harvyk

There used to be a "bread and milk" question to show how in touch a pollie is with the real world. They used to be asked how much for a loaf of bread and a litre of milk? If they knew the answer it meant they where still in touch with reality, however most of them didn't including many a treasurer which is a scary thing... Just recently they where talking about opening up a child care center at parl house for the pollies. It was going to be $80 a day for a pollie to leave a kid there. Now they all in unison screamed on how expensive it was and that no one would pay that sort of money. They are right it is a lot of money per day, but no where near as expensive as what some people have to fork out. It kinda showed just how far separated from reality most pollies really are.

I think it's a good thing english can evolve... A language such as French is so tightly controlled, for example the word email needed to go through a committee prior to it been approved as a word that could be spoken in the French language. English on the other hand we can come up with new words and new meanings as the need arises, we don't need to have a word "approved" by a committee which can take many years for it to happen.

You mean to say the Easter Bunny isn't real????

Bah, I've survived enough ends of the worlds that this little lot ain't scaring me...

Congratulations....

Thanks all, Brought her home today, she is right now asleep, but I know that means she will be up at 2am. Luckily I usually only sleep between 2am and 7am which is when Jen said she was sleeping anyways so it shouldn't be to bad. (Fingers crossed)

Just under 3.5 KG

yeap, first one....

Hi all As some of you now already know (ah the joys of SMS) I'm now the proud father of a baby girl Elizabeth Breannen Newnham was born at 5:58 this afternoon.... Both Mother and Baby are doing well...

If you think the right guy got in, or the wrong guy, there is nothing that can be done in the next 3 years to change it now. Talking about it won't change a thing...

There's no I in Team, but there is a me if you look hard enough

After been in a similar situation myself, go the insurance route. I spent 5 weeks been stuffed around by the person whom ran into me. I tried to do the right thing and sort it out with out insurance (only a small scratch which was quoted at just under $600 to repair), the phone alls during the first week where all nice hearted. But by the fourth week it was as if the person (whom had caller id) would deliberatly not answer the phone if I called, and worse I was still without any money and still had a damaged T. Called up my insurance company and the whole lot was fixed within the week. You pay for insurance for a reason, whilst it doesn't seem the nice way to go don't muck about, get your insurance to sort it out.

Funniest thing I’ve see all day. You’d honestly have no chance unless you could also pay for a very good lawyer. Insurance companies are experts at getting out of things. They would no doubt have a very water tight contract which you had signed, and the fact that the act which your expecting them to cover was illegal you wouldn’t have common law on your side either (the only way to get a loophole in an insurance contract).

A short term loan shouldn't be to much of a problem. I know that you don't really want a loan but if you can put away $500 per week into the loan you'd have it paid off in full within 5 months inc interest costs, which at worst case 15% is only ~$370 (You'd probably be able to find one for 11%) I'd watch the insurance stuff as well, you might find the insurance saying we're happy to have it in your mums name with you driving, but if happens and they find you where the normal driver you might find your insurance become.

Except in Canberra, AFP also double as the ACT's general Police

We'd just need to make sure they do it in a part of the country which no one wants to go to (out of sight out of mind). For the rest of society on the dole I think it we should go one step better, tokens can be swapped easily, they are as good as money. Having the government control your income period is the way dole should be. We need the safety net. It should be there for everyone period (otherwise crime rates will go up, and your tax saving will go directly to your friendly local insurance company) but it should be the government buys the food and pays the bills on your behalf. I personally think claiming the dole should give you the same restrictions as bankruptcy (only you get off the dole when your first pay cheque comes in, not 7 years later) Just my thought for the night

My favourite quote is "If we give up some freedoms for security we will end up with neither." The idea of "Special Terrorist Laws" to catch these people seems like a big joke, they are laws which allow the coppers to do as they please. The thing that was even worse in this case is an independent judge made a decision on bail even with the laws favoured heavily on the coppers side, and that was effectively overturned by the most anti-independent person there is - a pollie. So far the only thing that is truly known is he has family who have been arrested in connection to failed bombing attempts. They are still technically innocent as they have not yet been found guilty (innocent until proven guilty is one of the foundations of our laws). The laws should have allowed the coppers to asked the courts to prevent Haneef in leaving the country, but the rest of the "investigation" should have been treated as any other criminal investigate. All that said, if he really is guilty they lock him up and should throw away the key, but I'd like to see the basic legal protections still in place and working first, otherwise said hello to Hilter II.

There is there, but it's all targetted to families.

When you call up the shop tell them your tyre size (from memory the 17" are 235/45/R17) and they should be able to give you the correct fitting set of chains, just put them on before leaving the store to make sure there are no problems and that the chains only go over the tyre, not the wheel itself.

It ain't quite that easy, a landlord can't simply evict someone for no reason. Either the tenant has to have seriously damaged the place, not paid rent, or the landlord has a serious intention of moving in to the property themselves. There is a bit of a gray area when the house is sold, however the same rules then apply to the new landlard. You'll probably also find that any eviction process must be approved by the tenancy tribunal prior to the tenant leaving.

Congrats

Check your rental agreements very carefully, also check out the tenancy laws in your states. You'll probably find that a rental increase of more than about 5 or 6% has to be given with a damn fine reason, it also usually has to be approved by the tenancy tribunal on a case by case basis. Also if you feel it's an unfair rise and can't get anywhere with your landlord make a complaint to the tenancy tribunal, let the magistrate query the landlord why just an increase is justified. Most landlords (and real estate agents) will try putting on a hefty increase because they are either unaware they are not allowed to simply place on massive increases (and \ or know the tenants don't realise this can't just happen) or are willing to try it on. Check out the laws for yourself (don't bother with the tenants unions, they give crap advise according to a few of the magistrates I've spoken to) also speak with the law council if there are parts you are not sure about, they are usually able to give free legal advice (and better advise than the tenants union who are usually not lawyer, but ppl simply reading from a website) Also read up on the sections, nothing scares the pants off a real estate agent if they think you know the tenancy laws, citing sections of the tenancy laws to go with any arguments works wonders (speaking from experience) Also from my understanding they can't force you to sign an additional contract once your first one has expired, they also can't make any major changes to term or conditions between contracts and force you to comply.

The problem is they will always catch up with you, as slymeat as said the matter is not finalised yet. Until they either deside to drop the fine or they collect the money from you one way or another (keep in mind that if they send the sherriff around they will simple go in and start collecting money and goods until they believe the value of the fine, plus any additional costs have been met). A friend of mine got a reminder letter in the mail chasing up a fine 12 months after it was issued, so these things are not forgotten. Also if your going to fight a fine a well written letter with a reasonable reason as to what happened and why, stating the facts without getting emotional is far better than throwing everything you have at them. Your far more likely of getting a favourable outcome (speaking from experience)

Yeah I'd be up for this one...