Double talk from Nelson

Posted by Michael on May 21, 2008, 10:05am, 245 views, Leave a comment

Campaigning in Gippsland today, Opposition leader Brendan Nelson talked up giving voters a choice between the Coalition parties.
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Paid maternity leave

Posted by Michael on May 21, 2008, 8:41am, 270 views, Leave a comment

A strong push is under way for the Federal Government to increase paid maternity leave for new mothers.
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Rudd claims underdog status

Posted by Michael on May 21, 2008, 8:33am, 259 views, Leave a comment

Kevin Rudd has staked a claim for underdog status in the Gippsland by-election.
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Turnbull denies leaking

Posted by on May 19, 2008, 7:49pm, 233 views, Leave a comment

The Federal Coalition is showing signs of dysfunction as Shadow Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull today denied leaking an email criticising the proposed five cents a litre cut in fuel excise. Read more

The demonising of John Howard

Posted by on May 17, 2008, 9:57am, 302 views, Leave a comment

Kudelka cartoon I like this cartoon by Jon Kudelka, who gave me permission to use it here.

You could read it a couple of ways, which is an attribute of a good cartoon.

To me, it speaks of how John Howard was demonised: not by cartoonists, but by the media and sections of the community.

He was portrayed in some quarters as an untrustworthy, ugly, mean-spirited, rodent-tailed runt. Read more

The Age shows more bias

Posted by on May 16, 2008, 5:14pm, 281 views, Leave a comment

Age bias The Age’s online sub-editors have shown clear bias in their choice of language for describing an American court’s ruling on same-sex marriages. Read more

Lakes funding announced

Posted by on May 15, 2008, 5:17pm, 242 views, Leave a comment

The Australian reports the Federal Government has committed $5.3million towards improving water quality in the Gippsland Lakes ahead of next month’s by-election.

The measure is part of $2.2billion over five years contained in Labor’s Caring for Country initiative, which has replaced a range of Coalition programs.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett said Caring for Country would cut red tape and focus natural resource investment on national priorities.

“We want communities to put their energies into practical on-the-ground action, not filling out forms,” he said.

The Government says regional bodies will receive guaranteed funding of at least 60 per cent of the historical average to secure their operations under Caring for Country.

Comment: Sounds good to invest in projects, rather than bureaucracy. This should be well received in the electorate.

Regional development funding

Posted by on May 15, 2008, 5:09pm, 224 views, Leave a comment

A House of Representatives Standing Committee will conduct an inquiry into a new regional development funding program. Read more

Quokka story was a joke

Posted by Michael on May 15, 2008, 10:26am, 301 views, Leave a comment

WA Liberal leader Troy Buswell has taken the extraordinary step of issuing a media release to welcome a blogger’s apology for starting the quokka rumor. Read more