A welfare cheat caught stealing from the public purse three times in three different states has dodged an immediate prison sentence for scamming more than $20,000 in Centrelink payments. Melinda Brown, of Gol Gol, pleaded guilty to the Commonwealth charge of obtaining financial advantage by deception when she faced Mildura Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Appearing for the Commonwealth, prosecutor Peter Delorenzo said Brown received $22,305.92 in Newstart overpayments over 2½ years by deliberately not reporting, or under reporting, her earnings while working at an aged-care home. The court heard Brown had faced identical charges in NSW in 2005 and in Queensland in 2001. Magistrate Gerard Bryant sentenced Brown to six months’ prison, wholly suspended. She has been ordered to repay the overpayments to the Commonwealth.
January 27, 2017
The driver of a Warrigal care minibus has been charged over a crash that killed one elderly woman and injured several others on a highway south of Sydney. The minibus carrying 11 people was headed to a barbecue when it collided with a truck and landed on its side on the Princes Motorway at Yallah just after midday yesterday. An 88-year-old female passenger died at the scene. Seven bus passengers were transferred to Wollongong and Shellharbour hospitals after the crash while another was airlifted to Sydney’s St George Hospital. Most patients are either in a stable condition or had been discharged, except for one 86-year-old woman at Wollongong hospital who was serious but stable. The 63-year-old bus driver has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death, and his licence was also suspended, NSW Police said.
January 27, 2017
Fair Work Commission head Iain Ross has intervened into the default superannuation debate, revealing to an independent inquiry that the federal government has left the commission’s default fund selection process in limbo for the past three years. Justice Ross, who is also a federal court judge, said senior ministers had effectively ignored his multiple requests to resolve the situation in a December 20 submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into alternative arrangements for default superannuation funds. The inquiry was set up by the Turnbull government with a view to remove Fair Work’s selection role and promote competition with retail funds.
January 27, 2017
A magistrate has warned the criminal prosecution against Kathy Jackson risks turning into a rerun of the trade union royal commission, after lawyers for the former Health Services Union boss sought more documents and permission to cross-examine more than 60 witnesses about her spending on overseas flights and luxury hotels.
January 27, 2017
A s.385 (Application to deal with contraventions involving dismissal) by Ms Gay Kelly against the Dhauward-Wurrung Portland & District Aboriginal Elderly Citizens Inc T/A Dhauward-Wurrung Elderly & Community Health Service Inc has been knocked back by Commissioner Riordan. She was far too dilatory in pursuing her claim. “Even if I were to accept Ms Kelly’s proposition that she finally realised that her employment relationship concluded on 28 October 2016, the application is still 21 days late. I do not accept that waiting for a copy of the employment contracts fits within the definition of an exceptional circumstance. Also, I note that it took Ms Kelly 12 days to seek legal advice and then a further 16 days after the provision of her employment contract to make he application. This level of inactivity does not provide for an exceptional circumstance.
January 27, 2017
A woman has died and several people have been seriously injured after a minibus owned by an aged-care organisation overturned near Dapto in New South Wales. Emergency services were called to the M1 motorway just before 12:00pm when a minibus with 11 occupants fell on its side after colliding with a truck about 100 kilometres south of Sydney. Police said the two vehicles were travelling in the same direction. One female passenger died at the scene, while another passenger was flown to Sydney’s St George Hospital with serious injuries.
January 27, 2017
An application for approval of the Adelaide Community Healthcare Alliance – Clerical Employees- Enterprise Agreement 2016-2020 (s.185 – Application for approval of a single-enterprise agreement) will be heard by Commissioner Lee in his Melbourne chambers at 3pm today.
January 27, 2017
A s.185 (Enterprise agreement) application from the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation for its Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation Enterprise Agreement 2016 has been granted by Commissioner Roe.
