There are 3 threads of conversation in this summary

Threads continued from previous summaries, out of a possible 12
2. Updates from Deloitte
6. Jokes
10. Mudgee Abattoir - redundancies/GEERS

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Thread: 2
Subject: Updates from Deloitte

Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 17:01:23 +1000
From: Tom Northey <tn@...>
Subject: Deloitte distribution update 26 Sep 03

Just spoke to Morgan Kelly of Deloitte.

They have the money from OT for the first distribution to employee
creditors.

They have received responses regarding eligibility to APESMA from
approx 20%
of people so far.

They expect to send out a circular to employee creditors mid to late
next
week containing recalculated entitlements. If you disagree with these
values, you can dispute it with them then.

After that they will declare a dividend and they then have to wait 21
days
by law for any other employee creditors to put their claims in.

Then they can pay the first distribution. So we're looking at
beginning of
November at the earliest for the first cheque

I would expect that the second distribution would be faster than the
first
because they won't have to fart around with APESMA eligibility issues

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Thread: 6
Subject: Jokes

Only one email footer from Nick this week
-----
NO SMOKING POLICY: If you're dying for a puff, please die outside
-oOo-


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Thread: 10
Subject: Mudgee Abattoir - redundancies/GEERS

Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2003 23:35:11 +1000
From: Tom Northey <tn@...>
Subject: Update on Mudgee Abattoir

It appears that because the Mudgee abattoir is under a NSW council, the
federal leglislation making the employees priority creditors does not
apply.
State govt needs to do something to fix this - they have committed to
doing
so. Anderson has reiterated that GEERS will pay if DEWR can be a
priority
creditor standing in the shoes of employees.

Hmm it's not so obvious they will get paid out, but there should be a
real
stink if they don't.

Had to laugh at the first story. Changing the legislation is the
slowest
approach so they have sought legal advice regarding other approaches
(as if
that will be faster!).


**HEADLINE: Kelly working for quickest pay solution
Mudgee Guardian
Friday, 26 September 2003

NSW Local Government Minister Tony Kelly said he working to achieve the
quickest and most decisive way to make the Federal Government the first
creditor of the Mudgee Abattoir so that the funds from the GEERS scheme
can
commence to flow.

"When payments are paid to employees of corporations that have folded
under
GEERS the Federal Government becomes the first creditor under Federal
legislation," Mr Kelly told the Mudgee Guardian in an interview.

The Mudgee abattoir, being a statutory body under the NSW Local
Government
Act does not fall into the Federal Act.

"There are four ways this can be done and changing the (NSW Local
Government) Act is the slowest," he said.

"We are working to get the agreement of creditors to allow the Federal
Government to be the first creditor and to this end the NSW Government
who
is owed $1.2 million is prepared to step back.

"I have asked the department to obtain legal advice to see if this can
be
done."


**HEADLINE: All pull together: Deputy PM decries blame game
By Don Mahoney
Mudgee Guardian
Friday, 26 September 2003

The Deputy Prime Minister and Local Member for Gwydir John Anderson
made an
impassioned plea to the people of Mudgee to pull together through the
abattoir crisis during a visit to Mudgee yesterday...

He also reiterated the Federal Government's intention to pay former
abattoir
workers their entitlements through the GEERS scheme as soon as
possible,
saying Federal and State Local Government Department officials at last
appear to be working toward a common goal.

In a separate interview, Local Government Minister Tony Kelly confirmed
he
expected to quickly remove the roadblock to GEERS payments brought on
by
differences in Federal and State law.

"This is a very tough time for the Mudgee community and the first
priority
is to re-open the works," Anderson said. "I know the receiver will
explore
every avenue to keep the abattoirs going and sell as a going concern.
"I
hope he succeeds and will do everything I can to help him."

Mr Anderson said that while the Cudgegong (Abattoir) County Council is
the
responsibility of the State Government, the Federal Government stepped
in to
stop a "game of bluff" between the two levels of government in agreeing
to
implement the GEERS scheme.

"We realised if in fact we didn't step in the (abattoir) workers would
be
the victims," he said. He said there was no law under the NSW Local
Government Act that gave workers precedent over other creditors and
that
only the NSW Government can change that.

"The Federal Government understands they can do this and will and once
we
they have established that workers have a priority we can tap GEERS,"
Mr
Anderson said.

"Clearing the way politically and legally to allow GEERS benefits to
flow
can only be done by the State government.

"A NSW Government law needs to be introduced to establish that workers
take
the normal priority over other creditors.

"It is in the workers interest to get the NSW Government to get the
legislation in place.

"I understand Mr Kelly knows this and I understand he is addressing the
problem."

Mr Anderson said the Federal Government will seek preferred creditor
status
if they pay the workers out under the GEERS scheme.

He said he did not expect the dispute between the two governments to be
decided by the courts nor did he expect it to have ramifications for
any
other existing county councils.

Mudgee Guardian http://tinyurl.com/ov58


**HEADLINE: Union gets behind unemployed abattoir workers
ABC Radio
Wednesday, 24 September 2003

...More than 250 staff were put out of work just over two weeks ago
after
the abattoir went into administration.
Just over 50 of those are members of the United Workers Union....

http://www.abc.net.au/centralwest/news/200309/s952413.htm

==========

Date: Sat, 27 Sep 2003 23:49:37 +1000
From: Tom Northey <tn@...>
Subject: ABC Radio story on Mudgee, Anderson and GEERS

I've been looking for independent confirmation that Anderson has
committed
to GEERS payouts (provided the employee priority issue can be solved).
It
has been repeated in a separate story in the Mudgee Guardian but not in
so
many words elsewhere.

It is by the way very interesting that they are so interested in
bending
over backwards to make the employees priority creditors in this case
(unlike
ours of course...).

This story confirms that NSW Minister Local Government Kelly is working
on
making the federal govt a priority creditor if it pays GEERS claims.
There
is no clear-cut statement that Anderson has committed to paying GEERS
but it
is implied.

Govts move to appease Mudgee meatworkers
ABC Radio
Friday, 26 September 2003

http://www.abc.net.au/centralwest/news/200309/s954264.htm

==========

Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 03:29:41 -0000
From: nick4mony
Subject: Re: Update on Mudgee Abattoir - astounded view from a Kiwi

--- In openvictims@..., Tom Northey <tn@d...> wrote:
> It appears that because the Mudgee abattoir is under a NSW council,
the
> federal leglislation making the employees priority creditors does
not apply.

When will they fix the silly law making process in this country!

Many of you will know that I support the abolition of the State
Parliaments. There are many examples of stupid anomolies because of
having separate state laws; how many more do they need until they
realise that there is no valid reason for having separate state
parliaments. It has been this way since the 1970's when convenient
telecommunications became a reality.

We are a long way from the days of the White Ant patrols (checking
telegraph poles for termites) except in a few remote areas. The road
system has also improved considerably, and while it hasn't made much
difference within the metro areas, it certainly makes a difference in
getting around the country.

As well as abolishing state parliaments, they should also make the
city councils about the size of metropolitan areas, as is the case in
Brisbane. New Zealand abolished their provincial governments in the
1870's (yes, that eighteen, not nineteen seventy).


> State govt needs to do something to fix this - they have committed
to doing
> so.

The feds can hold a referendum to abolish state parliaments, can't
they?