NSW and Victoria have slashed their level of public housing investment to take advantage of the GFC stimulus packages.
Politics / Australia / Federal
Australia Council review: artistic boards should be abolished
Arts Minister Simon Crean has released the findings of the Review of the Australia Council.
If Labor’s serious about fairness, it should reconsider welfare policies
One of the most obvious inconsistencies in the budget was the government’s claims for an egalitarian redistribution approach while proposing $60 per week income cut for 100,000 sole parents.
Healthier alternatives at the golden arches: is anybody buying them?
A recent study examined how many healthier alternatives are consumed at Maccas and discovered — perhaps unsurprisingly — that a tiny minority of Australians are purchasing them, writes Dr Melissa Stoneham.
Newspoll: Coalition lead slims
The latest Newspoll has strayed from the pack, showing the Coalition holding a relatively moderate lead of 55-45 two-party preferred, reports William Bowe.
RBA hints at more economic pressures as $A hits US parity
The Australian dollar dropped through parity with the US currency today for the first time in nearly five months.
With Karl, James Packer showed he has his swagger back
James Packer showed us last night in a very positive interview on 60 Minutes that perhaps a direct media stake is unnecessary.
Commonwealth lags badly on MP code of conduct
Federal Parliament is far behind other jurisdictions in having a code of conduct for its members.
Essential: thumbs down to budget, Gillard loathed but Abbott not far behind
Last week’s budget has been poorly received by voters, and Julia Gillard’s approval ratings have worsened. But Tony Abbott hasn’t benefited.
Labor state bosses stare down PM on primaries
At least four state Labor branches have junked Julia Gillard’s urgings to hold primary preselections before the 2013 federal election, with NSW general secretary Sam Dastyari failing to rule out a series of feared National Executive interventions to protect incumbent MPs.
Crikey Says: Slippery excuses need hard rules
Craig Thomson isn’t why federal politicians need a code of conduct, though if there’s any good from the whole sordid affair that may be it.
Cake, phallocentric narratives and deconstructing the Thomson Affair
The serio-comic, wholly theatrical drama of purported “Fair Work Australia” is lined up in the crosshairs of Dr Biff Bondarchuk’s crack analysis of the Feignstream Media’s (mis)handling of the Craig Thomson Affair.
My Cup Of Tea: Cultural policy in limbo … which might give the space needed
The federal government’s decision to delay the National Cultural Policy is disappointing. But it is also an opportunity to deliver a better, broader policy.
Climate change & the Murray Darling: when our most divisive enviro issues meet
Climate change and the Murray-Darling Basin plan are two of the most divisive environmental issues in Australia. But what does the MDBA plan to do about climate change in its Murray-Darling Basin plan? asks David Donaldson.
Milne reprises key themes in budget reply
Christine Milne has reiterated her commitment to moving the economic focus to households and quality of life in her budget reply.
Kroger spray shows he’s still a player
Michael Kroger’s extraordinary radio spray against his groomsman today on Melbourne radio looked less like the death-throes of a factional non-entity and more like a subtle preselection power play.
US reveals plans to put nukes in your neighbourhood
The US would redeploy tactical nuclear weapons to the Asia-Pacific and ask regional allies to host nuclear weapons in plans added to the draft Pentagon budget.
Tony Abbott: philosopher-prince of the assertion-based community
Tony Abbott now insists things are true merely because he says they are, and his budget reply reflected that.
Idiot’s Guide to the Convergence Review: that’s a wrap
A week after the release of the Convergence Review, its principal author, Glen Boreham launched into an opinion piece.
Crikey Says: Foreign languages? Try harder Tony
You’ll notice we didn’t commission a piece on Tony Abbott’s foreign languages policy floated in his budget reply last night. The single piece of detailed policy the opposition leader floated, that is.
Tony Abbott and ‘financial pressure’ — don’t worry, he can handle it
The Oz this week claimed Tony Abbott is no stranger to “a bit of financial pressure.” But with a salary well north of average earnings, Alan Davies is quite confident he can handle it.
Economy more of a puzzle as unemployment rate falls
The growing strains in the Australian labour market were underlined this morning in the latest employment figures, which showed that while the unemployment rate fell to its lowest in a year, that was due to people leaving the workforce faster than new jobs were created.
Idiot’s Guide to Convergence: spectrum in a post-broadcasting era
The Convergence Review has laid the groundwork for a post-broadcasting future in spectrum allocation.
