Federal Politics

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.

Why Australia has to go to war

24 May 2012 | George Friedman

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Why Australia has to go to war

It all comes down to trade and access to sea lanes.

Folly of climate alarmism

24 May 2012 | Mark Latham

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Folly of climate alarmism

Opinion | Fear tactics might work in elections but in the climate debate, apocalyptic scenarios play into the hands of right-wing sceptics.

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.

Costello has answer

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 68 | Costello has answer

Former federal treasurer Peter Costello told a breakfast meeting of Melbourne financial advisers yesterday he was in shock and awe of the federal Labor government.

Pollies get out more

24 May 2012 | John Stensholt

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 68 | Pollies get out more

Arts Minister Simon Crean visited the childcare centre in Parliament House yesterday to join the thousands of schools and libraries registered to read The Very Cranky Bear by author Nick Bland as part of the Simultaneous Storytime initiative.

Joyce’s bridge too far

24 May 2012 | John Stensholt

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 68 | Joyce’s bridge too far

Nationals firebrand Barnaby Joyce could not believe his ears. Questioning federal Transport Department officials during a budget estimates committee hearing on Tuesday evening, he discovered they spent $10 million a year leasing office space in Canberra to house 830 bureaucrats.

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.

See green future or be left behind

24 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | See a green future or be left in the past

Roberts | Australia’s carbon Canutes are in a minority among global businesses that have already come to terms with schemes such as in Europe.

MPs to probe TV tender confusion

24 May 2012 | Ben Holgate

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | MPs to probe TV tender confusion

Independent federal MP Rob Oakeshott will head a committee inquiry into the government’s controversial tender into the country’s $223 million international television service.

Pay apprentices more, say unions

24 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Pay apprentices more: unions

The federal government will be forced to reveal its hand on forcing business to pay apprentices higher wages when a report from Fair Work Australia is released.

Howes rejects Hawke-Keating era

24 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Union leader rejects Hawke-Keating era

Editorial | In the speech Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes gave to the National Press Club, he called for a return to the bad old days of industry protection.

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.

Much ado about nothing

24 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | House activities much ado about nothing

Tingle | The opposition’s main aim now is not to see Craig Thomson out of the Parliament but to use the affair to keep up the sense of chaos.

NBN struggles to connect

24 May 2012 | John McDuling

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | NBN struggles to connect

The man in charge of building the national broadband network is poised to admit the $36 billion project is facing serious challenges as he looks to head off fresh political criticism about delays on its construction.

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.

Call to end China trade deal talks

24 May 2012 | Greg Earl

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Call to ditch China trade deal talks

One of Australia’s former top trade negotiators has called for an end to the long-running free-trade agreement talks with China amid new tensions between Canberra and Beijing.

What ails nation’s consumers

24 May 2012 | Tony Boyd

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 72 | What ails nation’s consumers

Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes yesterday summed up the weight of woes keeping wallets and purses shut in Australia.

China slowdown threatens Aus: World Bank

23 May 2012 |

Australia's dependence on resource exports could come back to bite it as a slowdown in Chinese growth causes commodity prices to fall, the World Bank warns.

Fundamentals and price point to ‘cast iron future’

23 May 2012 | Brendon Lau

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Fundamentals, price point to ‘cast iron future’

Iron ore stocks have taken the brunt of the latest sell-off as the commodity’s price tumbled following the European debt crisis and Chinese slowdown. But experts believe there is too much pessimism priced into shares.

Boom blinding us to worrying trends, warns Costello

23 May 2012 | Duncan Hughes

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Boom blinds us to ‘worrying trends’

Consumer sentiment is weak and productivity falling despite boom economic conditions and the strongest terms of trade since the Victorian gold rush, Peter Costello has warned.

Time for some Latin flair, says Carr

23 May 2012 | Katie Walsh

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Time for Latin flair

Australia must build stronger ties with the burgeoning resource-heavy economies of Latin America, but not at the expense of relationships in the Asia-Pacific, Foreign Minister Bob Carr says.

Future Fund tobacco stocks rise to $225m

23 May 2012 | Jacob Greber

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Tobacco lift for Fund

The Future Fund’s tobacco stocks have surged in value by more than 53 per cent since the start of last year, prompting Greens senator Richard Di Natale to fume that the government is “profiteering” from lung cancer sufferers.

