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AussieBob18

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Posts posted by AussieBob18

  1. 1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

    This can only mean that Centrelink has found a loophole in the system and automatically sets you up as a returned resident when you do return for your short trip in Aus, oops sorry Mr XYZ but as you had returned and left again, we took it as if you had re-established your residency here in Aus again, therefore the portability on your pension was cancelled because the clock reset itself when you returned to Aus and left again.

     

    We cannot do anything about that, the only thing you can do is come back and wait for 2 years before we can make it portable for you again, yes we understand it is difficult but that is the only avenue you have, naturally they would be hoping that you don't appeal, and they don't have to pay you the pension, thus making life difficult for you, after all, your just a number. 

     

    The above said, it sounds like a numbers game, even if they fleece one pensioner of their pension, i.e. not returning to wait the 2 years or appeal and fight for their pension to get it made portabile again, then they have won, multiply that by x amount who would just throw up their arms saying that they are not going to waste the time and cost to return to appeal and fight it, then they have certainly found a loophole in the system saving them some serious coin.

     

    This would mean that their objective is obvious, i.e. to force as many Xpats to lose their pension portability because of this loophole, and or to force Xpats to return and stay in Aus to spend the pension in house as opposed to overseas.

    Good summary mate - and you are right about the main objective.  Plus there is another one.

    As you may know I was in Canberra for a while and I know people there (that is how I found out).

    Let me assure you that the management of CLink are extremely feminist anti-males. They see all of the older males who spend their time and overseas chasing lovely Asian ladies (or married to one) as a target - they hate us.

     

    By the way, as far as I know, you have to be in Australia to lodge an appeal/compaint with AAT.  They want an Australian address and they want you to attend the hearing (if held).   There is some words on their website stating 'if you want to leave Australia during the review'. 

     

    • Thanks 1
  2. 1 minute ago, Morch said:

    You are barking up the wrong tree again. Try and find a single post of mine supportive of Hamas or trying to whitewash it's actions and policies. With all due respect to your link, the 2014 unification effort failed (like all others).

    May I suggest that you either read posts more carefully, or familiarize yourself with posters' position before making nonsense claims? My comments are not solely based on a liberal or Arab point of view, nor are they solely dependent on such media venues.

    Once you get a clue, you might realize that claiming both sides are at fault is something often repeated in my posts, even if the who's more at fault bit plays a lesser role. Also, hyperbole aside, the conflict has not been around for thousands of years.

    You are the one that needs a clue buddy. 

    If things are like you say/think then there would not be such a problem.

    There is a huge problem because things are not what you say/think.

    Either way - lets agree to disagree and move on.

  3. 15 hours ago, Lacessit said:

    It's quite alarming, if true.

    I know from experience Centrelink avoids putting things in writing, in case it is used against them. They blocked my PBS discount with a verbal statement, have never seen anything in writing.

    IMO  that would be a bridge too far, even for Centrelink. Every other Western country allows pension portability, and there would be a blizzard of emails and letters to Federal MP's. Labor would have a field day.

    Can you imagine Dutton or Tudge fronting Parliament, and trying to explain that policy? Even they don't have the brass balls for that.

    It is true - I have been warning people on this site for months.  If you spend time in both Thailand (or wherever) and also in Australia, while on the pension, CLink can cease the pension when you go overseas.  You must do one or the other - live in Aust or live in Thailand (or wherever).  I wont bore (again) with the details (see my posts), but if you live in Australia then do not spend more than 5-6 weeks in Thailand without giving explanation to CLink - stating that you are visiting and where and when and why etc. Likewise, when living in Thailand do not spend more than 5-6 weeks in Australia without advising CLink of the same details.  I am not certain of the period, but if a pensioner residing overseas comes back into Aust for more than  'x'  weeks then they are deemed to have resided in Aust again (if no explanation). This 'x' period means that CLink can determine that they are a 'returning' pension eligible person, and that they must wait 2 years for portability.  How long is 'x'?  I think about 6 weeks is OK - but maybe 12 is the limit - I dont know and they wont say - I get the usual 'it all depends on individual circumstances.' which means they can decide whatever they want to decide.

     

    By the way - in answer to the political points you make, I am sorry but that is wrong.

    Labor does not care about pensioners that much - because they vote liberal far more than labor.

