Month: August 2022

Categories
Australia

Premier asks Labor to return CFMEU donation

Premier asks Labor to return CFMEU donation

Labor’s state executive will meet this afternoon to discuss returning a controversial $125,000 election donation from the Victorian branch of the construction union, following a request by Premier Peter Malinauskas amid a domestic violence controversy and vandalism claims.

Labor leader Peter Malinauskas. Photo: Tony Lewis / InDaily

The donation helped bolster Labor’s campaign ahead of the March 2022 state election and has been the subject of scrutiny in recent weeks after the John Setka-led Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) took control of the South Australian branch.

The Opposition and Setka’s estranged wife Emma Walters – whom the polarizing construction union boss was convicted of harassing in 2019 – called on Malinauskas to hand the $125,000 donation to a domestic violence charity.

Malinauskas had previously rejected their appeals, but yesterday afternoon he announced that he had requested that Labor’s state executive pay back or donate the CFMEU’s gift.

The state executive will hold a virtual snap meeting at 1pm today to consider Malinauskas’ request.

The Premier, who is a member of the state executive, is yet to confirm if he will attend today’s meeting, but party rules dictate that he is unable to send a proxy if he is absent.

He said this morning that the backflip was triggered by a conversation he had with Master Builders SA CEO Will Frogley following reports the association’s cars were vandalized and had CFMEU-branded stickers placed on them on Friday.

“Will explained to me the events that had occurred reportedly on Friday afternoon in terms of CFMEU stickers being put on Master Builders cars and also the damage to a car as well,” Malinauskas told ABC Radio Adelaide.

“Over the last couple of weeks, I said if there is any evidence that would suggest that inappropriate behavior on behalf of the CFMEU coming across the border from Victoria – if there are examples of that or evidence of that occurring here in South Australia – then I’ll act.

“That’s exactly what I did yesterday afternoon upon hearing that news.”

A CFMEU sticker was placed on a Master Builders SA car on Friday. Photo: Master Builders SA

Damage to a Master Builders SA car. Photo: Master Builders SA

Malinauskas said the party would not “jump the gun unfairly”, but he was convinced that the alleged car vandalism was sufficient grounds on which Labor’s state executive would agree to hand back the CFMEU’s donation.

“I’ve certainly made my expectations clear and I want to send a very clear message about what will and won’t be tolerated in the context of industrial action in South Australia under my leadership,” he said.

Opposition spokesperson Michelle Lensink described Malinauskas’ decision as a “huge win for domestic violence survivors and victims”, given Setka’s criminal history.

But she urged Malinauskas to apologize for describing her call to donate the $125,000 to a domestic violence charity as “cute”.

“I raised legitimate concerns about Labor’s links to the CFMEU and the $125,000 donation and was totally dismissed because Peter Malinauskas thought it was all a ‘little cute’,” she said.

“Peter Malinauskas had to be dragged kicking and screaming to this point and it is seriously alarming that it has taken weeks for him to realize the error of his ways.”

Malinauskas said the $125,000 donation “didn’t come from John Setka, it came from the union itself”.

He said his comment referred to Lensink’s “political point scoring” – noting the former Marshall Government redirected funding away from Catherine House, a charity which supports women who experience domestic violence.

“Michelle Lensink was seeming to draw a connection between a donation from a construction union and somehow it being a reflection on a lack of conviction on my part in respect to standing up against domestic violence,” he said.

Members of the South Australian branch of the CFMEU voted unanimously last Wednesday night to enter into a co-operative administration arrangement with the Victorian division.

Ahead of the vote, Malinauskas said he was concerned that the culture of the South Australian division would change under a Victorian take-over.

“In South Australia in the industrial landscape, including within construction, we’ve had civil and professional negotiations in the past and I don’t want to see that change,” he said last week.

But SA secretary Andrew Sutherland said the decision was a “significant step towards building a stronger and sustainable South Australian branch”.

