Australia

Kick start your Start-ups in Australia

June 20, 2012 by Reporter Leave a Comment

The “start up scene in Australia” is being noticed by the big players in US , judging by the big Amounts of funding some of the luckier start-ups in Australia have received recently.

Aussie start- ups Bringing in investor’s

While start-up companies and new businesses coming into the news are quite Normal, most of the recent media news and releases recently has been more partial to the “ technology start ups” as the preferred favoured sector, which is actually booming and garnering a lot of attention.

The start up scene in Australia has been quite slack since a long time , but suddenly there are million dollar takeover happening in small aussie start ups , possibly due to US investors taking advantage of our dollar as well as the weak economic activity in the US

Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar (pictured) from software tools maker and start up Atlassian, that received a $68 million cash injection recently.

Start up helpers and angel investors

There are now more easier methods for getting cash injection for tech start ups. While traditionally this was done by banks( which was quite difficult to get finance sometimes for start ups), nowadays its easier to get a venture capitalist , angel investors or a private investment bank or even crowd sourcing helping out your start up monetarily.

If your start-up is a promising new tech start up it can just be bought up or taken over by a major organisation as well, which is proven by the wallmart buy out of local start up company (grabble ). some of the cash injection investment helpers for tech start ups are listed below

Pollenizer

Key people: Mick Liubinskas and Phil Morle

Pollenizer transforms ideas into global web businesses. They invest team, process and capital and collaborate with gutsy entrepreneurs to launch startups.

http://pollenizer.com/

Future Capital

Key people: Domenic Carosa, Andrew Fiori-Dea, Danny Wallis, Tony Stephen, Irwin Saunders and Bill Kyriacou.

Future Capital has 14 businesses in its portfolio — five in Sydney and five in Melbourne, with the others spread across different parts of the country.

PushStart

Key people: Kim Heras and Roger Kermode

Start up Mentoring network PushStart recently unveiled eight start-ups that will take part in its first accelerator program.

Startmate

Key people: Co-founders David Jones and Nicki Scevak.

Startmate has been a very integral part of promoting Australia’s most promising tech businesses. Their four start-ups last year managed to attract external funding, with one, Grabble, even being acquired by US retail behemoth Wal Mart.

AngelCube

Key people: Andrew Birt, Andrew Stone and Richie Khoo.

AngelCube is a newer start-up incubator in Australia, who recently chose its first four start-ups, each getting $20,000 each in seed capital.

Their recent start ups are RentWant.com, Lexim.com.au, TestPilot.me and Goodfil.ms

Kickstarter – Your Investment banker / Venture capitalist Alternative

This site first began as a way for people to raise money for quirky projects like pop-up wedding chapels, around-the-world boating trips and offbeat documentaries, it quickly expanded to include video game production, feature films and innovative new gadgets.

They have now also backed up projects like the Elevation dock, a sleek stand for the iPhone, or Brydge, which turns an iPad into a laptop resembling the MacBook Air.

Kickstarter has raised more than $200 million for 20,000 projects

http://www.kickstarter.com/

When Eric Migicovsky, an engineer, wanted to develop a wristwatch that could display information from an iPhone – like caller ID and text messages – he went the traditional route of asking venture capitalists to finance his company. He failed to get any interest from them to develop his this product now called “the Pebble watch”.

He gave Kickstarter a go, a site where ordinary people back creative projects. Backers could pledge $99 and were promised a Pebble watch in return. Less than two hours after the project went up on the site, Mr. Migicovsky and his partners hit their goal of $100,000.

This project got so much interest from “KICKSTARTER” It was not before long they managed to get $600,0000 and then a record million dollars in funding.

Other sites offering Crowd funding or financing through a crowd

Other sites for financing through a crowd have appeared. There’s CROWDTILT, a service that lets friends contribute money for outings like a beach vacation; Zokos, a start-up that gives guests a way to pitch in for a dinner party; and Gambitious, a financing site devoted to indie game developers,

Wide range of sectors including Aviation, Construction, Property, Energy, Film, Finance, Food, Medical, Retail, Telecoms and Tourism have still to rely on the traditional banks form of investment while tech start-ups are the new darlings of the venture capitalists and angel investors.

