An Australian expat is facing as many as 162 charges of manslaughter following an investigation into last year's sinking of the Papua New Guinea ferry Rabaul Queen. Peter Sharp, who owned the ferry when it sank in rough weather off Lae in February 2012, was arrested today in Rabaul, in PNG's East New Britain province. … Continue reading Australian faces 162 manslaughter charges in Papua New Guinea
Category: Australian Current Affairs
People smugglers take to the sky with Australian asylum seekers
People smugglers are concocting a new and expensive product to sell their asylum seeker clients - flying them into Australia on fake tourist visas to sidestep the harsh policies of both political parties aimed at boat arrivals. Three separate groups of Iranian asylum seekers in the Indonesian province of West Java have told Fairfax Media … Continue reading People smugglers take to the sky with Australian asylum seekers
Australians more concerned over jobs than asylum seekers
Australian workers are more worried about job security and the ability to pay their bills than they are about refugee policies, according to a large poll of union members. The Australian Council of Trade Unions surveyed 120,000 members over the past 14 weeks about election issues. Of those, 102,000 were asked specific questions about policy … Continue reading Australians more concerned over jobs than asylum seekers
Australian Opposition leader shows sexism once again
No one wants to hear politicians talk about sex. Tony Abbott should have known this when he compared the Liberal candidate for the marginal seat of Lindsay, Fiona Scott, with her successful predecessor, Jackie Kelly. He said: ''They're young, they're feisty and, I think I can probably say, have a bit of sex appeal.'' No, … Continue reading Australian Opposition leader shows sexism once again
Australia says boat arrivals down 30pc since Papua New Guinea plan commenced
Kevin Rudd has declared that Labor's Papua New Guinea asylum-seeker plan has driven down boat arrivals by 30 per cent since it was announced. ''In the month or so since we've had this policy implemented I am advised that boat arrivals are down by 30 per cent,'' Mr Rudd said. Mr Rudd was speaking after … Continue reading Australia says boat arrivals down 30pc since Papua New Guinea plan commenced
Australians warned to leave Egypt
The federal government says the latest violence in Egypt is a terrible tragedy and has called for restraint from the military and protesters alike. Egypt's health ministry says at least 278 people have been killed in nationwide violence after police cracked down on loyalists of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Foreign Minister Bob Carr says … Continue reading Australians warned to leave Egypt
Australia: New rules target bad teachers
Underperforming teachers could be identified and sacked with greater ease under new teacher quality reform measures NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli described as more in line with a ''private sector'' approach. The NSW government will also introduce paid teaching cadetships for high-achieving students and will give new teachers additional time out of the classroom to … Continue reading Australia: New rules target bad teachers
Australia most expensive country for international students
Australia has been ranked as the most expensive country for international students, but the falling Aussie dollar could spark a boom in new arrivals. Australia beat the US, Britain, Germany, Canada and Hong Kong as the most expensive destination for international students, costing an average $US38,000 ($41,500) a year in fees and living costs, according … Continue reading Australia most expensive country for international students
Australian government will legalise gay marriage if reelected
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Monday it was time to end the "acrimonious" debate on gay marriage, after he vowed to introduce a bill legalising same-sex unions if returned to office. If re-elected on September 7, Rudd said Labor would introduce a bill within 100 days, becoming the first Australian leader to promise to … Continue reading Australian government will legalise gay marriage if reelected
Australia ignores teenaged refugees in Indonesia until adulthood
Teenage refugees joining the so-called queue in Indonesia to apply officially for protection visas, instead of jumping on a boat, say they are being told Australia will not take them until they are 18 years old. The boys, who are stuck in limbo in Jakarta, said that even though they have been determined to be … Continue reading Australia ignores teenaged refugees in Indonesia until adulthood
Australian government recruits Obama’s social media team
The Australian Labor Party’s recruitment of “Team Obama’s” campaign heavyweights and “digital attacks dogs” for the upcoming election campaign is no surprise. Political parties around the globe, with varying degrees of success, are embracing social media because they have seen what it can do. According to the Pew Internet Project’s Civic Engagement in the Digital Age … Continue reading Australian government recruits Obama’s social media team
Australia’s media regulation plan “unconstitutional”
Former Australian High Court judge Ian Callinan has produced a damning legal opinion that says aspects of the media regulation plan drawn up by former communications minister Stephen Conroy "are very arguably unlikely to be valid under the Constitution". The opinion, written jointly with Sydney barrister Caspar Conde, says the broad powers proposed for a … Continue reading Australia’s media regulation plan “unconstitutional”
Australian Prime Minister accuses Rupert Murdoch of anti-government campaign