    But Liberals dont care about pensioners enough because they are not 'vocal' enough. 

    If any Govt tries to decrease benefits to dole/disability etc. there is a media uproar - lots of vested interests.

    If any Govt tries to decrease benefits to pensioners, there is very little media blow back.

    I once contacted the Aust Pensioners Association about something - they are useless bureaucratic di**heads and is full of women running the place - they do not give a rat's rear end about expat men overseas.

     

     

     

     

     

     

      

    • Thanks 1
  4. On 9/14/2020 at 7:55 PM, topt said:

    Since when has golf in China been cheaper?

    I guess it depends what you are comparing it to. 

    Friends of mine (4) went on their annual 2 week golf trip to China in late 2018 (from Aus). They used to go to Thailand, but the costs kept going up and the 'problems' got worse.  They spent in China about 60% of what they did in the past - the courses were much better maintained and the 'service' was surpisingly good - the food was not as good. They went to China again in 2019 - confirmed.

    • Thanks 2
  5. On 9/14/2020 at 2:53 PM, Morch said:

     

    The Palestinian Authority is at odds with the Hamas. That's a fact. In what way they are a "'PR' group for the Islamic Terrorists." is unclear, and no explanation/support are provided.

     

    Nothing in my posts saying I expect what you relay, or even that Israel expects it. Barking up the wrong tree. That's the basis for one of my standing comments, regarding Palestinian reconciliation, and unified position denouncing violence and terrorism being essential for things to move forward. Hezbollah, by the way, has little to do with either PA or Hamas if referencing 'control'.

     

    The PA disbanding? What are you on about? Seems like your narrative got stuck in the 70's or 80's. Much happened and changed since then.

    I will respond to your last 3 replies in 1 - and we shall agree to disagree I think.  This is from a website that is linked:

     

    In 2006, a Sunni Islamist militant group called Hamas won the majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections.

    Conflict between the ruling Fatah and Hamas led to violence in 2007, when Hamas defeated Fatah in a battle for Gaza. The two PA areas were run by separate factions, with Fatah ruling the West Bank and Hamas ruling Gaza.

    In 2014, Hamas and Fatah agreed to a deal that would form a unified national Palestinian government.

    Hamas has a reputation of carrying out terrorist acts. In fact, many countries consider the group to be a terrorist organization, while others regard them as a political party.

    Hamas has been on the U.S. State Department’s list of terrorist organizations since 1997.

     

    https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/plo

     

    May I suggest that instead of only reading/seeing the issue from the liberal and Arab view (and their media outlets), that you also read/see things from the Jewish view (and take a look at their media outlets).  Once you start to really openly honestly see things from both sides, then 2 things will become clear to you:

    1. Both sides are at fault and have done the wrong things, but PLO/PLA has done much much worse;

    2. The core of the dispute is intractible and goes back thousands of years.

     

    • Like 1
  6. LOL.  Talk about a biased Poll - they responded to the "Golfing in Thailand” survey ??

    It was not the "Golf in SEAsia" Poll? 

    Vietnam and China would win that hands down - newer, better and cheaper.

    The best is clearly Japan, Sth Korea and Singapore.

    Golf in Thailand has been in serious decline for many 3 years - look at the courses in Hua Hin (not the websites). 

    How TAT can continually make these ridiculous claims is amazing - Amazing Thailand ????

    Get the Baht back down to realistic levels and then maybe golf tourists will return in 2015 numbers - maybe.

    • Like 1
  7. 14 hours ago, Eddy Ozark said:

    A very good analysis of the situation. I agree with your conclusion. IMO the baht is probably around 7 to 10 percent too high and has been so for a year or more. A 5 percent devaluation is needed right now, at least. I am not an economist, but what I say is based on a gut feeling.

    This is 20 years of AUS versus BAHT. 

    Note the drop in AUS during the 2008/2009 GFC.

    Note the continual cosnistent drop in the AUD after the JUnta took over in 2014.

    That was not an accident in 2014 - they have manipulated their currency.

    If you do the same 20 years against all the Top 5 traded currencies, the picture is similar.

     

    The Baht was 30% over-valued in early 2020 - and that is how far it is going to drop - at least.

