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
Australia’s Aborigines blame racism for poor health standards
This week, the Australian government launched its new National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan. As with all such plans, much depends on how it is implemented. With the details of how it is to be turned into meaningful action yet to be worked out, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and … Continue reading Australia’s Aborigines blame racism for poor health standards
Australian Foreign minister on trade tour of China
Australia's Foreign Minister Senator Bob Carr today began a 10-day visit to boost bilateral ties and economic links with China. Senator Carr will have a series of high-level meetings in China, including in Hong Kong, Sichuan, Chongqing and Fujian. In Hong Kong, he will meet Chief Executive C Y Leung, Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie … Continue reading Australian Foreign minister on trade tour of China
Papua New Guinea attacks Australian opposition party for disrespect
Papua New Guinea has warned Australian politicians to show it more respect, a day after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott went on the attack over foreign aid flowing to the country. Mr Abbott had accused Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of subcontracting out the nation's aid program to PNG as part of the asylum seeker processing deal, … Continue reading Papua New Guinea attacks Australian opposition party for disrespect
US drops bombs on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef during exercises
Authorities are yet to decide whether they will recover four unarmed bombs dropped onto the Great Barrier Reef during military exercises. Two of the bombs did not contain explosives and the other two were without their fusing mechanisms. US warplanes were forced to drop the bombs after they ran dangerously low on fuel during a … Continue reading US drops bombs on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef during exercises
Australian girls among millions forced to become child brides worldwide
An eloquent and heart-wrenching video message from an 11-year-old girl who escaped being sold into a marriage to an older man has thrown the spotlight on forced marriages. In her video soliloquy, Yemeni girl Nada Al-Ahdals defiantly declares: "I'm not an item for sale." Nada says she fled to her uncle's house when her parents … Continue reading Australian girls among millions forced to become child brides worldwide
Australia puts bounty on heads of people smugglers
The Australian government will award bounty payments of up to $200,000 for those individuals who can provide information that will help the AFP crack down on people smugglers. The announcement by Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare follows a breakthrough deal under which asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat will be resettled in Papua … Continue reading Australia puts bounty on heads of people smugglers
People smugglers hit hard by Australia’s Papua New Guinea solution
Kevin Rudd's Papua New Guinea solution has bit savagely in west Java, where Afghan asylum seekers have immediately begun telling people smugglers they are cancelling their planned boat trips to Christmas Island. After the Prime Minister's announcement, it did not take long for the news to circulate in the mountain-top resort city of Cisarua, where … Continue reading People smugglers hit hard by Australia’s Papua New Guinea solution
Australian Aboriginal land rights law is a failure
The NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act was a "substantial failure" with a backlog of claims that would take 57 years to clear, a review of the 30-year-old legislation has found. A review headed by former Federal Court judge Trevor Morling QC found the act needed to be overhauled to help indigenous Australians obtain economic independence. … Continue reading Australian Aboriginal land rights law is a failure
Australia and China resume free trade talks
Australia will undertake a major rethink of its investment stance towards China, with the Rudd government now prepared to discuss reducing hurdles to Chinese investment as it strives to conclude a free trade agreement with Beijing. New Trade Minister Richard Marles is preparing to fly to China for talks on the FTA and has signalled … Continue reading Australia and China resume free trade talks
Australia helps China build emissions trading scheme
Australia has been drafted in to help design an emissions trading scheme for China, the world's biggest polluter. A deal announced in Canberra on Thursday will see the Australian National University take leadership of a program that will analyse pollution data provided by China and allow Chinese university researchers to examine Australia's experience of the … Continue reading Australia helps China build emissions trading scheme
Craig Hill 