coljones

Talk to Kreisha, she does that sort of thing Girl With A Stick: Biggus Trippus

Mike was elected from an electorate covering both NSW and ACT, not just a small block in ACT. Last year there wasn't even an election in Victoria. There are 2 from Vic, 3 from NSW/ACT, 4 from Qld, and 1 each from Tas, SA, WA, NT.

RAA was sitting on a pot of gold while the world was collapsing around it chalking up future liabilities that did not appear on the balance sheet. These liabilities finally came home to roost when the CASA Audits materialised and the lack of proper management of RAA was revealed. It seems that past boards had a simple policy - collect money and shove it in the bank - hell can freeze over next week. I, as a starting position, think that the reserves are still too high and that the previous and current boards were never able to come to grips with a realistic reserves policy. I don't have a problem paying fair fees calculated on a realistic basis to maintain the integrity of the business and strengthen our privileges. I am deeply offended when I am just being used as a cash cow and a bulwark to the meanderings of a lazy board. I don't have a problem with the current rundown in reserves as they represent a financial transfer to put in place systems which will work and keep RAA pointing in the right direction. Runciman had a clue as did Don and Jim, who along with the rest of the Executive and the cluey members of the board were pushing in the right direction. Learning from the mistakes of the past is a relatively new phenomena in RAA and the current executive and future board should be encouraged to spend with purpose (while maintaining a suitable level of reserves) since hiding or ignoring the unseen liabilities has never done anyone any good. Ian, you are providing a valuable service here and comment by you and others are always well read (and appreciated)

The big biggy with both AvPlan and OzRunways is who is your mobile provider. There is nothing worse than being somewhere and getting zero bars and you want info on the pad now so you can get going on your way. I am biased but the Telstra network is by far the most extensive and covers vast swathes of Australia. The Telstra $140 2 year prepaid SIM gives you 16GB of data and can be rolled over. The other App to have is NAIPS which provides access to weather and Notams on the road. Getting upfront and personal with a map, pencil and E6B will deliver you a much better big picture than any tablet. When you zoom in on a map you lose all the surroundings and when you zoom out you lose all the detail.

Let's try that again. LiFePo4 is the good one and should be called Lithium Ferrous so that it doesn't sound the same as Lithium Ion. Anyway, Kyle got in a nutshell.

Lithium IRON Phosphate batteries are a subset of Lithium Ion batteries. The ones causing all the problems are called "Lithium Ion" batteries in the form of "Lithium Cobalt Oxide". To avoid confusion LiFePo4 should really be called Lithium Ferrous Cobalt rather than Lithium Iron Phosphorous

Defence does not build. it buys. The contractor was doing the work not defence. If you rip the guts out of a biscuit box you can stuff a whole new, improved system inside. The fact that the contractor was unable to achieve that says more about the lack of competency of the contractor than than of defence. I think it is fair to say that NZ got a good deal but don't expect to get a more fully autonomous system from that contractor.

Quite clearly Kaman could not do what they had contracted to do. The perils of contracting!! It would appear that NZ does not have a 2 person auto-hover capability or in fact any auto-hover capability. If that is what NZ wants, that is their call. Just don't ask or expect Kaman to deliver bleeding edge technology.

The problem with low interest rates is that a lot of wrinkly old buggers are seeing their super income streams being imperilled even further. The GFC did a lot of damage and low interest rates don't help. My understanding was that the 10,000 figure was always a bit rubbery and the invention of a board and CEO with minds elsewhere.

Keith, you should try a bit of self deprecation. Milligan was very good at it. "I told you I was sick", "I have the body of an 18 year old, I keep it in the fridge", "Woy Woy, the world's biggest above ground cemetery". "I told you so!" is so déclassé.

There should be a tag that displays a big cheer and a pat on the back. You done well, Jim

I don't think that the regulator (ASIC) gives continental about the doings of not for profits. We are in no better position in terms of oversight than we were under the ACT Act IMHO. The ALP Charities and not for profit commission may have made a better regulator but it is being nobled by the Liberal Party under direction from the churches and some charities and not-for-profits who don't want anyone shining a light on some of their fiscal practises, the main thing being funds diverted for "management services" that channel vast amounts of revenue away from the prime purpose of the organisation.

Oscar, you are wasting your breath!! Just give him an emoticon.

Year well maybe David. The day that the government puts the rights of the shareholders/members in front of the rights of the banks, big 4 accounting and audit firms, the offshore owners and the receivership industry will be the day that hell freezes over (have you checked global warming lately?)