The Australian government have also been pro-active with new business entrepreneurs over the past few years, with moves such as the “Entrepreneur Tax Discount” reducing the amounts of taxes for small business start-ups as they get established. But with recent changes, there is no guarantee these rebates will stay.

Ancient Aboriginal “Iwaidja” language app to be launched for smartphones

January 19, 2012 by Reporter Leave a Comment

A thousand year old aboriginal language “IWAIDJA” app for smartphones and tablets is to be launched in may Using $100,000 of federal funding.This aborigianl language is one of about 50 known Aboriginal languages of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory

The aboriginal language of Iwaidja is thousands of years old but on Croker Island only about 150 people still speak it.

About the Smartphone Iwaidja app

The app will have 1,000 dictionary entries and almost 500 phrases and people will be able to search the word , and also hear the word on the app that is being developed.

The Iwaiidja app will help keep the language alive for future generations and help visitors to the region better understand the local culture

Samantha Stosur takes US open cup

September 12, 2011 by Reporter 1 Comment

Samantha Stosur finished the US open in style beating the reigning American favourite Serena Williams. Stosur, 27, from the Australian state of Queensland beat Williams 6-2, 6-3 Sunday to become the first Australian woman in 31 years to win a major singles title.

Aussies Claim another Sporting Victory

Williams was the hot favourite to win the cup but Ninth-seeded Stosur had other plans and beat Serena Williams on American soil. The match was won in one hour and 13 minutes in front of 23,000 people on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

This is another great victory for Australia after Cadel Evans recently claimed the Tour de france cup

The match was not without controversy with Williams berating the chair umpire after receiving a one-point penalty for verbal hindrance.

What Serena Williams said to umpire Asdaraki

Williams called the chair umpire a ”hater”.

”If you ever see me walking down the hall, walk the other way,” she said.

"Aren’t you the one who screwed me over last time?,” Williams bellowed at Umpire Asdaraki. "That is totally not cool.”

Australia and Investing In bonds

August 28, 2011 by Reporter 2 Comments

Investing in bonds australia

So what are bonds , well its definetly not this ( Bonds ) nor is it this (Bond J) but according to investinginbonds.com “A bond is a debt security, similar to an I.O.U. When you purchase a bond, you are lending money to a government, municipality, corporation, federal agency or other entity known as an issuer.* In return for that money, the issuer provides you with a bond in which it promises to pay a specified rate of interest during the life of the bond and to repay the face value of the bond (the principal) when it matures, or comes due”.

One of the very first questions that investors who are familiar with shares and funds but not bonds ask is: “Where do I buy bonds?” The bond market is not centralized and there is no bonds freely available like for the stock market. There is no equivalent of the ASX for trading bonds in Australia . Bonds are mostly an over-the-counter (OTC) market where third parties, known as brokers, connect the buyers with sellers.

FREE Online : Paper on Australian Bond markets

Investors wanting capital stability, reliable returns and protection against cyclical downturns are often advised to consider adding bonds to their portfolio. Bonds are a very popular form of investment in the us by the general stock market investors as well as the big managed funds. Investing in Equity is easy, you either buy off the prospectus or off the secondary market (ASX, NSX etc)

After you decide to invest in bonds, you then need to decide what kinds of bond investments are right for you.

Depending on your goals, your tax situation and your risk tolerance, you can choose from municipal, government, corporate, mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities and international bonds. Within each broad bond market sector you will find securities with different issuers, credit ratings, coupon rates, maturities, yields and other features. Each one offers its own balance of risk and reward.

Australian Bond investment Options

There are also a number of large, well-managed banks with diverse global operations, higher capital levels. The high credit quality of these banks, in particular the four major Australian banks( CWB,WBC, ANZ, NAB), HSBC and Rabobank, represent a very low credit risk for investors looking to build a bond portfolio.

