Gary Foley has written the following on Facebook about the recognition campaign:

The problem of vested interests and their corruption of public debate must be addressed. It is urgent if we are to have democratic renewal, restore some faith in our public institutions and develop sound public policies. John Menadue reports.

ABC Shops around the country will be phased out and closed as the national broadcaster moves to an online retail model.

Up to 300 staff employed by the ABC's commercial division through ABC Retail were briefed on the decision in a national video hook-up last night.

We, atheists, have a problem on our hands... We do not have an international company nor a small shop-front from which to sell the concept of being an atheist. We don't have a church not even a cottage industry... We do not have "followers" because we don't have anything to be followed for, except our raw essential human ethics based on sound analysis of reality and a lack of god(s). 

Apart from some famous atheists who can be counted on one hand for raking in a living from it, there is no money in atheism. 

"We are under pressure from the Treasury to justify our budget, and commercial espionage is one way of making a direct contribution to the nation's balance of payments." - Sir Colin McColl, MI6 Chief

The Greek debt crisis offers another illustration of Wall Street’s powers of persuasion and predation, although the Street is missing from most accounts.

The crisis was exacerbated years ago by a deal with Goldman Sachs, engineered by Goldman’s current CEO, Lloyd Blankfein. 

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is expected to make his first public comments about the scandal later on Saturday. But Fairfax Media understands he is standing by his Speaker.

At a closed door event on Friday Mr Abbott reportedly dismissed the scandal as "village gossip". However the Prime Minister's office says that was not an accurate reflection of what he said.

Coalition ministers and MPs are quietly furious that the scandal has derailed their attacks on Labor over union corruption, and some have described her position as increasingly untenable.

But Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says he strongly disagrees with that assessment.