Victorian schools in the potential path of a new wave of bushfires have been left off an emergency register designed to shut them down in the event of another Black Saturday.
Politics / Australia / VIC
Victorian ALP facing fresh dissent on branch stacking
The Victorian Branch of the ALP’s branch-stacking inquiry has been branded a failure by a leading party member who helped set it up, because the same people who benefit from branch stacking wrote the report.
NSW to keep draining the life out of the Snowy
The NSW government has indicated it will continue to draw water off the Snowy River, despite extensive evidence the river is nearer to degradation than ever.
Calling TRUenergy’s CPRS bluff
There is a peculiar distinction between what large polluters like TRUEnergy say in their quest for additional compensation, and what they tell key financial stakeholders like customers and shareholders.
Racial equality impossible under the constitution
One hundred and forty years after the firstAboriginal Protection Act, Indigenous peoples in Australia are still being subjected to regimes of surveillance, control and discrimination, says Dr Aron Paul.
Late-night missive fuels fight over faculty finances at Melbourne
The former dean of arts at The University of Melbourne, Professor Stuart Macintyre, has launched an extraordinary attack on his predecessor, Professor Mark Considine, accusing him of deliberately misrepresenting the state of the faculty’s finances, writes Andrew Crook.
University of Melbourne spinning themselves a lie on VCA
Management and spin doctors are in denial over the unpopular changes to the Victorian College of the Arts, writes Scott Dawkins.
All smiles and sunshine for VIC Labor
The latest Victorian state Newspoll finds the decade-old Labor government going from strength to strength. Labor’s two-party lead is at 57-43. Is this the end for Ted Bailleu? asks William Bowe.
Can it ever be ethical to let women die?
So refusing an abortion should be a doctor’s right, even if that refusal may see a woman die? asks Leslie Cannold. Religious freedom is important, but it shouldn’t trump other human rights.
How much cash will the states get under the CPRS? Zero.
Unfortunately for those of us who ever rely on the public health, education or transport systems, the CPRS is estimated to cost state budgets more than $2.1 billion in 2013, writes executive director of the Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss.
Victorian abortion law: overriding the conscience of doctors
Victorian doctors who oppose abortion are legally obliged to be involved. The law doesn’t just legalise abortion, it silences dissent, writes Sinclair Davidson.
Why doctors can’t decline an abortion
Last years abortion law changes in Victoria raise some interesting ethical issues for doctors. Even doctors that are morally anti-abortion must now legally participate in it, explains Julian McGauran.
Lady Mayoress ruffles feathers among Melbourne’s old money set
It appears Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle’s braggadocio may have rubbed off on his fiancée Emma Page Campbell, who’s ruffling the feathers of ladies who lunch down at the Lady Mayoress’ Committee.
Health Services election stoops to leather-clad rape slur
The three-way battle for control of the Health Services Union in Victoria has descended into acrimony after a vicious shit sheet depicting a candidate as a sexual predator was sent to thousands of union members.
Buy our brown coal! Now cleaning up on eBay
Victoria’s 13 billion tonnes of unallocated brown coal are now listed as an eBay item, under the seller name “BrumbyGovt”. Bids are open for the next seven days. The starting price is $1,000,000, writes Greg Foyster.
Dunkley dust up: ALP destabilised by Shorten-Conroy split
A fresh factional war has broken out inside the Victorian ALP after Federal MP Bill Shorten and Senator Stephen Conroy came close to backing rival preselection candidates at a fiery meeting last night.
How the evangelicals converted Rob Hulls
Victoria’s Attorney-General Rob Hulls has decided that religious groups should remain exempt from many of the state’s anti-discrimination laws. Is Hulls pandering to the Christian Right? asks Luke Williams.
Health departments are not equipped for the new focus on prevention
Prevention is the new black in health policy. But do our politicians really understand prevention and are our health departments well equipped to understand and implement this new focus?
Carr has his head in the sand on exports
Australia might be free from recession and recovering, but the big traditional manufacturing (making) economies of the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea are still very sick. Demand for goods that are ‘made’ is going to be very weak for some time.
Has the great Indian student bubble burst?
Speculation that the flood of Indian students into Australian education institutions (not to mention the $2 billion they bring to the economy each year) is about to dry up has generated alarm in political and educational circles, writes Geoff Maslen.
Local concerns swept aside by Gillard’s Education Revolution
Planning no longer operates under this system of fairness — not when the Education Revolution is on the agenda, writes Cr Claude Ullin, mayor of the City of Stonnington.
Ferguson urges “science, not green faith” in letter to Batman residents
Federal Energy Minister Martin Ferguson has taken a blowtorch to loyal ALP supporters in his own electorate, using a taxpayer-funded letter to slam a push for zero emissions as “faith based”.
Sheehan: Feminism makes a comeback in Higgins
Kelly O’Dwyer has won pre-selection for Peter Costello’s electorate, the safe Liberal seat of Higgins. She will infuse much needed young female blood into the Liberal Party, writes Paul Sheehan.
