Leon Speed ---
 
The Australian 2016 defence white paper is going to see Australia raise their defence spending to $195 billion. According to the defence department the plans have been cost assured and externally validated. The plans are also affordable and achievable (borrow money from the IMF then take away from the citizens their family tax benefits, disability benefits, pensioner benefits to pay it back. I.e.; austerity). ‘The Australian people can have confidence that this government will ensure that we can defend our nation and protect our interests today and into the future’. I wonder if they truly mean our interests or big corporations’ interests in resource rich countries.
 
It seems that they lack confidence in their own defence after scrapping the 22 Tiger attack helicopters purchased for approximately $2 billion in 2008. The Tiger helicopter is still not combat ready. Many problems with the helicopter emerged such as the air-conditioning and power capacitors breaking down and filling the cabin with toxic smoke. There were also delays with the helicopters software and parts must be shipped to Europe for repair which is expensive and time consuming. Another incident saw the window jam shut and the crew were forced to blow the canopy off to ventilate the cockpit. The helicopter was designed in the 1980’s for the European battlefield so not too good for Australia in the 21st century. Pilots eventually refused to fly the aircraft after many accidents occurred. A defence analyst, Andrew Davies, said “we’ve spent billions of dollars, lost many years of capability because the helicopters weren’t as mature as we thought”.

The defence white paper, on New Zealand (p.121), notes that ‘we are close partners and ANZUS allies’. According to the US Department of State, ‘Although the agreement [anzus treaty] has not been formally abrogated, the United States and new Zealand no longer maintain the security relationship between their countries’. This came about in 1984 when New Zealand was disputing US nuclear ships visits to their ports. The government is also to strengthen ‘Defences intelligence’ (p.20). One would hope intelligence gets strengthened.
 
All this seems in line with Australia’s wasting of tax payers money after the many, many problems with the F35-A fighter jets that the US are pushing for them to purchase.  Now there is news of US armed and backed rebels in Syria fighting against US armed and backed rebels in Syria. After all profits for the US military industrial complex before intelligent thought seem to be the norm for the US and the allies.

Leon Speed ---
 
The Australian Federal Police are going to be given powers to check ID’s at airports soon. The reasoning is because Airline Company’s now have self service check-ins and the person that boards the plane isn’t necessarily the ticket purchaser. So anyone could buy a ticket and give it to someone else to use. This according to the ABC has happened before with 60 people being charged with flying under false names. If that is all they’re charged with it just sounds like more government control on the citizens and more help to the big Airline Company’s at the expense of the people.
 
This can mean that if you work away and someone can’t use their ticket for any reason they will not be able to give it away to someone else to use. So the person who can’t use the ticket will lose money and the person who could have benefitted will have to purchase a new ticket. Similar if you have to go to a funeral or wedding and you can’t make it at the last minute you won’t be able to give away your ticket to someone who can go. Well no surprise that the winner will be the Airline Company.
 
A simple solution if the government were serious about looking after its citizens and creating jobs would be to get rid of self service and employ some human beings. But that won’t happen because they are more interested in looking after the bottom line of big companies.
 
An aviation security consultant, Roger Henning, said in the ABC article that “There are items that bypass the scanners. For example C4 plastic explosive”. Way to keep that a secret if it’s true Mr. Henning.

Leon Speed ---
 
This is a translated wiki leaks cable via information clearing house from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (ministry of foreign affairs) which discusses the need to oust President Assad of Syria. The Kingdom will do what they can to topple Syria and try to dissuade Russia from their position on Syria. The Kingdom is also fearful of payback if Russia and Syria are successful at keeping Syria a sovereign nation. The Kingdom has also realised that the US interest in Syria is waning.
 
Another interesting development is the $683 million sale of bunker buster bombs to Turkey from none other than the US military industrial complex.
 
 
[…] shared interest, and believes that the current Russian position only represents a movement to put pressure on him, its goals being evident, and that this position will not persist in force, given Russia’s ties to interests with Western countries and the countries of the Gulf.
If it pleases Your Highness, I support the idea of entering into a profound dialogue with Russia regarding its position towards Syria*, holding the Second Strategic Conference in Moscow, working to focus the discussion during it on the issue of Syria, and exerting whatever pressure is possible to dissuade it from its current position. I likewise see an opportunity to invite the head of the Committee for International Relations in the Duma to visit the Kingdom. Since it is better to remain in communication with Russia and to direct the media not to oppose Russian figures and to avoid insulting them, so that no harm may come to the interests of the Kingdom, it is possible that the new Russian president will change Russian policy toward Arab countries for the better. However, our position currently in practice, which is to criticize Russian policy toward Syria and its positions that are contrary to our declared principles, remains. It is also advantageous to increase pressure on the Russians by encouraging the Organization of Islamic States to exert some form of pressure by strongly brandishing Islamic public opinion, since Russia fears the Islamic dimension more than the Arab dimension.
In what pertains to the Syrian crisis, the Kingdom is resolute in its position and there is no longer any room to back down. The fact must be stressed that in the case where the Syrian regime is able to pass through its current crisis in any shape or form, the primary goal that it will pursue is taking revenge on the countries that stood against it, with the Kingdom and some of the countries of the Gulf coming at the top of the list. If we take into account the extent of this regime’s brutality and viciousness and its lack of hesitancy to resort to any means to realize its aims, then the situation will reach a high degree of danger for the Kingdom, which must seek by all means available and all possible ways to overthrow the current regime in Syria.
As regards the international position, it is clear that there is a lack of “desire” and not a lack of “capability” on the part of Western countries, chief among them the United States, to take firm steps […]
 