Until recently, most bonds were only available in face value parcels of $500,000 but often they can be also be traded through a fixed interest fund. There are a few retail bonds available for less, but the broader market was closed to most retail investors. Some brokers, including FIIG, now offer a service whereby investors can access bonds in parcels of $50,000 each offering more choice, control and diversification without the need to access fixed income through managed funds.

Hybrid/preference shares Australia

A lot of bank issuing “hybrid/preference shares”, which pay a coupon like a bond, and have a fixed face value like a bond. But are actually classed as equity, so if the company decides not to pay a dividend, you get nothing. So these could be more risky then a bond. Government bonds are like no other security in that they are not linked to performance of the economy and so provide diversification and a hedge against economic downturn in a portfolio. “Australian Commonwealth Government bonds” are considered “risk-free” important for those investors that want capital certainty and a regular income.

You can get 7-10% return from bonds, that beats a bank account, and it is a lot safer then shares.
Also if interest rates are falling, then bond prices will be going up, so you will get “capital growth” as well. (You do not get this on hybrids, as the interest rate is not fixed.)

What is a bond ? ( for dummies)

Companies and governments issue bonds to fund their day-to-day operations or to finance specific projects. When you buy a bond, you are loaning your money for a certain period of time to the issuer, be it General Electric or Uncle Sam. In return, bond holders get back the loan amount plus interest payments.

When interest rates fall, bond prices rise, and vice versa. If you hold a bond to maturity, price fluctuations don’t matter. You will get back the original face value of the bond, along with all the interest you expect.

Only Bonds will shine – get your golden bullet now

Buying and selling bonds

You will need to find a broker or financial intermediary to trade because the bond market is largely over-the-counter (OTC). Wholesale bonds, like the Rabobank bond or the HSBC bond trade in minimum face value parcels of $500,000.

While there are a few retail bonds that can be traded in $5000 face value parcels, some brokers have access to a range of bonds that can be traded in $50,000 or $100,000 parcels, providing greater opportunities for diversification. Commonwealth Government bonds and semi-government bonds can be traded in small parcels of just $1000.
There are no fees involved in buying or selling bonds, rather the broker makes a margin between the bid price and the offer price when the transaction is agreed. Buyers and sellers are quoted prices inclusive of the margin , but this can differentiate between brokers.

Insurance bonds in australia

Referred to as tax-paid investments, insurance bonds in Australia are taxed by the fund manager at the corporate tax rate of 30% subject to being held for a minimum of 10 years and do not need to be reported on an investor’s tax return. Where insurance bonds (or investment bonds) are withdrawn within ten years of the investment initially being made, additional tax may be payable by the investor. Investment bonds typically have entry fees of 3%-4%, charged on every contribution including regular savings plans

The Budget for Australians 2011

May 12, 2011 by Reporter Leave a Comment

The “2011 AUSTRALIAN Budget” is here and as predicted by swan they would be some cuts , the budget was quite boring with just some nip and tucks in a few places.It was nothing extra ordinary , in fact some people might also say it was a bit over cautious , not to upset too many people.

Commodities boom to being back Budget 2011 in surplus in 2 years time

While the australian budget focused on providing jobs , it also made it tougher for the dole bludgers to get more out of the system. It did not have much changes in relation to property investment and real estate in the 2011 budget , for which many might have had a sigh of relief.

So to make it simple lets just focus on what is going up in the budget and what is going down in this 2011 Budget

Australia Budget 2011 -What is going up? (Less benefits or costs increase)

Means test for high income earners for family payments (Less benefits)
Low income tax offset taken away to discourage people doing investment in the name of the children to take adavantage of the Investment offset for teens
Entrepreneurs’ tax offset is gone
Cuts to public service funding ( efficiency dividends)
Families: Family Tax Benefit will be cut off when children turn 21 instead of 24, saving $29.2 million over four years

Australia Budget 2011 -What is going Down? (More benefits received & Costs decrease)

More apprenticeships (jobs & training) available to the Australian people ( by creation of the $558 million National workforce development fund)
$5000 tax break for small business vehicles.
$2.2 bn given for mental health sector services over five years
Raise tax free threshold to $16,000 for low income earners
Lower tax on bank savings with 50% discount on upto $1000 interest income
Tax returns simplified with a $500 standard deduction for work-related expenses, without need of receipts, rising to $1000 from 2013.
Applicants for disability support pension will first go on the dole and then have to prove that they cannot get work.
Company tax falls to 28 per cent for small business from 2012-2013.

