Queenslanders will join the rest of Australia in celebrating the 110th anniversary of the Australian flag on Saturday. According to Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce the flag has a special place for all. “It is much loved, touched, worn and flown by Australians here and across the world. It graces our most solemn occasions and significant […]

Forensic and legal experts have labelled the Brisbane City Council’s bus DNA testing trial “useless” and “bizarre”. Queensland University of Technology senior lecturer in forensic DNA Dr Bill Lott said the kits were a waste of money. “I am somewhat astounded that the BCC would waste money this way, and even more astounded that the […]

Closed circuit television cameras with speakers installed in Fortitude Valley and the CBD will have no real effect on crime, according to a leading criminologist, while civil libertarians are concerned about invasions of privacy. Bond University criminology professor Paul Wilson said research showed CCTV cameras did not prevent crime. “It may be good at detecting […]

Hundreds of protesters marched in Melbourne on Saturday to protest against on-the-spot fines for offensive language in public. About 500 mainly young protesters chanted slogans demanding free speech not fines in the CBD. Yelling offensive words they marched from Flinders Street station and down Bourke St demanding the government scrap the legislation to fine people. […]

A new law to fine people on the spot for swearing will not be effective and may lead to a High Court case, according to legal academics. The Victorian Government has introduced legislation that will give police permanent power to give on-the-spot fines of up to $240 for those who use offensive language. Monash University […]

A petition to create the world’s largest marine Park in Australia’s Coral Sea has stirred controversy with claims the park would damage the nation’s fishing industry. The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has organised a petition calling for protection of marine life in the Coral Sea. But the proposal has left many in the fishing […]

With the continual rise of online news and the closures of many newspapers around the world, it’s important to ask: do newspapers have a future? To save costs many newspapers have cut jobs, outsourced subediting or gone completely online in response to the growing popularity of online news. Several high-profile journalists and academics have had […]

Bullying has again become a topic of discussion after the video of a schoolboy retaliating against his alleged tormentor circulated widely on the internet. So how can we prevent bullying? We asked people in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall if they had the answer.