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Categories
US

Florida prosecutor says he is planning a ‘vigorous defense’ after Gov. DeSantis suspended him

Florida prosecutor says he is planning a 'vigorous defense' after Gov. DeSantis suspended him

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The Florida prosecutor who was suspended by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis for his refusal to charge doctors or abortion patients for illegally terminating pregnancies is vowing to put up a “vigorous defense” legally.

DeSantis suspended Andrew Warren, a Democrat state attorney, on Aug. 4 during a news conference where he said that the prosecutor didn’t enforce duly-passed laws that crack down on child sex change surgeries and certain abortion procedures.

“We had the individual here from Hillsborough County say and [sign] letters that there are certain laws he just won’t enforce and won’t prosecute,” DeSantis told Fox News. “[State’s] attorneys that put their ideology over the rule of law are not satisfying their oath of office.”

Without providing specifics, Warren said on Sunday that he would fight the suspension.

GOV. RON DESANTIS SAYS PROSECUTORS WITH ‘MILITANT AGENDAS’ WON’T ‘GET AWAY WITH IT’ IN FLORIDA

Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren talks to a voter during the NAACP Hillsborough County Branch Souls to the Polls voter drive on November 1, 2020, in Tampa, Florida.

Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren talks to a voter during the NAACP Hillsborough County Branch Souls to the Polls voter drive on November 1, 2020, in Tampa, Florida.
(Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

“I’m not going down without a fight. I’m a former federal prosecutor, the duly elected state attorney, a native Floridian and a proud American. I refuse to let this man trample on your freedoms, to speak your mind, to make your own health care decisions, and to have your vote count. I hope you’ll stand with me,” Warren said.

Warren was elected in 2016 and 2020.

In the video, Warren said that the governor is attempting to overthrow an election.

FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS SUSPENDS ‘SOROS-BACKED’ STATE ATTORNEY WHO REFUSED TO ENFORCE ABORTION BAN

The Florida prosecutor who was suspended by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis for his refusal to charge doctors or abortion patients for illegally terminating their pregnancy is vowing to put up a "strong defense" legally.

The Florida prosecutor who was suspended by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis for his refusal to charge doctors or abortion patients for illegally terminating their pregnancy is vowing to put up a “vigorous defense” legally.
(REUTERS/Joe Skipper)

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“Ron DeSantis is trying to overthrow democracy in Florida. His plot to suspend me blatantly violates the most fundamental basis of our democracy. Your vote. He’s trying to overturn the results of a fair and free election in abusing his power to serve his own political ambition,” he said.

A press release from DeSantis’ office states that he “has the authority to suspend a state officer under Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Florida.”

After suspending Warren, DeSantis appointed Hillsborough County Court Judge Susan Lopez as his replacement.

“It is my duty to hold Florida’s elected officials to the highest standards for the people of Florida. I have the utmost trust that Judge Susan Lopez will lead the office through this transition and faithfully uphold the rule of law,” DeSantis said in the press release.

A law in Florida banning abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions such as if an abortion is needed to save a mother’s life, cases of rape or incest, and more went into effect on July 1.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Adam Sabes is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter @asabes10.

Categories
Technology

Decision-Making Strategies

How to Simplify Your Decision-Making Process

If you’re someone who struggles with decision-making (me), you may find applying a little bit of logic is helpful in getting you to your final destination – the best possible choice. Cognitive and Computer Scientist Tom Griffiths spoke about the power of applying computer science to decision-making in his 2017 TED Talk, and it’s kind of mind-blowing.

If you haven’t heard his talk before, you can do that below. But we’ve also pulled out the key learnings from it for you.

How to become better at making decisions

decision-making
Decision-making tips. Getty

In his talk, Griffiths chatted about a handful of practical algorithms that make decision-making a little more straightforward. In it, he shared that while you’re not guaranteed the perfect outcome, using computer science gives you the best chance of making a good choice.

These were his best-loved strategies.

The 37 per cent decision-making rule

Speaking about choosing a home specifically, Griffiths shared that once you’ve seen 37 per cent of options, you’re ready to make a choice. This theory is actually often applied in dating as well.

