Sydney Lord Mayor sculpture fail

Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore confirmed yesterday what we already knew - she's completely lost her marbles.  The lady thinks a huge spiral looming above the city called "the cloud", birds on poles and a giant plastic milk crate is art.  She's about to spend $9 million on three sculptures that will leave people shaking their heads for eternity.

She's wasting this money because she's got plenty of it.  City of Sydney Council can well afford to splurge $9 million because they have a $600 million surplus in the bank.  She said the sculptures were an "investment" that was needed to bolster visitor numbers with George Street about to be torn up next year for a light rail system.

With so much cash in the bank, what about building some more homeless shelters Madam Mayor?  That's where they all congregate, in your neighbourhood, right under your nose - you must have to step over them as you move around the city.

Ms Moore actually believes these monstrosities will become the world's most recognizable structures, just like the Eiffel Tower. "Great art around the world can really put a city on the map - you only have to think of the Eiffel Tower in Paris as an example and our own Opera House" she said.  Hello?

Japanese artist Junya Ishigami's steel Cloud Arch sculpture will soar up to 75 metres into the air near Town Hall and form a gateway into George Street.

Tracey Emin

London-based Tracey Emin was another lucky finalist. Sydney will be adorned with her bronze birds, dotted about doorways, awnings and on poles in the central business district's north.

But the milk crate has to take the cake.  Egyptian-born, Sydney-based Hany Armanious will leave a legacy to Sydney of an ugly fibreglass "milk crate" sculpture at Belmore Park.

"People know the Sydney Opera House, they know the Harbour Bridge and in future they'll know the cloud" the Lord Mayor said.

Already, social media has declared it a very bad joke, which is what it is.

New work for the dole program

From 1 July 2015, the unemployed will be forced to look for 40 jobs per month and perform up to 25 hours of community service to qualify for the dole.

Job seekers younger than 30 will have to work 25 hours a week while those between 30 and 49 will have to work 15 hours a week.

Those aged 50-60 will undertake 15 hours a week of approved activity, such as training.

Assistant Empoyment Minister Luke Hartsuyker "It's not unreasonable to expect job seekers to be out there looking for work every working day.  Work for the dole is just part of a range of strategies that the government is putting in place to improve the prospects of job seekers to get into work and at the same time, give back to the community."

When a job seeker under 30 applies for unemployment benefits, he will automatically lose payments for 6 months but must continue to look for work during that time.  And to me, this doesn't make sense. How can a unemployed person with no income, apply for 40 jobs  a month?

The system definitely needed a shake-up.  In some rare cases, generations of families have never worked and don't intend to, they have happily resigned themselves to living a life of poverty on benefits. These people needed to be shaken out of their complacency.  Then there are the kids living the dream on a permanent surfing holiday, paid by the taxpayer, they too needed a wake-up call.

But it's the older unemployed I feel sorry for the most, they have to wait until they turn 65 before qualifying for the aged pension and the constant rejection from employers must be hell.  Their prospective bosses won't tell them they are too old because age discrimination isn't allowed, but they know that's the reason and must keep trying.

So after 1 July next year, being unemployed in Australia is going to be really tough. 

Paul Hogan's divorce now final

It was a bit of a shock to learn that Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski have split up, they seemed so happy when they first met on set of Crocodile Dundee.

If you can believe the celebrity press, Kozlowski will get $US5.775 million and continue living in their Venice beach house until 2018, or until she remarries.  She also has the option of buying the property for $US1.59 million which was the original purchase price. 

Hogan gets to keep the rights to the Crocodile Dundee character and and the film company that produced the movies.

Hogan asked the judge to deny his estranged wife any spousal payments and he was also very insistent on having shared custody of their son Chance, who is now 15.

This will be the third time Hogan has been divorced.  He married his first wife Noelene in 1958 before parting ways in 1981.  The couple who have five children together, remarried in 1982 but divorced again in 1986.

After returning home to attend his mother's funeral in 2010, the Australian Tax Office stepped in and stopped him leaving the country. They wanted him for $150 million in unpaid taxes, penalties and interest and said he used offshore tax havens. 

