A senior public servant has called for the public service to stop being so “docile” and start asserting itself more in the national interest — and given a backhander to ministerial staff along the way.
Regional australia
Travelling through Rural Press country
Sometimes you can see the nature of organisations more clearly from the periphery than from the heart — although, of course, rural NSW is the heart of the old, pre-Fairfax Rural Press. And unfortunately, the regional papers aren’t looking too crash hot.
Green economy could grow remote Australia
Indigenous Australians should be included in debates on the distribution of natural resources, because a green economy presents an opportunity for progress in regional and Indigenous communities, writes Patrick Dodson.
Country voters miss out on blogging PM
PM Kevin Rudd may be in a tweeting and live-blogging frenzy, but it’s alienating regional voters who don’t have access to the fast speed internet required to interact, writes North Coast Voices.
Drought relief and toxic politics
If you want to quantify the toxic effect of the National Party on Australian public life, the $2 billion in “drought relief” this Government has announced in recent years, including yesterday’s package, is a good place to start.
Some country people are more equal than others
What have Australian governments done to assist economic activity in rural and regional Australia? Plenty for white farmers. Not so much for indigenous farmers, writes Geoff Robinson, Deakin University.
Regional business set to suffer under Government’s broadband plan
Helen Coonan’s comments are reflective of her Government’s ignorance on how its broadband plan affects truly regional businesses. No minister, this is not just about farmers going out to their sheds to do business on their laptop. For many regional businesses their broadband requirements are far more sophisticated than keeping an eye on daily wheat prices and checking in with the Bureau of Meteorology.
