The Centre for Public Integrity has published analysis of political donations and government contract work for Big 4 firms EY, KPMG, Deloitte and PwC. What’s the scam?
Source: Government gutted as PwC, Big 4 pick up $1.4b a year for giving advice – Michael West
Wow $12 and everybody is happy while we the people get screwed and pay
Be suspicious, be very suspicious! Albo is capping off Labor’s first year in office triumphant, his deal to cap gas and coal prices even lauded by the pro-gas corporate media. What’s the scam?
Source: Be suspicious: behind Albo’s masterstroke to cap fossil prices, ease power bills – Michael West
What’s the scam? It’s the fossil fuel corporations again, the usual suspects, paying no income tax despite billions in income. For yet another year: Exxon nought, Shell nought, Ampol, BP and APLNG nought, and Chevron putting them all to shame with the $30 in income tax paid on its $9bn in revenues.
Source: The Usual Suspects: tax office dump lays bare Australia’s biggest tax dodgers – Michael West
Last week, the White House released a proposed framework for the regulation of cryptocurrency. The document gives the green light to regulators to continue crafting rules around the industry, and even explores the creation of a “CBDC”: a central bank digital currency. Actor, writer, and crypto skeptic Ben McKenzie joins Ryan Grim to discuss the framework and the future (or lack thereof) of the crypto industry.
Transcript coming soon.
Scamming the taxpayer has become a way of life for the national security state. We deserve a more transparent, democratic policy-making process. Our elected officials owe us their allegiance, not the defense-industry giants that make such hefty campaign contributions while beefing up lawmakers’ stock portfolios.
Isn’t it time to end the national-security version of spending unlimited in Washington?
Source: The Weapons Industry as a Taxpayer Scam | The Smirking Chimp
Offenders can intercept payment invoices, or create their own, and funnel victims’ funds into their own accounts. Businesses and individuals make their payments as usual, but unknowingly pay the offender.
via $2.5 billion lost over a decade: Nigerian princes lose their sheen, but scams are on the rise
The cost of a foreign affair is set to increase by several thousand dollars.
Australians who fall in love with or marry a foreigner will have to pay 50 per cent more for partner visa application fees.
The move was announced in the mid-year budget review on Monday and will raise $373.6 million in revenue over four years.
The price rise will come into force from January 1, 2015.
Meanwhile, plans to increase Australia’s refugee intake starting in 2017-18 will cost $140 million over two years.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison previously said the move would be fully funded from offsets within his portfolio.
There will be an extra 2500 places in the humanitarian program in 2017-18 and 5000 the following year with a total of 18,750 spots that year.
The revival of temporary protection visas and introduction of safe haven enterprise visas come with a price tag of $52.9 million this financial year and $340 million over the next three years.
Nearly $32 million has been added to border protection operations with the purchase of the Ocean Shield vessel two years early.
The Triton ship will be leased for an extra six months until June 2015.
The government has also pulled $96.5 million over two years from building a transit centre in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea to accommodate asylum seekers whose refugee claims have been rejected and are awaiting removal.
Instead they will stay in the Manus Island detention centre until they are repatriated.
PARTNER VISA CHARGES
* Provisional and permanent partner visas – currently $3085 increased to $4627.50
* Prospective marriage visa – currently $3085 increased to $4627.50
* Temporary and permanent partner visas – currently $4575 increased $6865.50
(Source: Immigration Department)
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