Can You Help?

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.


Become a Patron!


Teresa Gambaro Announces Retirement At Next Election

Mar 09, 2016

Teresa Gambaro, the LNP member for Brisbane and the first woman of Italian origin to sit in the House of Representatives, has announced that she will retire at the election due this year.

Gambaro

Gambaro has held Brisbane since 2010, when she defeated the former Labor member, Arch Bevis. The ALP had held Brisbane for 30 years at that point.

Before representing Brisbane, Gambaro was the Liberal member for Petrie, winning the seat in 1996 and holding it until she was one of the casualties of the Howard government’s defeat in 2007.

Gambaro became a Parliamentary Secretary in 2004 and was Assistant Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the final nine months of the Howard government in 2007.

She was Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Settlement from 2010 until the coalition’s victory in 2013. The former prime minister, Tony Abbott, did not include her in his ministry after the election. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Federal Election, Liberal National Party, Liberal Party Tagged With: , ,

Cormann Appears To Confirm Deficit Levy In Budget; Unease On Government Backbench

May 07, 2014

The Minister for Finance, Senator Mathias Cormann, has appeared to confirm that the federal government will introduce a deficit levy in next week’s Budget.

Cormann

Speaking at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting today, Cormann maintained the government’s line on what it says is a budget emergency. He said that people on high incomes had to play their part through what he termed “appropriately targeted measures”.

Cormann promoted a booklet titled “Labor’s Mess” that he said has been produced by Liberal backbencher Kelly O’Dwyer. In fact, the booklet is authorised by the Federal Director of the Liberal Party, Brian Loughnane. It appears on a Liberal Party website authorised by Loughnane. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Abbott, Audio, Budget Tagged With: , , , , ,

House of Representatives Debates Gay Marriage Resolution

Nov 15, 2010

An impressive debate began in the House of Representatives tonight on a motion by the Greens member, Adam Bandt, calling on parliamentarians to gauge their constituents’ views on the issue of marriage equality.

Bandt’s motion reads:

That this House:

(1) notes there is:

(a) a growing list of countries that allow same-sex couples to marry including the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, SPain, Canada and South Africa; and

(b) widespread support for equal marriage in the Australian community; and

(2) calls on all parliamentarians to gauge their constituents’ views on the issue of marriage equality.

Speaking to the motion, Bandt said, “there have been many attempts through history to limit love and all have failed”. The text of his speech is at the end of this page. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Backbenchers, Equality, Gillard, Greens, Issues, LGBTI, Liberal Party Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,