Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations
The Honourable Cameron Dick
07/10/2010
Christmas-New Year workers to be paid penalty rates
Employees who work on Christmas and New Year's Day this summer will be entitled to penalty rates as a result of new laws passed by State Parliament today.
Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick said the Holidays Amendment Act 2010 ensured that workers would receive fair compensation for having to sacrifice special time with family and friends this Christmas.
"While many workers enjoy public holidays over the Christmas-New Year period, some occupations are required to work through this period," Mr Dick said.
"For the inconvenience of being separated from their families, particularly on Christmas Day, workers are usually eligible to receive extra financial reward through penalty rates.
"But in the past, this benefit has been denied to workers when Christmas Day and New Year's Day have fallen on a Saturday.
"The legislation that has been put passed today by the Bligh Labor Government now means workers will get some financial reward for sacrificing special time with their families and friends.
"This legislation means that this summer, Queenslanders who have to work on these special days - and who are required to be away from their families - will get the penalty rates they deserve.
"Actual penalty rates will depend on the applicable awards and agreements, but public holidays typically attract payment at double time and a half.
"The new provisions will benefit employees in a range of services and industries, including health, emergency services, hospitality, accommodation, tourism, retail and mining."
Mr Dick said the new provisions brought Queensland into line with other states such as New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.
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COMMENT: This is a long overdue but very welcome decision in support of Queensland workers. Cameron Dick is fast proving himself Premier material!
Brisbane Airport Ticket Ripoff continues as BAC does nothing to solve the problem
BrisbaneTimes.com.Au
Translink says it is working with Airtrain operators to fix a pricing anomaly.
Brisbane train passengers travelling direct from suburban stations to
the airport pay up to $5.70 more than those who break their trip in
the city.
For example, commuters who travel from Varsity Lakes to Brisbane
Airport pay $30.40 on an adult Go Card.
However, those who touch off their cards at Central Station and change
trains pay just $24.70.
TransLink spokesman Andrew Berkman last night said they were working
with Airtrain, a private company that has run the airport route since
2001, to fix the "anomaly".
"It is just not good enough that people have to pay the higher fares,"
A Go Card trip from Cleveland directly to the airport costs $22.80, as
opposed to $19.60 if the passenger changes at Central.
From Ipswich to the airport is $23.40, but just $20 if the trip is broken up.
Mr Berkman said price variations were a problem right across the network.
"Hopefully we can get it rectified," he said.
Airtrain's share of fare revenue comes from journeys between Eagle
Junction station and the domestic and international terminal stations.
Airtrain signed a contract with the state government before the
rollout of the Go Card and receives no direct subsidy from the state.
Company chief executive Chris Basche did not answer questions
yesterday regarding fares and or the lack of airport train services
after 8pm.
Queensland's Tourism Industry Council CEO Daniel Gschwind said
yesterday Airtrain was not meeting the needs of international
passengers who needed public transport options.
Last night, Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor provided a statement on the issue.
"I am happy to discuss the issue of adequate services for tourists
with Airtrain and Queensland Rail and if there is a need for trains to
run later," he said.
There are no public transport options to and from the airport after 8pm.
Mr Berkman said TransLink had no plans to run buses to and from the airport.
The airport's operator, Brisbane Airport Corporation, collects $2
every time a taxi collects passengers from the terminals.
BAC's Head of Corporate Relations Jim Carden said they would have "no
problem" if TransLink decided to run buses to the Brisbane Airport.
..........................................................................
COMMENT: The Brisbane Airport Corporation stands condemned for its
apparent inaction in getting seriously involved to solve this problem.
It is extraordinary that the BACs Head of Corporate Relations Jim
Carden simply states that the BAC would have "no problem" if buses
were rolled out to the Brisbane Airport. Is this what the BAC really
wants? What is its view on extending the rail service past 8.00pm.?