Rod Birrell was the only board member to speak against the proposal at the General Meeting. Rod Birrell was the only board member to come onto this forum to oppose the resolution. The other four (as I understand it) were mute so it might well have been almost unanimous board support OR virtually no opposition. Rod spoke well in defence of his position and is to be thanked for his contribution. It now behoves us all to look around among the membership for suitable quality candidates for the board election later this year and encourage them to nominate.

What legislation is without flaw. It might pass the high court test, it might struggle over the pub test but fall foul of the P&C test. Nothing is ever perfect but on balance this proposed constitution does no harm. In general, I am supportive of the role that Don has played in rightsiding the organisation and very happy that he has had the energy to carry through. I am a bit leary of his proposal to reduce the size of the board, his mad clammering to engage with the toothless tiger, ASIC, hang out with the creeps who infest the dark corners of Corporate Australia, and his fear of spending 2/6 on a second set of accounts for our ACN. I have sat down and thought about it and find that the major reason I have for voting against the new constitution would be churlishness. I think RAA has had enough of that to last for the next 50 years.

If you fail a RAMPC your medico will then assess you against the AusRoads standards. If you are a private car driver the Ausroads standard is OK and most people can continue to drive despite the failure to get a Class 1 or 2 or RAMPC. The RAMPC standard is similar to the Ausroads standard applying the heavy vehicle drivers which are tougher than that required for ordinary private car drivers.

A proxy allows someone to generally vote on your behalf. I am sure that it can generally allow the holder to vote on procedural motions like "that the Treasurer inform the meeting the true purpose of the reserves". A directed vote to one of the motions on notice forces the holder to vote that way. There may, on occasions, be a number of motions for which due notice has been given, or even an election, where the proxy giver has no interest but does not want to permit the proxy holder to vote - hence the need for "abstain". Abstain is used in all the best companies, particularly when voting for directors. If RAA doesn't use an "abstain" box someone should be asking why not. I note that the writeup in the Magazine suggests that there are a number of motions when in fact the proxy form only lists one. Doesn't sound like the RAA expert legal advice is all that crash hot. Same solicitor that Runciman used? Where is the Runciman legal advice anyway and who paid for it in the end?

The third box should have been "abstain". It should be included against all proposals to allow the member to abstain. My understanding is that a signed proxy provides two powers - 1. to vote in general on a member's behalf on procedural issues and 2. to vote (or abstain) from any ballot, as directed - unless when no direction is given, to allow the proxy holder to vote freely.

There is an election coming up - let's see how reasonable and unbiased the Murdoch press is. I read the Sunday Telegraph (only for the comics) and pop on by to see what steaming pile of ordure the likes of Akerman, Devine, Blair and Bolt have had delivered from the fantasy factory to pour over their factional enemies this week. What is worse than a lying politician (a tautology) - a NewsCorp commentator.

The Blue Mountains National Park fly neighbourly map from NPWS for further details contact David Noble Ranger West, Marrangaroo National Park, Gardens of Stone National Park, and Turon National Park Upper Mountains Area Blue Mountain Region NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Office of Environment and Heritage PO Box 43 Blackheath NSW 2785 Phone 47873116 Fax 47878514 email [email protected]

Pick up CAGIT while you are there. If you have a Storch in Bundy AND CAGIT people will beat a path to your door.

And, to your way of thinking, 99% don't give a flying $#^&@ if we continue with 13 people representing a wide range of attributes and domiciles. Some might even think it is a great thing that we have a constitution at all and are thanking Jim for getting the board straightened out on in which direction the earth lay. I am a great opponent of Citizen Initiated Referenda because its proponents think complex issues can be reduced to a single saleable slogan but on the flip side I get a little sick of politicians and directors claiming all wisdom (a bit like Joh) and hiding behind rubbish like mandates and future elections to forestall any criticism about their behaviour and direction. If I were a shareholder I could sell my shares but I can't and so I have to depend on RAA (the monopoly) in order to continue flying. Those in charge when RAA was heading towards the cliff may well still get control of RAA in whatever jurisdiction we reside - even with ASIC and their wet cardboard truncheon hanging around.

In a beauty contest we get the voters interpretation of what beauty is - a red head lawyer, brunette, blond, a lawyer from FNQ, one from tassie, a failed divorce lawyer and one who is either a criminal lawyer or a criminal lawyer (or both) and no Spencer Ferrier nor one from WA (who has never trusted anyone from over there - as opposed to down there) But I jest