Overseas trips by councillors were slammed as an extravagance at today’s Brisbane City Council meeting. Opposition leader Milton Dick asked the Lord Mayor to guarantee that ratepayers would not be subject to increasing overseas travel costs for LNP councillors. He said overseas trips were an extravagance the Brisbane City Council could not afford, given the […]

Treasurer Wayne Swan has dismissed Opposition concerns over budget debt as “fiscal fear-mongering”. Speaking during a fiery question time today Mr Swan also compared the Opposition to the Tea Party in the United States. Mr Swan levelled the accusations at shadow treasurer Joe Hockey when responding to repeated questions about the level of peak gross […]

Federal Labor this week joined the fight against a Queensland government decision to cut 32 staff from the Brisbane Sexual Health Clinic at Biala House in Roma Street. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (pictured) and parliamentary health secretary Shayne Neumann voiced their anger on Tuesday night at a meeting organised by the Queensland Nurses Union. […]

Plans by the Queensland government to cut back bus routes have been condemned by the Brisbane City Council. In a rare unanimous urgency motion, Liberal National Party and Labor Party councillors called on the government to reconsider the changes. “(They) will have significant impact to Brisbane residents – in particular seniors … and those with […]

An order that Broken Hill City Council pay $7 million to a mining company for overpaid rates was in the spotlight this week as a NSW parliamentary inquiry into state-wide land valuations began hearings. Head of the inquiry, state MP Matt Kean, told a media conference in Broken Hill on Wednesday the NSW Valuer-General did […]

Hot and thirsty train commuters are welcoming the arrival of water bubblers on Brisbane station platforms this week – but it could take up to four months before they can take a drink. Newsbytes reported last year on the quiet withdrawal of bubblers across the Queensland Rail network. Our story resulted in reversal of the […]

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 […]

Gold Walkley-winning journalist Hedley Thomas received an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree at Jschool’s annual graduation ceremony on Friday. Mr Thomas, national chief correspondent of The Australian, urged the new graduates to be constantly vigilant in their coverage of society. He recalled the media-initiated Fitzgerald Inquiry into government corruption in the 1980s to warn that […]

Rolling work stoppages across Victorian schools have been threatened, with the first to occur in Premier Ted Baillieu’s electorate of Hawthorn. As part of Wednesday’s teachers strike Australian Education Union (AEU) members voted not to hold another full-day strike this year but instead implement rolling work stoppages expected to be begin in Term 4. However […]

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 […]

A $57 million initiative had been axed because it was not the state government’s responsibility, according to Queensland’s Minister for Education. The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative had helped 57,000 Queenslanders find jobs and a return would have been made on the funds within 12 months, the Leader of the Opposition told parliament yesterday. Minister […]

A lack of long-term federal government funding could threaten Queensland’s health system, according to the state health minister. Lawrence Springborg said the federal Ggovernment needed to do more than just fund the initial start-up costs for health programs. “What we are seeing with regard to a range of projects which have been developed in Queensland […]

The contentious issue of government debt saw a medley of metaphors hurled across the chamber during question time in State Parliament. Answering a question yesterday from Labor MP Curtis Pitt about the government’s plans to lift debt to $85 billion by 2014-15, Premier Campbell Newman said the government was like an aircraft in a power […]

Boots were thrown at Parliament House during a lunchtime demonstration on Tuesday by hundreds of fire fighters and ambulance officers protesting against altered work conditions. Frontline emergency workers challenged Premier Campbell Newman to walk in their boots before his government implemented any changes. The protesters gathered at Southbank before heading to Parliament House to protest […]

The Queensland Nurses Union has launched a campaign to convince the government of the importance of nurses’ work. The union says rumours about job and service cuts are unsettling members and lowering morale. Union secretary Beth Mohle said today the union was launching a positive marketing campaign to remind government of the important role nurses […]