As a Liberal insider involved in ousting Santo Santoro, I can tell you it has nothing to do with philosophical, right wing or moderate views and everything to do with avoiding destructive forces. People think all politicians are “dirty” dealers; some of us are not. We have no problem with philosophical differences, but I won’t […]
NSW
Sydney infrastructure edges closer to breaking point
The signs of infrastructure collapse in Sydney keep coming yet nobody in government seems willing to connect the dots, writes, Ben Sandilands.
WYD wash-up: NSW put on a great party (even if it snubbed most)
Just imagine what type of event could be staged in Sydney for close to $150 million that was for all citizens, writes Nicholas Pickard.
WYD is the best PR the Catholic Church could pray for
World Youth Day has re-positioned the Catholic Church, two millennia old, as alive and well and relevant to a whole new generation of enthusiastic adherents, writes Trevor Cook.
Does the media distort health policy?
The media has much to answer for in trivialising issues concerning the health system, writes Andrew Podger and Professor Stephen Leeder.
Richard Farmer’s political bite-sized meaty chunks
Meaty snippets from the home of government, Richard Farmer writes.
Liberals saddle a trojan horse for Warringah election
The local council elections in NSW in September promise to be a riotous affair but nowhere more colorful than in Warringah on Sydney’s northern beaches, writes Alex Mitchell.
Morris Iemma is an ex-premier, bereft of life, no more, etc.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma’s days are done, writes Alex Mitchell.
Nepotism watch: how dad’s union supports daughter’s footy team
The nurses’ union donated $5,000 to a football club in north-west Sydney. A strange choice … until you realise the general secretary’s daughter is a club member. Alex Mitchell reports.
The hunt for Iemma-Costa replacements begins
For Labor MPs, the long winter recess is time to get on the mobile to discuss what to do about the two architects of the government’s self-destruction, writes Alex Mitchell. That is, Premier Morris Iemma and Treasurer Michael Costa.
Richard Farmer’s political bite-sized meaty chunks
Meaty snippets from the home of government, Richard Farmer writes.
The great international student rort
Among modern-day business rorts, the privately-owned colleges selling education courses to overseas students are in a category of their own, writes Alex Mitchell. Crikey has the inside word from a former Sydney college executive.
It works, so why is Kings Cross injecting centre still on trial?
There is no doubt that Australia’s first Medically Supervised Injecting Centre has improved the health of the most marginalised injecting drug users. So why is it still on trial? asks Dr Ingrid Van Beek
Catholics, s-x and other major events
The World Youth Day is merely one more symptom of the obsession with “major events”, another function of modern politics, writes Bernard Keane.
ALP fires off warning shot at Iemma
Can the Iemma Government continue to call itself “Labor” in the full meaning of the term? asks Alex Mitchell.
The adventures of Mr Fang and Minister Macdonald
The NSW Opposition has raised concerns about Tianda Resources’ claim to being “an international corporation” which is acting as a “bridge” between China and Australia to take advantage of the resources boom, writes Alex Mitchell.
NSW Mining Minister and the mysterious Mr Fang
NSW Minister for Energy Ian Macdonald has been courting mystery businessman Alan Fang, chairman and managing director of the Tianda Group, reports Alex Mitchell.
Unions step up pressure over ABCC powers
The trade union movement is stepping up the pressure on the Rudd Government to shut down the Australian Building and Construction Commission as the case of Noel Washington looms, writes Bernard Keane.
WYD organisers: we had nothing to do with”anti-annoyance” laws
None of the outrage over the World Youth Day anti-annoyance laws should be directed at the Catholic Church, according to WYD’s spokesman. The church didn’t ask for them, he says.
Blogwatch
This wouldn’t happen in the US! Wearing a T-shirt that the NSW police don’t like might get you arrested, in and around World Youth Day, an event organized by the Catholic Church that will see the Pope coming to Sydney etc. Unbelievable. SMH, ABC, and according to The Australian, “Strip searches okayed for WYD“. Julian […]
Iguanagate resignations tipped for this week
The scalp of John Della Bosca or Belinda Neal may be claimed this week as Labor powerbrokers seek to staunch the ongoing media attention on Iguanagate.
Lobbyists are behind community forum site Bang the Table
The consultants behind community website builder Bang the Table wear two hats - on one hand they work directly for big developers and on the other they offer a platform for online community consultation for councils through Bang the Table.
Democracy, brought to you by the NSW Shooters Party
Many of us were pleased when the Legislative Review Committee reported on the Planning Minister Frank Sartor’s package of Bills ‘reforming’ the Planning system of NSW. Then the Shooters Party stepped in, writes JJohn Mant.
Why exhausted NSW rural doctors have shut up shop
On Wednesday afternoon the two GPs at Dorrigo in northern NSW went on strike, closing their surgery. Dr Horst Herb, who has worked in Dorrigo for six years, explains how it happened.
Orkopoulos inquiry sputters out
By the time parliament limped to a standstill yesterday, Nationals MP Trevor Khan’s bold bid to deepen the exposure of the Orkopoulos scandal was in tatters, writes Alex Mitchell.
