Crikey

The word about La Trobe is that Robert Manne will be one of the members of an “independent” review committee into the NT Emergency Legislation should Rudd win office. Exponents of this rumour point to Manne’s recent apologist piece in the Monthly, in which he is wholly uncritical of Labour’s endorsement of the legislation.

Last month Professor Belinda Probert suddenly resigned as Dean of the Arts Faculty at Melbourne University citing family reasons – elderly parent in France, daughter in London. Now she pops up as soon-to-commence Deputy Vice Chancellor at La Trobe University! One wonders what Melbourne University will think of this:

From: University Messages Sent: Tuesday, 2 October 2007 8:54 AM To: All Staff Subject: Message from the Vice-Chancellor: Appointment of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) I am very pleased to announce that Professor Belinda Probert has accepted an offer to the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), and will take up this appointment in the near future. Professor Probert has previously held positions as Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Western Australia. Professor Probert’s teaching and research expertise has been built in the disciplines of politics and sociology, where she has worked on employment policy, gender equity, and work and welfare reform. From 1997 to 2003 Professor Probert served on the Australian Research Council’s Research Training and Careers Committee and was a member of the Social Behavioural and Economic Sciences Expert Advisory Panel. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. Professor Probert is a leading sociologist widely recognised for her research on the changing nature of work and employment, new patterns of inequality, and social policy and women’s work. Professor Paul Johnson Vice-Chancellor

I hear that Liberal MP for Bowman Andrew Laming, despite being “cleared” (if this statement amounts to “clearing” anybody “Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions announced he was not satisfied the evidence against Dr Laming would give a reasonable prospect of conviction) of charges of abusing his electoral allowance to help state Liberals in the State election campaign, is set to be replaced by local Redland Shire Councilor Peter Dowling

A gaggle of DFAT’s senior executives are scuttling for cover after the Industrial Relations Commission ordered the reinstatement of sacked former Labor staffer Trent Smith, as reported here…No doubt they’ll now be invoking the Nuremburg Defence. Plenty of interesting reading in the Commission’s judgement here. Presumably there will be some fallout, given the Commissioner’s strong criticism of the credibility of DFAT’s evidence, and the blowing of more than a million dollars of public funds over the four and a half years since Smith’s suspension.

Seems to be an inaccuracy on the government’s billion dollar superannuation site. Inaccurate text: “How it works: If you earn $28,980 or less, the government will add $1.50 to every dollar you tip into your super out of your take-home pay. The maximum Super Co-contribution is $1,500 a year. As your earnings go up, the maximum co-contribution reduces on a sliding scale. It finally cuts out when you are earning $58,980 a year. There is no minimum contribution you need to make. To receive the co-contribution, all you have to do is make sure your super fund has your tax file number and pay in your before-tax contributions.” I think last line should read “after-tax contributions” Pretty pathetic considering the obscene amounts they’ve spent on this campaign and that this site is offering official advice on what one should do with their super.

There is a persistent rumour going around Griffith NSW that the father of local state member Adrian Piccoli {Nats} was recently fined $250,000 for allegedly stealing water.

Found on a Facebook page’s “wall”: Potential Westpac-Commonwealth Bank Merger? Posted by Adam. ABT inside sources recently notified us of this ATM receipt they found being spat out of a Westpac ATM at Broadway… could this be a hint of a Westpac-Commonwealth Bank merger?