RSPCA BBQ

So much for animal cruelty

For last week’s “Lighting of the tree” festivities the City of Sydney chose the RSPCA as its beneficiary. The charity used this opportunity to raise money by holding a barbecue in Hyde Park. There was no vegetarian food available. It is disappointing that the only way attendees could show their support for the prevention of cruelty to animals was to eat one.

Dan Andrews Redfern

SMH Letters 1 Dec 2008

NSW police priorities

Police search Blue Mountains property in 30-year-old case

[...] Police are also searching a weatherboard house and sheds on the half-acre property, which is littered with rusty car bodies. [...]

(http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24628905-2702,00.html)

No 3 Wombat Street?

Or No 20?

[...] Constable Victoria Payne, assigned to reinvestigate the case in 2004, said the previous lack of police contact with family members about efforts to find Ms Gamblin was “disgusting”.

“I would just like to apologise to the family in relation to the lack of attention that NSW Police has paid to the matter because I believe 20 years is far too long,” she said.[...]

(http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22788366-5001021,00.html)

Rather than doing any actual police work, NSW police are busy dreaming up even more ways to fine poor people:

[...] In an internal notice, police officers have been encouraged to issue fines of up to $400 for washing car windscreens at intersections or putting up posters on power poles.[...]

(http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/squeegee-men-your-days-are-numbered/2008/11/08/1225561201532.html)

Codifying the charity & not-for-profit sector

Inquiry into the Disclosure regimes for charities and not-for-profit organisations

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/economics_ctte/charities_08/info.htm

On 18 June 2008, the Senate referred the Disclosure regimes for Charities and not-for-profit organisations to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics for report by the last sitting day of November 2008. The inquiry will examine:

1. the relevance and appropriateness of current disclosure regimes for charities and all other not-for-profit organisations;
2. models of regulation and legal forms that would improve governance and management of charities and not-for-profit organisations and cater for emerging social enterprises; and
3. other measures that can be taken by government and the not-for-profit sector to assist the sector to improve governance, standards, accountability and transparency in its use of public and government funds.

The inquiry is part of Ken Henry’s tax review: http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/Content/Content.aspx?doc=html/home.htm.

The Committee is due to report by December 4 this year.

(cf. http://www.aph.gov.au/library/Pubs/bd/2003-04/04bd164.htm, http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/spr/charbill.asp)

Yes minister