Budget predictions 2011

Considering that Australia has been hit with the “yasi cyclones” in the eastern states majorly affecting the booming mining industry and agricultural industry and also the “fires and floods in western Australia” , this budget back to surplus in 2years is a good suprise.

Economy expected to grow by 3.25 % in 2010- 11
Unemployment rate set to fall to 4.75 % in 2011-12

The full Australian budget paper is available at http://www.budget.gov.au/ and get the “WA State Budget over here”

More Related links

Download Election Guide

Cable TV wars sparked by Fetch TV

April 3, 2011 by Reporter 2 Comments

There is no denying there is a major upheaval coming through in the “cable channel Tv” or “pay tv market” in Australia. The launch of the new FETCH TV service by major ISP IINET in Australia and also supported by other ISP’s like Internode and ADAM internet has sent leading player “FOXTEL” the jitters. Foxtel has already reacted by acknowledging this threat and launching new offers to attract more customers , but is this going to be good enough for the market leader.

Foxtel has launched a $6* a week for 6 months on the Get Started Package, they also give you FREE* installation on a flexible 12 month plan. (check website for offers)

Will Fetch TV grab Foxtel market share ?

FETCH tv has launched with affordable packages starting as low as $14.95 for its Fetch TV1 package. Fetch TV packages also features premium channels that foxtel offers on its add –on packages. For those consumers who though $45 a month was a rip off to pay for just for a basic package , fetch TV will come as a nice surprise , as they can take just a $19.95 basic package if they choose too. FETCH TV ALSO offers asian packages “ A bollywood package” ( Indian channel package) and a Chinese channel package which will be very welcome by many new migrants as well as many australian Chinese and Indians wanting to get to know their culture.

Fetch TV is a IPTV service. “The term ‘IPTV’ has been used by the ISP industry to loosely describe TV content delivered to laptops, but it lacks the functionality of true IPTV.” The new functionality of ‘true’ IPTV means consumers can watch streamed broadcasts on their television sets through a set top box, and will eventually have access to interactive services. iiNet will supply unmetered free-to-air and subscription TV to its customers through the broadband or phone line.

Fetch tv offer

Foxtel offer

Can i get FETCH TV ?

Fetchtv is currently only available in selected areas. You’ll need a compatible modem and an iiNet broadband or Naked DSL account that’s connected to a fetchtv-enabled exchange.

Some of the PAY TV players already in the Australian market

1. FOXTEL

(www.foxtel.com.au)

2. AUSTAR

(http://www.austar.com.au)

3. IINET FETCH TV

(http://www.iinet.net.au/fetchtv/)

4. SELEC TV

( http://www.selectv.com/go/about-us) – SelecTV now only provides Australia’s Greek PayTV.

5. Vision ASIA

(http://www.visionasia.com.au/) Indian PAY TV Service with Bollywood content

6. TVB

(http://www.tvb.com.au) – Chinese PAY TV channels

Fetch tv has made their deal even sweeter with giving 30 on demand movies included at any time in addition to having the facility of also pay per view rentals. Fetch TV Set top box ( DVR ) incorporates three digital tuners to receive all the current free to air TV channels as well. But where it stands apart from all the other offerings on the market is the fact that it also offers subscription content served over the interwebs.

click here to see the internet service providers dishing out FETCH TV

Press release from iinet for its FETCH TV service – > Press release Fetch TV

it’s not all super

November 3, 2010 by Reporter Leave a Comment

Yes that’s true .Our “superannuation system” though seems to be quite good is not the best in the world. From teh results from the recent “Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index” which Mercer surveyed 14 countries, the Netherlands was ranked first, followed by Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, Canada, UK, Chile, Brazil, Singapore, the US, France, Germany, Japan and China.

