Comments for Kate Lundy http://www.katelundy.com.au Taking Australia forward with openness and vision Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:32:18 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Pair Gain Victims by Scott Quinn http://www.katelundy.com.au/2006/08/01/pair-gain-victims/#comment-22828 Scott Quinn Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:32:18 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=1569#comment-22828 No Steve, Helstra "own" our estate - the developer signed an exclusivity deal with them to lock out ALL competitors. Other providers like TPG can supply but only by purchasing a wholesale ADSL line from Heltra. I'm stunned this is even possible myself - you'd think the Competition Watchdog would be all over something like this ?? Seems Helstra are some sort of sacred cow... After many, many hours on the phone and talking to a few mates who contract to Helstra I've discovered: - For the most part, people (esp the engineers) in Helstra are nice people who genuinely want to help but the company is run by accountants who don't give a rats about you the customer. Here's the clincher, they KNOW they have and will continue to piss people off but they rely on the fact that people can't stay angry forever i.e. they know no matter how much angst they give you, sooner or later you'll go back to them. - That the mux (i.e. the street circuit) that services my house, while listed as having "no ADSL ports" available, actually has about 1/2 dozen ADSL ports unused in a state they call "Deferred Deletion". This is the state Helstra puts ADSL ports into when people disconnect their ADSL - and they stay in that state for 6 months!! It means those ports are not being used but Helstra are holding them in case the people who disconnected them might reconnect (huh???). Of course this is highly improbably as the people have more than likely moved house. The sad fact is it costs Helstra a few hundred dollars to reassign a port (and if you do reconnect an ADSL port is cost them $0). So why would they bother rushing to free up the ports when they know you'll have to wait anyway (you can't get ADSL in our estate from anyone else) and while you're waiting you must use their very expen$ive 3G service. That's "accountant" logic for you. While it doesn't hurt anyone for Helstra to have deferred deletion ports on a fairly empty mux, on a full one Helstra should be legally obliged to make the ports available as soon as possible. As I work from home and need at least 30GB of data, not having ADSL and being forced to use 3G is costing me a few hundred dollars a month. So at the next election (all other issues are secondary for me and) I'd vote for the party that would force Telstra into line. No Steve, Helstra “own” our estate – the developer signed an exclusivity deal with them to lock out ALL competitors. Other providers like TPG can supply but only by purchasing a wholesale ADSL line from Heltra.

I’m stunned this is even possible myself – you’d think the Competition Watchdog would be all over something like this ?? Seems Helstra are some sort of sacred cow…

After many, many hours on the phone and talking to a few mates who contract to Helstra I’ve discovered:

- For the most part, people (esp the engineers) in Helstra are nice people who genuinely want to help but the company is run by accountants who don’t give a rats about you the customer. Here’s the clincher, they KNOW they have and will continue to piss people off but they rely on the fact that people can’t stay angry forever i.e. they know no matter how much angst they give you, sooner or later you’ll go back to them.

- That the mux (i.e. the street circuit) that services my house, while listed as having “no ADSL ports” available, actually has about 1/2 dozen ADSL ports unused in a state they call “Deferred Deletion”. This is the state Helstra puts ADSL ports into when people disconnect their ADSL – and they stay in that state for 6 months!! It means those ports are not being used but Helstra are holding them in case the people who disconnected them might reconnect (huh???). Of course this is highly improbably as the people have more than likely moved house. The sad fact is it costs Helstra a few hundred dollars to reassign a port (and if you do reconnect an ADSL port is cost them $0). So why would they bother rushing to free up the ports when they know you’ll have to wait anyway (you can’t get ADSL in our estate from anyone else) and while you’re waiting you must use their very expen$ive 3G service. That’s “accountant” logic for you. While it doesn’t hurt anyone for Helstra to have deferred deletion ports on a fairly empty mux, on a full one Helstra should be legally obliged to make the ports available as soon as possible.

As I work from home and need at least 30GB of data, not having ADSL and being forced to use 3G is costing me a few hundred dollars a month. So at the next election (all other issues are secondary for me and) I’d vote for the party that would force Telstra into line.

