Rudd must backflip on bungled bank guarantees
The Prime Minister and Treasurer have now been delivered a clear message from both the major banks and the Opposition that the Government must fix its bungled wholesale term funding and bank deposit guarantees.
Clarke Report should be released today
The Attorney-General announced this morning that the Report of the Clarke Inquiry (with the exception of sections which will be kept confidential for national security reasons) would be released at an unspecified time in the future, along with the Government’s response.
Kevin Rudd rejects 2010 as year of the Girl Guide
Kevin Rudd’s decision to reject the request by Girl Guides Australia to make 2010 the Year of the Girl Guide, to mark the movement’s centenary anniversary, is a strange way to encourage young women to take part in activities which will help build their self esteem and confidence.
Swan reacts under pressure without checking his facts
Today the Treasurer, Wayne Swan falsely claimed that the Coalition does not support the $1000 economic stimulus payments for families.
Government must secure minimum 6-month extension from GMAC, GE to ease car dealer crisis
The Rudd Government needs to act immediately to address the credit crisis in car dealerships right around the country, which has been exacerbated by their bungled unlimited bank deposit guarantee.
Wong's a water copy-cat in Eden-Monaro
Penny Wong is a water copy-cat in Eden-Monaro after she today re-announced $6.5 million of Coalition Government water projects in the New South Wales electorate.
Labor's broadband tender a farce as bid d-day approaches
Labor’s troubled National Broadband Network (NBN) tender process will be a complete farce void of competition if Australia’s largest telecommunications company Telstra fails to even lodge a bid next week.
Coalition outlines plan to provide small business relief
The Coalition is calling on the Federal Government to provide relief for Australia’s 2.4 million small businesses to help them manage cash flow and maintain employment levels in the current economic environment.
Grocery Choice a basket case
The Rudd Government should scrap its farcical GroceryChoice website rather than just tinkering with it.
Ford engine plant announcement
Today’s announcement by Ford that they are able to reverse their decision taken last year to close their Geelong Engine Plant, thus avoiding the loss of 400 jobs in 2010, is great news for Geelong, and a ray of hope in Australia’s auto industry.
Turnbull interview with Geoff Hutchison (720 ABC Perth) - HMAS Sydney commemoration, 'Australia', Ord River scheme, agriculture
There are new crops – there’s an ancient Aztec crop that’s being grown there called chia, which is growing in demand, it’s got enormous benefit and Australia is producing a third of the world’s output. So I would say that the thing that encouraged me, that excited me about being up there was just the enthusiasm and the energy and the optimism and the spirit of innovation.
Leader of the Opposition Address at the HMAS Sydney Memorial Service
The man to whom we pay our respects today died in our name. Not only for the Australia he knew, but for the Australia still to come. And that is why we honour him, and all who lie at rest today having served our nation.
Brisbane storm damage
It is heartening to see the large effort under way to clean up damaged homes in Brisbane suburbs which were hit by severe storms this week.
Car package fails auto workers
News that Holden will halve its production schedule for the first quarter of next year – on top of unprecedented production cuts over the next six weeks – confirms that the Rudd Government’s much-hyped “car package” has failed Australian automotive industry workers.
Non-government schools unmask the real Labor agenda
Non-government schools are fully aware that Labor is sneakily trying to prepare the groundwork for the reappearance of the notorious school “hit list”.
New childcare collapse demands action
The Rudd Government must move quickly to reassure Australian parents and childcare industry workers that it has a long-term plan to ensure the future of childcare, following the collapse of CFK Child Care Centres in NSW.
Aged care in trouble
For the first time ever, we have providers going into liquidation, an under-subscription of places, bed licences being handed back and decisions being made at board level not to apply for licences in the latest Aged Care Assessment Round.
Gillard breaks ALP promises to appease union movement
The Minister has broken Labor’s election commitments on compulsory arbitration, pattern bargaining, right of entry and union access to non-union records in her moves to appease the unions.
Rudd's Asia-Pacific EU falls through
Reports that regional nations are underwhelmed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s plan for an Asia-Pacific European Union style forum confirms the plan’s lack of forethought and prior consultation.
Opening of Sydney's e-waste recycling plant
The facility will help to make productive use of spent computers and other electronic goods instead of them winding up as landfill.
Building and Construction industry must have a 'tough cop on the beat'
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission has made orders against the CFMEU and various officials in Western Australia after it was alleged they had abused rights of entry.
Paul Bell's service to local government
The Coalition expresses appreciation to Cr Paul Bell for his superb service over the past four years as President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA).
Albanese must release details on council funding package
In the interests of full disclosure and transparency they should back this up by immediately releasing the details of how each of these amounts were arrived at and what the evidenced based policy advice suggests will be the impact of this stimulus package on our economy.
Late Garrett leaves Tasmanian farmers hanging - Again
Environment Minister Peter Garrett has failed to meet a deadline for providing an answer on Tasmania’s application for an emergency release of water for the Clyde River area.
Assistance for the people of South East Queensland
The Federal Opposition strongly supports the measures announced today by the Government to provide financial assistance to the people of South East Queensland affected by Sunday’s devastating storms.
Reserve Bank minutes show Australians can be confident in the economic outlook
Today’s release of the minutes of the Reserve Bank November meeting confirm that economic conditions in Australia are showing signs of decline however the fundamental strength of the Australian economy is providing resilience to the global economic downturn.