Hogan said he reached a settlement figure with them on a "without admission" basis, and the travel order was lifted.  No charges were ever laid and Hogan consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Putin's daughter lives in Holland

President Putin's daughter Mary is living with her Dutch boyfriend in the suburb of Voorschoten, outside The Hague and some citizens of the grieving country aren't happy about it.  Her boyfriend, Jorrit Faassen, is a senior executive who has held jobs at Russia's state-owned Gazprom Energy and pipeline manufacturer Stroytransgaz.

There has been angry talk of kicking her out of the country but residents of the town where she lives don't agree. "Why should she leave?" said Arnaud, the local postman.  "Her father is a strange man, a frightening man, and it is so terrible that his support for the war in Ukraine has led to this - but we have nothing against her."

The apartment building where she lives is home to wealthy doctors, lawyers and other professionals, most of whom claim they have never seen her.  But an elderly man watering his plants said "Yes, they live here, and every day we see them on their bicycles going to the shops."

Putin has always tried to protect his children from the media and was furious when a photo of Maria turned up on Facebook.  It was quickly grabbed by a Ukrainian website and reposted around the world.

So like it or not, Putin's daughter is now involved in his fight to keep Ukraine within his control.  And we know he could stop the fighting if he wanted to, he just doesn't want to.

First Bogan Senator, Jacqui Lambie

So who is this uncouth woman now gracing the corridors of our Senate?  It's Tasmania's Jacqui Lambie who only got 1,501 first-preference votes in last year's election.  Thanks to Clive Palmer, we now have our first bogan Senator.

Within hours of arriving in Canberra, she called Tony Abbott a "psychopath" and said she wants his job one day.

Apparently she's been in the Army and her favourite weapon is a M60 machine gun and only joined PUP because she needed the money.

This week she showed her true character to the nation.  As a ratio guest, Lambie said she is looking for a man and she has only two requirements - "They must have heaps of cash and they've got to have a package between their legs, let's be honest" she said.

In response to her bizarre statement, 22 year old Jamie rang up and wanted a date.  "Do you have heaps of cash?" she asked and then "Are you well hung?"  Jamie responded "like a donkey" and the radio studio erupted into hysterical laughter.

But the single mother of two insisted she was just "taking the mickey" out of her non-existent love life.  "I won't be scripted, I'm sorry, I can't operate like that" she said.  "I'm just a normal, average Australian, that's what I am and whether I've got Senator in front of my name or not, that's not going to change."

But one thing's for sure, everyone in the country knows who she is.

Sydney brothel for sale

There's an ordinary looking terrace just listed for sale in the heart of Kings Cross.  It's big - 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, one kitchen and a commercial laundry.  It's being marketed as 'a grand terrace zoned for residential and commercial use.'

The 'iconic address' in Kellett Street, Potts Point, 'with boundless scope and future promise' is currently being used as a brothel.

The property sold for $2.1 million in 2006, $1.5 million in 2004, $1.4 million in 1999 and $90,000 in 1979.  In April 2013 it failed to sell at $1.98 million and today it's listed at $1.8 million.

Muslim father in Sydney court over sharia wedding

It's incredible to think that a man living in Australia today could possibly think that his 12 year old daughter was ready for marriage. Yet this Muslim convert married his child off to a 26 year old Lebanese man in the lounge room of his house without a second thought.

He told his child that sharia law "overrides" Australian law which is rubbish because nothing overrides Australian law.  Both the father and the university student were charged with child sex offences.

Dressed in traditional Islamic dress, the child's father of seven fronted Burwood court yesterday and was committed to stand trial in the Sydney District Court.  He is charged with procuring a child for sex and accessory before the fact to sexual intercourse with a child.

To obtain welfare benefits, the family tried to get the husband registered as her legal guardian and that's when authorities pounced.

