Shares in the financially struggling Tasmanian timber giant Gunns remain suspended ahead of Monday’s profit announcement and the ongoing clifftop poker around exiting old-growth logging and financing the $2.3 billion pulp mill.
Politics / Australia / WA
Governments’ failure to regulate is costing mining industry, taxpayers and environment
A failure to sensibly regulate the mining industry is compromising its productivity, the environment — and the electoral fortunes of the Labor government, writes Lionel Elmore, Crikey naturalist.
Building industry watchdog slammed over sham contracted migrants
An economics and employment expert has lashed out at the government’s construction industry watchdog, saying the body ineffectively regulates migrant worker mistreatment through sham contracting, writes Crikey intern Katie Weiss.
Healthcare in WA gets taken for a ride
Revelations this week that Western Australia health department officials recently accepted $750,000 worth of gifts from sources including drug and device makers are simply unbelievable.
Fortescue releases its own native title video
Fortescue Metals Group has stepped up efforts to counter the claims made in a controversial clip of a native title meeting held in Roebourne last month by releasing their own video online.
Enough porkies: when will the stalling in WA be over?
There’s a dirty fight in Western Australia over pigs. And some pollies are telling porkies. Journalist Kayt Davies reports from state parliament on the fight to ban sow stalls.
State polling: WA, NSW, Victoria
Newspoll’s first quarter survey of 827 respondents in Western Australia shows the Coalition government maintaining its commanding position. In other news, Roy Morgan has conducted two micro-polls for NSW and Victoria, writes William Bowe.
The video of Twiggy Forrest that everyone’s talking about
A video has been uploaded by the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation expressing their concern over a March meeting with Fortesque Metals Group over a native title dispute in the Pilbara.
University staff cut under ‘rank and yank’ ratings scheme
Up to 15 staff face the chop from the University of Western Australia under a new performance benchmarking scheme dubbed “rank and yank” by staff and the education union. Grace Jennings-Edquist reports.
Political donations: SA and Tassie rolling in election dough
Political donations data released by the Australian Electoral Commission yesterday shows a multi-million jump in donations for South Australia and Tasmania — the two states that held elections over the audit period.
Female MPs: you’re either a mum, or the owner of an empty fruit bowl
Far more than men, female politicians have their political identities framed around their family and relationship situation.
Queensland floods What will the QLD floods mean for healthcare?
Hopefully researchers are using the opportunity afforded by the flooding that is now devastating Queensland and parts of NSW and WA to look at what short and long-term health impacts will emerge because of the deluges, writes Melissa Sweet.
Newspoll: the ALP fall spreads to WA
From an already parlous position in July-September, WA Labor is down a point in the latest Newspoll on both the primary vote, now at 29%, and two-party preferred, with the Coalition now leading 58-42, reports William Bowe.
Changing political landscape means changes to health reform
The new Victorian Liberal government, like the old Victorian Labor government, is a major player in Australia’s health reforms, writes Paul Dugdale, director of the ANU Centre for Health Stewardship.
Expert slams WA government’s deal with Monsanto
A report due out in the next two weeks will reveal whether global bioscience company Monsanto was given special treatment by the Western Australian Liberal Government when it acquired shares of InterGrain.
WA persists with zombie legislation
The Western Australian stop-and-search legislation is now a dozen pages of condemned product, writes Luke Walladge.
Temperatures soar in federal stoush over influenza vaccination
Temperatures are rising in the stoush between federal and state health officials over who was to blame for an inadequate response to young children in WA who suffered convulsions after having an influenza vaccine, writes Melissa Sweet.
Government more ready to fund bureaucrats than welfare recipients
Why not do a cost-benefit study on the costs of quarantining income voluntarily or compulsorily versus the benefits of more cash, direct services for children and some widely available financial education for the same groups?
The WA ‘precedent’ that opens old native title wounds
A Federal Court decision that a traditional landowner did not have the legal authority to challenge the Kimberley Land Council is “questionable”, according to former Federal Court judge Murray Wilcox QC. It puts the native title issue back on the agenda, writes student journalist Tom McPherson.
Westpoll: swing to federal Labor
Today’s West Australian carries a Westpoll survey of federal voting intention, with the usual small sample and large margin of error. The poll has the Coalition with a two-party lead of 52-48, says William Bowe.
