Federal leadership turmoil weighs-on referendum

By Julian Bajkowski A referendum that could give financial uncertainty to federally funded local government projects like Roads to Recovery is again in doubt after another outbreak of internal attacks within the Labor that threaten to topple Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Less than week after crucial legislation to hold a referendum finally cleared the House […]

Gillard green lights local government referendum as recriminations fly

By Julian Bajkowski and Paul Hemsley Prime Minister Julia Gillard has finally confirmed that the federal government intends hold a September 14 referendum that if successful would allow the financial recognition of local government in the Australian Constitution, but there are signs of growing tensions and signs of fracturing support for the poll within the […]

Councils cautious on Coalition’s copper NBN plan

By Julian Bajkowski and Paul Hemsley Australia’s local government sector has been left facing tough choices over how to deal with the release of Coalition’s policy on the National Broadband Network that would forgo fibre-to-the-premises in favour of recycling Telstra’s ageing copper lines in many regional areas. After decades of campaigning to get better internet […]

NBN demolition fuse reignites

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” […]

Tax Commissioner faces grilling

By Julian Bajkowski A claimed rise in complaints to the Commonwealth Ombudsman about the Australian Taxation Office is set to take centre stage today when Taxation Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo comes before the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) this morning. In a curtain raiser to what is anticipated to be a fiesty exchange, […]

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