Gillard Addresses ACTU Congress: “I Fight For Australia”

May 15, 2012

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has addressed the triennial ACTU Congress in Sydney.

Julia Gillard

  • Listen to Ged Kearney introduce Julia Gillard:

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  • Listen to Gillard’s speech:

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Q&A: Wong And Hockey On Gay Marriage

May 14, 2012

The final question on tonight’s Q&A produced an interesting contrast between Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey and Finance Minister Penny Wong.

  • Listen to the question and responses:

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The Critical Decade: NSW Climate Change Report Released

May 14, 2012

The Climate Commission has released a report on New South Wales climate impacts and opportunities.

Climate commissioners Tim Flannery, Will Steffen and Lesley Hughes spoke to the media about their report.

  • Listen to the media conference:

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  • Download ‘The Critical Decade’ report (PDF)

This is the Climate Commission’s summary of its report, ‘The Critical Decade’.

New South Wales (NSW) is home to over a third of Australians, 31% of the national economy and is highly vulnerable to climate change. Scientists are concerned that climate change is increasing the risk of hot weather, heatwaves, and bushfires, and changing the patterns of drought and heavy rainfall. A changing climate is costly, putting pressure on human health, agriculture, infrastructure and the natural environment.

NSW is becoming hotter and drier. Record-breaking hot days have more than doubled across Australia since 1960 and heatwaves in the greater Sydney region, especially in the western suburbs, have increased in duration and intensity. [Read more...]

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Craig Thomson Says He Was Set Up

May 12, 2012

Craig Thomson has defended himself against allegations of misuse of union funds in an extraordinary interview with Laurie Oakes on Channel 9.

Thomson claims threats were made against him in 2004 that he would be set up with “hookers” to “ruin my potential political career”.

He argues that other members of the Health Services Union had knowledge of his credit card and driver’s licence numbers. He says “proof of a phone call is not proof of who is on the end of the phone…cutting right through it, Laurie, it was not me.”

  • Listen to Thomson’s interview with Oakes (18m)

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Michael Kroger Unloads On Peter Costello

May 11, 2012

Michael Kroger has unleashed an extraordinary attack on Peter Costello in radio interviews this morning.

Kroger appeared first on Jon Faine’s program on ABC 774 in Melbourne, and then spoke to Neil Mitchell on 3AW.

Michael Kroger

  • Listen to Kroger’s interview with ABC’s Jon Faine:

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  • Listen to Kroger’s interview with 3AW’s Neil Mitchell:

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Tony Abbott’s Budget Reply Speech

May 10, 2012

The Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, has delivered his Budget Reply speech in the House of Representatives.

Abbott reiterated his commitment to abolish the carbon tax as the key component of a plan to relieve cost of living pressures. His only new promise was “to work urgently with the states to ensure that at least 40 per cent of Year 12 students are once more taking a language other than English within a decade.”

In what amounted to a campaign address, Abbott said: “I want to reassure the people of Australia that it does not have to be like this; we are a great people let down by bad government that will pass. There is a better way.”

  • Listen to Abbott’s speech:

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Official transcript of Tony Abbott’s Budget Reply speech.

Tony AbbottThe job, Madam Deputy Speaker, of every member of this parliament is to help shape a better Australia.

It’s to listen carefully to the Australian people, respect the hard-won dollars they pay in tax, do our honest best to make people’s lives easier not harder, and honour the commitments we make to those who vote for us.

If that’s how we discharge our duties as members of parliament, politics is an honourable calling, the public can respect their MPs and MPs can respect each other even when we disagree.

My values are the product of an Australian life, a real life much like yours, with Margie, raising three daughters in suburban Sydney, paying a mortgage, worrying about bills, trying to be a good neighbour and a good citizen; appreciating that no one has a monopoly of virtue or wisdom, and grateful that our country has normally been free from the class struggle that’s raged elsewhere to other countries’ terrible cost.

In a healthy democracy, people need not agree with everything a government does but they should be able to understand its purpose and to appreciate why it could be for the long term good of the nation as whole. [Read more...]

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Peter Costello: The Colt From Kooyong?

May 09, 2012

Peter CostelloPeter Costello has canvassed a return to federal politics with his old friend Michael Kroger, according to ABC 7.30′s Heather Ewart.