The 26 year old groom was charged with 25 counts of sexual intercourse with a child after admitting he had sex with the girl every day since the sham marriage took place in the Hunter Valley. His case is still before the court and he is being held at Villawood Detention Centre after his student visa was revoked.

The child bride, who is now 13 and her 8 year old sister remain in the care of the Department of Community Services.

Ukraine should have closed its airspace

International Air Transport Association (IATA) Chief Executive Tony Tyler thinks that Ukraine bears some responsibility for the destruction of MH17 by keeping its airspace open.  "Airlines depend on governments and air traffic control authorities to advise which air space is available for flight, and they plan within those limits" he said.  "It's very similar to driving a car, if the road is open, you assume that it's safe, if it's closed, you find an alternate route."

The ruling Ukrainian government was receiving overflight fees for each commercial flight over its territory and therefore had a financial incentive to keep it open.

Three days before MH17 was shot down, Ukraine raised the minimum altitude for commercial flights over the eastern part of the country to 32,000 feet  from 16,000 feet after a military cargo jet was blown up at 21,000 feet.  Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that the pilot had requested to fly at 35,000 feet over Ukraine's airspace but was told by air traffic control to fly at 33,000 feet.

But these details don't really matter because the BUK missile system used can hit targets of up to 75,000 feet.

An armed pro-Russian separatist stands guard 

In defence of Malaysian Airlines, they said the flight plan for MH17 was approved by Eurocontrol.  They said the route was one commonly used for flights from Europe to Asia and in fact another passenger airplane was on the same route at the same time MH17 was shot down.

Some of the airlines who decided to take the risk were the Russian carrier Aeroflo, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Thai Airways, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.

However British Airways, Air France, Cathay Pacific and Qantas were among those airlines who were not prepared to take the risk. A Qantas A380 pilot said "from Turkey, we track over Bulgaria then Romania, thus giving the area a wide berth."

Ukrainian authorities have now closed all routes over its airspace.

Putin said at a cabinet meeting on Friday that Ukraine is responsible. "I want to point out that this tragedy wouldn't have happened if there was peace in this land, or at least if fighting hadn't resumed in the southeast of Ukraine" he said. "And undoubtedly, the state on whose territory this happened is responsible for this awful tragedy."

But we're not buying it.  And as disgusting stories emerge of drunken rebels throwing body parts around in a most disrespectful way and scavenging through the victim's luggage for money, credit cards, and any items of value, it's time to bite the bullet Vladimir and own up.

Igor the Terrible

Born Igor Strelkov in 1970, raised in Moscow and also known as Igor the Terrible, this man is the self-proclaimed leader of pro-Russian rebels calling themselves the "Donetsk People's Republic." 

And he has a dream - to see the re-emergence of a mighty Russian Empire.

Like his esteemed leader, Vladimir Putin, he believes the west is "decadent" and is hell bent on provoking as much bloodshed and chaos in the Ukraine as possible and things were going along pretty well for him, until yesterday.

This madman has claimed responsibility for shooting down the Malaysian passenger plane via European social media site VK.  "We just downed an AN-26 near Torez, it's down near the Progress Mine" said the VK page attributed to Mr Strelkov.

A Twitter account for the "Donesk People's Republic" issued several posts claiming to have seized a missile system from the Ukrainian Army. 

"@dnrpress: self propelled Buk surface-to-air missile systems have been seized by the DNR from (Ukrainian) surface-to-air missile regiment A1402" the Twitter post read.  Military analysists say the Buk medium range surface-to-air missile is the weapon most likely used to bring down MH17.

A post attributed to Mr Strelkov appeared, but was later removed from the same account.  It read "We warned you, do not fly in our sky."  The post included a video link confirming that a "bird fell" and showed footage of black smoke rising on the horizon.

28 Australians on board MH17

Mo 12, Evie 10 and Otis 8

If you didn't have a reason to hate Vladimir Putin before, you have one now.  Twenty eight Australians are dead because of the situation he's created in Ukraine and the buck ultimately stops with him.

