Australia hasn't done enough to stop UNESCO listing the Great Barrier Reef as 'in danger', a new report by conservationists says. The World Heritage Committee will meet in Cambodia this week to consider a draft decision to place the reef on its 'danger list' in 2014 unless the Queensland and federal governments clean up their … Continue reading Australia fails on Great Barrier Reef
Category: News and Features
News, Features, Media Releases and Comments
Australia’s partnerships with China and Japan
Australia and the two great powers in Asia, China and Japan - the former already economically dominant, the latter enjoying an unexpected renaissance - depend on each other for their economic and strategic futures. Here the ambassadors of those countries, interviewed in their Canberra offices, speak with rare frankness about how they view the big … Continue reading Australia’s partnerships with China and Japan
Australia takes part in Google’s free wi-fi balloons project
Google has a truly sky-high idea for connecting billions of people to the internet - 19 kilometres in the air to be exact - through giant helium balloons circling the globe that are equipped to beam Wi-Fi signals down below. Google has revealed that it has 30 balloons floating over New Zealand to provide free … Continue reading Australia takes part in Google’s free wi-fi balloons project
Australian debt may grow beyond $300 billion limit
Australia's debt could breach the government's legislated $300 billion maximum limit this calendar year as the outlook for Australia's resource sector deteriorates. Treasury's senior budget official, Nigel Ray, told the Senate economics committee last week that the debt was expected to rise no further than $290bn in 2013-14, based on the budget forecasts. Although it … Continue reading Australian debt may grow beyond $300 billion limit
Australian people fed up with growth in asylum-seeker numbers
The Australian people are completely fed up with the boatpeople saga. Chief among their concerns is a decent humanitarian desire to stop the drownings that accompany the people-smuggling trade. But that is not the whole story. The Australian people in their overwhelming majority want the national government to reassert national sovereignty over our borders. When … Continue reading Australian people fed up with growth in asylum-seeker numbers
Australia’s Federal Education Minister banned from schools by state government
Queensland has banned Federal Education Minister Peter Garrett from visiting two state schools as the row over the Gonski funding changes escalates. Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek has expressed his concern to Mr Garrett that "schools are being used as political stages," adding that his Government does not "think this is good for either students … Continue reading Australia’s Federal Education Minister banned from schools by state government
New Zealanders find Australian dream is not so good
New Zealanders are beginning to realise the Australian dream is not so perfect and the grass may in fact be starting to become greener in New Zealand. The number of Kiwis leaving for Australia is now at its lowest in nearly three years - thanks in part to improving economic prospects in New Zealand, including … Continue reading New Zealanders find Australian dream is not so good
Australian authorities too busy to recover floating bodies of asylum seekers
Australian authorities are too busy to recover the floating bodies of asylum seekers whose boat sank near Christmas Island. Thirteen bodies were spotted on Saturday as aircraft and boats searched for the vessel that was believed to have been carrying about 55 men, women and children before it capsized northwest of the island. A three-day … Continue reading Australian authorities too busy to recover floating bodies of asylum seekers
Kevin Rudd tipped to resume as Australia’s Prime Minister
Labor is being swept with expectations that Julia Gillard will be replaced as Prime Minister before parliament rises for the election, with Kevin Rudd now seen as the party's only hope of averting electoral disaster. Shocked by polling and amazed at the former prime minister's reception in Geelong on Friday, some of Ms Gillard's staunchest … Continue reading Kevin Rudd tipped to resume as Australia’s Prime Minister
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd praises Australia’s asylum ‘decency’
Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd has entered the asylum-seekers debate, declaring Australia has always "been decent" in its treatment of refugees. Days after Laurie Ferguson, a staunch supporter of Julia Gillard, warned that Labor would be "dead" in western Sydney if the Prime Minister did not take a strong lead on the troubled asylum-seeker … Continue reading Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd praises Australia’s asylum ‘decency’
Cyber bully China cannot be denied, including by Australia
The Gillard government should publicly reveal what it knows about the severity of Chinese cyber attacks on Australian interests and engage with its leaders on the issue, the nation’s top defence research group says. “Both the US and the UK have ‘called out’ China publicly for its relentless cyber assaults,” Tobias Feakin, senior analyst for … Continue reading Cyber bully China cannot be denied, including by Australia
Violent asylum seekers released onto Australian streets
Asylum seekers involved in violent attacks while in immigration detention are being released into the community, including one man who assaulted staff and was involved in more than 250 incidents. The violent detainees are released before security checks into their background are completed, according to an insider with intimate knowledge of the detention system. The … Continue reading Violent asylum seekers released onto Australian streets
Australian report unclear what China does with hacked data
