Time up for Earth Hour?
The relevance of the annual Earth Hour has been questioned by a Labor councillor. Helen Abrahams said participation rates failed to impress, with only eight schools across Brisbane being involved in the event. According to Cr Abrahams only 14 restaurants took part in the “candle-light dinner” initiative. Participation was “extremely disappointing”, she said. “Earth Hour […]
Council accused of inflating flood money request
Brisbane City Council has been accused of artificially inflating its funding request to the Federal Government. Council opposition leader Shayne Sutton slammed the Liberal National majority at today’s meeting, accusing them of waste of taxpayers’ money while siphoning funds from federal and state governments. “You’re artificially inflating the gap in order to hide your mishandling […]
Labor attacks Go Between Bridge losses
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk came under fire in this week’s city council meeting for the revenue shortfall of $866,000 for the Go Between Bridge. The loss was revealed in last week’s Brisbane City Council budget review. Labor also criticised the Liberal National Party administration for the cost of collecting tolls. “We also discovered motorists […]
Johnston kicked out of council again, fined $5500
Police were called to escort independent Nicole Johnston from today’s Brisbane City Council meeting after she refused to obey a suspension order. She was also threatened with a fine of $5,500 for disobeying the ruling. Cr Johnston was last ejected from the council in March in a blaze of publicity on the day former lord […]
Street poll: Do we need a publicly-funded National Broadband Network?
The National Broadband Network is the largest single infrastructure investment in Australian history, with an estimated cost of $35.7 billion. The federal government hopes the network, which may perform up to one thousand times faster than current average wireless, will mean immediate advantages in education, health, and even civic spirit. But reception to the plan […]
Street poll: Should Osama bin Laden have been shot or captured?
Ten years after 9/11 US special forces shot and killed bin Laden in a raid on his house in Pakistan. His body was hastily buried at sea. Two different versions of the attack and the manner of bin Laden’s death have so far been released by the US government. Some commentators such as QC Geoffry […]
Street poll: Should we have an R18+ classification for video games?
Questions have been raised about whether Australia should have an R18+ classification for video games. The Attorney-General of South Australia John Rau has supported the idea – with the condition that the classification MA15+ be removed. “By abolishing the MA15+ classification, we will create a clear distinction between games that may be suitable for children […]
Street poll: Should women be in frontline combat?
Triggered by the Skype sex scandal, the Government has brought forward the initiative which would lift the ban on women in frontline combat positions. Defence Minister Stephen Smith said people’s roles in the forces should be based on their physical and intellectual capacity, not gender. “It opens up all of the leadership roles for women […]
Newman claims win over water restructure
Campbell Newman today had his first big win in Queensland state politics according to parliamentary Opposition leader Geoff Seeney. The Premier announced in Parliament today that retail water and sewerage price increases would be capped at CPI for the next two years. Local councils will be able to opt out of current water utilities […]
Flood victims to get up to $80,000 to rebuild
Up to $80,000 will be available in the third round of payments to victims of the recent wave of natural disasters in Queensland, Premier Anna Bligh told Parliament today. She said there were thousands of Queenslanders whose homes were not destroyed but who sustained considerable damage. “The third funding round will extend to those people […]
Mr Dick makes fun of someone’s name
Campbell Newman is like the character Newman (pictured) in Seinfeld, Minister for Industrial Relations and Education Cameron Dick said today. “Like the postman in Seinfeld, Campbell Newman is known for his shonky, shoddy and grand schemes that eventually come to nothing. Like the postman, Campbell Newman loves his position, loves his status, but never delivers,” […]
Newman’s first opponent comes out swinging
For Campbell Newman to become Premier he must first defeat Minister for the Environment Kate Jones in the seat of Ashgrove. Ms Jones today fired her first broadside in defence of her job by asking the parliamentary Opposition leader if under Campbell Newman the LNP would continue to oppose the 2006 reduction of tree clearing. […]
‘Death of democracy’ in Quirk appointment – Labor
The LNP’s move to appoint Graham Quirk as Brisbane’s new Lord Mayor is “another chapter in the death of democracy” according to Deputy Opposition leader, Milton Dick. “We should be going to an election between Cr Quirk and Ray Smith (preselected Labor candidate for the mayoralty at the 2012 election),” he said. “Because of the […]
Government accused of widespread health failures
Queensland Health again came under fire in Parliament today with Opposition and independent MPs targeting problems in Townsville and Bundaberg. Independent MP for Burnett Rob Messenger called for an investigation into the medical treatment received by mothers and babies at the Bundaberg Base Hospital maternity unit over the last 10 years. He said examples of […]
Games bid will help disaster recovery
Queensland’s quest for the Commonwealth Games would help people get over the disasters of 2011, Premier Anna Bligh said today. “It is important that we do not lose momentum but continue to seek out new opportunities for Queensland. That is why our government remains absolutely committed to our Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games bid,” she […]