Dell chief defends transfer pricing

23 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

One of the country’s most senior technology executives has broken the industry’s silence as pressure mounts over the level of tax paid locally by global companies.

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.

Carbon price divides Labor and Greens

23 May 2012 | The GreensMarcus Priest

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 9 | Carbon price delay reveals brown tinge, says Labor MP

A new split has emerged between Labor and its coalition partner, the Greens, ahead of the introduction today of a key element of the carbon price package agreed to last year.

Shorten throws down IR gauntlet

23 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn,

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Shorten throws down IR gauntlet

Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has challenged Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to a debate on industrial relations, accusing the Coalition of hiding its policy intentions, while Mr Abbott said yesterday he was merely sticking to his plans to rein in union militancy and tackle lagging productivity.

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.

Inside advice to foster start-ups

23 May 2012 | Gary Fitton

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 55 | Inside advice to foster start-ups

I agree with the comments of Michael Malone, chief executive of listed broadband provider iiNet, that a “cash-strapped, early stage tech company” is best served by preserving its cash resources and giving its staff options and/or shares in the company (“Tax reforms can foster start-ups”, Enterprise, May 22).

Local companies get inside run on green jobs

23 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Local companies get inside run on green jobs

Australian companies will be given a greater opportunity to participate in projects that win funding from the federal government’s $10 billion clean energy fund.

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.

Lib doctor worried about Thomson's health

23 May 2012 |

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 7 | Concern for Thomson

A Liberal backbencher who is a qualified doctor is concerned for MP Craig Thomson’s mental health.

Petty politics clouds Sydney’s horizon

23 May 2012 | Ben Hurley

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Petty politics continues to cloud Sydney’s horizon

Congested roads, strained public transport networks and where to put Sydney’s growing population are some of the questions Infrastructure NSW chairman Nick Greiner will grapple when he releases his 20-year infrastructure strategy in September.

Why NBN Co may already be too big to stop

23 May 2012 | David Braue

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Why the NBN Co may already have grown too big to stop

Political broadsides, not logistical challenges, are shaping up as the major challenges confronting the company tasked with rolling out the national broadband network..

PPPs need to be more transparent

23 May 2012 | Jason Murphy

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | PPPs need to be more transparent

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia chairman Mark Birrell has criticised the secrecy surrounding projects in public-private partnerships (PPPs).

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.”

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.

Jobless need help and motivation

23 May 2012 | Alan Mitchell

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Jobless need help, motivation

With the welfare lobby still complaining that Newstart Allowance recipients are on the poverty line, the issue is far from closed.

Action on code now seems certain

23 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Code seems more necessary than ever

Kitney | For an all too brief moment, some clear light shone in Federal Parliament on the murky mess that is the Thomson affair.

Protectionism not the answer

23 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Protectionism not the answer

Roberts | Paul Howes’ call for Australia to get into the business of picking winners takes us back to the 1980s and the long-gone era of protectionism.

Labor’s image is bad for business

23 May 2012 | Nassim Khadem

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Labor’s image takes a heavy

Business leaders say consumer and business confidence is being hurt under the current political climate.

HSU scandal emboldens Abbott on IR

23 May 2012 | James Massola

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | HSU scandal emboldens Abbott on IR

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has told his MPs that a Coalition government’s industrial relations policy would “reflect a return of the pendulum back to the middle’’, suggesting the opposition has been emboldened on workplace reform by the Health Services Union scandal.

Industrial tribunal run mostly by ex-unionists

23 May 2012 | Rachel Nickless

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Industrial tribunal run mostly by ex-unionists

Just over half of Fair Work Australia’s members come from a union background, despite critics calling for greater representation by employers and small business on the national employment tribunal.

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.

FWA will have to explain itself

23 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | FWA will have to explain itself

Fair Work Australia president Justice Iain Ross, general manager Bernadette O’Neil and other senior members will face five hours of grilling by the Opposition on Monday on their report which found 156 legal and rule breaches by embattled MP Craig Thomson.

