Julia Gillard

Code won’t keep MPs in line

24 May 2012 | Alex Malley

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Code won’t keep MPs in line

A code of conduct is not a Band-Aid that can cure unethical behaviour, nor does it allow leaders to abdicate their responsibilities for the behaviour of their party or organisation.

Afghan mission unaccomplished

24 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Afghan mission

Editorial | The war in Afghanistan, in the words of US President Barack Obama, is being wound down rather than won.

What happens when the West leaves?

24 May 2012 | John Kerin.

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Spectre of disaster in Afghanistan as the West heads for exit

There are many obstacles in the path of peace after the allies pack up and leave Afghanistan, but Australia’s Defence Force chief does not share the pessimism.

Gillard’s big July 1 gamble

24 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Gillard’s big July 1 gamble

Kitney | It’s Julia Gillard’s self-nominated date with destiny and it’s easy to see why she can’t wait for it to come.

Leaders shun Rio+20

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Leaders shun Rio+20

Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, for which Julia Gillard is skipping the traditional Prime Minister’s ­Olympic dinner, is shaping as an embarrassing flop as the Kyoto agreement on climate change nears expiry.

Smeltdown for aluminium

23 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Aluminium smeltdown

Almost 30 per cent of Australia’s aluminium capacity could be mothballed by the end of the year, hit by high power prices and cheap Chinese imports, and the prospect of the ­carbon tax.

Private meeting begins process

23 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Private talks begin process

Updated | The House of Representatives Privileges Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday and is expected to discuss a referral on embattled Labor MP Craig Thomson.

Reluctant Wilkie backs pokies reform package

23 May 2012 | Fleur Anderson

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Reluctant Wilkie backs pokies reform package

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie will support the government’s poker machine package after a pragmatic acknowledgement that the current policy was the best offer available.

News briefs

23 May 2012 |

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 3 |

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has used her final address to a summit in Chicago on Afghanistan to urge other countries to follow Australia’s example and provide more cash to sustain Afghan security forces.

IR prefers conflict to productivity

23 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Traditional IR prefers conflict to productivity

Editorial | When the ACTU conference ended last week with a cheerful looking former prime minister, Bob Hawke, leading delegates in singing Solidarity Forever, it was an echo of a long-gone age.

Call for new dawn for industrial relations

23 May 2012 | Geoff Winestock.

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Us and them stoushes benefit no one

Graeme Watson, a vice-president of Fair Work Australia, has called for a new age of peace and love in industrial relations, saying: “The conflict model is not the path for the future.”

Rebel with a very different cause

23 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Rebel with a very different cause

Kevin Rudd yesterday faced the media for the first time in Parliament House in Canberra since his failed leadership bid in February – but it was a face of a different kind that the media saw.

PM to deliver national security statement

22 May 2012 |

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will deliver her first national security statement to Australia before the end of the year.

Thomson misled parliament: Liberals

22 May 2012 | James Massola

Updated | The Coalition has accused Craig Thomson of misleading the parliament on Monday and asked sidelined Speaker Peter Slipper to rule on whether he will face the privileges committee.

PM urges nations to dig deep for Afghanistan

22 May 2012 | John Kerin

Updated | PM Julia Gillard has used her final address to a Chicago summit on Afghanistan to urge other countries to follow Australia’s example and stump up cash to sustain Afghan security forces.

Australia’s Afghan aid under cloud

22 May 2012 | Jason Thomas

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Australia’s

The announcement by Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, that Afghan security forces will take the lead in a third of all provinces coincides with Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s opinion that Australian troops can withdraw by 2013, a year earlier than expected. This means AusAid must deliver programs without the protection of Australian forces.

How much Klout do you have online?

22 May 2012 | Fiona Smith

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | All you need to score is a little bit of Klout

Klout measures your social media influence, and “what’s your Klout score?” could well become a regular question in job interviews for positions in sales, marketing or IT.

Abbott link with Lawler dismissed

22 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Abbott dismisses Lawler link

Opposition leader Tony Abbott has not spoken to a former appointee of his, Fair Work Australia’s vice president Michael Lawler, for years. Mr Lawler is the partner of Kathy Jackson.

Politics trumps principle

22 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Politics rides roughshod over principle

Kitney | Politics has trumped principle in the government’s handling of the Thomson affair, as it has in the opposition’s vicious campaign.

