TAX ANGRY

Two whistleblowers have spoken out against heavy-handed debt collection tactics and a toxic culture within the Australian Taxation Office where small businesses and individuals are targeted in order to meet revenue goals. 

In the third part of a joint Four Corners and Fairfax investigation, debt collection officer Richard Boyle revealed explicit instructions to order garnishees, a system whereby the ATO orders banks to hand over money from a taxpayer’s account without having to consult the taxpayer, on every case. Former senior ATO insider Ron Shamir has also spoken out about revenue targets for his Melbourne branch, and the ABC has published a corresponding guide to ATO powers.

CHINA’S BASE INSTINCT

“China has approached Vanuatu about building a permanent military base on the island nation, in a plan that could have global ramifications and has been discussed at the highest levels in Canberra and Washington.”

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that China and Vanuatu have had preliminary discussions about a growing military presence, and that while no formal proposals have been put to Vanuatu’s government senior security officials believe the plans could expand to a full military base.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

A 99-year-old man who joined vacuum cleaner chain Godfreys as a partner in 1936 has offered to buy the company.

The Age reports that John Johnston made a takeover bid for Godfreys at 32¢ a share through his Arcade Finance investment vehicle, a premium of 10¢ to the company’s closing price of 22¢ last week.

THEY REALLY SAID THAT?

“Nobody wants to actually go to a federal election which you know you’re going to lose because it’s like playing in the losing grand final. No one wants to play in the losing side. And you’d have an obligation to all around you that, if you honestly believe that is the case, then you must do something about it and do the honourable thing and start grooming an alternative.”

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce

Barnaby Joyce, who recently (begrudgingly) resigned from his party’s top job, suggests Malcolm Turnbull do the same if polls do not improve.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Afghan refugee on Manus Island repeatedly stabbed with screwdriver

Coalition told to rewrite foreign donations bill in unanimous report

Peter Dutton’s secret plan to cut back on migrants ($)

Bill Shorten doesn’t deny saying he would rip up Adani’s licence if he becomes PM

Turnbull slaps down Abbott for ‘un-Liberal’ push to nationalise Liddell

Linc Energy company guilty of polluting in Queensland

Rent-a-plane MPs keep expenses bill flying ($)

Astro Labe, DJ who headbutted Abbott, gets six months in jail

Attorney: Federal agents seize documents from Trump lawyer

Fox News accidentally displays graphic showing it is least trusted cable network

WHAT’S ON TODAY

Sydney

  • APRA awards with guests including [deep breath] Amy Shark, Midnight Oil, Tim Minchin, Paul Kelly, Sarah Blasko, Courtney Barnett, Kasey Chambers, Julia Zemiro, Adam Briggs, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Jen Cloher, Tracey Spicer and more.

  • Parents, students and residents of Haberfield will rally against WestConnex plans to use two new sites near Haberfield Public School for round-the-clock tunnelling/spoil removal.

  • New South Wales Police Force Commissioner Mick Fuller, NSW Governor David Hurley and Police Minister Troy Grant will unveil three new police aircrafts.

  • People with a disability from across NSW will protest at Parliament House, urging ongoing and long-term funding for disability advocacy.

Perth

  • Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud will meet with Western Australia counterpart Alannah MacTiernan and WAFarmers following news of live export sheep deaths.

  • Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will continue his tour of Perth with a meeting and press conference within the Stirling Council area.

  • The World Surf League will host the Margaret River Pro Press Session with some of world’s best surfers.

Melbourne

  • Blind children from primary and secondary schools from across Melbourne will visit the Leigh Garwood Mobility Centre to get specialist training with a cane or seeing eye dog.

  • Melbourne Lord Mayor candidate nominations close.

Canberra

  • Spillover estimates hearing with NBN Co will feature outgoing CEO Bill Morrow.

Biloela, Queensland

  • Petition with nearly 100,000 signatures calling for the return of raided Biloela refugee family Priya, Nades and their two daughters will be delivered to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

Warrnambool, Victoria

  • Emergency Management Victoria will unveil a 4km above-ground water pipeline to help extinguish the Cobrico peat fire.

Hobart

  • The Earl of Wessex Prince Edward will hand out Duke of Edinburgh awards and launch an employment project at breakfast, before touring Tasmanian botanical gardens.

Darwin

  • Prince Charles will spend the final day of his Australian tour in Darwin.

Adelaide

  • Climate Media Centre will launch a digital, economic map for potential rooftop solar projects.

Shepparton, Victoria

  • Federal Member for Murray Damian Drum will host a public candidates forum for Nationals Shepparton preselection. 

THE COMMENTARIAT

Truth is the first casualty in the coal wars — Ben Potter (Australian Financial Review $): “We’ve already seen ex-PM Tony Abbott and his small gang of coal warriors bent on doing untold violence to the truth by falsely asserting that building new coal fired power stations is the best way to restore affordable and reliable power. No expert authority – not the Finkel review of energy, not the Australian Energy Market Operator and the Australian Energy Markets Commission – supports this view. It’s just the way a bunch of non-experts with an axe to grind against the Prime Minister feel.”

Canberra needs to get very serious, very quickly, to counter this move by a master strategist — Peter Hartcher (SMH): “On the global chessboard of power politics, the advent of a Chinese military base in the South Pacific would be the equivalent of Australia being placed in check. If the government of Vanuatu were to agree to host a permanent base for an expanding Chinese military, ‘it would signal a pretty significant failure of Australia’s long-term security policy,’ observes the head of ANU’s National Security College, Rory Medcalf.”

CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY

Live export cruelty a years-long horror story ignored by regulatorsBernard Keane

“If you were sickened by the footage of abused and dying sheep on a live export vessel on 60 Minutes last night, rest assured that virtually nothing will be done to stop it. The company responsible has been getting away with it for years, and the department allegedly responsible for regulating it has done little.”

Turnbull’s Newspoll hole not just the result of hubris, but also terrible luckWilliam Bowe

“One reason he might never have envisioned this translating into a losing streak to equal Tony Abbott’s is that the signals transmitted by polls are, by their nature, distorted by statistical noise. What Turnbull had no cause to anticipate was how muted this noise would become in the poll series he identified as the only one that mattered.”

The manufactured magic of Russell Crowe’s $3.7m divorce auctionMargot Saville

It’s a tricky thing, the celebrity chattels auction. You need the general public to believe that these objects, often quite mundane, have been sprinkled with stardust. The vendor has to spruik the sale without sounding avaricious (it helps if they’re dead). And into this suspension of disbelief steps the upper-class auction house, eager to Posh Up the proceedings and rake in the cash.

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE