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Showing posts from March, 2010

Media wrap - Signs of a Liberal concession on hospitals

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Public service No, minister: what the mandarins really think - The government's most senior bureaucrats have complained they often have to ''manage'' illegal and inappropriate directions from their ministers. The top public servants told the Remuneration Tribunal they had to deliver government initiatives which had more to do with politics than the national interest and that they were invariably made scapegoats when their ministers made mistakes - Sydney Morning Herald Immigration Strong lure of a soft landing in Australia for asylum seekers - Global refugee groups have warned that the tide of asylum seekers is showing no signs of slowing, placing further pressure on Australia to receive boat people - Sydney Daily Telegraph  Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to do 'whatever it takes' to stop boat people - Another 70 boats carrying asylum-seekers are tipped to arrive before the federal election, expected later this year

Media wrap - Pollster says Labor and Rudd back with a healthy lead

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS The polls Kevin Rudd leaves Tony Abbott in wake in Newspoll - Kevin Rudd has leapt back into favour and Labor's vote has recovered the losses since last December on the back of a public vote of confidence in the Rudd government's economic management and a slump for Tony Abbott and the Liberals - The Australian Voters see Labor in healthy light since Rudd announced hospitals plan - Labor has regained its dominance in the area of health policy after producing a plan to drastically alter funding for public hospitals and Kevin Rudd was seen to beat Tony Abbott in the leaders' debate last week on health.- The Australian Elections Richo urges Greens deal - Former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson says David Bartlett would be "pretty silly" not to negotiate with the Greens - Hobart Mercury Crowe chips in for Green mate - The annual return filed by the NSW Greens records Russell Crowe as having donated the impressive sum of $10,

Media wrap - Tony Abbott the pin-up boy

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Regional development Senator Barnaby Joyce calls for tax rebate to lure people out west - New Opposition spokesman for regional development Barnaby Joyce has warned southeast Queensland is heading for an "urban nightmare" unless more people move to regional towns - Brisbane Courier Mail Health and hospitals Rudd turns up heat on Brumby - Kevin Rudd will increase the pressure on Premier John Brumby to accept the national hospital plan by highlighting today that it would mean Victoria had an extra $3.8 billion to invest in economic infrastructure over the rest of the decade - Melbourne Age Patients' lives ebb in 'ramped' ambulances - Patients with potentially life-threatening conditions are waiting more than 30 minutes in ambulances before being admitted to emergency departments, new figures show - Brisbane Courier Mail Immigration Island exodus grows as PM's 100th boat looms - Plans to transfer asylum-seekers from Chris

Media wrap Abbott goes athletic

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Elections ALP tries to get a win from loss - Labor has tried to turn Kristina Keneally's TV-debate loss into a win, using Barry O'Farrell's verbal slip in the leaders' head-to-head contest in negative radio and TV ads. Soon after Friday's debate, ALP officials rushed the slip - in which Mr O'Farrell said he was going to win the next election - to an advertising agency to be turned into "attack" TV advertisements - Sydney Sunday Telegraph Martin Hamilton-Smith blames Vickie Chapman for Liberals' SA State Election 2010 loss - Adelaide Sunday Mail Taylor hoists banner - Glenorchy mayor Adriana Taylor has confirmed she will stand for the Upper House seat of Elwick - Sunday Tasmanian O'Farrell 'hijacked' Obama's slogan - NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell has been accused, for the second time in a week, of hijacking other people's ideas after launching the Coalition's tilt for power unde

Media wrap - NSW has its own leader's debate

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Debates Polished Premier Kristina Keneally is over a barrel - In yesterday's televised debate, Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell - once dubbed the invisible man - captured the attention of voters with a mood for change - Sydney Daily Telegraph Keneally concession puts spotlight on Libs - NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell extracted a key concession from Premier Kristina Keneally on the costing of election promises yesterday, but may have damaged his political prospects in the process - The Australian Political life Tony Abbott's climate change denier to sell water message - Making Barnaby Joyce spokesman on water was a gift for federal Climate Change and Water Minister Penny Wong, because the outspoken Queensland Nationals senator backs giving more control to upstream irrigators and has disagreed with his own leader's policy of national control of the Murray-Darling Basin - Adelaide Advertiser Rejected Turnbull unsure about fu

Media wrap

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Leadership She's politically lite, but we love Kristina Keneally - Kristina Keneally is now officially the most popular political leader in the country with a personal standing greater than Kevin Rudd, and with more than two-thirds of voters claiming to like her - Sydney Daily Telegraph Invisible man Barry O'Farrell loses to pretty Premier Kristina Keneally - The Sydney Daily Telegraph does a vox pop - Sydney Daily Telegraph Tony Abbott won't change fitness regimen - Fitness fanatic Tony Abbott has defended his gruelling exercise regime amid calls for the Opposition Leader to take a breather from his action man routine - Brisbane ourier Mail Political life Turnbull's return to frontbench a step too far Tony Abbott - About 4.30pm yesterday, Tony Abbott knocked back Malcolm Turnbull's offer to return to the opposition frontbench as finance spokesman to replace the populist Barnaby Joyce .Having taken a brave and correct decision to replace