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This website is in imminent danger of being shut down. It has been online since 1995, but the personal circumstances of the owner, Malcolm Farnsworth, are such that economies have to be made. Server costs and suchlike have become prohibitive. At the urging of people online, I have agreed to see if Patreon provides a solution. More information is available at the Patreon website. If you are able to contribute even $1.00/month to keep the site running, please click the Patreon button below.


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Day 3: Oh My God, They Killed WorkChoices!

“It’s worth it just for the cartoon of her nose,” the man in my local newsagency told me as I purchased the Financial Review yesterday. Like all the newspapers, the Fin had a special election supplement. Its frontpage cartoon by the incomparable David Rowe also contained a jug-eared Tony Abbott but the retailer seemed more agitated by Julia Gillard.

It was a small, perhaps meaningless, moment but it affirmed for me that Gillard is especially crucial to this election. Everyone is talking about her. [Read more…]


“Partially Treated Sewage Sandwich” From Julie Bishop

Julie Bishop, Deputy Leader of the Liberal PartyThe Federal Opposition’s Julie Bishop has given an extraordinary press conference in which she attempted to justify the coalition’s decision not to to oppose the government’s legislation abolishing WorkChoices.

  • Listen to Julie Bishop’s press conference (25m)

As the Sydney Morning Herald’s Annabel Crabb put it on February 20: [Read more…]


Rudd And Gillard Announce Industrial Relations Policy

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd and Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Julia Gillard have held a press conference.

Rudd said that the Howard government’s WorkChoices had gone too far and would be replaced with an industrial relations system that embraced four elements.

The first element would be fairness, including the abolition of Australian Workplace Agreements. The second elements would be flexibility, whilst the third would be to provided sensible transition arrangements to the new system. The fourth element would be proper protections for business against unlawful industrial action. [Read more…]


Howard And Andrews Announce New Director Of Office Of Workplace Services

This is the audio of a joint press conference called by Prime Minister John Howard and Industrial Relations Minister Kevin Andrews.

They announced the appointment of Nicholas Wilson as Executive Director of the Officer of Workplace Services. [Read more…]