Classical music goes silent after Garrett bungles
Questions have to be asked about the process behind the decision to axe funding for the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in favour of Labor’s university teaching model announced today.
Schools assistance submissions support Coalition amendments
The Senate Committee public hearings into the Schools Assistance Bill 2008 tomorrow will highlight how the real concerns of non-government schools are being bulldozed by the Rudd Government.
Councils call for ABC clarity beyond Dec 31
The local Councils in Victoria see what Minister Gillard’s clearly doesn’t – that the December deadline is a farce. It is totally unrealistic to think that this can be resolved in 6 weeks.
Selling uranium to India
The West Australian State Government’s reversal of the ban on uranium mining has renewed debate over the Rudd Government’s refusal to sell uranium to India.
Australian motorists call for petrol price action following the demise of farcical FuelWatch scheme
Australian motorists are calling out to the Rudd Government to actually do something meaningful on petrol prices following the death of its farcical FuelWatch policy.
Peter Dutton Daily Telegraph Blog - Rudd's first anniversary
People will only tolerate spin for so long, and much of what they are seeing at the moment they have seen at a state level over the last 12 years. My view is the Australian people will give Mr Rudd “a fair go” and then if they think they are being taken for a ride they will turn on him pretty quickly.
Federal spending on local government infrastructure - A lost opportunity to drive reform
There is an urgent need for COAG and local government to resolve the mish-mash of approaches to tendering, prequalification, procurement, licensing, contract standardisation, and the rest, that characterises disjointed regulation across states, territories and local government.
Arrogant Rudd government setting up Centrelink for failure
With the Rudd Government’s first budget forecasting a rise in unemployment and the global financial situation threatening an estimated 200,000 jobs, it is time the Minister for Human Services moved to ensure Centrelink has the resources it needs to enable them to assist Australian’s facing unemployment.
Navy closed for business over summer
The Australian navy is going on an extended Christmas holiday in an extraordinary demonstration that current recruitment programs are simply not working.
Demise of the BP solar plant: Government's solar policy in chaos
The demise of the BP Solar manufacturing plant in Sydney is a tragedy for Australia’s solar industry. It reflects the fact that the Rudd Government’s solar policy is in chaos.
Macdonald calls for Northern councils to unite
At the North Queensland Local Government Conference in Home Hill last week, North Queensland based Senator and Opposition Spokesman on Northern Australia, Senator Ian Macdonald called for Local Governments across the North of Australia to unite to push for a better deal.
Anna Bligh the last one standing on Labor's narrow-minded uranium policy
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is now the only impediment to the full development of Australia’s uranium industry, and is costing Queenslanders and Australians jobs and export earnings.
Funding for Local Government cannot be one way street
Today’s meeting of the Australian Council of Local Government must do more than provide an expensive backdrop for another symbolic gesture from the Prime Minister.
Commonwealth must help with Northern dams
Although development of water storages is principally the constitutional responsibility of State Government there is a role for the Federal Government to play.
Julie Bishop Fairfax Blog - Tax review and jobs
More than 100 taxes raising only a small part of Government revenue, but with these taxes comes the inevitable red tape from regulation and compliance... If the Review of Australia’s tax system identifies reforms that would provide incentives for job creation or remove disincentives, there is a strong case for bringing forward those reforms and not waiting until the December 2009 reporting deadline for the full report.
Wholesale term funding guarantee
The Rudd Government must immediately present legislation to authorise the provision of wholesale term funding guarantees to Australian banks. Without legislation the guarantees will not be effective commercially or practically.
Australia well placed to meet G20 Washington Declaration objectives
The G20 Washington Declaration provides an opportunity to make necessary reforms to the global financial system by increasing co-operation, establishing common standards and providing greater financial accountability and transparency.
People smugglers try again
This fifth boat that has been intercepted on its way to Australia, once again demonstrates that the Rudd Labor Government may still be guilty of not clearly articulating Labor policy in relation to continuing the Coalition’s excised migration zones and mandatory detention policies.
19% credit card rates spell trouble for retailers
If the Government has any hope of stimulating retail spending before Christmas, it needs to put pressure on the banks to drop their ludicrously high interest rates on credit cards.
Listen to the mayors' calls for water infrastructure funding
Tomorrow's meeting of mayors in Canberra must deliver a commitment to finally unfreeze the $6 billion for water-saving infrastructure works which were provided by the Coalition.
South Australians betrayed by Rudd Labor on broadband
The broadband betrayal of South Australians by the Rudd Labor Government has been exposed on the eve of the Australian Council of Local Government meeting in Canberra tomorrow.
Boys thinking it's OK to hit girls demands ongoing community education
A new study finding 1 in 3 teenage boys think it’s “no big deal to hit a girl” is evidence that the “Violence Against Women: Australia says No” campaign should have been maintained by the Rudd Government.
Reports of whaling fleet departure exposes Garrett's $4 Million diversion
Tonight’s news that the Japanese whaling fleet is reported to have set out for the hunting season reveals Peter Garrett’s multi-million whaling package was rushed out as an attempted diversion.
Remembering HMAS Sydney II
The Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Personnel and Assisting Shadow Minister for Defence Bob Baldwin will attend a Naval service at the Australian War Memorial on Wednesday to mark the 67th anniversary of the loss of HMAS Sydney II.
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