Cyber espionage is giving China's intelligence agencies vast amounts of information but it's unclear what they're doing with the data or whether it's useful, a new study says. A paper by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says the scale of Chinese cyber-operations is vast, with United States President Barack Obama raising it in recent talks … Continue reading Australian report unclear what China does with hacked data
Foreign workers in Australia are being rorted
If Julia Gillard and her government are serious about stopping the rorts arising from Australia's migrant worker scheme, then something will be done about the cleaning workers who have not only just lost their jobs but their entitlements too. The sad truth is that when a business goes bust Australian workers have their leave, unpaid … Continue reading Foreign workers in Australia are being rorted
India is now the biggest source of migrants to Australia
India has become the leading source of permanent migrants to Australia for the first time, ahead of China, a government report showed on Monday. Reflecting the growing prominence of Asia to Australia, seven of the top 10 source countries during 2011-2012 were from the region, Australia's Migration Trends study showed. "Between 1996 and 2011, Australia's … Continue reading India is now the biggest source of migrants to Australia
Public service chief says little achieved for Aboriginal Australians
Former head of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Peter Shergold has lamented how little he achieved for indigenous Australians in his two decades as a senior public servant. Dr Shergold's mea culpa comes in a foreword he wrote for a collection of essays, "In black and white: Australians all at the crossroads," … Continue reading Public service chief says little achieved for Aboriginal Australians
Australia’s asylum policy fails to have an impact
It was the foundation stone of Julia Gillard's plan to stop, or at least substantially slow, the flow of boats arriving uninvited on our shores, and it had a certain simplicity and logic on its side.If asylum seekers could extract ''no advantage'' by paying people smugglers and risking their lives on leaky boats, compared with … Continue reading Australia’s asylum policy fails to have an impact
Indonesia won’t agree to Australian plan to turn back asylum boats
Indonesia's ambassador to Australia has ruled out agreeing to the coalition's boat turnback policy, declaring no such collaboration will occur. Ambassador Nadjib Riphat Kesoema said Indonesia would welcome Tony Abbott or whoever leads Australia after the September election. But he said asylum seeker boats should be turned back to other countries, not to Indonesia. "Indonesia … Continue reading Indonesia won’t agree to Australian plan to turn back asylum boats
Asylum detainee in Australia is wanted for murder and terrorism in Egypt
An asylum seeker who arrived at Christmas Island last year was wanted in Egypt for premeditated murder, possession of weapons and explosives and destruction of property. The unnamed man was initially held at the low security Inverbrackie detention facility in South Australia. He was moved to a secure facility in Sydney on April 17, some … Continue reading Asylum detainee in Australia is wanted for murder and terrorism in Egypt
Australian farmers want to establish Indonesian abattoir for Asian sales
The West Australian Farmers Federation is hopeful the state's live-cattle exporters can establish an abattoir in Indonesia to build markets throughout Asia. Such a move would reduce the need for producers to rely on Indonesian specifications, including the maximum 350kg weight rule for each imported beast. Yesterday WA farmers were underwhelmed by news that Indonesia's … Continue reading Australian farmers want to establish Indonesian abattoir for Asian sales
China steals Australian spy agency blueprints in cyber attack
Classified blueprints of the new ASIO headquarters in Canberra have been stolen in a cyber hit believed to have been mounted by hackers in China. The ABC's Four Corners program has discovered the plans were taken in an operation targeting a contractor involved with building the site. The stolen blueprints included the building's security and … Continue reading China steals Australian spy agency blueprints in cyber attack
Up to 25,000 asylum seekers expected in Australia this year
The immigration department vastly underestimated the number of asylum seekers expected to arrive in Australia this financial year, with up to 25,000 now expected – almost five times more than initial forecasts. Last year, the immigration department estimated just 5400 asylum seekers would arrive in Australia in 2012-13, before being forced to revise it to … Continue reading Up to 25,000 asylum seekers expected in Australia this year
Australia’s new submarines to patrol Melanesia, Indonesia and South China Sea
The navy's 12 planned new submarines will need the range to patrol the massive archipelago that stretches out from Australia's Top End through Melanesia, Indonesia and the South China Sea. In peace time they will gather intelligence, but in any future war their main role will be to destroy enemy submarines and surface warships to … Continue reading Australia’s new submarines to patrol Melanesia, Indonesia and South China Sea
Chinese spies woo Australian business leaders
Some of Australia's most influential business leaders were feted in China by an intelligence platform of the People's Liberation Army, a Fairfax investigation has revealed. Andrew Forrest, who touted his talks with the leaders last month as a lesson on how to be friendly with China, was joined by the heads of four of the … Continue reading Chinese spies woo Australian business leaders
Australia’s relationship with China is beset with misperceptions
For all its vision and clarity, Australia's defence white paper belies a harsh truth: our relationship with China is beset with misperceptions, write Kerry Brown and Bates Gill. China is beset The Australian Defence White Paper released this month takes a strongly positive position on China. "Australia welcomes China's rise", it states, and "does not … Continue reading Australia’s relationship with China is beset with misperceptions
Craig Hill 