CHRIS KENNY: Well, there we have it. After 100 years or so of Federation we’ve still got states and federal governments at loggerheads over the future of the Murray-Darling Basin. I must say we have got bids in to speak to the Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke. He is available but because of various…
DetailsNATASHA STOTT DESPOJA: Well, some of you may have seen that there’s a big debate going on in Federal Parliament yet again about same-sex marriage and two pieces of legislation are being debated in the House of Representatives. Today in the House of Representatives a report came down into the issue and a majority…
DetailsJULIE DOYLE: Hello and welcome to Capital Hill. I’m Julie Doyle. Politicians, business leaders and unions are gathering in Brisbane for the Prime Minister’s economic forum which starts tonight. It’s a busy agenda but will the forum be more than just another talkfest? Joining me today to discuss this, we have Labor Senator Glenn…
DetailsSIMON BIRMINGHAM: A couple of points I want to make today… firstly, Tony Burke has said that he believes this Plan isn’t necessarily the right Plan and that he reserves the right for changes. If Tony Burke has changes in mind to this Plan, he should say right now what those changes are that…
DetailsKEITH CONLON:Murray-Darling Basin Authority [revised] draft Plan is out … it came out just over an hour ago … what do you make of it so far? SIMON BIRMINGHAM:There’s some good news in there and there’s a lot of details still to get through … the good news for South Australia is that…
DetailsKIERAN GILBERT: Joining me now, I’ve got Liberal frontbencher Senator Simon Birmingham and Labor MP Andrew Leigh. Gentlemen, good morning. ANDREW LEIGH: Morning, Kieran. SIMON BIRMINGHAM: Morning, Kieran. KIERAN GILBERT: First of all to you, Andrew, on the Thomson matter, the AEC Commissioner, the Australian Electoral Commissioner, last night said his…
DetailsNICOLE CHVASTEK: Well, are you recovering from one of Victoria’s semi-regular natural disasters? Perhaps you’ve lived through a flood and there are plenty of Victorians still trying to reclaim their lives and livelihoods after nature’s forces swept them away. Well, yesterday we heard from Castlemaine Senior Constable Grant Healey, who threw on his uniform…
DetailsLAURA JAYES: Today, more proof that the political debate is as fierce as ever. Daily, the Opposition Leader and the Prime Minister trade barbs that are as much about personality as they are about policy. TONY ABBOTT: As the leader of a party, you can be the chieftain of a tribe but as…
DetailsHOWARD SATTLER: On this ‘Mad as Hell’ Monday, this will get you mad, too. Taxpayers are now paying out, or have paid out, more than $3.4 million in travel costs to fly insulation safety inspectors around Australia to check on faulty or dodgy insulation installations under the Federal Government’s failed $2,500 million that’s…
DetailsLUKE GRANT: Taxpayers are footing a multi-million dollar travel bill as part of Labor’s clean up of its disastrous $2.5 billion Home Insulation Program or ‘Pink Batts’ scheme, linked to at least four deaths and more than 200 house fires. This information has come to hand, I suspect in Senate Estimates, by Senator Simon…
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