The secondary recessionary wave is spreading. Last week Britain. Today Spain.
READ MOREApril, 2012
Thomson and Slipper: desperate times for a desperate government
The Gillard government has been, in policy terms, a good one. It’s not up there with the Hawke-Keating or early Howard governments, but its economic management has been better than both of those courtesy of the steady hand of Wayne Swan, Treasury and the independent RBA, and it has accumulated a substantial reform agenda in [...]
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Mixing in different circles to me
If you wanted evidence of how the cloistered environment of Parliament House can warp your judgment then read this morning’s offering by Michelle Grattan. But it was Shorten’s Sky interview that really stood out. On whether Slipper should return to the chair while the civil matter continued, he said, ”I understand that the Prime Minister [...]
READ MOREPhillip Coorey joins the “almost a leadership challenge” team
Phillip Coorey on the Sydney Morning Herald website this morning: Julia Gillard’s leadership is again under threat …
READ MORECraig Thomson to quit the Labor Party?
Goodness knows what this is all about. AAP reports: Embattled federal MP Craig Thomson is set to leave the Australian Labor Party. Mr Thomson is expected to announce the move at a press conference outside his electorate office in Tuggerah at midday on Sunday. It is believed Mr Thomson will move to sit on parliament’s [...]
READ MORESo near to predicting a leadership challenge
Lenore Taylor has come oh so close. The Slipper crisis has intensified concerns among Labor MPs about Julia Gillard’s leadership and judgment. ”Doing what we have been doing is not working and will not work,” a senior figure said this week. ”We cannot continue to be seen to be clinging to power just for the [...]
READ MOREIt takes two to talk as well as tango in Indonesia
“Within a week of taking office”, Tony Abbott told a conference today, ” I would go to Indonesia to renew our cooperation against people smuggling. I would, of course, politely explain to the Indonesian government that we take as dim a view of Indonesian boats disgorging illegal arrivals in Australia as they take of Australians [...]
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A progress report on reducing CO2 emissions
The International Energy Agency this week produced a report for government ministers on the progress being made in reducing COs emissions. It summarised the various technologies thus:
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The lost political clout of media moguls
Well, we can all rest easy. Media moguls no longer have the political clout they once had. The news.com.au website tells us so this morning in reporting the evidence James Murdoch gave overnight to the Leveson inquiry in the UK. And, what’s more, that dismissal of ”the very old-fashioned view of big media proprietors being able [...]
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James Murdoch provides details for a case study in lobbying
A rare insight into how the process of lobbying government actually works is being provided by evidence to Britain’s Leveson inquiry. Tonight James Murdoch, pr0mpted by counsel for the inquiry who had access to a raft of News International emails, has been describing in detail who approached whom and when. The insights into the ways [...]
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