     

     

    AUD to THB Chart 20 Years

     

  8. 17 hours ago, Morch said:

     

    The PA (and the PLO, obviously) have officially renounced terrorism and violence. Nowadays they are mostly focused on diplomacy. Hamas is a different kettle of fish, and conflating between them or lumping them together is uninformed and unhelpful. I do not wish to paint the PA (PLO) as a bunch of saints. They aren't. But as far as direct involvement in acts of violence and terrorism, it's not on for some time now.

    Total rubbish. PLA is the 'PR' group for the Islamic Terrorists.  You cannot expect Israel to accept that the PLA will control Hamas or Hezbolla etc. if they got want they wanted.  Until PLA disbands and gets control over their terrorist brothers, there will never be peace with Israel.  

     

  9. 17 hours ago, Morch said:

    Let me burst your bubble - you do not get to decide if the Palestinians are a People. That's up to them. It can be claimed that asserting such a sentiment is a relatively new development, or that it was in a large part a reaction to Zionism (and later, Israel). For all intents and purposes, the Palestinians are recognized as a people. Don't see the point of arguing otherwise.

    Your account of the Palestinians' relations with Jordan is (again) messed up. It serves to highlight that the national sense was not all that strong back then, but things have changed since. Jordan's issues were less to do with radical Islam, and mre with the danger of secular political violence.

    Radical Islam was not really a thing in the time and context you refer to.

    The PA is not considered as "terrorist" by anyone. Up until a short time ago it carried out tight security cooperation with Israel. Like it or not, Israel have negotiated with them, with the premise of control (even if not full) transferred to the Palestinians.

    Look around you at the real world. There are 'separatists' everywhere demanding autonomy and control because they are somewhow 'different'. As with all other such disputes, it will be up to the main country involved as to how far they allow 'independence'.  People can call themselves whatever they want - that does not automatically equate to being granted land and statehood from another country.  Will Israel ever support a Palestinian State - maybe - but never while they fear the terrorist attacks that occur all too frequently.  Perhaps you should look at this site to see how radical islamic terroism is a real thing worldwide, and why Israel very much refuses to facilitate a terrorist State on their border.  If you understand Israel's fears that another Iran State would be on their borders - then you can start to understand why they have refused to concede anything much.

    As I said before to another - read up on the Temple Mount.  Both Jews and Muslims claim it is theirs - and Muslims have a history of violence when they dont get what they want.  You will learn that the Temple Mount is where the first 2 main Jewish Temples were built - Islamics built their Mosque etc. right on top of that.  Islam took that site off the Jews and had that site for a long time - now it is back in Jews hands and they refuse to ever give it back again.

     

  10. 17 hours ago, dexterm said:

    >>You need to read more widely - such as: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/israel-palestinian-letters-of-mutual-recognition-september-1993
    ..I did. Virtually exact replica of letter on the Israeli Government site. What's your point? 

     

    You do realise that more innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed by fanatical Jewish terrorist settlers than Israeli civilians killed by Hamas rockets?

     

    The rest just lame memes out of the Zionist apologist play book...debunked many times. 

    Very handy when Europeans are colonising to claim the indigenous people are invisible. Australia was once called Terra Nullius (Nobody's Land).

    Re the population figures for Palestine, try your favourite source.

    http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/demograhics.html

     

    Other than ethnic cleansing Vers 3.0 the 4.5 million indigenous Palestinians is an issue Israel must address to have permanent peace. Not sure that the Emirati and Bahraini dictators are now worried too much about that...too busy counting the $$ from their new trade deals with Israel.

    I see you have nothng more to offer than compete biased rubbish.

    May I suggest you look into the history of the Temple Mount in detail - both sides of the dispute.

     

     

  11. 18 hours ago, Morch said:

     

    The "ample evidence" you allude to is mostly a thing of the past. The last major instance in which the PA was involved in was during the Second Intifada, and even then it wasn't a full on effort. Since then the security cooperation between Israel and the PA has been one of the cornerstone fighting terrorism by Palestinians in the West Bank.

     

    The two points mentioned (return to 1967 lines and the status of Jerusalem) were not, as far as I'm aware a pre-condition for the recognition. I think your timeline is a bit messed up.