House votes on Thomson

23 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Thomson to face new test

Parliament has voted to refer embattled MP Craig Thomson to its powerful Privileges Committee to consider whether he misled Parliament in his hour-long defence on Monday.

Thomson’s tears help, in theory

23 May 2012 | Alan Stokes

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Shed tears for fears: big boys do cry

Stokes | If Craig Thomson’s crying helped him find his humanity in the glare of publicity, it may also have helped him appear genuine, thus attracting empathisers.

Uptick in 2013 – but not for property

22 May 2012 | Jacob Greber

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | An uptick in 2013 but not for property

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has upgraded its forecast for economic growth in Australia next year but warns the negative effects of the mining boom may hurt the property market.

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.

Abbott promises IR reforms

22 May 2012 | James Massola

Updated | Tony Abbott has promised his MPs a future Coalition government would deliver industrial relations reform that addressed the twin problems of union militancy and falling productivity.

Tax Google like Twiggy, says Conroy

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Tax Google like Twiggy, says Conroy

Stephen Conroy says tech giants such as Google will be hit by tax laws designed to stop them transferring profits out of Australia, a step he compared with the government’s policy on wealthy mining entrepreneurs.

NBN ‘cutting through’ despite Thomson affair

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has admitted the Craig Thomson affair is overshadowing the government’s political message but says the $36 billion national broadband network is still finding traction.

Labor tit-for-tat puts Mirabella in its sights

22 May 2012 | James Massola

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Labor tit-for-tat puts Mirabella in its sights

Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella made a personal statement to federal Parliament about the way she declared her interests in a former lover’s estate after Labor revealed she was the second Coalition MP in their sights..

Miners should engage with Latin America: Ferguson

22 May 2012 |

Resources Minister Martin Ferguson is hoping more Australian mining companies set up operations in Latin America.

Wilkie backs pokies package

22 May 2012 | Fleur Anderson

Updated | Independent MP Andrew Wilkie will support the government’s poker machine package after acknowledging that the current policy was the best offer available.

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.

Co-operation, not conflict

22 May 2012 | Graeme Watson

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Co-operation, not conflict

The industrial relations system is overly focused on disputes at the expense of fostering fair and productive workplaces.

Sovereign wealth fund not a priority

22 May 2012 | Graham Bradley

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Sovereign wealth fund not a priority

It does not make sense to lock away funds when the nation is underinvested in infrastructure.

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.

Qantas crunch time

22 May 2012 | John Stensholt

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 64 | Qantas crunch time

It is well known that Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce is a fan of good timing. Well an avid collector of old airline timetables, anyway.

Defend or extend school tests

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 61 | Defend or extend tests

There were many good points in “Testing the NAPLAN divide” (May 19-20), but if we didn’t have NAPLAN tests how would ministers, parents, students know the literacy and numeracy levels of students?

World’s best treasurer passes buck

22 May 2012 | Zac Kerr

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 61 | World’s best treasurer passes buck

Katie Walsh’s “Push for corporate tax cut intensifies” (May 16) neatly highlights the unprecedented level of buck passing being undertaken by the federal government. Despite the world’s best Treasurer being ultimately in charge of our economy and particularly our system of taxation, his focus and energies appear to have been so severely depleted in delivering his recent “battling budget” that he has now offloaded responsibility for delivering his own promised business tax cuts.

Smart leadership moves will turn defeat in to rout

22 May 2012 | Bob Muirhead

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 61 | Smart leadership moves will turn defeat in to rout

If former senator John Black is actuallly serious “Revive Rudd or die on the vine” (Opinion, May 21) he demonstrates the backroom plotting and arrogant contempt for the electorate that has got Labor into its present mess. Labor seems destined for defeat at the election. Smart manoeuvres to change leaders for respectable defeat will simply turn that defeat into rout.

What Greece needs

22 May 2012 | J J Pincus

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 61 | What Greece needs

Alan Mitchell’s Economic Outlook (“German generosity required”, May 21) unfavourably compares Germany’s insistence on Greek austerity, with America’s unconditional Marshall Aid after World War II: “Where American politicians were prepared to use their taxpayers’ money to rebuild Germany, regardless of fault, Germany was not prepared to be so forgiving of the Greeks for their errors.”

eHealth to save $11bn for budget

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | eHealth to save $11 billion

The Federal Government has claimed its troubled electronic health programs will save more than $11 billion over the next 15 years as its guns for a budget surplus.

