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Showing posts from February, 2010

Media wrap - A funny little poll

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POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Polls Coalition draws level with Labor as Abbott bites – The Rudd Government's bungled home insulation program is costing it crucial support among NSW voters, who are turning to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. An exclusive Sun-Herald/Taverner poll shows Labor is now level-pegging with the Coalition – Sydney Sun Herald Rudd not insulated from a series of unfortunate events – The sheen is coming off Kevin Rudd. After an appalling few weeks due to the bungled home insulation program, voters are rethinking their opinion of a leader who has had nothing but sky-high popularity for much of his three years as Labor leader – Sydney Sun Herald Women like Gillard for PM: poll – More than one in three voters believe Julia Gillard would make a better prime minister than Kevin Rudd. A Taverner poll taken late last week also reveals slipping support for Labor overall, with both sides now running neck and neck on a two-party-preferred basis – Melbourne Sunday Age Ele

Media wrap - Half a sacking for Garrett

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POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Insulation Major rebuff to Garrett - Kevin Rudd has stripped Peter Garrett of control over the home insulation program in a dramatic and humiliating shrinking of his minister's responsibilities. After weeks of the government bleeding from the crisis, Mr Rudd has installed Greg Combet, the junior climate change minister, to implement the wind-up of the cancelled scheme and the roll-out of its successor – Melbourne Age No sugar coating on this pill – Peter Garrett has been demoted and stripped of his energy efficiency duties under a ministerial restructure designed to ease the pressure on the government caused by the bungled insulation program – Sydney Morning Herald Combet steps up to bigger environment role – Greg Combet is the government's new environment policy fix-it man after it narrowly averted another climate scheme disaster. Hours before his promotion yesterday as the Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, the governme

Media wrap - Richard Ackland gives an example of ASIO and secrecy

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  POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Insulation I'm to blame for the lot in bungled insulation scheme, Kevin Rudd declares – Kevin Rudd has expressed disappointment at his own performance over the bungled home insulation scheme, admitting he should have asked more questions about the program's implementation - The Australian Rudd 'disappointed' in himself for insulation problems – Kevin Rudd says he is disappointed in himself for not paying closer attention to the rollout of the government's bungled home insulation program.   Mr Rudd is also standing by embattled Environment Minister Peter Garrett, saying problems associated with the scheme were largely due to the failure of the compliance system that had been put in place – Brisbane Courier Mail MPs told to face voters over insulation bungle – Kevin Rudd admitted he should have asked more questions before implementing the scrapped insulation scheme as he ordered all MPs and senators to fan out across their electorates

Media wrap - The insulation problem spreads to a second Labor minister

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POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Security Rudd's new terror trap - Australia will target people from 10 countries for stringent new visa checks in a push to prevent terrorists getting through the security net. Visa applicants from countries identified as high-risk will soon have to submit to fingerprinting and facial imaging, known as biometric checking – Melbourne Age Homegrown terrorist threat is on the rise – Homegrown terrorists pose an increasing threat to Australia 's security, the Rudd Government's strategic blueprint to protect the nation warns – Brisbane Courier Mail Insulation Hundreds of insulation jobs to go - The once booming insulation industry was collapsing yesterday, with hundreds of jobs axed and thousands more expected to go amid warnings the sector could freeze for a year – Melbourne Age Garrett's 'electrocution denial': Abbott – Peter Garrett could have prevented the deaths of young men installing insulation and is in ''electrocu