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Australia
Australians trying to work out which government policy is an April Fools gag
One of the Australian Government’s policies is an April Fools hoax, but they won’t say which one. The Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, made the announcement early this morning, describing the prank as a bit of lighthearted fun. But the news has already caused mass confusion. Many Coalition MPs were themselves caught unawares. “Just one?” one … Continue reading
Australia to reinstate imperial measurement system
Yesterday, Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott unexpectedly announced that Australia would be returning to the appointment of Knights and Dames, an outdated system which ceased 30 years ago. This was done without any consultation, discussion or prior notice. Now comes this: Australia will revert to using miles, ounces, yards and furlongs next year, more than … Continue reading
Japan’s scientific research program yet to uncover why whales die when speared with a giant harpoon
After decades of research, Japanese scientists are no closer to discovering why whales suddenly die when tracked down, surrounded and then shot with an explosive-tipped harpoon. “It’s a phenomenon that’s baffled us to date,” said Hayato Takahashi, one of Japan’s chief whale scientists. “Every time we shoot a whale with a harpoon, it dies. That’s why … Continue reading
Syria war combatants to be shut out of Australia
Australian citizens who fight in the Syrian civil war may be shut out of the country, after Immigration Minister Scott Morrison flagged a renewed push to prevent them returning home. Mr Morrison yesterday said an influx of rebel and pro-government militants from the Middle East could “disrupt the significant social cohesion we have in this … Continue reading
Australia investigates corruption in Great Barrier Reef protection agency
Environment Minister Greg Hunt has ordered an “immediate” inquiry into the agency charged with protecting the Great Barrier Reef, after revelations that board members held interests in companies that could benefit from expanding coal and gas production near the reef. The revelations come as the Great Barrier Reef faces growing threats to its existence. Massive … Continue reading
China’s land grab in Australia hidden by “corporate veil”
Chinese investors may own less than 1 per cent of Australian farmland, but the true level is not known because it is hidden behind a corporate veil, according to a new report that offers support to the establishment of a formal register of foreign land ownership in Australia. A joint report by accountants KPMG and … Continue reading
Australia abandons Asian Century from foreign policy
The centrepiece of the Gillard government’s foreign affairs strategy – the Australia in the Asian Century white paper – has been largely jettisoned by the Abbott government. Craig Emerson, who as a senior Labor minister was responsible for the white paper’s implementation, said yesterday that he was surprised and disappointed the document and all its … Continue reading
Australian immigration minister orders asylum-seekers to be called “illegals”
Let us call a spade a spade shall we, Scott Morrison? Your edict, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, that detention staff and members of your department now refer to asylum seekers as “illegal maritime arrivals” is shameless and shameful. It is a brutish manipulation of language to suit your, and your government’s, political purposes. … Continue reading
Australia forms anti-people smuggling deal with Malaysia
Australia has struck a series of deals with Malaysia to limit the transit of asylum-seekers across its territory to Indonesia. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, the first Abbott government minister to visit Malaysia, has returned from meetings with Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid with agreements on “operational co-operation” under his belt. “I was pleased to reboot … Continue reading
Australians don’t have skills to work on farms
Onion and carrot grower Yvonne Smith knows how hard it is to find highly skilled workers. Ms Smith, 48, grows 85ha of onions and 30ha of carrots with her husband at Bowhill, on the Murray River east of Adelaide. The couple would like to expand their production, but the main factor slowing them down is … Continue reading
Australian helicopters used in ’70s massacres in West Papua
Research into one of the most violent episodes in the history of West Papua claims that helicopters provided to Indonesia by the Australian government were used in military operations in the 1970s that amounted to genocide. According to a report by the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission, two Iroquois helicopters supplied by Australia were … Continue reading
Australian government allows Malaysia to prevent free speech on Australian soil
Imagine this: Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is visiting Malaysia to speak to Australian students studying at Malaysian universities. The Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur then issues a written threat to all Australian students, saying that if they hear Mr Shorten speak they will lose any government-funded scholarships. Such an action would be met … Continue reading
Australia neglects militarisation of Antarctica by foreign powers, including China
