Kevin Rudd has been forced to publicly reiterate his support for Julia Gillard after the Prime Minister complained of a caucus whispering campaign against her. The move came as Tony Abbott flagged a change in parliamentary tactics, saying his team would look more like an “alternative government” than an opposition this year. Mr Rudd told … Continue reading Australia: Kevin Rudd publicly supports Julia Gillard
Tag: Australia
Australian PM Julia Gillard accuses own MPs of undermining her government
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has accused members of her parliamentary team of white-anting the government, as she demanded unity from Labor MPs. The Prime Minister is understood to have today told parliamentary colleagues that she had been informed by members of the media that some within her ranks had contacted them over the summer, … Continue reading Australian PM Julia Gillard accuses own MPs of undermining her government
Australian government compared to Nazis by Opposition frontbencher
Remarks comparing the federal government to the Nazi party are offensive and hurtful, new federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says. Coalition frontbencher Christopher Pyne on Sunday said the federal government was unravelling like Hitler's government in the movie Downfall. Mr Pyne said the resignation of two senior ministers and Prime Minister Julia Gillard's subsequent reshuffle showed … Continue reading Australian government compared to Nazis by Opposition frontbencher
Senior Cabinet ministers resign from Australian government
The Gillard government's turbulent start to the new parliamentary year continues with the shock resignation of two of Labor's most senior Cabinet ministers, the Attorney-General Nicola Roxon and the government's leader in the Senate, the Higher Education Minister, Chris Evans. Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a mid-level reshuffle of her Cabinet this morning announcing, among … Continue reading Senior Cabinet ministers resign from Australian government
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd back on television
Cabinet Minister Tony Burke was unceremoniously dumped from Seven's Sunrise program by email yesterday afternoon to make way for Kevin Rudd's return to the show that made him a political star. Mr Rudd faced off against his old sparring partner Joe Hockey on Sunrise this morning after agreeing early last month to resume duties with … Continue reading Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd back on television
Australian public to endure eight month election campaign
If day one of the election campaign is anything to go by, it’s going to be a long seven months until the September poll. As many commentators lamented yesterday, the announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday has kick-started a campaign which is likely to be driven more by personality than policy. At least … Continue reading Australian public to endure eight month election campaign
Julian Assange to run for Australian Senate
Julian Assange will run for a Senate seat in the 2013 federal election and his mum reckons he'll be awesome. Christine Assange confirmed her son's candidacy on Wednesday after WikiLeaks tweeted the news. "He will be awesome," she said. "In the House of Representatives we get to choose between US lackey party number one and … Continue reading Julian Assange to run for Australian Senate
Australian firms to ramp up China ventures
Australian companies are ramping up their investments in China as they express renewed confidence about the nation's economic growth while also warning of tougher competition from Chinese rivals. Almost three quarters of the Australian firms already operating in China are likely to expand their operations in the wake of the country's leadership transition late last … Continue reading Australian firms to ramp up China ventures
Australian military responds to storm crisis in Brisbane
Brisbane will flood for the second time in three years, with Premier Campbell Newman revealing last night that nothing can stop the city's river breaking its banks and inundating thousands of properties as a powerful storm continues to batter the east coast. More than 3600 houses and residential unit lots would be affected, though not … Continue reading Australian military responds to storm crisis in Brisbane
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott rallies the troops in Australia
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has officially kicked off his unofficial mini-election campaign, saying this year's poll is the most important in a generation. Mr Abbott released a new campaign blueprint which appears to backpedal on delivering a budget surplus within 12 months if he wins government. The coalition's 50-page photo-rich glossy policy document, Our … Continue reading Opposition Leader Tony Abbott rallies the troops in Australia
Australia: Heavy rain and destructive winds for Brisbane until Monday
The weather bureau has warned of heavy rain and destructive winds of up to 125km/h for Brisbane from tonight as central Queensland is slammed by severe weather. The bureau issued the alert this evening and warned of possible flash and riverine flooding. In the next few days about 300mm of rain is expected in Wivenhoe … Continue reading Australia: Heavy rain and destructive winds for Brisbane until Monday
Australian republic debate a distraction, says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott says Wayne Swan should concentrate on running the economy rather than raising "red herrings" like the republic debate. The Treasurer revived the republican debate in a Fairfax opinion piece today, saying a reflection on cricket's 1930s Bodyline series should hasten the creation of an Australian republic. But the Opposition Leader - an ardent … Continue reading Australian republic debate a distraction, says Opposition Leader Tony Abbott
Major oil discovery in outback South Australia worth $20 trillion
Brisbane company Linc Energy says independent studies have confirmed a major shale oil source in South Australia's far north, which officials have estimated could be worth $20 trillion. The company says US-consultants have carried out drilling and geological and seismic surveys around Coober Pedy. Linc Energy holds rights over more than 65,000 square kilometres of … Continue reading Major oil discovery in outback South Australia worth $20 trillion