]]> Comment on My thoughts on the Safer Internet Group statement by Justin http://www.katelundy.com.au/2010/02/16/my-thoughts-on-the-safer-internet-group-statement/#comment-22825 Justin Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:19:12 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=5375#comment-22825 Haven't really heard anything from Kate or Pia recently. Has Rudd silenced them? Democracy in action I see. Haven’t really heard anything from Kate or Pia recently. Has Rudd silenced them? Democracy in action I see.

]]> Comment on My thoughts on the Safer Internet Group statement by Dazed and Confused http://www.katelundy.com.au/2010/02/16/my-thoughts-on-the-safer-internet-group-statement/#comment-22782 Dazed and Confused Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:17:26 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=5375#comment-22782 Hmm. Seems like George isn't going to reply. But then, I've not seen anyone reply to an invitation to explain what they think the filter will give them. After some time online fishing for a proper discussion, as opposed to the occasional "Ha, ha, you lefties have lost!" which I get from time to time, I've given up on finding any informed person who can argue in favour of the filter. I think it's pretty clear that those who understand the matter are firmly opposed to it. The rest don't reveal their motivation, and I assume it's plain garden variety ignorance that powers the majority of them. Politicians make no progress by being right. They get ahead by collecting votes. The votes of ignorant, scared people are just as good as the votes of calm, well informed people. The only way to get Conroy to back down is to cut his votes from under him. The easy way to do that is to inform people. I have met no one who is in favour of Conroy's censorship proposal once they have heard an explanation. But while the ignorant are in the majority, we are vulnerable. The EFA have explanatory notes on the filter in the event that your own description may be somewhat inflammatory. (Not everybody understands how bad censorship already is in this country, nor how bad it can get, and the consequences that flow from that.) So, just explain the Conroy filter as the EFA does, to enough people, and we are done. Hmm. Seems like George isn’t going to reply. But then, I’ve not seen anyone reply to an invitation to explain what they think the filter will give them.

After some time online fishing for a proper discussion, as opposed to the occasional “Ha, ha, you lefties have lost!” which I get from time to time, I’ve given up on finding any informed person who can argue in favour of the filter.

I think it’s pretty clear that those who understand the matter are firmly opposed to it. The rest don’t reveal their motivation, and I assume it’s plain garden variety ignorance that powers the majority of them.

Politicians make no progress by being right. They get ahead by collecting votes. The votes of ignorant, scared people are just as good as the votes of calm, well informed people.

The only way to get Conroy to back down is to cut his votes from under him. The easy way to do that is to inform people. I have met no one who is in favour of Conroy’s censorship proposal once they have heard an explanation. But while the ignorant are in the majority, we are vulnerable.

The EFA have explanatory notes on the filter in the event that your own description may be somewhat inflammatory. (Not everybody understands how bad censorship already is in this country, nor how bad it can get, and the consequences that flow from that.) So, just explain the Conroy filter as the EFA does, to enough people, and we are done.

]]> Comment on My thoughts on the Safer Internet Group statement by Andrew http://www.katelundy.com.au/2010/02/16/my-thoughts-on-the-safer-internet-group-statement/#comment-22719 Andrew Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:32:46 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=5375#comment-22719 @Richard - I can't see how you would think that this ludicrous policy of Labor is somehow a lurch to the right. It is not. It is a lurch toward Authoritarianism, which can span both left and right politics, as evidenced by the the countries who already secretly filter their internets - Communists to Military Juntas. An opposing ideology to Authoritarianism is Libertarianism, hence Senator Conroy's claim that those that who oppose the filter are extreme forms of the latter; It's a poor attempt to avoid admitting a slip toward the former. However we can both agree on one thing, and that is that this filter is entirely about ideology, and has nothing to do with pragmatic administration. And just as the previous U.S. Republican administration was consumed by ideology, so to, it would seem, is the current Australian Labor Government. @Richard -
I can’t see how you would think that this ludicrous policy of Labor is somehow a lurch to the right. It is not. It is a lurch toward Authoritarianism, which can span both left and right politics, as evidenced by the the countries who already secretly filter their internets – Communists to Military Juntas. An opposing ideology to Authoritarianism is Libertarianism, hence Senator Conroy’s claim that those that who oppose the filter are extreme forms of the latter; It’s a poor attempt to avoid admitting a slip toward the former. However we can both agree on one thing, and that is that this filter is entirely about ideology, and has nothing to do with pragmatic administration. And just as the previous U.S. Republican administration was consumed by ideology, so to, it would seem, is the current Australian Labor Government.