Nation needs early election

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Nation needs early election

Editorial | Craig Thomson’s long awaited speech to the federal Parliament is unlikely to have changed any minds about whether he was responsible for the alleged misuse of union funds when he was the top official of the HSU.

The face of Labor’s ills

22 May 2012 | Jennifer Hewett

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | The face of Labor’s ills

Hewett | Even as an exercise in delusion, Craig Thomson’s hour-long speech was painful to watch.

PM boosts Afghan aid to $250m a year

21 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | PM boosts Afghan aid to $250m

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has boosted aid to Afghanistan to $250 million per year as part of a new long-term partnership with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Julia’s next 500 days

21 May 2012 | Nicholas Chaplin

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | Julia’s next 500 days

The only reaction I see from many, many Australians to Prime Minister Julia Gillard announcing her plan for the 500 days to the next election is heads hanging downwards at the thought that the next election has to be that far away.

New charges made against AWU

21 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | New charges over AWU

Former 2UE radio announcer Michael Smith on Sunday made further allegations about corruption at the Australian Workers Union between 1992 and 1996.

Gillard to sign pact with Afghanistan

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Gillard’s Afghan pact

The future of Australia’s aid to Afghanistan will be mapped out in an agreement Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her Afghan counterpart will sign on the sidelines of a major NATO summit in the United States.

Mud to fly as Thomson speaks

21 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Mud to fly as Thomson speaks

The Gillard government is bracing itself for the fallout from the statement to parliament today by Craig Thomson, amid concern late yesterday that Mr Thomson could quit politics.

Revive Rudd or die on the vine

21 May 2012 | John Black

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Revive Rudd or die on the vine

Dissatisfaction with Labor is so great that restoring the former PM to the leadership is the only workable strategy in sight.

Rudd and Katter: a union of sorts

21 May 2012 | Michaela Whitbourn

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Rudd and Katter: a union of sorts

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd and maverick MP Bob Katter found interesting common ground during an interview at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Rudd removal sealed Labor’s fate

19 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Rudd’s removal sealed Labor’s fate

Kitney | The labour movement came together with a resounding declaration of unity and a rousing call to battle for a war already lost.

Crawlies lurk under federal rock

19 May 2012 | Brian Toohey

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Crawlies to be found under federal rock

Toohey | The existing system relies on the AFP to unearth corruption, but that’s not good enough. We need a federal integrity watchdog.

Round two buoys BMA

19 May 2012 | Matthew Stevens

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Round two buoys BMA

Stevens | BMA management has reason to be quietly content with the result in its second ballot of the unionised half of its Bowen Basin coal-mining workforce.

Thai PM to visit Australia

18 May 2012 |

The Prime Minister of Thailand will visit Australia over four days later this month. Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Friday said Her Excellency Ms Yingluck Shinawatra would visit between May 26 to 29.

There was no agreement with China: PM

18 May 2012 |

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has rejected reports the Labor leadership feud involving Kevin Rudd derailed a 2011 agreement for annual high-level meetings between Australia and China.

Land of the rising sum

18 May 2012 | Stephen Wyatt

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

There may well be a new pillar of support for Australian resources and the Australian economy – Japan, which is seeing growth at last.

Afghan govt with Taliban ‘desirable’: Carr

18 May 2012 |

Afghanistan's prospects of stability will be boosted if the Taliban are part of the government, Foreign Minister Bob Carr says.

Gillard contrasts Ichthys success with euro crisis

18 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Ichthys

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has used the official ground-breaking ceremony at Inpex’s $US34 billion Ichthys LNG project in Darwin to reiterate the boost resources are giving to the Australian economy.

Views differ on same-sex marriage reform

18 May 2012 | Alex Boxsell

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Separate views on marriage exposed

A review of same-sex marriage by legal groups has balanced the need to remove discrimination from the law with the possibility of obstacles in the constitution.

Ashby targets Carr, Joyce in human rights complaint

18 May 2012 | Hannah Low

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Ashby targets Carr, Joyce

The political staffer who claims Speaker Peter Slipper sexually harassed him has officially accused ­Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce of victimising and demeaning him.

Labor prefers death to party reform

18 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Labor prefers death to party reform

Senior Labor Party members have ruled out any chance of major internal reforms until after Labor loses office at the next election.

