The campaign for next fortnight’s Queensland state election has well and truly lived up to its promise as one of the most fascinating in recent Australian history.
Politics / Australia / QLD
CSG and the land: straight from the farmers’ mouths
Many farmers believe the market is telling them they are not getting a fair deal, writes FAQ Research’s Brian Bahnisch.
Behind the Seams: who’s asking questions about coal seam gas and health?
Almost a quarter of the disease burden and deaths in the world can be attributed to environmental factors, writes David Shearman and Marion Carey, of Doctors for the Environment Australia.
Behind the Seams: cockies, blockies, croppers and greenies — a movement emerges
The alliance of farmers and greenies has already chalked up some good wins with its policy of keeping resource activity away from inappropriate areas, writes Drew Hutton, Friends of the Earth spokesperson and Lock the Gate Alliance president.
Behind the Seams: info gap on CSG’s environmental impacts
Why are farmers disturbed by a few wells on their properties, about one every 700 to 1000 m, according to the industry? For starters, the imprint of the well on the area of farmed land is much greater than these stats would suggest?
Qld election: three weeks and counting
With the Queensland election less than three weeks away, Crikey’s poll guru William Bowe presents a grab bag of election news bits and bobs.
Qld election: the LNP’s Royalties for Regions policy
Sadly the LNP’s Royalties for Regions pledge is a ‘summary’ of a policy, short on detail and long on attacks on the ALP, writes Kim Jameson.
Benjamin Law: infiltrating ‘Can Do’ country amidst chants ‘n’ chinos
One thing is clear from yesterday’s LNP launch: the policy vacuum problems that hounded Campbell Newman have seemingly disappeared. Benjamin Law reports from “Can Do” country.
Quiggin: the bigger picture on coal seam gas
A striking feature of the debate over coal seam gas (CSG) is that most of the key issues involved are not unique to CSG, but arise to a greater or lesser extent with all kinds of mining, writes John Quiggin.
Behind the Seams: confessions of a blockade virgin
Something is very wrong when a quiet, conservative Queensland farming community turns to civil disobedience, forcing a dramatic 10-day showdown with police, writes Heidi Ross, organiser of the Kerry Blockade.
Crikey Says: Qld needs a hero … is it Can Do Campbell?
Forget “clear air” for Julia Gillard, finally the Queensland election can have its time in the sun. And the LNP got in fast with an unusually early campaign launch at the Brisbane Convention Centre yesterday.
Catholic Church joins the CSG debate
Catholic Religious Orders have joined a large number of non-government organisations in opposing coal seam gas mining, raising serious concerns about its social and environmental effects, reports Kim Jameson.
Qld election: is there something more behind the Courier-Mail’s dummy spit?
In one of the most extraordinary media ploys ever undertaken by a mainstream media organisation, the Courier Mail announced it was ripping its reporters off Anna Bligh and Campbell Newman’s campaign buses.
Behind the seams: Bob Katter & Larissa Waters sing from same song sheet
FAQ Research’s Dr Mark Bahnisch interviewed Bob Katter MP, federal Member for Kennedy and leader of Katter’s Australian Party and Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters at the February 20 Jondaryan Big Day Out protest against coal seam gas and coal mining on prime agricultural land.
Greens call for Qld Police Minister to explain Arrow Energy rent-a-cops
Greens Senator Larissa Waters has written to Queensland Police Minister Neil Roberts to demand an explanation after multinational miner Arrow Energy paid “rent-a-cops” to act as private security at a coal seam gas protest.
Mayne: Arbib blazes the trail, now it’s Swan’s turn
The best thing Wayne Swan could do is negotiate a suicide pact with Mark Arbib, his old Nambour High schoolmate.
Qld Labor ends electoral arms-race — just when the LNP benefits
Queensland Labor enters the 2012 election without one of its key campaigning tools of recent years. The party’s success has been built on massively outspending its opponents. New laws bring that to an end just when the tables were turned.
Medical student outrage over Queensland Health gag order
A Queensland Health “gag order” banning medical students disclosing information inside hospitals has been slammed by students, who fear a premature end to their career if they refuse to comply.
The rise and rise of mining company donations
Big mining money has shifted behind the Coalition and poses a serious threat to Labor if maintained.
New think tank for regions fulfils hung parliament promise
It seems appropriate during the ALP leadership squabble that one of those hung parliament initiatives that sealed Julia Gillard’s prime ministership, a new think tank dedicated to regional issues is set to launch next week.
Poll Bludger: Qld Labor staring down the barrel of 10% swing
It’s been a long time since an Australian election offered so many diverting novelties as the one now officially under way in Queensland.
About Coal Seam Gas: Behind the seams
Working in conjunction with the prominent Australian independent media website, Crikey, we will be mining for facts and going behind the seams to tell the whole story of how CSG has become so controversial, how the debate has been shaped, and its policy and political implications.
Land use and CSG: what rights do property owners have?
Coal seam gas activities in Queensland and NSW have created scenes of confusion, conflict, and sometimes, chaos and at the heart of much of this conflict has been land. So what rights do property owners actually have? asks FAQ Research’s Dr Tina Hunter .
