Crown chair Helen Coonan is chair of a PR firm whose clients have been involved in questionable financial transactions including money-laundering and stumping for shady sharemarket promoters and mortgage brokers fighting commission bans. Her PR role is in conflict with her position as chair of financial complaints ombudsman AFCA
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Poor culture, rich pickings: Crown chair Helen Coonan too quick to slam banks for poor culture
Crown profits from the hardship of problem gamblers, the banks refuse to stop credit cards for problem gamblers. Helen Coonan is chair of both Crown and bank ombudsman AFCA (Australian Financial Complaints Authority). It is a conflict which makes her position untenable writes Elizabeth Minter.
Emails show Qantas promotes climate action in public, betrays carbon commitments in private
In public, Qantas professes an absolute commitment to reducing carbon emissions. In private, it lobbies the government to weaken the global scheme for airlines to commit to offsetting their emissions. Elizabeth Minter reports.
Rich Thinking: Canberra Bubble wage delusions spawn a bizarre plan to flatten taxes
Forget the “average” wage, half of working Australians earn less than $57,000 a year. Rich think they are poor, poor rich. Elizabeth Minter reports on the government’s strange plan to flatten taxes so everybody who earns between $45,000 and $200,000 pays the same rate.
Advance Australia Unfair: tax cuts to favour men over women, old over young, rich over poor
Women and young people have borne the brunt of the Covid Crisis. They are set to lose again when the Government hands down its $158 billion tax cuts package. Elizabeth Minter reports on the unfairness of the government’s plan for economic recovery.
‘Mid-life crisis’ conference just ticket for the blues
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds charged taxpayers $5,500 to weekend ‘mid-life crisis’ conference put on by her husband’s employer – and go to a ball.
Sloppy Joe Hockey and his Cabcharges
Joe Hockey flew out of Sydney on April 17, 2011, landed in Dubai on April 18, but was also recorded as taking a $190 hire car ride from his Hunters Hill home to Channel Seven and back again.
Tony Abbott’s ironman, ocean swims and fun run: all on taxpayers’ dime
Tony Abbott billed taxpayers more than $1200 in travel and accommodation costs to compete in the 2011 Port Macquarie Ironman.
Abbott flies RAAF jet to donor’s birthday bash at golf club
Tony Abbott used an RAAF jet to attend the birthday party of a Liberal Party donor Paul Marks. His office said the PM had work-related engagements the following day but would not say what they were.
Julie Bishop’s $30k flight from Perth to Canberra
Julie Bishop stayed an extra day in Perth after completing her official public commitments so an empty jet flew from Canberra to Perth to pick up her and her partner David Panton to return them to the nation’s capital at a cost to taxpayers of $30,000.
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Tamed estate: Scott Morrison, the master magician
Prime Minister Scott Morrison swung the spotlight away from the mounting evidence of the misuse of taxpayer funds and on to AusPost’s CEO Christine Holgate. The media was only too happy to oblige. Michael Tanner reports.
Yes, Minister: aged care, it’s not my fault
Ministerial responsibility is dead. With the refusal of Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck to accept responsibility for the deaths of 683 residents in aged care homes who died from Covid-19, so too dies accountable government in Australia. Dr Sarah Russell reports.
Coal Deal in Distress: desperate Dalrymple’s dodgy debt dump
Brookfield’s make-up artists are hard at work. They’ve taken “coal” out of the title, hired every broker in town to flog the thing and, in the most telling move, are rushing to get the deal done before the end of the year. Michael West reports on the ASX float of Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure, which looks set to siphon off Aussie cash to an offshore haven, with yield-hungry retirees paying the price.
The Coonan Conundrum: PR role puts Crown chairwoman in a morass of conflicts
Crown chair Helen Coonan is chair of a PR firm whose clients have been involved in questionable financial transactions including money-laundering and stumping for shady sharemarket promoters and mortgage brokers fighting commission bans. Her PR role is in conflict with her position as chair of financial complaints ombudsman AFCA
Another Australian miner sues another poor country, this time Barrick’s Porgera in PNG
Investor State Dispute Settlement processes in trade agreements hit the headlines when US multinational Philip Morris tried to sue Australia over its tobacco plain packaging laws. Australian mining companies are increasingly using ISDS processes and are being awarded billions based on dubious calculations of potential lost profits by unaccountable international tribunals. Patricia Ranald reports.