Union show of defiance targets BHP

18 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Union show of defiance to hit BHP

Coalminers are preparing to declare a mass, seven-day strike across BHP Billiton’s Queensland coalmines from next week in a show of defiance against the company’s call to reduce the power of unions.

Labor should heed Nasser’s wise words

18 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Labor should heed

Editorial | BHP Billiton chairman Jac Nasser is to be congratulated for hitting the federal government hard for creating a high-cost business environment with declining competitiveness.

Greens call for more oversight of MPs

17 May 2012 |

The Australian Greens will ask parliament to set up a body that investigates the expense claims of politicians and their staff.

Gillard commits $300bn to Afghanistan recovery

17 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Gillard commits $300m to Afghanistan recovery

Australia will contribute $US100 million annually for three years from 2015 as part of international efforts to help sustain and support Afghan National Security Forces beyond the transition process.

National briefs

17 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 5 |

Tax commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo has warned against schemes using New Zealand trusts to evade tax, by providing services for a fee marked well above cost.

Energy head’s policy warning

17 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Energy head’s policy warning

The federal government’s key adviser on the national energy market says the renewable energy target and carbon price uncertainty could delay investment in lower-emission generation.

Union fund too close to Labor

17 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Union fund too close to Labor

Editorial | The ACTU believes its campaign fund will address declining union membership, but the real danger is that it will be used to support the Labor Party in its quest for re-election.

Cabinet cops a blast down south

17 May 2012 | Lucille Keen

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Cabinet cops a blast down south

The carbon tax is nothing but a socialist redistribution of wealth, according to Matthew Kaneda-Hession, who challenged Prime Minister Julia Gillard and much of the federal cabinet last night.

DJs backs same-sex marriage

17 May 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | DJs comes out for same-sex marriage

The CEO of retailing giant David Jones, Paul Zahra, has urged federal MPs to back legal changes to recognise same-sex marriage saying the current ban sends a message that “it’s OK to treat gay people differently”.

PM rules out Aussie Rules election clash

16 May 2012 |

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has assured Aussie rules fans there won't be a federal election on AFL grand final day 2013.

Thomson faces further AEC probe

16 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

Updated | The Australian Electoral Commission needs to investigate four transactions from the ALP or HSU in relation to Dobell MP Craig Thomson, its analysis of the Fair Work Australia report says.

Gillard’s fighting talk

16 May 2012 |

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 60 | Gillard’s fighting talk

Julia Gillard speaking yesterday to the ACTU about a soldier’s tribute to her.

Gillard and Obama preview Afghan talks

16 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Gillard and Obama preview Afghan talks

Prime Minister Julia Gillard spoke to US President Barack Obama yesterday to discuss the transition to local forces in Afghanistan after Australia and other countries withdraw military forces in 2014.

Unions vow to reignite fighting fund

16 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Unions vow to reignite fighting fund

The ACTU wants to create a permanent, multimillion-dollar campaign fund to take on the federal Coalition and business groups in the lead-up to the federal election due next year.

Arts companies have to change their tune

16 May 2012 | Brook Turner

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 6 | Arts companies to change tune

The country’s major performing arts companies should be forced to compete for funding under sweeping changes to the federal government funding body, the Australia Council recommended.

Swan wants business back

16 May 2012 | Jennifer Hewett

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Swan wants business back

Hewett | Wayne Swan has made a belated attempt to reassure a sceptical business community that your Treasurer is still here to help, that he still cares about business.

Gillard appeals to unions over carbon tax fears

15 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

Updated | Prime Minister Julia Gillard has appealed to the union movement to ease public worries over the cost of living and the introduction of the carbon tax from July 1.

Essential projects need cash

15 May 2012 | Megan Motto

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Essential

In the race to surplus, the federal government has produced a budget with little new, substantive, or immediate investment in the infrastructure pipeline.

Moral dilemma for PM on Thomson

15 May 2012 | Brigitte Dwyer

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 53 | Dilemma for PM over Thomson

Mark Latham is right in his “Human frailty made manifest” (Opinion, May 14); there is enough evidence for the Prime Minister to make an ethical judgement about ousted Labor MP Craig Thomson’s suitability for parliament. Not only that, but the detailed and meticulous report was drafted by Fair Work Australia, an independent and respected body which Julia Gillard helped to create.

