Shirley Way



Feds blast Newman government

The Newman government’s decisions on aged care and education were condemned by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and deputy Wayne Swan at last night’s federal community cabinet in Redcliffe. Mr Swan said the state’s closure of Eventide Sandgate to sell some of the site was “simply cruel”. The Commonwealth pays for residents in state-run nursing homes […]


Choppers fight Brisbane fire

Two helicopters were brought into waterbomb a bushfire at Doolandella on Brisbane’s south on Tuesday afternoon. A Queensland Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson said four fire trucks worked closely with air operations to contain the blaze. She said although there was no threat, crews were working to protect a caravan and nearby homes. Backburning began […]


Partner violence spurs changes to law

Queensland’s new Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act includes a revised definition of domestic violence and changes to police powers. The new law came into effect this month. Ipswich Women’s Centre Against Domestic Violence program co-ordinator Rebecca Shearman said the 1989 Act was an important milestone but the new legislation took protection a step further. […]


Asthma appeal focuses on men

Asthma Foundation Queensland this month launched a $50,000 appeal for “Men managing asthma”, a new community training program. The 2013 program will be in memory of Grant Fair, a 43-year-old Robina man who died from an asthma attack last year. His wife Mary Fair told Asthma Foundation Queensland (AFQ) that her husband was a “bloke” […]


Police called to evict councillor from meeting

Outspoken independent councillor Nicole Johnston was evicted by police from Brisbane City Council chamber this afternoon. Police were called when Cr Johnston refused to accept a suspension order and leave the chamber during a 10-minute adjournment of the meeting. Three police officers arrived after 20 minutes and one entered the chamber to escort Cr Johnston. […]


Johnston thrown out of council meeting amid cover-up claims

Independent councillor Nicole Johnston was suspended for eight days yesterday after claiming a “cover-up” by Brisbane City Council. Cr Johnston received a suspension warning from council chairman Cr Margaret de Wit when she continued to refer to the Queensland Ombudsman’s recent review into code of conduct complaints matters. Cr de Wit repeatedly ordered Cr Johnston […]


Theatre-goers inspired to help disease victims

Brisbane audiences have opened their hearts to Alana Valentine’s play A Head Full of Love, donating more than $75,000 towards indigenous people with chronic kidney disease. The play, based on verbatim interviews with renal patients, blasts the myth that alcohol is a primary cause of indigenous kidney disease. Recent research by the Australian Institute of […]


Iron men face death risk

About one in 200 Australians may not know a potential killer lurks in their blood: iron. Haemochromatosis, described as “an inherited iron overload disorder”, was little known, but easily treated, medical specialists said at a seminar last week. Those at risk are descended from Vikings or Celts. Queensland Institute of Medical Research hosted the seminar […]


QEII court building opened

Brisbane’s new multi-million dollar Supreme and District Court building is one Australia’s largest court buildings. Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley opened the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law at a private ceremony on Friday. Opened for public viewing in the afternoon, the $570 million building has 39 courtrooms over seven of its 19 floors. Level 10, […]


Wellington attacks parliament TV ban

Independent MP Peter Wellington says he is disappointed his notice of dissent on the TV cameras ban in the Queensland Parliament has been ruled out of order by Speaker Fiona Simpson. The ban on TV stations’ cameras for nine sitting days was announced by Ms Simpson last week. Mr Wellington tried to move dissent from […]


Review: Beauty is Difficult

“Today you are going to enter the past of my life. Three things are carried by my wounded heart: love, despair, pain!” The Tango los Mareados frames tonight’s Winter Ball as we swirl past and dip into the lives and loves of Racine’s Phedre, Flaubert’s Emma Bovary, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler. Director […]


Health workers’ pay dates to be pushed back

Health Department staff will not be paid until 10 days after their roster, instead of the current three days. The change, to take effect in October, was announced in Parliament yesterday by Health Minister Lawrence Springborg. Mr Springborg said employees would be given loans to cover the one-off gap in pay periods. “In October, Queensland […]


Ministers grilled on disaster aid

Disaster relief and toxic waste were among issues fielded by Australian ministers at yesterday’s community cabinet meeting in Ipswich. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the establishment of a natural disaster fund was debated at the time of the Queensland floods -“in economic terms, the most costly natural disaster we had ever seen”. At the time, […]


Review: The Mikado

Opera Queensland’s production of The Mikado fizzes with charm which belies its serious message. Flirting, the capital crime in The Mikado, reflects the hot potato of London politics in March 1885: child prostitution. The age of consent was raised from 13 to 16 some months later – after a sensationalist newspaper article (“The Maiden Tribute”) […]


Aussies fly on their broomsticks to England for wizard games

Accio broomstick! Australia’s quidditch team will compete in the international summer games in Oxford, timed to coincide with the London Olympics. The sport on broomsticks has swept the globe since 2005 when Xander Manshel adapted the rules in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books for muggles (non-magic humans). Quidditch summer games organiser Karen Kumaki said Australia, […]


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