ALP Launches Rudd TV Advertisement for Australia Day

Jan 24, 2007

The ALP has hit the airwaves with an Australia Day television advertisement shown nationwide today.

The 90-second advertisement features the Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, talking about Australia’s long-term prosperity.

Whilst the cost is unknown, it is likely to be in excess of $100,000.

This is the text of the ALP television advertisement.

This is the part of country Australia where my parents raised me.

Like many of their generation, Mum and Dad didn’t get much past primary school, but they worked hard on the land and raised a family. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2007 Federal Election, A.L.P., Rudd, Video Tagged With:

Democratic Party Response to State of the Union Address

Jan 23, 2007

Following President Bush’s State of the Union address, the Democratic response was delivered by Senator Jim Webb, the Virginian freshman whose election gave the Democrats control of the Senate.

This is the prepared text of Senator Webb’s response.

Good evening.

I’m Sen. Jim Webb, from Virginia, where this year we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown — an event that marked the first step in the long journey that has made us the greatest and most prosperous nation on earth.

It would not be possible in this short amount of time to actually rebut the president’s message, nor would it be useful. Let me simply say that we in the Democratic Party hope that this administration is serious about improving education and health care for all Americans, and addressing such domestic priorities as restoring the vitality of New Orleans. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bush, Democratic Party Tagged With: , ,

Rudd Calls For An “Education Revolution”

Jan 23, 2007

Education policy is also about nation building, according to the Leader of the Opposition, Kevin Rudd.

Speaking in Melbourne, Rudd announced Labor’s directions in education by arguing that “education is the pathway to prosperity”. Rudd said: “OECD research shows that if the average education level of the working-age population was increased by one year, the growth rate of the economy would be up to 1 per cent higher. Another recent study found that countries able to achieve literacy scores 1 per cent higher than the international average will increase their living standards by a factor of 1.5 per cent of GDP per capita. So whether it is through focusing on literacy levels, or increasing the average number of years spent in education, the evidence invariably shows that more educated economies are wealthier economies.”

Rudd and the Shadow Minister for Education and Training, Stephen Smith, released a 30-page document titled “The Australian Economy Needs An Education Revolution”.

This is the transcript of Kevin Rudd’s Address to the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne.

Labor is a party of reform. Labor is a party of economic reform. Labor is a party of social reform. Labor is also a party that has reformed Australia’s view of our place in the international order. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2007 Federal Election, A.L.P., Rudd Tagged With: , , ,

President George W. Bush’s 2007 State of the Union Address

Jan 23, 2007

President George W. Bush has delivered his sixth State of the Union address to a joint session of the United States Congress.

  • Listen to Bush’s speech

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This is the prepared text of President Bush’s State of the Union Address.

President Bush Delivers the State of the Union AddressMadam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

This rite of custom brings us together at a defining hour – when decisions are hard and courage is tested. We enter the year 2007 with large endeavors underway, and others that are ours to begin. In all of this, much is asked of us. We must have the will to face difficult challenges and determined enemies – and the wisdom to face them together.

Some in this Chamber are new to the House and Senate – and I congratulate the Democratic majority. Congress has changed, but our responsibilities have not. Each of us is guided by our own convictions – and to these we must stay faithful. Yet we are all held to the same standards, and called to serve the same good purposes: To extend this Nation’s prosperity … to spend the people’s money wisely … to solve problems, not leave them to future generations … to guard America against all evil, and to keep faith with those we have sent forth to defend us. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Audio2007, Bush Tagged With: , , , ,

Howard Reshuffle; Vanstone, Hardgrave Sacked; Turnbull Into Cabinet

Jan 23, 2007

The Prime Minister, John Howard, has sacked Amanda Vanstone and Gary Hardgrave and promoted Malcolm Turnbull and Joe Hockey in a reshuffle of his ministry that is more wide-ranging than expected.

Senator Amanda Vanstone, the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, has been sacked from Cabinet and the ministry. Her department is to be renamed Immigration and Citizenship and will be taken over by Kevin Andrews. Andrews is replaced as Minister for Workplace Relations by Joe Hockey, who moves into the Cabinet.

The Minister for Vocational and Technical Education, Gary Hardgrave, has also been sacked. His position is taken by Andrew Robb who is promoted from parliamentary secretary to Minister for Vocational and Further Education.

The big winner in the reshuffle is Malcolm Turnbull, who leaps from a parliamentary secretary’s position into the Cabinet as Minister for Environment and Water Resources.

Newcomers to the ministry are Queensland Senator George Brandis as Minister for Arts and Sport, and Northern Territory Senator Nigel Scullion as Minister for Community Services.

  • Listen to Howard’s press conference

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This is the transcript of John Howard’s press conference announcing the ministerial reshuffle.

PRIME MINISTER:

Welcome, happy new year, good to see you all, look forward to seeing you all over the weeks and months ahead. I’ve called this news conference ladies and gentlemen to announce a number of changes to the ministerial team. These changes include two promotions into Cabinet, three new appointments to the outer Ministry and two new Parliamentary Secretaries. Let me start by indicating that a number of people who are in the current Ministry will not be included in the new line-up. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Audio, Audio2007, Howard, Liberal Party Tagged With: , , , , ,
«Older Posts