Every life lost was a tragedy but there is one family who is suffering more than most.   Mo, Evie and Otis Maslin were on the final leg of their trip of a lifetime with their grandfather Nick Norris.  Their parents, waiting at home, must have been looking forward to hearing about their exciting school holiday adventure.

Although Putin is untouchable, the people responsible must be found and held to account because the world wants revenge for this despicable act.

Sweden won't cancel Julian Assange's arrest warrant

Imagine being shut up inside a building for two years and not allowed to venture outside?  Most people would go stir crazy.  And it seems it finally got to Julian Assange because he appealed to Swedish authorities to cancel his arrest warrant for sexual offences against two women.  But they haven't changed their mind, a Swedish female judge this week upheld the warrant for his arrest.

It must be a terrible thing to be so afraid you would resort to such extreme measures, but he still clings to the belief that if he were extradited to Sweden, he will be sent to the US and thrown into jail.

Although he has been granted asylum by Ecuador, he faces immediate arrest the moment he steps outside the building. Three Scotland Yard officers stand guard 24/7 - one officer stands on the steps and the others question visitors leaving in case it's Assange in disguise.

The embassy takes up a single floor of an imposing building behind Harrods.  Because he doesn't have access to direct sunlight, a specially adapted lamp mimics sunlight in his living quarters - a single room 15ft x 13 ft.  A treadmill stands by the fireplace.

So what is he going to do?  Now that he knows Sweden won't budge, he has two choices.  Continue his charade within the embassy or man up and face the music.

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl's rift with his parents

Bowe Bergdahl has not spoken to his parents since he was rescued, but has sent two letters to their home in Idaho. Robert and Jani Bergdahl have yet to visit him in Texas and there are reports of a rift in the family. It's odd because his parents were the two people who spent most of the five years he was held prisoner, fighting to bring him home.

Many Americans believe that President Obama made a very bad trade when he swapped Bergdahl for five Guantanamo Bay prisoners, especially when soldiers serving with him in Afghanistan insist he deserted.

If the Army decides he isn't a deserter and was in fact a prisoner of war for five years, he will receive $350,000 tax free from the government - $200,000 for wages earned during captivity and $150,000 extra for being a prisoner of war.

Last week, a photo appeared on Twitter of Bergdahl and former senior Taliban Commander Badruddin Haqqani in Afghanistan. When looking at his picture before he went to Afghanistan and the photo posted last week, it's pretty obvious he's lost a lot of weight and doesn't look well.

It seems strange that the soldiers who served with him and say he left his post willingly, still haven't been interviewed by Army investigators.

"I think it's very clear he deserted his post" Army Sergeant Evan Buetow told Fox News. "He thought about what he was doing, he mailed some things home, he walked away and we have witnesses who saw him walking away.  And if you are walking away in one of the worst, most dangerous areas of Afghanistan without your weapon and gear, I don't believe you are planning on coming back."

In a statement the Army said "He will now return to regular duty within the command where he can contribute to the mission.  The Army investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the disappearance and capture of Bergdahl is still ongoing."

Bergdahl returned to a desk job this week and is now able to leave the base escorted by his minders.  They recently visited a shopping mall and the group was seen in a local restaurant.

Ian Thorpe finally comes out

Nobody knows better than Ian Thorpe that Australia is a homophobic nation.  He thought the Australian people and his parents would be disappointed to discover one of their best athletes was gay.  Now he needs to know that we couldn't care less.

Parkinson asked Thrope "You've always said that you're not gay, that your sexual experiences have been with women, is all of that 
true?"

Mum, his greatest fan

And then he said it.  ".......I'm not straight and this is something that very recently - we're talking in the past two weeks - I've been comfortable telling the closest people around me...I'm pleased to say in telling them, especially my parents, they love me and support me."

Dad, Ken Thorpe

He began taking anti-depressants at the age of 18 but kept it from his family and swim team. "I knew I was a little different but there were times when I just wasn't happy....it was this lethargy that followed me that I didn't understand and with all those achievements, I didn't understand why I wasn't completely over the moon."

When the anti-depressants weren't enough, he turned to alcohol and things went from bad to worse.

