Quoted Text

PREMIER Morris Iemma and his 21 ministers will today decamp from Parliament for a three-month summer break, leaving the state in disrepair and his leadership in question.

A damning report into child deaths and DOCS, a police inquiry into one of his ministers, a separate investigation into Royal North Shore Hospital and now doubts about the $15 billion sale of electricity, hang over the Government like a guillotine.

Facing possibly his worst day as Premier, Mr Iemma was yesterday forced to stare down treacherous MPs and deny he was planning to throw in the towel mid-term.

His day from hell started with talk-back radio and a denial he was planning to quit.

It was followed by:

 A NSW Ombudsman's report showing an alarming rise in kids dying under care of DOCS;

 A DAMNING Coroner's report into the health system failure in the meningococcal death of 18-year- old Jehan Nassif;

 A WARNING from the business community that the Government would be in tatters if it failed to privatise the power industry;

 THREATS from unions to fight the power sell off;

 AN ONGOING police inquiry into domestic violence claims against suspended environment minister Phil Koperberg; and

 CLAIMS the Government was abusing Parliament by cancelling the last week of Parliament.

"I'll be contesting the election, the next election, as Premier," said Mr Iemma in defiance of suggestions he would retire by 2009.

"If the people will have me, I'll contest the 2015 election."

Asked what had triggered the rumours surrounding his leadership - prompted by claims by his own MPs that he had lost interest - Mr Iemma said it was "just part of the nonsense and the rubbish".

"I got elected eight months ago. We got a very good majority - a mandate from the people to get on with it," he said.

"That's what we've been doing. We've got big plans and I will be contesting the next election."

But Sydney's big end of town yesterday warned that any failure of his proposed $15 billion power sector sale would leave the Government's credibility - and Mr Iemma's - in tatters.

Last night The Daily Telegraph learned Mr Iemma was forced to again delay taking his electricity privatisation proposal to his MPs, with a special caucus meeting unlikely before next week.

A senior government source confirmed that MPs were now understandably nervous, with the Left caucus voting to oppose the sale and the Koperberg investigation creating fractures in the once united Right bloc of MPs.

Western Sydney and Central Coast/Hunter MPs were also concerned about the impact of the sale on workers in their electorates.

And if that wasn't bad enough for Mr Iemma, yesterday he was also attacked from the proponents of the sale.

"We are concerned about the attempts to derail the Premier's plan to privatise electricity in NSW," head of the NSW Business Chamber Kevin MacDonald told The Daily Telegraph.

"Those within the Government who seek to derail this policy run the risk of doing great damage to the State.

"For the sake of the long term viability of the NSW Budget, the Premier has to stare down this revolt.

"The Government must not give way on this issue - to do so would be to risk the Government's economic credibility.

"We are concerned that critical areas of government policy such as new workplace safety legislation, privatisations and further investments in infrastructure are not being implemented.

"We back the Premier on electricity privatisation.

"The best interests of the people of NSW are at stake."

Quoted from aquamonkey

The magnificent ALP

Quoted from The_Pragmatic_One

*puts on old english accent*
. . . . . . . .    

Quoted from The_Pragmatic_One

God bless those marvellous b#stards

Quoted from Bluezphere

State or Federal, the ALP is the the worst possible government to have in power, but people have short memories.

Quoted from John_Connor

Yes people do have short memories!This is why little John had four terms in office however his social engineering program was quite successful.We now how many more flag worshiping self absorbed ignorant morons than ever!.....

Quoted from The_Pragmatic_One

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

Winston Churchill.

Quoted Text

Ten year and $95 million later, Tcard contract axed
TEN years after it was first announced and almost $100 million later, Sydney is no closer to a cashless public transport ticketing system after the NSW Government was forced to terminate its contract for the troubled Tcard.

Transport Minister John Watkins announced the contract with Integrated Transit Solutions Ltd (ITSL) to develop the Tcard was cancelled at 1pm (AEDT) because of repeated delays.

He said the Government would now pursue a damages claim through the courts to try to recoup as much of the $95 million of taxpayers money spent on the failed project as possible.

The Government has already seized a $10 million performance bond.