How to deepen ties with Indonesia

22 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | How to deepen ties with Indonesia

Editorial | Relations between Australia and Indonesia will always be challenging given that no two neighbours are more dissimilar in so many ways.

Thomson clone claims possible

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Thomson clone claims possible

A top security expert has labelled phone cloning claims by embattled MP Craig Thomson as “far-fetched but possible.”

Abbott’s high praise for Michael Lawler

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 9 | High praise

Tony Abbott heaped praise on Michael Lawler when he appointed him as vice-president of the then-Australian Industrial Relations Commission in 2002. These are his comments:

Jackson demands right of reply

22 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Jackson seeks right of reply

The woman blamed by Craig Thomson for setting him up questioned the scandal-plagued MP’s sanity and demanded a right of reply against the allegation in Parliament.

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.

Thomson gets a distinction in debating

22 May 2012 | Tony Walker

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | MP earns a distinction in debating

Right or wrong, Craig Thomson certainly knows how to present an argument.

‘It’s a Fair Work conspiracy’

22 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | ‘It’s a Fair Work conspiracy’

The Labor government preserved its tenuous hold on power after a defiant speech by MP Craig Thomson to Parliament that questioned whether a senior Fair Work Australia official had influenced a “selective and biased” investigation that found he misused union funds.

Thomson: riveting yet unresolved

22 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Riveting yet unresolved

Tingle | The agony of the Craig Thomson affair continues, despite his powerful address to Parliament yesterday.

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.

Labor goes tit-for-tat on Kelly

22 May 2012 | Louise Dodson

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Labor’s tit-for-tat on Kelly

Labor plans to refer claims that a federal Liberal MP Craig Kelly did not adequately disclose his financial dealings to the parliamentary privileges committee in a tit for tat response to the Opposition’s referral of former ALP MP Craig Thomson’s disclosure problems.

IR power couple one hot item

22 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | IR power

Embattled MP Craig Thomson’s demands that Fair Work Australia answer questions about the role of one of its vice-presidents, Michael Lawler, in the investigation into the Health Services Union presents a quandary for the tribunal’s new president, Iain Ross.

Thomson’s explanations fail to shed light

22 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Explanations fail to shed light

Craig Thomson gave a number of explanations over the findings of the Fair Work Australia report against him yesterday, many explained as a set up by two Health Services Union colleagues who resented him for improving the governance of the union.

Challenge of collecting taxes from IT companies

22 May 2012 | Brian Corrigan

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Clouding up tax revenue

Attempts to close loopholes that allow multinational technology companies to minimise local tax bills will become more difficult as a growing number of services move online.

Councils grill carbon tax chief on waste costs

22 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Councils grill carbon tax chief on costs

The woman with one of the toughest jobs in Australia – chairing the body overseeing the establishment of the carbon tax – has faced a grilling at a Senate estimates hearing over confusion among local councils.

IR’s review risks ‘missing the boat’: Watson

22 May 2012 | Michael Smith

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Workplace review risks ‘missing the boat’

Fair Work Australia vice-president Graeme Watson has called for an overhaul of the nation’s industrial relations system which he says focuses on conflict at the expense of productivity.

FWA: conflict breeds conflict

22 May 2012 | Matthew Stevens

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | FWA: conflict breeds conflict

Fair Work Australia’s Graeme Watson argues that the system is trapped in an almost self-reinforcing focus on conflict.

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.

Jackson discussed Thomson with Lawler

21 May 2012 |

Health Services Union national secretary Kathy Jackson says she has discussed the dramas surrounding the Health Services Union with her partner, the deputy president of Fair Work Australia, Michael Lawler.

Palmer billboard in Swan's seat

21 May 2012 |

Mining magnate Clive Palmer has made his presence known in Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan's seat of Lilley.

Video | Thomson speaks out

21 May 2012 |

MP Craig Thomson defends himself against allegations he misused union funds, blasting the Opposition, former union colleagues, Fair Work Australia and the media.