The perils of trying to clean up politics

15 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | There is a code of behaviour, but it’s secret

Former NSW Premier Nick Greiner learned the hard way how politician codes of conduct can go wrong.

MP code part of the answer

15 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | MP code part of the answer

Editorial | A code of conduct for members of the federal Parliament would be unlikely to resolve the problems facing the government. Nevertheless, a code of conduct is still worth considering.

NSW ALP boss call for change

15 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | NSW ALP boss calls for change

NSW Labor secretary Sam Dastyari ruled out using a US-primary style process to choose candidates but insisted the party needed to change to attract more diverse candidates for office.

Libs, unions step up pressure on Thomson

15 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Liberals, unions turn up heat on Thomson

The federal opposition is expected to push for an examination of the payment of legal fees for embattled MP Craig Thomson by the Labor Party, a tactic designed to make him ineligible to sit in Parliament.

IR, Nauru head Abbott’s reform plans

14 May 2012 | Mark Ludlow

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Carbon tops Abbott’s list

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says a Coalition government would undertake “careful economic reform” if it won the next election.

No media gag on Rudd: Gillard

14 May 2012 |

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has denied her office has banned her predecessor Kevin Rudd from talking to the press.

Gillard and Karzai to discuss Afghan withdrawal

14 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she will discuss Australia’s withdrawal from Afghanistan when she meets the nation’s President Hamid Karzai at the NATO-ISAF Summit in Chicago next weekend.

Total tips a glowing future for Australian energy

14 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

PRINT: 14 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Total tips glowing future for Australian energy

The head of the world’s fifth-largest oil company, Total chief Christophe de Margerie, wants to turn Australia into a global energy hub on a par with the Middle East, Canada and Russia.

Code for conduct unbecoming

14 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 14 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Code for conduct unbecoming

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has backed a proposal for a Code of Conduct for MPs that was put on ice six months ago as the government struggles to deflect attention away from embattled MP Craig Thomson.

Opposition derides Thomson’s explanation

14 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 14 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Opposition derides Thomson’s claim

The opposition has dismissed ousted Labor MP Craig Thomson’s claim that he was set up by union rivals who wanted to link him to hookers to ruin his political career.

PM wants conduct debate

13 May 2012 |

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has supported a call to have a debate on clearer guidelines for politicians when it comes to their conduct.

Class war neither fair nor correct

12 May 2012 | Deirdre Macken

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Oh goody. Let’s play the old grievance game

Macken | It’s not hard to work out that people on the north shore are learning what it means to be among the losers of the economic cycle.

There’s a lot of spending along with a suplus

12 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | There’s a lot of spending along with a surplus

One constituency’s circuit-breaker is another’s missed opportunity.

Labor makes Abbott’s job easy

12 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Just cruising: Abbott’s job made easy

Kitney | Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s task is so ridiculously easy that it clearly makes some on his own side jealous.

A government under siege

12 May 2012 | Jennifer Hewett

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Under siege

Labor is trying to refashion itself as the party for working families in a last-ditch bid to repair the damage done by its cosy embrace with the union movement.

Voters have already decided

12 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Voters already decided

There has been a budget bounce, but not the way the Gillard government wanted. Tony Abbott’s personal popularity and his standing as preferred prime minister have jumped to their highest levels since Spring last year.

Class-savvy spinmeister

12 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Class-savvy spinmeister

Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s Scottish director of communications may have had a role in the government’s class warfare strategy this week but he is no ideological crusader.

Accentuate the positive? Not likely

12 May 2012 | Rowan Dean

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Whistle – and always look on the bright side

Dean | “Class warfare? We don’t have classes in Australia,” Julia told the Scottish PR man. “Well we better make some up, then,” came the reply.

MPs may seek censure motion

12 May 2012 | Gemma Daley and Marcus Priest

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Talk of censure motion

There is growing momentum for the Australian parliament to pass a motion on Craig Thomson, who is the middle of a scandal about his use of a Health Services Union credit card and using its finances to fund his election campaign.

HSU rorts go back to the 60s

12 May 2012 | Pamela WilliamsEditor-at-large

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | HSU rorts go back to the 60s

Many poorly-paid HSU union members paid their dues and are paying again, dearly – and even double.