Jim Carden owes it to the travelling public to get in there and start
fighting for a better deal for commuters. Feeble mutterings about
having "no problem" about buses are no substitute for strong and
decisive leadership to get a better deal for travelers. Over to you
Jim.
Queensland Politics: Bligh orders MPs to pay for breach
AS summer approaches and many Queensland families look at firing up the backyard grill insurers are urging the community to take some simple steps to stay safe Click here »
PREMIER Anna Bligh has ordered two of her ministers to pay $8500 out of their own pockets for a brochure that breached state government advertising guidelines.
The one-page pamphlet, which came to the government's attention from the opposition during question time on Wednesday, features the name and picture of the Labor Member for Inala, Annastacia Palaszczuk, promoting a southeast Queensland rail project.
Advertising guidelines say publicly-funded state government and opposition advertising must not foster a positive impression of a particular political party or promote party-political interests.
However, Ms Palaszczuk's picture takes up the entire right corner of the pamphlet, and information in the pamphlet is attributed to her in direct quotes.
The breach follows the government's recent rejection of an opposition application for a publicly funded advertisement.
Ms Bligh on Wednesday told reporters that the advertisement was an unacceptable breach of the guidelines.
"My view is that is a breach of the guidelines in the use of a photo of a member of parliament," she said.
"That then puts it in the realm of promoting, or arguably promoting, a vote of support for that person."
Ms Bligh said the advertisement was initially approved by the Transport Department.
It was then approved by a staffer in Transport Minister Rachel Nolan's office.
As a result, Ms Bligh has ordered Ms Nolan and Ms Palaszczuk pay back the $8500 cost to taxpayers out of their own pockets.
"I've made it clear that (the advertisement) no further be distributed and that it be withdrawn from the website," she said.
Opposition leader John-Paul Langbroek said the Bligh government had been caught red-handed using taxpayers' funds.
"The question is, how many more of these brochures are being done? How many other people are breaking the rules?" Mr Langbroek said.
"There should be a full audit across government."
Airtrain shame: filth greets Brisbane arrivals - What is BAC doing about it?
This is the sight that greeted visitors to Brisbane who caught the train from the airport on Saturday evening.
Commuters on the train - of which this reporter was one - said while messy, filthy conditions were reported as front page news from Delhi, in Brisbane it barely attracted shrugs from staff.
Fruit scraps, abandoned newspapers, tampons, junk food containers jammed into seats, beside seats, under seats, on seats and then strewn across the floor of the first five carriages.
Commuters were horrified at the extent of the grotty conditions and had to walk around the garbage to find somewhere to sit.
When Airtrain staff were alerted to the mess with the train still at Brisbane Airport, they neglected to do anything about it, saying the trains got cleaned in the city.
Zainaba Ali, a psychology lecturer from Toowong returning home from Sydney, slipped on banana skins over the entry way of the train.
"I am embarrassed because it is the first thing that people see when they come back from interstate or from overseas," she said.
After recovering from her fall, Ms Ali said the mess gave people a bad first impression of Brisbane.
"This is the first perception that people have and it is just not a good introduction to our city," she said.
"If you were in Delhi and this is what you see then there is a big hoo-ha. But here, it is always 'it's all-good'."
Businessman Steve Groves, returning to Brisbane from Yeppoon, was also embarrassed at the mess and had to choose carefully where he could sit.
"It is awful for people who are visiting our city and coming here for the very first time," he said.
"I think it gives a very poor image of the passengers who are doing it. It is just poor manners."
Airtrain is a privately-run company which uses Queensland Rail trains to run passenger services to Brisbane Airport.
Airtrain CEO Chris Brasche refused to be interviewed about the mess and would not answer how many people used the Airtrain on Saturday, or why the train was so untidy.
He thanked brisbanetimes.com.au for bringing the mess to his attention in a brief email.
"I will have the specific details of the train cleanliness on Saturday investigated," he wrote.
