Hard Questions

The speed camera fiasco has now been exposed, it remains to see who will ask
the hard questions and more
importantly.. who will demand the answers.

Recently, I endeavoured to post the following message:
I don't think that it got up. After today's events, I'd like
to expand on it.

The issue of speed cameras among other things, begs
the question of being guilty until proved innocent.
Ra Ra Ra ... up the State... up it's arse!
but then "the Community" takes it up the arse without
a whimper anyway.
Rockit

The company that manufacturers the cameras;
Poltech Int. Ltd., went into voluntary administration.
It so happens that the entire business is vertically
integrated under the holding company LNT.
Lockheed Martin (USA) are somehow involved.
Under the holding company comes Poltech, Tennix (those who get the big
monthly bonus if the cameras work),
and Civic Compliance Who do the bookwork and
collect the cash.
The perception is that camera fines go into public
revenue, but there is of course a need to produce the
evidence that in fact is what occurs?? This info is not
secret, and those who publicly argue that the revenue
should be spent one way or another are most likely
aware of the real situation. At one stage I heard that
about $38million was collected, but more than 20 went
in costs.
Fed. minister Anderson has been recently critical of the
low speed tolerance level set within the cameras; I wonder if this isn't
the same mob that were found to
be siting them in high revenue earning sites in the US?
Anyway that's an aside.
It appears that these cameras have been contracted for
use without any provision allowed for checking or maintenance. Who is
responsible?
How is it that the Vic police have taken over the
administration of a private companies affairs in so far
as they are involving themselves with selecting operational
cameras, and discounting others?
What expert training have the people (police)who are now
testing the operational accuracy of the cameras in use?
In order to avoid later liability, it is a US business ploy
to go into administration as has done Poltech; if there
is the possible class action suggested, who will be
paying the compensation??
It would be a joke if the *good* drivers who never got pinched had to
through taxes, refund speeding fines to
those who were not so good.
Where were the motorists advocates who allowed this
to go on for so long??
Rockit

 

Rockit said....

Ro> The company that manufacturers the cameras;
Ro> Poltech Int. Ltd., went into voluntary administration.
Ro> It so happens that the entire business is vertically
Ro> integrated under the holding company LNT.
Ro> Lockheed Martin (USA) are somehow involved.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20031021/1612209_F.shtml

Ro> Fed. minister Anderson has been recently critical of the
Ro> low speed tolerance level set within the cameras; I wonder if this isn't
Ro> the same mob that were found to
Ro> be siting them in high revenue earning sites in the US?

I thought that it was Mayne Nickless, Brambles, or a similar mob that
does security, armored vehicle transport, etc.

Whichever company it was, in the US at the time, when it became known
that the parent company of the one running our speed cameras was being
sued, as the cameras were being deployed in high revenue areas, instead
of black spot areas, Peter Batchelor trotted out the line that the
Police and Vicroads determine their location. Thing is, there seems to
be a lot of secrecy that surrounds their operation, that it'd be
difficult to find out for sure what goes on. FoI requests can be denied
based on "commercial in confidence" reasons. This excuse, for example,
has stopped people finding out how much the Vic government pays Bernie
Eccelestone, F1 supremo, for the rights to the AGP.

 

.. Thing is, there seems to

I'm glad that you responded Martin, the message rested in limbo for
some time, and I thought that it would have drawn some response? The
source of my info, whom I have no reason to disbelieve even claims
ownership of the business name: "Civic Compliance" and various
derivatives thereof. Evidently they overlooked this formality. Most to whom
I speak are unaware that Civic Compliance is not a Govn't body. One
wonders just how much is being syphoned from this milking cow; is there
tax paid, is there any public auditing of the books; is there any payola
associated with its operation; who is it actually accountable to? etc etc.
I doubt that the auditor-general can poke his nose in.
Seems to me that the speeding campaign propaganda has been so
successful that the general public have this enormous guilt complex, and
although they don't necessarily like it, they part with their cash without
protest.
Accepted there is a need for regulation for the common good. What is
not accepted is that the 'common' are good! However, they are given
little credit and little support. I recall hearing that funding for the
black spot
program has either stopped or all but stopped. I get annoyed when I hear
the success in reducing the road toll is directly attributable to speed
cameras.
Especially when this comes from academics who should speak from a
scientific perspective rather than a self-interest one. They are claiming
success using a very short time frame, and when fines continue to
increase in number. Instead of being called scientists, perhaps they could
be better called coin-scientists.
Rockit

 

rockit said....


ro> ownership of the business name: "Civic Compliance" and various
ro> derivatives thereof. Evidently they overlooked this formality. Most to
ro> whom I speak are unaware that Civic Compliance is not a Govn't body. One

Just did a check with ASIC. Very little information there, other than
according to it, it comes under NSW's Dept of Fair Trading jurisdiction.

