LUXURY goods may sell the dream of mixing it with the rich and famous, but the bigger the branding the more you identify yourself as a “cashed-up bogan”. And in a case of less is more expensive, luxury goods manufacturers have been charging a premium for the more discreetly-branded goods…
ACCC wins case against online retailer Ozdirect
THE competition watchdog has won its case against online retailer Ozdirect Online Brands and its director Paul Albright for misleading and deceptive conduct but the parties will have to wait until 2010 for the judge’s final orders. Despite this win, customers who have lost money buying from the Ozdirect site…
Last chance for offshore tax dodgers
THE tax office has doubled the penalties for tax cheats who admit to hiding money in offshore tax havens. It has also offered tax dodgers the opportunity to anonymously check if they are liable for criminal prosecution, in addition to a fine, before they come forward. Tax Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo…
Qantas passengers exposed to toxic air, alleges book
QANTAS allowed a Boeing B747 plane to continue operating for nine months even though it was leaking oil, an unauthorised history of the airline claims. During this time, a flight engineer was overcome by toxic fumes believed to have been caused by the oil leak.
APEC 2007 – Truth revealed by Freedom-of-Infomation
I covered the protester aspect of the 2007 Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit in Sydney for the Sydney Morning Herald. Using direct reporting and a series of Freedom-of-Information requests I found that police were forced to make a payout for wrongly arresting a protester, spent $2 million on a…