Anti-tax campaign gears up. The business campaign against the federal government’s carbon tax — which Crikey struggled to get to the bottom of yesterday — is apparently set for launch on July 18. Expect prime-time advertisements to hit your screens during big-rating Sunday night programs.

Sports betting offline. IASbet.com did a site upgrade last weekend and hasn’t been able to process any withdrawals to clients since, we hear. Customers are furious and apparently leaving in droves.

VMIA needs new CEO. Wanted: one of Victoria’s key government bodies is seeking a “successful and proven senior executive”, according to an advertisement in The Australian Financial Review today …

But if you’ve been following Crikey’s coverage of the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority you might not agree with the “outstanding opportunity” offered. After we exposed a culture of bullying at the organisation, CEO Steve Marshall has, according to this letter from acting chairman Ian Gaudion, “chosen not to accept the offer by the board” to continue in the role. We wish all applicants the best of luck. They’ll need it.

Israel and Melbourne’s film fest. A Crikey reader noted curiously that Israel is no longer listed as a cultural partner of the Melbourne International Film Festival this year. MIFF, which was launched this week, had people talking politics in 2009 and 2010 after receiving money from Israel to pay for Israeli film industry guests to visit the festival. In 2009 British filmmaker Ken Loach pulled his film from the festival after organisers, including the festival’s ’09-’10 executive director Richard Moore, refused his demands to reject Israeli funding.

The absence of Israeli money is no doubt partly the result of the departure of Moore, with new artistic director Michelle Carey assuming control. But festival spokesperson Louise Heseltine told Crikey that funding from Israel has only ever gone towards providing plane tickets and accommodation to visiting Israeli directors, and the festival’s selection of funding partners and guests has nothing to do with a political outlook.

“Israeli funding was always dependent on if an Israeli guest came to the festival,” she said. “This year there are no guests from Israel, and so no Israeli funding. [Festival organisers] don’t specifically sort out a guest from a specific country, it just depends on who is available. We try to encourage all filmmakers to come out.”

Another angry NAB customer. It’s our fault, really. One banking whinge inevitably leads to another. But hopefully there’s catharsis in publishing. Here’s another NAB unhappy customer:

“Over a year ago, my partner and I bought a house, transferring all our banking from the NAB as part of the new mortgage arrangement. Essential paperwork in the transfer included cancelling the NAB credit card. Despite completing the cancellation process and paying out the card, NAB continued to treat us as credit customers, and continued to charge fees and send us statements. After a protracted correspondence with NAB, in May we received a letter assuring us that the card was cancelled. And in June? A letter advising us of the new fees schedule for our NAB credit card. Ombudsman time?”

It’s a boy! Named Tony! And from the tiny nation of Naru a very special little boy was born …