Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Parliament on Tuesday he wants a mature national debate on the goods and services tax but has denied that the government plans to increase the tax. Despite repeated opposition questions suggesting the government plans to increase GST, Mr Abbott, backed up by his ministers, said he just wanted to see […]

The passports of 73 Australians have been cancelled because the government is concerned about fighters returning from the Middle East, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Parliament on Monday. The passports belong to people whom Australia’s security agencies are concerned want to travel to Iraq and Syria to fight with extremists. Ms Bishop said the number […]

Australia’s 21st prime minister, Gough Whitlam, died this morning aged 98. Mr Whitlam defeated the conservative coalition government led by William McMahon in 1972 to become the first Labor prime minister in 23 years. His “It’s Time” election campaign changed the face of political campaigning in Australia with its celebrity and entertainment focus. The campaign […]

About 3000 protestors took to the streets of Sydney on Sunday to rally against Israeli bombing of Gaza. For the third week in a row protesters gathered at the Town Hall at 1pm, where speakers addressed the crowd and led chants against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and the Abbott government’s perceived pro-Israeli stance. More than […]

NSW Premier Mike Baird evoked former prime minister Paul Keating when he told parliament the state budget was a “beautiful set of numbers” during question time yesterday. Despite the risk of Keating’s 1990 comments jinxing the budget (with recession setting in soon after the words Keating uttered as federal treasurer), Mr Baird was triumphant in […]

A surplus one year ahead of schedule was announced by New South Wales Treasurer Andrew Constance yesterday when bringing down the state’s budget. The surplus is based on the federal government’s commitment to give NSW an early payment of $700 million for the Pacific Highway upgrades. Premier Mike Baird said in question time the government […]

Savage cuts to local government will flow from the federal budget, Blue Mountains Labor mayor Mark Greenhill warned this week. Cr Greenhill said the budget would cost the council $267,000 in the first year and more than a million dollars over four years. “If you vote against resisting this cut, you are in effect voting […]

A gas bottle explosion is the possible cause of a fire that destroyed a house in Maryborough yesterday. The two-storey timber house was completely engulfed in flames by the time rural firefighters arrived at 11.30am. It is believed no one was home at Nangarin Rd house at Oakhurst, on the outskirts of Maryborough. A spokesperson […]

Farmers from Victoria’s Gippsland region took their campaign against coal seam gas exploration to Melbourne on Sunday, with hundreds of supporters backing their call for a ban on new coal mines and CSG exploration. The protesters marched from city square to the state library, where a petition signed by 1000 people was handed to Greens […]

About 600 angry protesters converged on Brisbane’s King George Square on Saturday to oppose Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s asylum-seeker policy. The policy, which declares that asylum-seekers arriving by boat without a visa will be sent to Papua New Guinea and will never be admitted to Australia, drew strong reactions from speakers. “If deterrents worked, hundreds […]

Pruning of street trees could prove costly for Brisbane residents. People could face hefty fines for cutting too much off street trees, Opposition councillors warned at this week’s Brisbane City Council meeting. “It is a poor law because it is not in simple language and anyone who reads this local law is still left without […]

The city council administration is keeping information about changes to the new city plan secret, Opposition and independent councillors claimed at yesterday’s council meeting. Opposition leader Milton Dick asked the Lord Mayor what changes were being made to the plan after chair of the Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment committee Cr Amanda Cooper revealed the […]

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has promised there will be no “trickery” in the forthcoming budget for Brisbane city. Opposition leader Milton Dick accused the Lord Mayor of tricking ratepayers by re-announcing existing projects in the budget. “Why are you treating ratepayers with such contempt?” Cr Dick asked. But Cr Quirk told today’s council meeting re-announcements […]

People of Brisbane city should show their colours and team spirit this football season, according to Lord Mayor Graham Quirk With the first State of Origin clash next Wednesday, Cr Quirk said Brisbane should embrace the month of June and the football season. “What we are calling on people to do is to show their […]

Queensland’s south-east will gain 10 new schools, while nine face the axe. Minister for Education John-Paul Langbroek told parliament today the government would build 10 schools in “growth hot spots” including growth belts south of Ipswich and in Brisbane’s outer north. The schools will be built in a public-private partnership, with companies invited to bid […]