A search will also begin to find another company to develop an integrated ticketing system, which was first announced by then transport minister Brian Langton in 1997. It was originally meant to be ready for when Sydney played host to the 2000 Olympic Games.

ITSL signed the contract to develop the Tcard in 2003, but Mr Watkins said the company had repeatedly failed to meet the conditions set out in that contract.

"Ongoing delays, setbacks and chronic failures to meet milestones have meant that we have no choice but to take this action to protect the taxpayer," Mr Watkins said.

"We've simply had enough.

"The company has had enough chances, the Government has run out of patience."

The NSW Government gave ITSL notice in November last year of an intention to terminate the contract on December 3 unless certain conditions were met.

ITSL responded, putting forward a plan which they said would see Tcard trials by mid-2008 but Mr Watkins said the proposal would not have had the system fully operational until February 2010.

"ITSL's plan did not adequately address their poor project management and recurring problems with technology," he said.

Mr Watkins rejected ITSL's previous claim that it would take another contractor 10 years to develop the ticketing system, but the minister did not put any specific timetable on when he thought it could be operational.

ITSL released a two sentence statement, saying it had received notification from the Government body, the Public Transport Ticketing Corporation, terminating the project "with immediate effect".

It was "considering its position in relation to the notice, and will keep the market fully informed on its effect on the company".

Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said after the Tcard, Mr Watkins should be the next to go, because he had misled the public over the project.

"Mr Watkins told voters ahead of the state election that the Tcard project was on track, everything was going well and integrated ticketing would be delivered by this company - clearly that was a lie," he said.

Mr O'Farrell also questioned the $95 million figure the Government gave for the expense to taxpayers for the project so far after a figure of only $65 million was given late last year.

Transport industry group TTF Australia supported the Government's move to terminate the contract but urged the Government to simplify its fare system.

Quoted Text

Welfare fraud on Rudd's hit list
Patricia Karvelas, Political correspondent
The Australian, January 25, 2008

THE Rudd Government will crack down on welfare fraud as part of its quest for savings to relieve pressure on inflation and rein in the cash economy.

Human Services Minister Joe Ludwig told The Australian he had ordered Centrelink fraud investigators to keep the heat on welfare fraud in the cash economy and has asked his department to develop plans to intensify fraud measures.

It follows a series of investigations that found Sydney and Melbourne taxi drivers were also on the dole. Three field operations picked up 75 taxi drivers, saving taxpayers more than half a million dollars.

"We want to protect the taxpayers' expenditure in this area," Senator Ludwig said.

"People who want to defraud you will continue to find different ways to do it, so you've actually got to keep one step ahead of the game.

"There's some industries - hospitality, building, taxi and harvesting industries - where there is a great opportunity."

Senator Ludwig said he wanted to increase data matching between departments to detect the fraudsters.

"What I want is cross-agency operations to improve outcomes and there's also compliance," he said. "I've asked the Department of Human Services to examine all of the options to improve its fraud detection and compliance work.

"What I've asked for is the relevant (agencies) to examine how they do it to ensure if there are ways of improving it we can examine those options.

"There's also opportunities in data matching that are also worth examining and back to the law enforcement approach, as well. It is necessary to go out there and ask."

He said the Government was auditing the programs that are in place with a clear direction to increase activity.

Senator Ludwig said three field operations, one each at Sydney and Melbourne airports and another at The Rocks in Sydney, picked up 75 taxi drivers, who had their government payments cancelled or suspended, potentially saving taxpayers more than $500,000.

"The Rudd Labor Government is committed to ensuring people in need have access to adequate assistance. But we won't tolerate people who abuse the community's willingness to give them a hand up," Senator Ludwig said. "People receiving welfare payments have a clear responsibility to tell Centrelink about any income they earn from employment."

He said Centrelink investigators worked alongside other agencies, such as the Australian Taxation Office, Australian Federal Police and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, in conducting investigations into cash-economy activity.

National Welfare Rights Network president Michael Raper said tax fraud was a bigger problem than welfare fraud.

"If they want to chase tax fraud, that's where the dollars are," he said. "There's some in social security but it's pretty tight and hard already. Less than half of 1 per cent of social security debt is fraud."