Slipper still doing Speaker roles: Hogg

21 May 2012 |

Peter Slipper is still performing the roles of Speaker despite having stood aside from the role, a Senate estimates committee has heard.

Video | Craig Thomson in Parliament

21 May 2012 |

LIVE | Dobell MP Craig Thomson speaks to parliament about Fair Work Australia’s findings against him in the HSU scandal.

Aust, Malaysia to sign free trade deal

21 May 2012 |

Trade Minister Craig Emerson will sign a free trade agreement with Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Emotional Thomson attacks Abbott, FWA

21 May 2012 | James Massola

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Updated | Embattled MP Craig Thomson has declared Opposition Leader Tony Abbott unfit to be an MP and questioned what influence Fair Work Australia’s deputy, Michael Lawler, had over the agency’s investigation into allegations he misused Health Services Union funds.

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.

Tongue-lashing for Kev

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 52 | Tongue-lashing for Kev

ANZ Banking Group chief executive Mike Smith was his usual quotable self during an appearance on Friday at an Asia Business forum at Melbourne's Crown Palladium.

A swine line in politics

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 52 | A swine line in politics

“It was only a couple of months ago that I joined some of you ... to launch Bacon Week and I’m pleased to join you again”, federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said.

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.

Big accountants must return to roots

21 May 2012 | Vito Carrozzo

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | Big accountants must return to roots

As a recent KPMGer myself, I agree that the Centro-PwC class action epitomises the culture of fear and blame at big accounting firms expressed by leadership consultant and former KPMG auditor Mandy Holloway (“Blame game reflects firms’ flawed culture”, May 14).

WA’s embarrassment of royalty riches

21 May 2012 | Julie-anne Sprague

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | WA’s embarrassment of royalty riches

Pressure is mounting on West Australian Nationals leader Brendon Grylls to spend a quarter of the state’s ballooning mining royalties held in a fund which now has at least $1.2 billion more than originally estimated five years ago.

National briefs

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | National briefs

The NSW government will scrap future premiers’ life entitlements, including air travel and office staff.

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.

Europe: heavy weather heads this way

21 May 2012 | Warwick McKibbin

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Europe: heavy weather heads this way

Events in Europe this week point to a rapid end game for Greece in the euro. One crucial issue, especially for Australia, is the spillover we can expect from a crisis in Europe to the rest of the world.

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.

Unions and the super conundrum

21 May 2012 | Paul Fletcher

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Unions and the super conundrum

The Fair Work Australia report into the Health Services Union reveals a union culture where normal standards of governance are largely ignored. But it is not just union members who are affected. There is a direct link between unions and the superannuation savings of millions of Australians.

Team Slipper causes a duck for cover

21 May 2012 | Hannah Low

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Some familiar tactics cause a duck for cover

There’s nothing like being beaten at your own game. But that is exactly what happened to James Ashby’s legal team in the Federal Court.

Shorten flags quick response on FWA

21 May 2012 | Pip Freebairn

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Shorten flags quick response on FWA

Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has indicated the government will act quickly on the findings of a report into its controversial labour laws amid heightening tension between the government and business over industrial relations.

Queries over Ashby’s penalty claim

21 May 2012 | Hannah Low

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Ashby’s curious claim

The decision of James Ashby to ask for parliamentary speaker Peter Slipper to have a civil penalty imposed for his alleged conduct could backfire on the political staffer’s ability to win his case.

China demand could disrupt trade talks

21 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | China demand may disrupt trade talks

The Chinese government wants Australia to loosen restrictions on its state-owned enterprises buying Australian assets, a demand which could derail negotiations over a trade deal.

Dairies fear a carbon tax milking

21 May 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Dairies fear a milking

Major dairy companies are counting the extra costs that will fall on their shoulders as well as on those of dairy farming families under the carbon tax regime.

Swan: Palmer set for humiliating backdown

21 May 2012 | Mark Ludlow

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Swan: If Palmer doesn’t run, he will be humiliated

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan is still waiting to find out if billionaire Clive Palmer will back up this threats to run against him at the next election.

Forrest hones jobs push

21 May 2012 | Jennifer Hewett

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Forrest hones jobs push

Hewett | Warren Mundine calls it wanting things to be ‘’normal’’. A father going to work all day. But it doesn’t exist for most Aboriginal families.