"Airtrain contract the train services to Queensland Rail and I have asked them to review this specific issue."
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COMMENT: Although not personally or directly responsible for this mess, the Brisbane Airport Corporation under the control of Jim Carden cannot stand idly by and allow this filth to greet our interstate and international visitors. Jim Carden should immediately take all possible action to have this problem rectified and publicly announce what steps he has taken to improve the appearance of Brisbane Airport's commuter facilities. After all, the Airport is Jim's "baby" and as the "Mayor" of Brisbane Airport he has a moral, if not legal, responsibility to ensure that all aspects of the Airport and its facilities are always up to scratch.
Australian Immigration News: Online help for immigrants
Immigrants planning a move to Australia have been warned of scams that leave them broke and without a visa.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has launched a new online tool to help keep potential immigrants on the right path.
"It is vital that people are aware of fraudsters' tricks before handing over money for immigration assistance which is never provided," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Protect Yourself from Migration Fraud information kit includes victims' stories, tips for staying safe online, help with identifying non-genuine websites and fake emails and links to other resources.
Mr Bowen said the most widespread scam involved online registration and the provision of a credit card number.
The new kit can be found at http://www.immi.gov.au/migration-fraud/
Greens call for tighter rules for banks on interest rates
THE Australian Greens have called for laws regulating banks to be strengthened to prevent customers being gouged by rate rises beyond moves by the Reserve Bank (RBA).
The RBA today left the cash rate on hold at 4.5 per cent.
It means monthly repayments on an average $300,000 standard variable home loan should remain at $2070.
But borrowers could actually still face a rise in their monthly repayments if retail banks, as expected, hike their mortgage rates.
The banks are continuing to argue the cost of obtaining funds in international markets has become more expensive, and that they must raise mortgage rates to protect profits.
The Greens have backed a warning from Treasurer Wayne Swan calling on the banks to not act independently, or use rises in the cash rate as an excuse to gouge customers, but say more should be done to protect borrowers.
Greens senator Christine Milne today rejected suggestions there was little the Government could do to control the banks.
Senator Milne said the Greens would work with Labor in an effort to have a range of measures introduced including scrapping the $2 fee on ATM use and capping exit fees on mortgage products.
But they also are now calling for it to be mandatory for banks to have at least one product which has a fixed gap between the costs to the financial institution of borrowing the money and the rate at which it lends it out.
"Banks are working in a regulatory environment," Senator Milne said.
"Governments have an opportunity to oversee and we want to make sure that yes the cost of borrowing money for banks is taken into account, but equally that there is not an opportunity to gouge as far as the community is concerned."
Earlier, Mr Swan said there was "absolutely no justification whatsoever" for retail banks to move over and above any decision taken by RBA.
"Their profits are very healthy. Their net interest margins are back to levels that we saw prior to the global financial crisis, and their impairment levels are coming down."
CourierMail.com.au
The RBA today left the cash rate on hold at 4.5 per cent.
It means monthly repayments on an average $300,000 standard variable home loan should remain at $2070.
But borrowers could actually still face a rise in their monthly repayments if retail banks, as expected, hike their mortgage rates.
The banks are continuing to argue the cost of obtaining funds in international markets has become more expensive, and that they must raise mortgage rates to protect profits.
The Greens have backed a warning from Treasurer Wayne Swan calling on the banks to not act independently, or use rises in the cash rate as an excuse to gouge customers, but say more should be done to protect borrowers.
Greens senator Christine Milne today rejected suggestions there was little the Government could do to control the banks.
Senator Milne said the Greens would work with Labor in an effort to have a range of measures introduced including scrapping the $2 fee on ATM use and capping exit fees on mortgage products.
But they also are now calling for it to be mandatory for banks to have at least one product which has a fixed gap between the costs to the financial institution of borrowing the money and the rate at which it lends it out.
"Banks are working in a regulatory environment," Senator Milne said.