A day in the high life of Craig Thomson

12 May 2012 | Lisa Murray

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | A day in the high life

Valet parking, high-priced flights, posh hotels and restaurants – all on credit cards supplied by a union that represents some of the lowest paid workers.

Tactic shows Labor is out of touch

12 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Class envy tactic shows Labor out of touch

Editorial | The ALP may well have been formed at a time when there was genuine conflict between uneducated working class labour and capital, but as a society and an economy Australia has well and truly moved on.

Surplus to buffer global waves

12 May 2012 | Mark Ludlow

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Surplus to buffer global waves

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan admitted the uncertainty about the European debt crisis would continue to cast a shadow over the Australian economy over the next few years.

Abbott ‘out of touch’: PM

11 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is “incredibly out of touch”, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said, citing his refusal to support the bonus for school children in low-income families announced in the budget.

Great expectations vanish

11 May 2012 | John Roskam

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Great expectations vanish

Business should not be surprised by broken Labor promises.

Labor fails on trust

11 May 2012 | Coke Tomyn

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 55 | Labor fails on trust

Why is the corporate sector upset at being “diddled” by Treasurer Wayne Swan who promised a 1 per cent reduction in the company tax rate but has since reneged?

Teach your kids super short-cuts

11 May 2012 |

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 55 | Super short cuts

Like many parents, I have grown hoarse nagging my children to consolidate the various superannuation funds they have accumulated.

Obama makes right decision

11 May 2012 | Ian De Landelles, Mary Porter

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 55 | Obama’s gay decision

Like many, we endorse the decision of President Barack Obama to publicly support the rights of gay and lesbian couples to have their unions recognised by the act of marriage.

National briefs

11 May 2012 |

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 18 |

Maritime Union of Australia members at Patricks stevedores have endorsed a new agreement, which appears to end an 18 month workplace struggle.

North Shore ‘battlers’ up in arms

11 May 2012 | Claire Stewart

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | North Shore ‘battlers’ up in arms

Julia Gillard has managed to rile a broad cross section of locals on the ‘Insular Peninsular’.

Double trouble submerges Swan’s ‘triple triple’

11 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Double trouble submerges Swan’s ‘triple triple’

Around the Cabinet table it’s referred to as “our triple triple” and Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan wears it even more proudly than his “world’s best finance minister” citation.

Labor goes back to the future

11 May 2012 | John Black

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Labor goes back to the future

In the late 1960s, the ALP fought out one of those eye-glazing factional debates about whether the party should support equality of outcomes versus equality of opportunity.

High time ALP cut the union strings

11 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | High time the ALP cut the union strings

Editorial | The long and sordid Craig Thomson saga underlines what should be an obvious point: Labor would be better off without the unions, and the unions would be better off without Labor.

Thomson: MPs facing a real dilemma

11 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Pressure, but MPs facing a real dilemma

The pressure of the unrelenting assault on the government over the Thomson affair is now starting to show on the crossbench MPs.

Labor branch paid Thomson’s legal fees

11 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 8 | ALP paid MP’s bills worth $200,000

Health Services Union members donated $300,000 to the NSW branch of Australian Labor Party last financial year, the same branch that has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees for suspended Labor MP Craig Thomson.

Oakeshott questions PM deal

11 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Oakeshott questions PM deal

Updated | Independent MP Rob Oakeshott says the Craig Thomson affair has undermined his agreement with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, becoming the second cross bencher to question the pact he has with Labor.

Abbott slams class warfare

11 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Abbott slams

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has accused the federal government of playing the “class war card” with the budget and says the Prime Minister has reinforced her “trust problem” by dumping company tax cuts.

Abbott slams budget as ‘class war’

10 May 2012 |

Updated | The federal Labor government's budget plays a class war card by cancelling previous commitments to company tax cuts, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has told parliament in his reply speech. ■ Pledges to cut business red tape by at least $1 billion a year ■ Confirms commitment to paid parental leave scheme ■ Reiterates intention to repeal the carbon and mining taxes

Gillard unmoved on gay marriage

10 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will vote against gay marriage when it gets to parliament, saying she has not had a change of heart like US President Barack Obama.

Thomson charges a ‘game changer’: Oakeshott

10 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

Criminal charges against ousted Labor MP Craig Thomson would be a “game changer”, says cross bencher Rob Oakeshott, who has left the door open to supporting parliamentary moves against the MP.