Go8 lashes tertiary regulator

21 May 2012 | Joanna Mather

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Go8 lashes tertiary regulator

The Group of Eight has heavily criticised the new higher education regulator and warned that universities could take legal action to bring a halt to the authority’s onerous reporting requirements.

Plea to support Dubai detainees

21 May 2012 | Patrick Durkin

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Plea to support Dubai detainees

Foreign Minister Bob Carr is under pressure to intervene on behalf of two Australian property developers soon to face life sentences in Dubai.

Friend at court

19 May 2012 |

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 56 | Friend at court

The Prince has been following the claim brought by James Ashby against federal parliamentary Speaker Peter Slipper with some interest, but it is becoming as much about the lawyers as it is about the colourful characters involved in the case.

Beginnings: Bill Kelty

19 May 2012 | Bill Kelty

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 52 | Labor people

It was true that my childhood was a bit unusual, politically speaking. A left-leaning mother, single, poor, living in Brunswick. Who loved poetry and loved politics. And our heroes were Henry Lawson and Mary Gilmore and [Robert] Burns.

Impossible mission ends in sulks

19 May 2012 | Rowan Dean

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Impossible mission ends in the sulks

Dean | In most countries, he would have to go through preselection. But we have identified faceless men working to make sure he doesn’t have to.

Windsor calls for integrity check

19 May 2012 | Louise Dodson, James Massola

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Windsor wants integrity check

Parliament should investigate higher standards for MPs, including disqualifying them for a wider range of civil and criminal breaches, independent MP Tony Windsor says.

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.

Abbot Pt coal terminal expansion scrapped

19 May 2012 | Mark Ludlow

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | $9bn coal port plan

The Newman government has pulled the plug on the $9 billion privately-funded expansion of Abbot Point coal terminal in North Queensland, a project that would have created one of the largest coal ports in the world.

Yes, Kelty the anti-narcissist has an ego

19 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Yes, Kelty the anti-narcissist has an ego

This week saw a rare sighting of Bill Kelty, as publicly elusive these days as he was powerful in times past.

Fiscal union averts euro-style disaster

19 May 2012 | Jacob Greber

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Fiscal union averts euro-style disaster

Without the federal GST system, which shifts wealth between fastest-growing and laggard states, Australia would face problems similar to those in the euro zone.

An open house is not a pretty sight

19 May 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | An open house is not a pretty sight

Accountability is on show in Parliament, and the revelations are telling.

Meet the China lobby

19 May 2012 | Tony Walker

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Meet the China lobby

Australia and China have arrived at a moment in their relationship that might be likened to a marriage in which two partners who’ve taken each other for granted realise life has become a whole lot more complicated.

Testing the NAPLAN divide

19 May 2012 | Joanna Mather

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Testing the NAPLAN divide

More than 120 academics are saying no to Canberra’s NAPLAN tests.

Big challenges in uncertain world

19 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 62 | Serious challenges in an uncertain world

Editorial | Evidence of fragility in the world economy and financial market jitters should probably be viewed here in Australia with caution rather than alarm.

Quigley’s war from a hot seat

19 May 2012 | John McDuling

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Quigley’s war from a hot seat

NBN boss Mike Quigley may not survive the next election but is prepared to go down speaking his mind.

Perfect storm rips 2.67pc off shares

18 May 2012 | Jane Searle

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Euro fears slash 2.7pc off shares

The spectre of a Greek exit from the European Union, a downgrade of Spanish banks and concerns around Chinese growth saw the market shed 2.67 per cent on Friday to suffer its worst day since early October.

$A lowest for seven months

18 May 2012 | Jason Murphy

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 24 | $A lowest for seven months

The Australian dollar is once again at levels that indicate global crisis.

Australia, US sign cyber security deal

18 May 2012 |

Australia and the United States have formalised closer relations on cyber security that will allow for greater sharing of information.

Jump on the Asian wagon

18 May 2012 | Duncan Hughes

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Jump on the Asian wagon

Australia has a unique opportunity to share in unprecedented Asian growth over coming decades, ANZ chief executive Mike Smith says.

