‘Carbon tax’ burial fee ‘reprehensible’: Combet | Climate Spectator

Reports that funeral services are jacking up the prices of burials because of the carbon tax are “reprehensible”, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says.

A cemetery in Melbourne imposed a $55 charge for a burial because of the carbon tax, News Limited reported on Monday.

The incident followed similar media reports last week that claimed the carbon tax would cause funeral costs to rise because of higher cremation costs and energy bills.

A receptionist at the Melbourne cemetery is said to have told the grieving family “even the dead don’t escape the carbon tax”.

The cemetery operator has this morning denied imposing price rises linked to the carbon tax, however.

“I can never absolutely say it was not said, but what I can tell you is it has never been discussed by me, the management committee, or the sales staff and therefore, if it was said, it’s a complete figment of somebody’s imagination,” Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust chief executive John Tribe told Fairfax Radio.

via ‘Carbon tax’ burial fee ‘reprehensible’: Combet | Climate Spectator.

Strange Random Environment Quote:

“And Man created the plastic bag and the tin and aluminum can and the cellophane wrapper and the paper plate, and this was good because Man could then take his automobile and buy all his food in one place and He could save that which was good to eat in the refrigerator and throw away that which had no further use. And soon the earth was covered with plastic bags and aluminum cans and paper plates and disposable bottles and there was nowhere to sit down or walk, and Man shook his head and cried: “Look at this Godawful mess.” ― Art Buchwald

Related articles

• Cemetery ‘charged carbon tax’ (news.ninemsn.com.au)
• Cemeteries warned against carbon tax ‘rip offs’ (abc.net.au)
• Burial carbon fee ‘reprehensible’ (bigpondnews.com)
• They’re calling it a ‘tax on the dying’ (dailytelegraph.com.au)
• Melbourne cemetery denies carbon tax fee (bigpondnews.com)
• Cemetery denies charging carbon tax fee (finance.ninemsn.com.au)
• If the Environuts get their way….. (thedaleygator.wordpress.com)
• Carbon tax burial price hike a ‘complete figment’, CEO says (theage.com.au)

Doll ‘protesters’ present small problem for Russian police | World news | guardian.co.uk

Russian police don’t take kindly to opposition protesters – even if they’re 5cm high and made of plastic.

Police in the Siberian city of Barnaul have asked prosecutors to investigate the legality of a recent protest that saw dozens of small dolls – teddy bears, Lego men, South Park figurines – arranged to mimic a protest, complete with signs reading: “I’m for clean elections” and “A thief should sit in jail, not in the Kremlin“.

“Political opposition forces are using new technologies to carry out public events – using toys with placards at mini-protests,” Andrei Mulintsev, the city’s deputy police chief, said at a press conference this week, according to local media. “In our opinion, this is still an unsanctioned public event.”

Activists set up the display after authorities repeatedly rejected their request to hold a sanctioned demonstration of the kind held in Moscow to protest disputed parliamentary elections results and Vladimir Putin‘s expected return to the presidency in a March vote.

Passersby admired the display with giggles, but police took it more seriously, examining its details and writing down each placard.

“The authorities’ attempt to limit citizens’ rights to express their position has become absurd,” said Lyudmila Alexandrova, a 26-year-old graduate student and protest organiser. “We wanted to hyperbolise this attempt and show the absurdity and farce of officials’ struggle with their own people.”

They are not the first. Russia‘s Blue Buckets group, formed to protest officials’ wanton flouting of traffic rules, have run across government cars while wearing buckets on their heads, drawing the state’s ire.

via Doll ‘protesters’ present small problem for Russian police | World news | guardian.co.uk.

Strange Random Doll Quote:

“You know you’ve made it when you’ve been moulded in miniature plastic. But you know what children do with Barbie dolls – it’s a bit scary, actually.” – Cate Blanchett (Australian Actress. b.1969 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)

Related articles

• Pussy Riot against Vladimir Putin (osocio.org)
• Toying with the right to protest: police try to ban Russian doll rally (independent.co.uk)
• Russia | Pussy Riot Rock Group Arrested Protesting Putin & Sex Tourism (oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com)
• Moscow police arrest 2 at protest (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Moscow rally halted amid arrests (bbc.co.uk)
• Police arrest anti-Putin protesters in Moscow – Times of India (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
• You: The Law Of Putin’s Jungle (thedailybeast.com)

Optus bosses tell staff they can only leave their desks for the duration of Melbourne Cup | News.com.au

Image via Wikipedia

IT’S the race that stops the nation – but only for three minutes and 20 seconds if you work for Optus.

The telco is among many Australian companies imposing strict time limits on how long staff can celebrate the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.

While it’s a public holiday in Victoria, many NSW workers have been warned they have just a few minutes to watch the race before they’re expected to get back to work.

Optus staff were told last week they could step away from their desks only from the time the horses leave the barrier until they complete the 3200m race – about three minutes and 20 seconds.

Staff would need to apply for an annual leave day if they planned to extend celebrations beyond that time limit.

One staff member, who did not wish to be named, said she and her colleagues were shocked at the heavy-handed approach: “It’s totally unnecessary. Talk about ripping the fun out of the day.”

via Optus bosses tell staff they can only leave their desks for the duration of Melbourne Cup | News.com.au.

Strange Random Horse Race Quote:

“The one thing I do not want to be called is First Lady. It sounds like a saddle horse.” – Jacqueline Kennedy

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• Cost $210,000-plus, wait seven years (theage.com.au)
• 2011 Melbourne Cup office sweepstake form (3news.co.nz)
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• Dunaden looks to be best of European challengers for Melbourne Cup (guardian.co.uk)
• Saturday, 29th October 2011 – Victoria Derby Day in damp Melbourne! (jkirkby8712.wordpress.com)