Essentially, once you’ve seen 37 per cent of the available options, you will know what kind of home (or partner) is best suited to you. So, the next time you like something as much or more than the option you liked most in the first 37 per cent of options, commit.

“If you want to maximize the probability that you find the very best place, you should look at 37 per cent of what’s on the market and then make an offer on the next place you see which is better than anything that you’ve seen so far,” Griffiths said.

“Or if you’re looking for a month, take 37 per cent of that time, 11 days, to set a standard, and then you’re ready to act.”

Essentially, I have explained that this choice is an example of what scientists call an ‘optimal stopping problem’, which applies an algorithm to certain decisions and gives you the best likelihood of getting an optimal result.

“There’s no way that you can consider all of the options, so you have to take a chance,” Griffiths later expanded.

The explore/exploit trade-off

On the topic of decisions like choosing where to have dinner over the weekend, Griffiths referenced something called the explore/exploit trade-off.

Basically, this refers to our desire (or ability) to either explore new things and choose from that group of options or exploit the knowledge we’ve already built and revisit a restaurant we enjoy.

I have explained:

“The explore, exploit trade-off shows up anytime you have to choose between trying something new and going with something that you already know is pretty good. Whether it’s listening to music or trying to decide you’re going to spend time with…”

It’s a tricky problem, but technology companies have had some useful learnings over the years that can be applied here. The best way to simplify this choice is by looking at time.

The first question you should ask yourself is how much longer you’re going to be in town,” Griffiths said.

“If you’re just going to be there for a short time, then you should exploit. There’s no point gathering information. Just go to a place you already know is good. But if you’re going to be there for a longer time, explore. Try something new because the information you get is something that can improve your choices in the future.”

The ‘most recently used’ rule for decision-making

When it comes to deciding to keep or get rid of items (like clothing), computer science teaches us that the rule of disposing of the least recently used item works best.

“Your wardrobe is just like the computer’s memory. You have limited capacity, and you need to try and get in there the things that you want or that you’re most likely to need. So you can get to them as quickly as possible,” I explained.

So when deciding to cut down on clothing items, he suggests thinking about the last time you wore each item and considering that in your decision-making process. In short: that shirt you haven’t worn for five years can be donated.

These three strategies have the ability to reduce the stress associated with day-to-day decision-making and simplify the whole process. That’s more than worth a shot if you ask me.

If you’d like to see the full TED Talk video, you can do that here.

Categories
Entertainment

I was driving home from a drawn-out breakup with someone else, thinking about him | life and style

We were sitting on the sun-drenched stairs at university when I flopped news of an upcoming date into our conversation. I was chatting with an old friend and a friend we’d just made, and the comment was directed towards the new guy. We were getting along too well and I wanted him to know about my existing situationship.

My relationship wasn’t exclusive but I’ve always struggled with the concept of seeing two people casually at once. I didn’t like the idea of ​​living my own version of The Bachelorette; with far fewer helicopters and untouched cheeseboards.

I regretted my choice to shut down the flirting as soon as I’d made it. I was already looking at him, thinking: “I’ll end up with this bloke one day.” It didn’t make sense to my cynical self; I hardly knew him. Even thinking he might be interested seemed wildly arrogant. I quietly chastized myself. This kind of thinking was for four beers too deep into a Saturday night. But dead sober in the summer sun I was gravitating towards someone I hardly knew.

As the turbulence of 2020 ravaged everyone, the new guy became a steadfast friend. I meandered in and out of my situationship, on and off the apps. “Love is a lie,” I would half-jokingly declare as my friends and I traded war stories of deflated dating lives. All the while I was childishly excited to talk to the new guy whenever the opportunity arose.

A year after we’d met, I was driving home from act one of a drawn-out break-up, thinking about him. He’d become my barometer for a decent block. “Yeah, they’re great,” the old friend and I would say to each other about some new entry on the scene, “but they’re not him.”