This is a tragic story of a lovely, soft bloke who cared too much about what people thought, especially his parents.  He was ashamed of being homosexual so he invented a lie that got bigger and bigger until it finally crushed him.  He tried to fight it, but it made him mentally ill.

But there's no reason to be sad anymore Thorpie, you're finally out and it's okay.

Charlie's Country

David Gulpilil won Best Actor award at this year's Canne Film Festival for Charlies Country.  Dutch-Australian filmmaker Rolf de Heer says the film helped his friend give up heavy drinking and changed the course of his life.

".......he began to get himself into deeper and deeper strife with alcohol and ended up in jail for assaulting his wife while they were both drunk. I thought I better go and visit him and find out what could be done, if anything" de Heer said.  What Gulpilil wanted, was to make another film, so together they wrote Charlie's Country.

de Heer and Gulpilil on set

Gulpilil plays blackfella Charlie who is getting older, and he's not happy. The government's intervention is making life more difficult for his remote community, what with the proper policing of white fella laws that don't generally make sense.  Charlie's kin seem to be more interested in going along with things than doing something about it so Charlie takes off into the bush to live the old way.  But he sets off a chain of events in his life that has him return to his community chastened, and somewhat the wiser.

De Heer said "We travelled down the river, it's a beautiful place the swamp, and at a certain point David started yelling that the boats had to pull in here.  He jumps off the boat, runs up towards this copse of trees and said "here, here is the tree, this is where I was born under this tree, this is where my mother was" and then he ushers me over to a rock and says "that rock is where my father was sitting and they carried me from where my mother was and gave me to my father."

"He hasn't had a drink in three years, this project may have been the catalyst, I hope so, but it may not" de Heer said. "But it doesn't matter because he's done it, no one else has done it for him."

George Clooney chooses an Arab wife

Amal Alamuddin

George Clooney is getting married again and he's chosen Amal Alamuddin.  He had to be checked out by her parents first before she would go out with him.

She's a British-Lebanese lawyer, activist and author. Based in London, she specializes in international law, human rights, and extradition.  Her many high profile clients include Julian Assange.

Amer Zahr has written a letter called A letter to George Clooney from an Arab guy.  Although he doesn't know George personally, he thought he would give him a few tips.

Amer Zahr

The Arabic translations reads:

You’re marrying Amal Alamuddin, an international award-winning barrister (for us Americans, “barrister” means lawyer, but I wrote “barrister” because it just sounds so much cooler). And on top of that, she is one of us. You hit the jackpot.

CNN has called her “discreet.” It looks like you found the only Arab woman who wouldn’t blab to the whole world that she is dating George Clooney. Lucky you.

I do have some words of advice for you, from one Arab guy to another soon-to-be Arab guy. Yes, you are not currently an Arab, but you will become one soon enough. See, when one of our women marries a white guy, she doesn’t become whiter. He becomes more like us. Wikipedia says your “ancestry includes Irish, German, English, and more distant Scottish and Dutch roots.” And you were born in Kentucky. As far as I can tell, that means you’re “really white.” Strap yourself in for the ride.

I have been known to get a little upset when Arab girls marry non-Arabs. But most of the time, they turn those non-Arab guys into Arabs. And when that happens, I’m all for it. Our culture is strong. It is contagious. And though you are George Clooney, you will not be immune to this phenomenon.

Oh, and by the way, there are tens of thousands of Arabs named “George.” My dad is one of them. And it’s not Arabized or anything. It’s just “George.” We just say the “g” a little differently, like it sounds in “beige.” So we will be able to say your name just fine. And you won’t be the first couple to be named “George & Amal” either. So you’ll fit right in.

Ok, so let’s talk about a few things.