"Governments have an opportunity to oversee and we want to make sure that yes the cost of borrowing money for banks is taken into account, but equally that there is not an opportunity to gouge as far as the community is concerned."
Earlier, Mr Swan said there was "absolutely no justification whatsoever" for retail banks to move over and above any decision taken by RBA.
"Their profits are very healthy. Their net interest margins are back to levels that we saw prior to the global financial crisis, and their impairment levels are coming down."
CourierMail.com.au
How online romances cost Melba and Paul more than their hearts
SCAMwatch.gov.au
Melba met a man online who claimed to be from South Africa. They struck up a relationship and she ended up sending the man $6,000 – her life savings. She never heard from him again and feels “used and abused” by the man she thought she loved.
Paul, a retired grazier from remote central Queensland, met a woman named ‘Selina’, from Ghana, through an online dating website. They struck up a relationship and Paul told Selina “everything”. Then one day Paul received a phone call from a man claiming to be Selina’s brother. The man told Paul that Selina had been hit by a car and had suffered a brain haemorrhage and he asked Paul for $1200 to cover the costs of the operation.
This contact continued for months and the scammers used Paul’s perceived relationship with Selina to convince him to help her village through gold refining and butter processing. Over this extended period of time, Paul gave Selina and her accomplices over $200,000. Of course none of Paul’s money ever reached the village. Paul says he is hurt that he couldn’t help the people of the village.
Find out more about online dating and romance scams and how to protect yourself from these scams.
Melba met a man online who claimed to be from South Africa. They struck up a relationship and she ended up sending the man $6,000 – her life savings. She never heard from him again and feels “used and abused” by the man she thought she loved.
Paul, a retired grazier from remote central Queensland, met a woman named ‘Selina’, from Ghana, through an online dating website. They struck up a relationship and Paul told Selina “everything”. Then one day Paul received a phone call from a man claiming to be Selina’s brother. The man told Paul that Selina had been hit by a car and had suffered a brain haemorrhage and he asked Paul for $1200 to cover the costs of the operation.
This contact continued for months and the scammers used Paul’s perceived relationship with Selina to convince him to help her village through gold refining and butter processing. Over this extended period of time, Paul gave Selina and her accomplices over $200,000. Of course none of Paul’s money ever reached the village. Paul says he is hurt that he couldn’t help the people of the village.
Find out more about online dating and romance scams and how to protect yourself from these scams.
Consumer Alert: ATM users at mercy of card skimmers
ATM users in Queensland are at increased risk of having their accounts stripped by international card-skimming scammers due to a failure to update outdated magnetic strip technology.
Detective Superintendent Colin Dyson of the NSW Fraud Squad told the 2010 National Identity Crime Symposium in Brisbane today tens of millions of dollars were lost in Australia each year as a result of card skimming scams.
Superintendent Dyson said that while most countries had moved to more secure ‘chip-and-pin’ technology, Australia’s failure to do so in ATMS left bank customers more vulnerable to card-skimming.
Advertisement: Story continues below“The chip is, in essence, a computer in itself and that talks to the ATM and if the conversation that the card has with the ATM is not correct, no transaction can be conducted,’’ Mr Dyson said.
‘‘No ATM in Australia is currently chip-and-pin enabled. It should have been rolled out by now.’’
Detective Superintendent Brian Hay, of the Queensland Fraud and Corporate Crime Group, said Australia had become a prime target for international ATM skimming gangs, and that it was only a matter of time before the scam appeared in Australia.
“They’re out there constantly looking for other ways to defeat the current systems,” Superintendent Hay said.
Although he could not say how prevalent ATM skimming already was in Queensland, Superintendent Hay said consumers should take precautions to protect themselves from fraudulent activity at the ATM.
“It should be part of your regular routine to examine your bank statements every month,” he said.
Australian Bankers' Association acting chief executive Ian Gilbert said chip-and-pin technology would be rolled out to ATMs within two or three years, while all outdated EFTPOS technology should be amended by 2014.