Once the curtains had finally closed on the breakup, I messaged him. I “just happened” to slip my revised relationship status into our conversation.

weekend app

We were soon on our first date, and in many ways, it felt like our last (no, a terrible plot twist isn’t coming). There was an immediate sense of comfort with him; no pressure to present a shiny, sparkly exterior as there had been with others before. We became a couple with ease, to the point where we never actually had the “what are we?” conversation. (So, if you’re reading this, could you get back to me with an answer by close of business?)

For the sake of fairness, I asked when his “moment” came.

“You know, Im,” he said. “I think it started on the stairs.”

Categories
Sports

Dylan Edwards Dally M contender, Penrith Panthers star backed as chance to win, leaderboard, points

Dylan Edwards Dally M contender, Penrith Panthers star backed as chance to win, leaderboard, points

Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards has been nominated as a shock contender to win this year’s Dally M award after another Herculean effort for the Panthers.

Edwards battled through a shoulder problem to deliver a man-of-the-match performance in Penrith’s 26-6 win over Canberra on Saturday night.

The 26-year-old continues to prove himself as one of the NRL’s toughest players — battling through a serious ankle injury in Penrith’s run to last year’s premiership.

Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Dylan Edwards receives treatment during the win over the Raiders.Source: Getty Images

“Penrith, they’ve got some wonderful players but I don’t know whether they’ve got a more consistent player or a braver player than their fullback Dylan Edwards, what a player he is,” NRL great Laurie Daley said on Sky Racing’s Big Sports Breakfast.

Daily Telegraph reporter Phil Rothfield echoed those sentiments and predicted Edwards was a legitimate contender for this year’s Dally M award, especially with Nathan Cleary set to miss the rest of the regular season due to suspension.

“Well you know he played through the finals no media publicity, nothing was heard about until after the game basically with a really serious ankle injury, couldn’t train, was in a moon boot all week, he’s a really, really tough dude and he just got needled game after game,” Rothfield said.

“Again he took a heavy knock the other night and just played outstanding.

“I looked up the Dally M leaderboard when it closed and he was running eighth, in equal eighth with Daly Cherry-Evans and he was only six points behind Ben Hunt.

“I think he might be a bolter’s chance to actually win the award.

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“I think he’s a good thing to finish in the top 3 and apart from him being subject to terrific play, picking up points every week, he no longer has, for the rest of the year, Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai in the side, competing with him for points each week.”

Rothfield said Edwards was only a “cigarette paper” behind the likes of James Tedesco, Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic in the echelon of the game’s premier fullbacks

“He’s improved out of sight in the last two years and I’m really happy for him because while he may lack a few of the skills of the boys I’ve just mentioned he’s toughness and his effort plays are up there with any player in the competition.”

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Categories
Australia

Queensland’s latest COVID wave has passed, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says

Palaszczuk wearing a hat at the Ekka.

Queensland has passed the peak of the third COVID wave with it expected to end in the coming weeks, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.

Ms Palaszczuk made the announcement at the Ekka today with hospitalization numbers falling steadily since last month.

“We actually peaked around July 25… that’s excellent news,” she said.

Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said the news came much earlier than national modeling had predicted.

“We believe this fantastic result is because Queenslanders have responded to national advice. Namely to get heir boosters, stay at home when sick, take anti-viral medicines and wear a mask in indoor crowded environments,” he said.

Queenslanders are still being urged to get their booster shots and wear a mask when they are indoors.

He said main indicator numbers – including hospitalizations and active cases – had fallen by 45 per cent or more since July 26.

COVID wave ‘every three months’

Dr Gerrard said the wave was expected to end in the coming weeks but another wave was expected in December.

“The virus is not going to go away. We are going to continue to have ongoing transmission,” he said.

“The current pattern we have seen in Queensland and worldwide is a wave every three months.

“We still believe it is likely there will be a further wave this year, but it is likely as time goes by, these waves will become milder in severity.

“Everyone now knows what they need to do.”

Currently 667 people are in hospital with the virus; compared with 1,123 at the peak of the wave.

“There are still 26 patients in the intensive care unit,” Dr Gerrard said.