Right budget but wrong sales team

10 May 2012 | Kris Kempson

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 71 | Right budget but wrong sales team

While the revenue assumptions of this budget arguably have more holes than a standard cheese grater (leading to this budget really being a lower than average deficit in the clothing of a surplus), however Treasurer Wayne Swan is clearly doing his best with limited resources to stimulate the economy.

Climate change far too hot to handle

10 May 2012 | Mark Latham

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Far too hot to handle

Latham | Climate change dare not speak its name in Labor circles, even in the Treasurer’s biggest speech of the year.

World’s poorest will die for our surplus: charities

10 May 2012 | John Kerin

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 25 | World’s poorest will die for our surplus: charities

Charities have warned the Gillard government decision to pare back foreign aid spending will cost lives, harm Australia’s reputation and cruel the country’s chances of securing a UN Security Council seat.

Don’t put the cart before the horse on Asia

10 May 2012 | Greg Earl

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 22 | Don’t put cart before horse on Asia policy

First there was the Big Idea. Now we are in danger of the save string in the world processing software for every government speech.

Changes to hurt single parents

10 May 2012 | Fleur Anderson

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Changes to hurt single parents

Unemployed single parents will be able to collect $31,900 a year in government benefits following budget measures but will lose up to $3120 a year once their youngest child reaches the age of eight.

Lack of focus on productivity

10 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Lack of focus on productivity

Business groups have questioned whether Treasurer Wayne Swan’s budget addresses the urgent issues facing companies including skills shortages, rising costs and a loss of international competitiveness.

Gillard attacked over North Shore gibe

10 May 2012 | Claire Stewart

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 16 | Gillard attacked over North Shore gibe

Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey has criticised Prime Minister Julia Gillard for “declaring war” on Australians after her comments implying Sydney’s North Shore voters were too rich to understand what the government’s Schoolkids’ bonus and family payments would mean for 1.5 million lower-income families.

Deal nearer on HSU branch control

10 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | NSW cuts deal on HSU intervention

The strife-torn East branch of the Health Services Union is edging closer to having an administrator appointed, amid new internal ructions over the sacking of a senior union employee.

How the government evaded defeat over Thomson

10 May 2012 |

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 7 | How the government evaded defeat

An eventful day in Parliament began with Prime Minister Julia Gillard saying there were proper processes for dealing with the allegations against Craig Thomson. Here’s how the rest of the parliamentary session played out with the input of key figures.

Labor scramble to hold the line on Thomson

10 May 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 7 | Scramble to hold the line

Labor faced a race against time to avert a vote to force embattled MP Craig Thomson to address the House on the allegations against him.

A surplus of scepticism and GST gripes reigns

10 May 2012 | Natalie Gerritsen

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | A surplus of scepticism and gripes

It seems these days that no West Australian business event is complete without someone dropping the S word: secession.

No ‘loaves and fishes’ for business

10 May 2012 | Lucille Keen

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | No loaves and fishes for business

Victorian businesses are sceptical and wonder what is in it for them following the federal budget. Concern centres on the lack of support for declining sectors, the promised surplus and the carbon tax.

Rushed deal shields Thomson

09 May 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 7 | Rushed deal shields Thomson

Embattled MP Craig Thomson averted a humiliating defeat for the government in Parliament by promising to make a comprehensive statement on explosive allegations against him as key crossbenchers prepared to side with the Coalition.

Team that teased out the numbers

09 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 26 | Team that teased the numbers

The clichés about the framing of federal budgets inevitably involve the cabinet locked in the bunker and bureaucrats working late into the freezing Canberra nights. But the final shape of the 2012-13 budget was settled in very different surroundings.

Facing up to a surplus of distractions

09 May 2012 | Michaela Whitbourn

It wasn’t the way a Treasurer would really want to start his day in the spotlight.

Airport charge taps China but tourism testy

09 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

Treasurer Wayne Swan faces a backlash over a rise in the passenger movement fee for travellers passing through airports which will be used to fund Asian century initiatives.

Skills funding directed where it’s needed

09 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 12 | Funding directed to most needy

Skills funding, the centrepiece of last year’s budget, will be wound back for some businesses as the government clamps down on subsidies paid to employers for low-level training programs.

