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
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
By Julian Bajkowski Bitter factional infighting has torn apart public Coalition support for a Constitutional change that would guarantee federal funds can flow directly to more than 500 local governments after key hard-right elements publicly railed against the case for a ‘yes’ vote in a torrid Senate debate. After more than a year of publicly […]
19 June, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The electorally popular, multi-billion dollar Roads to Recovery program should be permanently funded and councils dealt into any new road-user charging schemes a pre-election list of demands issued by Australia’s peak body for local governments says. As the federal poll date draws closer, councils across the nation have put both sides of […]
18 June, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Opponents to a change in the Constitution that could give financial recognition to local government through a referendum at the 14th September federal poll have launched their official campaign with an attack by former Howard government minister Peter Reith on the Nationals leader in the Senate,. Barnaby Joyce. After months of sniping […]
3 June, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski The already bitter war of words over the progress of the rollout of the National Broadband Network has intensified after federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy pounced on a dissenting report from a Coalition members of a Parliamentary Committee delving into the project to rekindle accusations that the Opposition is plotting to “demolish” […]
28 February, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Federal minister for Local Government Simon Crean has ratcheted-up pressure on state premiers to get behind a referendum on Constitutional recognition and direct funding of council projects from Canberra. The renewed push to get states on board comes after crisis talks were held between the Australian Local Government Association and Mr Crean […]
19 February, 2013
By Julian Bajkowski Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce has accused the Gillard government of attempting to let a proposed referendum on Constitutional recognition of local government deliberately die of neglect – despite the plebiscite having ongoing federal Coalition support. In a broadside aimed directly at Local Government minister Simon Crean, Senator Joyce claimed that the […]
29 January, 2013End of content
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