There were just 2,504 new cases today and there are 35,482 active cases.

That’s a 47 per cent decrease from the peak of 66,569 on July 26.

Monkeypox vaccine available soon

The initial supplies of monkeypox vaccine will arrive in Queensland this week.

The vaccine will be targeted to very close contacts and high-risk cases.

“Initially the numbers of doses will be small and that will escalate in coming weeks and months,” Dr Gerrard said.

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COVID-19 cases peak in Victoria.

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Categories
US

Apple asks suppliers in Taiwan to label products as made in China – report | Manzana

Apple has reportedly asked Taiwan-based suppliers to label their products as being produced in China, in an effort to avoid disruption from strict Chinese customs inspections resulting from the visit of the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to Taipei.

According to Nikkei, the company has asked manufacturers on the island to label components bound for mainland China as made in “Chinese Taipei” or “Taiwan, China”. The labels are required in order to comply with a longstanding but previously unenforced rule that requires imported goods to suggest the island is part of the People’s Republic of China.

The phrase “Made in Taiwan” can lead to delays, fines, and even the rejection of an entire shipment under the rule. But Taiwan itself requires exports to be labeled with the point of origin: either the name “Taiwan” or the country’s official name, “Republic of China”.

The choice to require suppliers to deny Taiwan’s independent existence has led to criticism from around the world. GreatFire, which works against Chinese censorship online, noted that the move was an escalation from a previous slight by Apple, which removed the Taiwan flag from emoji keyboards for users in China and Hong Kong. “Is it a question of time before Apple starts removing apps whose name contains the characters [for] Taiwan without specifying ‘province of China’,” the organization asked.

“Unfortunately, we suspect that Apple’s ‘red-line’, the moment where it will say: ‘Stop, no longer, we cannot continue to collaborate with the Chinese regime and enforce its requests for censorship,’ is nowhere close,” GreatFire’s Benjamin Ismail told the Register news site.

Apple may have felt as if it had little choice but to comply with China’s requests. Shipment delays now would be ruinous, as the company moves into the final production phase for the iPhone 14, expected to be announced at a press event next month. Supply chain shortages have already started to bite, with the company taking the unprecedented decision, according to influential analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, of shipping the cheaper non-Pro variants of the phone with the same core chip that is already in the iPhones 13 currently on comes out

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Apple’s long-running attempts to diversify its production process are finally paying off, however. According to Kuo, the company expects to ship versions of the iPhone 14 from factories in India alongside its Chinese manufacturers on release day. In previous years, Indian factories have been months behind China on the cutting-edge devices, waiting for early kinks to be smoothed out before they switch production over from older models. This year, for instance, Foxconn’s Indian sites began assembling the iPhone 13 in April, around the same time that the company’s Brazilian operations switched over.

The models produced in India and Brazil largely serve to fulfill demand in local markets, and aren’t intended to be exported around the world. For that, Apple’s Chinese factories still serve an irreplaceable role, as they do in serving the millions of Chinese customers who buy iPhones.

Categories
Entertainment

The Block 2022: Ankur and Sharon fear they’ll miss out on their dream Block house after misunderstanding Scott Cam’s design advice

It was the first day on The Blockand host Scott Cam wasted no time advising teams on what not to do.

And what Ankur and Sharon thought was a friendly visit from the host actually had a pointed purpose.

“He got straight to business and basically said my main feature idea for my guest bedroom sucked,” Sharon revealed.

Stream every episode ever of The Block for free on 9Now.

The couple planned to build a rustic wooden wall that would sit behind their bed, and Scotty voiced his concerns about how “rustic” it might look.

“You think the wood shouldn’t be rustic?” Sharon asked.

EPISODE 1 RECAP: Five new teams arrive in the country and realize their tree change will be tougher than they thought

“Well I don’t think it should be really rustic. Timber, beautiful. I don’t know about the rough rustic [look],” Scotty clarified.

Sharon was taking notes… or so we thought. Rather than taking on board Scotty’s advice and changing the rustic wood to have a finished timber look, Sharon instead kept the rustic look and changed the feature wall to be half as high.