Labor hangs on as crisis deepens

09 May 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Labor hangs on as crisis deepens

The Gillard government clung to its parliamentary majority by the slimmest of margins in an assault by the Coalition over its support for sidelined Speaker Peter Slipper and embattled MP Craig Thomson.

Most families face wait for sweeteners

08 May 2012 | Fleur Anderson

The biggest beneficiaries of the discarded company tax cut will be families earning less than $45,000 a year, who will get up to $26 a week more in government payments from next year.

Tricks, cuts and handouts

08 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

Business will lose tax cuts but households will enjoy a cash bonanza as Wayne Swan’s fifth budget redirects the benefits of the mining boom to underwrite growth and gives Labor its best chance at re-election in 2013.

Vic needs a fair share of budget: Baillieu

08 May 2012 | Lucille Keen

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu says the state wants a “fair share” of the federal budget and he wants the commonwealth to maintain their commitment to the current infrastructure funding ratio.

PM cannot escape from the Thomson stench

08 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Gillard cannot escape stench

The messy business of minority government has an awful smell which will linger for as long as the Labor Party depends on Craig Thomson’s support to hang on to power.

HSU case taints Labor

08 May 2012 | Jennifer Hewett

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | HSU case taints Labor

Hewett | How did we get to a point where unions seem to have fewer restrictions on their use of members’ money than those facing a local garden club?

Company tax cuts at risk

08 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | $1.5bn surplus stings business

Treasurer Wayne Swan has told cabinet colleagues the $1.5 billion surplus he will announce in the budget will be a “surplus for confidence and interest rate relief”, yet it appeared Labor may not proceed with company tax cuts.

Families the big winners in budget

08 May 2012 | Jason Murphy

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 10 | Families the dollar winners

The average family with two school-aged children will get payments in the budget that, with promised tax cuts, will put them about $1200 ahead, even accounting 9for the carbon tax.

Union sleaze threatens Labor

07 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Union sleaze threatens Labor

The fate of the minority Gillard ­government is in the balance after an investigation of the Health Services Union found 156 legal and rule breaches by federal MP and former union official Craig Thomson.

Slipper likely to escape no-confidence motion

07 May 2012 | John Kerin

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 8 | Slipper set to walk to avoid censure

The Coalition looks unlikely to support a no-confidence motion against Peter Slipper provided he steps down from the Speaker’s post.

Liberal serving of side issues in Slipper case

07 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | A Liberal serving of side issues as Slipper case unfolds

It’s a burning political issue. How much did the Liberal Party know about sexual harassment legal action against the Speaker of the federal Parliament, Peter Slipper, before it was filed and what was its level of involvement?

Gillard’s misstep

07 May 2012 | Marilyn Shepherd

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | Gillard’s misstep

Julia Gillard was wrong to distance herself and the government from the now former Labor MP Craig Thomson and stood-down speaker Peter Slipper because neither have been charged with anything.

Time to rethink carbon policy

07 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Time to rethink carbon policy

Editorial | A key question concerning the federal budget is whether the government will do anything to alleviate its problematic and unpopular carbon tax policy.

Labor’s legacy may be dashed by drive for surplus

07 May 2012 | Simon Marginson

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Labor’s legacy may be dashed by drive for surplus

When it comes to higher education, no one expects good news in the budget. The question is just how bad the news will be.

United on threat of high costs

07 May 2012 | Perry Williams

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | United on threat of high costs to investments

Williams | Tom Albanese and Frank Chapman are chalk and cheese in the resources industry, but they are united on one thing.

Hands off Ashby: Hockey

07 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 8 | Lay off Ashby: Libs

Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey has called on the Labor Party to stop treating a former adviser to Speaker Peter Slipper as a “political football” over his allegations of sexual harassment, amid new questions about the Coalition’s involvement in the case.

On a surplus to nothing

07 May 2012 | Jennifer Hewett

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | On a surplus to nothing

Hewett | Think of tomorrow’s budget as Julia and Wayne’s last stand. They know their best chance of survival is to break a vicious downdraft.

More rate cuts are up in the air

07 May 2012 | Jacob Greber

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | RBA cuts up in the air

The Reserve Bank can’t be relied on to cut interest rates further because there are doubts that Treasurer Wayne Swan can convince independent MPs to back the biggest budget cuts in history, economists say.

