Kim Wingerei blog posts
“Without idealists, the pragmatists would have nothing to do…”
Billabong founder on the ATO hook for $50 million on EY advice. What’s the scam?
The Federal Court ruled last week that Billabong founder Gordon Merchant must pay the Australian Tax Office $50M to settle outstanding taxes on the sale of a company in 2015. What’s the scam? The scam is that Merchant was acting on advice from Big Four consultancy EY,...
Yes to terrorism cover, no to fracking. What’s the farmer (insurance) scam?
Insurance companies refuse to cover damage from coal seam gas fracking infrastructure, yet are happy to charge farmers on the Liverpool Plains the ‘Terrorism Levy’. What’s the scam? The scam is the insurance companies are having their cake and eating it again. While...
The Dirty Budget: fossil fuel subsidies up 31%. What’s the scam?
A new report says fossil fuel subsidies will be 31% higher in this year. The increase is driven by fuel tax credits and concessions, and subsidies for coal mining and gas pipelines. What’s the scam? The scam is that the $3.4B in additional subsidies counter...
Say goodbye to free sport on TV, say hello to paid streaming
No more Ashes, no more AFL or NRL Grand Finals, no more Olympics. If you no longer watch TV with an aerial, seeing big sporting events for free may soon be a thing of the past. Kim Wingerei reports on new anti-siphoning proposals. Only 61% of us still watch...
Rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated. Johnnie gets scammed
The ‘Reserve Bank’s Communications Department’ has emailed Johnnie, the MWM Executive Vice-President of Human Resources. What’s the scam? The scam is one of those ‘give me your bank account details so we can give you money’ scams. An email purportedly from “Reserve...
Climate protesters jailed, Qantas mega-fraudsters spend other people’s money
What’s the scam with jailing two climate protesters for disrupting Melbourne traffic when Qantas heavies cop a fine for dudding thousands of customers’ air traffic plans? The scam is the biggest corporate scam of the year – the Qantas ‘Ghost Flights’ scam – has been...
Qantas, the ACCC and a slap on the wrist. What’s the scam?
The ACCC today announced a settlement with Qantas for the ‘ghost flights’ debacle. It is a negotiated result of court action launched by the regulator in 2023, seeking hundreds of millions in compensation and damages. So what’s the scam? The scam is that, once again,...
AUKUS to JAUKUS or JAUKUSI – what’s next? The Indians are coming!
Japan mooted as the next to join the AUKUS pact? India too, encouraged to join the anti-China team. But first, another set of Indians wants in. What’s the scam? The scam is the AUKUS Forum – a self-appointed ‘interest group’ hungry to share in the submarine loot....
Fake news or no news? The folly of the News Media Bargaining Code
Meta’s declaration that Facebook will no longer pay (some) Australian publishers for their news content has again highlighted the folly of the News Media Bargaining Code. It’s a poor solution to the wrong problem, Kim Wingerei writes. Facebook’s threat to jettison...
Forget the Bathurst 1000, enter the AUKUS 368. What’s the Scam?
While the Government this week announced another billion-dollar handout to foreign shipyards, this time in the UK, the mayor of Bathurst is putting his hand up for the town’s share of some of the $368B AUKUS loot. What’s the scam? The really big scam, of course, is...
Facebook pulls plug on ‘News Media Bargaining Code’ – what’s next?
Meta’s Facebook has declared they’ll stop paying Australian media outlets for content when current agreements expire. It’s sparked the ire of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and consternation within the Government. Kim Wingerei asks what may happen next. The announcement...
Qantas gets customers to pay surcharge during promo. What’s the scam?
Is Qantas jacking up fares to pay for a time-limited promotion? That is illegal under the Consumer & Competition Act administered by the ACCC. What’s the scam? When a Jetstar flight attendant tells a customer to pay $5 for a pen to fill out a landing card, parent...