Mr Gilbert said banks guaranteed to return any money lost in card-skimming incidents.
BrisbaneTimes.com.au
Detective Superintendent Colin Dyson of the NSW Fraud Squad told the 2010 National Identity Crime Symposium in Brisbane today tens of millions of dollars were lost in Australia each year as a result of card skimming scams.
Superintendent Dyson said that while most countries had moved to more secure ‘chip-and-pin’ technology, Australia’s failure to do so in ATMS left bank customers more vulnerable to card-skimming.
Advertisement: Story continues below“The chip is, in essence, a computer in itself and that talks to the ATM and if the conversation that the card has with the ATM is not correct, no transaction can be conducted,’’ Mr Dyson said.
‘‘No ATM in Australia is currently chip-and-pin enabled. It should have been rolled out by now.’’
Detective Superintendent Brian Hay, of the Queensland Fraud and Corporate Crime Group, said Australia had become a prime target for international ATM skimming gangs, and that it was only a matter of time before the scam appeared in Australia.
“They’re out there constantly looking for other ways to defeat the current systems,” Superintendent Hay said.
Although he could not say how prevalent ATM skimming already was in Queensland, Superintendent Hay said consumers should take precautions to protect themselves from fraudulent activity at the ATM.
“It should be part of your regular routine to examine your bank statements every month,” he said.
Australian Bankers' Association acting chief executive Ian Gilbert said chip-and-pin technology would be rolled out to ATMs within two or three years, while all outdated EFTPOS technology should be amended by 2014.
Mr Gilbert said banks guaranteed to return any money lost in card-skimming incidents.
BrisbaneTimes.com.au
New Queensland real estate laws simplify contracts process
Changes to real estate laws that streamline and simplify the residential real estate contract process come into effect tomorrow (1 October 2010).
Minister for Fair Trading, Peter Lawlor, said the changes to the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 would bring fairness to vendors without compromising the rights of buyers.
"Under the previous rules the process of delivering real estate contracts was very prescriptive," he said.
"Agents had to present the required warning statement, contract and other documents in a very specific order.
"As a result, some buyers were using technical breaches as small as a page being out of order when a contract was faxed, to terminate contracts."
Minister Lawlor said under the new rules the documents don't have to be in a strict order, but the warning statement must still be attached to the contract.
"This change will protect vendors from such technical breaches without compromising the right s of buyers," he said.
"Buyers will keep their vital protections and the right to a cooling off period, as well as the provision of important information in a warning statement from selling agents.
"The warning statement advises buyers of their cooling-off rights and that they should seek professional advice from lawyers, building inspectors and valuers before they finalise a contract.
"I also recommend that if a buyer is considering terminating a contract or exercising their cooling-off rights they seek independent legal advice."
Real Estate Institute of Queensland Managing Director Dan Molloy said the changes were a result of government and industry working together.
"This ensures the right legislation is in place to protect homeowners, whether they are buying or selling their property," he said.
"The amended legislation will restore much-needed certainty to the process without any reduction in the consumer protection objecti ves for buyers.
"Importantly this also will restore confidence among property sellers who at the end of the day are consumers too.
"The REIQ welcomes this much-needed reform and looks forward to working collaboratively with the government on future legislation."
The Office of Fair Trading's Property Smart booklet provides handy tips for people looking to buy residential real estate.
You can download this information from www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
For more information on your rights when buying or selling a house, visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au
Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading
The Honourable Peter Lawlor
30/09/2010
Minister for Fair Trading, Peter Lawlor, said the changes to the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 would bring fairness to vendors without compromising the rights of buyers.
"Under the previous rules the process of delivering real estate contracts was very prescriptive," he said.
"Agents had to present the required warning statement, contract and other documents in a very specific order.
"As a result, some buyers were using technical breaches as small as a page being out of order when a contract was faxed, to terminate contracts."