Australia Superannuation system rating

In the duration of the 12 months since the first Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index was completed, not only has Australia’s raw score dropped, but australia has also taken a tumble down the rankings. The Netherlands obtained top ranking in the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index with a score of 76.1 out of a maximum of 100, followed by Australia (74.0), Sweden (73.5) and Canada (73.2).

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index compares retirement income systems around the world and rates them based on their adequacy, sustainability and integrity.

http://www.mercer.com.au

Mercer’s Report stated five things that Australia could do to “improve” its Superannuation system.

1. Raise the level of mandatory contributions to improve the level of benefits while also increasing the level of household savings.
2. Introduce a requirement that part of the retirement benefit must be taken as an income stream.
3. Increase the labour force participation rate among older workers.
4. Introduce a mechanism to increase the pension age as life expectancy continues to increase.
5. Reduce the costs of the system by encouraging greater efficiency

How the the Superannuation report was compiled

In 2010 the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index was expanded to cover fourteen countries, with the addition of Brazil, France and Switzerland.

In this year’s study four new indicators were included in the calculation of the Index. These were an assessment of the costs of each country’s system; the level of home ownership; asset allocation; and the effect of divorce on the provision of retirement benefits.

Superannuation in australia

Superannuation is a retirement (including pensions) program in Australia. It has a compulsory element whereby employers are required by law to pay an additional amount based on a proportion of an employee’s salaries and wages (currently 9%) into a complying superannuation fund, which can be accessed when the employee meets one of the conditions of release contained in Schedule 1 of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994.

Melbourne cup 2010 Deals

October 29, 2010 by Reporter 4 Comments

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Gas find In India by Australian company Oilex

September 8, 2010 by Reporter Leave a Comment

Oilex of Australia Finds Gas in Gujarat

Stocks in Mumbai extended gains for the second day. Oilex of Australia strikes large reserves of gas in Gujarat. Indian Oil to expand its refinery production by 25% in North India. UAE based Etisalat may invest in Idea Cellular.

Australia’s Oilex Ltd said on Monday it made huge natural gas discovery in Gujarat that may hold over 1.5 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas. Industry estimates put the total resources base in the Cambay basin discoveries near the town of Khambat, 160 kilometers south of Ahmedabad, at between 20 to 30 trillion cubic feet, almost equivalent to the reserves of RIL’s eastern offshore KG D-6 fields.

Oilex: Western Australia

Western Australia. WA-388-P: Carnarvon Basin Offshore Western Australia. As part of a developing gas strategy with our Indian partners, Oilex, …
www.oilex.com.au/

Oilex Ltd. is engaged in the exploration for oil and gas, appraisal and development of oil and gas properties, and production and sale of oil. The Company is primarily involved in the exploration, evaluation, development and production of hydrocarbons. It has operations in India, Australia, Oman, Timor-Leste and Indonesia. As at June 30, 2009, its permits included Cambay Field, Bhandut Field, Sabarmati Field, Block 56, West Kampar Block, Joint Petroleum Development Area between Timor-Leste & Australia (JPDA 06-103) and WA-388-P.

Indian Commodity Exchange, the nation’s third-largest commodity bourse by turnover, signed a pact with Federation of Indian Mineral Industries, to develop iron ore futures, it said in a statement. Indian Oil Corp shut a 120,000 barrel per day crude unit at its northern India Panipat refinery late on Sunday for 45 days to boost capacity 25%, its head of refineries, B.N. Bankapur said Monday.

Oilex Australian In India

The most significant component of the Company’s portfolio with the chance of generating significant revenue in the near term is in the Cambay Basin, Gujarat, India. Oilex has material interests of 40%-45% in three “brownfield” re-development projects (Cambay, Bhandut and Sabarmati fields). These fields are currently all producing small to moderate volumes of oil.