     

    I am very sure that PLO/PLA has for many years demanded Jerusalem to be given back to them, as well as all the lands taken by Israel during the 1967 war that were not given back to Arab control - even though it was not theirs at anytime.  The UN idiots that decided after WW2 to annex land and form Israel in 1949, thought that handing over part of Jerusalem to Jordan would encourage peace and cooperation. Wrong. There is nothing that PLO/PLA has done that substantially indicates that if they were given land/statehood they seek, that they would accept Israel and cease all terrorist attacks. In fact - everything indicates they would do worse attacks because they would be much closer.

      

     

     

  12. 19 hours ago, dexterm said:

    Trouble is, in the 21st century you can't conquer land, take it as your own, and transfer your population there...it is against the Geneva Convention and international law, whoever you think started it...and I disagree with you there, but that's not for this discussion.  If it were allowed, every powerful nation would be at it. Law of the jungle. Chaos.


    Your ancestors and probably some of mine too did it and got away with it, because it was centuries ago. Zionist European colonialists left their run on empire about 100 years too late (1897 first Zionist Congress).

    If Indonesia invaded and occupied Northern Australia, I expect a condition of permanent peace with them, might be that they give back the land first, then talk about any other issues.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_date_of_formation

     

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_border_changes_since_World_War_I

     

  13. 3 minutes ago, Morch said:

     

    As usual, skipping over all them points you can't handle, and offering two nonsense/deflection replies to non-issues.

     

    I get it you do not like that the power balance between the sides was what it was back when negotiations started, or that it remains so today. Israel is not, and was not, officially committed to the destruction of the Palestinians. The Palestinians, on the other hand, included such points in their creed. That had to go before negotiations were on. You want to twist that? Spin some more? Go right ahead. Israel is not under obligation to negotiate with parties who do not recognize it, in effect reneging on the recognition you yourself claim. As for the the "majority Palestinian faction" - the last elections, years ago, were won by Hamas. I kinda doubt you could substantiate that "majority" comment in any meaningful way.

     

    There was no "green light" as claimed. The status of the the Al-Aqsa mosque is unchanged. More fake news out of you. What you further describe regarding the site is hyperbole, and anyway - the "concern" expressed is quite ridiculous (and disingenuous) coming from someone identifying as an atheist.

     

    So I get it that in your view, Palestinians are unlikely to partake in such hypothetical attempts? Nothing in the past to suggest this is a reasonable observation? Also, kinda like how you express less issues with these supposed terrorists, and still manage to blame it all on Israel, the UAE and Bahrain.

    Well said.  There is fault on both sides opf this issue.  How anyone can take the view that palestininas have not been undertaking acts of terrorism over many decades, is beyond me.  Until PLA/PLO/Ham,as all denounce violence and then stop committing vioolence - for at least 5 years or more - then there is no point in talking to them and I support Israel 100% in that approach.   

  14. 36 minutes ago, dexterm said:

    Before you shout rubbish, perhaps you should look at Yasser Arafat's letter itself from the Israeli government's own archives! With an offer like that PM Rabin should have ripped Arafat's arm off in shaking it and got down to the business of making a permanent peace both sides could have been enjoying for the last 30 years.

     

    September 9, 1993

    Yitzhak Rabin
    Prime Minister of Israel

    Mr. Prime Minister,

    The signing of the Declaration of Principles marks a new era in the history of the Middle East. In firm conviction thereof, I would like to confirm the following PLO commitments:

    The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security.

    The PLO accepts United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.

    The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations.

    https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/foreignpolicy/peace/guide/pages/israel-plo recognition - exchange of letters betwe.aspx

     

    There will not be a permanent peace until they have resolved the problem of what to do with the 4.5 indigenous Palestinian inhabitants, ruled over by Israel for 53 years but without equal rights.  What's your solution, AussieBob, for dealing with indigenous inhabitants?

     

    UAE and Bahrain, have just legitimized and normalized Israel's brutal 53 year old illegal occupation...imprison 12 year old children, detain Palestinians without charge or trial indefinitely, humiliate and murder Palestinians at checkpoints....so it's business as usual, as far as the Emirati and Bahraini dictators are concerned....just like being at home.

    You need to read more widely - such as:  https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/israel-palestinian-letters-of-mutual-recognition-september-1993

     

    You also need to get a grip and slow down - there has been bad things done by both sides - but far more done by the PLO/PLA/Hamas - they are terrorists.

    Terrorists plant bombs on buses, shoot roickets into civilian areas, kill people at Munich Olympics, and on and on and on.

