KIERAN GILBERT: Once again immigration policy debate in this country has descended into which side of politics is demonising foreigners for their own political gain. Coming up this morning, my interview with Prime Minister Gillard. First, though, the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s criticism over the Prime Minister’s comments on 457 visas [Temporary Work (Skilled)…
DetailsLEON BYNER: Now, wind farms have been very controversial because, first of all, they’re not cheap. We keep getting told that it’s cheap energy but it isn’t really because it’s heavily subsidised and, of course, if the people that build them have an issue where they need to connect to the grid, they want…
DetailsTREVOR SCOTT: … there’s no need for me to tell you that the River is the lifeblood of our community and many communities along the River and we’re still wondering how it’s going to pan out the Murray-Darling Basin and there seems that there may be some funding worries that we have…
DetailsSenator BIRMINGHAM: (South Australia) (18:56): Earlier today, in question time, Senator Bob Carr in his capacity as the Minister for Foreign Affairs answered some questions relating to democracy in Fiji. His answers were welcome. They were strong and clear on the expectations that Australia has for democratic advancement in Fiji and on the lifting of…
DetailsTony Burke must act to end the funding dispute engulfing the states and MurrayDarling Basin Authority (MDBA) which MDBA Chair Craig Knowles said, if unresolved, would see “the administration of the assets and functions of the Basin will rapidly deteriorate.” Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray-Darling Basin Simon Birmingham today called for Water…
DetailsSIMON BIRMINGHAM: Julia Gillard stood at the Press Club earlier this year to announce September 14 as the election day but she said there were many more days of governing to come. What we’re now seeing, though, are instead days of stunts and days of campaigning, far from days of governing. The challenge for…
DetailsDAVID SPEERS: … as we heard before the break, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet reckons the Coalition’s plans on climate change are all over the shop, pointing to various comments today, particularly about what happens to businesses who are actually pretty happy with the carbon tax would they be compensated if it is…
DetailsKIERAN GILBERT: Let’s go to our panel now. In Melbourne, Labor Parliamentary Secretary for Trade Kelvin Thomson and in Adelaide, Liberal Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Water [the Murray-Darling Basin] and Environment Senator Simon Birmingham. Gentlemen, good morning. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Morning, Kieran. KELVIN THOMSON: Good morning, Kieran, Simon. … KIERAN GILBERT:…
DetailsLYNDAL CURTIS: The election year has begun to focus the minds of politicians on the relationships that count and the Greens have declared their relationship with Labor over sort of saying the Prime Minister has effectively ended the agreement between the parties. Labor, meanwhile, has been soaking up the friendship from one…
DetailsKEITH CONLON: Jane, you’ve probably seen the ads for the NBN, the National Broadband Network, this big pipe that’ll bring us high-speed everything and, indeed, it is… in the end, it’s about the future and not just in the home but in the business. How’s it going in South Australia? Well, it would appear…
Details