KIERAN GILBERT: The Gillard Government’s performance in the opinion polls improved over the second half of this year from its low of 27 per cent back in April, steadying around the 36 per cent primary vote but not in the last Newspoll of the year. Labor’s vote has slumped to 32 per cent …
DetailsFRAN KELLY: And after more than a century of squabbling between the states, an historic deal has finally been reached to secure one of our most precious environmental assets, the Murray-Darling river. The national Plan will return up to 3,200 gigalitres tothe river system each year from 2019. TONY BURKE: Today’s the day…
DetailsMICHAEL SMYTH: Now to the latest on the Murray and the news today that the Coalition has decided to back the Federal Government’s plan to better manage the river system, ensuring an extra 2750 gigalitres will be flowing downstream by 2019; more beyond that. Senator Simon Birmingham is the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the…
DetailsSIMON BIRMINGHAM: Well, today we have what hopefully will be an historic step in the management of the Murray-Darling Basin. I want to acknowledge that Tony Burke was generous in recognising the role that John Howard, Malcolm Turnbull and John Anderson played in the Coalition Government in getting this process underway; that in 2004…
DetailsLAURA JAYES: After more than a hundred years and decades of state bickering, a Plan for the Murray-Darling Basin has finally been signed into law. This is the fifth version handed down by the MurrayDarling Basin Authority and, before that [National Press Club] speech from the Environment Minister, Tony Burke, he and the Prime…
DetailsSIMON BIRMINGHAM: Later today, Tony Burke will address the National Press Club and, as I understand it, will outline what the final Murray-Darling Basin Plan looks like. The fact that we’re reaching a point of finality is welcome because this is a long overdue reform. It’s more than five years since the Howard Government…
DetailsELEANOR HALL: A compromise between Australia’s major parties has seen the Senate pass a key piece of legislation* on the management of the Murray-Darling Basin but the compromise doesn’t extend to the states and now the New South Wales Government says it is considering its own legislation to limit water buybacks. In Adelaide, Rebecca…
DetailsLYNDAL CURTIS: The Federal Government has released draft legislation [Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 Exposure Draft] to consolidate Australia’s discrimination laws. The changes are designed to provide more protection and a simpler regime, although the Opposition worries about shifting the burden of proof onto the respondent and some elements of the consolidation. Both…
DetailsSIMON BIRMINGHAM: I think there’s a couple of things out of today firstly, the question of: where was the South Australian Government? The initial programme for this hearing had the South Australian Government listed as the first item up sure, ‘to be confirmed’ but they were expected to be here. They were…
DetailsDAVID BONE: Well, as I mentioned, South Australian Coalition MPs have threatened to cross the floor and vote with the Government to ensure that the Prime Minister’s changes to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan make it through the Parliament. Simon Birmingham is a Liberal Senator for South Australia. Simon Birmingham, would they really cross the…
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