The potential for improving the production rate from the existing wells and the scope for full scale redevelopment of the fields are encouraging given that the reservoir distribution is poorly understood and analogies nearby in the Cambay Basin are a fair basis for optimism. Step-out exploration potential particularly in the Cambay contract area is low risk and high reward with the demand for gas and oil in the main heavy industrial corridor of India remaining substantially in excess of domestic supply.

Location of Cambay Basin Fields in relation to the main heavy industrial corridor in Gujarat

Natural gas production in India will rise by over 25% to 180 million cubic meters a day by 2012-13 after Reliance Industries eastern offshore KG D6 field hits peak output. India’s gas production is currently around 143 mmscmd, of which around 42% comes from RIL’s Krishna-Godavari basin D6 fields, a government official said. The Indian Railways approached Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd for setting up 1,000 megawatt of captive nuclear capacity on its behalf. The proposal put forward by the Indian Railways includes setting up two units of 500 megawatt on railway land. Power generated from the plants will be used by the Railways.

Bhandut and Sabarmati Fields

Oilex acquired 40% in each of Bhandut and Sabarmati Fields onshore Gujarat from Niko early in 2006, subject to the approval of the Government of India. Those approvals were received in January 2007. Each of these fields is producing oil at low rates on an intermittent basis and they are anticipated to be good candidates for re-development. Oilex is the designated Operator of the Sabarmati and Bhandut Fields.

OILEX LTD (OEX) – ASX Listed Company Information Fact Sheet

Exempt Foreign? No. Internet Address, http://www.oilex.com.au/. Registered Office Address, Level 2, 46 – 50 Kings Park Road, WEST PERTH, WA, AUSTRALIA, 6005 …
www.asx.net.au/asx/research/companyInfo.do?by=asxCode

The fields were discovered and developed initially by ONGC of India. Hydrocarbons were found in Oligocene and Eocene sandstones and continued to be produced on an intermittent basis after the fields were acquired by the GSPC and Niko Joint Venture in 1995. Production from the fields has suffered because of sand and water influx and decline in reservoir pressure most likely due to formation damage.

Minor oil production from both fields continues and a forward re-development strategy is being formulated for execution in 2009.

Location Bhandut and Sabarmati Fields, Cambay Basin, Gujarat

[PDF]

Oilex started as an onshore

Indian Oil Group’s Chennai Petroleum Corp Ltd has lined up an investment of Rs 20,000 crore over the next five years for capacity expansion, a top company official said Tuesday. “CPCL is planning to set up a 9 million ton refinery project at Manali, near Chennai at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore. This is to replace the aging 2.8 million ton refinery,” IOCL Chairman B.M. Bansal told reporters in Chennai.

Cambay Field

In July 2005, Oilex entered into an agreement with the Cambay Field Joint Venture, comprising Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd (“GSPC”) and Niko Resources Ltd (“Niko”) to acquire a 30% participating interest in the Production Sharing Contract (“PSC”) covering the Cambay Field. Oilex acquired an additional 15% equity interest from Niko and now holds a 45% participating interest in the Cambay PSC. The Government of India approved the 30% farmin equity agreement in March 2006 and the approval for the balance of the equity in the PSC was received in January 2007.

Offshore Western Australia

As part of a developing gas strategy with our Indian partners, Oilex, as Operator on behalf of a bidding group with large Indian companies successfully bid for Application Area W05-11 in April 2006. The permit is now designated as WA-388-P. The block lies to the north of the North Rankin, Goodwin and Perseus gas and condensate fields currently being produced for the domestic and LNG gas markets by Northwest Shelf Ventures and to the north of the large gas resources discovered in the Janz/lo area.

