Copenhagen Climate deal predictably Doomed - International Environment

The overarching reasons all such planet-saving deals meet with failure are starkly evident; the abysmal failure of the human race to arrest KNOWN WAR CRIMINALS and stop the world’s leading civilian killing, terrorist State (America) from further destruction provides a ‘hint,’ the ingrained resistance to Corporatists attempting to trade – make money – from carbon is the other principal factor; the population has had enough of Capitalists and their CRIMINAL, ruinous methods. We are united in failure, people, YOU/WE HAVE FAILED OURSELVES and our planet, nothing more complicated than that – put it down to human frailty and the fact that ALL species – including arrogant humans -- self-destruct when untenable levels of population are reached.

Our arable lands, forests and oceans are becoming deserts while mass murderers are invited on lecture tours, work that out! And YOU imagined a realistic agreement could be reached in Copenhagen – in your fuckin’ dreams!

The New Zealand PM, John Key, summed it up at the APEC summit as follows:

THE CEOs of the nation's big four banks will take home a collective salary worth more than $35 million this year, while Australians are expected to shell out more than $4.5 billion in fees.

The two highest paid CEOs - ANZ's Mike Smith and Westpac's Gail Kelly - will each earn more than $10 million.

Even though Mr Smith has taken a pay cut of $1.9 million, his $10.9 million salary will again make him the nation's highest-paid banker, the Herald Sun reports.

Ms Kelly will earn $10.62 million and Commonwealth Bank's Ralph Norris will take home more than $9 million.

Outgoing NAB chief executive John Stewart, who took early retirement last year, was paid about $7.4 million, despite working for the bank for only three months in the financial year to September 30.

He was given a $2.75 million special termination payment and other compensation for allowing an "orderly succession" to his replacement, Cameron Clyne.

Mr Clyne's package was worth up to $5.1 million, while outgoing NAB Australian division head Ahmed Fahour collected $5.8 million including a $1.6 million golden handshake.

Fees lower but still raking in billions: Infochoice

The news of the banking pay packets came as bank fees fell slightly overall, according to a financial comparison website.

Infochoice chief executive Shaun Cornelius said the decision by the big four banks to abolish some fees would have only a small effect on the fee income raked in.

He said Infochoice predicted $4.5 billion in fee income this year, down from $4.84 billion last year.

"We do think bank fees are higher than they should be and we also think they are more complex than they should be - and there may be a relationship between those two facts," he said.

Recent moves by the banks were welcome, but there were still too many fees.

"They really add up. Too often, every little thing you do results in a fee," he said.

Charges for paying off home loans early, annual credit card fees and monthly account fees were among the bank fees most hated by Australians, an Infochoice survey found.

Choice spokesman Christopher Zinn said the big banks were not competing on fees: "There are still a raft of fees out there that are higher than comparable countries.

"We always warn people to look behind the headline interest rate, as the fees and charges add up considerably."

The big payments to bank bosses were revealed as the Federal Government pushed new legislation that aimed to curb bumper termination payouts to executives.

Yesterday the Senate passed legislation that gave company shareholders a say over excessive golden handshakes, after South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon dropped his proposed amendment to the Bill.

His amendment, which would have required shareholder approval of all payouts, was rejected by the Government as unworkable.

© 2009 News Limited

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