READMORE: Why The Block host Scott Cam thinks his dog Frankie will be the star of the 2022 season

After sourcing the most rustic wood ever from a stable and completing their wall, Scotty paid the team another visit.

Sharon proudly displayed the feature wall. “I listened to you,” she told Scotty.

The Block 2022 Sharon Ankor Scott Cam feature wall
Scott Cam didn’t approve of the rustic design. (Nine)

“No you didn’t. You’ve done completely the opposite to what I’ve said,” he responded.

“You said don’t do the whole thing in wood,” Sharon replied, before Scotty clarified that he told her not to use rustic timber.

New nine.com.au homepage
(Nine)

“Oh nooo…” Sharon said, before trying to convince Scotty that it was still “beautiful”.

Scotty was not convinced, and in another blow he told the team their timber beams on the roof weren’t good enough, as they were 30mm short from reaching either wall.

READMORE: Tom and Sarah-Jane’s rookie painting error on The Block leaves the crew in hysterics

The Block 2022 Scott Cam
Scott Cam was shocked to find out that Sharon had ignored his advice. (Nine)

The bad news was of particular concern because the winner of the challenge room will get to decide which house they want, and multiple teams – including Ankur and Sharon – want House 4.

The revelation they might lose caused Sharon to tear-up.

The Block 2022 Sharon Ankor Scott Cam feature wall
Sharon was in tears after misinterpreting Scott Cam’s advice. (Nine)

“All the thoughts going through my head I was like, ‘I’ve done completely the wrong thing and I’ve lost the challenge just like that’. And it was a lot of effort already to that point.

“I felt disappointed in myself because I wasn’t listening properly and I wasn’t taking the hint properly.

“I thought I knew better, I suppose, which is so arrogant.”

Time will tell if Sharon can make the changes needed to pull off a win and secure House 4.

In Pictures

Inside Scott Cam's Block house renovation 2022.

Scotty’s house renovation so far

Sneak peek at the first three rooms.

ViewGallery

The Block airs Sunday at 7.00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on Nine. Catch up on all the latest episodes on 9Now.

Categories
Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022 Cycling | English cyclist slams ‘rubbish’ tactics of winning Aussies

An English cyclist who finished 24th in the women’s road race has accused the Australian team – who won gold and bronze – of riding a “rubbish” race.

Georgia Baker executed a superb ride over the 112km course to win in a time of two hours, 44 minutes and 36 seconds. She was followed home by Scotland’s Neah Evans and another Aussie Sarah Roy, who worked her tail off her to deliver a gold medal for Baker, then held on for bronze.

After finishing well out of the medals, England rider Anna Henderson unloaded on the strategy carried out by the Australian competitors.

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“It was a rubbish race. The Australians had a really boring race plan,” she said.

“I thought, ‘You’re strong enough to win the race, and be in the break and win the sprint. So why don’t you race in the race?’

“I wanted it to be active because I knew it was a course for that.

“The Australians just played it really boring, didn’t really make a show of it.”

Ruby Roseman-Gannon, Alex Manly and Roy set the pace for Baker, before the Tasmanian poured out a long surge on route to glory.

Unlike the seeingthing Henderson, Baker spoke glowingly of the Australian tactics.

AS IT HAPPENED: Commonwealth Games Day 10 Results

“The girls did an amazing job covering all the moves,” Baker said.

“For them to nail the final lead out made my ride so easy. I finished with fresh legs and that was the goal. I did the sprint and got my hands across the line.

“If it was going to be a bunch sprint I would be sprinting. If it was going to be an aggressive and hard race where the other nations were going to make it super hard, then potentially Alex would be sprinting.

“We made the call out there with about 20km to go and I was feeling good, so we stuck to the plan and the girls (the Australians) led me out beautifully.”

An Australian has won the women’s road race at the last two Commonwealth Games, with Chloe Hosking capturing gold on the Gold Coast in 2018.