Australian academics have pointed to dangers that Antarctic bases are for the first time being militarised, despite the continent officially being called a land of peace and science. Satellite systems at polar bases could be used to control offensive weapons, according to a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and little could be done … Continue reading
Hong Kong signs up for Australian undergraduate study and internship plan
Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has signed up the fourth and final destination, Hong Kong, for next year’s trial of the government’s New Colombo Plan, which will send Australian undergraduates into the region for study, internships and long-term diplomacy. “Australian students will benefit from the opportunity to study at Hong Kong’s world-class institutions and the … Continue reading
Australian government sees Asia as priority over US
Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey has expressed doubts the world has seen the last of the US debt impasse as he urged the United States to get its house in order and signalled a renewed focus on opening more markets in Asia as a response to ongoing instability. In an interview with Fairfax Media, Mr Hockey … Continue reading
Australian staff evacuated from asylum detention centre after conflict between Papua New Guinea security forces
The Australian immigration minister, Scott Morrison, has confirmed that Australian staff were evacuated from the regional processing centre on Manus Island after an incident involving “Papua New Guinean agencies”. The minister, who said he had not been fully briefed on the incident, said details were a “matter for the Papua New Guinean government to address”. … Continue reading
Australia’s Governor General meets top Chinese leaders
Australia’s Governor-General Quentin Bryce has met with China’s top political leaders in one of her final overseas tours in the post. Mrs Bryce held meetings last night with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. It was Mr Bryce’s first visit as the official head of … Continue reading
Mining magnate calls on Australian government to use FTA’s to attack slavery
Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest has called on Tony Abbott to insist new global trade agreements have clauses prohibiting forced labour, as he launched a global slave index in London. The chairman of Fortescue Metals Group said slavery was “as common as church mice, and an insistence on an enforced labour-proof supply chain in any … Continue reading
Australia backs Japan’s military buildup at risk of upsetting China
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop threw Australia’s support behind Japan’s attempts to shift its military to a more “normal” defence posture in a speech in Tokyo yesterday. Australia’s backing for Japan’s proposed move away from a purely defensive military runs the risk of sparking resentment in China, which retains deep suspicion of the hawkish Abe … Continue reading
Malaysian rights campaigner to be guest of Australian senator deported from Malaysia
Independent senator Nick Xenophon still smarts from being deported and banned from Malaysia earlier this year. The South Australian senator has got his own back by arranging for Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to join him in Adelaide this week as a speaker at the Festival of Ideas. Senator Xenophon described Mr Anwar as a … Continue reading
UN slams Australia for plan to send asylum seekers home
The United Nations has slammed as a possible breach of the Refugee Convention the Australian government’s plans to speedily send a group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers home. The boatload of asylum seekers believed to be from Sri Lanka arrived at the far-flung Australian territory of Cocos Islands on Thursday – the first such group … Continue reading
Australian government fails to honour promised crime prevention program grants
The Australian Coalition government has backed away from distributing millions of dollars in grants promised to dozens of charities, community groups and local councils under Labor’s national crime prevention program. In some cases, small charities say their existence is under threat because they have spent money based on draft funding agreements that will no longer … Continue reading
Australia to offer more jobs to international graduates
Australian Education Minister Christopher Pyne has promised to open the jobs market to more overseas students who have graduated from Australian universities, as a means of rehabilitating the stagnant $14 billion international education industry. In his first speech on the industry since he was sworn in as minister, Mr Pyne said yesterday the Abbott government … Continue reading
Australian government to drastically lower foreign investment thresholds as bargaining chip against China
Coalition tensions are growing, with the Nationals expected to insist on a lowering of foreign investment thresholds as Liberals push for them to be used as a bargaining chip with China. The Nationals partyroom meeting next Thursday is expected to endorse the lowering of the threshold for purchases of farmland from $248 million to $15m, … Continue reading
Australian Prime Minister says “Japan is our closest friend in Asia”
Tony Abbott has declared Japan Australia’s “closest friend in Asia”, elevating the former World War II aggressor past both China and Indonesia as he continued his regional charm offensive. Mr Abbott met the conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the 18-member East Asia Summit being held over two days in the tiny … Continue reading
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