Opinion – The Turnbull ascendancy

The new prime minister wants to remake Australia in his own image.

23 September, 2015

Queensland budget focuses on employment

Curtis Pitt’s first budget is all about jobs

16 July, 2015

Labor brands Human Services pay deal WorkChoices by stealth

Accusations of Trojan relaunch to cut public sector wages, conditions

18 February, 2015

Gough Whitlam dies at 98

“It’s always time” says Labor leader Bill Shorten.

21 October, 2014

South Australian LGA president wants Adelaide state seat

By Paul Hemsley Local Government Association of South Australia President David O’Loughlin will seek to enter state politics after he revealed he will stand for the seat of Adelaide at the March 2014 State Election as an Australian Labor Party candidate. In a well-trodden path between tiers of government, Mr O’Loughlin has moved to formalise […]

8 October, 2013

New warning that more than 12,000 public service jobs will go

By Julian Bajkowski The union representing Commonwealth public servants has hit out at the release of selected costings by the Liberal Party for the election, warning that Coalition estimates of savings totalling $5.2 billion by culling 12,000 government jobs no longer add up. The Community and Public Sector Union has called on Opposition Leader Tony […]

29 August, 2013

Rudd steers High Speed Rail pledge at Coalition

By Paul Hemsley Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has made an ambitious bid to get Labor’s trailing electoral fortunes back on track on the East Coast by pitching the big-picture infrastructure vision of High Speed Rail against Tony Abbott’s smaller target Paid Parental Leave scheme as a better use of taxpayers money. Mr Rudd yesterday committed […]

27 August, 2013

CPSU suspends campaign support for Rudd

By Julian Bajkowski and Paul Hemsley Anger within the Commonwealth public service over fresh funding cuts by the Rudd government has boiled over after the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) announced it had “voted to extend the suspension of all CPSU election campaigning in protest at Government plans to cut $1.8 billion from federal […]

6 August, 2013

Fear of mass public service sackings grips Canberra campaign

By Julian Bajkowski Canberra may well be celebrating its Centenary this year, but locals are weighing the prospect of the public service designer city being partly depopulated. As the election looms, the threat of bulk federal redundancies under a Coalition government has again increased in value as prime political currency among voters there. Senator for […]

30 July, 2013

Abbott pushes referendum Vote No case

By Julian Bajkowski Coalition support for the ‘yes’ case in the referendum on Constitutional recognition for local government has edged one step closer to official collapse after Opposition leader Tony Abbott intensified his attack on the poll process amid growing internal pressure to withdraw bipartisan support. Speaking at a press conference in Whittlsea, Victoria, Mr […]

2 July, 2013

Leadership change out-runs Google

By Paul Hemsley The internet might deliver news and events in close to real time but it looks like Australia’s fast moving political landscapes can even outrun the world’s biggest search engine. After a tumultuous 12 hours that had Kevin Rudd topple Julia Gillard as Labor leader and reinstalled as Prime Minister, Google is apparently […]

27 June, 2013

Referendum legislation clears Senate despite Coaltion walkout

By Julian Bajkowski Legislation to make a local government referendum on 14th September has finally cleared the Senate amid a widening split in the Coalition that resulted in seven members of the Opposition cross the floor to vote against the bill and at least as many abstaining. The last minute bid to shoot down referendum […]

25 June, 2013

‘No’ camp accuses Albanese of abuse of process over referendum funding

By Julian Bajkowski Opponents of Constitutional recognition for local government have accused the federal minister leading the multi-party push for a ‘yes’ vote of trying to buy the referendum result by giving $31.6 million to supporters and just $500,000 to opponents of direct funding for councils. Conservative dominated group ‘No Power Grab’ claims that the […]

18 June, 2013

Opinion: Nick Minchin on why to Vote No

Opinion: Nick Minchin For the third time in less than 40 years, the Federal Government is trying to persuade the Australian people that they should approve an amendment to the Australian Constitution relating to local government. The ALP, having failed in 1974 and 1988 to change the Constitution, is trying again at the 14 September […]

18 June, 2013