisted IP addresses associated with VPNs and proxies, which allows them to block unwanted traffic. If you’re using a free VPN with shared IP addresses among numerous users, there’s a chance you may connect via one of these blacklisted IPs, letting the website detect and flag your session as a VPN connection. To avoid this issue, consider using a dedicated IP unique to one user that is less likely to be flagged. If you can’t spend on a dedicated IP address and prefer a free VPN connection, I recommend opting for a service with a large, regularly updated pool of IP addresses to minimize detection…” [Suggestion – use a paid VPN service such as ProtonVPN which is bundled with their suite including email, drive, calendar, etc.,]
Australian TikToker Bella Bradford has died at the age of 24 following a battle with a rare form of cancer.
Bradford prerecorded a final video and a heartbreaking message to her followers and fans before her death, which was intended to be shared after her passing.