Australian Prime Minister looks to East Asia, digital threat, in new security strategy
Julia Gillard has waved a final goodbye to the so-called "9/11 decade", heralding a new age dominated by threats of cyber espionage and traditional great-power conflict. Like her centre-left contemporary Barack Obama, she is moving her party away from the preoccupations her predecessor - Middle Eastern conflicts, ballooning defence and intelligence budgets, an incessant focus … Continue reading Australian Prime Minister looks to East Asia, digital threat, in new security strategy
Australian coal mining threatens CO2 target
The forecast expansion of Australian coal mining and exports would be the world's second-largest contributor of new carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels if fully realised, research by Greenpeace International has found. An analysis of the planet's 14 largest proposed, coal, oil and gas developments - to be released on Wednesday by Greenpeace - finds … Continue reading Australian coal mining threatens CO2 target
Australian Prime Minister’s speech to have China, cyber crime focus
Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, reportedly will seek to boost Labor's defence credentials in a speech singling out China and cyber attacks as key security concerns. Ms Gillard will make the comments on Wednesday in her first important speech of the election year to the Australian National University's National Security College in Canberra, The Australian newspaper … Continue reading Australian Prime Minister’s speech to have China, cyber crime focus
Australia: Single mums turn to brothels, stripping after welfare cuts
Some single mothers hit by recent welfare cuts to parenting payments have turned to prostitution and strip clubs in order to keep a roof over their family's head. The payment cuts came in at the start of 2013 and affect 84,000 single parents, mostly mothers who received parenting payments. The majority have been shifted onto … Continue reading Australia: Single mums turn to brothels, stripping after welfare cuts
Australian private sector closing jobs gap as indigenous work rises
Bold policies to close the gap between black and white Australia in employment are working, with new data revealing that employment growth for Aborigines has increased dramatically, mainly in remote areas via the private sector. A paper to be released by the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University offers the … Continue reading Australian private sector closing jobs gap as indigenous work rises
Prime Minister Julia Gillard talks up Australian economy
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says people can have confidence in the Australian economy, as other countries fight high levels of unemployment. Ms Gillard attended a ground-breaking ceremony in Darwin today for the start of a $34 billion LNG project by Japan's Inpex, saying it was a "fantastic" opportunity for the Northern Territory and part of … Continue reading Prime Minister Julia Gillard talks up Australian economy
Indigenous culture, but not at all costs, says Australian Child Protection Commissioner
The need to maintain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture should not override a child's ability to move into the mainstream, Queensland's Child Protection Commissioner says. Examining the significant over-presentation of indigenous children under state care, former Crime Commissioner and Family Court judge Tim Carmody said it was important that specific indigenous and wider social … Continue reading Indigenous culture, but not at all costs, says Australian Child Protection Commissioner
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard orders probe into suburban violence
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is exploring what her government can do to tackle the recent violence in suburban Brisbane and Sydney. Referring to the street clashes in Brisbane and the spate of shootings in Sydney's west and south-west, Ms Gillard said during her launch of a cybersafety program that she has asked the Home Affairs … Continue reading Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard orders probe into suburban violence
Australia’s BHP lashed on ‘colonial attitude’ in Papua New Guinea
The row between Papua New Guinea and BHP Billiton over the Ok Tedi mine heated up yesterday, with Prime Minister Peter O'Neill accusing BHP of having a "colonial era" mentality. He strongly defended his action two months ago in banning Ross Garnaut from PNG, which triggered the Australian economist's resignation at the weekend as chairman … Continue reading Australia’s BHP lashed on ‘colonial attitude’ in Papua New Guinea
Julia Gillard ahead as Australia’s preferred Prime Minister
Julia Gillard has kept her lead over Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister in the first opinion poll of the year. The Essential poll, published on Monday, put Ms Gillard nine points ahead of the opposition leader who was rated preferred prime minister by 33 per cent of voters. The coalition's two-party vote was down … Continue reading Julia Gillard ahead as Australia’s preferred Prime Minister
Australia: Tony Abbott won’t gain much with his carbon tax stance
The carbon tax has failed to incite a tsunami of complaints from the public, with new data from the consumer watchdog indicating Labor's policy may have fallen off the public radar. In a sign that Tony Abbott will be hard-pressed to generate the same political bounce from his anti-carbon tax campaign in the run-up to … Continue reading Australia: Tony Abbott won’t gain much with his carbon tax stance
Australia: Commission on child sex abuse will be traumatic, Gillard warns victims
There are traumatic times ahead for child sexual abuse victims as the royal commission swings into action, Prime Minister Julia Gillard warned. But eventually, the inquiry's recommendations will hopefully bring healing to the Australian nation, Ms Gillard told child sex abuse survivors today. A day after she announced the appointments to the royal commission into … Continue reading Australia: Commission on child sex abuse will be traumatic, Gillard warns victims
Craig Hill 