]]> Comment on Developing a new direction for the campaign by Bernie McGurgan http://www.katelundy.com.au/2009/09/07/developing-a-new-direction-for-the-campaign/#comment-22640 Bernie McGurgan Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:45:08 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=4364#comment-22640 John I have always said indexation of Superannuation via CPI, 27.7% MTAWE or PBLCI, WHICHEVER IS THE HIGHER! We are not asking for anything special just equality, fairness and justice a la the Centrelink customers, whom Howard treated so well to get a few more votes! The Future Fund would cover all financial costings, and that was what it was designed for, or have people forgotten? We are already attacking the MPs in marginal seats in all electorates around Australia for the upcoming election! Persevere Bernie McGurgan (A Vietnam Veteran & DFRDB superannuant) PS I resigned my commission in 1987!!! John
I have always said indexation of Superannuation via CPI, 27.7% MTAWE or PBLCI, WHICHEVER IS THE HIGHER!
We are not asking for anything special just equality, fairness and justice a la the Centrelink customers, whom Howard treated so well to get a few more votes!
The Future Fund would cover all financial costings, and that was what it was designed for, or have people forgotten?
We are already attacking the MPs in marginal seats in all electorates around Australia for the upcoming election!
Persevere
Bernie McGurgan (A Vietnam Veteran & DFRDB superannuant)
PS I resigned my commission in 1987!!!

]]> Comment on Developing a new direction for the campaign by John Griffiths http://www.katelundy.com.au/2009/09/07/developing-a-new-direction-for-the-campaign/#comment-22636 John Griffiths Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:42:34 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=4364#comment-22636 I am concerned that anyone would accept PLBCI as an olive branch. If they gave us that, you could say goodbye to any chance of getting MTAWE adjustments in the future. Surely the least we should expect is a relevant index. The Labor Government has clearly shown its intention on this matter, in light of the Matthews report and subsequent comments from Tanner and lack of comment from the PM. Clearly they hasve written us off. As far as I am concerned unless the current Government provides a solution in this years budget announcement in May, then they have lost my vote forever. Where does that leave us? The Coalition have failed us in the past as well and we are yet to see any commitment from them in regard to fixing the indexation formula for our super payments. If they want our vote then we need a firm commitment prior to this years election. At least a commitment from the Coalition would be enough to get my vote. Rudd made promises to look after us. prior to the 07 Election. He then promptly and conveniently forgot them.If you need any further proof, look at the DFWA website. We all need to write to our elected members of both houses and keep up the pressure. Ask them will they support our cause and how will they achieve a favourable result. Ask them to raise the matter on the floor of both houses. Let them know how many votes are at stake, particularly if your area is a marginal seat.Ask for a written response to your request. If we leave it to a few, then nothing will change. The Future Fund provides the funding. That is what it was created for. Let's not get discouraged and accept any compromise. All we want is a fair go and some justice. Remember that those of us that have been on super payments for the past 20 years have alreadt lost 30% of our super paymewnt value, when related to cost of living increases. We will never get a catch up or back payment and that remains a permamnent loss. Thats why we should be demanding nothing less than a suitable and fair super indexation formula. The MTAWE added to the current formula is the minimum change we should accept. With an election pending this year, there is no better time to flex our voting muscle. John Griffiths A Vietnam Veteran I am concerned that anyone would accept PLBCI as an olive branch. If they gave us that, you could say goodbye to any chance of getting MTAWE adjustments in the future. Surely the least we should expect is a relevant index.
The Labor Government has clearly shown its intention on this matter, in light of the Matthews report and subsequent comments from Tanner and lack of comment from the PM. Clearly they hasve written us off.
As far as I am concerned unless the current Government provides a solution in this years budget announcement in May, then they have lost my vote forever.
Where does that leave us?
The Coalition have failed us in the past as well and we are yet to see any commitment from them in regard to fixing the indexation formula for our super payments. If they want our vote then we need a firm commitment prior to this years election. At least a commitment from the Coalition would be enough to get my vote. Rudd made promises to look after us. prior to the 07 Election. He then promptly and conveniently forgot them.If you need any further proof, look at the DFWA website.
We all need to write to our elected members of both houses and keep up the pressure. Ask them will they support our cause and how will they achieve a favourable result. Ask them to raise the matter on the floor of both houses. Let them know how many votes are at stake, particularly if your area is a marginal seat.Ask for a written response to your request.
If we leave it to a few, then nothing will change.
The Future Fund provides the funding. That is what it was created for. Let’s not get discouraged and accept any compromise. All we want is a fair go and some justice. Remember that those of us that have been on super payments for the past 20 years have alreadt lost 30% of our super paymewnt value, when related to cost of living increases. We will never get a catch up or back payment and that remains a permamnent loss. Thats why we should be demanding nothing less than a suitable and fair super indexation formula. The MTAWE added to the current formula is the minimum change we should accept.
With an election pending this year, there is no better time to flex our voting muscle.