Get ready to go to Lebanon and explore. We Arabs are extra proud of where we come from. And Lebanese Arabs are extra special super-duper over-the-top proud of where they come from. Lebanon is a beautiful country and you will have a great time. But movies come to the Middle East a little late, so don’t be surprised if some Arabs tell you, “Hey, I loved you in Ocean’s Eleven.” They might not even know about Ocean’s Twelve or Ocean’s Thirteen yet. Try not to ruin it for them. Also, while parts of Beirut are more beautiful than any other place in the world, don’t be alarmed if most of it looks like it was bombed yesterday. This is normal in our part of the world.

Also, you are marrying an international lawyer who has represented kings and advised secretary-generals. We Arabs are political animals, and I imagine Amal is no exception. You will be learning much about the ins and outs of Arab history and politics over the last century. If you haven’t yet, you will probably be receiving some lectures on Palestine. Sit back and listen. You will learn a lot. And it will all be true. You’ve been in Hollywood for a long time, so much of it may come as a shock at first. This is normal. But you’re not just marrying any Arab girl. You’re marrying the Arab girl who is an expert in international law. And there’s nothing we Arabs love more than talking about international law and how it has been betraying us since… well, since forever. And there might be some anger directed at America. But remember, we don’t hate Americans. We just hate America.

Oh, and we have to talk about the wedding. You may have hoped for a small, tactful affair. I wouldn’t be too optimistic. Arab parents like to brag when their daughter marries someone really accomplished like a doctor, a lawyer, or an owner of three or more gas stations. But this Arab daughter is marrying freakin’ George Clooney! She’s marrying Up in the Air! She’s marrying Gravity! She’s marrying Batman! (Yes, I know Batman wasn’t your proudest moment, but you know what I mean.)

At the wedding, the size of your family will immediately grow a hundred times over. You will become a cousin to more individuals than you ever dreamt was possible. You will hold hands with men and dance in circles. You will need to learn the “change the light bulb” and “windshield wiper” moves. I have a video that might help.

Our weddings can create a sort of sensory overload. I would go to a few to observe the spectacle firsthand before your big day. It could be quite traumatic if the first Arab wedding you attend is your own. Yours might make “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” look like a private ceremony.

Incidentally, now that you will have an Arab wife who advocates for Arab rights, if you were ever going to run for political office in America, you definitely cannot now. Unless, of course, you move to Dearborn, Michigan, where you will be swiftly elected mayor with 99.9% of the vote, Saddam-style.

Finally, George, you have inspired me. If you can snag an accomplished, intelligent, beautiful, worldly, multilingual Arab genius professional, then maybe I can too.

So, welcome to the family. You’re going to have more fun than you ever imagined.

Sincerely,
Amer

 http://www.civilarab.com/a-letter-to-george-clooney-from-an-arab-guy/

James Packer finally gets Barangaroo licence

The NSW government has finally granted James Packer a 99 year lease to operate a casino at Barangaroo.  In return, he must hand over $100 million within five working days.

No poker machines are allowed, and minimum bet limits will apply. The general public are not welcome unless they are a member or the guest of a member.  Smoking will be allowed where the high rollers gather only after air quality equipment is installed. 

We remember well how the late Kerry Packer made a point of smoking wherever and whenever he wanted, and nobody was game enough to stop him.  

The owners of Sydney's existing Casino The Star fought hard to win the right to build the city's second casino, but James Packer won.

At the close of business yesterday, before the announcement was made, Crown Resorts shares were $15.79.

Germany destroys Brazil in World Cup semi-final

Winners are grinners

How could it possibly happen?  Brazil is out of the final.  Germany just beat Brazil 7-1 before a stunned audience.  So how did they get here?

Beat Portugal 4-0
Drew with Ghana 2-2
Beat the USA 1-0
Beat Alberia 2-1
Beat France 1-0
and now
Beat Brazil 7-1

For Brazil, the disappointment is impossible to describe.

And they aren't taking it very well, some fans in Sao Paulo burn their national flag.

Germany will play the winner of tomorrow's match between Argentina and the Netherlands in the final.

Scott Morrison's plan blocked by High Court

The second boat of asylum seekers has been found with 153 people on board and the High Court has granted an interim injunction to block Scott Morrison's plan to hand them back to Sri Lanka. 