In a report broadcast tonight, Ewart claims Costello and Kroger discussed a return via the electorate of Kooyong, currently held by the promising newcomer Josh Frydenberg. Ewart says they also discussed the possibility of persuading other Liberal members to stand aside in favour of Costello.

Ewart says the discussions are common knowledge amongst Victorian Liberals and have contributed to factional infighting. She says Costello has not spoken with Kroger since word spread and that some Liberals believe Costello was behind the successful move to relegate Kroger’s ex-wife Senator Helen Kroger to the difficult third position on the next Senate ticket.

Ewart claimed that Kroger was under pressure yesterday to relinquish her position as Liberal Whip in the Senate by the Liberal Senate leader Eric Abetz. She says Abetz claimed that Senator Mitch Fifield, a former Costello staffer and Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate, could not work with her.

Costello was the member for Higgins, adjacent to Kooyong, from 1990 until 2009. Ewart claims he did not consider asking his successor, Kelly O’Dwyer, to stand aside.

  • Listen to Heather Ewart’s report on 7.30

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  • ABC News online report
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Treasurer Wayne Swan’s 2012 Budget Speech

May 08, 2012

This is the official transcript of Treasurer Wayne Swan’s 2012-13 Budget Speech in the House of Representatives.

  • Listen to Swan’s speech:

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Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Bill now be read a second time.

Strong Economy and Fair Australia

Wayne SwanThe four years of surpluses I announce tonight are a powerful endorsement of the strength of our economy, resilience of our people, and success of our policies.

In an uncertain and fast‑changing world, we walk tall — as a nation confidently living within its means.

This Budget delivers a surplus this coming year, on time, as promised, and surpluses each year after that, strengthening over time.

It funds new cost of living relief for Australian families.

It helps businesses invest, compete and adapt to an economy in transition.

And it finances bold new policies to help Australians with a disability, the aged, and those who can’t afford dental care.

It does these things for a core Labor purpose:

To share the tremendous benefits of the mining boom with more Australians. [Read more...]

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Peter Slipper’s Statement To Parliament

May 08, 2012

House of Representatives Speaker Peter Slipper briefly presided over the chamber at 2pm today.

Slipper read a short statement that asserted his innocence of charges levelled at him, proclaimed his belief in the presumption of innocence, and decried trial by media.

Slipper then handed over to Deputy Speaker Anna Burke and left the House.

It was most likely Slipper’s last appearance as Speaker.

  • Listen to Slipper’s statement:

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Text of Slipper’s statement to the House.

Honourable members will know that some allegations have been made in relation to me by James Ashby, including a claim under civil law and a claim of criminal behaviour. [Read more...]

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Reserve Bank Cuts Interest Rates By 0.5%

May 01, 2012

The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut the cash rate by 50 basis points, or 0.5%, to 3.75%.

The decision, predicted last night by former RBA Governor Bernie Fraser, takes interest rates back to where they were in December 2009.

Treasurer Wayne Swan, Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Peter Anderson have all commented on the rates decision.

  • Listen to Treasurer Wayne Swan’s press conference (12m) – transcript below

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  • Listen to Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey’s media conference (5m)

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  • Listen to Peter Anderson’s media conference (6m)

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  • Table of interest rate changes since 1990

Text of statement by RBA Governor Glenn Stevens.

At its meeting today, the Board decided to lower the cash rate by 50 basis points to 3.75 per cent, effective 2 May 2012. This decision is based on information received over the past few months that suggests that economic conditions have been somewhat weaker than expected, while inflation has moderated.

Growth in the world economy slowed in the second half of 2011, and is likely to continue at a below-trend pace this year. A deep downturn is not occurring at this stage, however, and in fact some forecasters have recently revised upwards their global growth outlook. Growth in China has moderated, as was intended, and is likely to remain at a more measured and sustainable pace in the future. Conditions in other parts of Asia softened in 2011, partly due to natural disasters, but have recently shown some tentative signs of improving. Among the major countries, conditions in Europe remain very difficult, while the United States continues to grow at a moderate pace. Commodity prices have been little changed, at levels below recent peaks but which are nonetheless still quite high. Australia’s terms of trade similarly peaked about six months ago, though they too remain high. [Read more...]

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