John Griffiths
A Vietnam Veteran

]]> Comment on Pair Gain Victims by Peter http://www.katelundy.com.au/2006/08/01/pair-gain-victims/#comment-22623 Peter Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:41:32 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=1569#comment-22623 Kate, Yet another victim of pair gain. My family and I moved into a housing estate that was barely 4 years old. We had been living in an adjoining suburb and had ben advised by Telstra prior to our move that we we able to transfer our ADSL line from one home to another without issues. As it turns out oafter 3 months of heartache that piece of information was not true. The truth is that our line has pair gain on it, Telstra have no plans to upgrade and that we are caught in the middle of ther wireless network in our area, so the drop out rate is high. My wife is attempting to run a business from home and we have been loyal Telstra customers for years - but that just doesn't make a difference. I do feel sorry for the people we have talked to who are employed by Telstra to "deal" with us - they are sympathetic to our cause yet the policy makers appear to be ignorant of the plight most Australians. Our area is booming and I suspect they (Telstra) have been caught out and not upgraded their infra structure to accommodate the expansion. It's just bad planning. I appreciate they are only required to put in a line that provides phone call access but do they understand how much revenue they are missing out on by not investing in infra-structure. We are attempting to get Optus wireless now as there is a tower within half a kilometer of our house - but that is wireless and will never be as good as a hard wired system. It's a tragedy that various governements have not attended to the problem. It's the simple things like this that influence the voters. Kate,
Yet another victim of pair gain. My family and I moved into a housing estate that was barely 4 years old. We had been living in an adjoining suburb and had ben advised by Telstra prior to our move that we we able to transfer our ADSL line from one home to another without issues. As it turns out oafter 3 months of heartache that piece of information was not true. The truth is that our line has pair gain on it, Telstra have no plans to upgrade and that we are caught in the middle of ther wireless network in our area, so the drop out rate is high. My wife is attempting to run a business from home and we have been loyal Telstra customers for years – but that just doesn’t make a difference. I do feel sorry for the people we have talked to who are employed by Telstra to “deal” with us – they are sympathetic to our cause yet the policy makers appear to be ignorant of the plight most Australians. Our area is booming and I suspect they (Telstra) have been caught out and not upgraded their infra structure to accommodate the expansion. It’s just bad planning. I appreciate they are only required to put in a line that provides phone call access but do they understand how much revenue they are missing out on by not investing in infra-structure. We are attempting to get Optus wireless now as there is a tower within half a kilometer of our house – but that is wireless and will never be as good as a hard wired system. It’s a tragedy that various governements have not attended to the problem. It’s the simple things like this that influence the voters.