Solicitor George Newhouse said 48 of the 153 were named in court and the others have sought protection, even though they have no identification.

He said the group was entitled to have their allegations - claims against the Sri Lankan government - heard and processed in accordance with the law.  "The minister can't simply intercept them in the night and make them disappear" he said.  He was shocked to discover that a group of 41 people have already been returned to Sri Lanka and said they would now face criminal charges, imprisonment and torture.

Justice Susan Crennan ordered an interim injunction against any transfer until this afternoon, when the matter is set to be heard in the High Court.

It's a crime to leave Sri Lanka by an unoffical port, so people returned will be charged with illegal migration offences.  "The sentence for those who are proved to have left illegally is two years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine" police spokesman Ajith Rohana said.

It seems our government has broken an international law called Refoulment which means that refugees must not be returned to their country of origin if they face human rights abuse of persecution.

We await the High Court decision with interest.

Asylum seekers sent home to Sri Lanka

Tony Abbott with Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse and his wife

Escorted by the Australian Navy, the 41 hopefuls who set sail for Australia in a leaky boat are now safely back home.  They were transferred to a Sri Lankan Navy vessel yesterday.  A second boat carrying 153 asylum seekers is thought to have set out from India, but so far, its fate is unknown.

According to Mr Morrison, 37 of the returned asylum seekers were from the Sinhalese majority and four were Tamil Sri Lankan nationals.  Only one Sinhalese passed screening but chose to return to Sri Lanka with the others after being told he would be sent to Manus Island for processing.  All the rest were deemed by Immigration Officials to be economic refugees.

The minister took advantage of the plan first introduced by Labor in 2012 where asylum seekers are processed at sea and if found to be economic refugees, returned to point of origin.

Out of work human rights lawyers and refugee groups have come down hard on Scott Morrison for refusing to release information about asylum seekers but the minister insists that a blanket ban on outcomes is essential to put the people smugglers out of business.

Because no asylum seekers have arrived on Australian soil since the Abbott government took office, two Northern Territory detention centres are about to close, another in the Adelaide Hills will close by the end of the year and two sites on Christmas Island.

New Palmer United Party Senator Jacqui Lambie

When you start a new job, it's customary to be polite and somewhat humble, willing to learn from those who know the ropes, but new PUP Senator Jacqui Lambie came to Parliament House last week with all guns blazing.

She's said some pretty nasty things about Tony Abbott - he is a political psychopath and a barefaced, uncaring liar and that he and Joe Hockey were "nothing less than a pair of deceitful, lying, political politicians." She also said the way Tony Abbott paraded his daughters before the media during the election campaign was "way over the line."

The PM with daughter Frances

Lambie said that PUP would vote to repeal the carbon and mining taxes but will reject unpopular proposals like the $7 GP co-payment. "Let's face it, that's not a co-payment, it's a tax on people who are dying, we won't be putting a $7 tax on people who are sick and dying" she said. "You've got to ask what sort of person are we dealing with, where's his humanity?"

Well, she's won the hearts of at least half the population already with that statement.

A single mother of two from a Housing Commission background, she's done very well for herself.  She suffered a back injury while serving in the Army which resulted in a ten year fight for compensation.  During this difficult time, she succumbed to alcohol and prescription drug abuse.

Her military compensation was cancelled in 2001 but she fought hard and had it reinstated in 2006.  She was a ferocious figher for the rights of injured veterans and was once a member of the Liberal Party. "I felt used and soon resigned from the party" she said.

She started campaigning for a Tasmanian senate seat as an independent last year and later joined the Palmer United Party.  She says her two top priorities in office will be veteran's affairs and the economic future of Tasmania.  "When I say I'm going to do something, I'll be fighting for it and I'll be fighting like hell" she said.

New Senators  Zhenya Wang,  Jacqui Lambie, Clive Palmer, Ricky Muir and Glenn Lazarus

Gosh she sounds like a tough cookie, refreshingly different from the normal run of the mill polly.  But Parliament House is full of tough cookies so she'd better watch out.