Extra $1.2bn in welfare payments

07 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Extra $1.2bn in welfare pay

The federal government will deliver $1.2 billion in additional welfare payments before the end of this financial year to low to middle-income families in a bid to neutralise community concern about the carbon tax.

Weatherill aligns with miners on diesel rebate

07 May 2012 | Ayesha de Kretser

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Weatherill aligns with miners

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has joined the throng of miners petitioning federal Treasurer Wayne Swan not to scrap the 32¢ a litre diesel fuel rebate ahead of Tuesday’s budget.

Julia problem lurks in the wings

05 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Julia problem lurks in the wings

Kitney | A truce to allow Wayne Swan clear air to sell the budget will put the Julia problem to one side – but only until the post-budget opinion polls.

Budget must tackle reform challenge

05 May 2012 |

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Budget must tackle reform challenge

Editorial | Wayne Swan’s budget is a test of whether the nation and our political institutions have the maturity to make rational long-term decisions so that our good fortune doesn’t end up impoverishing us.

A union explodes, ship in peril

05 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | A union explodes, ship in peril

Imagine that the key leaders of the Australian union movement and ALP are locked inside a submerged submarine, holding their breath.

Labor leadership talk helps cloud subdued outlook

05 May 2012 | Jenny Wiggins

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Subdued outlook hangs over Labor turmoil

The future of Julia Gillard was top of chief executives’ minds as well as the darkening financial outlook at Macquarie’s annual conference in Sydney this week.

Coalmining costs mean it’s no cash cow

05 May 2012 | Perry Williams and Matthew Cranston

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Costs of coalmining mean it’s no cash cow

Rio Tinto boss Tom Albanese thinks it’s time to lift the lid on some misconceptions. Rio is increasingly finding that on Australia’s east coast, coal projects are failing to stack up with rival developments around the globe.

Call to better protect energy assets

05 May 2012 | John Kerin

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Call to better protect energy assets

A foreign power could see Australia’s largely remote $380 billion oil and gas assets as an “easy target’’ unless the Gillard government moves to boost its military presence in the country’s north, a high-level defence review has warned.

PM to host major economic forum

04 May 2012 |

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will host an economic forum in June to discuss the challenges faced by the local economy amid a high Australian dollar.

Food dream will need a lot of work, say producers

04 May 2012 | Mathew Dunckley

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Food dream will need big work

Australia must dramatically improve and cultivate its domestic food production industry if it is to harness the opportunities on offer from population and wealth growth in Asia, producers say.

Labor outdoes Howard on welfare cuts

04 May 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Labor outdoes Howard on welfare cuts

The federal government has been accused of planning budget cuts to single-parent payments that will be harsher than changes Labor strongly opposed when the Coalition was in power.

RBA warns on rising costs

04 May 2012 | Jacob Greber and Gemma Daley

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | RBA warns on rising costs

The Reserve Bank has provided support to Labor’s budget tightening next week but warned that stubborn growth in labour costs and poor productivity threaten to weaken the economy despite its oversized cut in official interest rates this week.

The Gillard factor makes Labor a pariah

04 May 2012 | John Black

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | The Gillard factor makes Labor a pariah

Labor would regain more than a million votes if the PM were dumped in favour of Kevin Rudd.

Here’s the news: everyone’s a critic

04 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Here is the news: everyone’s a critic

Politicians in Britain this week got to do what MPs in Australia have only dreamed of for years: turn the tables on the media.

Budget cuts under fire

04 May 2012 | Derek Woolner

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 50 | Budget cuts under fire

Yesterday’s announcement that some $4 billion will be cut from the forthcoming 2012-13 Defence budget, with further reductions over the following three years, might be seen as a contribution the Gillard government’s commitment to a surplus next financial year. In fact, it confirms that Australia has entered a new era for national security policy.

PM: mining tax not in talks

04 May 2012 | Gemma Daley

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | PM: mining tax not in talks

Rio Tinto chief executive Tom Albanese discussed rising costs, rather than concerns about the Minerals Resource Rent Tax, when he met the Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Swan urged to make the rich pay

04 May 2012 | Fleur Anderson

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Swan urged to hit the rich

Treasurer Wayne Swan is under pressure from unions, community groups and the Greens to target Australia’s wealthiest people to recoup lost revenue instead of cutting payments to job seekers and low-income earners.