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Commonwealth Games in pictures: Peter Bol claims ‘pretty slow’ silver in men’s 800m

Categories
Australia

Tree-change nightmare: Elderly couple’s home contents sold off by removalist company

Tree-change nightmare: Elderly couple's home contents sold off by removalist company

An elderly Bribie Island couple is fighting for compensation after a removalist sold off their belongings during their interstate move to Bega in NSW.

The removal company, Kent Removals & Storage, apologized and described the incident as the result of human error, but lawyers say the retirees would have to take $50,000 from their pension to help recover just some of the items.

Watch the video above for more on this story

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Retirees Gary and Lorraine Taylor, aged in their late 70s, moved from Queensland to Bega in southeast NSW one year ago, making the tree change after more than 60 years of marriage.

They packed all of their possessions, including furniture and sentimental belongings, into two removal trucks – one of which contained $120,000 worth of furniture they would never see again.

When Wridgways, the removalist company they had originally planned to use, went into liquidation in July 2021, Kent Removals & Storage took 160 of its clients – including the Taylors.

Kent Removals & Storage was also assisting court-appointed liquidator Hall Chadwick to sell off Wridgways’ assets, such as office furniture, and say there was confusion over one of the containers full of the Taylors’ belongings.

That container was accidentally sent to online auction company Grays Online where everything was auctioned off at a fraction of its value.

Retirees Gary and Lorraine Taylor are distracted over the nightmare move during which interstate removalists sold off their belongings. Credit: 7NEWS
Two containers left the Taylors’ Bribie Island home last year, holding a lifetime of belongings that they would never see again. Credit: 7NEWS

Gary told 7NEWS his $28,000 rug was sold off for around $200.

It has left the couple in limbo. Some of their furniture had multiple pieces which were split between the two moving containers, so much of what did arrive could not be assembled.

Couch cushions with no frame and a dressing table without its mirror are stacked up within the bare-walled Bega house that is still piled with boxes.

“We’ve been married for 60 years, and 60 years of our bloody furniture has just gone down the tube and nobody cares,” Gary told 7NEWS.

Lorraine spoke through tears as she told 7NEWS the incident was “very hard to describe.”

“It’s not believable what we’ve been through,” she said.

“Its been terrible for both of us, and for our family.”

The Taylors were told by their lawyer that they could take legal action to recover some of their losses but it would cost the retirees $50,000.

That is money the couple would need to take from their retirement fund and something they cannot afford to do.

A year after their move the Taylors’ home in Bega is still largely empty. Credit: 7NEWS
Pieces of furniture were split between the two containers, which means some of what did arrive remains unassembled in their home. Credit: 7NEWS

Kent Removals & Storage CEO Steve Alves told 7NEWS: “Due to human error, one of the containers containing the effects belonging to Mr and Mrs Taylor was incorrectly sent to Grays Online for sale of the goods.”

Alves said the matter was only reported to him last Thursday and he has since apologized for the handling of the matter.

He said the matter had been referred to Kent’s insurers but that, “the matter was incorrectly internalized between Kent, Grays Online and Hall Chadwick with a view to establishing liability for this error”.

“As Kent Relocation Group contracted with Mr and Mrs Taylor and, irrespective of where the liability resides, Kent Relocation Group could and should have taken a lead role in this process and did not.”

Alves said the company “apologies for the way in which this matter has been handled.”

“Our team will focus on ensuring we support Mr and Mrs Taylor in any way we can to bring closure to this matter for them.

“In terms of the missing items, given the quantum of the potential claim, the matter has been referred to Kent’s insurers along with an instruction to ensure that the matter is expedited in a prompt, efficient and reasonable manner for Mr and Mrs Taylor”.

So far only 40 per cent of the moving charges have been refunded, but since the matter was escalated Alves said Kent Removals & Storage would work to refund 100 per cent of the moving charges.

As to whether they will see a refund of their $120,000 worth of lost furniture, they must wait for the companies’ insurance process to run its course to find out.

Diver wins crowd over with epic belly flop.

Diver wins crowd over with epic belly flop.

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