Pokies industry donations for 2010-11 got a brief mention in yesterday’s coverage and they certainly make for interesting reading when totalled up.
Politics / Australia
Dudgeon: constitution helps undo silence harming Aboriginal Australia
The causes for distress in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities leading to youth suicide are broad and steeped in historical, social and economic circumstances, as well as the contemporary choices of individuals, writes professor Pat Dudgeon, one of the “founding” people in indigenous psychology.
‘Legally invisible’: law reform matters for Aboriginal health
Australia is one nation, yet its federal structure and Constitution have not encouraged laws creating a clear governance structure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, explains a team of experts on Croakey.
Cox: 40 years on and the equal pay gaps continue
It will be 40 years in December since the incoming Whitlam government asked the Arbitration Commission to reopen the equal pay case.
OurSay: disability and poverty leads questions
A question on Australia’s parlous record on poverty and disability currently leads the OurSay People’s Question.
Politicians and the awful reality of a strong dollar
For all her problems, Julia Gillard understands just how important the strong dollar will be not just for business but governments, write Glenn Dyer and Bernard Keane.
Repealing a tax will ‘save’ $4b? Er, no, Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott is boasting of saving $4 billion, which will be long gone when he gets into office.
Mayne: now’s not the time for Rinehart to be be saying ‘look at me’
Journalists love nothing more than speculating about the future of media companies, so Gina Rinehart has created an avalanche of commentary with her high-profile raid on Fairfax Media.
Queensland flood inquiry recalled as victims left in limbo
The Queensland flood inquiry heard less than two days of evidence in April last year about the events in the Lockyer Valley, including Grantham, writes Amanda Gearing, a freelance journalist based in Toowoomba.
Residential property market continues to struggle
Despite the best attempts by housing bulls, banks and politicians to resuscitate the flailing residential property sector, the Australian market (Sydney excluded) continues to struggle
Canberra says no to grazing — so what are states for?
At least as the federal government sees things, the controversy over cattle grazing in Victoria’s Alpine National Park is now over.
Crikey Says: Shoes over substance
Yes, we’re in. We’re falling in line with every other media schmuck today and giving the quite upmarket shoe brand some more free publicity for what is, it must be said, a genius PR move on their part.
Farmers will attack the govt but not their supermarket giant customers
Farmers appear to have no qualms about attacking the government, but the raised fist turns into a cat’s paw when the time comes to criticise their largest customers, the retail giants, writes Matthew da Silva.
How can public transport work better in Australia’s cities?
Around 90% of all travel in Australia is by car. While public transport usually serves CBDs well, it’s quite ineffective at travelling across suburbs, writes Alan Davies.
Abbott’s nostalgia for Howard’s Oz is no basis for an economic policy
Nostalgia is a fine political tool if you can use it and half his luck if Abbott can make it work for him. But it’s no basis for an economic policy.
Electoral funding figures show Labor’s donations collapse
Labor’s donations advantage vanished at the 2010 election, new data from the Australian Electoral Commission shows.
It’s a big if, but Gina Rinehart could set Fairfax agenda
There never has been, and is never likely to be, a rule that says someone who owns a company is not entitled to run it as she sees fit, within the limits of the law.
Using Constitutional change to improve Indigenous health
Australia has by far the worst Indigenous health of all the OECD nations built on colonising occupation. The problem is neither an Aboriginal nor a health problem. It is a malaise much deeper than that, writes Enrico Brik.
For Sale: one vote in the QLD election
Author John Birmingham is offering up his vote in the upcoming Queensland election for $500, since, as Birmingham says, it’d be cheaper than any other policy Cap’n Bligh and Campbell’s Soup Can will come up with.
Is a quota for whales a solution looking for a problem?
If Japanese whaling was restricted to Japanese territorial waters, they would have an economic incentive to look after their own whales and manage their own marine environment, writes Crikey naturalist Lionel Elmore.
Mental health funding: well targeted or just well meant?
Since 2006, Australian governments have committed to spending about $8 billion of new money on mental health, writes Dr Lesley Russell, a research associate at Menzies Centre for Health Policy.
Lajamanu — police communications back to the Stone Age
Concerns about the Northern Territory Police’s call centre operations have been around for a while.
Crikey Says: What did we do to deserve this?
“One thing the Labor Party has got to learn is that it doesn’t solve its polling problems by simply changing the leader.”
Only faint hope for a deal with Iran on nukes
For a couple of months things have been looking pretty bleak on the Iranian front.
Cox: how about asking Tent Embassy why they’re so angry?
Why do so few of the media reporters actually ask the Aboriginal demonstrators why they are so angry with being told to change tactics?