Minister Lawlor said under the new rules the documents don't have to be in a strict order, but the warning statement must still be attached to the contract.
"This change will protect vendors from such technical breaches without compromising the right s of buyers," he said.
"Buyers will keep their vital protections and the right to a cooling off period, as well as the provision of important information in a warning statement from selling agents.
"The warning statement advises buyers of their cooling-off rights and that they should seek professional advice from lawyers, building inspectors and valuers before they finalise a contract.
"I also recommend that if a buyer is considering terminating a contract or exercising their cooling-off rights they seek independent legal advice."
Real Estate Institute of Queensland Managing Director Dan Molloy said the changes were a result of government and industry working together.
"This ensures the right legislation is in place to protect homeowners, whether they are buying or selling their property," he said.
"The amended legislation will restore much-needed certainty to the process without any reduction in the consumer protection objecti ves for buyers.
"Importantly this also will restore confidence among property sellers who at the end of the day are consumers too.
"The REIQ welcomes this much-needed reform and looks forward to working collaboratively with the government on future legislation."
The Office of Fair Trading's Property Smart booklet provides handy tips for people looking to buy residential real estate.
You can download this information from www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
For more information on your rights when buying or selling a house, visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au
Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading
The Honourable Peter Lawlor
30/09/2010
Katter, Ansett scammed by bogus Yellow Pages
Independent MP Bob Katter and businessman Bob Ansett have no idea how they came to be in a "Yellow Page" bogus directory, run by a group recently targeted by fraud squad police.
Yellow Pages spokesman Stephen Ronchi said last week a YellowPage website was "masquerading as Yellow Pages" including the company's walking fingers logo placed upside down.
The directory was a scam designed to entice people to sign up to one they thought was a "real" Yellow Pages directory, he said.
The group, called Yellow Publishing Ltd, operates online in Queensland and other states but has no physical office.
It faxes people asking them to sign up to YellowPage-Queensland.com directory or ones based in other states.
Registration costs $129 a month, payable a year in advance, and details requested include name, address, phone, fax, email and website.
''Payment is still required for the agreement term in the event that the customer chooses to remove their record from the directory,'' the fax said.
When potential customers try to go to the YellowPage-Queensland website they are redirected to a site called Queensland-Directory.com, which lists many businesses.
The site claims to have 310,000,000 ''potential'' customers but most of the Queensland telephone numbers have 7 as the first digit in the listed phone numbers and cannot be connected when dialled.
Mr Ansett, a former car hire tycoon who runs a marketing business on the Sunshine Coast, said he had not given his permission nor paid for his entry in the directory.
"I presume they just got my business details out of the [Telstra] White Pages," he said.
A spokeswoman for Mr Katter's Mount Isa office said she could not remember having any dealings with the company and "certainly didn't pay any money".
Yellow Publishing claims to be based in Manchester, northern England, and Yellow Page Marketing claims to be based in the Netherlands and Spain.
West Australian fraud squad detectives last month intercepted cheques worth more than $140,000 destined for the scammers who had demanded $1548 from each business for ''outstanding'' advertising that was never booked.
Australian customs intercepted a parcel that contained 57 envelopes addressed to an office in Perth, for the attention of the company running the scam (Yellow Page Marketing BV).
Workers in the office used by the scammers co-operated with West Australian Police and 1619 letters from YellowPage demanding money were seized.
The Major Fraud Squad officer-in-charge, Don Heise, said media outlets had received letters from the group's lawyers claiming that ''scam notices'' about the company were ''adversely affecting our client's [Yellow Page Marketing BV] business in Australia''.
Fairfax Media has received the legal letter of demand.
Mr Ronchi said Sensis, owner of Yellow Pages, had alerted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, relevant government ministers and business groups.
He recommended people phone 13 23 78 if unsure about a fax's authenticity.
BrisbaneTimes.com.au
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