The rest of the info there says "unknown".

The plot thickens. Would it be a Tenex Solutions company, perhaps? That,
I believe is owned in part by Lockheed Martin, one of the fabulous
humanitarian companies in the US that makes bombs, rockets, and all
sorts of nice products that benefit humankind enormously.

 

Have a look for political donations from said companies...private
companies running speed cameras, sounds like a good deal to be in on.

I don't like the way Bracks does things, I get a funny feeling that he
is less transparent than even Kennet, at least with Kennet you knew
where he was at...with poles the more they crow on about transparency
(or what ever is popular with the media) the more they are hiding.

It could well be that low speed is saving lifes, time will tell, so
now perhaps the gov will fix some other big killers...not wanting to
sound too harsh but 500 people a year is not that big a killer for all
the focus it gets.

What was it, 9 million for the RMH childrens cancer unit, wow - deep
pockets there...and even that looks like a scam of sorts...



Vote Green, they have no clue but at least they mean well...and that
is worth a whole lot, if they get a good share of the vote the left
wing loonies will be forced out and a real party will evolve.

TMHO...

Tim.

 

Civic Compliance will be registered in Vic., don't know what the sitation is
in NSW. Your comments on Tenex? (sp) are similar to mine. I think that they
are also big players in Aus's defence system contracts. The infamous Peter
Reith is an employee... hmmm perhaps is better described as an insider.
Rockit

 

rockit said....

ro> Civic Compliance will be registered in Vic., don't know what the
ro> sitation is in NSW. Your comments on Tenex? (sp) are similar to mine. I

According to ASIC's online database, it comes under NSW's Dept of Fair
Trading. Victorian jurisdiction is not mentioned.

ro> think that they are also big players in Aus's defence system contracts.
ro> The infamous Peter Reith is an employee... hmmm perhaps is better
ro> described as an insider. Rockit

Ah, the flot pickens. It's interesting to see where former politicians
are hanging out these days. One of the ALP stalwarts who nearly sent us
to the cleaners is now a Senior Counsel (SC) and is currently assisting
the coroner in a local inquest.

When I'm elected dictator of Oz, I'll mandate it that no ex-politician
can serve in any capacity whatsoever, that results in government
contracts, or consultancies to companies that do business with
governments, or any business that has any connection, no matter how
slight, with government organisations.

They should be satisified with their obscene super payouts, the greedy
fucks.

 

<snip>

The phrase "commercial-in-confidence" was never more abused than by the
Kennett regime. The transfer of public assets into private hands was done
with virtually no public scrutiny, nor accountability.

 

"Martin Taylor" wrote

The WA politicians are trying to put through a bill that will give
themselves $16,000 should they lose an election. Resettlement
allowance, they call it. A back-bencher who loses after his first term
in office (because the voters got wise to him or her) would get around
$120,000 super and termination pay.

Theo

 

Bullshit there was no accountability. The accountants at KPMG got millions
and millions of dollars in consultancy fees.

OOPS... was that supposed to be a secret?

Nev..
'03 ZX12R
'02 CBR1100XX

 

That's my point, you knew exactly where you were with Kennett. Sure he
fucked Victoria, and we went along with it for a while.

Now we have Bracks and his "transparent government", selling of
revenue collection (fines and gambling) like there is no tomorrow...he
seems to like the way Kennett sold the public transport system and
keeps that sweet deal going...lots of money to be had.

more more more!

 

Tenix

http://www.tenix.com.au/

They have a number of joint ventures with Lockheed including my former employer
and the mob who do the privatised speed cameras but to the best of my knowledge
LM don't own them

JL

 

You'd get my vote.

And while you are at it pass a law that says all ministers must have
some industrial experience in the area they are supposed to be running.

J