The Queen and prince Charles have made individual 'secret' donations it appears, but is this ethical, given all government donations are supposed to be made public?

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http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/920866--queen-makes-private-donation-t...

mellie wrote on Feb 11^th, 2011 at 4:33pm:

FIVE years after Cyclone Larry ripped through north Queensland, the State Government is still sitting on more than $700,000 donated by the public to help victims.

In 2006, Australians dug deep to donate $23 million to help devastated communities around Innisfail recover, but The Sunday Mail can reveal $703,000 is still sitting in government bank accounts.

__________________

So, this said, is there any reason to believe they wont sit on it again this time?



Sorry, but I think this is a tax-rort,  Gillards special way of slogging victims with a tax that may not even be necessary,  .....has she even finished counting the donations yet?

BER taskforce chief to help in recovery


THE man charged with cleaning up the government's controversial BER program, Brad Orgill, says meeting the dual objectives of value for money and a speedy implementation of the flood rebuilding package "is achievable".

Mr Orgill -- who heads up the Building the Education Revolution Implementation Taskforce -- was yesterday appointed by Julia Gillard as one of two federal nominated board members to the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, as part of the government's flood rebuilding oversight measures.

Mr Orgill said his work as chairman of the BER taskforce would enable him to ensure there was not a trade-off between time, money and quality with the $5.6 billion to be spent rebuilding flood and cyclone devastated areas in Queensland.

"The basis of the BER taskforce that I was appointed to was to focus on value-for-money outcomes, and clearly that experience is something I will take on to the reconstruction authority in terms of what we've learnt -- how to get the best outcomes when Commonwealth money is spent," he said. "I think that delivering both speed and value for money in large governmental projects is achievable."

Mr Orgill said he believed the key lessons learnt from the BER was that community consultation, transparency of decision-making and construction-sector engagement was crucial.

Mr Orgill said his eagerness to participate in the Queensland Reconstruction Authority was in part due to being deeply affected by the images of destruction from last month's floods. "I am pleased to do whatever Mick Slater thinks is useful to contribute to helping Queensland recover."

Major General Mick Slater is head of Queensland's Flood Recovery Taskforce. He said last week that a speedy reconstruction effort was essential. Speaking on the ABC's Lateline on Friday Major General Slater said: "My concern is that we get the money in a timely manner so that our reconstruction is not slowed down by having to wait for money".

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/queensland-floods/ber-taskforce-chief-t...

Sprintcyclist wrote on Feb 11^th, 2011 at 3:37pm:



Your killing me here Sprint,  and to think, these die hard Labor supporters will not even wake up sniff the junket/hypocrisy coming from their own cabinet...well, what's left of it anyway.

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When the Vast majority agree it is not really contentious.

I am quite happy to help the flood victims.

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This Levy is at least as justified as the previous ones under the Liberal government.

A contentious gun buy back.

A contentious bail out of Ansett managements responsibilities.

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has been accused of "breathtaking arrogance" by Lord Mayor Campbell Newman as a row over the funding of Queensland's flood repairs intensifies.

"This Prime Minister of ours has spent eight weeks waltzing around Queensland saying, 'There, there, it will be all right,' but it ain't right," Cr Newman said yesterday.

"How long does it take for Julia Gillard to come to a decision on a matter of policy and principle?"

The Federal Government has not revealed whether it will pay for damage to infrastructure including water, sewerage, and CityCat and ferry services.

Without federal funding, ratepayers face the prospect of surging utility bills.

Cr Newman said Queensland councils wanted a commitment that vital infrastructure currently exempt under federal disaster funding would be covered.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/newman-slams-flood-aid-delay/story-fn6ck51p-1...

She cant blame Abbott for everything, and or her wasting time appointing 'review panels' .... timely and costly bureaucracy to watch-over her own bureaucracy.

Perhaps her OCD, perfectionism is interfering with the timely delivery of policy, and rather than be seen to be making a single mistake, she's crawling around on egg shells waiting for independent review panels, to forensically examine more review panels, she appoints to review her own policies?

I think in a national disaster, we need to be realistic, this and stop blaming the coalition for her own incompetence, and just focus on  GETTING THE JOB DONE!