Ausbuy

Corruption In Government

March 10th, 2008

As we have said before, democracies are run by an elected government with the permission of the people. They do not agree with all the policies put forward by their elected officials, but are normally prepared to accept what they believe to be the good with the bad. These elected officials, in their turn, delegate some of their authority, but not their responsibilities to unelected bureaucrats. The entire system runs on trust, and when systemic corruption is discovered it undermines the partnership between elected officials and the electorate which underpins democracy.In Australia there are three tiers of government. At the federal level there are few opportunities for an MP to personally benefit from his or her actions, and intense scrutiny is exercised by both the media and the opposing parties. There is also a ministerial code of conduct. The second tier is the state government, and there is less scrutiny and more opportunities than there are in the federal level - particularly when state politicians act in conjunction with bureaucrats and local government politicians. In an effort to combat this, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was formed, with the power to gather information, hold public enquiries and make findings. However, their activities depend on the resources given to them by the State Government.

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Directors of Ausbuy

March 5th, 2008

The following were elected as Directors of Ausbuy at the Annual General Meeting held on 4th March 2008 in Sydney.

Mike Gallagher (Executive Director)
Katie Hooker
John Pym
Andrew Ross
Ross Tubnor

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Financial Systems In Meltdown

March 5th, 2008

To say that the US financial market (and the Australian one) is suffering a crisis of confidence is an understatement. What started with financial institutions in the US granting some dodgy loans have spread from there to demonstrate weak standard of ethics and competence of auditors, rating agencies and financial advisors. At the end of the chain were gullible and greedy organisations trying to get a higher rate of interest. This has resulted in town councils and superannuation funds in Australia looking at a pile of useless paper. If it wasn’t for the fact that they are throwing away other peoples money I would have no sympathy for them. Stupidity is not a crime but some of the responsible officials in these organisations may end up by losing their jobs. However as we go up the chain the question of liability arises after all we must remember that these professionals are being paid to perform a service that they failed to deliver. Let us take them in turn:

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The Sale of NSW Power

March 3rd, 2008

Much has been written and talked about the proposal to sell NSW power and certain ideas are being floated that deserve comment.

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Food Miles - Protecting the Environment or European Farmers?

March 3rd, 2008

Ausbuy has always supported the environment and often sees parallels in the protection of the Australian economy and the protection of the Australian environment. We began researching the concept of Food Miles as a way for Australians to support local suppliers whilst also combating climate change.

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