]]> Comment on Tanner has Comsuper & Defence pensions by Peter John Wells http://www.katelundy.com.au/2009/07/16/tanner-has-comsuper-defence-pensions/#comment-22519 Peter John Wells Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:09:32 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=4087#comment-22519 Dear Kate Lundy thanks for the opportunity to comment on the indexation method. My wife and myself are extremely disappointed that the Labor Gvt has seen fit to accept the Matthews report. I was made redundunt from Telstra 13 years ago and since that time my super pension has risen 50%. In that time pensioner increase is 100%. These figures speak for themself. It is not only income but also concessions! It absolutely stuns us when pensioner friends get further Gvt assistance at all levels as well as concessions to just about any event in the community eg art gallery exhibitions. These friends live in a much "grander" home than ours & they run two cars (we have one less expensive car). Where is the equity in this?? It was considered essential to change the indexation method for pensions because CPI no longer represented real cost of living for real older people. How then can the Gvt agree that the CPI is suitable for us? I think this is an absolute insult, and in this regard the Labor Party are no better than the Coalition, in fact they score lower as before the last election expectations were raised by Labor candidates for justice (and of course Labor in opposition agreed with the need for justice for us, following on from two Senate Committees). We will not go away on this matter. Thank you again for this interest. Dear Kate Lundy

thanks for the opportunity to comment on the indexation method. My wife and myself are extremely disappointed that the Labor Gvt has seen fit to accept the Matthews report. I was made redundunt from Telstra 13 years ago and since that time my super pension has risen 50%. In that time pensioner increase is 100%. These figures speak for themself. It is not only income but also concessions! It absolutely stuns us when pensioner friends get further Gvt assistance at all levels as well as concessions to just about any event in the community eg art gallery exhibitions. These friends live in a much “grander” home than ours & they run two cars (we have one less expensive car). Where is the equity in this??
It was considered essential to change the indexation method for pensions because CPI no longer represented real cost of living for real older people. How then can the Gvt agree that the CPI is suitable for us? I think this is an absolute insult, and in this regard the Labor Party are no better than the Coalition, in fact they score lower as before the last election expectations were raised by Labor candidates for justice (and of course Labor in opposition agreed with the need for justice for us, following on from two Senate Committees).
We will not go away on this matter.

Thank you again for this interest.

]]> Comment on My thoughts on the Safer Internet Group statement by Stuart Anderson http://www.katelundy.com.au/2010/02/16/my-thoughts-on-the-safer-internet-group-statement/#comment-22497 Stuart Anderson Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:25:49 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=5375#comment-22497 Unfortunately, the Greens killed any possibility of gaining my vote by endorsing Clive Hamilton as a candidate. He is one of the people chiefly responsible for this entire censorship debacle. I won't be voting for the Greens, and I'd advise others to think long and hard if they are considering voting for them. Unfortunately, the Greens killed any possibility of gaining my vote by endorsing Clive Hamilton as a candidate. He is one of the people chiefly responsible for this entire censorship debacle. I won’t be voting for the Greens, and I’d advise others to think long and hard if they are considering voting for them.

]]> Comment on My thoughts on the Safer Internet Group statement by Richard http://www.katelundy.com.au/2010/02/16/my-thoughts-on-the-safer-internet-group-statement/#comment-22495 Richard Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:30:26 +0000 http://www.katelundy.com.au/?p=5375#comment-22495 One small correction Paul - this traditional Labor voter won't be voting for the other side. Phillip Ruddock as Attorney General teamed up with the Right to Life Association to force the Classification Board to RC Dr Nitschke's book The Peaceful Pill in the first place. And if the Mad Monk ever gets in charge, I wouldn't be surprised if we had to pass a Catechism test to get a passport renewal. No, I'll be spoiling my vote in the Reps (what a tragic commentary that is), because I won't want my preference to ever trickle down to Labor. I'll be voting Greens in the Senate. With Labor's gallop to the right, the Greens are looking increasingly like the moderate left of Australian politics. Who could have guessed? PS - no response yet from my written letter to the PM. Accountability does not seem to be this Ministry's strong suit........... One small correction Paul – this traditional Labor voter won’t be voting for the other side. Phillip Ruddock as Attorney General teamed up with the Right to Life Association to force the Classification Board to RC Dr Nitschke’s book The Peaceful Pill in the first place. And if the Mad Monk ever gets in charge, I wouldn’t be surprised if we had to pass a Catechism test to get a passport renewal.

No, I’ll be spoiling my vote in the Reps (what a tragic commentary that is), because I won’t want my preference to ever trickle down to Labor. I’ll be voting Greens in the Senate. With Labor’s gallop to the right, the Greens are looking increasingly like the moderate left of Australian politics. Who could have guessed?

PS – no response yet from my written letter to the PM. Accountability does not seem to be this Ministry’s strong suit………..

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