Oilex Ltd

PO Box 588, West Perth
WA 6872
Australia

Tel:
61/08 9226 5577

URL:
http://www.oilex.com.au

Formerly known as:

Oilex NL

Primary Symbol & Exchange:

OEX – Ordinary Shares – Australian

Other Symbol & Exchange:

OEX – Dual listed – London

Industry:

Mining

The “ Big Burqa Debate in Australia”

August 8, 2010 by Reporter 2 Comments

A WA Perth judge in Western Australia is set to decide whether a Muslim woman can wear a full burqa while giving evidence before a jury in court in a fraud case.

Burqa In australia

Anwar Sayed from perth WA has been charged with fraudulently obtaining $1.125 million from the state and federal governments by falsifying the number of students at the Muslim Ladies College of Australia in Kenwick in Perth’s south.

The witness in this case , Tasneem, wants to wear a full burqa while giving evidence in court in the fraud trial of Muslim school director Anwar Sayed. The woman is a strict practising Muslim who does not want to show her face to men. Tasneem was an Islamic studies teacher at the Muslim Ladies College of Australia in Kenwick, south of Perth, in 2006. The school is run by Muslim Link Australia, and Sayed is the director.

This is a Burqa ( below)

Burqa – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A burqa (Arabic pronunciation: [ˈbʊrqaʕ]; also transliterated burkha, burka or burqua from Arabic: برقع‎ burqu’ or burqa‘ ) is an enveloping outer garment

Updated News 07/08/2010 :

Burqa case defendant stabbed‎ – 1 day ago

The concerns were raised in Perth’s District Court during legal argument about whether a prosecution witness could wear her burqa while giving evidence

Defence lawyers have raised concerns about how the jury is expected to read the woman’s facial expressions if they cannot see her face.

He said it was believed to be the first time in Australia that a witness had wanted to wear a full burqa

Prosecutor Mark Ritter told the court 36-year-old Tasneem wanted to give evidence, but would feel uncomfortable without her burqa and that could prejudice the way she presented her evidence. District Court Judge Shauna Deane heard lawyers’ submissions on Thursday as to whether the woman, a witness for the prosecution in a fraud trial, should be allowed to wear the full burqa, also known as a niqab. After the jury was discharged, defence lawyer Mark Trowell told reporters a jury would not be able to “make a proper assessment” of the witness if they could not see her face.

Abbott finds the “burqa’confronting”

Tony Abbott says he would like to see fewer women in Australia wearing burqas.

“I don’t want to interfere in the operations of our legal system but I have said it before and let me say it again, I find the Burqa a particularly confronting form of attire,” Mr Abbott said.

PM Julia Gillard enters debate on Burqa

The Prime Minister this morning commented on the case, saying woman giving evidence in court should be forced to remove face-covering burqas. Ms Gillard said she thought it was one of the “limited” instances when it should be removed.

“I worked as a lawyer for eight years, I ran a lot of cases, I interviewed a lot of clients, having done that it can be very difficult to tell whether or not people are telling you the truth,” she said.

So why do muslim women wear burqa ?

The “burqa or niqab” is a piece of clothing that covers a woman from head to foot. There is an opening for the eyes, but the rest of the body, except the hands, are covered. The burqa or niqab is usually made of light clothing, and is essentially outerwear for some Muslim women in some regions. It is worn when women leave their homes, over their indoor clothes. It’s not worn indoors in the presence of family

Related News on Burqa

Spain to debate burqa ban

UK rules out ‘rather un-British’ burka ban

French Parliament approves burqa ban

This is a Hijab ( below)

REF:http://www.defence.pk/forums/pakistans-war/62627-burqa-clad-german-arrested-bannu-bordering-pakistan-s-tribal-area-2.html

Quote from : http://www.youngandgrumpy.com/2010/05/banning-burqa-in-australia.html

Lets get a couple of things straight. Women in Burqas in Australia are not going out of their way to conceal bombs under their clothes. They are not about trying to destroy our way of life. They are doing the same thing that the rest of us do – trying to live their lives in a quiet peaceful way. Live and let live i say.
Its like the whole gay marriage debate. So many people are so passionate about denying gay people the right to marry. Why? How does someone else who you don’t know, nor will ever know give you cause for concern? What does it matter to you what someone else does with their life?