 
 - See more at: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44315.htm#sthash.SMma1XJo.dpuf

Leon Speed ---
 
Work has started at the Hmeymim airbase in Syria in regards to the peace deal put in place by Russia and the USA. The Coordination centre for reconciliation of opposing sides on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic comprises of over 50 people and 5 groups. The groups are analysis and planning group, negotiation group, group for agreements and cooperation with foreign organisations, information support group, and group for humanitarian support of the Syrian population. The majority of the Russian officers have extensive experience in peace making activities under the UN and other peace keeping formats.
 
The main mission of the Coordination Centre is to receive appeals from representatives of local authorities and armed groupings through a common telephone line and an email address concerning their willingness to stop the combat actions and to negotiate a truce. To provide any assistance to everyone who makes addresses to the centre of organisation of contacts and further cooperation with the Syrian state authorities in order to sign ceasefire and peacemaking agreements. And to organise the cooperation with International organisations in the field of deliveries of humanitarian cargoes to the Syrian population and return of refugees from other regions and countries.

All contacts to the cooperation centre have been spread through the Syrian media, television, radio, SMS and email as well as through other means available. The centre has already had 10 appeals from areas which Russian servicemen are now attending to. The settlements of Javalik, Ghunaymiyah, Laulyat and Burj Islam have signed peace agreements. Other negotiations are being held in provinces of Homs. Personnel of the centre have despatched humanitarian cargo providing living essentials and medical support.
 
Unfortunately the agreement does not seem to bother Turkey as they are still firing into Syria and their allies turn a blind eye. The Russian Ministry of Defence (MOD) suggest that international human rights advocates come up with unsubstantiated, unproven claims against Russian strikes but only give an ‘official view’ when Turkey blatantly abuses International law.
 
The US has been given all the contact information for the centre but after 24 hours the US has still not made contact. The US seem to be more interested in splitting up Syria and ousting Assad than actually actively participating in the peace deal. The MOD is also not happy with comments from Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook who has said he is taking Russia intentions of a ceasefire with a “certain dose of scepticism”. The MOD suggest he forget about plan ‘B’ or other letters and concentrate on being more professional but he would find that difficult as he lacks military science knowledge unlike his predecessors. The Russians are focusing on reconciliation in Syria and not coming up with alternative plans.
 
Russian aircraft are stilling carrying out attacks on ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and other groups named as terrorists. They have actioned 62 sorties engaging 187 targets in provinces of Hama, Raqqah, Deir ez-Zor, Aleppo, and Homs. These attacks are to continue as these groups are not included in the peace agreement.

Leon Speed ---
 
Australia’s liberal government under ex Goldman Sachs Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has decided to scrap media ownership laws in the country. Currently the law has a two out of three rule which allows a media company to own only two outlets such as a newspaper and radio station or a TV station and a newspaper. The new law will see one outlet able to own all three, a newspaper, radio station and TV station. The government is also to scrap the reach rule which is restricted to a media company broadcasting to more than 75% of the population.
Some industry ‘experts’ have suggested that diversity in Australia’s media landscape may become an issue because of these reforms. Wow, they needed experts to suggest that.

This will mean that we will have less freedom of the news we get if that’s possible and even more propaganda will be the norm. I was brought up on the basis that there are two sides to every story. We already only get one sided stories as it is now and it seems like the TPP has arrived already. The oligarchs have too much say as it is now so the government decide to give them more say in our lives.

Rupert Murdoch is upset that the siphoning rules still remain the same. The siphoning rule currently stops pay television companies buying the rights to broadcast a live event before it is seen on free to air television. If this rule is changed (which it will be) I believe we will see less kids playing sport because their parents will have to pay about $50 a month if they wish to see any sport. Not many parents can afford that cost. The cost to actually go to see a live game is expensive as well. I had pay TV once and got rid of it pretty quick after finding it was mainly just a whole lot more of the same repeated shows that were crap to start with.