ATO data-matching boomers

18 May 2012 | Katie Walsh

PRINT: 19 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | ATO data-matching boomers

The ATO is targeting baby boomers attempting to avoid capital gains tax on wealth transfers and will crack down on aggressive attempts to avoid tax through trusts.

ResMed to cough up

18 May 2012 | Carrie LaFrenz

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 19 | ResMed to cough up

ResMed has flagged plans to pay a dividend for the first time next financial year and says CEO Peter Farrell will remain head of the company until the end of 2013.

Boat carrying 68 people intercepted

18 May 2012 |

Authorities have picked up another boatload of suspected asylum seekers inside Australian waters.

Elders clears Indonesian abattoir

18 May 2012 | Sophie Morris

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Elders clears Indo abattoir

Rural services company Elders says an Indonesian abattoir it has used has complied with animal welfare standards after it was identified in a departmental report as having breached the rules.

Ashby accused of Slipper ambush

18 May 2012 | Hannah Low

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Ashby accused of Slipper ambush

Updated | The political staffer at the centre of the salacious scandal engulfing parliamentary speaker Peter Slipper has been accused of misusing the courts and the media to bolster his claim.

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.

Institutions snap up SP AusNet shares

18 May 2012 | Angela Macdonald-Smith

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Energy infrastructure owner SP AusNet has raised $342 million in the institutional part of its entitlement offer and says it expects to raise a further $92 million in the underwritten retail part.

Abbott rejects Combet's climate ‘egging’

18 May 2012 |

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has rejected claims he's "over-egged the pudding" with his warnings on the climate tax.

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.

Threats sent to Aust embassy in Pakistan

18 May 2012 |

Australia's embassy in Islamabad has received a threatening letter containing suspicious powder in what appears to be a coordinated campaign across Pakistan's capital.

The Slipper confusion

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 48 | The Slipper confusion

Rear Window is getting a little confused about what the standing down of Peter Slipper as Speaker of the House of Representatives actually means.

Life’s full of conflicts

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 48 | Life’s full of conflicts

Rear Window was delighted to hear that the Future Fund’s new chairman, David Gonski, had moved quickly to introduce corporate governance processes similar to a listed company.

Howes gets hump up

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 48 | Howes gets hump up

For all the noise he’s been making about cleaning up standards of behaviour in the trade union movement in the wake of the Craig Thomson and Michael Williamson affairs, the AWU’s national secretary Paul Howes is prone to the odd risque moment himself.

Costello puts party interests before own

18 May 2012 | Nick Minchin

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 47 | Costello puts party interests before own

Mark Hansford’s “Costello’s legacy short on fight” (Letters, May 17), is very unfair on Peter Costello in claiming he “never had the ticker for the top job”. Costello, in fact, came very close to challenging John Howard for the Liberal leadership – and thus the prime ministership – in the middle of 2006, but declined to do so because of the enormous damage a fight between prime minister Howard and treasurer Costello would have caused to the Coalition government and the Liberal Party.

ATO deficiencies cripple business

18 May 2012 | Chris G Wallis

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 47 | ATO deficiencies cripple SME business

Lowering a marginal tax rate for small business does nothing to simplify the system for the majority of small business owners, a point well made by Emile Rochman (“Labor perpetuates Howard handouts”, Letters, May 17).

Cromwell rebels against tax

18 May 2012 | Matthew Cranston

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Rebellion

Cromwell Property Group chief executive Paul Weightman has urged the property industry to reject a surprise federal government tax hit on foreign real estate investors or risk lower property values.

ADF bases to get tighter security

18 May 2012 | Christopher Jay

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | ADF security upgrade

Following terrorist plots to attack Australian Defence Force bases, the Commonwealth is embarking on a $107 million program to upgrade security at 16 defence installations around the country over the next three years.

Two states, two economies

18 May 2012 | Alan Mitchell

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Two states, two economies

Mitchell | They are the two extremes of Australia’s “two-speed” economy, and the budgets of Western Australia and Tasmania tell the story.

Show us plans for second airport: Abbott

18 May 2012 | Michaela Whitbourn

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Show us plans for second airport: Abbott

The federal Coalition will engage with the Gillard government on plans for a second airport in the Sydney basin when a detailed plan is produced.