FRAN KELLY: Well, the Prime Minister says her Government is open to, quote, ‘sensible suggestions’ from the media industry over its reform bills* but it won’t be, quote, ‘cross trading or horse trading’ with key crossbenchers who are withholding their support. Coalition frontbencher Simon Birmingham is a member of both of the Parliamentary committees…
DetailsSOPHIE McNEILL: It’s an election year and the Government has picked a fight with the loudest voice in the country the media. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy wants to appoint a public interest officer to make sure that the media behaves itself. He says the current system of self-regulation just isn’t working and news…
DetailsKIERAN GILBERT: The other big story today, of course, is the media laws. The media executives will be in town for the Senate committee hearing into these six bills*, controversial bills, proposed by Stephen Conroy, the Communications Minister. With me for his preview and response to these… the Senate committee and what we can…
DetailsSIMON BIRMINGHAM: Good morning, everyone. Stephen Conroy, some 12 months after receiving the million dollar-plus Convergence Review and Finkelstein report, has finally announced a grab bag of media reforms. He is giving this Parliament, apparently, just days to consider these reforms, yet he hasn’t even revealed the legislation yet. This is a process that…
DetailsKIERAN 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…
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:…
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