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has taken a dig at media mogul Rupert Murdoch, questioning whether commercial interests are behind his opposition to Labor's National Broadband Network policy. The News Corporation executive chairman used Twitter to say that he liked the "ideal of the NBN", but questioned how the multi-billion dollar policy would be paid for. … Continue reading Australian Prime Minister accuses Rupert Murdoch of anti-government campaign
Australians working for al-Qa’ida in Arabian Peninsula
Intelligence agencies have identified several Australian citizens they believe are working with al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, amid warnings for all Australians to immediately leave Yemen ahead of a possible terrorist strike. Officials yesterday began contacting Australian passport-holders known to be in the troubled country who they fear could become victims of a terrorist attack. … Continue reading Australians working for al-Qa’ida in Arabian Peninsula
Australian Treasury too rosy about China
In October 2009, a former top Treasury official at the Australian embassy in Beijing slammed the Rudd government for a "dysfunctional China policy". Stephen Joske went further, saying "there's no one in Treasury who can tell up from down on China, beyond what they read in the newspapers" - a serious charge given the importance … Continue reading Australian Treasury too rosy about China
Rupert Murdoch’s vicious attacks on Australian government
The arrival of Col Allan in Australia is making a lot of people uneasy. Allan is a man widely known inside News Corporation as Col Pot, a play on the name of a Cambodian genocidal dictator. He is News Corp's most feared flamethrower in a company of flamethrowers and he has been sent to Australia … Continue reading Rupert Murdoch’s vicious attacks on Australian government
Australian election set for September 7th
Australians will go to the polls on September 7 after Kevin Rudd today fired the starting gun on a five-week election campaign. Mr Rudd said voters faced a stark choice. ''This election will be about who the Australian people trust to best lead them through the economic challenges ahead,'' the Prime Minister said. ''This will … Continue reading Australian election set for September 7th
Australian law firm says world offers China shallow legal services
After unveiling a merger aimed at grabbing more of China's legal work, King & Wood Mallesons has accused the world's leading law firms of offering "shallow" services to Chinese clients. Global managing partner Stuart Fuller said King & Wood Mallesons was seeking to reverse the practice of foreign firms entering the China market "with fairly shallow … Continue reading Australian law firm says world offers China shallow legal services
Australia neglects Aboriginal crisis for asylum seekers
Tony Abbott's indigenous affairs spokesman Nigel Scullion has attacked both sides of politics for an obsession with "boats" over indigenous Australians, arguing the bigger crisis was with closing the gap. In comments that criticise the current focus on border security, the Northern Territory senator said he thought this issue should have a higher priority. Senator … Continue reading Australia neglects Aboriginal crisis for asylum seekers
Australia should improve links with South Korea
Last weekend was the 60th anniversary of the armistice between North and South Korea which ended the active fighting in Korean War. Political decisions change lives; South Korea now has the 12th largest economy in the world and a per-capita income of more than $32,000, while North Korea's per-capita income is among the lowest in … Continue reading Australia should improve links with South Korea
Australians face perils by doing business in China
The perils of doing business in China have come into focus again recently, with allegations that staff from the British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline paid $500 million in bribes over several years. Four executives from GlaxoSmithKline were arrested in July, while its British-born head of China operations has been prevented from leaving the country. There are … Continue reading Australians face perils by doing business in China
Australia provides Papua New Guinea extra funding
Australia will provide extra funding for newly prioritised projects in Papua New Guinea - on top of the existing $507 million aid program - under Kevin Rudd's asylum-seeker deal. PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill told The Australian these new projects - such as the rebuilding of the Lae hospital, whose cost has been estimated at … Continue reading Australia provides Papua New Guinea extra funding
Australia presses China for human rights reform
Foreign Minister Bob Carr has urged China to press ahead with legal and political reform as the nation plays an increasingly important role in the world. In a speech to the influential Asia Society in Hong Kong, Senator Carr said Australia believed China had to improve its human rights track record, which is considered poor … Continue reading Australia presses China for human rights reform
Australia considers boot camp for young unemployed
Young job seekers would be forced into tough army-style boot camps to qualify for the dole, under an election policy being considered by the Rudd government. The Youth Start Boot Camp was tabled as a future election policy in a submission that has been leaked to Fairfax Media. It was put to the Labor government's … Continue reading Australia considers boot camp for young unemployed
UN warns Australia that asylum seeker policy may breach international law
The United Nations refugee agency has warned Australia that its decision to send asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea could breach international law and its human rights obligations. Around 700 asylum seekers have arrived at Christmas Island since the deal was announced last week, and will be eligible to be resettled in PNG, not in Australia, if … Continue reading UN warns Australia that asylum seeker policy may breach international law
Craig Hill 