     

    By the way - hate to burst your bubble - but there are no 'palestinian people' - they are/were Jordanians. They are displaced after the 1967 war and Jordan refused to take their radical islamic terrorists back into their country after the war.  The bulldust rubbish UN anti-Israel resolutions that decided that there is am 'entity' called Palestine that encompasses the West Bank and Gaza Strip and with Jerusalem as its capital, is a total fabrication of appeasement. Seriously - are you saying that Israel must give up all that to obtain peace with terrorists?  Do you possibly think that Israel will ever give up Jerusalem and all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and allow all of its Jewish heritage to be destroyed by the radical islamists?  Mate - the radical islamists should have left Israel alone in 1967 - they were sytamatically destroying all Jewish heritage on 'their' side of the 1949 borders - despite the UN denouncing and demanding they stop. If you think that all borders should go back to some point in time, when will you stop - WW2? WW1? Napolean? Sorry - but the norders are were they are now - end of story - Jerusalem is part of Israel (again) and it always will be in our lifetime.  

     

  15. 1 hour ago, Morch said:

    Israel and it's right to exist were recognized by the Palestinian faction today represented by the PA. That the recognition might have been insincere, or that it was the product of pressure rather than goodwill, is what it is. On top of that, and as sometimes happens with things Palestinians, this recognition did not, at the final count, pass all the hoops of confirmation. At the very least, contradicting articles of the previous positions were not officially fully rejected and denounced, opening the way for Palestinian leaders to hold either view.

    That said, in the everyday sense (rather than the legal), the PA does recognize Israel etc., and is mostly committed (or resigned) to uphold diplomacy over violence.

    As opposed to your post, the PA is not shunned or rejected by Arab countries in the manner suggested. At worst, it is not strongly supported, or it's current leadership's status being challenged. 

    The Hamas, Islamic Jihad etc. are a different case - no recognition of Israel, and obviously not of its right to exist. More invested in violence, less in diplomacy, and not committed to any acceptable notion of peace. Hamas's treatment by Arab countries is generally not favorable, with some exceptions (and these are more to do with regional power struggles).

    Obviously, the issues Palestinians are currently of lesser interest and importance for many countries in the region. This is partially due to other conflicts coming to the fore, and other crises being addressed. But it is also a product of the Palestinians being unable to unify, and the prospects of the peace process going anywhere looking slim.

    Israel, which under right-wing governments made such advancements even more unlikely, is accepted, de facto, as a part of the regional equation, rather than seen just in the context of the conflict with the Palestinians. I do not think that the recent overtures and maneuvers indicate a change of heart, so much as re-calibration of interests and priorities.

    When all is said and done, Israel will still have to contend with its Palestinian issue, and the Palestinians will need to deal with their Israeli issue. There's no way of getting around it.

    You make some good points.  However, we will have to agree to disagree about the PLA true intentions, and that the PLA does not undertake terrorist activities - there is ample evidence of the violence the PLA has undertaken, going back to before the Munich Olympics when it became a 'media interest' story.  Certainly the PLA does not control Hamas and it is totally unacceptable to Israel that the PLA demands things, whilst their own Hamas people are undertaking terrorist attacks.  The is ample evidence that the PLA is not united in their approach, and although some leaders seek to obtain peace with Israel, how cab PLA state they willl control Hamas in the future.  Anyway - back to the issue of 'acceptance'. To say PLA has recognised Israel is not correct - they attached caveats including giving back all land to the pre-1967 war (that the Arab countries started) and a major part of Jerusalem - that is not going to happen anytime soon - if ever.

    • Like 1
  16. 3 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

    Singapore is certainly easier to live in when you're working there & arguably cheaper as higher salaries/lower taxes more than make up for the higher living costs but there is no option for retirees there unless you can come up with s$2.5Million to invest. 

    Philippines SRRV is straightforward enough ($10,000 deposit) & available to everybody over 35 (IIRC you need $20,000 if you're under 50). 

    TBH I don't find it hard living in Thailand, I just put the 800K into an account & mentally wrote it off until I'm ready to leave.

    I hear you, but read the next post to yours #71 (and many others).

    Thailand keeps changing the rules and keeps making it harder and harder - why??

    I klnow they said 'good guys in - bad guys out' - but they have driven out many good guys too - and where are the bonuses for the good guys?

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